Legends of the Ceo San by J. Elizabeth Vincent

By

 Raven Thrall (Legends of the Ceo San #1)

                                                        
Click on the image to go to amazon


Raven Thrall is the first in the Legends of the Ceo San series by J. Elizabeth Vincent. Miriah had fled across the sea, believing that her mother had betrayed her and sold her to the King's men. She has made a new life for herself. In a world where Ceo San people (people who could shapeshift into an animal) were being hunted and enslaved by a greedy and power-hungry king, Miriah has been half changed her entire life. She was a tall, lean woman with striking silver hair and a pair of huge black and silver wings on her back.

When faced with the choice of going back to her homeland to help save the family of a fellow shifter, she is forced into a complete shift through necessity and she and a young crow eager to find his siblings take in an impossible quest.

Along the way, Miriah and Xae make some interesting friends, have some battles with foes and end up smack in the middle of the Varidian and in the reach of the KIng. Miriah has to decide whether the Ceo San are chosen for a divine purpose or cursed to be hunted down and enslaved.

Raven Thrall is one of those books that grab as you start reading/listening.  It has a great opening, and the story flows easily and naturally, leaving a well-constructed world where the magical creatures fit in seamlessly.  The vivid descriptions of the hawks and crow in flight are mesmerizing.

Lynn Norris does an excellent job as narrator and brings the characters to life, conveying the emotions of the characters and making each one unique and discernible,

This is a good epic fantasy that can safely be recommended to YA, with the caution that there is some violence and deaths but that it fits into the story.


Healer's Sacrifice, the prequal to Raven thrall is also a good read and gives more information about Shira and the circumstances surrounding the fate of the Ceo San

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Enigma of Ted Bundy by Kevin Sullivan

By
Image
                                                      click on the image to go to amazon There are followers of true crime who have a particular fascination for Ted Bundy as he was essentially the guy next door.  This book by Kevin Sullivan gives a detailed rendition of the police reports available as well as of the victimology for those who want more information on Bundy than was previously available.   The author attempts to find answers to some of the nagging questions that have come up through the years. This is a good read and it contains an immense amount of information that will hold your attention until the book is finished.  There are however small instances where some knowledge about certain facts in the investigation is needed. Maybe the author could add some of this information in a foreword. For example: In the police report it is mentioned that there is a tear in his vehicle's seat, the relevance and importance of this fact is uncertain if you are a first time reader
Read more

As promised, here is DODGER!

By
Image
If you know the words 'Please sir may I have some more, you also know who said it and which book.  Oliver Twist, to some, is the best known of Charles Dickens' books.  Yes, A Tale of two cities and Great Expectations are also well known but did not honour being made into a Disney Animated Film or a musical. As with many books, the title character is not always the one that people end up liking.  In the case of Oliver Twist , the Artful Dodger is the character that steals the show and how appropriate for Terry Pratchett to take this lovable character and give him the Pratchett makeover. Those of us who have read the Discworld novels and novels such as Nation  know that anything is possible once Pratchett has taken a character into his world.  For some, it might be disappointing to realize that there was nothing magical in Dodger .  That is to say nothing magical as in the Discworld novels. Knowing who Dodger is and knowing the brilliance of Pratchett, one can
Read more

Time's Orphan by Hayley Chow

By
Image
Time's Orphan by Hayley Chow is a YA fantasy that tells the story of Emara, who lives in Okarria, a land destroyed by war and overrun by cannibals and undead doing the bidding of the Dead King. A Mage and a Necromancer have resurrected Idriel, or the Dead King as he is known, but they need a Time Heir, blessed with a healing gift, to heal Idriel's broken body. Emara has hidden her gift of healing all her life and only uses it to help ease pain and heal minor wounds. When the city of Faveno falls to the enemy, she is captured and taken to Austerden, where the Dead King rules. On her way there, she is joined by a talking black cat and reunited with the Shadow Heir and Dragon Heir. Together, they can kill the Dead King and save their beloved Okaria. But as all seems lost, something miraculous happens, and Emara is sent back in time with the order to find Bellaphia, a Magus who can help her with her gift as Time Heir. In the past she makes friends with a street rat and the second
Read more