Raven Fire

by Emma Miles

5 out of 5

Synopsis

Is prophecy real; can Arridia and Joss defeat a god?

Evil never sleeps, and neither can the fire spirits who have guarded Kesta and her family so faithfully for more than fourteen years. United in a desire for peace, the four lands beneath the sky have enjoyed relative stability, but under the surface stirs unrest. Greed, ambition, disquiet, rebellion; and the ever-present threat of Geladan’s crazed god discovering she has been fooled.

Quiet Arridia is a Raven Scout, dedicated to the principles and hopes of her parents. When an opportunity presents itself to come home, she grasps it, longing to settle and find the love she has patiently waited for.

 Fun-loving Joss is drawn to the court of Elden with all its colour, noise, and intrigue; but has he taken on more than a young man can survive?

     Raven Fire is the final part of the breath-taking Fire-Walker saga.

     If you could, would you dare to change the world?

Review

Old friends and new allies have to come together to face down the God that has been threatening them for fourteen years.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed this series, and was excited, and a little sad to see it end.

Unlike in the first three books, Kesta and Jorrun still feature throughout, but take a bit of a back seat, as their children step up to lead most of the action.

The story is set 14 years after the end of Raven Storm. After sending away the emissaries of Geladan, they have been living a temporary peace. But the "goddess" Jdhera has not forgotten them, and wants to wipe the out all fire walkers, as it was foretold they would be the end of her immortality.

Raven Fire's main narrative is split into two stories.

The Fulmer Islands - where the Icante is preparing for the biggest fight of their lives, as well as the ailing health of her husband.

Elden - where King Bracticus' children are under pressure to meet his expectations; and with the help of Kesta's kids (Arridia and Jossun), they start to uncover signs of malevolent witchcraft.

I really enjoyed this story, and thought the next generation were wonderful additions.

I did think that the pace of preparing for Jderha was a little slower than in previous books, but I didn't mind. I was happy to wallow in the nostaligic feeling of all the characters from the previous books, coming to join the Icante, and sharing everything that had happened, and the choices they made in their lives.

I thought the author skilfully jumped between the two narratives. The Elden Court needed less back story, and jumped straight in with the action, with attacks by golems, and a hidden witch.

There were a lot of fun scenes.

I didn't think the "villain" was a huge surprise, but it was entertaining throughout.

Overall, there weren't as many twists and surprises as the previous books, but it felt like they weren't needed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think this whole series is completely underrated, and would encourage people to give it a go.

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