Mark of the Raven ( Book #1): A Clean No-Spice Romantasy Trilogy Series with Romance and Fantasy (The Ravenwood Saga)

I’m struggling with the correct words to describe this book. It’s definitely not a light, fun read, but it is a gripping read. It can be very dark at times, but also filled with hope. I had a hard time putting it down. Most of this book is Selene struggling with not wanting to follow in her mom’s footsteps, and feeling hopeless that she doesn’t have a choice without hurting her sisters and house. At times I felt frustrated with Selene’s indecisiveness, and by the end of the book I was beyond ready for her to make her choice. That being said though, the story was interesting enough that I could over look my frustration. Damien was a breath of fresh air. I liked his POV. He brought the much needed hope to the story. I thought the world building and writing was great. Each house having a gift is interesting and I’m curious to see what dreamwalking can do when used for good. The pacing was for the most part good. It did drag a bit with Selene’s struggle with choosing what to do. Content: no swearing, no sex, some mild to moderate violence.

A Christian-based fantasy with a somewhat Medieval motif? Yes, please! Morgan L. Busse's latest impressed me, in more ways than one. The Great Houses and their gifts are beautifully written and fascinating. Although the spiritual elements in Mark of the Raven are subtle, the Great Houses' gifts hearkened back to spiritual ones for me. I also appreciated that, instead of creating a post-apocalyptic modern world like so many other authors, Morgan went the fantasy route. Lady Selene, Lord Damien, and others are complex characters well worth rooting for. Selene in particular captured my interest, as a character who is forced to make horrible choices but wants the light so much she would literally sacrifice everything to get it. In turn, Lord Damien and his motivations are also well-developed. As the youngest-ever lord of House Maris, he wins sympathy instantly, without pity. He shows himself to be a strong hero worth falling for, although he doesn't get as much page time as Lady Selene. Even the villains of Mark of the Raven are three-dimensional and somewhat sympathetic, precisely because you know they are going about meeting their goals the wrong way and wish they could see it. Lady Ragna netted a mix of disdain and pity from me. I also thoroughly enjoyed the secondary characters, like Renata and Pieter. I'm curious to know what happens to Renata later and if she ever finds any sort of healing. The romance between Damien and Selene was not unexpected for me, but the circumstances and outcome of it, and the cliffhanger ending, certainly was. Bravo, Morgan, for a couple of great twists. At times, Mark of the Raven seems longer than it needs to be, but in general, this is a unique and refreshingly subtle contribution to the Christian fantasy genre. Whether or not this is usually your type of book, I encourage you to try it.

Mark of the Raven is the first in the Ravenwood Saga and it sucked me right in. Lady Selene is heiress to House Ravenwood. Each of the great houses possesses a gift and secrets. Selene's gift is dreamwalking--a gift the other houses thought had died out long ago. Her secret is that she posses the gift and uses it for evil--but for the good of those who depend on her great house--or so her mother says. This doesn't sit well with Selene, so she sacrifices herself, burying her feelings deep within to protect herself for the good of her people. But an outside threat is encroaching and the houses are called together in hopes of uniting. But Selene's mother has other plans. Then Selene visits the dreams of a guest and finds a bright soul--something she didn't know exists, something she doesn't understand, something she desires. Mark of the Raven is a unique story with characters who tug on your heartstrings as you learn their hopes, dreams, and fears and keep you turning the pages, hoping that they'll make the right choices. This masterfully written story is dark and hopeful in all the right ways. If you enjoy original stories with intrigue, incredible world building, and characters you'll love, dig into Mark of the Raven.

highly recommend this first book in the ravenwood saga, it's not only a great story with great characters but the romance bit is actually really well thought-out, well written and realistic, which is so refreshing

I had such high hopes for this book, and it absolutely met every single one! A definite new favourite read that I'll be recommending to many. I fell in love with the characters instantly. Lady Selene's journey in this book is so heartbreaking and realistic. I often don't connect to female leads very well, but that was absolutely not the case with Selene. I rooted for her right from the start. All the characters were so well crafted and I just couldn't help but fall for them all. (Particularly Damien. 😏) The whole book is so full of suspense and high, high stakes. I'm not usually a fan of political intrigue, but Morgan is a master and it's balanced out perfectly with the action and emotion of the rest of the story. I couldn't stop reading! This was such an engaging, vivid adventure, and I'm absolutely going to be continuing the series asap. Highly recommend to fantasy lovers!

When Lady Selene Ravenwood receives her gifting she becomes able to walk in other people’s dreams. This is her destiny but could also be her destruction if her secret is discovered. As a result, she has to make some difficult choices about how she will use her gift. I really enjoyed this book. It is classed as Christian fiction on Amazon. As a Christian I found it Christian friendly - there are no sex scenes and the supernatural elements are called giftings rather than magic. There are Christian undertones in the religion/spirituality - Lady Selene is a follower of the Dark Lady but later has an encounter with a follower of the Light which challenges her beliefs. That being said, I believe this book would be suitable for any reader, no matter what personal beliefs they hold.

Excellent world-building...and the suspense was superb! Mark of the Raven is a fast-paced adventure, full of surprises and upending any preconceived conclusions I had guessed at. I can't say that about many novels! I found this novel to be well-written, with strong characters, and suitable for high school & up. I'm impatiently waiting for book 2 to arrive in April!!

I enjoyed this book and I found that it was a good emotional investment. Even though some things were practicable however they were will earned. So take a chance on it!