Cry of the Raven Book Review

Cry of the Raven Book Review

Cry of the Raven
The war for Selene's soul is coming swiftly, as is the war for the fate of the Great Houses. Warning! The following review is for the third book in a series, so there may be spoilers for books 1 and 2! If you haven't read those yet, check out the links for the reviews at the beginning of this post!  
4.9Overall Score

Cry of the Raven

The war for Selene's soul is coming swiftly, as is the war for the fate of the Great Houses. Warning! The following review is for the third book in a series, so there may be spoilers for books 1 ...

  • Plot
    5.0
  • Characters
    5.0
  • Pacing
    4.5
  • Setting
    5.0
  • Themes
    5.0

Warning! This review is for the 3rd book in the Ravenwood Saga, so it may contain spoilers for the first two books. Haven’t read them yet? Check out my reviews here:

Mark of the Raven Book Review

Flight of the Raven Book Review

Personal Review:

Everything about this conclusion makes me want to reread the trilogy. Themes explored before are so beautifully intertwined with the final installment. Selene has grown and changed so much! Yet none of her development feels rushed or forced. Damien is such a strong leader, yet he always acknowledges and worships the Light for his gifts.

Busse’s prose is that kind that draws me closer to God and causes me to praise Him for His creativity and His choice to make us sub-creators. Descriptions are vivid without appearing overly flowery or too drawn out.

Another point I’ve discussed in previous reviews is how this series discusses redemption and salvation in a way that many Christian fantasies can’t manage. While the themes are clear, I never found them too “preachy”.

Even the villain has a satisfying ending! As far as I remember, there are no plot lines that aren’t wrapped up. I’ve read one of The Soul Chronicles, Busse’s steam-punk duology, and while I enjoyed it and am planning on reading her first trilogy, I’m fairly confident this one will always be my favorite of her series.

As engaging as this series is, its quality reaches its pinnacle in this novel. this is a series I’m sad to conclude, but I know I’ll revisit it in the years to come.

I would recommend this series as a whole for ages 13 and up because of its discussion of marriage and the occasional violence.

Content Review:

Language:

– The made-up swear word “Dart’an” is used frequently.

– Characters “curse” occasionally without any actual swear words.

Sexual:

– Frequent references to an affair

– As in the previous book, Selene and Damien sleep in the same bed, but there are no explicit scenes.

Violence:

– As seen throughout the series, there are wounds and descriptions of battles, but I don’t remember any overly gory descriptions.

Spiritual:

– The Light often represents God, and the Dark Lady represents the Light’s opposition.

Other:

– Older characters occasionally drink.

Themes:

Redemption, love, sacrifice, family, bravery, forgiveness, change, salvation, beauty

Links:

I’m a part of the Amazon Affiliates Program, so if you purchase Cry of the Raven from one of these links, I may receive a small commission. Thanks!

Paperback:

Kindle: