Black Raven [Turtleback]

Katharine Kerr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Book ten of the celebrated Deverry series, an epic fantasy rooted in Celtic mythology that intricately interweaves human and elven history over several hundred years. At the end of the Civil Wars, Prince Maryn stands on the brink of bringing peace at last to the torn kingdom, but powerful magics threaten his reign and his life. Only Nevyn's young apprentice, Lilli, can see the horrifying power of the curse, her dead mother's legacy of evil, that could bring disaster upon them all. But she has only untried magic for a weapon as she fights to save her beloved prince. Centuries later, the ancient evil rises again, threatening a raging tide of war that could destroy Deverry forever. Out in the lonely Northlands the savage Horsekin are gathering their armies to march west and conquer the kingdom promised them by their blood-maddened goddess, Alshandra, and her human priestess, Raena. Directly in their path lies the peaceful city of Cerr Cawnen, trembling in the fear of war.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Black Raven is Book Two of The Dragon Mage and the 10th volume of the Deverry series, a fantasy epic consisting of three interrelated quartets. As Katherine Kerr says, the past and the present are woven together in these novels, and the final volume will link with the first to reveal an overall design akin to a Celtic knot threading back and forth upon itself. This is a strange, pseudo-Celtic world in which reincarnation is a reality and past lives forever affect the present in surprising and unexpected ways. So, while The Black Raven can stand alone, it is advisable that readers begin with the first book, Daggerspell.

In this complex novel of civil war, sacrifice, and power, what impresses most is that Kerr uses an epic canvas to tell a strongly characterized and very human tale of hatred and destructive evil, and of the consequences of past malevolence on both the heroine Lilli and the Prince Maryn. By keeping the narrative tightly focused around a small number of characters, and by maintaining strict limits on the rather elaborately conceived elements of magic and the supernatural, Katherine Kerr ensures that her fantastical history does not overwhelm the more personal and affecting dimensions of the tale. The result is a polished, emotionally involving, and powerful novel in which even the dreams of a dragon may come evocatively to life. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Beleaguered by an ancient rival who has pursued him through countless lifetimes, Rhodry Maelwaedd struggles to preserve his land and his loved ones by any means necessary. In the distant past, the workings of the dweomer, which links one life to another through the centuries, plant the seeds that will come to fruition in Rhodry's time. Kerr's sequel to The Red Wyvern forms another part of her history of the land known as Deverry, a world ruled by fate and the cycles of reincarnation. A good selection for libraries owning previous series titles.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606192719
• ISBN-13: 978-0606192712
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tenth Entry For One Of The Best Ongoing Fantasy Series, December 13, 1999

By 

Elyon (Mesilla, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Raven: Book Two of the Dragon Mage (Paperback)

Katharine Kerr's Celtic based fantasy series is among the best available, without the fanfare but equal, in my opinion, to other contemporary sword and sorcery fare such as Jordan's or Martin's ongoing series. Not meant as a stand-alone, this work continues the storylines of the previous "Red Wyvern," as well as the overall narrative thread begun so long ago with "Daggerspell." Without starting at the beginning of the series, most readers will find themselves lost here. But for those who have never read Kerr's work, how fortunate, for you can begin with "Daggerspell" and read all ten books successively!

I would have rated this book more highly--the quality of writing found in the best of her previous books is present here--had I felt this work significantly moved the storyline along. However, most of the pages in "The Black Raven" are devoted to the relationships existing between the main characters, as well as life at court, and, as satisfying on one level as I found this to be, I would have liked to have seen further resolution to elements of the story left dangling in the previous work, as well as more buildup for the continuance of the narrative to follow. It was gratifying, however, to see a return of the character of Ebany, who has been absent from the tale for some time.

On a separate note, I feel I must take the author to task for neglecting to provide a thorough character list and chronology at the back of her books. Her tale spans centuries, shifts back and forth within time, and includes incarnations of characters from different books and simultaneous storylines that creates some confusion for the reader in the lapse between publications. While I recognize providing such an appendix would entail no inconsiderable effort on the part of the author, I feel that after ten books such a listing should be felt to be required of her for the benefit of her readers, and would prove far more helpful than the current glossary of terms she has deigned to provide.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating like the rest of the series., November 20, 1999

By 

Gregory P. Cable "2B||!2B" (North Carolina, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Raven: Book Two of the Dragon Mage (Paperback)

Like the rest of this series I found I couldn't put the book down, the author is clearly preparing for something special. The thought that this book is bringing us so near the end is a sad one. The only negative point I feel I should mention is the fact that I waited so long for this book I did not retain the characters and their lineage as well as I would have liked.

I highly recommend reading the whole series: Daggerspell, Darkspell, The Bristling Wood, The Dragon Revenant (first book of the series I read, read it again after I read the first 3), A Time of Exile, A Time of Omens, Days of Blood and Fire, Days of Air and Darkness, and The Red Wyvern

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raven Review, March 3, 2001

By 

A.M Condie (Fayetteville, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Raven (Dragon Mage, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

As a fan of this Katharine Kerr series in its entirety I found this book to be a must read, and one that I could not put down. Her style of writing has remained as easy to read and all engrossing as when she first began the series. This last series though has tended to focus on fewer time-line scenarios than her previous books. While in after-thought I find this a little tedious (the book mainly revolving around the Llilorigga-Maryn, and Rhodry-Raena story-lines) you can tell that the story is coming to some grand conclusion which makes it worth the read!If you have read the series from the beginning it is a little disappointing compared to the excitement of the initial Daggerspell series, but we are still comparing greatness to not-so-exciting greatness! Its not a book to be read out of sequence, start with Daggerspell and from there you can't go wrong!