Customer Reviews

The Raven

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can only start by saying that I am floored. In my mind, there is no reason why this author should not be published through a major publisher. His work is without a doubt on my part, beyond exceptional. The scope of his imagination surpasses most of the commercial Fantasy books I've read.

What makes this book stand out is the sheer magnitude of the world that the author has created; the attention to detail, the originality of the characters and the world, even with the strong influences from our own cultures, norms and religions. His skill at world-building was brushed on in "Witch Ember"; here, it is in your face. John Lawson also plays with language, and context and adds to the mood and the expressiveness of his characters using dialect. It's brilliant, despite the need for a glossary (which the author thoughtfully marked with a post-it flag for me).

"The Raven" is a dark adult fantasy, which like its prequel, has situations and bleakness in it that are not suitable for everyone. This book's stories are harsh and in some cases, graphic and gory. The visuals the writing produces sometimes make you wonder what the heck could possibly be going on inside the author's head. But don't be mistaken, this isn't just a gore-filled blood-fest; there's depth, substance and turmoil here; a violently tormented knight and a journey where you perceive growth and discovery, and perhaps even redemption.

Guiromélans is a holy warrior; a tainted paladin; a man whose faith has been put into question, and whose identity is so steeped in faith that his entire being is thrown into turmoil by his doubt and confusion. You will follow him as he tries to make himself right with God again, and as he travels and adventures through a world of creatures and images fresh and gloomy. The three-dimensional characters that accompany him, who pass through his stories, whose lives he affects are as rich and complex as the world they live in.

The book is as clean as a whistle with only occasional blips here and there; it is quite decently edited. It's a thick book, and luckily, fairly self-contained, so you can pick it up without having read "Witch Ember" and not feel lost or overwhelmed.

Obviously, John Lawson has earned another five medallions from Odyssey Reviews for "The Raven". I highly recommend this book to any serious Fantasy reader--it's a solid investment for your library. You will be refreshed by its scope and originality. You will also enjoy the collection of illustrations peppered throughout the pages.

The Raven by John Lawson

In Lawson's book The Raven, he picks up right where he left off with his first book, Witch Ember. Sir Guiromelans is now a Raven for the Seven Kingdoms and quite a good knight(He was introduced during the game Esmeree and a few others were playing called Court of Love). He wields a sword with much precision and has claimed many of what I call, "unholy" or non-Medianist lives with it.

He feels scorned or abandoned by God after all of the disastrous events in Witch Ember and now vows to rid the world of all sorcerers, ember carriers and those that do not believe as they should in his mind. In The Raven, you are taken on quite a journey through Guiromelans' travels in search of answers that he doesn't even know he's really looking for.

Piracy, fighting, killing, new creatures, and thoughts that travel back to a certain little witch will keep Guiromelans pressing forward to avenge his God as well as captivate the reader.

Prepare yourselves for a Young Adult Fantasy that is in my opinion considerably better than Witch Ember, the illustrations have also improved. My only quibble is that I reviewed this in ebook form and there were so many new words that it made it impossible to travel all the way back to the end of the book for the glossary to understand the meanings; so for the most part I had to assume I knew what they meant. The Raven is a book that is a must read in print form. The story in itself was interesting and detailed very well, at times there were lapses in adventure but when Lawson picks back up, he really tries to blow the reader away. 4.5 Hearts

The Raven, by John Lawson, is his second book in his series of Zĺ. This action- packed, page-turning, riveting saga chronologically starts where the first book, Witch Ember, ends, which is after the battle between Sir Guiromélans, a paladin, the sword of God and Esmeree, a witch, his true un-fulfilled love. Sir Guiromélans was sent by the Primate of the Church with an army of thousands to bring Esmeree back in chains and kill the 300 or so others. Using sorcery, Esmeree manages to destroy the attacking army. After saving Sir Guiromélans from a treacherous attack by one of his generals, she leaves Sir Guiromélans on the battlefield filled with sorrow, anguish and doubt of his oath of duty.

The Raven is Guiromélans adventitious story as his wanders thru trials and tribulations trying to understand his faith, his concept of God and his duty. It is filled with demons, both outside and inside, Gods, monsters, and battles reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian or Kull the Conqueror. Sir Guiromélans search for his life's meaning while being cursed by God gives this epic meaningful depth.

ohn Lawson's swashbuckling sequel to Witch Ember is The Raven. Admittedly, "swashbuckling" is a term that is probably a bit too cavalier for The Raven with its gritty, disconcerting narrative. However, the bulk of the story does revolve around the knight Guiromélans, aboard a pirate ship on the open seas or exploring treacherous shores inhabited by scores of Lawson's imaginative beasts. His charge as Raven enlists him in an eternal "witch hunt" for those born with stones, sources of immense magical power, of which possession alone flags the owners as heretics in the eyes of the Medianist Church.

Readers of Witch Ember will remember that Guiromélans made a brief appearance in that novel, so he will be a familiar character. While the witch Esmeree is no longer the protagonist in The Raven, she still haunts Guiromélans, disrupting his battles and plaguing his heart. Lawson introduces another strong lead female, Caidryn, somewhat of a pirate's wench and guardian of the boy Balen. It is fascinating how Lawson reverses the temperaments of male and female in so many of his characters; while Caidryn is obviously far from the stereotypical weak, emotional woman, Guiromélans is passionate under his warrior's veneer, fighting the allure of love at every corner and battling with his own inner turmoil over religious doctrine and his purpose in life.

Lawson's mythical settings and storyline are at times parallel to reality, allowing the reader an outsider's perspective of common human conflicts. War, religion, politics, race, gender, poverty: if it is an ill of man, it is likewise a concern of the inhabitants of the Seven Kingdoms. While engrossing and entertaining as a fantasy novel, it is concurrently a sociological study and a psychological thriller.

The chapters are interspersed with Lawson's haunting black and white illustrations, as was Witch Ember. These drawings are important because at times Lawson's preternatural creations are almost unimaginable, not for lack of explanation and description, but because it may be difficult for a conditioned mind to wrap around the absolute grotesqueness of the image. The pictures help define Lawson's vision of the characters.

The Raven's narrative consists of Lawson's fictional slang and terminology, which was a major complaint of some readers of Witch Ember. While some of the words are a bit difficult to grasp and can cause some stumbling, they also seem to be an important aspect of the truly imaginative backdrop of Lawson's characters. They aid in creating a complete and rounded view of The Raven's milieu. To challenge this verbosity would be to challenge the entire concept of Lawson's fantasy.

In essence, The Raven makes an excellent complement to Witch Ember, exhibiting the same intellectual qualities and fantastical experience readers will expect from John Lawson. Hopefully, Lawson will continue releasing exemplary works of fiction.

As with Witch Ember, I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Raven"... the writing style remained similar and kept my interest the entire time. The vividness and harshness (I would prefer to use the word "realistic style") remain and again, this is not a book for everyone but for those that enjoy being taken to a world far removed from their own, this is a must read.

The main difference for me between the two books is that with Witch Ember I had small feelings about what might and might not happen next, what situations might occur, possible situations that were being slowly and carefully crafted for my reading pleasure. However, with "The Raven" I was at a complete loss (which is a very good thing). I could not anticipate where John Lawson was going to take me next, what was the next "test" for our knight, who would survive, who would perish, who is good who is evil, who is both?

I cannot wait to reread this book (just as I did with Witch Ember) and I look forward to the next book as well.

In my opinion, John Lawson is as good, if not better than may other authors currently published.

Haunted by his attraction to a complete anathema of his faith, the witch Esmeree, a disgraced knight of the Seven Kingdoms searches for his redemption. In a long tortuous journey of discovery, he finds that the prophets of men should not be confused with the truths of existence.

While the story arc of The Raven is not unique, the storytelling itself is. There are races with their various traditions, familiar fantastical creatures and spiritual forces in abundance, but Lawson does a superb job of animating and motivating them, weaving them together in unique and fascinating ways, from sublime to grotesque. The knight Guiromelans' character responds to his hardships, many of which are self-inflicted (or divinely conspired), with emotions and thoughts entirely plausable; the subtle and slow transformation of his outlook on life is thoughtfully explored.

As others have commented on this and the previous novel "Witch Ember", it is really hard to understand why this author does not have a major book publisher. As epic adult fantasy goes, there are no works that I would place in front of these.

I was so excited to get this book, having read Witchember and becoming engrossed in the world and characters. I could not wait to read what esmeree was going to do next. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprized that we got to see how the other side lives so to speak. I am anxiously waiting to read the next installment. I would have to say that John Lawson is now one of my all time favorite authors. There is absolutely no fluff, which I love.

His name is Sir Guiromélans of the Iron Fist. He is a Medianist Knight. He is a Raven of the Seven Kingdoms. He is Vavasour of Ehre. But most of all, he is a Paladin of God whose faith has been shaken to its very core.

Since his defeat by the witch, Esmeree, Sir Guiromélans has wondered why God seems to have forsaken him. As penitence, the Raven turns his focus to the Southern Territories and begins a crusade against heresy. During his travels, Sir Guiromélans makes many acquaintances. He trusts none, however, except a lone young boy named Balen. The child is innocent in so many ways and looks up to the Raven as a mentor and possible father figure. Yet when a Raven's faith is clouded and confused, how can he train a young ward?

During his quest for answers to he question he does not even know, Sir Guiromélans fights in many battles against demons, ghouls, circle magic, dark sorcerers, deadly shades, and much more. Often Sir Guiromélans awakens only to be amazed that he still lives! One character sums it up well when he states, "A Medianist dreadnought, a true themoch, a war between Söderkarl and udyronde! When it comes to suicide, I give you points for your spectacular failures!"

**** For those who read the previous novel, "Witch Ember", you have already been introduced to this mighty paladin. I found this character to be even more fascinating than I believed would be possible. This novel picks up shortly after the ending of the first. However, you do not have to read book one to totally understand and enjoy this broken, but still honorable, knight's tale. The plot slows down in a few places, but the frequent battles kept me reading. Will there ever be a third novel? I certainly hope so! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.