The Raven Ring: A Lyra Novel (Tor Fantasy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Patricia C. Wrede (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tor Fantasy | Publication Date: November 1998

The world of Lyra is the world of two moons which humans share with the folk of magic: the silvery people of the ancient Shee, the elusive forest-dwelling Wyrd, and the dread Shadow Born, whose evil seeps into men's hearts and the shadows of the world.

In this Lyra adventure, a proud young mountain woman must leave her stronghold to travel to the city and accomplish a bitter task. Her mother, a soldier, died suddenly in the line of duty there, leaving behind the beautiful Raven Ring -- an ancient family heirloom that is much, much more than it seems.

Retrieving her mother's ring is a simple matter -- but getting it home again will prove no easy task. For there are dark forces at work in Lyra....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this sweet if slight novel, Wrede (The Harp of Imach Thysell) revisits the fantasy world of Lyra after a nine-year absence, conjuring up a quest story that nicely balances action, adventure and magic. Beautiful and brave Eleret Salven, 20, must travel to the city of Ciaron to reclaim her dead mother's personal effects. There, she becomes embroiled in a plot by evildoers who want to steal her mother's raven ring (a talisman of power useful against the ancient enemy, the Shadow-born), as well as in a dilemma over the romantic entanglements presented by a wealthy nobleman and a mischievous thief. Eleret is a lively, spunky heroine, and Wrede presents just enough exotica (including an exemplary use of an alternate tarot card system) to keep the slim plot zipping along. This refreshingly charming story makes good use of its warrior maiden, allowing her to find less obvious solutions to the rather typical dilemmas presented.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When Cilhar warrior Eleret Salven travels from her mountain homeland to the city of Ciaron to claim the effects of her mother-who has died in battle-she becomes target to a host of enemies intent on acquiring her mother's possessions for their own purposes. Set in the lands of Lyra, this fantasy adventure by Wrede (Mairelon the Magician, LJ 5/15/91) blends action, intrigue, and romance. Clever dialog and engaging characters add further spice to this magical comedy of manners. Suitable for adult and YA fantasy collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812514327
• ISBN-13: 978-0812514322
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

PATRICIA C. WREDE has written many novels, including Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and The Grand Tour coauthored with Caroline Stevermer, as well as the four books in her own series, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. She lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of My Favorites, July 13, 2002

By 

"thepenmage" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven Ring: A Lyra Novel (Tor Fantasy) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Raven Ring is one of my favorite books. It was the first book I read in the "Shadows over Lyra" novels, and discovered it was a stand-alone book. This can be your first Patricia C. Wrede book, but it will make you want to read more.

The Raven Ring is about a young woman, Eleret, who goes to visit the city of Ciaron to collect her dead mothers belongings. There, she discovers many people who are interested in the raven ring her mother owned. With the help of her friend, the sly and witty thief Karvonen, and her guide/bodyguard/friend Lord Daner, she solves the mystery of the Raven Ring and finds love along the way.

The Raven Ring is a great book which has just the right amount of mystery, romance, and fun in it. Patricia Wrede is a great author. The Raven Ring is the kind of book you will want to have on your bookshelf to read over and over again.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a really excellent fantasy novel, January 4, 2006

By 

M. F. Lucas (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raven Ring: A Lyra Novel (Tor Fantasy) (Mass Market Paperback)

There's nothing really unique about _The Raven Ring_. It's a simple enough story about a young woman with a supposedly simple mission to complete in an unfamiliar place. She meets friends and enemies alike, and discovers that one of the items she's gone to retrieve is far, far more than it seems.

But if this book isn't strictly unusual in terms of plot or style, it's special because it's really, really good. The level of writing is very impressive for a fantasy novel, and it's perhaps telling that this was Wrede's last high fantasy novel. I'm not sure that she could improve on it (though who knows what she'll come out with next). If you've read the other Lyra books, it's a great addition to the series. If you read this book and enjoy the world, by all means look up the others, which were written much earlier. But there's no doubt that _The Raven Ring_ is the best of the lot, and better than most other fantasy, too. It deserves to be a classic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 5, 2003

By 

alyssa batterham (Canada, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven Ring: A Lyra Novel (Tor Fantasy) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved the book, the characters were realistic and completly based on people you can like and are amazed by. I loved the fact that the main charater was a girl who was a hugely able person. Most books have men as the warriors, but this one proved that women can be just as adept at anything they try as men can be. I loved that the main characters were not all honourable and that they shaped the story with believable actions. It also showed that people with perfectly good intentions can be as annoying as can be. I rate this five star for excellent characters, believable plot, and overall good writing.