Customer Reviews

Raven's Ladder: A Novel (The Auralia Thread)

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I'm never quite sure what to expect from fiction by an author of Christian faith... for every wonderful reading experience (like Stephen Lawhead's Celtic Crusades or C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia), there are numerous slogs through preachy & cliched schlock. (Insert obligatory reference to the Left Behind books here.) It's a little like Tim Burton films - you never know when an "Edward Scissorhands" is going to bloom amongst a field of weeds like "Batman Returns" and "Planet of the Apes."

It helps, of course, when you trust the author as someone who appreciates story & subtlety, which is certainly true of Jeffery Overstreet. As a long-time reader of his articles & reviews at [...] and his blog, [...], I was excited to find his first book, Through A Screen Darkly, which is a series of essays on movie-going & faith.

So when Mr. Overstreet released the first book in The Auralia Thread series, Auralia's Colors, I... checked it out from the library & felt really guilty about not reading it. Yeah, I know, that wasn't the story I wanted to tell either, but it's the truth. I'm not sure what kept me from digging into the first novel - some of the reviews I'd read made it sound "artsy" and I never managed to pick it up and get into it before I had to return it.

Fast forward a couple of years to the early part of 2010 when I agreed to blog/review Raven's Ladder, the third book in the series. I quickly realized that I didn't want to read book 3 before I read the first two books. So, for the past couple of weeks, I've carted around The Auralia Thread books and read them whenever I could... waiting for my boys at the park, taking a break at work, even squinting at them by the light of a bedside lamp.

Yes, the books are that good.

It's my assignment to review Raven's Ladder... a task which I'm finding daunting. I want to try & paint a picture of the book (and the series that leads up to it) without spoiling the joy of discovery that comes from reading a fantasy series set in a new world. I hope to get you to pick up Auralia's Colors and find yourself swept up by Jeffery Overstreet's beautifully crafted descriptions & plotting... leading inexorably to you buying all three books.

As I've thought about how to do this, I realized that The Auralia Thread reminds me of the TV series, "Lost." No, there's not an airline crash or a smoke monster or even a four-toed statue... but Mr. Overstreet uses the same kind of cinematic style of storytelling to move his plot forward. We get to see important moments from the viewpoints of different characters. Hints are dropped & questions are raised at odd moments that pay off chapters (or sometimes even books) later. The author, much like the writers on "Lost," isn't afraid to kill off characters or radically alter their lives rather than simply pander to our desires for things to be tied up in a simplistic package.

And while the story has definite philosophical & spiritual themes (esp. the relationship of art & faith), those themes don't seem to drive the plot. Instead, they flow out of the natural development of the characters and their lives.

Importantly for me, this is NOT a Christian allegory. Playing the "who's the Christ figure?" game with Christian-penned fantasy novels quickly grows tiresome and takes me out of the book and into "theology debate" mode. Jeffery Overstreet deftly avoids this while still dealing with questions about blind faith, the relationship of art & theology, legalism & freedom, desire as the arbiter of truth, and a plethora of other important themes.

I realize that writing about "serious themes" is likely to turn off some readers. I wonder if my initial hesitation to read Auralia's Colors has to do with other reviewers writing similar things. Pleased, give the story a chance... let the wonder & mystery of this fascinating fantasy world pull you in.

Some specific notes about Raven's Ladder:

* The prologue tells a story that I was sure would be the first half of the book (based on what had gone before). In other words, Jeffery Overstreet managed to both fulfill my expectations and take the story in some wild new directions in just a few pages.

* The book covers even more of The Expanse in vivid detail.

* There's a story (told by Krawg) that absolutely blew me away near the middle of the book... and the implications of what happens to that story speaks volumes about the way we deal with truth & art in our culture.

* Some key story lines are resolved here, while others are advanced and left hanging... thankfully, there is at least one more book coming!

It's probably no surprise that I recommend this book (well, the whole series) heartily!

Note: a review copy was provided.

This fantasy fiction novel, the third in the Auralia Thread series, contains complex characters and a descriptive narrative, which has been masterfully weaved, with the ability to draw the reader in to the world of the author's creation. As you travel through this mythical land there are themes of deception, hope and faith much like what we find in our own lives.

The tale reminded me of some type of "other worldly" medieval times story with a twist. However, not having read the previous books, it was a little difficult to understand the background of the characters.

I found a guide at the end of the book that gives an overview of the main characters. Had I found it earlier in my reading it would have been quite useful and made the book a much more enjoyable experience.

I highly recommend starting with the first book in this series "Auralia's Colors." Should you decide to do otherwise--be sure to refer to the helpful guide before you start reading. It will bring understanding of the characters which will help you, the reader, to be willing to invest yourself in them as you read.

If you like fantasy fiction, and aren't expecting something overtly "Christian" in nature, then this book and series in its entirety would be well worth reading. Well written with a plot and perhaps even "undertones" that represent modern day life it provides an enjoyable escape for the reader.

This is my first fantasy fiction book. Being new to the genre I have little to compare it to and thank Multnomah Publishing Group for providing a review copy. Those who enjoy fantasy fiction would quite certainly enjoy all three books in this series along with the final book which is yet to be released.

Starting the Auralia Thread series with Book Three, Raven's Ladder, is not a good idea. It's like walking into the middle of an awkward conversation or trying to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop without first biting into the candy covering--difficult, but not impossible. Fortunately, author Jeffery Overstreet provides a glossary of characters in the back of his book to help newbies like me discover the world of King Cal-raven and his people.

Raven's Ladder follows the continuing tale of Cal-raven as he leads his refugee kingdom to found a New Abascar after their old kingdom was destroyed in a previous book. The book is reminiscent of the Bible's depiction of Moses leading the Israelites through the wilderness, but in Overstreet's tale there are believable and interesting female heroines.

Overstreet plays attention to detail as he weaves together a masterful plot that becomes clearer--even to first-time Auralia Thread readers like me. The cast of characters (and there are many) are marvelous--finally a Christian fantasy book I would recommend to my Lord of the Rings-loving friends!

I imagine the first and second books in the series are wonderful and would shed a lot of light on Raven's Ladder. So, if you want to read a good fantasy, check out the Auralia Thread series, but start at Book One, or you'll be referring to the glossary...a lot.

*This book was provided for review the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group*

When he was a prince Cal-raven freed Auralia's Colors only to find their "house" collapsed killing his father. Still believing that the Keeper sent Auralia to them for a reason, he led his people to safety inside a stone labyrinth after overcoming the beastmen (see Cyndere's Midnight). However their refuge proves unsafe when something from underground is trying to drill through the stones. The people of Abascar flee again while their ruler King Cal-raven foretells the rebuilding of a New Abascar.

However, King Cal-raven is distracted by the Seers of the House Bel Amica. He fails to protect his people who have plans for the wanderers and having learned of Auralia's Colors from those they have trapped with their charms, they weave this into their lies. Only Cyndere as daughter of Bel Amica's widow Queen Thesera abetted by Jordam the House of Cent Regus beastman; and "Rescue" the mysterious ale boy can save the weary wanderers. However they must overcome the brutal cursed Cent Regus beastmen, the sneaky Seers advisors to the queen of Bel Amica and the wavering monarch Cal-raven having lost his faith in the colors and his vision.

The third colorful Abascar religious fantasy is a terrific entry with a powerful message of keep the faith at all times especially when you feel abandoned. The story line is fast-paced but character driven as Cyndere continues to believe even more so while Cal-raven is losing his beliefs. Although filled with action throughout, it is the King's questioning what the Keeper wants for the House of Abascar that he helped to collapse that makes this a strong inspirational fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

This is the third book in a series, so it took me a few chapters to get into the story and figure out who all the characters were.

Nicely written. Imaginative. Fantastical. Mythical.

I enjoyed this book and I'd definitely like to read the first 2 books.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"Raven's Ladder" is the third book in the four-book Auralia Thread, a startlingly poetic, deeply spiritual fantasy series that begins with "Auralia's Colors" and "Cyndere's Midnight."

The story dawns on a displaced people: The people of House Abascar, led by the young king Cal-Raven and his faithful guardsman Tabor Jan, have moved into a network of caves after the collapse of their house in a cataclysmic earthquake. Cal-Raven dreams of building New Abascar according to his childlike dreams, filling it with the beauty glimpsed in Auralia's colors and following the footsteps of the Keeper, a strange forest creature he has come to revere almost as deity--but which remains mysterious and out of reach.

An unexpected encounter with the Keeper charges Cal-Raven's faith and sends him on a journey to find the perfect settling place for his people. But even as he travels into the north, a menace from the ground threatens the caves, and Tabor Jan is forced to lead the people out. The refugees are discovered by Bel Amica's beastman-hunting Captain Ryllion, and they have no choice but to accept the hospitality of House Bel Amica--a wealthy and exotic house which, under the influence of the follow-your-heart moon-spirit religion, has become a sort of Vanity Fair.

The Bel Amican heiress Cyndere and her faithful attendant Emeriene do what they can to care for the refugees, even as Tabor Jan and Cal-Raven fight to keep Abascar from losing its identity in Bel Amica's seductive pleasures and the religion of the Seers. But theirs are not the only endeavours in the Expanse. The Seers are slowly spreading their power, and in the wastelands to the east, cursed Cent Regus beastmen are rising to new power.

There, in the ruins of House Cent Regus, Cal-Raven's faith will sustain its greatest blow.

"Raven's Ladder" is rich, powerful, and thought-provoking. Its prose is beautiful; its plot is riveting. This is not a stereotypical fantasy, wherein the good king and his beautiful followers battle the bad king and his beastly ones. In the world of the Expanse, beauty and beastliness mix, and it's anyone's guess which will rise to the top. Cal-Raven's journey is one of faith that any believer will relate to, from the first flush of infatuation into discouragement as he is challenged to hold onto hope despite all odds. In the confusing tangle of emotions, exhaustion, and half-truths that is life, the beauty of art and the power of storytelling point the way back home.

I can still feel the atmosphere of this book weeks after reading it. House Bel Amica is stunningly rendered, exotic and exciting, with its hanging mirrors, ocean air, and rich food. It's a beautifully seductive place. But the religion underlying it, a message of following your heart, is also seductive, and we watch as this frighteningly familiar mantra (seen any Disney movies lately?) leaves the best of men wide open to deception and turns heroes into monsters.

The characters are extraordinarily human, from the fiery idealist Cyndere, who rebels against the excesses of her house in her desire to help the lost and accursed, to the awakening beastman Jordam, who thinks in metaphors and is beginning to lose his fur, to Prince Cal-Raven, who combines youthful arrogance with burdened leadership and passionate hope. Tabor Jan and Emeriene, who both function as the loyal friends of difficult visionaries, remain two of my favourite characters.

I have loved this series from the start, and it continues to get better. I reread "Auralia's Colors" and "Cyndere's Midnight" before opening "Raven's Ladder," and I will probably read all three again next year when the final installment comes out. I look forward to the fourth book even as I dread it, because this is a complex story with characters I'm coming to love, and I want to see all their stories treated fully. Bother the demands of the publishing industry that a book be relatively short.

It's been several weeks since I read my advance copy (provided to me free of charge), and the story is still lingering with me. This is some of the best fantasy being written today.

A Note to Parents and Young Readers: Overstreet's books are very moral, but not simplistically so, and some scenes are gory. These are books for discerning readers.

- Rachel Starr Thomson, author "Worlds Unseen" and "Burning Light"

Raven's Ladder is the third book in a planned four book storyline entitled The Auralia Thread. (The first book in the series, Auralia's Colors was nominated twice for a Christy Award.) The series is a fully realized mythological world called the Expanse with a complete history, its own language, and fully fleshed out political and religious systems.

In this book, King Cal-raven attempts to lead the survivors of his kingdom, House Abascar, after a cataclysm detailed in the previous books, to a new home. On the way his people are forced to stay at Bel Amica, the sea kingdom of House Bel Amica, which is filled with temptation and focused on self-gratification. A sect of magicians, called Seers, secretly hatch a plot that could mean the end of House Abascar completely. Cal-raven must find a way to take his people away from Bel Amica and towards their new home, New Abascar, which he has seen in visions.

I read this book prior to the other two books in the series and struggled at first with the language and history that I was obviously missing. However, the strong story telling and exciting fantasy adventure theme kept me pushing in to the story. Within 100 pages I was hooked. This is a fantastic fantasy novel - and possibly the best "Christian" fantasy I've read so far. All too often Christian authors hold to their allegories too tightly and don't allow for characters to live and stories to flow. Not so this series. I am so enamored with the series that I plan to read the first two books as well.

I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy - believers or not.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Jeffrey Overstreet is an excellent writer. His Auralia Thread is a delightful, upward journey to ever-greater heights of storytelling bliss. Plus there's cool fighting parts.

The Auralia Thread books are all grand. The authentic, sub-creative story is set upon pillars of truth, beauty, and goodness. Raven's Ladder is the best one yet.

Loved this book. First, get Auralia's Colors (The Auralia Thread Series #1), then proceed immediately to Cyndere's Midnight: A Novel (The Auralia Thread). Finally, get this one and thank me later. Seriously. I want you to thank me at a later date. I accept tips in the form of gold, silver, and Big League Chew.

Raven's Ladder is the third book in the Auralia's Thread series. Because I missed the second volume, it was difficult for me to pick up the story in this sequel. My suggestion to anyone thinking about reading Raven's Ladder would be to read all the books in order and preferably within a short amount of time. These books are built upon each other and it would be easy to miss everything that is going on without the information in previous ones.

As in Auralia's Colors, the author has painted a masterpiece of words. Raven's Ladder is filled to the brim with intriguing characters, strange and wonderful creatures, and unusual geography. Characters range from courageous and heroic to manipulating and evil. Cal-raven's quest to deliver his people to a safe place and to establish New Abascar, leads them through adventures, challenges, and dangers. Fantasy lovers should definitely check out this series.

Raven's Ladder is the third book of the Auralia Thread Series. This book was slow going at first but once I got to about the second chapter, the story went from ok to great. If you have ever read any of the books from Brian Jacques's Redwall series and liked it, you will love this book.

It starts in the land of Expanse of the time of Abascar's Exodus, House Abascar has fallen. King Cal-marcus is dead from the earthquake that made House Abascar fall and Cal-raven, Cal-marcus's son, has taken his place. The survivors of the earthquake are hiding in the Blackstone caves and they now have a new problem. A deadly menace that birds call Deathweeds is emerging from the ground of the Blackstone caves and has already killed seven men. House Abascar's people must flee or die from this menace. Just to top that off, King Cal-raven is trying to find the place for New Abascar. Will they succeeded, or die trying?

This is a great book, you should read what will happen to House Abascar's people.