Morgan L Busse's "Mark of the Raven" - exciting new fantasy!

Lady Selene, heir to the Great House of Ravenwood, has awakened into her powers, the long-thought-eradicated ability to enter dreams. But as she learns, her ability extends beyond seeing within a persons dreams--she can use their dreams to spy or destroy them. When a summit of all the heads of the Great Houses convenes at Ravenwood, Selene is tasked with assassinating the man prophesied with destruction of her House, but can she destroy the one who also has also been prophesied to bring peace and hope to their nation?

It's a mark of a good story when upon finishing, you want to begin reading it all over again (that is, if book 2 isn't readily available to read instead). Which leads me to the point, by far the worst thing about this book is that book 2 isn't available RIGHT NOW. Not that it's a cliffhanger per say, but that ending! I really, really want to know what happens next!

I have to admit, I've had a hard time finding new fantasy novels that meet my [probably fairly high] standards. There are a lot of intriguing stories out there, but it's hard to find ones that are both clean and captivating, complex yet not compromised. They don't have to be light and sugary sweet to meet my standards (though that's fun on occasion too)--I can handle dark deeds and poor choices, just so long as they grow and eventually choose Right. Mark of the Raven is pretty dark--Selene is basically being trained as an assassin. But even so, there's light, there's hope, and we know that Selene can be so much more than her training allows so long as she chooses Right. A lot of this book is setting up for great things to come, and I can't wait to see how Selene grows and transforms throughout the series. And it is both clean and captivating, complex yet uncompromised.

Earlier this year Patrick W Carr's Darkwater Saga showed me what Christian fantasy could be--allegorical, yes, but wrapped up in such an intriguing, layered story that the allegory only enhances the story (even for me, someone who isn't all that fond of allegory). The Ravenwood Saga looks to be of the same vein (but written in a more feminine hand). I can't wait read the next!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Ravenwood Saga
1. Mark of the Raven
2. Flight of the Raven
3. Cry of the Raven

Artwork by Rachael Koppendrayer, 2018