Cry of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga)

"When I walk in your dreams, your mind is open to me . . . "

Has Lady Selene Ravenwood finally discovered who she was born to be? A dreamwalker, using her power to comfort and unite, rather than seeking to manipulate and destroy? It appears that she is about to have the opportunity to prove her metamorphisis from darkness into the light; for trouble is brewing among the seven houses as the Dominia Empire breaches The Wall that has protected them for so long.

This exciting conclusion to "The Ravenwood Saga" is riddled with war and rumors of war; strategies implemented and allegiances tested. As Selene and Damien fight to strengthen their love for each other, they are also torn apart by their kingdom's demand for their unique gifts. In the end, it becomes increasingly clear that the Light has been, and always will be, greater than the Darkness.

"This is who she was. This is who the Light created her to be. And she would serve until her last breath, for as long as she lived."

Aaaahh! This book was so amazing! A new favorite, and an epic, suspenseful conclusion to the Ravenwood Saga! I loved it so, so much! I’ll try to keep this review spoiler free. ;)

I’ve loved each book in this trilogy, and each one has gotten even better than the last—difficult to imagine, since they’ve all been top favorites. CRY OF THE RAVEN was my most-anticipated read of the year, and wraps up the series, and totally delivers! IT. WAS. INCREDIBLE.

New twists and secrets come to light and there’s SO MUCH EPICNESS and it’s all on such a grand scale. I was blown away. The inspiring journey of these beloved characters, in this amazing world, with so many things that I love and have been excited to see since I first started the series, has just been so thrilling to experience! It makes me so happy! I’m sitting here grinning, trying to come up with words to do justice to this delightful book.

I absolutely love the characters, and how real their stories are, with their struggles, relationships, and growth. It’s been amazing following Selene through these books and seeing where she is now (I love her character so much, and even cosplayed as her at a writers conference last year!). Damien is my favorite, and he has quite a story in this one too! He is just the best. I love them together as well and seeing how their relationship plays out! All the love for these two! Reading their adventures and seeing the end has been so rewarding and I will love them forever. ^_^

So many of the side characters are favorites of mine too—and everyone is so real that they practically step off the page! I especially liked to see more of Caiaphas, Lord Leo and his brother, Lady Bryren and Reidin (who are EPIC!), and other characters like Taegis, Karl, and wise Renlar, who is new but awesome. Meeting new characters and delving deeper into ones we had met previously and seeing how they change was one of my favorite things!

I also love the worldbuilding! Aaahh! Definitely one of my favorite fantasy worlds. The powers/gifts, and all the different cultures and places we get to visit. I was so excited to get to see more of this world! *beaming* I stepped right through the page into this fascinating place—so happy to return one last time, and sad when it was over. I’m going to miss these books! *hugs them forever* But it was such an epic and satisfying conclusion that it’s also hard to be anything other than elated. :D

I love the writing, too—how it’s not sparse by any means, but at the same time there’s nothing “extra” and it shows just exactly the right things, everything important that we need to know, drawing you right into the action and emotion. It felt so clean, well-written, and masterfully crafted together, with inspiring words in there as well. The spiritual journeys, redemption, and healing, and parts about the Light, were very well done.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to fangirl about more of my absolute favorite things, besides the characters and world, because there is SO much to love about this book. Apologies for any incoherency, but aaaahhhh! CRY OF THE RAVEN had so many amazing things that I adored!

+ Firstly, seeing more of the wyverns! (Yesss! I was totally hoping for that!)
+ I also absolutely loved how the dreamwalking was an even bigger part of this one and how it fit into the plot! (No spoilers, but aaahh!)
+ In the previous books, we’ve seen Selene’s dreamwalking gift and Damien’s water-manipulation gift, but only briefly touched on the other gifts in this world, so I was SO EXCITED to finally learn more about and get to see some of other Great Houses’ gifts in action a bit! (*muffled shrieking*)
+ ALSO! A couple of things about the ending were my absolute favorite! No spoilers, but you’ll know when you read the end. ;) (And the scene with the flower!! My heart! Aaahh! I don’t even know why I loved it so much but I ADORED THAT PART and it makes me smile and tear up. ^_^)

MARK OF THE RAVEN and FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN have been building up to this one and it’s everything I ever wanted! Nearly everything that I hoped to see was brought to light, and so many things that were good surprises, too! It was the perfect ending to this trilogy which I absolutely adore. I wholeheartedly recommend this series! If you are a fantasy fan, you need it in your life!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are my own.)

A thrilling and heartfelt conclusion to an exciting and thought-provoking trilogy! I loved “The Ravenwood Saga” so much! From the get-go, it was totally different from what I was expecting, from both a romance and fantasy perspective. Author Morgan L. Busse surprised me with her ability to weave the two elements together so seamlessly and in a way that is sure to excite fans of both genres.
The descriptions had me immersed into the world that this author had created and the battle-scenes had me cheering the characters on. I loved Damien and Selene and found myself surprised to find I also had a soft spot for some less savory characters, lol! No spoilers, but I found myself genuinely surprised a time or two with some of the events that occurred within the story, also!
Overall, this was a terrific story and I look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer!

Such a satisfying conclusion to The Ravenwood Saga! So much story is packed within the pages of Cry of the Raven, and I still wasn't ready for it to end. This is one of those books that makes you want to sit and just feel when it's finished. Highly, highly recommend.

I loved Cry of the Raven. The Ravenwood Saga is one of my favorite series. I hope it will continue. This story is full of intrigue, The war between the Great Houses and the Dominia Empire was thrilling. A fast paced read that had me sweeping across the pages. Selene and Damien had to endure there own struggles in this fantastic tale. I love the way this Author writes and brings you into her Fantasy world. I loved the ending and I'm hoping for more.

I give Cry of the Raven 5 stars for its thrilling read.
I would recommend this book to Fantasy Fans.