Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier Series: Shadowfell #2
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia on July 2013
Genres: Faeries, Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 365
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Neryn thought she had lost everything and could trust no one, not even her mysterious companion, Flint.
But when she finds refuge at the rebel base of Shadowfell and discovers her canny gift as a Caller, she feels the first stirrings of hope.
Now she faces a perilous journey with the rebel Tali and the Good Folk, who shadow her steps. She must find the three Guardians who can teach her how to use her unwieldy gift – one that it is rumoured could amass a powerful army.
Can Neryn master her magical power to save Alban from King Keldec's stranglehold?
Or will she be too late?
Buy from these Aussie booksellers: Booktopia • Bookworld
But some things did not change, I thought, watching Tali as she sat in the bow with the wind blowing her dark hair around her stern features. Courage, for instance. Dedication to a cause. Comradeship. When they were strong and pure, when they came from deep in the bone, those qualities could hold fast against all odds. Surely they could.
Please note: This review is for the second book in the Shadowfell series and may contain spoilers for the first, Shadowfell. You may wish to read my review of that book instead!
Neryn has made it to the rebel stronghold of Shadowfell, and now must prepare for the next part of her quest to further her skills as a Caller. She must seek out the three other Guardians of the Good Folk, to receive training. The only problem is, she’s not really sure where they are. Will the Good Folk be willing to help her out?
In Shadowfell, Neryn journeyed across the countryside with the enigmatic Flint, trying to avoid capture from the forces of the evil King Keldec. There is more perilous journeying across the hostile kingdom in Raven Flight which does tend to slow the pace a fair bit, but by the end of each part of the journey Neryn learns more about her abilities and those of the Good Folk as well. She’s gradually building in confidence, and although the idea of commanding people and Good Folk into battle never becomes easier, at least she’s coming to terms with the role she’ll probably have to play in a final confrontation with the King’s forces.
Flint is back at the king’s court, but at least we get to see a bit of him and a bit of the love affair that may at some point be realised. There are some very sweet romantic moments from time to time, as well as some heartbreaking ones.
I loved Tali’s growth in this part of the story. She’s so loyal to the rebel cause that she accepts the task of guarding Neryn across the country, when it’s painfully obvious that she’d rather be elsewhere. By the end she has revealed so much more about her personality that you can’t help but love her steadfast friendship and loyalty. I hope she gets as major a part in the next story as she did here.
I will say that the storyline towards the end is slightly predictable – at least there were no major surprises for me. There’s a lot of build-up and looking towards future events – I hope they’ll play out as awesomely as they have the potential to be. This is still a beautifully told story despite its gentle pacing and I’d encourage those who enjoy stories involving faeries to give this series a look.
– an enjoyable and beautifully described story, if a little slow at times.
The Shadowfell Trilogy
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 Book 3: Coming in 2014 |
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Anni
Anni lives in Brisbane, Australia with her young family. She loves everything fantasy and science fiction and believes sleep is really very underrated.
Vero
Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite writes, Her book are like magic, love this trlogy