Review by SusanS -- Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner

[SusanS]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Apollo’s Raven written by Linnea Tanner is a magical tale of a young, Celtic Warrior Princess, Catrin, who gets caught in the middle of a political conspiracy perpetrated by Lucius Antonius, grandson of Mark Antony of Rome, against her father, a client King of Britannia during the 1st century. Antonius’ orders come from the Emperor Tiberius himself, after Marrock, Catrin’s older half-brother, pleads with the Emperor to acknowledge him as the rightful heir to their father’s territory. What the Romans don’t know is why Marrock was exiled and his mother executed.

Catrin is forced to betray her parents and her forge her own path in order to save her father’s kingdom and lift the curse that was cast upon her family. She meets Marcellus, son of Lucius, while he and his father are on their fact-finding expedition to Britannia and falls in love with this handsome stranger. What is revealed in this story of love and betrayal is parallel to the likes of the Tudors. The characters struggle with defining their own set of moral truths while tethered to the yoke of their families’ torrid histories and current aspirations.

Although the characters lacked development in the beginning of the story, it was easy enough to take the story line and run with it. By the end of the book I had been drawn in to every character and their predicaments. There were times when I asked myself, “Why did he/she do that?” It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I had the ‘Ah, ha!’ moment that explained the young, virgin princess’ motivation for giving herself away so easily to the handsome Roman stranger. I was not surprised by her father urging her to use her alluring manner to get information from the worldly Roman traveler. But how would an innocent teenager know how to seduce a man into telling her the secret intentions of the Roman Emperor?

The story unfolds quite eloquently as the author takes us through ancient Druid rituals, flashbacks induced by mystical potions and ghostly, shape-shifting experiences. The depth of detail and colorful description of these magical episodes are vividly presented to the reader, giving us a rich vantage point from which to enjoy this fantasy world.

I gave this book 3 out of 4 stars because I would have liked to have more background and character development in the beginning of the story. (I would have given it 3.5 stars if I could.) There are only a few typos/errors in the editing that need some attention. Also, a couple of timeline issues in the telling of the story.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance, and tales of Druid priestesses, complete with magical curses meant to tear a family apart. The author has done her homework. Ms. Tanner is well educated in the history and customs of the era and the setting. She presents a substantial background for this ‘other-worldly’ account of the powerful Roman Empire and the land grabs of Britton’s client Kings based on historical facts and her own imagination. I’m looking forward to the author’s future installments.

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Apollo's Raven
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Like SusanS's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Rosemary Okoko]

The author needs to develop the characters well. The timeline should also be looked into. It seems like the story line is good. Thank you for the review.

[Spirit Wandering]

I liked your reference to the colorful magical settings. I have read two good reviews on this book so I will check it out further. Thanks for your informative review.