Review by hectora -- Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole

[hectora]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Raven's Peak" by Lincoln Cole.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Raven’s Peak, by Lincoln Cole, is a supernatural thriller within the urban fantasy genre. It takes place in today’s world, where there is an unseen war between supernatural creatures and those who fight to send them back to hell.

Abigail Dressler is a skilled operative working for the Council, a secret organization dedicated to protecting the world from the supernatural. Five months ago, she was possessed by an unnaturally strong and vindictive demon, leading to death, destruction and the loss of her father figure and mentor, The Reverend. In a ploy to save her from certain death, the Reverend tricked the demon into possessing him and sending them both to hell.

Eager to redeem herself, she accepts a mission to investigate the quiet mountain town of Raven’s Peak, which is showing signs of supernatural activity. Along the way, she rescues Haatim Arison, a young theologian who suffered a terrible tragedy and has lost his faith. Due to a link to the supernatural world he is not even aware of, he is targeted by supernatural forces that may be related to the threat at Raven’s Peak. She finds a town under a demonic threat stronger than they can imagine and that must be contained at all costs. She finds clues that could help her find out what really happened to her mentor and how to get him back.

I came into this story expecting exciting demon-fighting derring-do, and the author really delivers. The premise of a secret organization fighting the supernatural is well-trod territory, and what really sets a story apart is a compelling protagonist fighting for stakes other than just vanquishing demons. Abigail’s drive to atone for her horrific possession, to start kicking demon butt again, and to save her mentor was very compelling, and I was rooting for her every step of the way. Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer all grown up and unleashed.

Themes of redemption, sacrifice, and coming to terms with tragedy all come across loud and clear. Both characters have something to prove, and they are given the agency to reach deep within themselves to succeed.

Less successful was the inclusion of Hatatim, who seemed a reader stand-in, the naïf which is bewildered but excited at taking part in a strange new world. I imagine we’ll know more about him and his journey in the other books in the series, but his character came across as a bit flat, especially compared to Abigail or the Reverend.

Even though I greatly enjoyed this book, some issues with pacing took me out of the story. The prologue is around twenty pages, a too-large chunk of the novel’s 215 pages, and introduces The Reverend, the novel’s most interesting and charismatic character, who then does not appear in the rest of the book (for obvious reasons, to be fair). The main protagonists do not reach Raven’s Peak until page 136 in the novel, more than halfway through. For a novel titled Raven’ Peak, I wanted more focus and action on Raven’s Peak. The author certainly provides enough locations, settings, and color around the town and the surrounding area to build more of the story around the town and craft a lot of plot there.

I gave this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, as the novel’s shortcomings did not prevent me from being riveted by the action and turning the pages quickly to find out what happens. The author kept my interest through the end and made me want to immerse myself once more into Raven’s Peak. The novel is certainly a worthy addition to the genre.

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Raven's Peak
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