Review by maiamalanee -- Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole
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maiamalanee
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Review by maiamalanee -- Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole
[Following is a volunteer review of "Raven's Peak" by Lincoln Cole.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Raven’s Peak by Lincoln Cole is the first book in the World of Fire series. This novel is a paranormal thriller. It’s a chilling, exciting, and thoughtful page turner that any fan of the paranormal and bizarre will enjoy.
The book begins with Arthur Vangeest, a former Reverend, who voluntarily committed himself to jail after a horrible incident. Cole’s way with words in the prologue hits hard. The words vividly express Arthur’s internal struggle as he deals with the loss of faith and moral action. He is trading guilt for pain, only the first of the many trades that occur throughout the novel. After serving his time in prison, he trades his freedom for assisting in an investigation over the death of three demon hunters, one of which is a member of his own family. Arthur accepts and goes into the mountains to investigate.
Enter Haatim, a man in his mid-twenties, back in Arizona to continue his studies and to escape his family. After his sister dies of cancer, he continuously questions his faith in God. When he accepts an interesting offer from a stranger, Haatim meets Abigail Dressler, a demon hunter, and is dragged into a world that is beyond his reality. Abigail is called, by the Council of Chaldea, to investigate strange activity in Raven’s Peak that they believe is connected to the supernatural. Along with her Hunter responsibilities, Abigail now has to protect Haatim after learning of his relationship with the Council. Together, they drive to Raven’s Peak where memories emerge and the fight between good and bad ensues.
Raven’s Peak was an enjoyable read. The plot was easy to follow and flowed smoothly. The settings and actions were easy to visualize, I was able to see every action as they happened. I liked the main characters and didn’t find myself disagreeing with anything they did. The main characters were diverse, which made me unexplainably happy. It was different and refreshing to know that Abigail and Haatim were ethnically different from the other characters. The fact that Haatim is Indian really stands out as moments of his culture and religion come back around within the book. The relationship between the two was strictly platonic and never turned romantic. This may change in the course of the series, but as of this book, I thought that the platonic relationship worked well.
“...Even after all of this, it hadn’t been his father who had rekindled his faith. It had been Abigail. Not her belief in the supernatural, but rather her utter belief that she was doing the right thing by risking her life to save others.” At the heart of Raven’s Peak are trust and religion. These two values shine through the words as Abigail and Haatim come to trust each other over time and Haatim comes to terms with his religion. But it wasn’t just these two values that I noticed, it was the internal struggles that each of the main characters had. Haatim with the acceptance of his faith and his familial resistance, and Abigail trying to prove that she is anything but “damaged goods.” Together, they bring out the best in each other. I see these two values, in addition to the great interaction between Haatim and Abigail, as a starting point for future character development.
I would like to have known more about the old Raven’s Peak. The old town is not introduced until a great deal into the book. I enjoyed the anticipation, but the title of the book made me expect it to be thoroughly introduced earlier. Once the old Raven’s Peak was introduced, I felt that it was not described fully and not much happened there. Seeing as it is a creepy town, It would seem that there would be more supernatural activity, but it never fully panned out. I also felt that the action scenes were too long and made me start to skim over the words. The action was well written, but I started to lose interest quickly after a page or so. Quick action with the unknown in mind can make for better suspense.
I give Raven’s Peak a 3 out of 4. There were plenty of plot twists that kept me on my toes and wanting more. The lack of information on old Raven’s Peak, and the wordiness of fight scenes inclined me to give it a three instead of four. For those who do not like horror or gore, then please be aware that there are a few scenes of gore. If this is something that you do not particularly enjoy, then this may not be the book for you. However, Raven’s Peak was a good read overall. I’m excited to get my hands on the next novel in the series since book one has me wanting more.
******
Raven's Peak
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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Raven’s Peak by Lincoln Cole is the first book in the World of Fire series. This novel is a paranormal thriller. It’s a chilling, exciting, and thoughtful page turner that any fan of the paranormal and bizarre will enjoy.
The book begins with Arthur Vangeest, a former Reverend, who voluntarily committed himself to jail after a horrible incident. Cole’s way with words in the prologue hits hard. The words vividly express Arthur’s internal struggle as he deals with the loss of faith and moral action. He is trading guilt for pain, only the first of the many trades that occur throughout the novel. After serving his time in prison, he trades his freedom for assisting in an investigation over the death of three demon hunters, one of which is a member of his own family. Arthur accepts and goes into the mountains to investigate.
Enter Haatim, a man in his mid-twenties, back in Arizona to continue his studies and to escape his family. After his sister dies of cancer, he continuously questions his faith in God. When he accepts an interesting offer from a stranger, Haatim meets Abigail Dressler, a demon hunter, and is dragged into a world that is beyond his reality. Abigail is called, by the Council of Chaldea, to investigate strange activity in Raven’s Peak that they believe is connected to the supernatural. Along with her Hunter responsibilities, Abigail now has to protect Haatim after learning of his relationship with the Council. Together, they drive to Raven’s Peak where memories emerge and the fight between good and bad ensues.
Raven’s Peak was an enjoyable read. The plot was easy to follow and flowed smoothly. The settings and actions were easy to visualize, I was able to see every action as they happened. I liked the main characters and didn’t find myself disagreeing with anything they did. The main characters were diverse, which made me unexplainably happy. It was different and refreshing to know that Abigail and Haatim were ethnically different from the other characters. The fact that Haatim is Indian really stands out as moments of his culture and religion come back around within the book. The relationship between the two was strictly platonic and never turned romantic. This may change in the course of the series, but as of this book, I thought that the platonic relationship worked well.
“...Even after all of this, it hadn’t been his father who had rekindled his faith. It had been Abigail. Not her belief in the supernatural, but rather her utter belief that she was doing the right thing by risking her life to save others.” At the heart of Raven’s Peak are trust and religion. These two values shine through the words as Abigail and Haatim come to trust each other over time and Haatim comes to terms with his religion. But it wasn’t just these two values that I noticed, it was the internal struggles that each of the main characters had. Haatim with the acceptance of his faith and his familial resistance, and Abigail trying to prove that she is anything but “damaged goods.” Together, they bring out the best in each other. I see these two values, in addition to the great interaction between Haatim and Abigail, as a starting point for future character development.
I would like to have known more about the old Raven’s Peak. The old town is not introduced until a great deal into the book. I enjoyed the anticipation, but the title of the book made me expect it to be thoroughly introduced earlier. Once the old Raven’s Peak was introduced, I felt that it was not described fully and not much happened there. Seeing as it is a creepy town, It would seem that there would be more supernatural activity, but it never fully panned out. I also felt that the action scenes were too long and made me start to skim over the words. The action was well written, but I started to lose interest quickly after a page or so. Quick action with the unknown in mind can make for better suspense.
I give Raven’s Peak a 3 out of 4. There were plenty of plot twists that kept me on my toes and wanting more. The lack of information on old Raven’s Peak, and the wordiness of fight scenes inclined me to give it a three instead of four. For those who do not like horror or gore, then please be aware that there are a few scenes of gore. If this is something that you do not particularly enjoy, then this may not be the book for you. However, Raven’s Peak was a good read overall. I’m excited to get my hands on the next novel in the series since book one has me wanting more.
******
Raven's Peak
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "Belas Rift" by Stephan von Clinkerhoffen
