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

[Amanda Stueve Pense]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Princess-warrior and emerging druidess Catrin is strong, brave, intelligent and in some ways innocent. If not for some adult situations she finds herself in, I just kept thinking that she would be a fantastic young adult heroine. In Linnea Tanner's Apollo's Raven, Catrin finds herself in the epicenter of political intrigue between Rome and various Celtic tribes. She is torn between loyalty to her family and a new-found love for one of the Roman emissaries, Marcellus. A curse cast on her family before her birth destines her to be the linchpin on which hinges the fate of her family, her tribe, the Roman Empire (at least in Britannia), and the man she loves. But with so much backstabbing and political posturing, who can Catrin really trust? Is her magical mentor in fact treacherous and maniacal? Is Marcellus simply feigning love to carry out his mission of espionage? Will he betray her by persuading Rome to abandon her father as its client king?

From the beginning, Tanner creates a compelling and believable universe. The history and mythology blend together seamlessly almost from the opening scene. I was strongly reminded of the sagas of Stephen R. Lawhead or Bernard Cornwell. The reader enters into the story and the world of the characters immediately. And that world is brimming with political plotting and religious manipulation: between the Romans and the Celts, but also within each camp and each family. I also really enjoyed the approach to magic and the development of Catrin's powers.

The narration alternates between the perspectives of several different characters, an extremely smart choice because it allows the reader to have insight into the various political intrigues underway. The shifts between the characters' viewpoints are smooth and effective in advancing the story. The main characters are well developed and well-crafted, but the ambiance of the book is probably its strongest point.

One thing I really enjoyed was that although there was romance in the book, in the narrow sense, the story was not romanticized in the broad sense. Tanner's world obtained a nitty-gritty, harsh, and realistic feel. For example, at one point Catrin is found by the queen and a trusted soldier and carried to the safety of a nearby cave. Rather than being a warm fuzzy scene, being carried makes her “woozy,” she is “jolted” and at the end “drops of water from a lichen-crusted ceiling annoyingly dripped on her face.” At another point, Marcellus pulls Catrin out of a mud slide. It is cold and wet and they huddle together for warmth...and I bet you think this is going where I thought it was going. But instead, they just stay wet and shivery and miserable. Hooray for realism!

There were a few little things that bothered me, which I'm not sure I would have even noticed if I had not been intentionally reading with a critical eye. Tanner's descriptions are strong and vivid, but sometimes I felt that she threw in a description at a point when it distracted from the scene, or used a word that while technically conveys the precise meaning she wanted, has a tone or feel that is out of step with the rest of the scene. For example, in the midst of describing a character's rage, in which he is literally destroying things, she writes "His eyes next focused on the was tablets and scrolls set on the elongated table..." and for some reason throwing in the word "elongated," which admittedly is a much more active way of describing a table than "oblong," really pulled me out of the scene.

In contrast to the other characters, I found Lucius Antonius, Marcellus' father to be kind of stilted and unconvincing. He flew into rages (like the one above) that seemed artificial. While the backstory is there to tell you why he might be temperamental, something about him just didn't seem to fit.

There are some mildly explicit sex scenes in the book, which are fine. I don't think they either added to or detracted from the book. But I could seriously have done without the phrases “his sexual fire” and “her sexual danger.”

I rate Apollo's Raven 4 out of 4 stars. Tanner's believable historical/mythological world makes for a very enjoyable read. The plot is complex and exciting and Catrin is an extremely sympathetic heroine. Any fan of historical fiction would enjoy this book, as would most fantasy fans, particularly those who enjoy King Arthur stories or stories built around Celtic or British mythologies. The only reasons I can think of that someone would not enjoy this book is if they don't like complex story lines, don't like fiction in general, or just hate history. But I, for one, look forward to reading the next book in the series.

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

[Prisallen]

It sounds like this is a well-written historical fiction and I think I would enjoy it. I enjoyed reading your review!

[Amanda Stueve Pense]

It sounds like this is a well-written historical fiction and I think I would enjoy it. I enjoyed reading your review!

Thank you, Prisallen!

[David Samanthaa]

The characters are well-drawn, and the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns. Linnea Tanner has crafted a story that is both exciting and thought-provoking.