Review of Apollo's Raven

[Sbitan Mohammad]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Apollo's Raven is a tale of forbidden love amidst war and political manipulation at a time when the Romans governed the Celtic Britons. Celtic princess and warrior Catrin has an exceptional gift of interacting with ravens, and with the help of this gift, she sees her half-brother, Marrock, approaching her father's rival to attack them. She informs her father, and he begins to seek alliances with the Romans.

Catrin's father, King Amren, seeks to stop his son by negotiating with the Romans. To facilitate negotiations, Marcellus, son of Senator Lucius Antonio, is sent to Amren, while Vala, Amren's eldest daughter, is sent to Lucius. King Amren charges his daughter to befriend Marcellus and learn all she can about the Romans. However, things take a turn when the duo begins to fall in love, putting their lives and country in danger. On the horizon is a curse against Catrin's family. What is the connection between Catrin's gift and this curse? Does forbidden love thrive? There's only one way to find out.
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Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner is the first book in the series by the author of the same title. It is a historical-fictional blend of mystery, fantasy, myth, and magic. The perspective shifts among characters, allowing the audience to understand firsthand the thought processes of some of them. The author carefully weaves an exciting narrative involving shape-shifting, magic, political powerplay, and an undertone of romance. Based on the accuracy level this author met following her historical descriptions, it is evident that a lot of work went into research to achieve that, which is commendable. The language was straightforward, and the chapters were chronologically arranged to facilitate understanding. I enjoyed the way of the Celtics, particularly the fact that they gave women equal rights as men and even rights to property and all.
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I garnered no dislikes while reading this book; instead, I enjoyed my time, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. The presentation, characterization, and plot were unique; until now, I had never heard of an alliance between the Celts and Romans, but this book opened up that possibility. I encountered no errors while reading this, showing that it was exceptionally well-edited. Therefore, I'm rating it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to mystery, adventure, historical fiction, and romance fans. Due to the violence and sexual scenes contained, I would not recommend this book to younger readers. 

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Apollo's Raven
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