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

[FaruqAhmad]

Your review is a detailed analysis of the book. Good one.

[Mercelle]

Marcellus and Catrin's forbidden love threatens the stability of their kingdoms, and a prophecy foretells that Catrin's destiny is in overthrowing the King. The author beautifully weaves these plots to create a splendid read.

[LaurenHaupt]

I love the cover of book. The book sounds really interesting and educational. I like that there is some romance involved. Great review!

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I appreciated that the Celtics viewed women as equals and allowed for them to follow whatever lifepath they desired. This contrasted sharply with the highly patriarchal Roman society. Tanner took this one step forward and allowed for these differences to help color the dynamics between Catrin and Marcellus. I enjoyed that the pair did not automatically click and suffered from their own petty squabbles. For instance, Marcellus underestimates Catrin’s physical prowess on multiple occasions, giving Catrin the chance to best him and show him the truth worth of women.

This was one of my favorite elements too! I didn’t know the Celtic had such a progressive view on women and I love how both Marcellus and Catrin learn from each other.

In terms of faults, there were a few minor issues that I had with the novel. One involved the off-handed mention of Catrin having a twin sister that died when she was a young girl. This popped up around the halfway point of the book and came up during one of Queen Rhiannon’s, Catrin’s mother, musings. The fact that Catrin had a twin sister was never discussed again. I’m not sure if this was just foreshadowing for future books in the series, but the off-handed mention left me confused as to the importance of this tidbit.

I’m quite sure this a hint for something that will happen in the next installments of the book. In my opinion, the novel it’s too well planned to leave loose ends without a reason. But I agree, it’s kind of confusing.

Great, thorough review, thanks!

[Cecilia_L]

Tanner has done an excellent job of blending fantasy with historical fiction. I did not know much about Celtic or Roman culture, so it was fascinating to read about the differences and similarities between the two. I appreciated that the Celtics viewed women as equals and allowed for them to follow whatever lifepath they desired.

I didn't know this either, and it makes this book that's not my preferred genre more appealing. Thanks for your candid review!

[Shanna29]

Thanks for the wonderful review. This book is an interesting historical and fantasy fiction. It would be quite intriguing to read about Celtic and Romans and of course the chemistry between Marcellus and Catrin.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

You certainly seem to have enjoyed this book, and while I fully appreciate the mixture of Celtic and Roman histories with hints of fantasy, I doubt that this book is something I'll try. Many thanks for your comprehensive review.

[Ashiyya Tariq]

A historical novel with the mix of fantasy sounds interesting. But I am not interested in it. Great review.

[cindyr2416]

Great review. Very informative and descriptive giving me a great idea of what the book is like. I plan to read this as I like books that include Celtic and Roman culture. I’m glad that it also depicts the woman as a strong symbol.

[Maria Haileka]

I was a bit boring when I started then later to realise that there's a good story in it.....i find myself I don't.t want to get out of it and I enjoyed it....thanku once again...omake

[kelsiemaxwell]

I read this book and also enjoyed the blend of fantasy with historical fiction. The characters were well-developed. I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and your review.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I really love historical fictions about ancient kingdoms in ancient eras. This one seems a pretty interesting story which discusses love in between two foes. Congratulations on being BOTD

[desantismt_17]

I don't know much about this time period either, and this sounds like a great story to learn from. Thanks for your review!

[EvaDar]

I have read a number of reviews on this book, and I really enjoyed your analysis. I appreciate your comment that Queen Rhiannon acted unreasonably for her stature. I always appreciate knowing that sort of thing. Thanks for the great review.

[Tars]

Are you joking? Fantasy series books, written by author who is an avid lover of ancient history and mythology and expertly leads her readers through mystical adventure full of action, intrigue and romance? Where do I sign???