Review by Miller56 -- Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner

[Miller56]

[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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Apollo’s Raven by Linnea Tanner takes the reader to Ancient Rome and Britannia. The story is an intriguing historical fantasy that uses the main characters to describe the history of their respective clans. The sins and deeds of the ancestors are shown through the main characters from a cultural and religious aspect. There are many intermingled plots about love, power, curses, and villains.

Catrin is a Celtic princess that can see through a raven’s eye and eventually is able to transform into a raven. She falls in love with a Roman enemy, Marcellus. Their union puts their families and countrymen at risk. They have to decide whether they should betray their own families for each other and their forbidden love. Marcellus nor Catrin have complete faith in their love because they were each expected to gather information through whatever means necessary to aid their respective fathers.

This book has been well-researched for the time period. The Roman military structure and the Celtic way of life were apparent. The author uses Celtic history and ancient Celtic words to draw the reader into the story. Descriptions of the clothing, environmental surroundings, rituals, and mythology helped to set the stage for the book. Unfortunately, many of the ancient words are archaic and without a strong vocabulary or a dictionary on hand, it detracted from the story. I liked the main character, Catrin. She was a strong, fierce warrior. Her family depended on her to break a curse, and she was willing to die for her family. The women in this book were definitely leaders. The plot of the story was detailed and there were lots of characters that drew the reader into the story.

The ending of the story seemed to fall off a cliff. Although this is the first book in a series, the transition into the next book could have been smoother. There were several chapters of the next series included, which eased the cliff fall. I felt that some of the plots were left hanging with nowhere to go in the end.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fantasy romances. However, there were some sexually explicit scenes as well as a discussion on rape that would not be appropriate for late teenage audiences. There are also graphic descriptions of the wolf mating and eating victims. I felt that the book was well-edited and I did not find many spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. However, I struggled at the beginning of the book when the character’s thoughts appeared in italics and sometimes in a different font. Throughout the book, dots and dashes were used instead of punctuation, which appears to be the writer’s style. It was confusing and sometimes I felt like the author had lost their train of thought. Although there were some things I did not like about the book, I give it 4 out of 4 stars. It is an easy read for those who enjoy fantasy romances with a historical twist and it is interesting enough that I would read the sequels.

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Apollo's Raven
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[Wyland]

This appears like a compelling story about Britannia and ancient Rome. Apart from the intriguing historical tale, I think Ii will also be fascinated by the forbidden love between Princess Catrin and Marcellus. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[tristenb]

The initial plot of the story seems good. It's a love story between two people who can't be together. It also seems like the author took a lot of time to research the time periods and provide the reader with factually accurate descriptions of the setting and the clans. Ultimately, I don't think I would enjoy this book. Thanks for your review!

[Juliet+1]

Thanks for a very helpful review. I like historical fantasy and books with strong female characters, but I really hate cliffhanger endings. Maybe I should wait until more books in the series come out, so I won't have to be annoyed by the transitions.

[Miller56]

This appears like a compelling story about Britannia and ancient Rome. Apart from the intriguing historical tale, I think Ii will also be fascinated by the forbidden love between Princess Catrin and Marcellus. Thanks for the wonderful review.

Thanks for stopping by. I was hooked and I am currently reading the next book in the series.

[Miller56]

Thanks for a very helpful review. I like historical fantasy and books with strong female characters, but I really hate cliffhanger endings. Maybe I should wait until more books in the series come out, so I won't have to be annoyed by the transitions.

The next book is out and it has picked up right where the last one left off. I am enjoying it more than the first.

[Miller56]

This appears like a compelling story about Britannia and ancient Rome. Apart from the intriguing historical tale, I think Ii will also be fascinated by the forbidden love between Princess Catrin and Marcellus. Thanks for the wonderful review.

Thanks for stopping by. The next book has picked up where this one left off and it has been captivating. I hope you will enjoy the series.

[Miller56]

This appears like a compelling story about Britannia and ancient Rome. Apart from the intriguing historical tale, I think Ii will also be fascinated by the forbidden love between Princess Catrin and Marcellus. Thanks for the wonderful review.

The book was very intriguing and drew the reader in. I think you will enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by.

[Miller56]

Thanks for a very helpful review. I like historical fantasy and books with strong female characters, but I really hate cliffhanger endings. Maybe I should wait until more books in the series come out, so I won't have to be annoyed by the transitions.

The next one in the series picks up where the last one left off. I think you would enjoy what is out so far.