Raven Unveiled
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4.4 • 22 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A woman with the gift to speak to the dead—and the assassin pursuing her—may be the only chance a crumbling empire has of holding back true evil, in this electrifying fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.
Siora has been on the run for longer than she cares to remember, from her past and her gift. Born with the ability to see and speak to ghosts, she has heard their desperate pleas as an otherworldly predator stalks the dead amid the fertile killing fields of the collapsing Krael Empire. The creature’s power and reach are growing with every soul it consumes, but Siora is preoccupied with her own troubles: namely an assassin who has sworn an oath of vengeance against her.
Gharek of Cabast was once the right-hand man of the reviled empress but is now a wanted fugitive. Although his reasons for hunting Siora are viscerally personal, what Gharek can’t anticipate is that when he finally does find her, she will hold the key to saving his world, or what’s left of it. To make good on old debts and protect the vulnerable dead from a malevolent force, Gharek and Siora will both need to make an ally out of an enemy—and trust that will be enough to save each other.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
For the solid third Fallen Empire fantasy (after Dragon Unleashed), Draven contrasts the horror-tinged darkness of her secondary world with a sweet enemies-to-lovers story that offers a measure of redemption for the morally conflicted, emotionally bruised protagonists. Ever since shade speaker Siora betrayed Gharek, a former assassin and cat's-paw to a now-deceased mad empress, Gharek has relentlessly pursued her across the lengths of the civil war torn Kraelian empire, all while narrowly avoiding the bounties on his own head. Meanwhile, Siora fears the growing presence of a spectral monstrosity that eats spirits. Then both assassin and shade speaker fall into the hands of would-be ruler General Zaredis, who holds Gharek's daughter hostage. To save her, the unlikely duo must band together on a deadly mission into the empress's summer palace in search of a magical artifact. The longer Siora and Gharek work together, the closer they become, and an attraction arises in the wake of their enmity. The chemistry comes through, the almost grimdark world feels lived-in, and Draven's atmospheric prose ties it all together. While the story depends greatly on the events of the previous volumes, often referencing earlier characters and incidents, it's still possible to read this as a satisfying standalone fantasy romance. Readers will be pleased.
Customer Reviews
An original fantasy romance
For lovers of fantasy romance, Raven Unveiled is an original read set in this author’s Fallen Empire Series. This is the story of shade-speaker Siora, and Gherick, the former cats paw of the malevolent empress. With impressive world building complete with rich and detailed descriptions, the author has crafted a fantasy with intriguing characters and an engaging storyline. I was completely fascinated by Siora’s character. As a shade speaker, I found her gift to be unique and interesting. I marveled at her kindhearted nature, strength, and bravery. Gherick is on a quest for vengeance but is his animosity misplaced? Like Siora, I found his character intriguing but at times was frustrated with him. These two end up entangled in each other’s webs which made for a rather interesting dynamic and read. The author will take the reader on a spellbinding journey full of danger, action, and adventure.
The beginning of the novel felt a little slow and I also struggled to follow along at first. I think it was because it had been so long since I read the previous two books in the series. Yes, Raven Unveiled features a different couple and the timeline takes place after the pervious book, but I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as a standalone. I feel that perhaps I would have experienced less trouble getting into the book if I reread the pervious two novels. As the book progressed, I did find myself fully engaged in the story and eager to know just what was going to happen next. I absolutely love this author’s storytelling and have consumed all of her writings so while this was not my favorite, it was still an enjoyable, magical read which I highly recommend.
What was that ending??
Honestly meh. Don’t think I’ll be rereading