Today I’m reviewing the soon to be released Ravensworn by Adam Lofthouse!
Here’s the blurb.
It’s been six years since Alaric’s great defeat. Six years of skulking in the shadows, drinking the days away.
He thinks his life over, the glory days behind him. Until a band of horsemen appear on the horizon, eager to recruit the man they still believe to be a lord of war.
And so Alaric must drag himself from his slumber, don his mail once more. For in the far north of Germania lies a tribe in desperate need of aid. They seek an army of bristling spears, a wall of wooden shields with an iron will. What they’ll get is one tired old man.
In the far reaches of the land, for a cause not his own, Alaric will fly the Raven banner once more. In doing so, he will discover if he is still the man he once was, or if he is destined to feast at the Heroes Hall at last.
Review
Firstly I must commend the author for such a versatile character, this may be the 2nd book in the Ravensworn series but we’ve met Alaric before.. If you haven’t already I do recommend you check out the rest of the authors works, you can read Ravensworn without but why would you want to? Ha. Each book is brilliantly written as a standalone but shine even more intensely when you’ve read them all!
Alaric was once the leader of 500 men.. 500 hardened killers.. then one day this was all taken from him. We now see Alaric, older, but just a wily. He’s not really moved on, if anything the past haunts him.. the men he’s lost.
One day a group of visitors arrive seeking the great lord Alaric and his Ravensworn.. but the Ravensworn are no more…Alaric though starts to feel the heat rising.. this could be his time once again.. he makes it out like its for the reward, for saving a tribe from another in war but what is really wants is to feel what he did years ago.. he’s a fighter..he needs the rush.
When Alaric arrives it soon becomes clear things are not as simple as he first thought, there’s secrets hidden, and to top it off one of the men with him on the journey is a traitor.. but who? And why?
There’s no time for that though as Alaric is forced into battle once more, forced to become a leader again.
Ravensworn is Alaric’s redemption tale. Many years ago he lost his way and it cost him those closest to him but now he sees a chance to be the man he really wants to be. It’s not going to change the past but he knows it’s time to stand and fight against a foe that outnumbers him…even if that means losing. He may have earned the name Oathbreaker but he never broke and oath to the Ravensworn!
The Ravensworn don’t know what losing is and while Alaric’s 500 men are a thing of the past a new Ravensworn are born in the heat of battle!
As the tale progresses there’s some lovely twists and turns as the past comes to bite Alaric where it hurts, it was enthralling.
What I really loved was the characters, so much depth added to each. There’s a lot of battle scenes so to get the right mix of detail and depth must be quite hard to do but boy does the author know how to weave a tale.
Eadger for example, oh my what a journey he goes on. It seems like all these men are fighting their own demons.
I particularly liked how some battle scenes were cut short, not to say they aren’t really complete but it’s is Alaric’s tale.. his retelling.. so those gaps worked perfectly and helped add to the depth of the overall tale.
Ravensworn shows us the man Alaric is.. the man we always knew he was.
I won’t lie, reading the authors note I can’t help feel it a shame this will likely be the last time we see Alaric, but it’s a fitting end to such a remarkable character.
Outstanding 5/5 stars!
My thanks go to the author for an ARC copy to aid review. I’ll be ordering a paperback to join Oathbreaker!
To pre-order head to Amazon!
David's Book Blurg 