Echoes of the Raven Book Review
Gods! How did we get here?
Perhaps, this was the way it would always turn out. Perhaps two fundamentally different races living in harmony is an impossibility. Our differences were never meant to be surmounted. Compromise was never an option.
Synposis
DANGER LURKS. READY YOURSELF.
Rífíor wants The Eldrystone more than anything else in the realm. Determined to find out its location, he subjects Valeria to unimaginable suffering, a mental torture so vicious that she vows to bring him to ruin.
However, an unexpected twist forces them into an uneasy alliance, and they must become partners on a perilous journey to the veil, the gateway to the fae realm.
Queen Amira, Valeria’s sister, is planning something terrible against the fae living in Castella, a deed that Valeria vehemently opposes. Desperate to avoid a crisis, Valeria sees reopening the veil as the only solution to save the fae and stop her sister from making a mistake she’ll forever regret.
Pursued by the queen’s guards, Valeria and Rífíor journey west accompanied by Jago, Esmeralda and her Romani troop. There are many hazards on the road, more than just Valeria’s and Rífíor’s passionate connection.
Valeria seeks answers to Rífíor’s secrets—the truth of his identity, The Eldrystone’s origin, and the mysteries surrounding her mother. Yet, he remains as guarded as ever.
Getting answers and opening the veil becomes a race against time, with the fate of the fae hanging in the balance. Can Valeria and Rífíor overcome the lies and betrayals and save the fae from Amira’s misguided anger? Or will their unbridled passion become everyone’s doom?
REVIEW
Andddd the slow-burn continues …
Echoes of the Raven by Ingrid Seymour is a solid continuation of The Eldrystone series, picking up immediately where House of the Raven left off. The story plunges into darkness right from the start, which sets the tone for the intense journey ahead. Given how the first book ended, I didn’t expect to love Rífíor at the start of this book by any means, but initially, I found him extremely irritating. However, as the story progressed and more of his backstory unfolded, I started to appreciate his complexity and feel for him. His transformation from someone I disliked (after quite liking him in House of the Raven) to a character I really rooted for was one of the highlights for me.
The relationship between Valeria and her sister, Queen Amira, adds an interesting layer to the plot. The push-and-pull dynamic of trust and love versus suspicion kept me engaged in the first half of the book, where the pacing felt otherwise slow. It took a bit to get fully immersed in the story, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down!
The side characters of Jago and Cuervo are, as always, absolutely delightful, and I’m excited to see how others, like Galen, will evolve in future installments. The plot twists, while sometimes expected, were good, especially the (completely unexpected) twist at the end. And of course, the chemistry and tension, the love and hate, between Valeria and Rífíor is electric, blooming into a sweet—and satisfying—dynamic.
Overall, Echoes of the Raven shines in its second half, where the pacing quickly picks up, the plot thickens, and the character development deepens. Not to mention that ending?!! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I don’t know how I’ll handle having to wait for Flight of the Raven (book 3) now.
Content warnings include explicit sexual scenes, betrayal, torture, trauma, murder, and death.
Expected publication date is 29 August 2024.
Author Profile
Ingrid Seymour is a USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels. She writes new adult fiction in a variety of genres, including fantasy romance, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi, and high fantasy – all with badass heroines and irresistible heroes. She used to work as a software engineer at a Fortune 500 company, but now writes full-time and loves every minute of it. She lives in Birmingham with her husband, two kids, and a cat named Ossie.
Her favorite outings involve a trip to the library or bookstore where she immediately gravitates toward the speculative section. She’s an avid reader and fangirl of many amazing books. She is a dreamer and a fighter who believes perseverance and hard work can make dreams come true.
TL;DR
- Rating: 4 stars | Genre: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy Romance | Pages: 382
- Book 2 of The Eldrystone series
- Lovers to enemies to lovers, touch her and die, slow-burn romance
- MMC irritating at beginning, but really rooted for him by the end
- Push-and-pull dynamic of trust and love vs. suspicion between FMC and her sister
- Jago and Cuervo are, as always delightful; excited to see how Galen will evolve
- Great chemistry and tension between the MMC and FMC
- Completely unexpected plot twist and cliffhanger at the end
- CWs: explicit sexual scenes, betrayal, torture, trauma, murder, and death
Want more?
See my review of Book 1, House of the Raven, HERE!
