Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

***Spoiler-Free review, baby!***



*4.5 stars*

It would be hard for me to spoil Ravensong, even if I wanted to, because it rushed by me so quickly that I feel that horrible book let down, that feeling of loss when a great book is over. I'm brushing off the dust thinking, What the hell just happened?

Ravensong pushes forward at such a continuous, pulsing pace that it feels like leaning over the edge of a cliff the entire time. You won't want to stop reading.

Now, before I get into Ravensong more, I'll start by highly recommending ALL readers do a re-read of Wolfsong before jumping into this one. I thought I'd be fine because I last read Wolfsong only two years ago and I really hate re-reads, but I was actually pretty lost in the beginning. I felt like I was tossed into the fray, and it took a couple of chapters for me to re-orient myself.

Also, it's important to note that this book in no way works as a stand-alone. You MUST read Wolfsong first.

I actually think I liked Ravensong a bit better than Wolfsong. There is something about a story of two men separated by years and years of resentment and anger and love that just works for me. I liked how the journey for Mark and Gordo was difficult and long, and though I think this book lacked a bit of that romance-y romance feeling, there was a deep undercurrent of intense love that punched me in the gut. We don't see lots of pages of feelings-talk or wooing, but the emotions... they are there and you will FEEL them.

I also had an easier time with the plethora of secondary characters in Ravensong. I loved, loved, loved the bright spot of comic relief that the humans brought to the story because Ravensong is a serious, intense story. Ravensong follows the vibe of Wolfsong, which showcases T.J. Klune's ability to write darker, more powerful novels.

Ravensong is all about families, whether they be chosen or through birth, and the ties that bind them together. There is a feeling of pack, pack, pack and that repetitive, lyrical style of T.J. Klune's really draws the reader in and makes them feel like, YES these bonds exist and they are strong and difficult and easy and present, whether we like them or not. I felt like I was part of these people and their lives, and I was hurting and rejoicing and struggling along with them.

I think I enjoyed the pace and the writing style most of all. I felt this intense pull to keep reading, and even though the book is quite long, it really flew by and felt streamlined and well-edited. It was easy to read, and when I finished I just wanted MORE.

The love story between Mark and Gordo is there and it touched me, but it almost felt a bit secondary to the story of the pack overall. The bonds between families and pack wormed beneath my skin just as much as the bonds between Mark and Gordo. I really did love how they had to fight and work for each other, and I love how TJ always satisfies me in that way.

All readers of "Wolfsong" will go nuts for "Ravensong," I promise. It is just as epic as the first in the series, and it felt good to come home to the pack.




*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

goodreads|||