Title: Raven (Book 2 in the Legends Saga)Author: Stacey Rourke
Publication Date: September 21, 2014
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Blurb:
An infamous love, destined nevermore.
For death could not claim, the enchanting Lenore.
Cursed by the malevolent spirit of the Headless Horseman, Ireland Crane ventures to Manhattan in search of a way to break her soul crushing bond. Instead, she discovers the lines between fact and fiction are blurring once more. Croaking ravens. Telltale hearts. Could the works of Poe be coming to pass with handsome Wall Street Midas Ridley Peolte as their unwilling target?
She walks the Earth, a plague on mankind,
searching for he, her rotted heart doth pine.
Together, the two unknowingly release a dark force death itself could not tame. Surrounded by the unrelenting violence and mayhem they've unleashed, Ireland feels her control over the Horseman slipping. Before the beast within consumes her, she and her crew must follow the clues of the dead to right a centuries' old wrong. But will it be enough to sate the Horseman's appetite?
Hell hath no fury like a ghoul scorned.
For death could not claim, the enchanting Lenore.
Cursed by the malevolent spirit of the Headless Horseman, Ireland Crane ventures to Manhattan in search of a way to break her soul crushing bond. Instead, she discovers the lines between fact and fiction are blurring once more. Croaking ravens. Telltale hearts. Could the works of Poe be coming to pass with handsome Wall Street Midas Ridley Peolte as their unwilling target?
She walks the Earth, a plague on mankind,
searching for he, her rotted heart doth pine.
Together, the two unknowingly release a dark force death itself could not tame. Surrounded by the unrelenting violence and mayhem they've unleashed, Ireland feels her control over the Horseman slipping. Before the beast within consumes her, she and her crew must follow the clues of the dead to right a centuries' old wrong. But will it be enough to sate the Horseman's appetite?
Hell hath no fury like a ghoul scorned.
Kayla's Thoughts:
After reading the first book in this series, Crane, I knew immediately that I had to read this one. I mean, the segue between books is so perfect that I could not resist. And boy was I definitely not disappointed with this continuation of the Legends Saga.
The beginning of this novel is met with a bit more humor than we saw in the first book. With Rip learning a new word that we can blame Noah for, the Horseman basically being forced into submission because of country music, and a situation involving art, an asian family, and stress-induced narcolepsy, this book's beginning is a bit of a bright start compared to the darkness of the ending to its predecessor. I absolutely love that. Because the humor is sorely needed. It creates a glimmer of hope that makes all the darkness worthwhile. To the characters, it allows them a small sense of normalcy in a journey sure to be filled with great sorrow and pain.
This book focuses on the story of Edgar Allen Poe. And like the first in this series, the author switches between past and present. Cursed by his maternal grandmother, Poe grows up knowing the world of the dead. Anything beautiful in the world is tainted by his forced perception of dark things. I say forced perception, because who would want to witness the things he has even once in their lifetime, let alone throughout their childhood years and all the way into adulthood. So it is with no surprise that he becomes a drunk. The numbness it seems to cause allows him at least some respite from the demons, or should I say ghouls, which haunt the very depths of his mind.
But! Luckily a light appears in his world in the form of a beautiful young woman named Lenore. He is immediately smitten and life appears a bit clearer whenever she is near. Alas, tragedy seems to strike in the most sudden of ways, and it is Ireland and her group of heroes, I guess we could call them, along with a new player in this cursed game who seems to have been given the same fateful powers as Poe, who suffer the consequences of the events that snowball from one single, and quite terrible, unkindness of ravens.
Add to that Ireland's weakening attempts to keep the Horseman at bay inside her, and clues throughout the story allowing us to get one step closer to who ultimately did this to her, and you've got yourself a dilemma that will keep you reading for more.
The beginning of this novel is met with a bit more humor than we saw in the first book. With Rip learning a new word that we can blame Noah for, the Horseman basically being forced into submission because of country music, and a situation involving art, an asian family, and stress-induced narcolepsy, this book's beginning is a bit of a bright start compared to the darkness of the ending to its predecessor. I absolutely love that. Because the humor is sorely needed. It creates a glimmer of hope that makes all the darkness worthwhile. To the characters, it allows them a small sense of normalcy in a journey sure to be filled with great sorrow and pain.
This book focuses on the story of Edgar Allen Poe. And like the first in this series, the author switches between past and present. Cursed by his maternal grandmother, Poe grows up knowing the world of the dead. Anything beautiful in the world is tainted by his forced perception of dark things. I say forced perception, because who would want to witness the things he has even once in their lifetime, let alone throughout their childhood years and all the way into adulthood. So it is with no surprise that he becomes a drunk. The numbness it seems to cause allows him at least some respite from the demons, or should I say ghouls, which haunt the very depths of his mind.
But! Luckily a light appears in his world in the form of a beautiful young woman named Lenore. He is immediately smitten and life appears a bit clearer whenever she is near. Alas, tragedy seems to strike in the most sudden of ways, and it is Ireland and her group of heroes, I guess we could call them, along with a new player in this cursed game who seems to have been given the same fateful powers as Poe, who suffer the consequences of the events that snowball from one single, and quite terrible, unkindness of ravens.
Add to that Ireland's weakening attempts to keep the Horseman at bay inside her, and clues throughout the story allowing us to get one step closer to who ultimately did this to her, and you've got yourself a dilemma that will keep you reading for more.
Verdict:
There are some beautiful scenes in this book, just as there were in the first, along with some wonderfully frightening ones. I love the haunting aspect of Poe's particular story and the fact that parts from the stories we know and love of his fit so perfectly together that the whole past part of this book just makes sense. The way the author writes this story is just exquisite, and the ending just brings me to a point of satisfaction and aggravation because I want to know more. Will Ireland be freed from her plight? Will she stay the way she is even when the saga ends? I DON'T KNOW!!! This fact just kills me, but the anticipation is completely worth it. This author is a true light in a wonderful genre, and someone whose books and stories I will not soon forget. Keep an eye out for her, folks. For she is a true star as a writer.
Author's Bio:
Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. Crane, book 1 in the Legends Saga, was released on May 26, 2014. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this thrilling saga, as well as other literary projects.
Links for Author:
Facebook / Twitter / Website / Goodreads
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Click here to check out the amazing bloggers and blogs that are a part of this tour.
___________________
I find it only appropriate due to the amazingness that is this series and the fact that this tour coincides perfectly with the premier week of the second season of ABC's Sleepy Hollow to post the links for the first book in the Legends Saga, Crane. Here they are!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Click here to check out the amazing bloggers and blogs that are a part of this tour.
___________________
I find it only appropriate due to the amazingness that is this series and the fact that this tour coincides perfectly with the premier week of the second season of ABC's Sleepy Hollow to post the links for the first book in the Legends Saga, Crane. Here they are!
Links for Book:
Great review, Kayla! I love the sounds of this one and how atmospheric it seems overall. It sounds like a series I really have to start asap! :)
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