Book Reviews: Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike by Patgricia Briggs

Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs
Ace
334 Pages
Copyright 2994

From the back of the book:

For many years, the city of Colossae was a haven of magical study. As generations of wizards pushed the limits of their abilities, an evil entity was unleashed that could only be contained by the sacrifice of their city. From the ashes of Colossae, the Travelers emerged - roaming the world to ensure that the Stalker would remain imprisioned forever...

Seraph is a Raven mage and among the last of the Travelers. Unwelcome among those who fear magic, the wizard clans have been decimated by the very people they've sworn to protect. But Seraph is spared a similar fate by the ex-soldier Tier - and together they build a life where she is no longer burdened by her people's responsibility.

But now Tier is missing - or dead - and Serpah's reprieve from her duty is over. Using her magic to discover her husband's fate, Seraph realizes the Stalker's prison is weakening - and only she can fulfill her ancestor's oath to protect humanity from destruction...

Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs
Ace
381 Pages
Copyright 2005

From the back of the book:

Seraph is among the last of the Traveler's, those who strive to destroy the dark magic released by their ancestors' mistakes. Seraph tried to escape her people's duty and live a quiet life, until evil found her...

A new force of darkness called the Shadowed walks the land, feeding on death, destruction, and the sleeping Stalker's power. he plans to wake the Stalker, wreaking untold havoc, but he needs those who bear the Travelers' magic to release the dark good... and he has his sights set on Seraph and her family.

Now Seraph must use all her cunning and ability as a Raven mage to track down the Shadowed and strike against him before it is to late...

These books comprise the Raven Duology series by Patricia Briggs, who continues to cement herself high on my list of favorite authors. I adore her Mercy Thompson series and her Alpha and Omega series. I want a sequel to her "When Demons Walk" novel. This series, short as it is, is right up there with the others.

Seraph, when she meets Tier, is young and her brother has just been killed by a group of villagers who hate Travelers. He rescues her and in a series of events, they wind up marrying, not out of love but to save each other from fates they don't want.

Years later, three children in the mix, Tier goes missing. Seraph and her children are supposed to believe him dead but they are each blessed with mage talent and the illusion fails. It sets Seraph and two of her children on Tier's trail where they all will run into the fate Seraph and Tier had tried so hard to avoid.

Book Two, continues the saga but this time, Seraph, Tier, their children, and the Emperor they helped save in Book One are facing a greater evil than ever before; an evil that wishes to destroy everything.

So, what else can I say? I love the characters - all of them. Seraph is tough and cranky. She is driven by the weight of her destiny on her shoulders. She loves her children and Tier fiercely and will do anything to save them, even confront the destiny she wanted to avoid.

Tier is a soldier - weary of fighting, wanting only the quiet life of a farmer. When he finds himself a pawn in an evil game, however, he becomes the soldier once again and saves not only himself but the Emporer and the Empire and then, the entire world.

Briggs has the ability to build a world where magic exists and seems completely natural. Her people are real - they have the same strengths and weaknesses that people have. Seraph, for all her abilities, is as flawed as anyone else. The secondary characters are well drawn and strong enough to carry their own stories, which I would love to see.

I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy but drifted away due to some of the trends that developed. Briggs writes fantasy in the way I grew up loving and I'm thrilled to be discovering that.

Recommendation: It's an epic story of good vs evil, characters fighting for what's right in spite of the cost, and it is a love story on several levels. If that's your cup of tea, give 'em a try. It's a grand journey.