I'm happily familiar with Jonathan Janz' excellent character-driven horror, but in his newest novel, THE RAVEN, Mr. Janz takes up a new venue, that of post-apocalyptic horror, and horrifying it is. In a sort of combination goal: to cleanse the planet and to return it to a paradisical state; and to proactively prevent nuclear destruction; a group of brilliant scientists at John Hopkins University join with a Narcissistic corporation (Four Winds Aerospace) in inventing a virus that devolves most of humanity to monsters. Literally: Monsters. Monsters of Myth and Legend. Unfortunately, the consequences do not remove human greed or cupidity, so that even those few who are "Latents" (without a monstrous alter ego) can still be purveyors of human evil.


Dez McClane, former teacher of Creative Writing, English, and Short Stories, is a quintessential Feckless Hero. As a Latent, he has no "super-power," and is physically ineffectual. Constantly crippled by grief over his son, father, brother, and kidnapped lover, Dez seems destined for failure. But author Janz delineates Dez right down to his very core, so that his character and purpose become a part of the reader; then starts Dez out on his own Hero's Journey, his quest to locate his lost Susan, literally against all odds, facing Monsters of Myth. The Denouements are stunning, and unfold almost consecutively. I have in mind at least three mind-blowing revelations which boggled my mind and ripped my heart, but I will leave those discoveries to future readers.


This surely will develop sequels; the conclusion leaves open future adventures, and I long to travel that Hero's Path with Dez: his work here is not yet done.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and Netgally for the ARC

I was really excited about this read as other readers have recommended this author to me. It is everything I love in a book. Apocalypse! Cannibals! Vampires! And all other monsters included, but for some reason I just could not get my head into it.

I DNF at 100 pages. These whole 100 pages I just could not make it work, and it was a struggle to not lose concentration. I think it was maybe the writing style that didn't hook me in. I found some of it a bit cringey and not believable. I felt that some of the text didn't flow, the way the characters spoke to one another, I just thought, they wouldn't talk like that to each other in these circumstances. It just didn't work for me.

I think I will give this another go in the future, as I have done this with some books before and I've ended up liking them. I would also read this author again, as I have heard great things.

To be honest I didn't expect so much gore and violence (cannibals weren't mentioned in the blurb) and that was a bit off putting. The scenes are quite graphic and maybe not for everyone. However the concept sounded intriguing but how the author wove in the explanation about how all those mythical creatures were already living hidden within the society and how the "Four Winds event" changed the DNA of people was a bit lacking and not believable enough. This book might have to have been longer to really explore the world and events more, but for under 300 pages it was still well done.
I wasn't a big fan of Dez. His movie references and being the "lone wolf" (raven) searching for his lost love and mulling over what a failure he is and drowning in guilt isn't my favorite trope, but others might enjoy that.
My biggest problem was that the action scenes didn't make much sense in my head when I read them. I can easily conjure up whole scenes in my head, but I kept thinking about where the characters were located and who threw what at what person and how and it made me confused, which didn't make for an enjoyable experience.
The author has great potential and I'll give this a 2.5 star for my reasons above.
I am still keen on checking out more from the author in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me with an eARC for an honest review.

An excellent page turner that kept me hooked til the end.
It's gripping, fascinating and the world building and character development are great.
I'm not a huge of dystopia but I liked the description of this post apocalyptic world.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you Flame Tree Press And Netgalley.
I am a huge fan of Jonathan Janz let me start by saying. With this book Janz is able to spin a frightful horror filled world, that as a reader you are slammed into from the first word. No one can spin a tale quite like Janz, all his books have a way of immersing you in the world or situations he is trying tell you about. The Raven is no different, it is over all a good book and one I cannot wait to add to my collection! Definitely will be recommending. I mean come on who does not love werewolves, witches, vampires, cannibals, and satyrs. The hero if you will of the story is someone any of us can relate to and root for in a world gone mad. Once again Janz delivers!

Janz  delivers a tale of survival in a strange new world, an action adventure with supernatural twists (even a bit of "splatter western" feel).  I received an  unedited first proof so I will not go into specifics (and I won't discuss my personal issues with the plot just in case these things were altered for the final printing) but here's the story in a nutshell:   Wandering through the American wastelands, Dez is searching for his love, Susan, and living with the guilt over other lost loved ones.  Along the way, he meets some pretty nasty characters, including cannibals and a slew of unnatural beings (humans who, thanks to hidden DNA and a botched scientific experiment, can transform into werewolves, vampires, minotaurs, you name it).  There are a lot of fight scenes, a lot of blood and gore...even some humor mixed in.  And there is enough downtime between fight scenes to catch your breath and get to know the characters a bit more (although I still felt I was missing something about Dez, I can't quite put my finger on it).  Overall, I thought this was an exciting, entertaining read...and I look forward to visiting this altered future again soon (hint, hint Mr. Janz!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for sending me an ecopy for review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me a copy of The Raven in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Two years ago, a group of rogue scientists changed the world as we know it. They skillfully executed an attack that resulted in unlocking long dormant facets of human DNA. The result? An apocalyptic event that brought monsters once thought to be myth into reality. It turns out that vampires, werewolves, witches and all manner of beasties existed long ago, but were bred out of existence to make way for ordinary humans. They are back, and they are angry.

Jonathan Janz gives us a unique take on the post apocalyptic sub genre. We are introduced to Dez, our gritty and resourceful protagonists who has survived this new world despite being one of the few latents left in this monstrous world. Latents have no known powers or abilities. They have nothing but their wits, strength of character and sheer will to depend on for survival. Thankfully, Dez has all that in spades.

Our journey with Dez takes us on a bloody path of vengeance. And when I say bloody, I mean it. The Raven has enough gore and pulse-pounding action to rival most modern survival horror films. This book gave me From Dusk till Dawn feels all over the place and I loved that! The fight scenes are so well crafted, so visceral, they have a very cinematic feel to them. This book is intense, and I read it in one night. I have to admit though, the ending was a bit abrupt for me. Yes, of course this is all leading to future installments in this gore spattered, monster infested world. I almost wanted a tighter conclusion to The Raven. However, I am excited to read more and I’ll definitely be buying the next book in this series.

What a great read this is. The action is unrelenting and the story unfolds with no delay in proceedings. The title character was one who you rooted for in a battle against the odds in a world utterly changed and for which he was unprepared but for his wits and cunning. The variety of dangerous creatures and abilities were well created and his battles with these really sang from the page. My only negative is the story felt slightly to be over too quickly but on the flip side this means the next book is a must read!

“Finding a dead body wasn’t uncommon -the creatures who ruled the world now didn’t scruple about leaving their victims exposed to the elements. But it was still a nasty jolt to find himself standing on a dead man’s forearm.”
Two years after the Four Winds bombs went off, Dez is alone and trying to find his wife who was taken to be sold. Human flesh is valuable to cannibals, vampires, and other creatures that had changed from the humans they use to be.
Dez is a Latent, someone who didn’t turn into a creature with special powers after The Shift happened with the bombs. He has to face down every other beast in an amazing universe filled with great characters, a great story and non-stop action.
This is a damn fun ride filled with blood, guts, and sympathetic creatures who do unspeakable atrocities in blood fueled frenzies. But can Dez overcome his perceived cowardice and track down his wife? Or is there anything left of his wife to track down?
This was my first Janz, but it will not be my last. It was so much fun.

If ever a novel was right up my street it was this one. A spaghetti western action-horror in a post-apocalyptic landscape, with a serious nod to "from dusk till dawn", crammed full of mythical monsters and beasties. It is a well worn trope to have the protagonist in stories of this nature be some mysterious, almost invincible figure but Janz avoids falling into this pitfall by having Dez prove to be oh so fallible. He doubts himself and his actions, especially when in life or death situations, feels guilt for those that he has failed previously and often seems utterly outmatched when faced with a werewolf, vampire, cannibal or any of the other monsters he encounters on his quest.
Highly recommended. One of the most fun horror reads I have had this year.

It’s a compliment to say this novel was a quick read. I “devoured” it in three big chunks. There is so much going on in this novel and the action is pretty much nonstop. So many ideas and possibilities to explore. Would love to see more of these characters in the near future. Everyone needs to preorder this novel and give it the attention it truest deserves. Highly recommended!

First off, let me start by saying, I've loved everything I've read by Janz. Wolf Land, Children of the Dark, The Dark Game etc. I still need to get to Siren and the Spectre and Savage Species, but that'll be happening shortly.

Second off, The Raven was a DNF for me. I'll go into that here shortly, but I went back and forth between writing a review or just putting a few comments on Goodreads about it, but ultimately, each book is an individual's experience. So, here is my experience, and I'm hoping that maybe what I say will still get some of you to buy it.

What I liked: The Raven is a post-apoc book set in the not-so-distant future, following an 'end of world' bomb event. The difference here, is that some crazy scientists dropped bombs that turned some people into cannibals, some vampires and some werewolves. This left some folk as normal or 'latents.'

The book picks up in the middle of some action. Dex, our MC has stumbled on some people in the woods, as he continues to make his way to the mysterious Four Winds Bar.

Janz writes with such ease that the choreography described was easily pictured as a big-budget, Hollywood action film.

I was intrigued with the notebooks our character kept with him and with the amount I read, we find out that he's struggling with feelings of being a failure over not being able to save his family. It really humanized a character that needs to kill to stay alive.

What I didn't like: For me personally, I've fallen off the enjoyment of shows like The Walking Dead where it's people trying to survive against the elements and the undead coming to kill them and at points I thought I was reading a book about Daryl with his crossbow. For someone to survive on their own for so long, Dex sure made a lot of bone-head decisions in the 30% of the book I read and that was what ultimately made me stop reading. I couldn't comprehend that this guy would be killing vampires and werewolves yet let someone walk up behind him and apprehend him. The thing that ultimately did it in for me was Dex coming across a strange old man and willingly followed him into his house, all in the hopes that the man had popcorn.

Why you should buy it: Janz is one the best horror writers out there. He has produced a number of truly stunning releases and there are more coming down the road for sure. While The Raven ultimately missed it's mark with me, for old fans and new, it offers a fun action/adventure romp where killing is Dex's business... and business is good.

Sadly, it's a DNF for me at 30%

*This review will feature on Kendall Reviews!

“Humans have always been monsters. We just needed a push to embrace our shadow side.”

In a world of monsters, Dez is a Latent. That sounds fancy, like his superpowers are just about to emerge. It actually means Dez is one of the few people that don’t have any powers, which is especially unfortunate considering he’s surrounded by cannibals, vampires, werewolves and satyrs. Dez has managed, against all odds, to survive for two years since the Four Winds but any moment could be his last.

Although it was the promise of monsters and blood spatter that drew me to this book, it was Dez himself that sucked me in. Despite all of the horrors he’s witnessed and participated in to stay alive, he has retained his humanity. He still has feelings. The grief and guilt he lives with for surviving while so many of his loved ones didn’t threatens to consume him. Although the odds are very slim that she’s still alive, Dez maintains hope of finding Susan, who he last saw being dragged away.

I learned enough about Dez’s personal history to become invested in his survival. The details provided about the various monsters enabled me to picture them, but I also understood that Dez still has a lot to learn, if only he can survive long enough.

So much blood is shed you could probably swim laps in it. I’m a huge fan of visceral horror so loved the descriptions of the carnage, where “shredded guts oozed like wine drenched cutlets” and a “chest was a wicker weave of stringed meat”.

I’m really hoping for a sequel that will take me to Blood Country. Some answers are given in this book. New people and monsters are introduced, and many are eviscerated, bludgeoned and ripped to shreds. But we’re on a journey here, and we’re not even close to the finish line. We need to search for loved ones, get to know new acquaintances (who are hopefully trustworthy) and battle more monsters.

This book surprised me in the best possible way. When I first saw the cover image I found it striking but didn’t really think it was signalling that this was the book for me. It was the blurb that enticed me and I’m so glad I took a chance on ‘The Raven’ because it was a winner. I’m definitely going to be seeking out more books by this author.

Content warnings include mention of death by suicide, drug addiction and sexual assault. I’m all for slicing and dicing so I was keen for the gruesome deaths, though I was concerned about the satyrs and the potential for on page sexual assaults. Thankfully, while past assaults are mentioned, graphic details were not provided.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

Another masterpiece by Jonathan Janz. I'm a little burned out on dystopian novels, but this one was refreshingly good and kept me riveted. It's not typical for me to read an entire book in a single day, but I couldn't put this one down. Good stuff and highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The novel begins strong, with a riveting first few chapters that kept me on the edge of my seat. The rest of the novel follows at a slightly slower pace but with plenty of action scenes. The introduction of new types of monsters was fun and oftentimes surprising. I loved the revelation of Keaton’s power.

I appreciated that the novel provides a simple, pseudo-scientific explanation for the supernatural aspects of the story but didn’t belabour it, as the reason isn’t really the purpose of the story.

The action/horror scenes are unapologetically violent but don’t stray into torture porn, which is sometimes a hard balance to strike. I appreciated that all sexual violence (as soon as I saw “satyrs” were one of the monsters, I got worried) was offscreen. Once I determined the novel wasn’t going to trigger me, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable action-adventure in a dark, no-holds-barred setting. It has a bit of a Western feel too. I had trouble putting it down, as where Janz really excels is his twists and turns.

Unfortunately, I didn’t care much about Dez. While there was an attempt to give him some depth, it was mainly by showing what he had lost in his life due to the horrors. Some of his choices didn’t make sense to me. In general, he felt like a genetic horror-story protagonist and his motivation, to rescue his girlfriend, wasn’t very compelling as we don’t know or care about his girlfriend. Perhaps if the journal excerpts had been in her perspective we could have cared about her and Dez’s purpose in finding her would have been more compelling.

There are no women in this novel until 36%. Yet, not only do we get a bit of an explanation as to why, but the women that do arrive are competent and have agency as both antagonists and allies. As such, I forgive the first part for being a sausage fest, something I rarely do.

Overall, it’s a thoroughly engrossing, gore-splattered romp through a horror-monster infested world that doesn’t feel like every other vampire/werewolf/etc story. It breathes a bit of new life into these old threats in a way that does compel me to read the next book.

There are some interesting twists, some fun action scenes, and it’s clear the novel is pointing out that the worst aspects of human nature aren’t really what we turn into, but who we are to begin with.

A refreshing take on the post apocalyptic drama. I enjoyed following Dez through the barren landscapes, encountering the numerous creatures that the human race have turned into. It was a fun twist that any person Dez met could be harboring a secret as to what they really are, and it made the paranoia that Dez felt feel real, and the world janz created here feel very dangerous. Dez is a broken character who's had to learn to fight and adapt to the new world in order to survive. His past is hinted at throughout, and I hope the sequel delves a bit more into that.
There were a couple of shocking scenes, one in particular with a werewolf towards the end that I didn't see coming. The whole story was very enjoyable and compulsively readable and I will gladly visit this world again.

Sometime last year, I caught myself moving too quickly through the work of Jonathan Janz. In fear that I'd run out of reads, I slowed my roll. I think it's now safe to catch up, as he has several new releases on the way. Instead of opting for one of the unread titles still on my shelf, I decided to start back up with THE RAVEN, Janz's upcoming September release. 
I was a bit hesitant to take on a post-apocalyptic story, as they aren't usually my favorite. However, Janz is one of the authors that I trust can write in any genre and create something special. I was pleasantly surprised at the unique spin he placed on this topic. The apocalyptic event and its aftermath are unlike anything I've read before, so that got things started on the right foot. 
As with other books by this author, I enjoyed the infusion of heart and humor that flows within the horror. Right away I was drawn to the character of Dez and enjoyed getting to know his backstory. There were several other memorable characters along the way-- some favorable and others downright vicious, and they all came to life among the pages. I liked that the villains in this world were not all alike. The apocalyptic event created many different predators, each with their own set of skills and traits that made them feared by others. 
My favorite parts of this novel were those in which Dez was on the move and making connections with other people. The reader witnesses his strong survival skills in action but also sees a softer side as we're given access to his thoughts and memories. I struggled a bit with a portion of the book leading up to the climax; it was just a bit drawn out for my liking. 
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It's creative and entertaining, with all the features that make Jonathan Janz a master at his craft. Time spent in the worlds he creates is always comfortable, exciting, and worthwhile.

How do you save the world when humanity is bent on destruction? You destroy the world. Unleash the Four Winds on humankind and let the monsters hidden in human DNA sort it out. It's the ultimate terrorist attack....

Yikes!

This story both thrilled and scared the crap out of me. But....derp. I should have looked closer at the front cover. Jonathan Janz written there in big huge letters. I should have known what I was in for.....

But Janz surprised me with this one. The Raven has a bit different feel from Janz's other books I've read -- The Sorrows, The Siren & The Specter. No holds barred for this one....awesome fantasy horror!

Woot!! Loved it! There's no slow build with this one.....the action (and carnage) starts right from the beginning. I binge read this at night -- and had to get up and turn the lights on.

Is this the start of a series?? I hope so! Great premise for a horror series!

I can't wait to experience what Janz decides to scare me with next! Always a great horror read!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I’m usually not a big fan of the whole werewolf/vampire trope. Yet, Janz made it work so exceptionally well that I couldn’t put the book down. His book is packed with action, monsters, and quite a bit of gore. Everything a horror lover like me straight up adores.

The world Janz built for his Raven is amazing. I loved the background story, and the monsters he chose. It’s such a unique concept to me. His protagonist Dez tells part of the book in journal entries. I truly liked that part. It helps the reader get to know the character on a more personal level. The other part of the story is a narrative, which was also written extremely well.

The whole book sort of reminded me of a lone gunslinger (or well, crossbow-slinger?) out in the wild, wild west. Just instead of cowboys, you get to fight the occasional cannibal or other mythical creature. The characters we meet along the way are witty and life-like. While you will wish a gruesome death upon some of them, the others are quite likable.

One more thing. I usually get bored with fight scenes. It just isn’t my cup of tea. Yet, somehow Janz managed to even make that enjoyable for me. Witchcraft must have been released in the aftermath too (you will see if that’s true or not), and obviously the author caught some of it in order to enchant me like this. Jokes aside, amazing book. A must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Another great page turner by Janz. Had me reading in one setting. Highly recommend.