Mark of the Raven

Mark of the Raven by Morgan Busse captures the essence of light and darkness within an ingenious package of daunting expectations and ingenious characterizations. . . . . .taking its readers on a journey that leads straight to their souls. "There were no choices, her future was dark and bleak."


As heir apparent to the House of Ravenwood, Selene has just been gifted; she's now a dream walker, and according to her mother, a surprisingly powerful one. Curious about an ability that the other six regions of her kingdom thought was destroyed, she listens as Grand Lady Ragna describes the seriousness of honing her skills, for she is to be the savior of her people by . . . controlling the dreams of others to the point of death? It cannot, it must not, be true.


Grand Lord Damien from the House of Waters is convinced that the Seven Houses must unite their gifts in order to avoid an aggressive attack from the nearby Dominia Empire. When called to the House of Ravenwood for a strategy summit, he hopes to build an alliance that will bring peace, the kind of unity that his deceased father longed to establish. Fascinated by the dark beauty that resides in Rook Castle, he cannot help but wonder what kind of strength lies beneath Selene's cold veneer. . . if he only knew, he is about to find out.


"A leader can serve her people by sacrifice and love."

Boy am I glad I got the opportunity to read this book! I do enjoy fantasy novels every now and then - I really have to be in the mood for them. And while I may not have totally been in the mood when I started this one, it did not take long for that to change. If this is how Busse writes all of her stories, then I need to read them. All of them!

The beginning of the book may have been a tad slow for me, but it's necessary to understand all the characters, the background of the world you're reading about, and to build hype for what's to come. The more I read, the more fascinated I became. It didn't take too long for the pages to move a bit quicker, and the storyline to really pick up. The last third of the book - well there was no way I was reading that in pieces! Busse just really draws you in. Reading isn't a choice, it's a must!

Selene really captured my attention from the start. I could tell she was a little different then her overbearing, evil mother, but I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to all play out. Busse wrote her story better then I could have ever imagined. And while I can't really go into detail about what drew me into Selene's character (it just gives too much away), I can say this - I think there's a little bit of Selene in all of us. She's torn between two things, much like we are (although probably not to her extent). She's so easy to connect with, cheer for, and hope for.

Damien, well he's what every girl thinks she wants. A guy who will stand up for what's right. A guy who will make sacrifices to protect his people. But you see a slight vulnerability with Damien, and that is what did it for me. He's not perfect, he has insecurities, and at the end of the day he's just trying to do his best.

I'm actually glad that I started this series late, because there is no way with a cliff hanging ending like this one I would be able to wait a long time for the next book to come out! And now....onto the next :)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publisher and Netgalley for this partnership.

There is Selene, who is the heir to a large house in Ravenwood. She has great power and a dark secret. She must kill the man who wants to destroy his family except that he is the only one who can bring peace. She will have to make a choice that could cost her dearly.

I struggled to connect with the story but in the end I loved this first book. Looking forward to discovering the rest.

Mark of the Raven is a fabulous start to an upper YA fantasy series. With a slow build of tension, author Morgan L. Busse begins world building through the dysfunctional family dynamics of the royal House of Ravenwood as Lady Selene begins to learn some of the secrets of the women of her family.

This is a story of rival houses and rival siblings, magical gifts that are secret and known, and the growing discontent of Lady Selene. As she experiences what it is to wield the gifts of the Dark Lady and begins acquaintances with her contemporaries in the other Houses, a fascinating world and riveting story unfold.

With an ending that left me impatient to continue with the trilogy, and an introduction to a story thread of faith that is sure to grow, this is upper YA that will delight the adult reader as well as those in the upper YA demographic. Highly recommended.

This review refers to a digital galley read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Feelings!!

Wowsa, this book was fabulous! The worldbuilding, characters, character arcs, and themes blended together to create a fantasy masterpiece with a beautiful soul.