Reviewer: Danielle Mason
Title: Raven's Ladder
Author: Jeffrey Overstreet
Publisher: Waterbrook
ISBN-13: 978-1-4000-7467-9
Release Date: February 2010
Genre/Sub-genre: Inspirational Mystical Fiction
Year/Setting: House Abascar/ Bel Amica (there isn't a year established)
Overall Rating: 3.5
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Moderate
Jeffrey's Website: lookingcloser.org
Cal-Raven is the King of the People of Abascar, a house that is looking for a place to belong. One night, without any warning, they are attacked by an unseen monster and Cal-Raven takes off to and find a solution to this and many of the Houses problems. With Cal-Raven gone that leaves Tabor-Jan in charge, he is Cal-Raven's second in command. No one, not even Tabor-Jan, really knows what is going on until Cal-Raven returns.
Cal-Raven and his men are on their way to Mawrnash. With no other instructions than to come to this place to climb a very famous tree, Cal-Raven does as his teacher told him. When Cal-Raven has accomplished this, then most—if not all of his questions as to what to do and where to go will finally be answered. While there, Jes-Hawk, one of Cal-Raven's men finds his sister working in a bar. He gets her alone to try to convince her to come back with him. He’s sure Cal-Raven is on his way to saving the people of Abascar and the house itself. Jes-Hawk is later surprised that his sister wants to go with them, but only to find out, not even a few days later, that she has disappeared and turned traitor.
So it’s not surprising when the survivors of House Abascar are ambushed by Bel Amicans and taken prisoner. Bel Amica is a very influential place where a lot of secrets and unknowns are to be found and eventually the help Abascar needs. That is if all works out.
The "Seers" are using spells and powers to corrupt people to take over the throne of Bel Amica. The Seers are almost successful until Cal-Raven returns, but shocking news sends him on another journey. It’s in his absence when everything in Bel Amica goes wrong, again. There is a plot to kill the Queen of Bel Amican. It is during this very plot that you find out who lies with whom or who is enemy and who is not.
In this book the relationships are few and far between. No one really trusts anyone. Then you find out that Cal-Raven has quite a bit of trust in the Queen of Bel Amica's daughter and that is when things finally start to fall into place. I just loved the way Cal-Raven really interacted with everyone. He is not a hard man to like at all. With his way of thinking and doing things I found myself wishing I could follow him, even through the very rough and bad times.
As for the book itself the story is very well written if you like the ones that are deeply fictional, not really science fiction, either, more mystical fiction I would call it. The author does leave you with a pretty good cliffhanger also, one that although I did have a little trouble reading the book I do find I want to know what happens next!!
Danielle
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