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A review by yujowheelies
Ravensong by T.J. Klune
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All the issues I had with Wolfsong do not go away: repetition of quotes/motifs (often the same ones but now Gordo's version), cyclical conflicts & dialogue caused by miscommunication and abandonment issues, etc. The beginning of this book drags quite a bit (especially since some of it crosses over with events from the last one) and I kept getting tired/annoyed and putting it down until the drama with the infection and the hunters picks up and I was back onboard. I'm a big fan of when characters are thrown around and pulled through the wringer and this book scratched that itch with it's action/violence moreso than the first book. I do really enjoy Gordo as a character and I think it was fun to once again be in the perspective of someone who's not a wolf but part of that world. The dynamic between Gordo and Mark is a sweet one, though sometimes they both act half their age and it can be a bit exhausting.
I think the villain Elijah falls into the same trap of being evil for evil's sake and thus kinda ungrounded, but unlike Richard Collins I was actually kind of interested in learning more about her and found her religious fanaticism to be an interesting hook. Unfortunately it's left more or less completely unexplained (darn).
One last critique that doesn't relate to anything else but it must be said. Rico has the worst case of "latino character written by a white person" syndrome I've seen since the Voltron fandom. And I love Rico but damn are parts of his character / dialogue cringey and have aged quite poorly. Also not sure how to feel about the voodoo witch side character in this book other than... probably could've used a diversity reader. Yeesh.
AGAIN- I have a way easier time articulating my critiques than I do what I enjoyed. But I did genuinely enjoy this sequel (hence the rating) and I'm excited that there are still two more books!! Oh goodie :)
I think the villain Elijah falls into the same trap of being evil for evil's sake and thus kinda ungrounded, but unlike Richard Collins I was actually kind of interested in learning more about her and found her religious fanaticism to be an interesting hook. Unfortunately it's left more or less completely unexplained (darn).
One last critique that doesn't relate to anything else but it must be said. Rico has the worst case of "latino character written by a white person" syndrome I've seen since the Voltron fandom. And I love Rico but damn are parts of his character / dialogue cringey and have aged quite poorly. Also not sure how to feel about the voodoo witch side character in this book other than... probably could've used a diversity reader. Yeesh.
AGAIN- I have a way easier time articulating my critiques than I do what I enjoyed. But I did genuinely enjoy this sequel (hence the rating) and I'm excited that there are still two more books!! Oh goodie :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Abandonment
Moderate: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail