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    Raven's Shadow
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    Raven's Shadow
    Unavailable
    Raven's Shadow
    Audiobook13 hours

    Raven's Shadow

    Written by Patricia Briggs

    Narrated by Jennifer James Bradshaw

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Seraph is a Raven mage who left behind her responsibilities for the love of the ex-soldier Tier. But when Tier disappears, Seraph must use her magic?and fulfill her ancestors? oath to protect humanity from destruction.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateDec 6, 2011
    ISBN9781101538616
    Unavailable
    Raven's Shadow
    Author

    Patricia Briggs

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs lives in Washington State with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses.

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    Reviews for Raven's Shadow

    4/5

    338 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It was a little slow at first but that really got you involved with the characters. I really enjoyed this book!
    • 5/5
      I liked this book a lot. It started slowly for me but by mid-book ii was hard to put down. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because fantasy is not not my preferred genre. So to give a fantasy 4 1/2 is a real compliment. But this is by one of my favorite urban fantasy authors. Excellent world-building, interesting characters (none too perfect), and a very creative plot.
    • 4/5
      I always enjoy Patricia Briggs' books. Her characters are always interesting and her story lines keep me well entertained!
    • 4/5
      Audio: Excellent narration. An enjoyable read, a bit long winded and too slow at times. The story unfolds slowly, after much character and world development. It was not like her more recent books, but there is a sense of her greatness in this book. Half way through I wasn't interested enough to even consider reading book 2, but know I feel I must. I really need to know where that dark figure went and what will become of these fabulous characters.
    • 5/5
      This is the first Patricia Briggs novel I’ve read that is outside of her werewolf series. (Actually I don’t think that’s true. I suspect I read [[Dragon Bone]] several years ago. Anyway, it feels like the first!) I liked it very much. It’s a complex and convincing world with well-rounded and interesting characters living their complex and convincing lives. I like the magic and the non-magic equally. I have already started the second book. And it is off to a rousing start.Good, reliable, non-terrifying fantasy. Thank you, Madame Briggs!
    • 5/5
      First book about the travelers of Colossae and their powers. Each power associated with a bird:

      Raven (mage)
      Cormorant (weather witch)
      Eagle (guardian)
      Falcon (hunter)
      Owl (bard)
      Lark (healer)

      Read-alikes: Tamora Pierce circle series
    • 3/5
      I feel that I should note that while I did enjoy this book quite a bit, I don't think it was particularly GOOD.. So, the rating is for more personal reasons rather than if I'd rated it purely on literary value. This is often the case for me and it's noteworthy that I felt the need to mention it here. booo
    • 5/5
      Great book, magic, and heroes
      Both male and female
      Hard to keep track of different characters,
      Needed to listen to story twice, after listening to part 2, Ravens Strike.
      After listening to this book again and Ravens strike and all of authors books, I feel this series is the best. Would love to listen to future book 3.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I really like Patricia Briggs' urban fantasy (Mercy series) so I thought I'd try some of her traditional fantasy books. I still like the way Ms. Briggs writes and once I got my head into the 'fantasy' realm it was a very fast, interesting read. I read both parts before writing this review, and maybe I should have written the review for this book prior to reading part two.. however I did like this book over Raven's Strike. I liked the beginnings of the characters and storyline in this book. Overall, I'd recommend this series.
    • 5/5
      Patricia Briggs is one of my newly-discovered favourite authors. I like the way she writes, and this story also reminds me of some of my long-held favourite authors (Robin McKinley, Barbara Hambly et al).'Raven's Shadow' begins with Tier, a soldier returning home to Shadow's Fall from war, rescuing a young female Raven mage from villagers who distrust Travellers and their magic. Travelers, however, are bound to help ordinary people and protect them from the effects of malign magic.It continues years later, when they have been married for many years. Tier is missing, and Seraph, his wife, having put aside everything it meant to be a Traveller, now needs to use her magic to protect her family.I do like the main characters and the close-knit sense of family. Though the story is different, there are some elements that are similar in Brigg's 'Hurog' duology, which I also really enjoyed.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Raven's Shadow presents an interesting cast of fantasy characters in its central family of magic-touched farmers. The heroes are middle-aged parents and spouses rather than single twenty-somethings, a unique choice an epic fantasy, but a wise one: it's the relationship between Seraph and Tier that really carries the narrative. In fact, I found the novel's first third, which is concerned with their earlier meeting and union, to be the most compelling part of the book.Seraph, a Traveler, one of a dwindling race of mages in this fantasy world, is a saucy, sharp, and determined woman; her husband Tier is, in contrast, warm, easy-going, and good-natured. When Tier disappears, Seraph wastes no time in bundling up her adolescent children and taking them on an adventure across the countryside to save him.Tier has an unfortunate number of Gary Stu qualities: he's the only magically-gifted non-traveler, has a magically compelling voice and can tell when someone is lying. Though some of these traits are necessary for the development of the plot, it's really too bad--they detract from what is otherwise a very believably written hero.And unfortunate, as well, was the fact that I never really connected with two of their children, one of whom (the girl, of course) is forced to stay home through most of the story. The oldest, Jes, is well-written, but because of a magical affliction, a bit of an enigma; there's really nothing to say about the others, as they were nearly wholly remarkable.As was the book's climax. Though I liked Tier and Seraph (and the Phoran, a lively secondary character), I never really felt any urgency as the final battle neared, never really felt any of the villain's malice, never really felt like the stakes were terribly high. The final battle itself felt rushed--one supporting character was offed in a paragraph, and Briggs gave readers no chance to digest it. Hopefully, the second volume in the series gives us a more pressing reason to fear the "Stalker"; though they're endearing, I don't think Tier and Seraph are, alone, reason enough to read another book.
    • 4/5
      delightfully imaginative and not a vampire in sight!!
    • 5/5
      A very rich story - well, of course, it's a Briggs. The first part, Tier's travels and meeting Seraph, do a beautiful job of laying out the world without one scrap of unnecessary exposition. The 'marriage proposal' is an awkward solution, but it gives both of them exactly what they want. Then a jump of 20 years and a new (well, expanded) cast of characters - and suddenly there's a strong adventure going on, one that keeps extending its boundaries. From 'Tier's in trouble' and a (stupid) evil mage, it becomes an attack on the Empire, and simultaneously a solution to the problems that let the attack arise. Those poor silly wizards - never thought what they were doing when they let Tier at the boys! And then the triumphant ending...and the next aspect of the adventure begins to unfold. The book ends there, and I'm much happier now when I can just pick up the next book. I was rather frustrated with the wait between books when I read this story the first time. Great characters, nice foreshadowing of secrets that are revealed in the second book. I like both Jes and Lehr - Rinnie doesn't get to do much in this book, she flowers more in the second. And the Travelers and their magic are fascinating. Wish she'd write more in this universe.
    • 3/5
      This is the first book in the Raven Duology by Patricia Briggs. It was an okay book. I liked the world and the magic system but thought that the pacing throughout the book was a bit erratic. I have also read Briggs Mercy Thompson series (which I thought was okay, but lacking in character development); this series is much different from the Mercy Thompson series. This series is written in a more traditional fantasy style, with less humor, and a slower pace.Seraph is the last of her Traveler Clan. She thinks her and her husband have settled down for a life of farming when they find out a greater evil is targeting both the Travelers and the land as a whole. Seraph and her family are drawn into the very conflict that Seraph tried to avoid when she was younger.The first part of this book was really slow for me. I had to really, really push through it. I tried to be patient and remember that sometimes good fantasies take a while to set up. It doesn't help that I recently read Warbreaker (Sci Fi Essential Books) which was an amazing book. A lot of time was spent dealing with the past when Seraph met her husband, and I really thought this probably wasn't needed and made the story take a lot longer than necessary to get going.Once the story did get going though I really enjoyed some of the other characters; mainly Teir, Jes, and the Emperor. The plot was well done and the end of the book was action packed and fast-paced. I never did care much about Seraph. I was also disappointed that Seraph's younger daughter (the weather witch) was left at home; she was a great character and she got shuffled out of the story.The magic system was very interesting as was the structure of the clans. If the second book keeps up the pace of the last third of the first book; then the second book will be a great book. I would buy both books at once if I was going to read this series. Although the first book concludes a major plot point there are many loose ends left hanging that have yet to be wrapped up. Also keep in mind these books are very different from the Mercy Thompson series both in character-type and writing style.Personally I liked The Tower of Ravens (Rhiannon's Ride, Book 1) and Warbreaker (Sci Fi Essential Books) much better than this book when it comes to your traditional fantasy type of book.
    • 4/5
      This was excellent, but it felt slower than her other books. Tier, a soldier returning home from the wars, rescues Seraph, a 16-year-old orphan Traveller from being sold, and ends up marrying her. This is a story that explores the nooks and crannies of the village of Redern -- Tier's family, sure that his return means he'll take over the family bakery, a retired trader, Seraph deciding to stay instead of finding another band of Travellers, Tier deciding to be a farmer and leave the bakery to his sister, the prejudices against Travellers, and a hint of what Seraph really is.The story meanders, and introduces characters and places. Then fast forward 20 years, and they have three children, each with their own version of Traveller magic. The strands of the story's web catch more tasty nuggets, until half-way through we begin to see what the story is about. It is a story that builds slowly, carefully, with a satisfying ending that sets you up for a sequel.
    • 4/5
      Patricia Briggs brings us another good tale. Raven's Shadow is the first half of a duology. Typical Briggs, the plot is actually original and unpredictable. I felt there was a bit much world-building exposition that slowed the book down in places, but the characters are strong and she keeps you guessing.
    • 4/5
      Like gypsies, Travelers are persecuted and shunned by townsfolk, but their presence has a purpose - holding the warp and weft of the world together against the dark magic and ancient evil of the Stalker. The only living member of her Traveler clan, Seraph is a Raven, and one of the last. Rescued by ex-soldier Tier from an angry mob, Seraph builds a life with him, giving up her duties and raising a family. But when Tier goes missing and evil threatens her family, Seraph has no choice - she'll have to act.Very readable. The plot winds around a bit, and Seraph is perhaps a bit flat, but there is more than enough going on that one "main" character isn't necessary to carry the story. Definitely worth reading, even if it isn't one of Briggs' strongest.
    • 4/5
      Centuries ago Magi released a big evil into the world. Because of this they crafted into their descendents the ability to fight this. This evil erupts in pockets as well as it's central core and so these magi travel around dealing with it. Still they were a bit too good at the job and when someone started killing them off no-one really cared. Add to that the fact that they were slightly caught up in their own importance and you could see where people didn't really care much. When Seraph meets Tier and they marry to save her, they find that it's not just convenience keeping them together, particularly when Tier goes missing.I did enjoy this but sometimes it lagged.
    • 4/5
      This is a fun, light read. There's nothing really hugely new in here as story ideas go, but it's still nicely crafted and jogs along happily.The basic concept: a long time ago a load of magi screwed up big time and released a big evil onto the world. They tried their best to fix it, and end up patching it rather than actually fixing it, so they changed their descendants to be able to fight against the remnants.Now, ages later, bad things are on the loose again, and some unlikely looking heroes are joined together to rescue the world. It's quite clearly the start of a series (albeit a short one, book two is on my to read list) and probably won't get reread, but fun enough that I would suggest others might want to have a look.
    • 4/5
      A well planed fascinating world is in this book and its sequel. The travelers magic system is very engrossing while it is distant and unknown. The family the plot circles around is loving and yet still believable.