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Raven and the Wolf (Eyrder Saga #1)

by Mari Evers (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 95 ratings · 21 reviews

Thrown out and cursed as a trickster by his own father, Raven finds himself in the hands of a woman with a power he never could have imagined. In a time where the lands have been plagued by drought, sickness, and failing crops, Mistress Chatrina gives him food, work, and a place to sleep. But it is not out of the goodness of her heart.

Now Raven is faced with the mystery co...more

ebook, 283 pages

Published May 9th 2011 by Smashwords

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Jan 14, 2013 SueM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, fantasy, fae-elves, shapeshifters-werewolves, magic, disowned-by-family, prisoner-slave, bingo-challenge, ipad-stanza, favorites

I am so glad that the Bingo Challenge called this category, or else I might not have come across this wonderful fantasy/MMromance novel. It is a journey of discovery for both characters.

Raven, a young man driven from his home, finds himself travelling a far greater distance than he ever could have foreseen; in miles, in knowledge (general and self) and in emotion. Breyre is a man who thought that he had lost it all; his freedom, the support and respect of others, his family and his home. Yet he...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastical-mm, fairly-filthy, topping-like-a-boss, queer-sorting-hat, next-please, his-higness, mmismatch

Okay, that was awesome. But a very, very specific kind of awesome. It's basically every M/M fantasy ever written, you know: plucky virgin aids a sexy prince, uncovers hidden talents within himself, is swept up into life at court, sexual tension ensues, then sex ensues, magic, battle, bad guys, resolution, the end. Seriously, I could name about a dozen books just off the top of my head with that exact storyline, but you know what? I freaking loved it. I love those tropes, would read them endlessl...more

14 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2011 Seregil rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-and-paranormal, slash-fantasy

3.5 stars (leaning towards 4 stars) Enjoyable fantasy with a gay romance. Actually the problem was that it wasn't really focused on the romance, nor on the fantasy intrigue, so in the end I found it lacking in both areas. The romance was cute, but I felt like the characters were a bit too generic (with a lot of characteristics that we were told they have, but we were never shown). Their background was a bit glossed over, too, but maybe the author plans to go into detail in the sequels (?).
The pl...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 29, 2011 cecily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-lgbt

I heard so much about this book and the writing at the beginning was nice and prose like that it made me think that this was going to be a beautiful book and to a certain extent it was. I just think that this book didn't reach it's full potential and I finished this book feeling decidedly unhappy with it. maybe because it's supposed to be a saga? I don't really think that's why though. (view spoiler)...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 02, 2011 Dumbledore11214 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, gay-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I know I probably mentioned it before, but I have loved fairy tales since I was a child and every time when I think that book in this genre can be a successful mixture of fairy tale or fairy tail-ISH fantasy and gay romance, I want to read it. Additionally, I am usually cautious about self-published books and more often than not will buy them only after a person whose tastes I trust recommends it. This was one such recommendation, and for me turned out to be a very good one.

First of all, I know...more I know I probably mentioned it before, but I have loved fairy tales since I was a child and every time when I think that book in this genre can be a successful mixture of fairy tale or fairy tail-ISH fantasy and gay romance, I want to read it. Additionally, I am usually cautious about self-published books and more often than not will buy them only after a person whose tastes I trust recommends it. This was one such recommendation, and for me turned out to be a very good one.

First of all, I know it is always my concern, so I should mention that to me book felt very well edited.

Granted please take into consideration that as an ESL speaker I may miss some grammatical mistakes, especially if I am very involved with the story, but if the editing is horrible, with a lot of typos and other mistakes, I do usually notice. Here I did not, so it is a safe bet that if there are editing errors, there were not too many, or maybe none or very few.

There were several times in this book where I expected it to go in one familiar direction and it went in a completely different one. At heart this is a story about a boy who has magic, who did not have a very good childhood, who has to come out of age completely on his own and who finds love along the way. In other words I was all ready to name it a “Chosen One” trope. After Harry Potter I call the books about boys with special destinies “the Chosen One.” It turns out to not be exactly the case. While Raven gets a chance to fight against evil guys with good ones, he alone does not become a hero for defeating something very huge (I cannot say more without spoilers).

When I saw that the romance coming to be between an older and a younger man (Raven is eighteen, Breyre is approximately in his forties) and Raven seems to be so delicate, I was thinking to myself, “uh oh, Chick with a Dick alert,” only it was again not the case at all. Delicate in appearance or not, Raven is the one who is doing the life saving of his lover — and more than once — and not in a sense that he is just providing the emotional support. I liked and appreciated how the author tried to more or less do an equal balance of power between the guys, no matter what their appearances are.

I also really appreciated how strong the world-building is here and how it was unusual in some ways, even though it started with some pretty regular fantasy clichés. Like for example, we meet the society of shape shifters, only it does not concentrate on one species. Pretty much Breyre’s people can become any animal their inner essence is. To be quite honest, I would have been tempted to recommend this book only because it has squirrel shifter. I have never met squirrel shifter before and this one is so much fun.

“The squirrel squeaked and suddenly leapt to the side, bounded up the table and made a crazy leap to the bookshelf. Raven stared half in amazement, half growing amusement at the crazy antics, wondering how something so small could make so much noise. The animal lunged from the shelf to the bed, then made a quick dash across the floor amid much chatter and loud chirps. The squirrel finally located the leaf and came back with it, presenting it to Raven with its deft little paws”.

Additionally I really liked how hard Raven needs to *work* — to practice to try to coax his magic to wake up and to learn the profession he wants to learn to fit in among Breyre’s people. He was very appealing, very strong character and I desperately wanted him to succeed on his journey. And of course he is a nice guy who would not let evil triumph if he can help it. That is what eventually leads to him and Breyre meeting each other. I think that Breyre’s character is more static than Raven’s, but he was also a very appealing, likeable man, and I thought their happiness was well deserved. I do not think he undergoes much character development, though, besides recovering from his trauma, realizing he can be a leader again and having a nerve to start courting Raven.

If nothing else, it is a delightful fairy tale with strong world building, good guys vs evil guys, and a charming romance. Do not expect much sex as I think it either has one or two scenes and the book is VERY long.

The book is available from Smashwords

Originaly posted at Reviews by JesseWave(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Tammy K. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance, mm-bingo-read-aug-oct-2012, paranormal, goodreads-author, first-book-of-a-series, adventure, action, found-on-smashwords, high-fantasy-or-epic-fantasy, lgbt-character, magic, magical-and-supernatural-species, mythic-fiction-mythology, elves, own, royals-kings-queens-knights, romance, shapeshifters, sourcery, favorites, fantasy, monomyth-hero-s-journey, bisexual-at-some-point-in-the-story

I am giving this book five stars. This is not saying that the book had no flaws but that the flaws that it did have were surpassed by my absolute enjoyment in reading this story.
This novel is jam pack full of information: characters, family and kingdom history. This is at times a bit intimidating and challenging to the reader to absorb. I read this book once through, but feel that I will need to re-read it again just to make sure I picked up all the pieces of the story details.
This is a fasc...more I am giving this book five stars. This is not saying that the book had no flaws but that the flaws that it did have were surpassed by my absolute enjoyment in reading this story.
This novel is jam pack full of information: characters, family and kingdom history. This is at times a bit intimidating and challenging to the reader to absorb. I read this book once through, but feel that I will need to re-read it again just to make sure I picked up all the pieces of the story details.
This is a fascinating fantasy adventure story.
It is also an intense read, with suspense, romance and erotic enjoyment. The romance was slow to build, there were times I was wondering if it would ever take off, but once it did, I felt the characters love and passion flair to life.
I found the characters to be well developed and endearing. As the book progressed to explore each of the characters, reveal their frailties, and show their strengths I found myself thoroughly in love with each of them.
This story is a classic ‘hero’s journey’ a.k.a. monomyth, where over the course of the tale we explore the quest of the young hero to find himself in the larger world through an adventure where he must place his life on the line for others. Our hero grows in his understanding of what friendship is. What is ones moral obligations to others? What is family? What is love? and whether or not he can finally find a place to call home?
There are a fair amount of secondary characters, who add their stories into the novel. While this added to the richness of the book, it also added to the length of the novel.
My only complaint about the book was the large amount of material contained within this one book, which caused me to suffer from information overload.
There were places in this book that I had to force myself to slow down and resorted to taking notes, because the compactness of the information was a little hard to follow.
There are six parts to this novel.

Prologue: short introduction
Part One: Raven and the Wolf : which is the title of the first segment, describes the meeting of Raven, Myche, Brayre, the evil sorceress Chatrina and the flight to freedom.
Part Two: Raven and the Oak: In this part our hero Raven discovers his dormant powers and his love for Brayre is fully explored.
Part Three: Raven and the Stone Pillars : is where the combat battle takes place. Classic good vs. evil, love vs. self love (power).
Part Four: Raven and the Moon; is a conclusion of the novel where many of the loose ends are explained and tied up.
Epilogue: Well it is just that the epilogue.

A final note about the page number count of this novel. Goodreads has this listed as 183 pages. I have no idea where that number comes from, but it is not accurate. Smashwords has this e-book listed as 367 pages (115,181 word count). However when I was reading the book (with large font setting) it displayed at 618 pages. I imagine the listing of 367 pages is the real page number. Readers should be advised that you are in for a long read when you sit down for this book.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy High fantasy, hero’s journey (a.k.a. Monomyth), adventure, action combat, royal courts, sorcery and earth magic, shape shifters, elves, romance, Gay and bisexual main characters. (less)

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Feb 11, 2012 Dustin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this Ebook and I have to say I absolutely loved it for multiple reasons. For starts, I found that it was really well paced in a way that I couldn't put it down. I just spent basically my entire Saterday reading this book and with no regrets! I loved the time and care that the auther put into building the setting and the support characters, it really made a huge impression towards the feel of the book. Not to mention how the relationship between Raven and Breyre developed,...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Erichae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful. Eloquent, sweet, whimsical, mystical- just everything. It feels so familiar, yet it feels like something you've never encountered. It's just... like a soup. Though you've tasted all of the flavors before, they just touch your senses a little differently from the last time. The characters are perfect, unlike most books that highlight the background characters, these characters are the hymn to a prayer, accents to the most important story presented. This novel has been embalmed in my mi...more

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Fehu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-sexual-tension-mm, genre-m-m-fantasy, roadtrip, profession-medical, nobility, profesion-magic-user, unusual-shifters-mm

4,5 stars!

At the beginning of the book I struggled some but I loved this book at the end and that's the important part.

Raven and the Wolf reminded me a bit of Kirby Crow's Scarlet and the White Wolf Scarlet and the White Wolf 1. Although Raven and the Wolf is not as detailed in it's world building.
Still Raven and Breyre are two lovely characters, I couldn't help but fall in love with, which is why I do rate it up. The characters are very engaging and it's intersting to discover all the differen...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Kiki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

4.5

1 like · like · see review

Sep 23, 2011 Nikyta rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: free-won, a-sweet-cute-read, broken-to-bits, all-time-favs, bubbles-safe, kidnapped-hostage-taken, magic, comfort-reads-rereads, m-m, scifi-fantasy, self-published, military, royalty, stayed-up-all-night-to-read, suspense, series-serial, warriors, wolf-shifters, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, just-barely-legal, medical

4.5 stars

I've held off writing this review because I honestly don't know how to write what I feel towards this book. The best I can say is if you liked Prisoner then you'll probably like this one as well. Don't misunderstand me, this book isn't like Prisoner at all but more of the feelings I had while reading Prisoner I had while reading this one. And considering Prisoner is my all time favorite book, that says a lot.

I absolutely adored it. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading about....more 4.5 stars

I've held off writing this review because I honestly don't know how to write what I feel towards this book. The best I can say is if you liked Prisoner then you'll probably like this one as well. Don't misunderstand me, this book isn't like Prisoner at all but more of the feelings I had while reading Prisoner I had while reading this one. And considering Prisoner is my all time favorite book, that says a lot.

I absolutely adored it. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading about. It has lovable characters, a fascinating world, action and suspense, sexual tension like you cannot believe and an overall sweet romance when it finally develops.

My heart bled for these characters. With Raven's somewhat horrible childhood and the situation Breyre is in when Raven first sees him had my heart aching for these two. I will tell you that this story holds a few surprises. For one, while Raven is effeminate looking he is in no way a girly character. He's strong, broken at times, courageous and is all around a very sweet, polite but sometimes shy, character. He's just as much a hero as Breyre is and in a few scenes is the one to save the day. Breyre on the other hand is the opposite. He's big and solid, broken too but in a completely different way. He's blunt, brash and dismissive. He's a hard man but he handles Raven with such gentleness it's very heartwarming.

This book has a lot of suspense and action. At times I wished there had been more of it, mostly on some fights that weren't exactly ellaborated on but overall I enjoyed each and every scene because it made my heart speed up. The plot is definitely an intriguing one. I think the blurb doesn't really do the book justice but in the end, it's so much more than words can even describe.

While the world building is good, it could have been better. I was curious about everything but some of the questions I had were never answered when it came to the world and culture of Breyre. I suppose that was my only problem with the book. I was curious about Raven and his abilities but they weren't described in greater detail so he's still somewhat of a mystery when it comes to his magic.

All in all, I loved this book so much! It's part of a series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one. I hope we get more of Breyre and Raven in the future. Most definitely recommended. (less)

11 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A boy rejected by his father at the moment of his birth, branded a trickster for the sole transgression of being born a boy, named Raven so everyone he meets in his life’s journey will know his stigma, is blamed for everything from his mother’s death to the drought that decimates his village. Raven is banished from his home and from his village, forced to survive on the streets and in alleyways, fighting for survival in a land ravaged by misery and despair. In Raven’s life, he learns to want lit...more A boy rejected by his father at the moment of his birth, branded a trickster for the sole transgression of being born a boy, named Raven so everyone he meets in his life’s journey will know his stigma, is blamed for everything from his mother’s death to the drought that decimates his village. Raven is banished from his home and from his village, forced to survive on the streets and in alleyways, fighting for survival in a land ravaged by misery and despair. In Raven’s life, he learns to want little and to expect less.

For two years, he managed to exist on his own, to hold on to his meager possessions against those who would attempt to steal what is his. His journey leads him to a city, to an accidental trespassing into the garden of a witch, an unexpected event that will begin his transformation from boy to man. An event that will change his life forever.

Discovered by a servant in the Mistress’s household, Raven is taken into custody, expecting to be flogged for his trespass, but is, instead, made a servant himself. Befriended by Myche, the Mistress’s stableman, Raven is grateful for the food and shelter afforded him—until he discovers the reason Myche serves Chatrina and learns of the man she holds as her prisoner.

Mistress Chatrina’s glamour disguises the identity of Myche’s Master, a shapeshifter from the country of Eyrder who has been imprisoned by the witch for fifteen years, his crime nothing more than having refused her proposal of marriage. But Raven is able, through his own undiscovered magic, to see that the Mistress’s dog is truly a wolf, and eventually discovers that the wolf is actually a man, a man whose very survival depends upon his escape from Chatrina and the city.

Raven might be the trickster, but it’s his own ingenuity and survival skills learned after years on the streets that leads to Breyer’s rescue. Raven, Myche, and Breyer begin the trek to the land of Eyrder, where Breyer will reclaim his position as Esker to his uncle at Heiyerborn Hold, and where Raven will be seen as an outcast once again.

As an Outlander and adversary of the Eyrders simply because of the place of his birth, Raven is at once praised for rescuing Breyer, yet is mistrusted because of who he is. With the help of his friends and supporters, Raven must prove himself worthy of their trust, something that is accomplished as the bond between Raven and Breyer strengthens.

Raven and the Wolf is so many things: a wonderful coming-of-age story, a fantastical tale of magic and legend, a story of friendship and loyalty, and, above all, a beautiful love story. It is the story of two men, one who is just coming into adulthood and one whose life is just beginning again, who each must learn to love and trust in himself before he can give that love and trust fully to the other.

This is a story of revenge, about reclaiming one’s honor; it is a battle waged not for greed or power, but for principal, a fight for right and wrong, of good overcoming evil. It is a story of self-discovery and of acceptance and of finally realizing that family are not necessarily those to whom you were born, but are those who will come to embrace you as their own.

Mari Evers has brought her world and characters to life vividly, in a novel that has a little something for everyone—for fans of folklore, fantasy, paranormal, and romance, Raven and the Wolf is a book I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Reviewed By: Lisa(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 Tangled0 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great world building! Loved the MCs and all the supporting characters. I read that the author is writing a sequel. I can't wait! Love stories that read like fairy tales and am fascinated by the details of the shapeshifting race and the avatars.

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Meggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, romance, shape-shifters

This is an enjoyable, well written fantasy. I liked Raven, he is innocent, young and pulling character. His romance with Breyre was a bit one sided, but developed into much more. Anyway, good work by Mari Evers. Recommended!

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Kristy Maitz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-books

Beautiful story with everything reader is searching for. Its really remarkable till the end. I love it.

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 J rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This was awesome. I salute the author's imagination and story-telling skills. The characters drew me in... their stories, their past, who they are, what they think, how they feel and love, who they love... The romance was beautiful.

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Dec 04, 2011 Antonella rated it 3 of 5 stars

See the review by Seregil, especially about the ''tell, don't show'' aspect ;-)

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Jan 20, 2012 Nijin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Some times plot was too slow. I wasn't really inwolved with problems of Eyrders. Their war somehow was distant for me. Too many names starting from E were confusing. Love story was nice but not intence.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 Andune rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-literature

Sweet, sweet romance with a unique shapeshifter theme that I haven't read before. I enjoyed the entire slightly nostalgic ambience of the book, colored by friendships and characters that I would almost want a sequel about. I want to know more about Elekin!

The novel is nicely paced and while it can be predictable at moments, I really didn't mind. In the end it wasn't about what is going to happen, but how it happens. Nicely done Ms. Evers!

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2011 Sagajo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, action-adventure, romance

Recommended!

2 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Anna marked it as do-i-want-these

May 20, 2013 Sara marked it as to-read

May 20, 2013 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 18, 2013 Ashley E marked it as to-read

Shelves: wish-list

May 18, 2013 Angel rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 15, 2013 Shauna marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Wakey marked it as to-read

May 13, 2013 Julia Phillips marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Lisa Weißenberg marked it as to-read

May 09, 2013 Nora marked it as to-read

Shelves: gay-lesbians

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About Mari Evers

Mari was born and raised in Sweden, and currently lives with her two cats. She dreams of magic, faraway-lands, great adventures, and everlasting love. When not working (or dreaming) she tends to write, read, or draw, and grabs every chance she gets to take her Harley out for a spin.

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Quotes from Raven and the Wolf

“Raven sighed and looked up the tree. "Maybe it's asleep," he murmured.

Myche grinned. "Want me to take a look?"

Raven blinked. "What?"

His friend gave a mock-suffering sigh. "I'm a squirrel. I know trees.” — 1 person liked it

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Raven and the Wolf (Eyrder Saga #1)

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