Review of The Dawn of the Raven by J.L. Blackthorne

A Review of "The Dawn of the Raven"

Author: J.L. Blackthorne

This review may contain spoilers (but I try not to).
This was submitted to me for an honest review. I received no compensation except the free book copy.
Synopsis/summary:
The Dawn of the Raven is described by the author as an Indie Fantasy ebook serial .  ***WARNING*** It is a Fantasy/Action Adventure series for adult readers only, as some episodes contain adult language, explicit sex, and graphic violence. It is a bit of a genre blender, combining Fantasy/Action Adventure with occasional Erotica.  This review concerns the first ten episodes from the "Omnibus Alpha edition."

Review:
Three heroines take on the invading hordes of darkness...
Raveena- the penultimate warrior-woman, flawless in both beauty and death-dealing.
Kiella- the reluctant companion, Raveena's people are supposed to be her hated enemies, but she's been so poorly treated all of her life that it doesn't seem a hardship to find herself dragged along with Raveena.
Shyrea- the mystical watcher, she uses her natural powers to watch over and then eventually to help the warrior and her kind companion.
All three are sympathetic characters that I could feel for, although I found myself more easily attached to Kiella and Shyrea. Raveena is  focused on victory. She has a few soft points, however.
I thought the beginning was a bit bumpy, but once I got into it, the pages started turning quickly. In addition to the fairly well drawn main characters, there were several good back-stories and character highlights that helped flesh the story out and make it a bit more vivid. I enjoyed Shyrea's people, the "Elken" the most, and wouldn't mind seeing more of them. Shyrea herself has a fascinating ability that allows her to get a precise perspective on other people (but I don't want to give too much away).
I'd have to argue with the author's description of the sex scenes as 'erotica.' To me, the language is a bit too blunt to be described as erotica.
The action is sharp, brutal, and plentiful. It might be too heavy for some, too light for others, depending on how bloodthirsty you are. It does appear as necessary battle violence, and not gratuitous carnage just for the sake of itself. The episodes ends with a knock-down, drag-out battle that makes sure the evil hordes get what's coming to them, but then assures us that there's still plenty more conflict to come...

I haven't read much of this type of book in the past, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the heroines striking a good chord in me. I wish them success in their further adventures.
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