The Forsaken

Children of Cain #1

by R.J. Craddock (Illustrator)

The Forsaken

Her mother is dead, her home is destroyed. Gwenevere flees into the forest in the dead of winter and stumbles into the human world. Unable to speak their language, but capable of reading their thoughts, Gwen acclimates quickly. Meanwhile she discovers that her native tongue is magical, giving her the power to control the world around her. Seeking the answers to her identity and her forgotten past, orphaned Gwen runs off in search of her own kind. Her dark gifts bring to light horrible truths, the discovery of which forces Gwen to make a fatal decision. The only thing that is certain, her life is about to take a drastic turn - there is no going back from murder.

Genres: Magical Realism

395 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Born Ruth Jerraisetti Harris in Oka Tamuning, Guam, Ruth is the youngest of eight children. As a young child, she began telling stories, developing unique characters, and conjuring fantastical worlds in her mind. As she grew older, a thirst for reading overcame her and she devoured all kinds of books, finding kindred spirits in classic novelists such as Dickens, Bronte, and Fitzgerald. She started writing her first novel at age eleven. After high school, she attended the Art Institute of Phoenix to pursue her other great passion: Art. Ruth now lives with her husband and five children in Texas.

Reviews

[R.J. Craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I am kind of bias seeing as I wrote the book. However, I really enjoyed living in Gwen's world and I loved putting it all on paper (or computer in this case). So, I hope readers enjoy reading my book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's a dark Adult Fantasy with a gothic undertone, set in modern times.

Gwenevere is found wandering in the woods at age five with sparse memories of whom she is or from whence she came. She speaks a strange language no one understands, yet she learns to speak English quickly for she can hear everyone’s thoughts. That’s not all she can do... she can turn lights on and off with a word, make things levitate, and sometimes sees visions of the future. Oh, and she levitates in her sleep, not to mention she might not even be human. We follow Gwen’s journey as she tries to unravel the mystery behind her mother’s death and the truth about herself. The tale takes you from the snow-covered wilderness, to a Catholic Orphanage in Maine, to the streets of New York, to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then back to the wilderness once more with plenty of chaos along the way.

“The Forsaken” is book one in a seven-part series called “The Thirteen Tribes of Cain Series”. Over the course of the series you’ll be introduced to an assorted cast of creatures called “The Thirteen Tribes of Cain” or "The Forsaken" which includes: Fairies, Wiccans, Werewolves, Giants, Ogres, Vampires, Merpeople, Centaurs, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Trolls, and Gargoyles. Yes, I know it sounds rather J.R.R. Tolkien like, but it isn’t. The Tribes of Cain are the children of Cain (the son of Adam and Eve) and Lilith (the first wife of Adam). If you’ve never heard of Lilith then feel free to find me on wattpad: http://wattpad.com/RJCraddock to read the original prologue to my book “The Book of Lilith”. It’s not in the book anymore but does appear in book two “The Offspring”.

You’re wondering right about now what all this has to do with my Heroine, Gwenevere? You’ll just have to read the books to find out. Now that “The Forsaken” is on goodreads you can add it to your shelf to read, review and rate it.
Now, go forth and read it! I look forward to hearing all your reviews.

R.J. Craddock.

[Jon Craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.J. Craddock is my daughter-in-law. My wife read her book and insisted that I needed to read it, too. Even though I am not a big reader, I read it and I have to say that I genuinely liked it. It was easy to get in to and I stayed interested the whole time. It was well-written and I could see the story like it was a movie in my head. However, it was maybe a little too descriptive in some places. Overall, I liked the the story and the characters and I am definitely interested in reading book two. I would recommend this book to anyone! Good job, Ruth!

[Geraldine Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the book and look forward to the next one. I plan on reading it again because it was so enjoyable.

[Jennifer Despain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a dark fantasy book and not written for those who want everything to be rose colored and happy. The characters are interesting and detailed. It takes a few pages to get used to the tense that the book is written in, but after a chapter or two it seems like more books should be written this way. The main character goes through many hard things which teaches her quite about the world she lives in and herself. Even through these challenges she is able to find a friend. It will be interesting to see how she continues to grow as the series progresses. Will definitely be reading the next book. I'd say 4.5 stars, but that's probably because I prefer things a bit more rose colored, but will round up to 5 because I liked it more than 4. Definitely a well written adult book.

[Alan Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunningly imaginative creation of a world approaching Armageddon where the tribes of Cain attempt to wrest control of the Earth from its human inhabitants. In this first book in the series, we follow the story through the eyes of Gwen, forced to find refuge in the human world, where we witness her progress through childhood to adulthood, as she prepares, and is prepared to meet her destiny. A story full of pathos, terror, tension and bluntness in a world of mystery, fantasy and drama. Not to be missed.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Forsaken” is full of drama and mystery, as Gwen and Raven try to survive.

Read full review in the 2014 March issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Rebecca]

Magical beings

A lovely story about magic n magical beings. I wish I had some of Gwen's magical powers too 😉
Gwen is traumatised being in an orphanage where they think she is a demon. Her only friend stands by her no matter what. Till they find out he is a werewolf. They set out to find more of their kind and that leads them down a dark path. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I want to really find out how everything connects together and what actually happened to her mother.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've recently reKINDLED my love of reading by shopping on Amazon's Kindle Store. As a kid, I always made it my goal to read 100 books per summer. When I actually got into trouble, I had my Harry Potter books taken away (yes...I'm THAT generation!). When Twilight took the world by storm, I was there...soaking up every word. The Series of Unfortunate Events books held me captive until I finished them, and the Percy Jackson books caused my heartrate to quicken in excitement. With so many amazing authors and fantastic stories absorbed in my lifetime, I consider myself hard to please when it comes to books. I read them, always, but often I know within a chapter or so if I'm going to be happy with my decision.

As someone addicted to her Kindle, I've downloaded MANY of the free books put out by new authors looking to make a name for themselves. More often than not, sadly, I'm not super impressed. However, when I stumbled upon The Forsaken (The Children of Cain Book 1), I was excited. I loved the somber, dark feeling that I got from reading the title. I was intrigued and immediately loaded it up onto my Kindle. I set to reading right away, and I'm SO happy I did. Sometimes you discover a story and you can't believe you haven't read it yet after having it waiting on your for weeks or months. This is one of those stories.

I really, really don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I will give the basics. The story opens with Gwen, running towards - she doesn't know what - and away from - again...she has no idea. A close brush with danger leaves her in the hands of strangers who deliver her to a hospital to deal with her severe frostbite and various other ailments. She's then left to the custody of the local Catholic orphanage, where her path crosses with Adam/Raven (she renames him). She has great difficulty fitting in, and soon realizes that she and Raven are meant for each other (as friends...Gwen is 5 at this point and Raven is a few years older). Extremely advanced for her age, Gwen intimidates and even scares the other children. This is due in part to her unusual eyes. She and Raven soon begin to discover the sides of themselves that they always knew existed and set them apart, but didn't quite know about yet.

Again, I hesitate to give away too much of the story, but there are several conflicts at the orphanage, which lead to the odd pair becoming runaways and living on the streets for years, using their unusual powers to survive.

Once the pair are detained, they are split up, and all seems lost for Gwen. She enters an institution-like school (like medical institution) and pretends to be on her best behavior until she is sent to a foster home that, appearing perfect from the outside, is actual horror and hell. As she struggles to fit into middle school culture, she deals with aggression, abuse, and trying to protect a new "little sister" that she has come to love.

The entire book is a total treat. It's an adventure that you seriously don't want to miss out on. I can see this series being optioned for a movie in the future, and I will fangirl like crazy!

Between growing to love and understand the characters, to watching them develop, and mature physically, to feeling their emotions and fears, it's not hard to be absorbed completely into the story. The language is beautiful and detailed and the story flows so smoothly! There's not a boring moment, and your heart is yanked along for the ride. At the end of book one, I don't feel satisfied. I want MORE of this series!! I'm SO excited to be able to jump right into book two and see what happens next. Review coming soon!!

[Damon Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I usually don't get that into books that have a female heroine. Gwenevere though is refreshing in that she's got a dry dead pan sarcastic wit even though she's only five in the beginning of the book. She does come off as older than her age, but I think that's a character trait and a side effect from all the hard things she's gone through. I liked her best friend Raven who I thought was another strong and believable character. I love what ends up happening with his character in chapter eight, which is a great chapter by the way. Overall, it's a really intense story with great characters!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this last night. A GOOD read - some deep things in it, BUT hey life isn't always warm and fuzzy. Good character development, you really feel - good or bad - what the characters are going through due to the writing skill of Craddock. It was a page turner and I cannot wait for the second book! It will be a six-book series, SO if you're looking for a new series to get into then check this book out and get it asap.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forsaken touches on the heavy topic of sexual abuse, and many other aspects that can go terribly wrong without another human being to love and care for a small child. Gwen’s tale is a sad one so far, reminiscent of The Book Thief mixed with Flowers in the Attic and sprinkled with magic. I give Craddock a solid four-star rating for this novel. She has a seamless way of pulling you into the plot by leaving a trail of nagging questions begging for answers.

[Brian Mulipah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome, detailed and adventurous book! I love drama and action put together. this book is one of the rarest book that has this! The author really knows how to describe things, slowly and step by step. This book is one of those you can get and sit back, relax and read as if watching a movie!

[McKenzie Fontanet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at Salt Lake FanX! And it was really good! to be honest, it was a little hard to get into, but once in it kept me intrigued! when I finished, I wanted more! thank goodness I got the sequel at the same time!

[Erica Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

once i started to read it. i could not put it down. i have always loved ruth's imagination and ability to tell amazing stories. i am looking forward to book 2.

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult, but brilliant read

This was a difficult book to read on account of cruelty&abuse of kids & streetkids survival scenes - you’ve been warned. While the prologue gives a sword&sorcery vibe, it turned out to be a prequel of the parents of the main characters of the book (probably - only the family name but not the characters from the prologue were mentioned later, once).

Coming out of the woods, singed & bloodied, Gwen finds herself in a hospital bed with nobody who understands the language she speaks. Thrown from group to foster homes she befriends Raven, also from her world and they have a rather nasty time on Earth. The unlikely pair team up through thick and thin and when stressed grow into their powers. While there are some genuinely kind characters from the nun’s orphanage and Kyle from a later school, most of the Earthen experience of Gwen & Raven was the worst possible kind - see trigger warnings. Across the book, Gwen turns from 5 to 11 & I loved her feisty determination as well as resilience, kindness and rational thinking. Raven was such a sweetie, looking out for her. Perhaps in later books their friendship will veer into fated mates - one can hope. I would have preferred a standalone, but instead the book ends with a cliffhanger the likes of Criminal Minds. Would I read it again - no. Was it brilliantly written - yes.

Recommended for lovers of dark myths&legends; portal fantasy (especially the magical beings stuck on Earth kind) & dark coming of age stories.

Trigger warning: this will be difficult to read for survivors of child abuse and molestation.

[Deborah Bernal · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are stories you read and forget, and then there are stories that sit beside you like a quiet shadow. The Forsaken feels like the second kind.

R.J. Craddock builds a world that feels fragile yet dangerous, where survival is not just about strength but about silence, restraint, and knowing when to disappear. Gwenevere is easy to root for because her struggle feels deeply human. Losing everything in an instant is a fear most of us carry somewhere inside, and watching her navigate a life where even her gifts are a threat creates real emotional tension.

What stood out to me most was the atmosphere. There is a constant sense of being watched, of secrets breathing just beneath the surface. The magical elements are interesting without overpowering the emotional core of the story, which keeps the narrative grounded and engaging.

While there are moments where I wished for deeper exploration of certain side characters, the foundation laid here is strong enough to make me curious about where the series is heading next.

If you enjoy fantasy that leans into survival, hidden identities, and the cost of being different, this is worth picking up. It is not just about magic. It is about belonging, loss, and the quiet fight to exist in a world that is not built for you.

[Soren Alaric · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forsaken by R.J. Craddock is a dark fantasy that pulls you into a world of magic, mystery, and identity.
Gwenevere’s journey starts with loss and survival, but quickly grows into something deeper as she discovers her unusual abilities and the truth about who she is. I liked how the story blends emotional struggle with supernatural elements, especially her power to control things through language.
The tone is a bit darker than expected, which adds intensity and keeps things interesting. It’s a solid start to a series, especially if you enjoy fantasy with hidden worlds, magical abilities, and a touch of danger.

[Lioren Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.J. Craddock has crafted a world that pulls you in from the very first page. The Forsaken is haunting, emotional, and beautifully written. Gwen’s journey from loss to discovery is both heartbreaking and empowering. The magical realism blends so seamlessly with human emotion that I couldn’t put it down. This is storytelling at its best, raw, mystical, and unforgettable.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say that this story is intriguing and has a lot of promise. I was going to give this 3 stars up until towards the end when certain scenes that were distasteful and unnecessary for the subject matter at the time. Might give it 2.5 I completely agree with the previous reviewer who also gave it 2 stars. I found myself reading what felt more of a narrative or a summary of things happening or that have happened and not enough dialog, it seemed to jump too far ahead in the time of the story that it left me feeling like I had missed something and most of the time it was really getting to connect with the characters. I did feel at times, when there was dialog or at least the thoughts in Gwen's head where I was starting to make a deeper connection rather than just a synopsis of the character, and then nothing. It was very frustrating. It seemed slow at first, but then would jump ahead, then it was slow again, and next it jumped ahead again, too far to really gain a grasp of the story that was supposed to be unfolding. The description of the book seemed more like the description of the series and not the first book it's self. I wanted to see more tie in from the prologue, but nothing was referenced and wondered if I was still reading the same story. I was also waiting for more answers of this world she was from and yet all I got were 2 tragic stories of her and a friend in the "human" world.I felt there was too much negative riding on one particular subject, it made it sad and a bit boring at times. This is supposed to be a story about a girl who posses magic abilities and I didn't see enough of that in the setting I was hoping for. It seemed I became disappointed after every couple of chapters when the story didn't seem to go in the direction I was expecting or at least hoping for. The ending left me with more questions and just about no answers and felt empty when there was no more. However, it is apparent that the author has a good imagination, but from the mind to paper needs more modifying, in addition to the apparent grammar and typos(which seem too much after it has been "edited" )there could have been many more modifications to make the story sound better and actually be read the way the author seems to have intended it. So this may be a partial editor oversight. Here are my tips for the author:
1. Great detail, but back down a little. Too much tends to make it drag on.
2. More dialog!! I want to hear more about who these characters are through their words or direct thoughts.
3. Too much narrative or "summing up" of the story, it left me confused and devoid of emotion.
4. I want to feel emotion with the characters and the story unfolding with them in it. I did at times feel this, but only briefly, so I know it's there...get us to hang on longer! ;)
5. Don't skip so far ahead of the story every couple of chapters. I feel there was so much more we could have learned about Gwen, but are missing since those years were jumped ahead. I feel like you were in a huge rush for her to grow up, if you were, it showed. Don't rush, but don't drag either. I felt like it dragged only because I was expecting the world of magic like the description said but only got her life in an orphanage, on the street, and then the foster family, none of that seemed applicable to what the story is supposedly about. I see great potential in the stories to come if the author can only give the reader what they expect at the moments, and draw us in more, but don't push away with the "walls-of-summary" hold us in there. ;) I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to read this book and hope my opinions and tips might help in the next books.

[Jules The Book Junkie Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

The book begins with a very tantalizing prologue set in a mystical realm. There is no clear link to the first chapter where very young Gwen is fleeing a fire and somehow ends up in the human world. She has plenty of latent powers but is unable to communicate. Gwen has one misadventure after another as she mistreated by nuns, doctors, classmates, child protective services and a foster family. Gwen ages from precocious preschooler to tween in the story, and throughout, there is at least one boy who is chastely smitten with her. They are sometimes welcome protectors and at other times these older boys are mothered by Gwen.

Overall, the story had a good premise and was creative. However, I found the pace was too slow--with too many details at times and then what seemed like a choppy jump to make up for time and move the story along. The action in the book was well written but the rest felt rough and dry. I was expecting some sort of tie back to the prologue, but never found it. I was also expecting some kind of culminating event or wrap up at the end of the story, but didn't get that either.

Prior to reading, I had not read the author's description of the book, and I did not know the book was the first in a series. I was surprised when I read the author's description of The Children of Cain Series (of which The Forsaken is the first book) because I didn't get any hint of that series description from The Forsaken. I was further surprised that there was no cliff hanger and no obvious segue to book two in the series. I finished the book feeling dissatisfied, but not unwilling to give the next book in the series a chance. If able to, I might give this book 2.5 stars.

***this review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit the fansite: www.Facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng***

[Claire Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brilliant book weaves a brilliant tale and grips the reader from page one.
The story follows Gwen a magical orphan stranded In a world that fears and shuns those who are different.
She befriends another loner Raven and the pair become inseparable but together can they survive the brutal reality of earth with little to no help from adults and many who wish them harm?
Can little Gwen control her powers, remember her past and blend in with humans before it's too late
This gripping read will have you turning the page constantly well into the late hours to find out what happens next.
The book takes you on a real rollercoaster of emotions and I got angry laughed and cried with poor little Gwen, she is such a relatable likeable character despite the fact that she is not human and only a child. I loved that she was flawed and things went wrong, it made it better when things went right.
The book is written in 3rd person present which was unique but really odd to read and I think it would have Made a great book even better if written in 3rd person past.
Also the prologue although fantastic on its own merit didn't really help or contribute towards the story and I would recommend this be removed as I spent most of the story trying to figure out how this was related.
The author is a clearly gifted writer and this book is the proof in the pudding so to speak an amazing start to the series and I can't wait to devour book 2

[Lynz Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, this book was AWESOME! I received a free copy for review. I will admit, I didn't know what to expect at first, but a few pages into the prologue, and I was hooked! All through the book I wondered what the connection was between the prologue and the little girl, Gwen.

Gwen isn't your normal child. She starts out in the book as a 5 year old, but she acts, speaks and thinks like she is much much older.....and she is a witch. She doesn't remember who she is, or who her family is and winds up in an orphanage and befriends a slightly older boy, Raven and they become very close. Raven is similar to Gwen-he can speak her birth language, they can communicate telepathically and they understand each other.

This book is about Gwen, but it's also about Raven. Unfortunately, they are separated and I end the book eagerly awaiting the next book (which has already been uploaded on my kindle) to find out what happens next.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes the paranormal/fantasy with a few twists and turns. This is a keeper and one that I will read over and over again.

[Ju Ephraime · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Forsaken” starts off with a prologue and dream sequence that took the story out of the normal fantasy book. I gave the author much respect the way she was able to write in the strange dialogue that Gwen speaks.
A little girl was found by nuns who named her Gwen and placed her in an orphanage. She speaks a strange, unrecognizable language, but the orphanage took her in anyway. At that orphanage she meets Raven. Turns out both Gwen and Raven have strange powers. They soon run away together and make their way to the city, and became inseparable. They were eventually captured by Child Services and separated. Gwen didn’t like her new home and run away again, but she was unable to locate Raven. It was a good first book by this author and no doubt the second book will be even better. The explicit scenes of killing and rape threw me off a bit, but other than that I thought it a good YA book. Hopefully, we'll get to know if Gwen and Raven ever reunite.

[Rain Belmount · Rating 5 out of 5]

" I stumbled upon this author through Facebook, and "liked" her fan page. I've been reading her blog and following her ever since. I figured since I liked the way she blogged and I liked the sample chapters she posted on her website that I would most likely like the book, too. I bought it the first day it came out on Amazon. I tore into it as soon as I got it and loved every page of it. I did notice a few typos but I understand that there will be a 2nd Edition released soon that will fix those. The errors weren't so noticeable that it took me out of the story at all. Wow, what an emotional story! I really felt like the main character, Gwenevere, was a real person and that I knew her personally. "The Forsaken" is an emotional roller coaster ride with unpredictable twists and turns. I'm anxious to find out what happens to Gwen next in book two. A great read!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly great read. I really enjoyed the way this book was written. Yes it's a bit different because it's written in third person present tense but I found the style addicting after the first couple chapters. I think this was a bold move by the author, one that I applaud her for. All the characters are great and I especially love Gwen who is without a doubt one of the strongest heroines I've read in a long time. She's neither good nor bad, she's real and deep. The ending surprised me and left me wanting more. I'm just grateful the second book is already out so I can keep reading the story!