The Reawakened

Aspect of Crow #3

by Jeri Smith-Ready

She is Rhia, bound to the Spirit of Crow and gifted with vision. In a world besieged by escalating conflict, fate has marked her to deliver the Reawakened from oppression.

Now, with a mighty army of Descendants threatening to crush what's left of her people's magic, she must trust an ancient prophecy and accept the power that is her birthright�the power of life and death itself.

For while the storm of revolution rages, the legacy of the Reawakened is about to be rewritten…in her family's blood.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Ebooks, High Fantasy

496 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. A steady stream of caffeine has produced twelve published novels for teens and adults since 2001.

Jeri lives in Maryland with her husband and two cats, who often play tag-team "sit in the author's lap and keep her from writing." (The cats, that is, not the husband. Though, actually...)

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried, I laughed, I weeped, I held my breath, I feared turning the page, I ripped the page over. It was a story that threw my emotions into chaos but yet I had to keep reading. Its a fantastic story set in a wonderful world full of good and bad but mostly those grey areas inbetween where your not sure what side your actions full into but they're the only way forward. Follow Rhia through her life, to love, laugh and mourn with her, as she struggles to follow the sprirts will. Oh you WILL need a good supply of tissues.

Another glorious story from Jeri

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in this trilogy and enjoyed it. The second book was less captivating and I almost lost interest in the series by the end of the second book. However, I decided to read the third book and finish the trilogy and I am so glad that I did. This book hooked by heart and mind. There were chapters that I read with tears in my eyes. Amazing finish to an interesting series. By the middle of the third book I was enthralled by the characters, their relationships, and the plot. Great book.

[Trista Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just can’t get into this one. The focus is shifted away from the people I started with and I’m not liking it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Aspect of Crow series, and I really don't recommend reading it before you've read the previous two books---at the beginning, even I had difficulty keeping the many characters straight, and I've read the whole series! However, after reading a few chapters I was swept back into the world, with its appealing characters and emotional intensity, and the mysticism of its spirit animals. It's a world in which war rages between Rhia's people, who receive magical powers from their spirit animals, and the Descendants, or Ilions, who worship gods in human form. The war has been raging for twenty years, since Rhia was Bestowed with the Aspect of Crow, allowing her guide to the deceased to the other side. Rhia was the main focus of the first book in the series, but here she shares the spotlight with Sura, her niece, who is early on Bestowed with the spirit of Snake. The war with the Descendants has intensified; the city of Asermos is occupied, and its inhabitants are forbidden to undergo their Bestowing or to become grandparents, the latter on penalty of exile. Resistance continues, particularly among those with warrior Spirits, and the people of the four villages are desperate to maintain their freedom and way of life, but at what cost? The Rewakened explores themes both eternal---such as the price of freedom and the horrors of warfare---and particular to this series---such as the need for procreation to increase one's powers. Rhia's Crow abilities again make her the subject of great suspicion, while Sura is torn between her own desires, the needs of her people, and societal taboos. In sum, The Reawakened is a fast-paced, suspenseful read, which breaks your heart on one page and blows your mind on the next.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure genius! This book is the last in the trilogy, and when I first started reading it, I didn't think I would like the fact that it takes place 18 years or so after Voice of Crow. I was wrong. Instead of taking us through the years of what was going on, Smith-Ready took us to the outcome of those years, and to what the first two books were leading up to.
It was great to get back into the lives of the characters I loved in the first two books, and I really enjoyed meeting the children/grandchildren of those characters, and following their stories. I did, however, miss some of the characters who were kind of written out of the story because they were in Ilios taking care of things there. They were given a brief reunion toward the end of the book. Not enough, in my opinion, but at least I got to see them again before the end.
I loved that Smith-Ready kept me guessing who would become Raven. There were so many different scenarios that I came up with, none of them correct, of who it could have been and how it happened. I never saw coming what actually happened.
This book was the perfect ending to a very well written, very imaginative trilogy. I am just sorry that it was only a trilogy, I would have liked to see what happened after the fact.

[Dorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is often said the children bear the brunt of war. This book holds this fact in truth. War has torn the Ilion's Army of the Descendants into ragged pieces trying to hold onto it's own honor. While the invaded (some say conquered) cities of Velekos and Asermos begin to wither and die under the loss of the wilds that the Spirits need to survive. The people of both the Spirits and the Decendents are growing weary of war, but it is through the eyes of children that we see the great atrocities that are being reaped.

There is a prophecy held by the people of the Spirits, that Raven will bestow her aspect to the child of a Crow. It is with this prophecy in mind that we meet Rhia's children, Nilik and his sister (who for the life of me I can't remember her name!). We also meet Rhia's neice, Sura, who through a course of horrid events meets up with Dravek, both bestowed with the aspect of the Snake. It is the story between Dravek and Sura that propel this book foward through so much pain and suffering you wonder if there ever could even think of being a happy ending. All and all, I loved the series.

[Harlequin Historical]

Awesome book!

Jeri Smith-Ready's Aspect of the Crow series is now complete and so worth reading. In the final book, the war is coming to its end. Will Rhia and her people be successful or will the Descendants crush their way of life. The Spirits are in danger of dying, some actually do. The ancient prophecy better arrive before it is to late. The people are experiencing their magic being weakened by the laws of their oppressors. The revolution is tearing the country apart. Torture, death, destruction is all the future holds until no hope is left. Rhia's family has suffered so much and in Reawakened that doesn't change. More of her family die, more are tortured. Who survives? Who wins the war? Who does Raven claim as her own? What happens in the final days? All these question are answered and some will surprise you. Jeri has an incredible world and I'm sad to see it end.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing end to the series - what a friend of mine would call hardcore in the sense of hardcore epic fantasy with stomach-churning bad and good. Definitely not an easy read at times, descriptions of brutality on an individual and group basis were hard (maybe I'm overly sensitized with the various revolutions that are so similarly happening now), but a story worth reading.

Only complaint is that while my issue with the magic system is resolved, it feels forced - like the flaws inherent in the original system were recognized by the author and so she figured out a way to change it to one that works better. She works it into the story really well, but I still found it more a moment of "told ya" in my mind than a completely natural progression from the first book. This is a minor issue that does not detract from the book - I might give it 4.5 if I was being really picky.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a relief when a series you've enjoyed doesn't let you down in the last book. Some authors seem to just throw an ending in at the last second like "oh I'm running out of time - better wrap this up!".
I was happy with this ending. It didn't seem too abrupt and it answered all the questions.
I was really happy with the story as a whole. Smith-Ready moved the story line forward 20 years from the last book and added new major characters, two things that could easily lose readers, but it was great! I got into the new characters easily and really enjoyed the story.
All in all, a really good series.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another breath-taking tale of the folk with animal spirits. This book gave me goose-bumps and kept me enthralled - even more so than the first two books in the series.

The war was most prominent here, but the beauty was still within most of the characters, and the way events unfolded was wonderful.

I loved how Sura and Dverek had to fight their feelings at first, and how some of their plans back-fired. But I loved most of all how the resolution brought both them, and their people peace in the end.

In the middle of the book, I was unhappy about Marek and Rhia's couple - or the lack of description of it, but I was richly rewarded at the very end.

[Bethany C]

The only disappointing thing about this series (trilogy) is that is has to end. I love her writing. I found myself visualizing what was happening through most of the book (which I don't tend to do) without it being overly "wordy." I can't stand authors that spend pages upon pages just setting up a visual location, and Smith-Ready was able to bring me there without doing that at all. The characters are very engaging, their dialogue is never contrived, and yet with so many of them I was never confused. I just can't say enough good things about all the books in the Aspect of Crow Trilogy. One of the VERY few fiction books that I would actually read again.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness...I cried at the end!!! this series has touched me in so many ways, I was so sad to see it end! I am an animal lover and I've ALWAYS wanted to read a book about spirit animals, and this series did not disappoint. I fell in love with the characters and although this third book took place years after the previous two books, it still surprised me how much I still felt connected to the setting and its characters! I really wish this series would continue but alas, all good things must come to an end. I just want to think Ms. Smith-Ready for writing such an amazing series, which is now quite possibly my favorite series to date!!

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place many years after the second book and it's the children of the original main characters who are center stage so it takes awhile to get back in the swing of things. It's very brutal and gruesome at times but I guess war is like that. In all honestly I put this book down twice because it just didn't catch my interest - once about 50 pages in and again about 100 pages in. Then the action picked up and things started making sense so I was able to finish it. Luckily I really liked Sura and Dravek and could actually feel their pain which helped my continue.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the finale to Smith-Ready's Aspect of Crow series, and I almost think I like it better than the rest. There's tragedy, healing, growth, love--all that good stuff. The hero and heroine are separated, then reunited. I don't know how else to describe it without using spoilers and having to explain all three books. But the Aspects--the animal elements of the main characters' people--return and awaken in people who never had a connection to the aspects before. It's just a very cool story.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! I loved every moment of this series and this book was a spectacular way to end it. I have fallen in love with all the characters and am sad to let them go but all good things must come to an end. I would love more than anything to see this beautiful work come to life in the form of a movie.
To Jeri Smith-Ready I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this wonderfully artistic beauty of a story.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally get it. Good book, but to really have a clue as to what is happening and the interpersonal relationships, you need to read the first two in this series. Good bringing together all of the ideas she has been developing in the earlier books. A good, solid fantasy world with basis in native Americian indian beliefs about the world. Read it - but only after reading the first two.

[Christine Manzari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn. I love when books have perfect endings that I can't guess. I also love that with each book in the series, Jeri introduces us to a new pair of lovers to root for...Rhia and Marek in book one, Alanka and Filip in book two, and Sura and Dravek in book three. All great and so different. A great fantasy series which was so different from anything else I've read.

[Slynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge leap in time from the end of the last book in the series to the beginning of this book, which was a bit annoying. Also the author skipped forward in time a bit.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book.

[:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to keep up with all the places, battles and kin. A wonderful story that had some really tragic parts and some very beautiful moments. Nothing went as I had expected and the conclusion was surprisingly deep. Overall, a great series and one that I will have to go back and reread.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series! This book was little more "racey" than the others but the story plot was moving and enjoyable. Loved it! A great finish to a great series of books.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

weak ending

[Jax O · Rating 1 out of 5]

Supernatural

[Lynn Calvin]

fantasy,Amazon received

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful ending to the trilogy.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok but the main protagonist isn't likeable making this story hard work for me. Some cool supernatural ideas but the lack of character development ruins this series for me.

[roulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was beautiful and gripping. A total page-turner, and I had to read all of them as quickly as possible. I was at a loss when it ended.

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful ending to the trilogy. Unlike the other books, this one is told from the most character perspectives. I don't think the author did a good job handling the transition between all of the character perspectives; you'd be reading one sentence from character A's perspective only to find the next sentence from character B's. I thought that was sloppily done and it took away from an otherwise amazing story.