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The Raven Tales #1
Raven's Moon
Otherworld evil is loose in the real world. Bram Farrell, Private Investigator, must track it down and destroy it before it destroys him.
Bram Farrell has starred in twenty bestselling novels by writer—and witch—Calista Amberson. Her fans love the tall, dark, and handsome PI who vanquishes supernatural bad guys using his magical powers. So, when Calista uses her magic to pull Bram from his fictional world into real-world, modern-day Detroit, she rocks both worlds.
Every supernatural being on Earth felt his arrival in this dimension. They don't trust Calie’s intentions and Bram doesn't either. When the supernatural community hands him the job of discovering who killed the beings in the real world that match those he killed in each volume of The Raven Tales, he takes on the task. It’s a job he’s done in twenty books—he’s up to the familiar challenge.
Bram’s investigation turns up a lot of suspicious characters grouchy bar-owning trolls, a thirsty vampire godfather, a couple of murderous x-cage fighters, a suspicious minister¬¬—and the Devil himself. Things are getting dicey: Bram could use some help with this job—but whom can he trust?
Fans of Jim Butcher will fall hard for Bram and Raven’s Moon.
J.B. Dane is a recovering romance writer with over two dozen titles under her belt. So when “Bram Farrell” walked into her office, she hired him on the spot. Together they kick Otherworlders', er, nether regions, and write the second book in the Raven Tales series.
Find the two of them with their feet up on the desk at: www.RomanceandMystery2.com/jb-dane.
Bram Farrell has starred in twenty bestselling novels by writer—and witch—Calista Amberson. Her fans love the tall, dark, and handsome PI who vanquishes supernatural bad guys using his magical powers. So, when Calista uses her magic to pull Bram from his fictional world into real-world, modern-day Detroit, she rocks both worlds.
Every supernatural being on Earth felt his arrival in this dimension. They don't trust Calie’s intentions and Bram doesn't either. When the supernatural community hands him the job of discovering who killed the beings in the real world that match those he killed in each volume of The Raven Tales, he takes on the task. It’s a job he’s done in twenty books—he’s up to the familiar challenge.
Bram’s investigation turns up a lot of suspicious characters grouchy bar-owning trolls, a thirsty vampire godfather, a couple of murderous x-cage fighters, a suspicious minister¬¬—and the Devil himself. Things are getting dicey: Bram could use some help with this job—but whom can he trust?
Fans of Jim Butcher will fall hard for Bram and Raven’s Moon.
J.B. Dane is a recovering romance writer with over two dozen titles under her belt. So when “Bram Farrell” walked into her office, she hired him on the spot. Together they kick Otherworlders', er, nether regions, and write the second book in the Raven Tales series.
Find the two of them with their feet up on the desk at: www.RomanceandMystery2.com/jb-dane.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2019
11 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Dane
30 books13 followersJ.B. Dane is the author of the urban fantasy PI mystery comedy series, The Raven Tales, which includes novels published by Burns and Lea Books, and a series of Indie published novellas that are prequels and also "between the books" adventures of her MC, Bram Farrell. The latest novel in the series is RAVEN'S EDGE. Quite a few 5* reviews have followed for the novels, in particular, singing praises that should make her blush though she’s too busy proudly polishing her nails against her lapel to do so. She also writes shorter fantasy fiction, many tales of which have appeared in anthologies, particularly her Nick Claus, North Pole Security stories. She writes historical and contemporary romantic mystery and speculative twisted 19th century fiction under two different names, just to confuse people. Or so they seem to think.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 24, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Burns and Lea Books for this arc.
I found this to be an easy though not a very compelling read. It took me about 50% of the way in to comprehend the story line. A best selling writer witch managed to bring to life the hero of her books.... So he could find her replacement body? But he got sidelined by some other Detroit demons into investigating other crimes...
It made more sense at the end. The characters were okay, but none felt very real to me. I found Raven kind of irritating off and on during the read.
2.5 stars rounded up
I found this to be an easy though not a very compelling read. It took me about 50% of the way in to comprehend the story line. A best selling writer witch managed to bring to life the hero of her books.... So he could find her replacement body? But he got sidelined by some other Detroit demons into investigating other crimes...
It made more sense at the end. The characters were okay, but none felt very real to me. I found Raven kind of irritating off and on during the read.
2.5 stars rounded up
January 31, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF'd @ 15%
The premise sounded so cool - what with a hardboiled Sam Spade-esque urban fantasy series private detective getting released into the real world by his author and everything. Unfortunately, the writing style is really grating on my nerves. I'm not interested in the characters or their world(s) at all after that intro. But I do know that I'll be thinking about this joke from 4% into the story all day: "'I'm P.T. Kosmas.' A hastily wiped hand was extended my way. I shook it. 'P.T. as in Cruiser?'" And yes that's from the Spade-esque PI shortly after he's been released into our world.
DNF'd @ 15%
The premise sounded so cool - what with a hardboiled Sam Spade-esque urban fantasy series private detective getting released into the real world by his author and everything. Unfortunately, the writing style is really grating on my nerves. I'm not interested in the characters or their world(s) at all after that intro. But I do know that I'll be thinking about this joke from 4% into the story all day: "'I'm P.T. Kosmas.' A hastily wiped hand was extended my way. I shook it. 'P.T. as in Cruiser?'" And yes that's from the Spade-esque PI shortly after he's been released into our world.
October 7, 2022
Yanked from his fictional world to modern Detroit, PI Bram Farrell must tackle paranormal evil while adjusting to real life. Bram has been the leading man in twenty bestselling books but when the author uses her magic to transport him from a figment of her imagination to the real world, everything changes. Why did she do it? No one knows, least of all Bram. Suddenly, all paranormal beings are on high alert. There’s a bunch of mysteries to solve so they hire Bram to investigate. He loves a challenge and accepts. The more he investigates, the larger the suspect list grows. Things get real bad real quick but Bram doesn’t know who he can trust. Can he discover who’s responsible before it’s too late?
Raven’s Moon is a paranormal chockful of adventure, supernatural beings, suspense, and witty banter. I must admit, I was drawn in by the premise. I’ve read millions of books and I’ve often wondered what would happen if a certain character appeared in real life. Bram is the ultimate hero, a leading man with bravado, snappy one-liners, and a kick-butt attitude. I connected with him right away. Bram is the reason why I couldn’t put the book down. Well, that and the writing. The author is a prolific romance writer who has an alter ego and she’s a paranormal reader’s dream. With descriptive narration and world-building, the author sucks you into her world. It’s impressive, considering the sheer amount of books in the genre. There are numerous supernatural beings to interact with which I loved. The dialogue is fast with humor peppered throughout. The mystery subplot had me whipping through the pages until the very end. If you love all things paranormal, you have to read Raven’s Moon. If you’re looking for an original paranormal story, pick up Raven’s Moon. I’m instantly hooked on this series and I can’t wait for more. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
Raven’s Moon is a paranormal chockful of adventure, supernatural beings, suspense, and witty banter. I must admit, I was drawn in by the premise. I’ve read millions of books and I’ve often wondered what would happen if a certain character appeared in real life. Bram is the ultimate hero, a leading man with bravado, snappy one-liners, and a kick-butt attitude. I connected with him right away. Bram is the reason why I couldn’t put the book down. Well, that and the writing. The author is a prolific romance writer who has an alter ego and she’s a paranormal reader’s dream. With descriptive narration and world-building, the author sucks you into her world. It’s impressive, considering the sheer amount of books in the genre. There are numerous supernatural beings to interact with which I loved. The dialogue is fast with humor peppered throughout. The mystery subplot had me whipping through the pages until the very end. If you love all things paranormal, you have to read Raven’s Moon. If you’re looking for an original paranormal story, pick up Raven’s Moon. I’m instantly hooked on this series and I can’t wait for more. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
October 11, 2019
Three and a half
I really wanted to like this book but initially I just wasn’t as enamoured with the writing style as I’d hoped. Upon reflection I think perhaps the author was trying to give perhaps a Sam Spade style feel to the narrative as our hero Bram, struggles to juggle two very different issues. I did think the idea of a created character having free will and being made real in our world was a very cool idea but I think for me I’d have liked perhaps more interaction between him and Calista, the Witch who has dreamed him up. What we do get is Bram supposedly searching for an author who could take over writing his stories when Calista succumbs to her terminal illness. There an awful lot more though as Bram gets asked to help the Supernatural community find out who is responsible for deaths that strangely mirror acts that have occurred in the book series that has spawned him.
I think both Bram and indeed the readers are misdirected here which actually meant I enjoyed the second half of this story a whole lot more than the beginning. With a time limit on his activities Bram sometimes trusts the wrong people. I could predict what Calista had planned but the murder mystery element had a very satisfying conclusion. Several supporting characters were interesting although perhaps some in hindsight did need fleshing out more. Best of all though is a Hellhound masquerading as a Dachshund ! Totally a bizarre idea but one I very much enjoyed. Expect Demons, Witches, Trolls, Vampires and of course a very unusual portrayal of the Devil himself ! Not perfect as I wanted the characters to feel more realistic but still a story that kept my attention.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
I really wanted to like this book but initially I just wasn’t as enamoured with the writing style as I’d hoped. Upon reflection I think perhaps the author was trying to give perhaps a Sam Spade style feel to the narrative as our hero Bram, struggles to juggle two very different issues. I did think the idea of a created character having free will and being made real in our world was a very cool idea but I think for me I’d have liked perhaps more interaction between him and Calista, the Witch who has dreamed him up. What we do get is Bram supposedly searching for an author who could take over writing his stories when Calista succumbs to her terminal illness. There an awful lot more though as Bram gets asked to help the Supernatural community find out who is responsible for deaths that strangely mirror acts that have occurred in the book series that has spawned him.
I think both Bram and indeed the readers are misdirected here which actually meant I enjoyed the second half of this story a whole lot more than the beginning. With a time limit on his activities Bram sometimes trusts the wrong people. I could predict what Calista had planned but the murder mystery element had a very satisfying conclusion. Several supporting characters were interesting although perhaps some in hindsight did need fleshing out more. Best of all though is a Hellhound masquerading as a Dachshund ! Totally a bizarre idea but one I very much enjoyed. Expect Demons, Witches, Trolls, Vampires and of course a very unusual portrayal of the Devil himself ! Not perfect as I wanted the characters to feel more realistic but still a story that kept my attention.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
October 2, 2019
DNF at 16%.
A writer casts a spell to bring her fictional paranormal detective into the real world. Meantime the character finds out that someone is killing supernatural creatures in the same way as the characters are murdered in his novels - is the writer copying the murders or could there be a more sinister reason?
I gave up on this book really early because I found the writing style grating. The fictional character, Bram, is a hard-boiled Sam Spade type of detective who uses magic to solve supernatural crimes in the novels. But he uses too many big words like sustenance when he's talking about being served bacon in a dive bar - it's food FFS. Also in only a few pages we have hellhounds, kitsune, trolls, vampires, Renfields, covens, Satan and two or three other creatures. It's too much, slow it down!
Overall, I think there could be a great book in here if you can push past the purple prose but I just couldn't get past it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
A writer casts a spell to bring her fictional paranormal detective into the real world. Meantime the character finds out that someone is killing supernatural creatures in the same way as the characters are murdered in his novels - is the writer copying the murders or could there be a more sinister reason?
I gave up on this book really early because I found the writing style grating. The fictional character, Bram, is a hard-boiled Sam Spade type of detective who uses magic to solve supernatural crimes in the novels. But he uses too many big words like sustenance when he's talking about being served bacon in a dive bar - it's food FFS. Also in only a few pages we have hellhounds, kitsune, trolls, vampires, Renfields, covens, Satan and two or three other creatures. It's too much, slow it down!
Overall, I think there could be a great book in here if you can push past the purple prose but I just couldn't get past it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
January 24, 2020
Thank to NetGalley and to the editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I liked the idea of this book quite a lot, it's original and it could be a good starting for an even better series. I liked the fact that our MC is a book's character, even better, it's the MC of a series of books that is dragged in the real world but his creator, the author, and powerful witch, Calista.
He is a PI and it's quite successful in his fictional world, and it seems that, other than that, he is quite famous in the real world, too. Every supernatural creature knows who he is, or know of him. And this is not always good for our brand new PI, who is thrown in the real world without a word of advice or without a clear reason. And so Bram has to fend for himself, sort of, to find out the whys and to solve a gruesome series of killings that are suspiciously tied to him.
But he is not alone in this adventure. With him we have the faithful and fantastic Dachshund from Hell. And yes, I intend it literally! It's a real Hellhound who usually keep the form of a dachshund. So, yeah, a real dachshund from hell. How cool is that??? And Satan himself took a liking for our PI and helps him out here and there. And he is the best. Those are the characters that I really liked!
But we won't stop here! We have a ton of different magical creatures and this is a thing that I really appreciate in a book. We have hellhounds, witches, vampires, trolls, and many many others!
So far, so good. But this book could have been something more. If you are in need of something not demanding, fun and fast-paced, just to take your mind away for a couple of hours, this could be the right book for you. But if you want something more, well... this may not be the best choice. There are some parts that aren't so well developed, as the relationship between Calista and Bram. It's not badly developed, but it's lacking something. It would have been more realistic, in a way, and more complete if we had seen them interact more, for example. And other similar things in the book that could have been more developed. It's like the MC just get along with whatever it happens to him, without doubting or questioning it. And if this makes for an easy-going character, it makes also wonder why he didn't question this or that, or why something is the way it is.
So yeah, it could have been more. That's for sure. But it was an enjoyable and pleasant reading, and I have no doubt that I would read the second book in this series, because I can't wait to see again the Dachshund From Hell!
I liked the idea of this book quite a lot, it's original and it could be a good starting for an even better series. I liked the fact that our MC is a book's character, even better, it's the MC of a series of books that is dragged in the real world but his creator, the author, and powerful witch, Calista.
He is a PI and it's quite successful in his fictional world, and it seems that, other than that, he is quite famous in the real world, too. Every supernatural creature knows who he is, or know of him. And this is not always good for our brand new PI, who is thrown in the real world without a word of advice or without a clear reason. And so Bram has to fend for himself, sort of, to find out the whys and to solve a gruesome series of killings that are suspiciously tied to him.
But he is not alone in this adventure. With him we have the faithful and fantastic Dachshund from Hell. And yes, I intend it literally! It's a real Hellhound who usually keep the form of a dachshund. So, yeah, a real dachshund from hell. How cool is that??? And Satan himself took a liking for our PI and helps him out here and there. And he is the best. Those are the characters that I really liked!
But we won't stop here! We have a ton of different magical creatures and this is a thing that I really appreciate in a book. We have hellhounds, witches, vampires, trolls, and many many others!
So far, so good. But this book could have been something more. If you are in need of something not demanding, fun and fast-paced, just to take your mind away for a couple of hours, this could be the right book for you. But if you want something more, well... this may not be the best choice. There are some parts that aren't so well developed, as the relationship between Calista and Bram. It's not badly developed, but it's lacking something. It would have been more realistic, in a way, and more complete if we had seen them interact more, for example. And other similar things in the book that could have been more developed. It's like the MC just get along with whatever it happens to him, without doubting or questioning it. And if this makes for an easy-going character, it makes also wonder why he didn't question this or that, or why something is the way it is.
So yeah, it could have been more. That's for sure. But it was an enjoyable and pleasant reading, and I have no doubt that I would read the second book in this series, because I can't wait to see again the Dachshund From Hell!
October 20, 2019
This book was very good. A lot of twists & turns you don't see coming! Calie is a very successful writer. She's written over 20 books featuring her hero Bram. Bram is an adventurer & part vigilante. He solves crime as an investigator of nonhumans. One night he is brought to life. Posing as a human his creator, Calie, has already created a fake drivers license, real bank card, a few details in case people wanted to look over his history & a short backstory. Then she turns him loose on the world to explore! Raven gets distracted by 20 cold cases he finds out are exact duplicates to the murders in his books. He spends a lot of time trying to solve them, however he finds out he may only have a few days before he is sent back to his books. It turns out Calie has other plans for him. Did I mention there is an adorable hellhound the size of a dachshund that helps him fight when he gets in trouble?
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September 15, 2021Really enjoyable start to this new UF series. Great characters and interesting plot.
Raven’s Moon is the first book in Raven Tales, the new Urban Fantasy series from JB Dane. The book is set in modern day Detroit and features an interesting array of supernatural beings. There is no romance in this book.
JB Dane’s easy to read and humourous writing style drew me in from the start. She created characters which differ from the usual UF tropes, have depth, flaws and a few attitude problems. The world building and supernatural elements are well crafted and I was easily drawn into this story.
Bram Farrell is the fictional star in author, Calista Amberson’s best selling series about The Raven, an investigator known for taking down the seedier elements of the supernatural community. Fictional only until Calista decides to pull him, without warning, from the world of her imagination into her own world. Turns out that Calista is not only a famous bestselling author, she is also a witch, well known in the real supernatural community.
Everyone in the supernatural community felt his arrival and all of them want to know why he is here.
Calista may have her own reasons for summoning her mind’s famous PI but it seems that the supernatural community also have a use for him; the two missions he is presented with might just collide and there’s no guarantee that Bram will survive intact from the chaos which ensues. He’s neither supernatural nor human. What he is remains to be seen.
I really enjoyed this book. For quite some time I was questioning whether Bram had really been pulled into the mundane or whether he was living his new adventure in Calista’s imagination. The story is well written, not full of predictable elements and alongside the usual witches and vampires, has some supernaturals not often found in the UF books I’ve read before.
I’d definitely recommend reading it and I’m looking forward to diving into more work from this author.
Raven’s Moon is the first book in Raven Tales, the new Urban Fantasy series from JB Dane. The book is set in modern day Detroit and features an interesting array of supernatural beings. There is no romance in this book.
JB Dane’s easy to read and humourous writing style drew me in from the start. She created characters which differ from the usual UF tropes, have depth, flaws and a few attitude problems. The world building and supernatural elements are well crafted and I was easily drawn into this story.
Bram Farrell is the fictional star in author, Calista Amberson’s best selling series about The Raven, an investigator known for taking down the seedier elements of the supernatural community. Fictional only until Calista decides to pull him, without warning, from the world of her imagination into her own world. Turns out that Calista is not only a famous bestselling author, she is also a witch, well known in the real supernatural community.
Everyone in the supernatural community felt his arrival and all of them want to know why he is here.
Calista may have her own reasons for summoning her mind’s famous PI but it seems that the supernatural community also have a use for him; the two missions he is presented with might just collide and there’s no guarantee that Bram will survive intact from the chaos which ensues. He’s neither supernatural nor human. What he is remains to be seen.
I really enjoyed this book. For quite some time I was questioning whether Bram had really been pulled into the mundane or whether he was living his new adventure in Calista’s imagination. The story is well written, not full of predictable elements and alongside the usual witches and vampires, has some supernaturals not often found in the UF books I’ve read before.
I’d definitely recommend reading it and I’m looking forward to diving into more work from this author.
July 8, 2020
Our first-person narrator wakes to a world of never-before experienced sensations, only to discover that he is a fictional character brought to life: Bram Farrell, “The Raven,” the hero of a wildly popular urban fantasy series. His author as well as the witch who brought him through to the real world wants him to locate her literary heir, a talented young woman writer to take over the series after the original author succumbs to the cancer riddling her body. He, on the other hand, soon sets his own mission: to investigate and make right the murders of innocent supernatural creatures slain by his fictional self. Aided by a hellhound demon in the shape of a Dachshund, he begins his search with a group of succubi working as prostitutes. But the clock is ticking, for Bram’s author has given him a deadline: Halloween, only four days away.
One of the most interesting aspects of this fast-paced story is how Bram-in-the-real-world perceives his fictional antecedent, even as he remakes himself into a different individual. His appetite for beef – the greasier the better – doesn’t change (much to the despair of his creator’s health-food vegan-is-better personal chef), but his ability to judge the ethics of his character’s choices sets him on a different path -- a path that will be revealed in subsequent volumes.
One of the most interesting aspects of this fast-paced story is how Bram-in-the-real-world perceives his fictional antecedent, even as he remakes himself into a different individual. His appetite for beef – the greasier the better – doesn’t change (much to the despair of his creator’s health-food vegan-is-better personal chef), but his ability to judge the ethics of his character’s choices sets him on a different path -- a path that will be revealed in subsequent volumes.
February 21, 2020
Raven's Moon is the first book in the Raven Tales series by J.B. Dane. Bram Farrell, private investigator, has starred in twenty bestselling novels by writer-and witch-Calista Amberson. Her fans love the tall, dark, and handsome PI who uses magical powers to vanquish supernatural bad guys. So, when Calista uses her magic to pull Bram from his fictional world into real-world, modern-day Detroit, she rocks both worlds. Now Bram must track down and destroy otherworld evil before it destroys him.Bram's investigation turns up a lot of suspicious characters: grouchy bar-owning trolls, a thirsty vampire godfather, a couple of murderous x-cage fighters, a suspicious minister-and the Devil himself. Things are getting dicey: Bram could use some help with this job-but whom can he trust?
Raven's Moon is an urban fantasy that captured my attention because of the premise. Book character from a series similar to stories I enjoy dragged from his books into the 'real' world with similarities and differences from his former life. I liked the takes on creatures from legends, and the twists and turns the mystery and magical elements of the story took. I liked Bram's character, trying to figure out who and what he is in the real world, and where he stands. The complications of who has good intentions, and who is out for power or more nefarious things had me guessing throughout the entire story. Hints were dropped, and I found myself muddling along side Bram. Some of the twists I suspected, some I considered and rejected, only to have it all turn around on me. I think it was a combination of the knowledge of a wide variety of legendary creatures and Bram's own self awareness that really made me love this story. The world and character building were very well done. The humor of a dachshund shaped hellhound and other characters certainly mad the read even better for me though.
Raven's Moon is a wonderful start to a series, and I will be reading the next book as soon as it is available, but for now I am going to get my hands on the prequels.
Raven's Moon is an urban fantasy that captured my attention because of the premise. Book character from a series similar to stories I enjoy dragged from his books into the 'real' world with similarities and differences from his former life. I liked the takes on creatures from legends, and the twists and turns the mystery and magical elements of the story took. I liked Bram's character, trying to figure out who and what he is in the real world, and where he stands. The complications of who has good intentions, and who is out for power or more nefarious things had me guessing throughout the entire story. Hints were dropped, and I found myself muddling along side Bram. Some of the twists I suspected, some I considered and rejected, only to have it all turn around on me. I think it was a combination of the knowledge of a wide variety of legendary creatures and Bram's own self awareness that really made me love this story. The world and character building were very well done. The humor of a dachshund shaped hellhound and other characters certainly mad the read even better for me though.
Raven's Moon is a wonderful start to a series, and I will be reading the next book as soon as it is available, but for now I am going to get my hands on the prequels.
March 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this urban fantasy! Bram is a funny, entertaining character. The idea of experiencing life in the real world vs. on the page as he's pulled from his book into reality was interesting. It also forces Bram to consider his humanness since he was created rather than born. I suspected early on his author's agenda for bringing him to life for real. But I was as surprised as Bram at the end who was behind the other crimes he investigates. I will definitely read more of this series to see how things go for Bram from here.
November 1, 2022
J.B. Dane is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Raven's Moon had me turning pages, laughing and gasping throughout. Spooky yet amusing, this book is filled with interesting unique characters and tension. The writing was engaging and vivid and the world building was stellar. I enjoyed every second of this crazy ride and I am very much looking forward to more in this series.
November 10, 2019
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/20...
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Urban Fantasy is one of my favourite genres. Well, I even dare to say it is even the genre I enjoy the most; but, for reasons I don’t even know, I barely read any book that falls into that category. Maybe I could make the more often reading of Urban Fantasy one oy my New Year Resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves that we tend to ignore way too easily. Sorry, I’m digressing… again. Let’s review the book!!
In this book we travel to Detroit to meet Bram, the main character of a successful Urban Fantasy saga who has been brought to life thanks to his creator, an elderly witch called Calie. The intentions of that summon are not clear, but being Bram a fictional detective he is very focused on discovering them. But that is not going to be his only mission. The supernatural community of Detroit contacts him to investigate several murders that are eerily similar to the ones described in the twenty books written by Calie. Will The Raven solve the mystery or will the mystery kill The Raven? That’s a question I’m not answering for you…
I have an aquired taste for crazy stories without filters where you can find the wildest interpretations of myths and supernatural creatures. There is not such thing as too much imagination in my opinion. This book is a clear example of it, but it is also its main issue (more on that later). Do you want magic, witches, vampires, zombies, trolls… all in the same story? Go no further. Raven’s Moon have all of that and even more. It’s a very enjoyable supernatural fest, where the readers don’t know what they are going to find in the next page. This first volume of the saga is a total declaration of intentions about its future. If you don’t enjoy a world brimming with supernatural creatures tyrying to live a normal life, then you should skip it. I happen to love that, so I will stick to it as long as the publishers let me. It’s not only superb in craziness. It also has a very fast pace with a lot of action scenes and revelations that will keep you engaged during the whole story.
There is so much going on, that sometimes I felt overwhelmed with all the data being fed to me; which provoked me getting lost several times during the story. Our good detective Bram not only has to reveal Calie’s intention while following her orders, he also needs to investigate twenty murders of supernatural creatures, deal with the attempts against his life and discover himself in that new world beyond paper and ink. Twenty murders are too many. He jumped from one to the other without much notice, throwing at the reader facts, dates, names… I knew all had to be related, so I tried to keep track of all the information given; but it soon became too much to handle and I just hoped for a good ending where everything is orderly resumed. We get than ending. It is a good ending with a huge twist I wasn’t expecting, but the emotional impact should have been bigger. As a reader, I was more focused matching the final punch with the rest of the story to really enjoy what I was being told.
This could have been a really bad experience if the main character were annoying to read. Thankfully, Bram is far from a bad character in my humble opinion. The whole book is narrated from his point of view, so the fact that he is an enjoyable guy to read has made the reading a smooth pleasure. Since the first moment, we get to see how the poor guy struggles between the person that he was in the books and the new person he has become. He needs to relearn almost everything, because he has never really experienced life: flavours, touch, sleep, sexual attraction… He has knowledge of it, but no real practice. That is an interesting point of the story that is sadly barely used or mentioned in passing (the author needed more space for the investigation of so much murder…), but it is one of the reason why it is so easy to fall in love with the guy. The other is his sense of humor. Bram is comedy gold if you happen to enjoy sarcasm, dark humor and caustic comebacks. He uses all of that as a self-defense mechanism and a way to cope with all the crazy expectations thrown into his shoulders.
In the characters deparment, Bram hoards all the slices of the cake. There are dozens of other characters, but not a single one of them has a presence or personality worth of mentioning. They are just required pawns to put the story in the proper track. In future books I would like to get to know much better the cook, P. T. Her weird relationship with Bram could be a lot of fun and develop great chemistry between the two of them. Sam has also been a great guy to meet, but maybe he could be too much for a story. He could bring too much imbalance to the power distribution. I would be sad if he were transformed into a real bad guy, but that would be smarter storywise.
As I said, this is a really fun book with a great character and a crazy story. Yes, sometimes we get much more than we can chew and there are several holes in the plot, but nothing that could lessen the enjoyment of Bram’s adventures.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Urban Fantasy is one of my favourite genres. Well, I even dare to say it is even the genre I enjoy the most; but, for reasons I don’t even know, I barely read any book that falls into that category. Maybe I could make the more often reading of Urban Fantasy one oy my New Year Resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves that we tend to ignore way too easily. Sorry, I’m digressing… again. Let’s review the book!!
In this book we travel to Detroit to meet Bram, the main character of a successful Urban Fantasy saga who has been brought to life thanks to his creator, an elderly witch called Calie. The intentions of that summon are not clear, but being Bram a fictional detective he is very focused on discovering them. But that is not going to be his only mission. The supernatural community of Detroit contacts him to investigate several murders that are eerily similar to the ones described in the twenty books written by Calie. Will The Raven solve the mystery or will the mystery kill The Raven? That’s a question I’m not answering for you…
I have an aquired taste for crazy stories without filters where you can find the wildest interpretations of myths and supernatural creatures. There is not such thing as too much imagination in my opinion. This book is a clear example of it, but it is also its main issue (more on that later). Do you want magic, witches, vampires, zombies, trolls… all in the same story? Go no further. Raven’s Moon have all of that and even more. It’s a very enjoyable supernatural fest, where the readers don’t know what they are going to find in the next page. This first volume of the saga is a total declaration of intentions about its future. If you don’t enjoy a world brimming with supernatural creatures tyrying to live a normal life, then you should skip it. I happen to love that, so I will stick to it as long as the publishers let me. It’s not only superb in craziness. It also has a very fast pace with a lot of action scenes and revelations that will keep you engaged during the whole story.
There is so much going on, that sometimes I felt overwhelmed with all the data being fed to me; which provoked me getting lost several times during the story. Our good detective Bram not only has to reveal Calie’s intention while following her orders, he also needs to investigate twenty murders of supernatural creatures, deal with the attempts against his life and discover himself in that new world beyond paper and ink. Twenty murders are too many. He jumped from one to the other without much notice, throwing at the reader facts, dates, names… I knew all had to be related, so I tried to keep track of all the information given; but it soon became too much to handle and I just hoped for a good ending where everything is orderly resumed. We get than ending. It is a good ending with a huge twist I wasn’t expecting, but the emotional impact should have been bigger. As a reader, I was more focused matching the final punch with the rest of the story to really enjoy what I was being told.
This could have been a really bad experience if the main character were annoying to read. Thankfully, Bram is far from a bad character in my humble opinion. The whole book is narrated from his point of view, so the fact that he is an enjoyable guy to read has made the reading a smooth pleasure. Since the first moment, we get to see how the poor guy struggles between the person that he was in the books and the new person he has become. He needs to relearn almost everything, because he has never really experienced life: flavours, touch, sleep, sexual attraction… He has knowledge of it, but no real practice. That is an interesting point of the story that is sadly barely used or mentioned in passing (the author needed more space for the investigation of so much murder…), but it is one of the reason why it is so easy to fall in love with the guy. The other is his sense of humor. Bram is comedy gold if you happen to enjoy sarcasm, dark humor and caustic comebacks. He uses all of that as a self-defense mechanism and a way to cope with all the crazy expectations thrown into his shoulders.
In the characters deparment, Bram hoards all the slices of the cake. There are dozens of other characters, but not a single one of them has a presence or personality worth of mentioning. They are just required pawns to put the story in the proper track. In future books I would like to get to know much better the cook, P. T. Her weird relationship with Bram could be a lot of fun and develop great chemistry between the two of them. Sam has also been a great guy to meet, but maybe he could be too much for a story. He could bring too much imbalance to the power distribution. I would be sad if he were transformed into a real bad guy, but that would be smarter storywise.
As I said, this is a really fun book with a great character and a crazy story. Yes, sometimes we get much more than we can chew and there are several holes in the plot, but nothing that could lessen the enjoyment of Bram’s adventures.
October 30, 2019
Popular romance writer Beth henderson has entered the world of urban fantasy writing as J.B. Dane. In book One of her new series The Raven Tales we meet her protagonist, Bram Farrell. Farrell is a fictional private investigator who has starred in 20 best selling novels written by Calista Amberson. Amberson is more than a best selling author, She is also a witch of great power who is able to pull Bram from his fictional universe into her real Detroit.
She tasks Bram with finding the perfect author to continue her series after her death. Callie's Detroit where Bram is real is also a few world's removed our normal world. Creatures that are mythical to us are real. Bram is shocked to find that the creatures he has killed in his fictitious adventures have also died in this realm.
Dane has a fine comedic sense. The hell hound side kick provided by Callie takes the form of a red eyed dachshund Trolls own dive bars, succubi are street walkers, vampire assistants are known as renfields, and best of all Satan morphs from a sag into beer drinking laid back guy. The writing is face paced; the dialog crackles.
Will Bram learn enough of human existence to be able to meet Callie's challenge? Will the Otherworldly beings be more of an hindrance or a help?
The author superior sense of style bode well for this new series. I look forward to book 2
She tasks Bram with finding the perfect author to continue her series after her death. Callie's Detroit where Bram is real is also a few world's removed our normal world. Creatures that are mythical to us are real. Bram is shocked to find that the creatures he has killed in his fictitious adventures have also died in this realm.
Dane has a fine comedic sense. The hell hound side kick provided by Callie takes the form of a red eyed dachshund Trolls own dive bars, succubi are street walkers, vampire assistants are known as renfields, and best of all Satan morphs from a sag into beer drinking laid back guy. The writing is face paced; the dialog crackles.
Will Bram learn enough of human existence to be able to meet Callie's challenge? Will the Otherworldly beings be more of an hindrance or a help?
The author superior sense of style bode well for this new series. I look forward to book 2
September 30, 2019
I actually really enjoyed this book! It's a bit quirky and a mash up of some of my favourite genres - it's like Sam Spade met up with some really cool PNR characters.
Bram is quite literally yanked into the real world from his usual place in the creative mind of his author, Calista. But when he gets some devastating news he wonders if his new "real life" is in peril and he's only been "alive" for less than 24hrs! Raven is kind of rough around the edges but that kind of appealed to me.
There are a few unusual shifter types, not just your usual weres and vampires and demons. There's treachery afoot though and not all of Bram's allies are actually there to help. Some of the secondary characters could do with a bit of beefing up, such as Burt the Taxi Driver. I felt he could have been so more involved. Likewide I am looking forward to the next book in the series in the hope that PT & Bram might get ...Closer? I really enojyed this book from a new to me author!
Bram is quite literally yanked into the real world from his usual place in the creative mind of his author, Calista. But when he gets some devastating news he wonders if his new "real life" is in peril and he's only been "alive" for less than 24hrs! Raven is kind of rough around the edges but that kind of appealed to me.
There are a few unusual shifter types, not just your usual weres and vampires and demons. There's treachery afoot though and not all of Bram's allies are actually there to help. Some of the secondary characters could do with a bit of beefing up, such as Burt the Taxi Driver. I felt he could have been so more involved. Likewide I am looking forward to the next book in the series in the hope that PT & Bram might get ...Closer? I really enojyed this book from a new to me author!
December 13, 2019
A writer casts a spell to bring her fictional paranormal detective into the real world. Bram is a hard boiled Sam Spade type of detective who has faced all manner of dangers in the 20 best selling books Calie has written about him.
This seemed like an excellent idea and I was looking forward to reading this but I just couldn't get into the book and DNF. I didn't enjoy the writing style, it didn't draw me into the story at all, and as a result I couldn't connect with Bram. It didn't help that there was a lot - too much? - going on. Calie and others up to no good, hiding things from Bram who in turn was trying to get to grips with the 'real' world as well as what was happening with Calie, hellhounds and all manner of supernaturals appeared early on in the book. I ended up confused and gave up reading.
This seemed like an excellent idea and I was looking forward to reading this but I just couldn't get into the book and DNF. I didn't enjoy the writing style, it didn't draw me into the story at all, and as a result I couldn't connect with Bram. It didn't help that there was a lot - too much? - going on. Calie and others up to no good, hiding things from Bram who in turn was trying to get to grips with the 'real' world as well as what was happening with Calie, hellhounds and all manner of supernaturals appeared early on in the book. I ended up confused and gave up reading.
October 17, 2019
3 1/2 stars. The premise is interesting and I'm glad that he evolved beyond just what was written in the pages of these theoretical books; he has free will. However, the reason for him being brought into being and his efforts to find a successor writer for the books he came from become muddle which makes it feel like wasted time in the book. The point of him being created in the real world should have been better defined.
I liked the characters and how they interacted. Bram, the chauffeur, the kitsune and the hell hound made a heck of a team. It felt like a real investigation. Some so-called mysteries are light on the investigation and an answer is stumbled onto fairly quickly and easily. I liked to see where this series goes.
I liked the characters and how they interacted. Bram, the chauffeur, the kitsune and the hell hound made a heck of a team. It felt like a real investigation. Some so-called mysteries are light on the investigation and an answer is stumbled onto fairly quickly and easily. I liked to see where this series goes.
June 3, 2023
This book had a really intriguing premise and a lot of dry wit. The beginning had a ton of world building, which makes sense since Bram isn't from the real world and needs to figure out which end is up. The storyline really picks up at the 60% mark and I couldn't put it down at one point. There's a ton going on in this book, and I almost wish the murder plot line had been a separate novel because there was just that much to wrap your head around. I'll definitely be reading the next one.
September 25, 2019
Raven’s Moon is the first book I’ve read by J. B.Dane. I was really excited about this book. I haven’t read a good Urban Fantasy book in a long time. Bram Farrell is a character in a best selling book series. Calista Amberson writes The Raven Tales. She pulls Bram from the pages of her books into the real world. Lots of unusual creatures. Lots of conflicts. A little confusing st times but overall a good book.
October 1, 2019
An unusual and excellent urban fantasy, engrossing and entertaining.
I appreciated the well written cast of characters, the great world building and the gripping plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I appreciated the well written cast of characters, the great world building and the gripping plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
October 4, 2019
This is a interesting book. I found the story was enjoyable. The main character does seem to go around in circles for most of it before finding out he's been playing by both his allies in helping solve the cold case murders as well as his author witch who's playing on stealing the body of her chef. But eventually he gets there and saves the day and gets all the money too. #Raven's Moon #NetGalley
December 5, 2019
Interesting! The story line is one not often used, but the writer makes it fun with nifty characters and good world building!
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