Title: Raven
Author: Pauline Creeden
Genre: YA Steampunk
Book Blurb:
Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.
Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in.
Review:
First of all, can we please all take a moment and admire this gorgeous cover? *moment of silence* Thank you. I personally thought the cover of Raven was totally unique--I love how the different elements all somehow come together. Alright, enough cover gushing and onto the actual book review :)
It's been quite a while since I've read a steampunk book (probably why I signed up for this tour in the first place.) I was not disappointed. Raven proves to have all the "musts" in a steampunk fantasy--clockwork and zeppelins and corsets and a dash of kick-assery. Yes, I did just make up a word. I could imagine the bustle of crowds on cobblestone streets, humans mingling with mechanical mans. I think the world building and descriptive aspect of the novel was Creedon's strong point. I enjoyed how she wove details into the plot without slowing it down.
The novel is told from dual POV: Raven Steele (awesome name, no?) and Jack Grant. Raven's trained her whole life to be a reaper--whenever she takes a life, she must redeem it by saving a life. A pretty cool concept if I don't say so myself. The reapers used to work for the nobles, but due to some bad political blood, they are now considered to be at the bottom of the society. I enjoyed the fact the Raven worked in a career field traditionally dominated by males--there were some stereotyping she had to overcome, which made the story that much more interesting.
Jack Grant is a character I liked well enough. However, I think I would've liked him better had he been fleshed out more. As the captain of the Duke's guard, he has been given orders to hunt down Raven after she is accused of "kidnapping" Darius, the young son of the Duke. However, he must struggle to choose between obeying his orders and listening to his conscience as the Duke's plan for assassinating his own son begins to unravel for all to see.
The plot was fun enough, if not a little bit predictable. But hey, it was still a solid plot and got it's job done. The pace moved along at a good clip--perhaps even too fast as some places. I guess the biggest quip I had with Raven was the romance between Jack and Raven. Although it definitely wasn't an insta-love scenario (I mean, Jack was trying to kill her...not exactly the best way to win a lady's heart), I still felt like their relationship was a bit forced. I would've liked more build up--more showing, less telling of their relationship development, if I may say so myself.
Overall, Raven was a satisfying read and is sure to satisfy steampunk lovers. Readers of fantasy and a "hero's journey" type of story should enjoy this novel as well.
Rating:
About the Author
In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.
Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Reader’s Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.
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