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Also by Jules Watson:

The Raven Queen, March 2011
Trade Size / e-Book
The Swan Maiden, March 2009
Trade Size

The Raven Queen
Jules Watson

An exhilarating story of enchantment and desire.

Spectra
March 2011
On Sale: February 22, 2011
Featuring: Meave
544 pages
ISBN: 0553384651
EAN: 9780553384659
Kindle: B004DEPHBG
Trade Size / e-Book
Add to Wish List

Fantasy | Romance

In this dazzling retelling of one of Ireland’s most stirring legends, acclaimed author Jules Watson brings to life the story of Maeve, the raven queen, who is as fierce as she is captivating. She was born to be a pawn, used to secure her father’s royal hold on his land. She was forced to advance his will through marriage—her own desires always thwarted. But free- spirited Maeve will no longer endure the schemes of her latest husband, Conor, the cunning ruler of Ulster. And when her father’s death puts her homeland at the mercy of its greedy lords and Conor’s forces, Maeve knows she must at last come into her own power to save it.

With secret skill and daring, Maeve proves herself the equal of any warrior on the battlefield. With intelligence and stealth, she learns the strategies—and sacrifices—of ruling a kingdom through treacherous alliances. And to draw on the dangerous magic of her country’s oldest gods, Maeve seeks out the wandering druid Ruan, whose unexpected passion and strange connection to the worlds of spirit imperil everything Maeve thought true about herself—and put her at war with both her duty and her fate.

Comments

1 comment posted.

Re: The Raven Queen

From a reader’s perspective, this book is like swimming in very deep waters, sinking further and further under until you think you aren’t going to make it and then you come up for a big draw of air. And then you tread water for a bit, gaining your strength and before you think you’re ready, you’re swimming again. And the end of the story is you, washing up on the shore, drained, exhausted, and completely happy.

This story was absorbing and putting it down was like coming back to yourself. The story wove in magic (or the Source) quite seamlessly, making it seem a part of the characters and of the storyline as well. Many stories that include magic often write it like a prop that characters manipulate. Jules Watson makes the Source almost another character, something the characters relate to and with throughout the story. However, ultimately, this is a love story, not only between two people, but between Maeve and herself.

I would say my only negatives are that some of the fighting at the end drags on a bit; after the break-neck pace, it had me skimming and chomping at the bit to get back to Maeve! And I was quite surprised that this is classified as a YA, but the sex scenes were a little racy for YA, if you ask me; I wouldn’t want my child younger than 16 reading this!

Other than that, I highly recommend the very well-written THE RAVEN QUEEN, by Jules Watson.
(Lara Taylor 12:35pm March 25, 2011)