Title: Cry of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga, Book 3)
Author: Morgan L. Busse
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Available: Wherever books are sold
About:
Wife. Warrior. Lady of Two Worlds.
As War Looms, Will Her Power Be Enough to Save the Ones She Loves?
Lady Selene Ravenwood has come into her full power as a dreamwalker just as the war with the Dominia Empire begins. Working with the other Great Houses, Selene and Damien use their gifts to secure the borders and save those devastated by the war. But conflict, betrayal, and hatred begin to spread between the Great Houses, destroying their unity as the empire burns a path across their lands. At the same time, Damien Maris starts to lose his ability to raise the waters, leaving the lands vulnerable to the empire’s attacks.
The only one who can unite the houses and restore her husband’s power is Selene Ravenwood. But it will require that she open her heart to those who have hurt her and let go of her past, despite the one who hunts her and will do anything to stop her power.
Will Selene survive? Or is she destined to fall like the dreamwalkers before her?
Positive Elements:
The importance of forgiveness is realized; characters grow emotionally and spiritually throughout the book.
Negative Elements:
One usage of “hell”.
Spiritual Elements:
Characters pray; redemption is discussed and seen/shown. Characters learn the importance of relying on God and trusting Him. A character is witness to the Light (God) defeating one enemy and neutralizing the other.
Violence:
Past betrayals are discussed; villages and lands are burned by the enemy; injuries during war are mentioned and discussed; characters are injured; some of the enemy’s war tactics are described.
Other:
A couple kisses; the subject of infidelity and a child born of the affair is tactfully discussed.
Rating:
5 Stars
Conclusion:
Cry of the Raven is an epic ending to an epic saga. The characters are real and flawed, and you can just feel their emotions and struggles, and I would love Reven and Ophie’s stories. What I most appreciated was the strong faith element. While I am always appreciative of authors who are unafraid to include God and faith, I haven’t found many spec fic books with such a faith element so strong it forces you to just sit back and think, and reminds how important our faith is. Cry of the Raven does just that. The ending, as it is for all superb and incredible reads, was bittersweet: it is satisfying to finally have the end to a captivating story, but you have to leave the characters.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
*The comments for this post have been turned off due to the amount of spam I was receiving. If you have a question about any of the listed books, please feel free to contact me.
No matter the age, wholesome books are hard to come by, and Christian books are even harder to find. Below is a list of books for each age category beginning at elementary age. Every book on this list is either Christian or a wholesome classic.
Parents of younger readers, you know your child best. Keep in mind that, while the age determined suitable for each book is listed, there are more tender readers whom may not be ready for some of the books.
Elementary:
The Double Dabble Surprise, Book One in The Cul-de-sac Kids 1. The Cul-de-sac Kids by Beverly Lewis – fun books filled with mysteries and lessons about faith, friendship, and forgiveness.
2. The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope – a classic series about two sets of twins who solve mysteries around the U.S.
3. The Boxcar Kids by Gertrude Chandler Warner – another classic series about siblings solving mysteries around the U.S.
4.The Astrokids Series by Robert Elmer – a Christian series about kids in space.
5.Bible Kidventures by multiple authors – adventures in Bible times from kids’ point of views. Best for the older elementary ages.
6.Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder – a classic series based on the life of perhaps one of the most well-known pioneers of all times.
7.Knight of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black – allegorical stories about knights in the King’s service who embark on courageous quests and learn about faith, sacrifice, and hope. Readers beginning at the fifth grade level can read this series, which can be enjoyed by older readers of all ages.
Kingdom’s Dawn, Book One in The Kingdom Series 8.The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black – another allegorical series, this time featuring on the life of Christ, the End Times, and the Rapture. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up due to some of the intense scenes. There is nothing graphic, but evil is well-portrayed and may scare younger readers. Can also be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
9.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – an allegorical tale about Christ’s sacrifice. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.
10.Adventures in Odyssey Passages by Paul McCusker – allegorical stories from the Bible. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.
11.Hank the Cowdog Series by John R. Erickson – a cowdog and his less-than-astute fellow ranch dog find themselves in hilarious action-packed adventures. Suitable for third grade and up.
Jr. High:
The League and the Lantern 1.The League and the Lantern (Book One) and The League and the Legend (Book Two) by Brian Wells – adventure meets middle-school aged kids with a knack of getting in trouble. Fun and filled with history. These books are still two of my high school-aged sister’s favorites.
2.The Young Underground Series by Robert Elmer – a series about World War II. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.
3.Mysteries of Middlefield by Kathleen Fuller – kids who are Amish detectives learn the importance of truth and honesty as they investigate mysteries around their community. This series is primarily written for girls.
4.Adventures Down Under by Robert Elmer – a series about a family’s adventures in Australia. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.
5.Hunter Brown Series by Christopher Miller – an allegorical trilogy best suited for seventh grade and up due to some of the spiritual warfare.
The Book of the King, Book One in The Wormling Series6.The Wormling Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry – an allegorical series that readers sixth grade and up will enjoy.
7. Books by Grace Livingston Hill – clean, Christian romances written for girls that are light on romance and heavy on faith.
8.Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – perhaps the most well-known epic fantasy tale of all time. Can be read by itself, but for easier understanding of the complex world-building and history, read The Silmarillion and The Hobbit before LOTR.
9.Dragon Keepers Chronicles by Donita K Paul – a series about dragons, adventure, and faith with a bit of romance mixed in.
10.The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson – yet another series that can be enjoyed by readers older than the junior high category. After all, who doesn’t enjoy epic tales of faith, adventure, awesome swords with cool names, dragons, sacrifice, and a fierce battle between good and evil?
High School and Older:
Resistance, Book One in the Ilyon Chronicles1.The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L Knight – an intense and raw series with faith, action, hope, sacrifice, courage, and dragons. This series is technically written for new adults (ages 18 and up), but readers in high school can read it as well.
2.The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams – takes place in a world where music can change the tide of war and characters ride griffins and lions. Few authors can weave words together the way this author does. Readers in upper junior high can read this series, but since it does feature some raw moments (not graphic but still intense), this series lands in the high school category.
3.The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse – unique, action-packed, and filled with faith, but it does contain dark elements as one of the characters does, in a sense, engage in spiritual warfare.
4. Keeper of Shadows by Bridgett Powers – a cursed assassin finds himself helping his target, but at what price? This book is filled with faith and can also be read by those in junior high, but there are some intense scenes that feature evil and spiritual warfare.
5.Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach – another intense read that is the beginning of a promising series. Do keep in mind that characters do go through torture, though nothing is explicitly described. This book also deals heavily with good verses evil.
6.The Chronicles of Sarco by Joshua A. Johnston – a science fiction series with an intriguing plot.
7.The Weaver Trilogy by Lindsay A. Franklin – this is for YA readers, but older readers will also enjoy the witty characters and clever plot.
Beast8.Beast by Chawna Schroeder – technically, this book could be in the junior high category, but older readers will better understand it’s incredible allegorical plot that takes the reader from despair and confusion to finally realizing their worth in Christ.
9.Wars of the Realm Series by Chuck Black – this is one of those series that completely blows you away. Focusing primarily on spiritual warfare and redemption, this is one of those read-again series that will keep you coming back to it no matter how large your TBR pile is.
10.The Staff and the Sword Series by Patrick W. Carr – perhaps one of the most well-written characters to ever grace the pages of a fantasy book is featured in this series full of action, romance, deception, and danger.
Title: Cry of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga, Book 3)
Author: Morgan L. Busse
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Available: Wherever books are sold
About:
Wife. Warrior. Lady of Two Worlds.
As War Looms, Will Her Power Be Enough to Save the Ones She Loves?
Lady Selene Ravenwood has come into her full power as a dreamwalker just as the war with the Dominia Empire begins. Working with the other Great Houses, Selene and Damien use their gifts to secure the borders and save those devastated by the war. But conflict, betrayal, and hatred begin to spread between the Great Houses, destroying their unity as the empire burns a path across their lands. At the same time, Damien Maris starts to lose his ability to raise the waters, leaving the lands vulnerable to the empire’s attacks.
The only one who can unite the houses and restore her husband’s power is Selene Ravenwood. But it will require that she open her heart to those who have hurt her and let go of her past, despite the one who hunts her and will do anything to stop her power.
Will Selene survive? Or is she destined to fall like the dreamwalkers before her?
Positive Elements:
The importance of forgiveness is realized; characters grow emotionally and spiritually throughout the book.
Negative Elements:
One usage of “hell”.
Spiritual Elements:
Characters pray; redemption is discussed and seen/shown. Characters learn the importance of relying on God and trusting Him. A character is witness to the Light (God) defeating one enemy and neutralizing the other.
Violence:
Past betrayals are discussed; villages and lands are burned by the enemy; injuries during war are mentioned and discussed; characters are injured; some of the enemy’s war tactics are described.
Other:
A couple kisses; the subject of infidelity and a child born of the affair is tactfully discussed.
Rating:
5 Stars
Conclusion:
Cry of the Raven is an epic ending to an epic saga. The characters are real and flawed, and you can just feel their emotions and struggles, and I would love Reven and Ophie’s stories. What I most appreciated was the strong faith element. While I am always appreciative of authors who are unafraid to include God and faith, I haven’t found many spec fic books with such a faith element so strong it forces you to just sit back and think, and reminds how important our faith is. Cry of the Raven does just that. The ending, as it is for all superb and incredible reads, was bittersweet: it is satisfying to finally have the end to a captivating story, but you have to leave the characters.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Sixteen-year-olds Demarcus Bartlett and Lily Beausoliel are among a select group of youth invited to an exclusive, all-expenses-paid conference at social media giant Alturas’ California headquarters. Led by charismatic founder Simon Mazor, the world’s youngest billionaire, this isn’t the typical honors society. It seems that everyone here has some secret, untapped potential, some power that may not be entirely of this world. An ancient prophecy suggests that if these teens combine their abilities, they could change the course of history. The only question is: Will it be for better or for worse?
Positive Elements:
Characters recognize when they are in the wrong; characters learn the importance of faith; characters learn the importance of handing difficulties over to God.
Negative Elements:
Harry Potter is referenced; one usage each of “sucked” and “hell”.
Violence:
A character mentions she was bullied; select memories of a character are erased; characters are put under mind influence; a character hurts himself (although to prove a point); characters harm and injure others; characters are caught in an explosion, resulting in various injuries.
Spiritual Elements:
Characters pray; a character reflects that God’s ways are not man’s; occurrences in the Bible are remembered\told; characters’ faith grows; gifts are said to be from God.
Other:
Characters call others names; rules are disobeyed (though later it is apparent it was for the best).
Rating:
Four Stars
Conclusion:
I’m not a big fan of current day supernatural stories, but Launch was a pleasant surprise. Not only does this YA, award-winning novel include a unique plot, but it is full of relatable characters and quirky humor, contains a strong faith element, and has one of the best villains I’ve read – a man who genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing. My favorite character was Demarcus. Joyner did wonderfully in crafting a strong personality and drive to do right. In short, Launch is the beginning of a unique series, and well deserves it’s four star rating.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Every day invaders slip across our borders to infiltrate our government, our schools, our neighborhoods. Homeland security can’t stop them. The armed forces are no threat to them. Powerful and unseen, they cannot be stopped. They have been doing this for millennia.
On what should have been the best day of his life, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Grant Austin learns of a plan to assassinate the president of the United States. Every attempt to sound the alarm is thwarted, and Grant soon finds himself at the center of an even greater battle that predates time as he stands alone against ancient powers and unspeakable evil–evil that can only be described as a hideous beauty.
Positive Elements:
Characters show true friendship; a character shows true perseverance.
Negative Elements:
Game of Thrones is mentioned; a secondary character has a not about birth control pills (nothing else is mentioned).
Spiritual Elements:
A character transforms into a a demon; characters are attacked by demons; Christ’s birth is discussed; characters converse with angles; an angel recounts Lucifer’s fall; a character prays.
Violence:
Someone dies in a car wreck; war accounts are remembered; a character is possessed by demons; a character’s assassination is planned; people are put in danger when a bridge is bombed.
Other:
It is mentioned that characters kiss, and that someone imbibed wine.
Rating:
4 Stars
Conclusion:
Hideous Beauty is a book that will keep you awake during the night. Although not especially detailed as far as demons’ evil goes, you get chills reading about it. The characters are relatable, and you will find yourself rooting for the characters as they struggle against seemingly impossible odds. Hideous Beauty, in short, is a book that will keep you on your toes, keep your heart rate up, and keep you turning the page.
*I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review. I was not required to leave a positive one.
Drew Carter has no need for God. Why should he when God took away his father whom Drew loved dearly?
When a horrific accident occurs, Drew finds his world changed dramatically when he sees what no one else can. Invaders. What stymies Drew is that some are good, some bad; and they are at war.
What Drew doesn’t know is that he is watching a war for the world. A war that might just help lead him in the direction of the God that he scoffs.
Pros:
Sticking with it, having faith in God even in a tough time, defending the underdog, doing the right thing, and not giving into pressure (in this case it’s drinking), are all quality ideas embedded in this book.
Cons:
A few of Drew’s comrades get drunk.
Enjoyable Rating:
5 out of 5
Musings (see my tab How I Rate the Books):
My thoughts:
Cloak of the Light is a captivating well-written book that grabs your attention, twists your heartstrings, and gives a glance into what spiritual warfare could look like, and by far one of my favorites. I’ve had this book for two years, and have probably read it eight times. After you’re done reading it for the first time, you’ll immediately go to the front and start over. It’s that good.
If you’re looking for a book that will challenge your faith and give you hours of enjoyable reading, I would highly recommend Cloak of the Light.
The light invader made one quick slice that found its mark deep in an opponent’s chest, then turned, dodged two rounds, and used the brick wall to launch himself at the dark invader attacking from above.
![Cry of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga Book #3) by [Busse, Morgan L.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51yeVZ7%2BPKL.jpg)
Wife. Warrior. Lady of Two Worlds.
![The Double Dabble Surprise (Cul-de-Sac Kids Book #1) by [Lewis, Beverly]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wvbz%2BuzqL._SY346_.jpg)
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Mv3SxyruL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[213,346],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Mv3SxyruL._SX305_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oaSAIpaTL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[331,499],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oaSAIpaTL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
![The Book of the King (The Wormling 1) by [Jenkins, Jerry B., Fabry, Chris]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CqhMz5e-L._SY346_.jpg)
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sPtn1-S2L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[231,346],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sPtn1-S2L._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
![Beast by [Schroeder, Chawna]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2B56D4oiL._SY346_.jpg)
Every day invaders slip across our borders to infiltrate our government, our schools, our neighborhoods. Homeland security can’t stop them. The armed forces are no threat to them. Powerful and unseen, they cannot be stopped. They have been doing this for millennia.
When a horrific accident occurs, Drew finds his world changed dramatically when he sees what no one else can. 
Madi's Musings 