The Prince of Ravens

Fantasy series always have the initial hurdle to overcome of differentiating themselves from previous books and authors. Too often, a reader can see the source materials for the new world, characters or villains hanging ghostly behind the current story. Here, Hal Emerson easily clears that with his book Price of Ravens, creating an engaging world and characters within it. The pseudonymous Prince is born to the Immortal Empress, ruler of the land of Lucia. There are seven siblings, each having a special talisman that gives them special powers, and the eldest six each help their mother rule different providences of the land. When the Prince of Ravens is born, he passes most of the tests, but fails the final and necessary test. But, due to a prophecy, he is kept alive until age 17 so that he can be sacrificed to allow the Empress to gain control of the seventh providence of Lucia. Unaware of his pending doom, the Prince is raised believing that he is to be a member of the family, so when his final birthday rolls around, he finds himself unnamed, disinherited, and exiled in the company of the residents of that seventh providence. He still believes he’s being tested for his suitability for rule, so conflicts between he and his companions provide a lot of the drive of the middle of the book.

Like all new fantasy worlds, there is a fair amount of exposition, informing the reader of the history, creatures, and personalities they’re finding themselves reading about. Emerson does a fairly good job of this, leaving some stories to be teased out along the way. The Prince’s companions provide much of that introduction as he has never been outside of his mother’s kingdom, which was always in perpetual darkness. The newness of sun, plants, and life cause him to question many of the things he’s been told while growing up, and open his eyes to what might actually be the true story of the land.

A recommended book for fantasy readers looking for a new world to explore and engaging characters to explore it with.