Name: Raven Song
Series: Inoki's Game (Book 1)
Paperback: 290 pages
Published Date: March 14, 2016
Publisher: Lucid Dreams Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1944674004
ISBN-13: 978-1944674007
Book Blurb:
A century ago, the world burned.
Even now, though rebuilt and defiant, civilization is still choking on the
ashes.
Jackson, a smuggler, lives in the
shadows, once a boy with no memory, no name, and no future. Ravens followed
him, long-extinct birds only he could see, and nightmares flew in their wake.
Once, Jackson thought himself to be one of the lucky few touched by magic, a
candidate for the Order of Mages. He is a man now, and that dream has died.
But, the ravens still follow. The nightmares still whisper in his ear.
Anna’s life was under the sun,
her future bright, her scientific work promising. She knew nothing of The
Bombings, the poisoned world, or the occult. One day, she went to work, and the
next, she awoke in a box over a hundred years in the future, screaming,
fighting to breathe, and looking up into the eyes of a smuggler. Anna fears
she’s gone crazy, unable to fill the massive hole in her memories, and
terrified of the strange abilities she now possesses.
The Coalition government has
turned its watchful eyes towards them. The secret factions of the city move to
collect them first. And, old gods stir in the darkness, shifting their pawns on
the playing field.
If Anna and Jackson wish to stay
free, they must learn what they are and why they exist.
Unfortunately, even if they do,
it may be too late.
Raven Song is the first of a four book adult-oriented dystopian
fantasy series, a story of intrigue, love, violence, and the old spirits in the
shadows who wait for us to notice them again. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly
Black, and Charlie Human will enjoy this dark magic-laced tale rooted on the
bones of what our world could become.
Author Bio:
I. A. Ashcroft has been writing
fiction in many forms for almost twenty years. The author's first book, written
at age seven, featured the family cat hunting an evil sorceress alongside
dragons and eagles. This preoccupation with the fantastical has not changed in
the slightest.
Now, the author dwells in
Phoenix, AZ alongside a wonderful tale-spinner and two increasingly deranged
cats. Ashcroft writes almost exclusively in the realm of darker fantasy these
days, loving to entertain adults with stories of magic, wonder, despair,
violence, and hope, bringing a deep love of mythology into every tale penned.
The author also loves diverse and intriguing casts of characters.
When not buried in a book, one
might find Ashcroft learning languages, charting road trips, and playing
tabletop RPGs with clever and fun people.
Contact the Author:
Website:http://www.ia-ashcroft.com/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/ia_ashcroft
Amazon Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/I.-A.-Ashcroft/e/B01CTY42S0/
Quotes from Reviewers
“Fresh, futuristic, dark, scary,
and thrilling all at the same time… Even people who don't usually read
sci-fi/fantasy type stories will be able to feel grounded.”
– Sydney Scrogham, author of
Chase
________________________________________
“This is a surprising book. Not
because it is well written (it is) and not just because it has an engaging plot
that keeps you reading and wishing for more but rather because it is such an
unusual concept… an excellent novel that is well worth reading if you want
something different to the usual tropes.”
– D. A. Lascelles, author of
“Gods of the Sea “and Transitions
________________________________________
“The concepts of Chosen ones,
superhuman magical abilities, world collapse and time travel aren't new, but
Ashcroft gives them a special twist to create a story that is clever,
intelligent, original and utterly engrossing.”
– Hannah Ross, author of the
Quest of the Messenger series
________________________________________
“Raven Song does not wait long
and throws the reader into an action adventure starring likable leads from the
very start.”
– Moonike, Goodreads reviewer
________________________________________
“I will freely admit the chapter
where the book shows Anna’s past made me tear up… even now as I write this I
tear up a bit thinking of it.”
– taruofatlantis, Goodreads
reviewer
________________________________________
“Jackson was such a realistic
character that I could practically see him in front of me when I read about
him. I could see his movements, mannerisms… feel his relief, fear and
curiosity. He is a perfect character in every which way. Anna is a character
with no memories of why she is where she is. Oh and also, she may have traveled
in time. Her character develops so beautifully as the story progresses. I
wanted to hug her and cry out "You go girl!" at many points in the
story.”
– Uma, book blogger at Books.
Bags.Burgers.
________________________________________
“The descriptiveness of these
scenes is amazing and keeps you turning the page.... you get the sense of a
meld between Mad Max and some drug addled dream sequence at times.”
– Mark, Goodreads reviewer
________________________________________
“What a dark and beautiful
fantasy! I had wanted to read this one for a while, since I has first heard of
it, but just got the chance, and I'm so glad I did! Richly written with an
interesting plot and complex characters this is one for all you dark
fantasy/dystopian/grimdark tales!”
– Stephanie, book blogger at
Adventures Thru Wonderland
________________________________________
“Ashcroft has a brilliant
imagination coupled with an eloquent writing style that draws the reader in,
makes us feel a wide array of emotions, and holds us captivated to the very
end. I anxiously await the next volume in this series.”
– K. McCaslin, Amazon reviewer
________________________________________
“Such beauty blooms in the
language and such mystery envelops the plot that the more you read, the more
you fall in love with the pages.”
– Gayathri, Amazon reviewer
________________________________________
“The story of Jackson and Anna is
one that was both touching and action packed. Smartly written with a smooth
voice and an incredible talent for world building and storytelling, the author
has really captured a great premise here. In fact, I was thrilled to see that
this was only Book One in a series. ”
– Judge, 24th Annual Writer’s
Digest Self-Published Book Awards
________________________________________
“This being a debut book, blew me
away. I do not ever do book reviews, but I wanted to let those who read them
know, you must buy this book. It is gritty, fun, full of drama, and a little
bit of love. All of the elements come together and are beautifully married to
create the dystopian world full of complex, and varied characters.”
– Amazon Customer, 5 star review
________________________________________
"A fresh and unique take on
a dystopian world, Ashcroft has managed to take one of my favorite genres and
breathe new life into it. With touches of magic in a world gone south, Raven
Song is packed with adventure and intrigue. A page turner you won't want to put
down..."
– The Faerie Review
________________________________________
"Urban fantasy lovers who
like layered multi dimensional plotlines would surely like the author's page
turning writing style."
– Saiswaroopa Iyer, author of
Abaya
Quotes from the Book
Jackson let the implication
settle on his shoulders, and his voice dropped to a whisper, even though no one
was there to hear. “The Coalition wants to smuggle. With us.”
“They’re not here for our
generous bulk discounts on three-day shipping, boss.”
________________________________________
And there, behind the glass, was
no gun stash, no bombs, no drugs, no illicit data chips.
It was a woman, a young woman,
eyes closed as if asleep.
Jackson blinked.
“Well, shit,” Frank said for both
of them.
________________________________________
Something in Anna snapped … She
yelled like Nyx had, tears coursing down her face now, and slammed her
under-exercised, desk-job fist into the glass.
Anna heard the crunch, and was
certain it was her hand breaking. A throbbing numbness exploded up her entire
arm.
She pulled her hand back, and
under it, a thick crack had split the plate.
________________________________________
“What am I?” The question tore
out of his chest in the wake of the jarring memories, and it left a cold,
fearful hole behind.
“Ah. There it is. Good job.”
Jackson could hardly look now at
the stranger’s jaunty smile. His heart beat faster with terror.
“Do you really want to know?” the
man said.
________________________________________
The road was lined with an old
wiry fence, which sagged and splintered in places, cordoning off barren, rocky
land. Anna sipped her coffee and gazed absently at the fence and the road
lines, watching them stretch forever into the horizon. The clouds had been flat
wisps, the landscape a painting frozen in time. And then, she had seen them.
Ravens.
Nearly twenty of the massive
birds were clustered on a segment of wire. She normally would have thought
nothing of the flock. But, as she passed, in the span of half a second, they
lifted their heads and turned with her, as if they weren’t twenty birds at all,
but one mind in many bodies.
Her stomach made an apprehensive
leap. Some old story in her memory surfaced. Omens of death.Ravens.
________________________________________
She bounded ahead of the
soldiers, snagging a handhold in the maimed dirt. Her arms screamed as she
pulled herself up, forcing her hands into new nooks, finding purchase for her
feet. She never would have been able to do this in her past life. And yet, now,
it seemed like she should, and she was hardly surprised when it worked.
________________________________________
The harsh arena lights were like
the sun, drying Jackson’s blood to his skin. Flickers of black wheeled in his
vision against the light. Then, they weren’t flickers anymore. They were
dark-feathered birds croaking their song overhead, circling, watching.
His companions until the
end.Always.
________________________________________
In the end, she didn’t have a
plan.
But, she did have the inner voice
that had urged her on when the NNSS was attacked. It was the same voice that
saw her lead the breakout. You’re going to do it, the voice said. You don’t
know how yet, but you will. You have to. Why else would you be alive, after all
this? To die here?
Anna decided to call this voice
courage, and she hoped it was right.
A boy lay on the broken sidewalk,
eyes closed. He was pale and thin, looking not a day over ten years old. His
half-clothed body shuddered against the chilly night air. His bony frame
scraped against the grime of the street as he curled into himself, trying to
keep back the cold. Overhead, the stars hung bright and lonely.
In the alley, almost invisible
against the midnight darkness, a man stood tall over the boy. His well-pressed
suit was as black as the shadows, as his skin, and as the raven on his
shoulder. The way he hovered over the child, he seemed a strange guardian. But
his eyes were turned upwards to the sky, away from the boy’s plight, as if it
was no real matter. In those black eyes the stars were mirrored, impossible and
brilliant. Those eyes stared back into the past, when the celestial lights were
loved and revered, when each constellation had a story.
Once upon a time… this was when
the world had sung to him, the dream-walker, the song-weaver, the
star-stringer.
Once, before humans had forgotten
his name.
Now, the starry sky was almost
hidden by the glowing blue haze of the Barrier, a shield cast over what was
left of the city: proud New York, ruined, rebuilt, defiant.
The stranger kept staring upwards
into oblivion, even as the boy let out an unhappy whimper, chills wracking his
weak frame. The raven flew from the stranger’s shoulder then, alighting onto
the sidewalk, picking past the weeds and rubble. It rejoined its fellows who
had settled amicably around the child, oblivious to the fact that ravens were
all supposed to be dead. One hundred years ago, poison had leeched into the
earth, into the grass, into the grazers, and into the corpses left behind. The
blight spared little, its kind no exception. Regardless, this impossible
creature affectionately brushed at the boy’s dark hair with its beak.
At the touch, the boy awoke with
a start. His wide, uncomprehending eyes took inthe world as he struggled to sit
up, his head swinging around wildly; past awnings andhigh rises he had never
seen, past scrawled words and graffiti he could not understand.He teetered to
his feet, then fell back down again as his knees gave out, sending thebirds
around him into flight.
He saw no starry eyes in the
darkness, no stranger standing nearby. He was halfnaked,shivering, hungry, and
alone, his head aching down to his teeth. The namelessboy shook off the dreams
he couldn’t remember and wondered where he was.
If there had been any passersby
on that cold autumn night, they would have swornthat this boy hadn’t been there
a minute ago, and no stranger or ravens had been thereat all.
Review:
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. The author has this writing style that really sucks you in until the very last page. We are introduced to a world that has been destroyed after bombings and other events that has caused radiation to be present pretty much everywhere making it a very toxic planet to say the least. Only the cities that have created a type of dome over them are really safe and that is only up to a point. Of course this has had the effect of bringing magic into the world. The main character Jackson has been seeing ravens his whole life though they are supposed to be extinct. He also sees moving shadows that attack him at times. He is raised to believe that he is pretty much crazy and then he finds a woman trapped in a coffin. When she is released it becomes obvious that she possess magical skills as well making her a highly sought after commodity. The two of them end up as friends pretty much that find themselves trapped in events that are beyond their control. The story flow is incredible with events happening one after another all the way until the end where the finale was mind blowing. I did not see that twist coming which gives the author another point in his favor. This is a must read for fans of fantasy and suspense. I give it 4/5 stars since I enjoyed it so much.
