Magical creatures are attacking the capital city, seeking to retake what was once theirs, and no one is safe. Ancient cultists have cursed the highest members of the Church, turning them into twisted abominations. The only hope for a cure lies with Adria Eveson. To learn the cure, she must befriend an imprisoned cultist, and guard her heart against his seductive promises and twisted logic.

The fate of all races, human and magical, rests in her hands, and in the choices she makes. Should she choose wrong, only one person stands in her way: her brother, the Soulkeeper Devin Eveson.

David Dalglish wrote up a great little thread on Twitter earlier this evening, talking about what he hoped to achieve with his new book, Ravencaller, and with his series, The Keepers in general. He referred to the book as “hopedark,” which I really kinda loved. He was certainly referring to The Whole Fucking Situation that’s going on…I mean, it’s not every book release that happens in the midst of an actual global pandemic, so…I’m sure it’ll be one to remember, if nothing else. That said, I know authors are struggling. And not just in the same way everyone is struggling right now. But trying to figure out the balance between “HEY I HAVE A NEW BOOK OUT TODAY” and “PLEASE EVERYONE JUST STAY THE FUCK HOME.” Add in the growing list of canceled conventions & book tours, and it’s just…not an ideal situation.

So anyhow, hopedark. I can dig that, for sure. And it really does kinda nail down the tone of these books, Ravencaller in particular. This book is significantly darker than book one, Soulkeeper. And there are moments in this book, time and time again, where things almost feel utterly hopeless. Lost. But somehow, there’s still this sense of hopefulness. These characters that Dalglish has created just find a way to keep fighting, no matter the odds.

Things in Londheim are…unstable. While Janus is somewhat sidelined in this book, his presence still looms large. Beyond that, all manner of creatures long forgotten about have begun to resurface, and they feel entitled to human-occupied land that was once theirs. Some of them, like Cannac, King of the dyrandar (a giant magical creature, half-human, half-deer) wish to negotiate peacefully.

Other groups, part of the so-called Forgotten Children, are looking to violently seize back what they feel is theirs. Tensions are running very high.

Meanwhile, characters like Adria, Jacaranda, and Tommy are all still grappling with the tremendous changes they’ve gone through.

Jacaranda’s story, to me, almost felt like the heart of this novel. Or maybe she’s just my favorite character, I don’t know. Either way, newly awakened, she’s still trying to figure out who she is, who she wants to be, and how she fits in with Devin and his friends. One thing is clear, though: she’s fucking angry & hell-bent on revenge. That anger will only take her so far, though, and oof…her story is really gutting, and deals a lot with physical & emotional trauma.

There are a whole host of new characters in this, too many to properly get into. Certainly, the one who left the biggest impression on me was Evelyn. She’s an avenria, a humanoid creature who looks like a raven. She’s an old woman, and she’s a fucking BADASS! Like some insane raven ninja grandma! I mean…goddamn. She’s also a character with a lot of grief in her past, and she’s one of the newly reawakened creatures who fights for peace between the so-called dragon-sired and the humans.

I’m doing a terrible job with this review because I read about 250 pages today and I’m kinda zonked! Ravencaller was a phenomenal second book in a series…darker & more violent, tons of surprises, and some fucking brutal character moments. Dalglish has written something that’s fun without ever feeling frivolous, and dark without ever feeling bleak. This is just an awesome series so far…really looking forward to Voidbreaker!

Massive thanks to both Orbit & the author for copy!! Ravencaller releases today!