Crowfall by Ed McDonald – Review

Published: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Ace Books

Series: Raven’s Mark #3

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

In the third gritty installment of the Raven’s Mark series, Blackwing Captain Ryhalt Galharrow finds that all power comes with a price…

A sorcerous cataclysm has hit the Range, the final defensive line between the republic and the immortal Deep Kings.

Tormenting red rains sweep the land, new monstrosities feed on fear in the darkness, and the power of the Nameless, the gods who protect the republic, lies broken. The Blackwing captains who serve them are being picked off one by one, and even immortals have learned what it means to die. Meanwhile, the Deep Kings have only grown stronger, and they are poised to deliver a blow that will finally end the war.

Ryhalt Galharrow stands apart from it all.

He has been deeper into the wasteland known as the Misery than ever before. It has grown within him–changed him–and now the ghosts of his past, formerly confined to the Misery, walk with him everywhere.

They will even follow him–and the few surviving Blackwing captains–on one final mission into the darkness.

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The final book in the Raven’s Mark trilogy arrived at last. Crowfall was one of my most highly anticipated sequels for 2019 and I can’t say that I was disappointed which is great! So often the final book in a series leaves me somewhat underwhelmed. Crowfall was a fairly satisfying conclusion to the Raven’s Mark series and I have to say, I’ll miss ol’ Galharrow.

Ryhalt Galharrow has spent much of the years since the last book hanging out in the Misery. He’s got his own freaky little house that disappears from time to time and he’s starting to look like one of the foul beasts that dwell there. Meanwhile, Dantry and Maldon are going around blowing up phos mills and they’ve been essentially labeled as domestic terrorists. All for the greater good, right? Crowfoot and the other Nameless have been devastatingly weakened so Ryhalt has taken the saving of the world into his own clawed hands to prevent a second event as devastating as the Heart of the Void.

I did enjoy this book, but compared to the previous two I was merely interested rather than gripped from the first page and unable to put it down. Ryhalt is clearly on the edge of complete madness (if not already there), speaking to the ghosts of his past and even accepting drinks from them as if they’re real. His corporeal companions are, as one would expect, a little concerned by this and what Ryhalt has done to himself to pursue his goals. Seeing him veer ever closer to the edge was fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

If you’ve not started this series I’d highly recommend that you do. Ryhalt Galharrow and his band of battle hardened warriors and miscreants are surprisingly likable despite their rough characteristics. The story is one you can easily lose yourself in and boy, I envy those who can sit down and read the entire trilogy one after the other rather than waiting a year between each installment. Crowfall was a compelling conclusion that satisfies at just the right level – I wasn’t yearning for more and I was happy with what was delivered.

I would also like to note that I love the cover of this installment – so ominous, yet so appealing!