The Raven and the Crow

Dark Storm Rising

By: Michael K. Falciani

Narrated by: Joshua Saxon

Two brothers struggling to find their place in the world.

For the elder sibling Kildare, every morning begins with the memory of betrayal. Once governed by the principles of morality, Kildare has become an instrument of blood and steel - where the speed of his sword arm metes out his own brand of justice. Only the strength and resolve of his brother Zedaine keeps him from succumbing to the ever-present rage that burns behind his dark eyes. While employed by the mysterious sage Blade, the pair stumble upon Chameleon, a runaway tribeswoman displaying extraordinary psychic powers. Their meeting, however, is no chance encounter. A riddle Chameleon carries will change not only the future of the three, but the fate of the entire world.

Hundreds of miles away, Macklore, a powerful wizard of Brisbane, has been dispatched to the volatile city of Gallanse. Smitten at the sight of princess Lydia, Macklore defies his orders and finds himself thrust into the middle of a bloody succession. When he openly supports Lydia’s family, he is marked for death by a cult of magi working to raise the psychotic prince Dragomir to the throne. With few allies, Macklore must use his wits and innate magical powers to keep Dragomir from the crown and himself alive.

Racing towards Gallanse, Kildare and Zedaine are torn between saving Macklore’s life, extracting terrible vengeance upon the man responsible for their betrayal.

©2021 Michael K. Falciani (P)2022 Three Ravens Publishing

Amazing narrator

I thought the character development was really thought through. The story flowed great. This will be a re-read for me.

Great fun fantasy story

Good characters and ever moving pace. The story definitely draws you in and keeps one intrigued.

The narrator was also a perfect match for the style.

The only bummer is a bit of a cliff hanger that requires me to start the next book, but is that really a bad thing?

Incredible fantasy world

You can tell Raven and the Crow is only scratching the surface of this fantasy world. Adult epic fantasy to the core without the shock value smut recently plaguing the genre. Looking forward to book two.

An excellent tale

The best word to sum up this nascent series is “fun.”

The story was fun to read and I’m guessing it was fun to write. While some of the overarching plot took shape, the chief draw is the characters. The devil is in the details and the main cast are people I wanted to spend time with and still do - so here’s shopping the next installment comes soon.

The novel started in the midst of the action and all the characters come to us with a surfeit of baggage, past battles and past betrayals, not fully explored at first, but hints are dropped throughout.

There are also plenty of enjoyable narrative flourishes. The trick of introducing a new character by having them meet one of the main protagonists and see them through new eyes was particularly enjoyable, and even in a fight where the outcome was a foregone conclusion, there were some intriguing revelations.

Highly recommended.

Thrilling and awe inspiring

The Raven and the Crow, Dark Storm Rising, is the first book i have read by this author, and I am beyond excited to read the next. The story is catching, quick to pick up pace, and ensnares intrest unlike no other book I have read of this caliber.
There is love, hate, magic, prophecy, and bloodshed. There is mystery laced throughout, and heavy undertones of even more to come.
the narration of the story was wonderful and you can tell that the narrator was really getting into it, and really enjoyed it as well for I have never heard a narrator laugh so hard.
Three Ravens Publishing, good job and to Michael K. Falciani, keep up the amazing work.