Raven Thrall

Legends of the Ceo San Series, Book 1

By: J. Elizabeth Vincent

Narrated by: Lynn Norris

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

After 26 years of hiding from the king's soldiers and enduring loss beyond measure, Mariah has finally unlocked her ability to shapeshift.

Before she can even figure out what that means, her mentor thrusts her into an impossible mission to rescue two young shifters from the life of subjugation she barely escaped.

Will returning to her homeland end up costing Mariah the freedom she gave up everything to gain?

An epic fantasy adventure about friendship and doing what's right, whatever the cost.

©2018 J. Elizabeth Vincent (P)2018 J. Elizabeth Vincent

A band of unsure shifters out to save the world

Raven Thrall is the first in the Legends of the Ceo San series by J. Elizabeth Vincent. Miriah had fled across the sea, believing that her mother had betrayed her and sold her to the King's men. She has made a new life for herself. In a world where Ceo San people (people who could shapeshift into an animal) were being hunted and enslaved by a greedy and power-hungry king, Miriah has been half changed her entire life. She was a tall, lean woman with striking silver hair and a pair of huge black and silver wings on her back.

When faced with the choice of going back to her homeland to help save the family of a fellow shifter, she is forced into a complete shift through necessity and she and a young crow eager to find his siblings take in an impossible quest.

Along the way, Miriah and Xae make some interesting friends, have some battles with foes and end up smack in the middle of the Varidian and in the reach of the KIng. Miriah has to decide whether the Ceo San are chosen for a divine purpose or cursed to be hunted down and enslaved.

Raven Thrall is one of those books that grab as you start reading/listening. It has a great opening, and the story flows easily and naturally, leaving a well-constructed world where the magical creatures fit in seamlessly. The vivid descriptions of the hawks and crow in flight are mesmerizing.

Lynn Norris does an excellent job as narrator and brings the characters to life, conveying the emotions of the characters and making each one unique and discernible,

This is a good epic fantasy that can safely be recommended to YA, with the caution that there is some violence and deaths but that it fits into the story.

REALLY GREAT STORY. LOVED IT

REALLY GOOD STORY BEING WELL WRITTEN AND EASY TO FOLLOW.
SUSPENSEFUL., INTRIGUING FANTASY DRAMA/ADVENTURE WITH LAGHS THROUGHOUT.

ACCEPTABLE FOR ALL AGES, TEENS AND UP PREFERABLY WILL ENJOY THEM MORE.

NARRATOR IS GREAT AND EASY TO FOLLOW.

So so story

I'm not a big fan of this story. It seemed to slow for my liking. I had a hard time finishing it. I liked the narrator, I think she did an outstanding job with the material she had to work with. I don't recommend this one at all.

A Great Story

I enjoyed this story. It captured my attention right away. Mariah was pretty much locked away for her childhood to hide her wings.. When she did go out people thought she was a hunchback. Finally when she was older her father got hurt and needed medicine. Mariah was sent on a journey to see an alchemist. Her whole life had been hiding her shifter abilities but when she was leaving the kings solders were on their way to get her. From that moment she knew she would never be able to go home again. She escaped and was thrust by her mentor into a task of helping someone in need. The journey that Mariah & Zae went on started with just them but after a storm Mariah as a hawk got separated from Zae the raven. They ended up at an inn and gained a bear shifter and then a wolf. The 4 were going on a mission to save Zae's 2 sisters and mother. What a group with a hawk, raven, bear and a wolf. A story full of friendship, adventure and betray. Mariah could never go home because she believed her mother turned her over to the kings men. A great story & the narration was awesome. Great job with the voices. Can't wait for book 2.

Fun Start to a Shifter Fantasy Series

Parents: appropriate for 14/15 and up. PG13 as a movie depending on the amount of gore shown. The language
was clean, violence consisted of animal warfare and the mention of torture, and the sexual content was a few allusions to intimate activities but no actual bedroom scenes. There is an attempted rape but no major details are given.

The story was a super interesting concept and world. An enjoyable journey where you learn along with the main character. Some things are a touch too convenient to me as a reader but overall it’s an enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series!

The narrator had a decent variety of voices but not fantastic.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Outstanding story

Original characters, riveting story. Great performance by Lynn Norris. Looking forward to more from this author!

Excellent Shifter Fantasy Adventure!

The writer brought me right into the heroine’s character and I felt like I was part of the story. Great characters, new breed of shifters with plenty of suspense, action and intrigue. I look forward to the next book. The narration was excellent. I received an advance audio copy and am happy to leave my honest review. Enjoy!

Great story for preteens to adults.

This is the first book I have read/listened to by this author and I look forward to listening to the next in this series.
I enjoyed the concept of the shifter people. Mariah grows into her abilities as the book progresses. She becomes involved with a plan to rescue a young shifters family who have been taken. Things are not easy for her and young boy They find help along the way, but it’s not enough. There is a degree of conclusion at the end, but it is also wide open to lead into the next book.

This is the first book I have listened to by this narrator ( Lynn Norris ) and I would definitely listen to another. She gives each character an individual voice and has a style that drew me into the story. It did not feel like I was being read to.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing. This book is appropriate for young teens to all adults.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

A Charming Story

In a land where the king enslaves any San Ceo (people who can shift into animal form) for his army, a young girl is forced to forsake her family and flee to avoid capture. Years later she is asked by a young raven shifter to help her rescue his shifter family from the king who has captured them.

This gentle story is well paced throughout and never drags. The author has a good, clear writing style making it both an easy and pleasant read.

The narrator does an excellent job and her style suits the story. The audiobook book syncs nicely with the ebook so one can listen or read as one prefers. Due to the narrator's skill the audiobook is nicer than the ebook.

The story is obviously continued in the second book but does not contain a cliffhanger. I look forward to the next book in the series.

What a Great Story, Can't Wait to start next book!

This Story was a Pagetuner!! Was so great a Story that I can hardly wait to get to the next book to see what happens next!
Narrator did a Excellent job and the Author wrote a Great story. I Highly Recommend this book and series.

A inspirational tale about trust and growing up

Quite slow start and i struggle to keep interested in it to begin with. The female lead was very hesitant to help anyone else to begin with but she developed over the story and became a strong female leader towards the end of the book. She meets others along the way and finds out that she can trust other people. Its a great coming of age story with a inspirational young female lead who grows in strength. The other characters add a nice depth to the story as well as some more entertainment.
The narrator was brilliant and did a goodd job on telling the story and bringing the characters to life.
I would definately look for the next book in the series and really enjoyed the start to the story.

fantastic

a totally fantastic audiobook from the pen of J Elizabeth Vincent and narrated by Lynn Norris

look forward to more xxxx

Great start to the series

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

For 19 years Mariah has worked in her Fathers smithy she hides from the world due to her hunch back.
The gods have given certain people the powers to change to animals and Mariah is terrified that people might realise she isn’t deformed but has wings.
Really great listen kept my interest to the end , excellent narration all characters had distinctly different voices.