Here are some of the reviews and endorsements for Raven’s Ladder from book reviewers, bloggers, and authors:
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Where Auralia’s Colors spoke of the promise of enlightenment, and Cyndere’s Midnight told a tale of new hope born from the depths of despair, Raven’s Ladder reveals both the power and the fragility of vision.
– Fred Warren
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Raven’s Ladder … is a book that dares to be beautiful.
– S.J. Deal:
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I am in awe of this man’s ability to imagine a whole world and then create it in words. I’m also in awe of his ability to hold so many story lines, keep them all in the air and full of tension – all at the same time. And I’m really in awe of the beauty of his prose, which often reads like poetry.
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I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the characters were authentic and you could see their struggles inside and out. It’s the third book in this series, but it did a great job on explaining the background and could stand on it’s own.
… the trick with excellent fantasy is to build a world that is more than the context for beloved characters. The world itself is a subtle character and parallels in important ways our experience; it is full of political and cultural commentary. The society is thick. Balancing this thickness without prostituting characters to score pet cultural points is not easy. Few authors manage it. The too-common tragedy in contemporary fantasy involves a thick political subtext which turns more on the author’s partisan axe-grind than on letting good characters find their own battles. It’s knife’s-edge work to create masterful tales that take not only great skill, but quiet conviction.
This is what makes Jeffrey Overstreet great, and that is why his work is paralleled in review after review with the greats of the fantasy world.
The conclusion will leave you begging for more…. And after finishing this book, you may feel the urge to read the first two books to enjoy the world Jeffrey Overstreet has created to its fullest extent.
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I can’t wait to read the final book in what has been one of the best Fantasy stories I’ve read since Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. It not only captures the imagination, but also takes hold of the heart.
– fantasy lit blogger Amanda Makepeace
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While Overstreet writes with a poetic touch that few authors are capable of achieving, he also writes a fantasy that engulfs the imagination and keeps the reader entranced as they turn the pages. Never have I found myself wanting to jump over the slow parts in the Auralia Thread epics because they don’t exist.
– Melissa Meeks, Bibliophile’s Retreat
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… the rich details, well-developed characters, and complex story will make this a new favorite among fantasy readers …
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Take everything you know (or think you know) about the genre … and throw it out the window. Forget conventions, stereotypes, and Tolkien/Lewis ripoffs. The Auralia Thread is a genuinely original work of fiction — no easy task these days. With unpredictable situations, believable dialog, and characters with motivations we can relate to, Raven’s Ladder draws the reader in and keeps him or her guessing.
– Aaron White, FaithandGeekery.com
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… better than the first two books, if that’s even possible.
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Jeffrey Overstreet’s imagination is peopled with mysteries and wonders, and his craft continues to mature. Reading Raven’s Ladder is like staring at a richly imagined world through a kaleidoscope: complex, intriguing, and habit-forming.
—Kathy Tyers, author of Shivering World and the Firebird series
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A darkly complex world populated by a rich and diverse cast of characters, in which glimpses of haunting beauty shine through. Sometimes perplexing but always thought-provoking, Raven’s Ladder is the work of a fertile and striking creative imagination.”
—R.J. Anderson, author of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter
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With Raven’s Ladder, Overstreet does what the best fantasy writers do: he opens a door into a new world—a beautiful, dangerous world, and one that stayed with me long after I closed the book.
— Andrew Peterson, singer/songwriter and author of North! Or Be Eaten and On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
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In Raven’s Ladder, Jeffrey Overstreet continues what he began with his first two novels, Auralia’s Colors and Cyndere’s Midnight, crafting a world rich in detail, purpose, and wonder. Each page reveals new threads of a complex, interwoven story that excites and entertains while provoking deeper thought. It has been a long time since I’ve read a series as captivating, meaningful, inspiring, and beautiful as this one.
— Aaron White, writer and editor of FaithAndGeekery.com
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Raven’s Ladder is a fantasy gem. The story is imaginative and truthful, the characters authentic and complex. Jeffrey Overstreet has given us a gift—a fully realized world teeming with life and wonder. It is a fully human tale, with a penetrating glory throughout. Here is a heaping portion of truth, beauty, and goodness.
— S. D. Smith, author of The Fledge Chronicles serial
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In Raven’s Ladder, Jeffrey Overstreet weaves a brilliant tale of intricate layers, inviting his audience into a story of deeper meaning. Not mere fiction that ends with the shutting of the book, it sneakily tiptoes into your thoughts, challenging you to ponder a little more.
— Esther Maria Swaty, Seattle City Guide Examiner
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