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A review by kitvaria_sarene
The Last Raven by Steve McHugh
5.0
If you loved the Hellequin Chronicles, you'll probably love this as well.
While I still miss Nate and his friends, I'm happy to have an all new series with new characters. Lucas was similar enough in personality to scratch my itch, while being different enough to stand on his own two feet.
A lot of action, plenty of mysteries and secrets in the past, a whole new sort of magic and mythology to be discovered, mixed in with some science and what almost felt like a thriller - I was hooked from the first to the last page.
As always the cast is the major strength in McHugh's books, and I can never get enough of his no nonsense attitudes. The good at heart, willing to sacrifice for friends, family, or even complete strangers, but on the other hand quite happy to mow through the bad guys? Yes, I sometimes need exactly that to brighten my day, while also being well entertained. Beating up some Nazis definitely is a high in my book.
The inclusive cast, with people of all walks of life, just makes it feel smoother and more real. They all have their own motivations and quirks, and I just love how everyone is allowed to be who they are. Lucas has an amazing circle of friends, and is love to go for a drink with them all.
I have no idea how he manages to make everyone just feel so real in such a short time, but I love (or hate) these charactets already, after just the one book. I definitely can't wait for more, luckily the wait won't be too long!
My only, really slight, niggle is just how overpowered Lucas already feels here - with Hellequin that just stacked up ever more over the course of the books. Here we start at such a high level, I've no idea how insane stakes are supposed to go in later books. As I enjoyed the full on battle mode. I didn't mind it much, I just think some scenes almost lost a bit of their stakes and suspense due to it.
While I still miss Nate and his friends, I'm happy to have an all new series with new characters. Lucas was similar enough in personality to scratch my itch, while being different enough to stand on his own two feet.
A lot of action, plenty of mysteries and secrets in the past, a whole new sort of magic and mythology to be discovered, mixed in with some science and what almost felt like a thriller - I was hooked from the first to the last page.
As always the cast is the major strength in McHugh's books, and I can never get enough of his no nonsense attitudes. The good at heart, willing to sacrifice for friends, family, or even complete strangers, but on the other hand quite happy to mow through the bad guys? Yes, I sometimes need exactly that to brighten my day, while also being well entertained. Beating up some Nazis definitely is a high in my book.
The inclusive cast, with people of all walks of life, just makes it feel smoother and more real. They all have their own motivations and quirks, and I just love how everyone is allowed to be who they are. Lucas has an amazing circle of friends, and is love to go for a drink with them all.
I have no idea how he manages to make everyone just feel so real in such a short time, but I love (or hate) these charactets already, after just the one book. I definitely can't wait for more, luckily the wait won't be too long!
My only, really slight, niggle is just how overpowered Lucas already feels here - with Hellequin that just stacked up ever more over the course of the books. Here we start at such a high level, I've no idea how insane stakes are supposed to go in later books. As I enjoyed the full on battle mode. I didn't mind it much, I just think some scenes almost lost a bit of their stakes and suspense due to it.