King’s Raven

FANTASY:  King’s Raven is an adventure book through the ages about a musician who is in service to Oberon, the King of Faerie, and his young Faerie companion. The second in the Harper Errant series, Ben Harper and Raven, a Faerie lord, labor to defeat the spellwork of an evil witch with a grudge against the Faerie King.  Oberon orders the pair to travel to various time periods in search of an artifact that will allow Perdita to break a spell that binds her out of Faerie eternally.  Although Perdita’s magic is restricted by a flaw in her spell-casting and by the Faerie King’s more powerful magic, she is doing some serious damage throughout history, with potential to do even worse if Ben and Raven aren’t able to stop her.

King’s Raven is a feast for readers who enjoy history and Faerie legends.  Ms. Secara takes the reader from modern day to various points in history, including 17^th Century Roanoke, Virginia;  Late 1500s England in the time of famous mystic and imperial advisor John Dee; and mid 1800s London, right before Christmas.  Harper and Raven meet a stimulating cast of characters, all of whom are tangentially or directly related to Perdita’s dark magic exertions, each with a role to play in keeping the witch’s plans from coming to fruition.  The historical settings are immersive and involving, and the infusion of music theory and appreciation in the story gives it an added appeal.  Secara captures faerie in a way certain to captivate faerie lovers, creating a thrilling time-travel adventure!

Danielle Hill