Having read Ravens Gathering, the previous book from the author, fantasy came as something of a surprise. It was no surprise, however, knowing Graeme Cumming, to see the book open with a masterly depiction of an incident on the water… or to see it close with an unpredictable twist.

The villain is wholly villainous, feeding his desire for power by any and all means. And yet, there is a glimmer of pathos there as you sense that he is the almost inevitable product of his life’s story and his times … and had they been different, he might have walked another path.

In many ways, he is the polar opposite of Salin, the ‘hero’ of the story, who has grown within a loving environment, surrounded by friends. The contrast could barely be any sharper as both seek the whereabouts of the mysterious sister. Whereas Salin sets out on foot with his companions, armed with both an innocence and ignorance through which he must grow, Carrion, the villain of the piece, rides an unidentifiable and terrifying beast that will prove to be central to understanding why he must be stopped.

Yet, Carrion is not exempt from fear… and although he himself is inhumane, it makes a welcome change to see villains painted with human emotions.

Like all good fantasies, there are trolls, dragons and other strange creatures to be met and dealt with along the way. There is the wise counsel of Flint and the lightness of spirit of Nexus… and behind all, the half-hidden Order, the underground organisation that serves to preserve humankind from both Nature… and itself.

You get the distinct feeling that Cumming knows more than he thinks he knows…

On another note, the physical book itself is beautifully and cleanly presented and has a second fabulous cover featuring the ravens.

Cordane, Willow and Vangor had thrown themselves to the ground. As they began to sit up, Cordane looked across at Salin.

“All right, now I’m convinced about the sword!” he shouted.

“It wasn’t the sword!” Salin called back as he ran towards them.

“Well if it wasn’t the sword,” Willow demanded as she climbed to her feet, “what was it?!”

Salin had reached them now and was helping Vangor up, his head twisting and turning. “There!” he yelled.

And suddenly the troll didn’t seem very scary at all.

CARRION

Graeme Cumming

Choose your words carefully. Words have power.

A sheet of black filled his vision as hundreds of birds dived at the cottage, pointed beaks thrust forward. From this angle, he couldn’t see many of them striking it, but the few he did see held nothing back as they hammered into the shutter. The scale of the attack was beyond anything he’d seen or heard of. And bloodied casualties littered the ground: skulls shattered, wings broken, innards spilling from them. The fact that so many of them continued with the onslaught in spite of this filled him with even more dread.

Salin has always wanted an adventure and, when the opportunity presents itself, he grabs it with both hands, taking his friends along for the ride – whether they want to or not.

With strange lands come strange creatures that stand between them and their goal.

And that goal is the same for someone else, a man who believes the prize is worth every sacrifice – especially when the sacrifices are made by others.

The future is about to change. But who for?

Buy Carrion at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

(In the interests of transparency, although I bought an e-copy of the book, I also received a hard copy from the author as a gift… not in return for a review.)

About the Author

Graeme Cumming lives in Robin Hood country.  He has wide and varied tastes when it comes to fiction so he’s conscious that his thrillers can cross into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as more traditional arenas.

When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking.  He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club.  Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and loves the cinema.

Find and Follow Graeme

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Also by Graeme Cumming and available via Amazon

Ravens Gathering

As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds. Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing. And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them. The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving. Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it. She felt him move in behind her. After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction. His closeness offered security.
“You know what they are, don’t you?”

A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident. For the Gates family, in particular, it’s more than a coincidence, but unease increases following a brutal attack. As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences.

And only a select few know why the ravens are gathering…