Format: E-Book, 281 pages
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Lucas is a riftborn fighter bent on vengeance in
this thrilling urban fantasy/detective noir series from the bestselling
author of the Hellequin Chronicles.
The peace between the rift
and humanity has always been tenuous. It’s up to the Guilds to protect
it, removing whomever—or whatever—poses a threat, whether human or
rift-fused. Lucas Rurik used to be part of the Raven Guild. That is,
until someone murdered all of its members—except for him.
That
was seven years ago. Now, Lucas keeps to himself, avoiding getting too
close to anyone lest they become targets themselves. But when one of his
oldest friends at the Rift-Crime Unit calls upon him for help with a
case that’s already taken down people who mean a lot to him, Lucas can’t
resist stepping back into the fray.
Something is killing FBI and
RCU agents alike—something unlike anything Lucas has ever seen before,
on Earth or in the Rift. Even more concerning, the gruesome assaults
seem to be linked to Dr. Callie Mitchell, a depraved and disturbed
individual who treats the rift-fused like her own personal lab rats.
And
when someone Lucas thought he could trust turns on him, he realizes
these killings aren’t just the random attacks of some terrifying new
kind of fiend. They’re connected to whoever killed off his Guild all
those years ago—and that’s something Lucas just can’t let lie
The Last Raven is the first installment in author Steve McHugh's Riftborn series. Once upon a time, a dimensional tear opened and poured energy from the rift which changed people forever. This rift has power/magic that can bring both human and animals back from the dead if the timing is right, but they come back different. The peace between the rift and humanity has always been tenuous. It’s up to the Guilds to protect it, removing whomever—or whatever—poses a threat, whether human or rift-fused.
There were once (7) Guilds: Falcon, Owl, Eagle, Hawk, Vulture, Kik, and Ravens which Lucas Rurik belonged to. Lucas used to be part of the Raven Guild, that is until someone
murdered all of its members—except for him and stole the Raven medallions of his guild. The story tends to alternate between 5 years ago, and the present to fill in some blanks. 5 years ago, Lucas entered Netley Asylum hoping to get information on what happened to his Guild by Dr. Callie Mitchell and ended up becoming human.
In this world, Fiends are animals touched by the energy from the rift while Riftborn are humans that died and were transported into the rift, healed, and given exceptional powers. One of the more curious aspects
of this story is the existence of an actual city in the Rift called
Inaxia which is where part of the story takes place after Lucas tries to
regain his powers lost after he temporarily becomes human. Lucas spends just enough time in Inaxia to be told to get his priorities in order and stop wallowing in self pity.
For most of the past 7 years, Lucas has kept to himself in Brooklyn, New York, avoiding getting too close to anyone lest they become targets themselves. But when one of his oldest friends at the Rift-Crime Unit, Isaac Gordon, calls upon him for help with a case that’s already taken down people who mean a lot to him, Lucas can’t resist stepping back into the fray. Something is killing FBI and RCU agents alike—something unlike anything Lucas has ever seen before, on Earth or in the Rift.
When Lucas is betrayed, and ends up back in the Rift, he realizes these killings aren’t just the random attacks of some terrifying new kind of fiend. They’re connected to whoever killed off his Guild all those years ago—and that’s something Lucas just can’t let lie. Even more concerning, the gruesome assaults seem to be linked to Dr. Callie Mitchell, a depraved and disturbed individual who treats the rift-fused like her own personal lab rats.
One of the things this author does very well is write action scenes. A friend of mine said that this story reads like a Harry Dresden novel. That, I think, is high praise. Lucas, once he gets his powers up, and grows a set of balls, is an interesting character. Do you have to have read any of the authors previous series to enjoy this book? Nope. You'll be just fine since the world is pretty much explained in great detail.
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