My Ramblings on Ravenwild by Peter J. Plasse

Ravenwild
By: Peter J. Plasse
Website

Summary:
Returning home from another grueling shift of E.R. work, Dr. Blake Lee Strong comes across a downed motorcyclist and stops to help, but little does he know that his world and that of his family will soon be turned upside down. Duped into being transported to another planet called Inam'Ra, Dr. Strong and his family are thrust into a medieval world populated by Trolls, Gnomes, Elves, Dwarves, Humans and other alien beings. An epic odyssey begins as the Strong family fights for not only their own survival, but also for the continued existence of the citizens of Ravenwild.

My Ramblings:

This was a really good book that I held on to for way to long before jumping into. Admittedly, fantasy is not my usual fare, but when I was contacted to review this book I decided to give it a go. I'm really glad I did. It took me a little bit to get into the world and find my groove, but once I did I found myself really enjoying both the characters and the story that Plasse presents. It's fast paced and has a huge cast of characters, although it is easy to follow, and each characters is there for a reason. Plasse weaves the story together and manages to pack in fantasy, romance, mystery and action without it seeming overly complicated. At 494 pages it is a bit long, so this won't be your one-nighter, but it's worth taking the time and giving it a read.

One of my least favorite things that happens in MG and YA is the trend towards having main characters without parents or with dead beat parents. I was really excited to read a book that was about the whole family! This was such a change from so many other books I've read recently and I thought that it was really well done. Each member of the family had a purpose for being there and they functioned well seperately, but it was always clear that they were a close knit group and even when apart they were a united front of sorts.

Lastly, I want to point out the great drawings that are included in this book. Done by Mike Longenecker they are spread out through the book and add in a little something extra to the story. Part of the fun of reading is to imagine the world that the author creates, here we get a little peak into how they envision it. Done as black and white sketches, they are simple, which is perfect for this story. They add to the story without distracting from it. My favorite illustration comes from fairly early on in the book and is of the trolls breaching the wall- there is so much detail in the drawing that it really brings the story to life!

Overall this is a good book and if you are a fan of fantasy, then this is a great one to pick up!