EYES OF CROW
JERI SMITH-READY
ISBN# 0-373-80258-7
November 2006
Luna Books
Worldwide Library
233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279
Paperback
$14.95
473 Pages
Fantasy
Rating: 5 Cups

Rhia was very sick as a child, some say near death, and she never really gets very far away from it as she grows up either. No matter how much she wishes for another spirit guide, she cannot escape her destiny, which is to be one with the Crow, the harbinger of death.

Arcas is destined to be a Bear, at least his father thinks so, as the Bear is made for war and will be needed very soon. When Rhia sees his true spirit guide, can he forgive her for seeing what he has hidden for so long? And will he be able to accept a woman that sees the death of his friends and family?

Marek the Wolf of Kalindos is being punished by his spirit and his own guilt. Cursed to become invisible at sunset until he can let go of his pain, he finds himself drawn more and more to Rhia, whose strength both frightens and fascinates him. But can he let himself love another woman, especially one who has to embrace the very thing that took his family?

Rhia has been running from her destiny since she was a child. But very soon, she has to face the fact that she is Crow and therefore will have to help others go to their deaths. She will have to embrace death and learn not to fear it. In doing so, she will have to leave her home, family and friends. She will lose a lover, gain another and learn that she has much more strength and wisdom than she ever dreamed possible. But it will take all her training to keep from going mad when war breaks out and death comes calling and touches not only her home village but also her family and friends. Can she distance herself enough to help those she loves, or will she let Crow give her the promise of peace as well just to escape the pain?

This is a wonderful story that pulls the reader into a whole new world filled with characters that are so real the reader feels they really existed sometime in the past. The way the spirit guides are portrayed and the magic the characters use are so everyday, it seems it could really happen. With each test the main character had to pass, and each obstacle she surmounted, she became stronger, but never lost that vulnerability that made her human, which kept the reader firmly entrenched in her corner. Mystical, magical, romantic, suspenseful and action packed, Eyes of Crow is an excellent example of what a fantasy novel should be. I am looking forward to the next installment of Rhia’s story with bated breath. Pick up this book if you love escaping into another world where magic waits around every corner.

Jenn
Reviewer For Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer For Karen Talk About New Books