WL's Mainstream Gay Book Reviews - 39. Halloween Month Special Reviews: Ravensong (Book 2 of Green Creek Series) by T.J. Klune

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35114241-ravensong

Book 2 in this series is a very big improvement and shows off T.J. Klune ability as writer. He also does a huge amount of world-building, story organization, and conceptual planning. Book 1 was slow and very difficult to read in my view, but book 2 was genuinely something I couldn’t put down, because Book 1 never resolved the relationship dynamics of the male couple.

Length-wise, it is 400 pages long and 20 hours 18 minutes on audible. Again, this is not a short read, so I must tell everyone to take their time. It’s an epic story that fills in the holes from Book 1 and expands the universe in a variety of ways.

Plot: The story takes place in 3 distinct time periods in Gordo Livingstone’s life: the present, the 3-year period of absence mentioned in book 1, and a decade ago in the past.

In the past: Gordo remembers how he grew up as a member of the Bennett pack. His mother has gone insane out of fear of the pack. She dies from a supposed accident, which was in actuality caused by his father Robert Livingstone. It details how he and Mark Bennett, who was 3 years older than him, had fallen in love and became mates. Robert Livingstone’s lust for revenge and destruction eventually saw an alliance between Robert and a group of humans known as the King Clan, who were a family of werewolf hunters from ancient times. In the ensuing battle, the former Alpha of All Abel Bennett is killed, allowing Thomas Bennett to become leader. This betrayal by their witch leads the wolves to abandon Gordo in Green Creek, Oregon, while they moved across the country to Caswell, Maine. Gordo becomes bitter due to this and hands Mark his wolf statue back, renouncing their mate bonds.

During the 3-year absence: Gordo, Joe, Kelly, and Carter hunt for Richard Collins, but are warned by a seer that they’re in danger of losing everything in this pursuit from a far greater enemy. Over the years on the road, the 4 men grow closer and bond, but all of them long for home. Eventually, after a trip to Alaska, Gordo learns that not only is there danger from Richard Collins, but several other threats from a disease infecting wolves and his own father, Robert Livingstone, being released in the world.

Present: In the present, tension have been raised by the new viral outbreak for werewolves, who if bitten by infected wolves would become Omegas, which are werewolves with no links to any pack and completely feral to the point they lose their humanity. Ox and Joe try their best to safeguard Green Creek, but they face not only the unknown mystical virus, they also face an enemy masquerading as an ally. Michele Hughes, the temporary Alpha of All, a position meant to be headed by Joe Bennett by birthright, has sent an infected wolf into Bennett territory, who has bitten Mark and Carter Bennett. She then uses their infections as a pretense to send witches loyal to her to seal off Green Creek. Additionally, unbeknownst to all, Michelle Hughes has made an alliance with the King Clan to assassinate the entire Bennett pack. With enemies on all sides, few allies to rely on, and their secrecy impossible to maintain, the Bennett pack struggle to survive an extermination campaign. The ending is perhaps one of the most epic cliffhangers I’ve read in years.

Review: This is what I’m talking about. T.J. Klune is a great writer and he knows how to world-build, create dynamic characters, and show off a range of emotions. He has heightened tensions to the point of biblical proportion, literally with a villain character, who hunts werewolves and quotes the Bible. T.J. held nothing back with book 2, he went all in with a complex setup, conspiracy, and plot. I also appreciate the social commentary that he is drawing HIV/AIDS being used as a justification for genocide, which sadly in certain African nations is one of the ugly truths in our modern world.

At the heart of this story, it is Gordo and Mark’s love story. I think Gordo’s character is quite compelling, he’s not your typical protagonist in a shifter story. He’s been rejected out of fear, but he lashes out at the one man who loved him. Then, when the man he loves is slowly devolving; he does everything in his power to be with him and love him. In any other story, love should conquer all and Mark should be fine. However, T.J. points out the fact that werewolf mating and consummation of vows doesn’t solve magical issues like a virus. It’s nice that Gordo and Mark have their moment, but I appreciate that there’s bigger issues than their love at stake. Gordo's reactions were very realistic and human, being abandoned by his family created an ugliness in him. Ultimately, when Gordo had to make a major sacrifice at the end of the book in order to save his partner and his family, he does not hesitate. We don't get a happily ever after with him, but we get a nice "I'll always be here by your side" type of ending, because Mark is still infected with the Omega virus. The ending is beautiful social commentary, it sorts of remind me of stories about HIV infected people and their uninfected partner, trying to figure out how to live their lives with each other despite the life-threatening disease, I get the feeling T.J. was aiming for that comparison and I do have to give him Kudos for the parallel with a fantasy metaphor.

Side-characters: Everyone was built up marvelously in book 2, we had several minor newcomers to the extended cast, most importantly a sassy male Timber wolf who can’t get enough of Carter. However, what makes book 2 spectacular is the characters we know about, like Michelle Hughes. She’s upped her game in book 2 from sending spies like Robbie to assassination. With what happened and the Bennett pack prevailing against the Witches and the Hunters, the declaration of war by Joe and Ox against Michelle is extremely riveting. As a reader, I am emotionally invested at the end of the novel and I want to know what happens next.

It’s almost perfect, except for the time-framing. T.J. will use this again to better purpose in book 3 and worse purpose in book 4. I think framing a story isn’t wrong, it’s just how much you jump from time period to time period. By using 3 time periods in one story, then jumping from chapter to chapter, it’s hard for a reader to follow a story flow.

My Review: 4.75 out of 5, I like the story and the complex plotlines. I enjoyed the epic nature and the against all odds victory that was hard won in the end. This book marked where Green Creek series truly shine.