The Tower of Ravens
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| The Tower of Ravens | |
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| Author | Kate Forsyth |
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| Cover artist | Neal Armstrong |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Rhiannon's Ride |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Random House 2004 and by Arrow Books 2005 |
| Publication date | 1 June 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 532 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-1-74051-171-1 |
| Followed by | The Shining City |
The Tower of Ravens is a fantasy novel by Kate Forsyth, first published in 2004.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
One-Horn's daughter is not like any other satyricorn. Born of a human father and a satyricorn mother, she has not grown the horns so distinguished of her kind. Indeed, she is much more like a human than a satyricorn. In desperation she kills a man who was about to kill her mother in the mountains. Knowing that death awaits her if she stays with her herd, she straps herself on the back of a wild winged horse and flies away. Battered and broken she is found by a young apprentice witch called Lewen who nurses the wild girl naming her Rhiannon and her winged black mare Blackthorn. Accompnying a group of apprentice witches that includes Lewen she travels to the castle to try to find a place to fit in. However on this journey she finds herself in a perilous adventure and in the midst of the irrovocable love that her and Lewen have fallen into. Will she survive this journey and will she and Lewens love prevail when the murder she had committed finally comes out into the open?
[edit] Plot summary
One-Horn's daughter is not like any other satyricorn. Born of a human father and a satyricorn mother, she has not grown the horns so distinguished of her kind. Indeed, she is much more like a human than a satyricorn.
In desperation she kills a man who was about to kill her mother in the mountains. Knowing that death awaits her if she stays with her herd, she straps herself on the back of a wild winged horse and flies away. Battered and broken, she is later found by a young apprentice witch called Lewen who nurses the wild girl naming her Rhiannon and her winged black mare Blackthorn.
Accompanying a group of apprentice witches that includes Lewen, she travels to the castle to try to find a place to fit in. However on this journey she finds herself in a perilous adventure when she uncovers a plot that puts Nina's son, Roden, into mortal danger.
During the time when she tries to warn her group and only Nina and Lewen believe her, she is partly poisoned by a servant of the Lord of the castle in an attempt to keep her silent. Of course, it does not work once Nina finds out, but Rhiannon is overcome by fear and flees on the back of Blackthorn, with Lewen in hot pursuit.
It is then when they are alone together that Rhiannon's murder of the man is uncovered... after Lewen takes her virginity.
After that, Rhiannon is chained, but when Roden is taken away, Rhiannon escapes and brings him back unharmed, though using so much power, she is in mortal danger. Luckily, Nina nurses her back to life and they continue their journey, Lewen and Rhiannon back together as lovers.
[edit] Characters in "The Tower of Ravens"
Blackthorn
- Rhiannon's winged mare, named for her black colour and personality.
Lewen
- Rhiannon's lover.
Nina
- Journeywitch, jongleur, and leader of the caravan of witches and apprentices.
Iven
- Jongleur and Nina's husband. Co-leader of the caravan of witches and apprentices.
Rhiannon
- Previously known as No-Horn, the daughter of a satyricorn mother and a human father. A half-satyricorn born in the mountains with none of the attributes of a satyricorn. She is Lewen's lover.
Roden
- Nina's son. He is kidnapped in an attempt to bring boy a boy of similar age and appearance, named Rory, back to life.
[edit] Major themes
~thematic description~
[edit] Allusions/references to other works
The series The Witches of Eileanan comes before Rhiannon's Ride. The Tower of Ravens, the first book of Rhiannon's Ride, has many characters who originally came from that series.
