Gabriel Finley & The Raven's Riddle (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Ravens love riddles. In fact, ravens greet each other by telling a riddle so they can tell the good ravens from the bad. Evil ravens are known as valravens and serve the evil demon Corax – who is half man, half raven. Eleven-year-old Gabriel Finley also loves riddles. Gabriel’s father, Adam, has told Gabriel a new riddle every day until the day that Adam disappeared which was three years ago. When Gabriel rescues an orphaned baby raven named Paladin, he discovers a valuable family secret that may lead him to his father. Gabriel, Paladin and a few of Gabriel’s brave friends set off for Aviopolis to rescue Gabriel’s father from Corax where Gabriel faces multiple challenges and difficult riddles to rescue his father. This is a great read for fantasy fans as well as for fans of puzzles and riddles. This review is for the audiobook edition.I liked this book because it felt fresh and fun. It references Norse Mythology and a time where ravens and humans were best friends and could talk to each other. Gabriel lives with his aunt as his mother is dead and his father has been missing for years. He discovers his father's journal and learns that his father had a special raven friend and the two of them could merge bodies and fly together. His father has most likely been taken captive by Gabriel's evil uncle, who is an interesting villain. The supporting characters are fun and create an unlikely team for the quest to rescue Gabriel's father.Michael Goldstrom does a great job creating distinct characters. His female voices are mercifully not falsetto, but still quite feminine. The bird characters don't sound overly cartoony, and I really liked his interpretation of the owls. It takes exquisite timing to tell a good riddle, and the narrator allows an appropriate pause when asking the riddle, allowing the listening a moment to consider the answer before hearing it in the context of the story.
What do You think about Gabriel Finley & The Raven's Riddle (2014)?
Very well written; I was fully engaged in the story and eager to know what would happen next.
—annaroselyn
Riddles and ravens and good vs evil. This is possibly my favorite fantasy book of the year!
—shellycpa
Such a wonderful, captivating read! Review very soon.
—yungjeezy
I could see this book becoming a classic.
—miss_kahin
