Bloodraven

This has to be one of the best fantasy stories I've ever read! Wow! I literally could not put it down unless I was forced to! Bloodraven is a brutal yet engrossing study of survival and strength both of Yhalen, the human, and Bloodraven, the halfling. The world building was exceptional, the characterizations interesting and insightful. For Yhalen I had an immediate affinity - how could I not with that opening chapter - but I was surprised at how quickly I came to like? admire? understand? (I'm not sure which word best describes) Bloodraven.

The very end was a little less than I'd hoped for. Perhaps a future sequel (a hopeful wish) will remedy my slight dissatisfaction.

One serious flaw, which I chose not to deduct stars for just 'coz show more this book was so damn good, was some really bad formatting and a dire need for a good proofreader. It's a pet peeve of mine. show less

When finished with the book:

Best fantasy ever by far. It's 5am, so I need some sleep!

Okay, the morning after:

Wow, I was stunned by this book so many times in so many ways. From about 60% onwards! I kept on looking at the percentage creeping up and it made me sad. I was dreading this book ending. It was really long (probably 600-ish pages I'm thinking? The Kindle countdown said 18 hours, but I think it was more like 15-16), but I did not want it to end! I never really knew what was coming next, it was filled with brutality in one form or another, and I just loved it. It is one of my favorite fantasy books ever.

Besides the great world-building, the intricate and long plot, the harsh realities of their world, one of the best things in this show more story was Yhalen and Bloodraven's tempestuous relationship. This is one of the most realistically drawn relationships that I have read of. There is no sudden and overwhelming bond between the two, Yhalen doesn't succumb to a bout of Stockholm Syndrome, neither casts away their pride and ingrained beliefs/superstitions/hatred of the other's race too quickly. Instead, they have to actually build feelings through subtle actions stretched over several months, until they actually tolerate each other, and then, finally, begin to love. It is hard, for there is no word for love in the ogre language, let alone room or temperament for the feeling. And Yhalen has been hurt so deeply, on top of all the learned fear and hatred for a great many changes that he experiences. Yet, they steadily build a relationship, and we get to see it happen, and believe in it, rather than it slamming us upside the head and us just being told to believe in it.

The fantastical world built here is so believable. It is gorgeous and horrible and bountiful and mean. But is one of the most consistent and thoroughly wrought ones that I have read in memory. All the characters add something to the tale, and as you are thrust into this world you understand and truly experience it with them.

Yes, the torture scenes were horrific, but the one that made me squirm most wasn't the first rape and attempted murder, but the much later ritual killing with the birds. Oh God, that made me squint my face and feel a bit nauseous. But all that is just a part of this world, and it felt necessary to the story.

I am sad that I don't get to read this again as a first time experience, because it was so, so good and unpredictable (my guesses were often wrong :D), but I will enjoy rereading now that I know some things. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this. It is well worth the read, and if you have a strong stomach, you will really enjoy it. Bravo! show less

This epic fantasy will transport you to another world, one of ogre warriors who keep human slaves. When I say epic, expect to spend quite some time is this amazing world, as the story is over 220,000 words. I could have happily stayed in Bloodraven's world even longer, so the length of the story was no hardship.

Yahlen is a young man raised in the great forest who is venturing outside it for the first time when he accompanies his grandfather on a diplomatic mission. He is captured by the ogres who take him prisoner. He is tortured and raped and lies dying when he discovers he has powers he was not aware of.

The story is gritty from beginning to end, but when Yahlen is given to Bloodraven, half orgre and half human, as a slave, he finds show more small acts of kindness along with severe punishments. The relationship between the two grows slowly with many setbacks, but always you care about what happens to both of them and hope they can find a way to stay together in a world that is cruel to both slaves and ogres of mixed blood.

I loved this book so much, that I am almost tempted to immediately read it again. show less

I don’t think I’ve had such an engrossing fantasy read in an age. I’ve seen the book sereral times when I’ve been fossicking through PL Nunn's website for goodies, but just not picked it up. Obviously an oversight on my part!

The world building is what initially sucked me in. It was vivid and without an abundance of silly names for coffee and other such folderol, that often spoil good fantasy or sci fi. The story itself is very much a journey tale and the landscapes were rather epic. The history of the place is alluded to, without being overly complex and distracting.

I found the pacing to be particularly good. It was well executed, with a nice balance of action, erotica and character growth. I don’t think I was ever left with show more any moments of wishing their horses or boots would grow some wings. heh.

Yahlen was complex and certainly needs the whole book for the growth of his character to cycle and feel complete. But, at the end of the story I wondered if there was the possibility of more for him and even though there was an ending that tied it all up for now, his character felt like there was more there to explore, which would be cool. Bloodraven I just loved. His gruff, orgre nature at odds with his human side. Plus, he’s green and you know it’s just not that easy being green. heh. I totally warmed up to him and kinda liked his pet pooch too. The chemistry between Bloodraven and Yahlen was hot, deliciously so, but smex is not always a happy occasion. The roughness and power inequalities between the two is such, that it often left me feeling a little conflicted. This is not to say that I did not enjoy these scenes, just that they were not easy or light.

One part of the novel I did find a bit challenging was the violence. The author pulls no punches and I’d honestly say I’m not a sook, but some of the non con, rape and graphic descriptions had me ready to hide under the covers. eak! I am a brave button though *gulp* so I soldiered on and while it was not always my cup of tea, it was in keeping with the story and it worked.

I enjoyed this book hugely. I brought Bloodraven in ebook form but I’d now love to get the actual paperback and/or graphic novels. I think the big paperback has artwork in it, so that’s a heouge plus for this geek! PL Nunn’s website is totally worth a nosey too, so check out the book here via her site and also via Lulu and Amazon.

http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/bloodraven-by-p-l-nunn/ show less

For such a long book as Bloodraven was I don’t have much to say, because everything that needs to be said has already been written in other reviews.

As of this moment Bloodraven is my second favorite MM fantasy, after [b:Captive Prince|9305362|Captive Prince (Captive Prince, #1)|C.S. Pacat|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356028113s/9305362.jpg|14188292] and before [b:Cethe|7186426|Cethe|Becca Abbott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327994741s/7186426.jpg|7721916]. Funny enough all these three have the master - slave trope and all the violence that comes with it, so I guess I have a type. Sorry, not sorry :D.
Don’t go into this book blindly without knowing what to expect because you’re going to get a kick in the guts, several show more times. Many warn about the beginning, I’ll warn you about what lurks near the end. Which is this:



Masterfully written. Epicly dark. Long.
Absolutely. Fucking. Hot.
All hail Bloodraven & Yhalen and the interracial relationship between a half-ogre warrior and a human wielder of powerful forest magic--- something I never knew I ever, ever wanted to read about.
But I guess...




And all hail Elvardo, the Dark Lord, whom I believe is secretly a softie at heart.
I loved it. I’ll want to re-read it. PL Nunn is now an autobuy for me.
I want more of the ogre world.



4.5
(nicking 0.5 off because this book is mainly one big travel log, moving from point A to B to C to D to E to F and back to E again) show less

A fantastic fantasy novel! Yhalen is one of a peaceful forest dwelling people. His life is shattered when ogres attack his people and take him as a slave. They torture him brutally, and only the sudden awakening of his blood magic saves his life. The ogre leader fears him and gives him to a rival, Bloodravem, as a sex slave. Bloodraven is half-ogre/half-human and has a political agenda unknown to Yhalen. At first he treats Yhalen only as a means of sexual release. But, Yhalen will become integral to his plan when events go awry. At first, Yhalen hates his "master," but those feelings begin to alter as Bloodraven puts his own life at risk to protect him.

The relationship between Bloodraven and Yhalen begins in rape. But, since this is a show more fantasy novel with magic and creatures not real, their eventual feelings for one another are believable, especially when they face life and death situations together. As Yhalen asserts his dignity and will, the dialog and banter between the two becomes engrossing. There is a lot of hot sex, but also some disturbing violence, torture and rape that could bother some readers. This medieval type realm and magical world is well developed and the characters fully fleshed out. This is not an M/M romance - this is a full-length fantasy novel which happens to have an M/M relationship at the core. This self-published novel is more expensive than traditional publications, but well worth it. An oversized, perfect bound softcover. Highly recommended! show less

I'm afraid this one lost me already right at the beginning, when a boy gets raped by an arm-thick penis (as thick and long as the arm of an adult man). and magically heals his anus and rectum. Yahoo! The endlessly torturable victim has been found and written. Yes. Right. Like having some paper doll into which you may stick pins and pins and pins...

Pointless and hilarious in a not so good way. I never much recovered after this major gaffe and couldn't bring myself to suspend disbelief again.