The Crimson Queen (The Raveling Book 1)

I have been so sick and tired of trying to find a book that was worth the effort of reading it lol. This is a great book, good action, nice solid plot, without all of the filler that most of the most popular authors love to cram throughout. Well, done and thank you

Some intriguing world-building. While the dialect of a few characters might call A Song of Ice and Fire to mind, I detected a definite Wheel of Time vibe in many respects, with an advanced, magic-fueled past world and a comparatively primitive one where the contemporary story plays out, immortals from that past surviving into the present, and odd new cults and talents cropping up.The main character is perhaps the weakest link, but he functions as a decent viewpoint for the readers. However I would actually prefer following some of the side characters.The standout is the titular Crimson Queen herself, a compelling character who could easily be hero or villain, savior or destroyer, and I'm tempted to read more just to see how her story progresses. Hopefully she will feature more prominently in volumes to come.

Two months ago I opened Crimson Queen and DNF-ed it after few pages. I’m not sure why. Evidence suggests I have some undiagnosed neurological issue because once I opened it a few days ago I couldn’t put it down. The world sucked me in and characters were so interesting and well written that I was anxiously followed their fates.The story starts familiarly. Our main character comes from a small fishing village. His mother was a stranger saved from the sea by his father. Her past is unknown, her fate was cruel – villagers killed her after accusing her of sorcery. It seems Keilan has her power. Actually, it seems he has a lot of power as in the beginning of the book he almost wakes up a sleeping god. It wasn’t unnoticed by other forces presented in the book. It seems everybody’s interested in Keilan – an Empire who hates magic and wants to Cleanse him, a brilliant and cynical immortal who has her plans for him, Crimson Queen who plans to bring back magic to the world.The book is told through few POVS and we get almost all the goodies fantasy can offer. There’s a Paladin, swords with names, a holy empire that hates magic, shape shifters, demons, mysterious assassins who move through shadows and use blades made of the night. There’s also an immortal wizard who pulls all of the strings from behind the scenes. Personally, I love these tropes, especially when they’re done well.The story is quite complex and immersive. I’m satisfied with all reveals and twists. I can see that some readers may accuse the book of being based on tropes but personally I don’t mind. I like tropes.The writing style is flowery in places and rich and I liked that. The writing, unveiling the pot and the world through the eyes of multiple characters kept the story fresh and interesting. I rooted for all characters, even the evil ones who are quite fascinating. The character I somehow relate most to was, unexpectedly, Jan. I really wonder what plans Alec Hutson has for him? I’ll be sure to check it once the sequel hits the shelves.Of course, it wasn’t perfect – some events weren’t fully explained. In some moments the story felt too rushed, in others possibly interesting times were summed up in few pages (Keilan stay at Scholia, students interactions). It won’t change my rating though as the book was hard to put down and never failed at keeping up the tension.It’s also worth noting Crimson Queen has a great balance between darker and lighter tones. Personally, I dislike books that try to be ultra-grim just for the sake of it. In Crimson Queen we experience tragedy and loss of characters we may start to root for and yet there’s still hope and some light left.Well done Mr. Hutson. I want a sequel. Right now

I was lucky enough to injure myself and read the book in two days. Overall I strongly recommend it. I've read nearly every epic fantasy series available, and I'm excited to see where this goes.The plot for the main character is a little formulaic. In fact the last four books I've read follow nearly the same plot. MINOR SPOILER: it's the story of a young boy who is forced to leave his home because of an innate talent, which leads to adventures and lands him at a training academy. He's super powerful, of course, and surprises everyone along the way. But the formula is there because it works, and the outline of a book can be very similar while the details make the difference.The system of magic was interesting, though not too large a focus in the book. I really like the world the story is set in, and I was enthralled by the history of the world. The author weaves these things in, and I felt like it was just the right amount. Some fantasy writers obsess over their own worlds in painful, boring detail. I felt like I had a solid picture of where things were happening, how, and in what context. It might not hurt to have a map printed out if you're on Kindle to keep distance and place straight. I even found myself wanting to discover more from a certain abandoned city. You know you're reading a well-devised book when you want to go back to a place and learn more secrets.Even though it's a great story there are a few things that could be done better.The exposition is a little bit clumsy and forced. There are several moments where the reader is actually listening to history lesson. Some of the characters thoughts introduce you to lands and people for which you have no context, and no idea of knowing what's important. The story also jumps around a bit to much in the beginning before you're attached to any character. So the introduction is a little frustrating, but it's worth getting through.I'd also love for the writer to allow the reader to do a little more thinking. While there are still some mysteries, they're sometimes spoon-fed a little too easily. SPOILER: Lingering questions include, "What are the things in the void? What are the gods that are worshipped? What will happen with the slumbering monsters, and how do they relate?" I hope these will be unfolded to the reader through the story rather than explained all at once in a newly-translated book or in a statement from some very old character. Listing any other complaints would give them too much weight. I don't want to make it sound like it's not a good book, because it is.Final word: Good pacing, an interesting world with a fascinating history, and a story I can't wait to hear more about.

Wow! I read a lot of fantasy but this is one of the best I’ve read in years. Great storyline, absolutely absorbing with strong characters.

When I picked this book and started reading through this it felt like the old formula of the chosen and the prophecy and the boy who comes into his powers.. But no. There are chosen. There are prophecies and there is a boy. But the story is hardly just about him. This series is written from the viewpoints of various people who have joined in this journey along the way..and boy oh boy, this is so interesting.Sometimes i did wish that the chapters were longer or that the book could have been more fleshed out.. but not by much.I am on the third book now and I can't wait to finish it and at the same time i do want to finish this series.

Amazing book and a must read for any epic fantasy fan. Sometimes a book just grips you and doesn't let go till the end, this is one of those books. Great world building and character development. Even though at it's core it's the usual farm boy to hero story, with a cataclysm on the horizon, it remains fresh for some reason and is simply really enjoyable to read. I don't know how many books are planned but I'm looking forward to reading them all. Best of luck to you Alec, your future looks bright.

As an older guy who has just completed re-reading all of Eddings and Feist for about the 15th time (and loving the books still). I needed some new epic fantasy, I couldn't have chosen better, great characters, great well fleshed out world and a compelling story. Serious page turner and a great read

What I liked-1. A mysterious magic system. Doesn't go in too much details2. Not simple good vs evil story. Each character has a gray area.3. Coming of age story for young KeilanWhat I disliked -1. Pacing seemed bit off at times.Overall verdict -A good solid read that opens a new world to the reader.