The blurb
Lucas is a riftborn fighter bent on vengeance in this thrilling urban fantasy/detective noir series from the bestselling author of the Hellequin Chronicles.
The peace between the rift and humanity has always been tenuous. It’s up to the Guilds to protect it, removing whomever—or whatever—poses a threat, whether human or rift-fused. Lucas Rurik used to be part of the Raven Guild. That is, until someone murdered all of its members—except for him.
That was seven years ago. Now, Lucas keeps to himself, avoiding getting too close to anyone lest they become targets themselves. But when one of his oldest friends at the Rift-Crime Unit calls upon him for help with a case that’s already taken down people who mean a lot to him, Lucas can’t resist stepping back into the fray.
Something is killing FBI and RCU agents alike—something unlike anything Lucas has ever seen before, on Earth or in the Rift. Even more concerning, the gruesome assaults seem to be linked to Dr. Callie Mitchell, a depraved and disturbed individual who treats the rift-fused like her own personal lab rats.
And when someone Lucas thought he could trust turns on him, he realizes these killings aren’t just the random attacks of some terrifying new kind of fiend. They’re connected to whoever killed off his Guild all those years ago—and that’s something Lucas just can’t let lie . . .
The review
Urban fantasy and I have a tricky relationship. It’s usually not quite my cup of tea. That’s a ‘me’ thing, by the way. I like fantasy worlds that are completely different or historical fiction novels that are set hundreds of years ago. Escapism probably.
However, as with everything, quality always shines through.
Steve McHugh is an author I’ve read before. No Gods, Only Monsters, was a mythological fantasy featuring the Roman Goddess Diana, which, as you’ll have guessed from the first paragraph, is very much my thing. Despite the fact I had read a lot of mythological retellings, this novel struck me as different to most of the others. This story was pacey. Full of battles. Fun. Not literary like Circe or The Silence of the Girls, rather a Marvel-esque story that almost turned the pages itself. (I loved Circe and The Silence of the Girls by the way – but I enjoy variety too.)
Needless to say, I put Steve McHugh on my author watchlist and thought I’d try out the next series he wrote. This was The Last Raven.
And it’s absolutely brilliant. As I said, urban fantasy isn’t overly my thing, but when you have a writer this good, a story this pacey, a world building and setting that is very different to anything I’ve read before, and a brilliant lead character, then something magical awaits.
I found the whole concept of ‘the rift’ really cool. There are a variety of people and animals affected by the rift. There are riftborn, fiends, and rift-walkers, to name a few. It’s quite complex, and I enjoyed finding more about it as the novel progressed. The older mystery around the assassination of the Raven Guild was also very intriguing, and Steve McHugh was able to weave a current murder investigation with this older mystery really well. The main character, Lucas, is also very easy to follow. The death of his friends in the Raven Guild (of which he is the only surviving member) has weighed down on him for a long time, and it was a delight to see him rediscover himself as he realises that he may be able to discover who was behind it.
I’d highly recommend this for fans of urban fantasy, but also to anyone who is looking to read something a bit different. It gave me X-Men vibes, so if you like those comics/movies, I feel this will also be an entertaining read for you.