Firstly, a massive thank you to Stevie Finegan at Gollancz for sending me a copy of this book for review. Also, apologies to Gollancz and Ed McDonald for taking this long to publish my review for Crowfall.

Crowfall is the epic conclusion to the “Ravens Mark” trilogy by Ed McDonald. When I received my copy of Crowfall I didn’t know what to expect from it due to the action packed and gut wrenching end to Ravncry Ed McDonald had given us.

However as soon as I read the first few pages of Crowfall I could feel the tone shift almost as if I had never left the world. The ramifications of the events in Blackwing and Ravencry were very apparent, most of all in Ryhalt Galharrow. I remember when I first started reading Blackwing, the dark and dreary world hooked me immediately and as the books progressed you could feel how each action was shaping the world, this is especially true for the world we see in Crowfall.

Ed McDonald has amped up a level of darkness and dreariness in Crowfall to a level I have never experienced before in a fantasy book, it even sometimes felt like you were reading a thriller / horror due to the unease the story, world and characters make you feel. I loved this about the book.

Blackwing and Ravencry put a lot of focus on multiple characters however I feel that Crowfall is more focused on Ryhalt’s story and his role to play. For me this was the best aspect of the book as we get to see him in way we only seen glimpses of in the past, travelling with him on journey emotions was an astoungin piece of writing and storytelling.

The “Ravens Mark” books have told us quite a bit about The Nameless, however it was only while reading Crowfall that I found myself drawing comparisons between them and some Norse gods. I don’t believe Ed McDonald drew any inspiration for The Nameless from the Norse gods however it was nice to see my own little nods to them in the story.

I was so sad when I finished reading Crowfall as I have loved every minute of the time I spent reading the trilogy but at the same time I could quite happily start it all over again. The conclusion of the “Ravens Mark” trilogy is brilliant, it takes you on an emotional journey while still delivering an action packed finale and I will remember it for a long time to come.

If you haven’t read any of the “Ravens Mark” books then I would highly recommend you do so as I’m sure you will love it as much as I did. Ed McDonald is a fantastic writer and storyteller, he is one of my favourite authors and I am very excited to see what the next adventure from him will be.