Tales of Ravenwill by John Gorman

Tales of Ravenwill is a gritty, episodic fantasy adventure centred on Rowena Ravenwill, a sharp-tongued grey elf rogue whose life is shaped by contracts, secrets, survival, and the consequences of her own choices. The book is a prequel to the Orb of Zorn trilogy, and while it can be read as a standalone work, readers may find it helpful to know that going in. The title is quite literal: this is not one single quest with one central plotline, but a series of tales from Rowena’s life. The first half moves through several shorter, loosely connected adventures, while the second half settles into a longer and more cohesive journey involving Alandia, Dragonia, sea battles, shipwreck, giants, and old relics.

Rowena herself is the true through-line. In the beginning, she is not always easy to like, though she is certainly easy to follow. She is an outsider and a loner, which immediately gives her a certain appeal, but her worldview is often brutally selfish. If someone will not give her what she wants, she is quite capable of killing them and taking it. Several characters who initially seem as though they might become important to the wider storyline are dispatched quickly, sometimes just as they begin to grow interesting. This gives the opening a hard, unpredictable edge, but it also makes Rowena a challenging protagonist.

What makes the novel rewarding is the sense that Rowena is not fixed in place. After she is captured and taken to trial for a crime she did commit, she is freed by a sellsword who tells her that he hopes, if he were ever in the same situation, someone might do the same for him. That moment feels like a quiet turning point. From there, Rowena’s heart begins to lighten, even if she would probably deny it. Her rescue of Y’kem, a small kobold-like creature she saves from being killed by a farmer, becomes one of the book’s most enjoyable developments. Their partnership brings humour, irritation, warmth, and a little softness to Rowena’s otherwise guarded life.

The novel is at its strongest when the separate adventures begin to reveal more about Rowena’s character. The Chalice of Truth, the strange happenings at Hogshire, the political tensions in Alandia, and the later voyage into danger all help build the feeling of a larger world with old histories still pressing against the present. My favourite section was the island of Pelagu and the adventure with Orik, the giant. Orik’s more childlike way of speaking contrasts beautifully with stories that reach back thousands of years, and his presence brings a surprising tenderness to the book. That section also hints that Rowena may be more than she believes herself to be, which adds welcome depth to her journey.

Tales of Ravenwill is unusual in structure, and readers expecting a single straightforward plot may need time to adjust. However, taken as a collection of formative adventures, it becomes a distinctive and entertaining prequel. It is violent, wry, strange, and often unexpected, carried by a rogue whose rough edges gradually reveal something more human beneath them.