Product Description

The world of Lyra is the world of two moons which humans share with the folk of magic; the silvery people of the ancient Shee, the elusive forest-dwelling Wyrd, and the dreaded Shadow Born, whose evil seeps into men's hearts and the shadows of the world.

In this brand-new Lyra adventure, a proud young woman of the Cilhar, the legendary warrior tribe, must leave her mountain stronghold to travel to the city and accomplish a bitter task. Her mother, a soldier, died in the line of duty there: suddenly, and mysteriously. Among the few possessions she has left behind is the beautiful Raven Ring--an ancient family heirloom that is much, much more than it seems.

Retrieving her mother's ring is a simple matter--but getting it home again will prove no easy task. There are dark forces at work in the Lyra, determined to claim the ring for their own. She will need to discover the secret of the ring before she returns to the mountains she loves. Otherwise, she shall not leave the city streets with body, soul and heart intact....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472025 in Books
• Published on: 1995-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this sweet if slight novel, Wrede (The Harp of Imach Thysell) revisits the fantasy world of Lyra after a nine-year absence, conjuring up a quest story that nicely balances action, adventure and magic. Beautiful and brave Eleret Salven, 20, must travel to the city of Ciaron to reclaim her dead mother's personal effects. There, she becomes embroiled in a plot by evildoers who want to steal her mother's raven ring (a talisman of power useful against the ancient enemy, the Shadow-born), as well as in a dilemma over the romantic entanglements presented by a wealthy nobleman and a mischievous thief. Eleret is a lively, spunky heroine, and Wrede presents just enough exotica (including an exemplary use of an alternate tarot card system) to keep the slim plot zipping along. This refreshingly charming story makes good use of its warrior maiden, allowing her to find less obvious solutions to the rather typical dilemmas presented.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
When Cilhar warrior Eleret Salven travels from her mountain homeland to the city of Ciaron to claim the effects of her mother-who has died in battle-she becomes target to a host of enemies intent on acquiring her mother's possessions for their own purposes. Set in the lands of Lyra, this fantasy adventure by Wrede (Mairelon the Magician, LJ 5/15/91) blends action, intrigue, and romance. Clever dialog and engaging characters add further spice to this magical comedy of manners. Suitable for adult and YA fantasy collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Following her success with the tetralogy Dragons, Wrede, in her first hardcover novel, returns to the world of Lyra, scene of several of her earlier romances. She introduces a new Lyran setting, the city of Ciaron, to which she brings a young woman from Cilhar on comparatively routine family business, only to have her dragged more forcibly than not into a classic tale of mayhem and magic. Wrede is never less than competent and usually well above that level. Her characterizations this time are a trifle archetypical but engaging enough, and her world building and wit are up to her usual standard. For those who want to become fully immersed in Lyra, this book is not, however, the ideal place to begin--try Shadow Magic for that. Roland Green

Customer Reviews

One of My Favorites
The Raven Ring is one of my favorite books. It was the first book I read in the "Shadows over Lyra" novels, and discovered it was a stand-alone book. This can be your first Patricia C. Wrede book, but it will make you want to read more.

The Raven Ring is about a young woman, Eleret, who goes to visit the city of Ciaron to collect her dead mothers belongings. There, she discovers many people who are interested in the raven ring her mother owned. With the help of her friend, the sly and witty thief Karvonen, and her guide/bodyguard/friend Lord Daner, she solves the mystery of the Raven Ring and finds love along the way.

The Raven Ring is a great book which has just the right amount of mystery, romance, and fun in it. Patricia Wrede is a great author. The Raven Ring is the kind of book you will want to have on your bookshelf to read over and over again.

Excellent
I loved the book, the characters were realistic and completly based on people you can like and are amazed by. I loved the fact that the main charater was a girl who was a hugely able person. Most books have men as the warriors, but this one proved that women can be just as adept at anything they try as men can be. I loved that the main characters were not all honourable and that they shaped the story with believable actions. It also showed that people with perfectly good intentions can be as annoying as can be. I rate this five star for excellent characters, believable plot, and overall good writing.

Pure Excitement
I absolutely adore this book! Eleret is one of my favorite characters in all of literature, and I love her friends too. I have read this book more times than I can count, and highly recomend it too readers of all ages. It has plenty of action, and just the right amount of romance to be believable. I like how Eleret is capeable of taking care of herself in the big city, but is smart enough to realize that she needs a guide to help her, especially with the trouble that seems to be following her. Someone killed her mother, and now that same someone seems to be after her, and the ring that he mother wore. And even worse the someone seems to be a dreaded shadow-born, the soul stealers.