Ravens in Sarah Fine's Servants of Fate book series

I've been listening to the Servants of Fate book series written by the talented Sarah Fine. Since these audiobooks are very well performed, the story truly carries me out to the future it describes: "a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse".  The setting is a crude Boston future, where water and resources are scarce and people have a very tough time surviving. The characters are very well fleshed out and the paranormal romance story is solid. I really enjoyed these first books and I am looking forward to read the last instalment (coming sept 2015, very soon!). 

In this world, there is a family called the Ferrys, who are tasked with carrying the dead to the afterlife: once humans are “Marked” by fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain. In this context, you may wonder how they do the whole ferrying: with a scope, a jewel that they carry on their neck and is pretty much an intra dimension portal.  Also, they run a company called Psychopopms Incorporated - which made me smile every time I heard it, as it made sense of the trade the Ferrys have: a Psychopomp is a mediator who escorts newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.

What has caught the most my attention on this series is the cultural depictions of the ravens. The scope/jewel has one carved. All the Ferrys have a tattoo of one on their back, suffused with magic and made through a ritual that marks them as a member of this tradition. I imagine how pretty they must be and how they must look!

These are some cool raven tattoos I found online:

Both from: http://tattooartclub.com/men-tattoos/cool-examples-of-raven-tattoo-designs/

I have always wondered about ravens, its symbolism as a mediator animal between life and death. The anthropologist Levi-Strauss describes that as a carrion bird, ravens became associated with the dead and with lost souls. It is strange though, that since ravens are not present in my geographical location, they have some historical/literary/media traditions that even I feel familiar with. 

One clear example of how I've been exposed to these cultural depictions is in Edgar Allan Poe's poem: The Raven, here this animal is a messenger of a 'Nevermore' nature, an ever-present being that delivers sadness. 

"Tenniel-TheRaven" by John Tenniel - lib.udel.edu. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tenniel-TheRaven.jpg#/media/File:Tenniel-TheRaven.jpg

When I lived in Vancouver I was exposed to a certain degree to the Pacific northwest coast native art. Particularly, Bill Reid's sculpture Raven and the First Men, located at the UBC Museum of Anthropology (I went to do grad school there, so I saw it with frequency), this was also an image that was printed in the $20 Canadian bank note (It has since changed to a new note without the raven).  

It is beautiful, and so detailed!

From: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raven-and-the-first-men.jpg

Recently, we have the Game of Thrones always quick messengers of good and bad news... send a raven is ever present in these books.    

From: http://ow.ly/QoQxT

I really enjoy finding in the books I read cultural depictions and allusions of historical and mythological nature.  

Review: And All the Stars

And All the Stars by Andrea K. Höst

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Come for the apocalypse, stay for the cupcakes, die for love". With this premise, I was as attracted to this book as a moth to the light (I know, random reference, but so appropriate for this book hehe). It's such a refreshing standalone story, I wished there was a sequel.

Madeleine is a very talented artist, a socially awkward girl who is very introverted. She doesn't seem to have friend, or any interactions with other people beside her family members. She is going to her cousin's apartment to paint his portrait in the hopes to enter into a very prestigious artist prize. However, something terrible happens once she is leaving the subway. She is left inside a partially ruined station, following an explosion that has created a cloud of purple dust. A huge Spire, dark and full of stars is impossible rotted from the station and upwards towering at the park above the station. This makes Madeline wonder, what has she encounter? as it looks as it was delivered straight from a nightmare.

All these events occur in the opening pages of this story, giving the reader little time to 1) experience Sydney, 2) digest the intrusion of Spires and 3) worry enough for Madeleine. Rest assured, as this will unroll deliciously and carefully once this story starts unfolding.

Sydney becomes one main character, as the events occur there. The space and the locality the story's characters and experience bring a joyful glance of this city. I've never visited it, but I'm sure, once I go, I'll most likely take my time in walking around St James Station and the fountain at Hyde Park.

Madeleine is rough on the edges, but easy to care for. I enjoyed being able to glimpse into her mind. I found all the sweet romance refreshing and sincere.

The secondary characters are brilliant. With enough strength, wit and resolve to be amazing, but with healthy doses of believable behaviour. Seeking the best solutions when trying to survive in a broken, unknown world.

I loved the pace, the quality of the writing, the emotions the author stirred inside my heart and brain, but most of all the original plot and its Machiavellian twist. I also welcome all mentions and references to The Lord of the Rings and this book was full of these, plus a high dose of Alexander Dumas.
It is not a simple sci-fi book, but it is perhaps the most real one I can imagine.
This is as much as I can say without giving any spoilers. And the way the story is, I recommended diving into it without any knowledge of it's plot. Seriously, the thrill of discovering with the characters what is happening is worth it. I wished for more cupcakes!

___
Dear Andrea K. Höst if it wasn't for Netgalley I would have missed on your wonderfully clever book. Thank you for giving me the chance to meet Madeleine :-)



View all my reviews

A beautiful tattoo

On yours truly! Here is a sneak peak pic ;)