I Am Raven is the follow-up to Alastair Chisholm’s I Am Wolf. It picks up almost immediately where the action left off. In this book, Chisholm reveals many answers to the questions posed in book one. We learn more about the Brann, Coll, and the world they inhabit. A new implacable villain appears.
What Is I Am Raven?
This is a direct follow-up to I Am Wolf and should not be read without reading that book first. As a pair, the books are outstanding, and you will not regret picking them up!
Spoilers for I am Wolf will follow from here on.
Cub and her crew want to find out what happened to Raven. They have seen off Dragon for now, but did any of Brann’s old crewmates survive? Reika wants them to travel north to learn more about the mysterious signal they have uncovered.
Early in their journey, they find a hidden cache buried underground. In this cache is a computer called Queenie, but its servers have been wiped. “Who could do this?” Reika wonders. (“How does Reika know all this stuff?” Brann and Coll wonder). The answers lie at the sinister heart of I am Raven.
After being intercepted by a stranger, the crew of Cub is invited to be interviewed by “The High Construct;” giant animal mechas that rule the land. This meeting reveals more information about the realm in which they all live. They learn about the origins of the wastelands they call home. Why is it here? How was it destroyed?
Cub is then invited to travel with the huge Bear. Finally, they are safe. Or are they?
Why Read I am Raven?
Alastair Chisholm’s writing might be a form of magic. How he crams so much plot and so many ideas into such accessible prose is nothing short of wizardry.
In I am Raven, our assumptions from I am Wolf are turned on their heads. The reveals about the world around Brann and Coll give the story a whole new dimension, as do Brann’s inner monologues.
In this book, we dig deeper into Brann’s psyche. Raised to be tough and to show no fear, Brann struggles to cope with the aftermath of the terrible events in I am Wolf. Her inability to suppress her anxiety goes directly against her personal coda. One driven into her by being a member of the Raven crew. This inability threatens to imperil her new friends and the mission they have embarked on.
Where I am Wolf examines Coll’s limb differences, I am Raven describes Brann’s mental health struggles and sets them alongside the novel’s exciting science fiction plot. The pair combines to make an effective piece of storytelling. Yes, there is a villain to overcome, but Brann is fighting herself too. Chisholm handles her personal journey with sensitivity.
I can’t say too much more, except that the direction the story takes is excellent. The sense of fear is palpable; you can feel the terrible consequences of failure faced by Brann, Coll, and Reika.
The series is left open for a third instalment. Indeed, it is crying out for one. The crew of the Cub will undoubtedly work their way into readers’ hearts, and it’s impossible not to want to know what will happen to them next. I sincerely hope we won’t have to wait too long for “We are Cub” or something similar!
If you would like to pick up a copy of I Am Raven, you can do so here in the US and here, in the UK. (Affiliate Links)
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I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
