Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Ravenbourne Slavery: Book I of the Ravenbourne Trilogy by Benjamin H. Barnette is a thrilling adventure set in the Bronze Age. When the Imperial Army sacks the city of Opar, most Oparian men are killed, with their womenfolk and grown children taken as slaves by the victors; babies are slaughtered. Young Opar warrior Kaelin is wounded in the battle and taken prisoner. A chance event sees Kaelin save the life of the Lord of Ravenbourne, and his fortune changes dramatically. He is recruited into the elite cadre of Ravenbourne Warriors, the most feared army in the empire; however, his focus is still very much on discovering what has happened to his mother and sister, who were taken into slavery upon the defeat of Opar. In Ravenbourne, the young maiden Natasha is blossoming into a beautiful and desirable young woman. While she appears to most to be an insignificant peasant girl, the powerful women of Ravenbourne know she is much more. She is part of the Ravenbourne worship of the Goddess Asa and, as such, is critical to their future.

Ravenbourne Slavery is a thrilling and mystical adventure that lovers of early pre-history fantasy will adore. Author Benjamin H. Barnette has created some characters that are easy to relate to and root for. What I particularly enjoyed was the variety of arcs that characterize this novel. However, most of the action centers on Kaelin and his exploits; other storylines and character arcs are explored and well-developed. Although there is plenty of action for the adrenaline junkies, there is also careful and methodical character development, which is unusual in a book of this length, and the author is to be congratulated on this. The court intrigue, fraud, and deception are well-written and create excellent tension to add to the story, a coming-of-age romance set in an exotic location and time. The novel’s length makes it excellent reading for a quiet afternoon as it can easily be digested in a single session. For the first book in a trilogy, this story does what a first book should do; it introduces and develops interesting characters, dynamic tension, and a future story arc, leaving the reader thirsty for more and looking forward to the next iteration in this trilogy.