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Highland Raven (The Celtic Blood Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Melanie Karsak (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,926
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Destined to become Queen of Scotland.
Bound by blood to the Celtic gods.

Scotland, 1026--Descendant of the line of MacAlpin, Gruoch should have been born into a life of ease. But fate is fickle. Her father's untimely death, rumored to have been plotted by King Malcolm, leaves her future uncertain and stained by the prophecy that she will avenge her family line.

Escaping to one of the last strongholds of the old Celtic gods, Gruoch becomes an adept in arcane craft. Her encounters with the otherworld, however, suggest that magic runs stronger in Scotland than she ever imagined.

Haunted by dreams of a raven-haired man she's never met, Gruoch soon feels her fate is not her own. She is duty-bound to wed a powerful lord, if not the Prince himself; however, she's not sure she can stop her heart when she meets Banquo, a gallant highlander and druid.

Readers will relish this sweeping Scottish historical fantasy that tells the tale of Gruoch, a woman struggling to escape her fate without blood on her hands. Dive into this thrilling historical scottish fantasy romance by New York Times best-selling author Melanie Karsak.

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Celtic Blood Series
  2. Print length
    256 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    3 December 2014
  6. File size
    3531 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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  1. The winds, however, come from four directions, and those directions each have a specific function. When the wind comes from the north it can mean death or change. An east wind indicates wisdom. A south wind is a powerful wind. A west wind is fertile and love-giving.
    Highlighted by 216 Kindle readers
  2. Cad Goddeau, “The Battle of the Trees,” written by the druid Taliesin.
    Highlighted by 163 Kindle readers
  3. It was often said that when two old souls who have lived many lives came together once again, they remembered each other. That was what Banquo meant. Our shared vision…it had been soul magic.
    Highlighted by 153 Kindle readers
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Product description

About the Author

Melanie Karsak is the author of the bestselling series The Airship Racing Chronicles and The Harvesting Series. She also tinkers around with mermaids, witches, and Scottish heroines. She has a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College. Connect with the author online: Newsletter: eepurl.com/OSPDH Webpage: melaniekarsak.com Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak Pinterest: pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00NK6B60O
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clockpunk Press; 2 edition (3 December 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3531 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 3,926

About the author

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Melanie Karsak

Melanie Karsak

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New York Times and USA Today best-selling historical fantasy author Melanie Karsak is the author of the Celtic Blood series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, Steampunk Fairy Tales, the Road to Valhalla Series, and other works of fantasy and fiction. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.

Join my newsletter and get Under the Strawberry Moon for FREE: https://bit.ly/37y35RS

Connect with Melanie online:

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/37y35RS

Webpage: http://www.melaniekarsak.com

Facebook: @AuthorMelanieKarsak

Pinterest: @melaniekarsak

Instagram: @karsakmelanie

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
3,926 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

May Griffiths
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down.
Reviewed in Australia on 26 April 2021
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I loved reading this series, hard to put down, easy to pick up and keep reading to find out what is going to happen next.
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Pamela Headlam
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in Australia on 28 January 2021
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I did enjoy this book and would like to read the second book but I think they are to expensive for the amount of pages to the book
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in Australia on 18 July 2019
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I smashed through this so fast! A world I am almost desperate to return to and am seconds from getting to book 2, do yourself a favour and start reading now!
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michelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Greta Series
Reviewed in Australia on 9 June 2020
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These books have made me realise how much I love historical fantasy/mythical fiction.
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Izzybear1
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Magical Introduction
Reviewed in Australia on 4 August 2020
Highland Raven is a book rich in fantasy with bits of Celtic history and folklore woven in. Given that the story is fantasy it was easy to suspend judgment about any perceived discrepancies and just enjoy the story for what it is.
I really quit liked Gruoch’s story.
She’s a young lady that’s a bit naive about some things but she gradually grows and learns along the way.
Gruoch’s destiny has been pre-determined but she is determined it would seem to defy the fates and create a destiny of her own choosing. Willing to fight to overcome whatever hardships she must to be with those she loves. First she must learn about the past and remember things long forgotten because the past and future are intertwined. With each secret she discovers another riddle most be solved.
I loved the narrator. She has a lovely voice and does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.
I’m looking forward to jumping into the second part of Gruoch’s journey and finding out what happens next.

*Just a note: there are some things to do with abuse, sex and religious beliefs that some might not be okay with reading. If you have triggers or are easily offended then this book may not be for you.
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Maria Tippett
2.0 out of 5 stars I was so bored. One I don’t like reading or listening when ...
Reviewed in Australia on 9 December 2017
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I bought both the book and narrative, I was so bored. One I don’t like reading or listening when the heroine talks in the “I”, for me it doesn’t flow well. I also found the story line slow and frankly not that interesting. At times I couldn’t quite see the reasoning behind some of the things written.
Not an author I will folllow.
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yvonne tuckerman
1.0 out of 5 stars how do you get the audio version that I paid for
Reviewed in Australia on 21 December 2019
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I paid for the Audio version and also the written version but all I got was the prologue on Audio
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Amanda Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Reviewed in Australia on 24 October 2018
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Can't say enough wonderful things about this fabulous book! It has everything I love - wonderful, strong female characters, wonderfully written without a dull moment, and love, magic, sisterhood and enough historical input to make the period come alive!
Read it, you will love this book!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars wow
Reviewed in Canada on 5 January 2024
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I loved it, thank you so much for your persistence. I look forward to reading the others books in this series.
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Kindle-Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Faszinierend
Reviewed in Germany on 25 September 2023
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Und mitreißend geschrieben! Die Geschichte hat mich tief in ihren Bann gezogen und ich konnte das Buch fast nicht aus den Händen legen...ich empfehle diesen Fantasie-Roman sehr gerne weiter
Vielen Dank an die Autorin
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Sinead
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2021
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I love Celtic mythology and a good plot and Highland Raven meets those two things and more.
Love that the book is about Lady Macbeth.. A surprise to me as I didn't read much of the description as I wanted to be surprised and I was pleasantly so. Now I'm going to read book 2 and I'm really excited to see where Melanie will take me.
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Melissa Dinwiddie
5.0 out of 5 stars I’m SO glad I gave it a try! One of her BEST!
Reviewed in the United States on 7 September 2018
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I’ll admit I was reluctant to pick this book up. After all, I know what Lady MacBeth has in store for her, and it’s not good—why would I want to read the story of a character I know is doomed? It did not sound like a good time to me...

How wrong I was!

Karsak writes that one of her authorial inspirations is Marion Zimmer Bradley, and I can definitely feel the influence of The Mists of Avalon here. Goddess spirituality, Druidism, and a reframing of an old story that we know only through a particular (very masculine, patriarchal) lens.

Karsak’s shift in perspective is thought-provoking, and not always expected, either—our heroine’s relationship to the three witches in the Scottish Play may surprise you, for example!

We follow the future Lady MacBeth, nicknamed Corbie, or “Little Raven,” from the age of about 16, when she is a ward of her father’s beloved half-sister, Madelaine, in a highland castle. As the daughter of a powerful lord, Corbie is fated to be a pawn in political power games (read: the traffic in women to seal political alliances). As witness to, and victim of, sexual harassment, molestation, and domestic violence against her aunt, the seeds are planted for her to be an avenger.

There are other ways that Corbie’s life is not her own. She wants nothing more than to be loved, but her attempts to follow her heart are best described by the phrase, “People plan and the gods laugh.” As we all do, she muddles along as best she can, every step taking her in the direction of her ultimate fate.

This is the first book in a series of three, and the closing, while not exactly a “cliffhanger,” does not tie things neatly into a bow, either. Consider it the end of Chapter One, rather than the end of a book, and get ready to buy Book Two!

Having read most of Karsak’s other series’ (the Red Riding Hood series is my other favorite), I have to say I was unexpectedly swept away by this book and its main character. The writing is rich and the story thought-provoking. I appreciate this new perspective on a much-maligned Shakespearean character. Highly recommended!
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Alexandra Sinclair
4.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner
Reviewed in Canada on 26 July 2020
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I really enjoyed the storyline and had a hard time putting the book down. Great read! I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
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