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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
#BookReview - Raven and the Panther
Raven and the Panther
By Feathered Quill
By: John Fennell
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: October 2017
ISBN: 978-1979001151
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: December 29, 2018
A twisted thriller of international proportions, Raven and the Panther begins down home among kinfolk and ends with kindred souls facing a new world together. Author John Fennell II began his life, and begins this book, in West Virginia. His central character is a teenage girl whose wild and wily ways earn her the nickname Raven. As the book opens, she is living a quiet life at home with her aging but steely-minded mother Stella and her hardworking Uncle Bill. Her relationship with a boyfriend, Naci, has begun to heat up considerably, but when he insists he’ll leave West Virginia after high school to see the wider world, she feels she has lost him already. Then Stella passes, and she’d be totally alone if it weren’t for her kindly uncle. When he is killed, shot down in a public place while Raven is with him, Raven suddenly transforms into huntress, then spy, determined to figure out who killed her uncle and why.The more Raven learns, the more she finds herself embroiled in a multi-level network of warring factions in her home territory and well beyond. Bill, she discovers, had a secret life as an operative for an organization dedicated to upholding politically conservative ideals against the evils of rapidly spreading liberalism. As Raven follows in Bill’s footsteps to infiltrate the enemy’s hierarchy and get revenge, she becomes a self-activated deadly weapon. Then she meets a man who is her equal, and together they go in for the final kill.Fennell has constructed his book with episode upon episode of mounting tension and increasing violence. Set within what is apparently meant to mirror current trends, he uses the metaphor of “draining the swamp” and at one point, depicts Raven and her allies tracking down a former Secretary of State named “Hillary Benton” and giving her such a pounding that she will be ineffective in any future traitorous plans. The pauses between bloody hits and deep intrigue often involve highly erotic sexual encounters, some starring Raven, some merely casual occasions between other characters. Fennell is as skilled at painting sensuous scenes as in creating moments of raw violence. He also includes in the mix a bizarre sci-fi twist adding to the mystery: some of his characters are infused with a brain serum that gives them special, superhuman powers of cognition.Though at times the rapid segues may prove confusing and the sex somewhat gratuitous, the author is to be commended for focusing on Raven and other admirably authoritative women as prime movers in this drama, and for keeping the action rolling on every page.Quill says: Raven and the Panther deals with contentious, up-to-the-minute issues by highlighting powerful virtues of fearlessness and tenderness within the psyche of a resolute, uncompromising young female.For more information on Raven and the Panther, please visit the author's website at: johnfennell.com
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John Fennell II’s Raven and the Jungle is an action thriller with strong espionage elements, following Raven Anderson, a highly trained Foundation agent and assassin, as she moves through a dangerous world of criminal networks, personal loss, human trafficking, and shadowy power struggles. The story begins with Raven caught in conflict with Shamokin and the Roth, then widens into a fast-moving plot involving kidnapped children, old loyalties, covert teams, mind transference, and a final reckoning that feels personal as much as tactical.
What I enjoyed most was the sheer force of Raven as a character. She’s fierce, blunt, damaged, and almost impossible to slow down. The book does not try to make her soft in an easy way, but it does let cracks show. Her bond with Maggie, her memories of Jill, and her connection to Naci give the story more emotional weight than I first expected. I liked that Fennell allows Raven to be both terrifying and tender. One moment, she is calculating every exit, every weapon, every threat. The next, she’s carrying grief that still has a pulse. That contrast made her feel larger than life, but not empty.
The author’s choices are bold and direct. This isn’t a quiet thriller. It moves with urgency, often jumping from one danger point to another, and the world of the book feels packed with secret organizations, hidden money, elite fighters, corrupt leaders, and villains who deserve what is coming to them. The story leans into its intensity. Still, that same intensity is part of the appeal. The book is fueled by outrage, especially around trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people, and that gives the action a moral charge. Raven isn’t just chasing enemies. She’s trying to cut rot out of the world.
I would recommend Raven and the Jungle to readers who enjoy action thrillers with espionage, revenge, covert missions, and a powerful female lead who does not hesitate when the stakes are high. Fans of fast-paced, high-impact fiction will find a lot to enjoy here, especially if they like stories where justice comes with grit, risk, and a loaded weapon. It’s intense, emotional, and unapologetically driven by its hero.
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Literary Titaln Review
John Fennell II’s Raven and the Analyst is an action thriller with espionage and psychological thriller elements, and it follows Raven Anderson after a brutal attack leaves her shaken in ways even she cannot ignore. The story brings her back into the violent world of the Roth, assassins, secret tracking devices, and dangerous enemies, but the heart of the book is Raven’s recovery. With Naci beside her and Dr. Maria Delgado pushing her to face old wounds, Raven has to confront not only the people hunting her but the trauma she has carried for most of her life.
What stood out to me most was how personal this book feels. Raven is still the same lethal, sharp-edged force she has been throughout the series, but here she’s also fragile, angry, guilty, and tired. I liked seeing the story slow down enough to let her sit with that pain. The therapy scenes give the book a different kind of tension from the shootouts and missions. There’s danger in the room even when no one is holding a weapon, because Raven is being asked to face memories she has spent a lifetime outrunning. That choice gives the novel more depth, and I feel like it makes the title matter.
Fennell writes with the pace and intensity of a high-stakes action thriller. There are hidden compounds, private islands, covert teams, assassins with names like the Extractor, and a constant sense that trouble is always one step behind Raven. I enjoyed that big, pulpy energy. It’s dramatic, sometimes blunt, and often larger-than-life, but it fits the world of the series. What surprised me was how well that intensity worked beside the quieter parts of the story. The book is at its best when Raven’s outer war and inner war reflect each other. She can remove a tracker, hunt an enemy, and outthink a killer, but healing her mind is messier. It can’t be solved with a clean shot.
I would recommend Raven and the Analyst to readers who enjoy action thrillers with espionage, revenge, psychological tension, and a strong female lead who is both dangerous and relatable. Fans of the Raven Anderson Series will especially appreciate this entry because it doesn’t just raise the stakes outward. It turns inward, too. Anyone who likes fast-moving fiction with secret organizations, emotional scars, and a heroine fighting to reclaim herself will find a lot to enjoy here.
Pages: 280 | ASIN : B0D5SJ857B
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Posted by Literary Titan
John Fennell Author Interview
Raven and the Code Book follows Raven as she must secure a code book containing a world changing secret. What was the direction that you wanted to take this book that was different from the first two books in the Raven series?
I mixed in two characters and a special flying machine from the John Vacara series to add a different flare to the story line. I wanted the reader to experience Raven Anderson as they have come to know her, but I wanted the story line mixed up to keep it interesting.
Raven Anderson is a femme fatale secret agent who uses her skills, intelligence and sex appeal to get the job done. What were some new areas of her personality that you wanted to explore in this book?
I wanted Raven Anderson character more defined in this book. I think the reader now has a better perception of her personality, her dreams and why she shunned Naci from her life for over a year. She has learned that she may need to change her life direction as she gets older. I haven’t decided what she will evolve into five or six volumes from now, but rest assured, it will be interesting.
If Hollywood came knocking who would you cast as the lead characters in your book?
Raven – Gal Gadot. Naci – Matt Damon.
What are you currently writing and when will it be available?
A book magnet designed to intertwine both Raven Anderson and John Vacara series. It will explain the background and lay out the future for both series. This will be available late spring 2019 and will be available in electronic version only. It will be free. The next Raven Anderson book is Raven and the Psychiatrist, a story in the world of human trafficking. The next John Vacara series is Nadia’s Return. A very personal look at perhaps the world’s most sought after agent with a slight twist of scifi. these should be out late fall 2019.
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John Fennell Author Interview
Raven Gone Rogue follows Raven as she tries to find the truth behind her uncles death and needs to go against her former employer to do it. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting novel?
Raven Anderson is a very determined character who will stop at nothing to accomplish her goal. She knew The Foundation would never let her take out her uncle’s killer because he was a source of vital information, so she went rogue to hunt down the man who changed her life forever. As the author, I knew this was a natural story that would make a great plot for Raven Gone Rogue.
Raven is an intriguing character that I enjoyed following. What were some driving ideals behind her character development?
She was thrown into the agent lifestyle because of her uncle’s death, thus giving me a perfect character to develop. In the first book Raven and the Panther, Raven went from a teenager to a highly skilled assassin trained be her uncle and the Panther. In Raven Gone Rogue she had to leave The Foundation to accomplish her goal. This also set up conflict with her love Naci Vacara, grandson of The Foundation matriarch Amelia Vacara. The Foundation placed a target on her back.
I enjoyed the balance between action and exposition which kept the novel on a steady pace. Was there a balance you tried to strike, or did this develop organically while writing?
I wanted the story to follow a deliberate course to keep the reader engaged. I knew Raven needed to get back in the graces of The Foundation. Something drastic needed to happen in the plot so Raven could work her way back into The Foundation. It’s all in the book and the reader won’t be disappointed.
Where do you see this series going in future novels?
Raven will continue to rid the world of evil. She and her love Naci along with The Foundation will take on several more adversaries with a whole host of challenges. The next novel, Raven and the Code Book, deals with something that will change the world forever. Again, Raven Anderson meets her adversary head on and fulfills her duty to mankind.
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Raven Anderson is a badass femme fatale secret-agent detective-killer who uses her skills, intelligence, and sex appeal to get answers. This woman is not to be messed with, or it may be the last thing you do. Raven was born into the life of a trained killer and secret spy working for an agency known as The Foundation. This is the third book in the Raven Anderson series, and she is back to kick ass and take names. If you haven’t read the other two books, you will be fine with the brief synopsis at the beginning of this book. Soon you will get to know Raven very well!
Together with her friend Naci, she is given the mission to protect Professor Raymond Steele until he can reveal his groundbreaking solution to the world’s biggest issues, a solution, apparently, that has the big powers of the world scrambling to shut it down for fear of threats to power. Raven takes on the challenge with determination and killer instinct. It doesn’t take long for this mission to become intense. The Professor is in danger before Raven can get to him and his wife has been taken as a way to get the code book. From here, this book is a non-stop thrill ride punctuated by violence and sexiness, but also some light-hearted humor and interesting relationships. Its great fun as the author takes the reader all over the world, almost like getting to be a Go-Pro attached to an international spy! She goes up against some pretty rough characters, like the thuggish Boris Alexi, who is desperately seeking the code book. This story has a great arch with an exciting ending.
I quite liked the Naci Vacara character and thought that she balanced Raven’s character. Raven is a character that is intriguing because she is so well developed, nuanced, and dynamic. This is a labor of love and a truly enjoyable read that is both quick and fun. This is perfect if you are looking for something a little edgy but easy to digest.
Pages: 328 | ISBN: 1730750575
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Posted by Literary Titan
![Raven Gone Rogue by [Fennell, John]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MkEhfUFnL.jpg?resize=286%2C457&ssl=1)
Raven Gone Rogue is the second book in John Fennel II’s series which follows on from Raven and The Panther. It picks up the story with Raven, an agent, who is relaxing in her Florida hideout when her colleague Morgan tells her that they’ve been found and need to escape. Bullets come coursing through the air from a familiar enemy, The Foundation. Raven recognizes the enemy agents attacking her and the tension builds from there.
This confrontation leads to a fast-paced boat chase with the two Foundation agents frantically pursuing Raven. But Raven confidently takes control of the situation. She trusts in her abilities and decides to show off her innate skills and her specialist training. Ultimately Raven is a highly skilled and therefore very effective agent. This makes her a formidable enemy.
The prose is rich with onomatopoeia and vivid descriptions making it easy for the reader to visualize the chaos, be it a spray of bullets or a shower of shrapnel. The reader thus engages with the various elements of the adventure as it unfolds. Each scene plays out like a movie. In one instance switching between Morgan and Raven, keeping the flow of the action and constantly building tension and suspense as the reader follows both of these integral characters.
Despite the desperate and often critical situations, Raven is consistently calm and collected, always analyzing the situation and preparing her next move. Furthermore, the relationships that the characters build carry with them a sense of realism which at points – particularly at moments of remembering past trauma – communicates the feelings and motivations of the characters well.
The book comes with a brilliant energy. An impetus that moves through the first book and into this one, which is always forwarding the narrative and taking Raven into new situations.
Therefore, I give this book a four out of five for its in-depth development of its protagonist. Raven is such an interesting character to follow as she always seems prepared and she has an interesting approach to her line of work. Her confidence pervades every move that she makes, she knows she’s good at her job and she is not afraid to show off her talents. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fiction that includes secret agents going off grid. The twists and turns in the narrative means that this book may appeal to those who enjoy some mystery mixed in with the action.
Pages: 231 | ASIN: B07M8PC5H1