Format: Hardcover
Length: 512 pages

Ravensong

The Bennett family has a secret: They’re not just a family, they’re a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone’s story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack that left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.

It should have been enough.

It was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. And when his town is caught in the jaws of a beast, Gordo is summoned back into the life that left him.

“Gordo, you must rise. For your pack. For us. I must ask you to become the witch to the wolves.”

Now, a year later, Gordo has once again found himself the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.

But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s coming from within.

Published by Tor
Published on July 31, 2018

My thoughts:

I went into this one with a little hesitation. It had been a while since I read Wolfsong, and I wasn’t sure how quickly I’d settle back into the world of Green Creek. Turns out, I didn’t need to worry. Klune makes it easy to fall back into the rhythms of the town, the wolves, and the complicated relationships that keep this series running.

That said, I do have mixed feelings about how the book is structured. The entire first half essentially replays the events of Wolfsong, only this time through Gordo’s eyes. On one hand, this worked in my favor because it jogged my memory and reminded me of everything I loved about the first book. On the other hand, it sometimes dragged. I found myself itching to move forward, especially since I already knew how those events unfolded. A tighter edit in those early chapters might have kept the momentum sharper.

The second half of the book is where the story shines. Once it breaks away from the rehashing, the tension ramps up and the emotional stakes hit harder. There’s comedy, there’s heartbreak, and there are battles—both physical and emotional—that kept me flipping pages. The drama is balanced with moments of genuine connection, and by the time things hit their stride, I was fully locked in.

What really carries this book is the cast. Klune writes characters who feel alive and flawed and sometimes ridiculous, but utterly human. Even the quieter moments pop with personality. Having lived in Oregon for years, I also loved how real the setting felt. Green Creek might be fictional, but it carries the energy of small mountain towns tucked in the Pacific Northwest.

My biggest gripe with this book was Gordo. Dude—get some therapy! He is a tough character to sit with. Anger is basically his default mode, and after a while, it felt repetitive. I get why he’s that way because of the betrayals he’s endured, the weight of being tied to the Bennetts, the scars carved into his skin, but it didn’t always make for compelling reading. Every time we circled back to his inner storm, it felt stuck on the same note. I found myself wishing for more nuance or at least a few moments where the anger cracked and let in some light. It’s not enough to ruin the book, but it did keep me from loving it as much as I hoped. Honestly, it just made me grateful the next book shifts to a different perspective.

Even with that frustration, I still recommend the series. The mix of family bonds, queer love stories, supernatural politics, and small-town grit makes for a world that’s fun to spend time in. Klune has a way of weaving humor and hope into dark, tense situations, and that balance is what keeps me coming back. This book may stumble in places, but the heart of the series is strong, and the second half of this book proves it.

So, if you loved Wolfsong and want to keep walking with the Bennett pack, this is worth picking up. Just be patient through the slower parts, and know the payoff is waiting. And brace yourself for Gordo. He’s a lot. Still, this is an engaging continuation of the Green Creek series. Not my favorite installment, but one that lays important groundwork. I’m already eyeing book three.

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Book # 2

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