The SnowRaven Chronicles: Thian Oil

By: A J Spencer

Narrated by: Matt Franklin

The Snowraven Chronicles: Thian Oil by AJ Spencer - the final installment in the Snowraven Chronicles series: The lady Snowraven, fallen out of favor with the duke's inner circle, returns to the simple life of a humble shepherdess... But to lead her flock through the very heart of the mighty Andereke mountains, she must either cross the fabled bridge of Nelchatta... and pay the troll's terrible price... or risk being trapped by the nightmarish Thian Oil pits... a dark and terrible fate from which few escape... The putrid sludge from centuries of nexil-orbs - haunted by the vile creatures transformed by its insidious evil. All while the Vosharians lay siege to the duke's greatest stronghold - the Snowraven embroiled in one final battle that will either spread the revolution of industry to every corner of the world... or destroy it forever...

©2012 Joseph Buzzoni (P)2014 Joseph Buzzoni

A final Installment? May Have more please?

This is a sad time, as this is the final Snowraven book for me to review. At least, that is what AJ SPencer says. I'm really hoping that he will rethink things, and bring back the notable near naked swordswoman at some point in the future. Her adventures have been just too fun to miss out on for long.

Secondly, I must say that I am glad to see that Matt Franklin has returned to his spot in the narrator's booth. He was deeply missed in the third installment, and his dulcet tones are a welcome return to form. He really brings this story alive, and I recall in one review where I literally wondered why they hadn't used a female narrator for Snowraven's tales, and when I finally got one, all I could think of was that I wanted Franklin back. He really is the voice of this series, and he is amazing at catching our attention with his voice.

Spencer has once again crafted a captivating tale that you can't help but get swept away in, even though the story is basically about our volumptuous swordmaiden's return to tending sheep. Funny thing is, you know she can't keep out of trouble for more than a few minutes any more than she can keep her clothes on for long. This, if it is the final tale, is a worthy one to go out on. This is an action packed tale that flies at you like a dagger in the dark. I don't like to go into a lot of details, for fear of providing spoilers but I will say that if you have enjoyed the earlier tales then you are going to LOVE this one as it really brings Snowraven Shaska back to her roots and flies forward faster than any story prior. Monster and man blood flows, and even falls like rain, so be prepared for some hellacious fight scenes. The story is one to go out on if you are going to close a chapter on a great character.

Again, I really lament that this is the last book in this series, but it is one hell of a listen, and I loved every second of it. I sincerely hope that Spencer rethinks his position on closing the door on this world. Don't let the fact that this is the end deter you from getting this story. It works as a stand alone tale, and if you have listened to the others then you will not want to pass this up. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. Getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

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Another excellent addition to a great series!

Note: Even though this is Book 4 in the series, it works as a stand alone.

The book blurb on Audible says this is the final installment to the SnowRaven Chronicles. I really, really hope that is not the case!

Saska has returned from the High Seas, out of the Duke’s favor. She has gone home to her sheep and the Andereke mountains. Her beloved mutated fox-serpent companion Lynx is still with her. Together, they must lead the sheep home through the treacherous mountains. There will be deadly, sneaky serpent-like monsters, dastardly trolls, the horrible thian oil and its inhabitants, plus a giant spider monster! Saska will have plenty of opportunity to fight all of them, clothing optional as always.

I have really enjoyed this series. Saska is such a fighter, holding tight to her honor and assessment of what is right or wrong in the moment. Her companion Lynx is a steadfast furry that not only keeps her warm on occasion but rescues her from time to time. Scout Tommy Calvor (spelling?) joins in the second half of the book. That may just be his coat Saska is wearing on the cover illustration.

Throughout the series, we have had minor clashes between the Vorashian industrialism that creates the highly prized nexil-orbs (which can provide both heat & light) and the old way of doing things – magic, hard work, raising hardy bug-eating sheep. In this installment, the two worlds butt heads big time. As monster after monster demand that Saska sacrifice a sheep or two, and maybe a human or three, she finds herself feeling the need to rid the earth of one more greedy monster, old school or industrialized.

The thian oil is a by-product of the production of the nexil orbs. It has to be disposed of somewhere, and that somewhere appears to be a deep ravine in the Andereke mountains. And somewhere along the way, some misguided humans started worshiping some monster deity associated with the oil. In their prayers, they became contaminated with the stuff and then mutated. These scenes where Saska is trying very hard to safely navigate over or past the thian oil were some of my favorite, mostly because it involves a lot of fighting and much of it in the nude. Yep, our heroine can not be taken out so easily even if she has lost all her clothes.

The story leaves us with a satisfying end to this one tale, but with plenty of questions for Saska’s future. So I am really, really hoping that this is not the final installment. After all, there are still more monsters to fight, more nude battle scenarios to be carried out, and what about her male entanglements?

Definitely a worthy installment in the series with plenty of mayhem and fun for the listener/reader.

Narration: Matt Franklin has returned as narrator for this book and once again did a great job. I really missed his performance for Book 3 and was so pleased to hear him in this installment. His rich stage voice adds an air of the epic poem to these tales, allowing for all the just-over-the-top fight scenes to be enjoyed fully. Just think of Beowulf’s naked fight scenes with his monster and how that just would seem a little silly if it wasn’t an epic Norse tale meant to be told around a campfire. That’s what Matt Franklin brings to these books.