Another book hangover

Yesterday I spent the day driving places... carting children places, going to the grocery store, going to another grocery store, going to the library, etc. It left me with awkward bits of time throughout the day. This turned out to be a good thing because I was in the middle of a book that I desperately wanted to keep reading. It seemed the perfect activity for all those awkward bits of time where you can't really begin anything. When the day began I was halfway through a 650 page book. At 11:00 last night I had finished it. Now I read fast, but that was a pretty good amount of reading to get done even for me. It also shows how totally engrossed I was. 

And what was the book? The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. First off, it's fantasy. If that's not your genre, this is probably not the right book for you. Some aspects of the book were pretty typical for fantasy: contests to see who would rule the county next, different houses/clans/mentors that organize society, magic, and morally questionable dragons. I really enjoyed how it was done and there were a couple of places where I was surprised at a turn in the plot. (I find even a little foreshadowing can ruin most plot twists for me, so it is unusual to actually be surprised.) I enjoyed the characters and I particularly enjoyed the humor which ran through it. I don't like violence, and this came in at about a three out of five for me. (Five would be an absolute not read, four I might keep going if I am engaged in the plot, but I will not always be happy, three is not quite to uncomfortable, but getting close, two is mild, and one is none, if that helps.) 

I had found it because I had come across a review of the second book in the trilogy releasing soon. When I had finished it, I immediately went to put the second one on hold. I knew it wasn't released yet, but I can often get on the list if a book is coming out soon. But the book wasn't there! I did a little investigating and discovered that it won't be released until the autumn of 2027! How am I supposed to remember the first book by the time the second is released. And if the author plans a trilogy, then when is the third book going to come out?! This is why I prefer to read older books where all the installments of a series are written and published. I am not typically a patient person. 

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