Reviews
Journey to an ancient land filled with  magic...
Heckart's work offers beautiful, poetic
descriptions rich in detail. Reading this book is
about the idyllic agrarian lifestyle, and the
sense of people's connection to the land, to the
sense of people's connection to the land, to the
tribe, and to the spirit world. The richness of
detail in descriptions create a powerful aura
that positively fills this work.
Reviewed by Snapdragon at the Long and The Short
of It
Ambiorix, once a commander in the Roman army and now a traitor to the
Roman Empire, must stay hidden in Caledonia. After Nemu gives birth to their
son, Bran, they live among the mysterious Caitt of the northwest highlands
where Ambiorix is known as the legendary Ravenwolf. To protect his family,
Ambiorix puts down his sword, but the restless heart of a warrior still resides
inside of him. Nemu, now mortal, also has restless feelings about her time as a
faery and druid.

Their idyllic life is shattered when spiteful goddesses seek to destroy Nemu.
Her only ally is a mysterious white she-wolf who is more than she seems.
These goddesses join forces with a renegade Roman legion led by Ambiorix’s
old friend Marcus. The Romans need his help to stop Marcus who is wreaking
havoc on the northern forts and stirring up the native tribes. To protect his
again commanding a cavalry unit, and torn between the soldier inside and
being a husband and father.

Nemu must confront a past life that is filled with betrayal, loss and revenge. As
her past life collides with her present life, she finds herself trapped in the
Celtic Underworld by a god who was once obsessed with her when she was
known as Becuille.   

Can their love survive the wrath of the goddesses and an obsessed god?  
Can Ambiorix save Nemu from her Underworld prison without forfeiting his own
soul?  
Do you like a bit of history mixed in with a touch
of spellbinding romance? In Ravenwolf Kelley
takes you into a time and place where all is
magical and amazing.
Reviewed by Angela McCarthy at TCM Reviews
It might be easy to categorize this book as or
as romance because of the explicit sexual
content and story of lovers in jeopardy, but the
lovely writing and incorporation of well-
researched Celtic history and mythos elevates
the book to something beyond either clichéd
genre. Below the sensual surface, the book
seems to touch on themes of balance and unity
between genders. Women are empowered in
the story with the depiction of powerful female
goddesses, but Heckart carefully avoids the
trap of choosing one sex over the other by
emphasizing the need of each to come
together as a balanced whole.
The story will be entertaining to most and
fascinating to anyone interested in Celtic
history and myth. -–
Reviewed byAmanda
Yesilbas at HNR
Entire Review of Ravenwolf on Historical Novel
Reviews Online
Excerpt from Ravenwolf:

Despite the threatening storm, the cavalry rode like the wind, hooves pounding
like the flapping wings of a thousand ravens. Ambiorix felt a sense of urgency
and refused to halt the unit. He knew they were close.

The soldiers dutifully followed him, as did Cavarinus and the other native
warriors from the Great Glen hillfort.

Ambiorix did not know how he knew where to go, but something deep inside
guided him to Nemu. The sun had just set, cloaking everything in darkness,
but the flashes of lightning acted as mystical torches lighting the way.

They rode into a clearing and a flash of lightning revealed a group of people
and horses up ahead. Ambiorix ordered the squadron leaders to fan out with
their men in case it was the enemy they faced.

His horse seemed to have wings as Ambiorix sailed through the air,
approaching the group head on. The courageous native warriors followed him
into the unknown.

What he saw in the next flash of lightning chilled his heart. A dark-winged
creature carried Nemu away as she lay lifeless in its arms. He watched
helpless as she faded into the dark flickering clouds.

Nechtan, Conall, Caoilte, Nechtan's warriors, and a strange woman with blond
hair stared in horror at the dark flashing skies. The blond-haired woman wept,
calling out a strange name--Becuille. Another flash of lightning revealed large
amounts of blood splayed on the still dry earth.

Ambiorix dismounted and knelt next to the blood, dipping his fingers into
Nemu's life force. 'It cannot be true, she cannot be gone,' he thought. "Who did
this?" he roared.

"I...I saw a dark man dressed just like you." The flaxen-haired woman looked at
him with distrust in her eyes.

"Marcus!" Ambiorix's heart turned black with vengeance and he would spare
no mercy for his former 'brother in arms.'

Ambiorix turned to the strange woman, and was startled when he saw that the
left side of her face was disfigured. He tried to hide his shock. "What carried
her away?"

She had seen his sudden shock, and turned her left side away from him in
shame, pulling her hood over the left side of her face. "It was my sister,
Morrigan, who carried her off." Grief filled her voice. "I was too weak to stop
her."

The raven had taken her lifeless body, but to where and why?

****
Copyright 2006 by Kelley Heckart
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