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Debbiereadsbook (1551 KP) rated Ravens and Ruin (Brodyr Alarch #5) in Books
Oct 8, 2025
This is book 5 in the Brodyr Alarch series. It's not necessary to read the previous books, nor the prequel, but I think it will give you a much better picture about these people and the world they live in.
Ewan is the youngest brother cursed, he serves as Harri's general. Crossing paths with Lowri, a healer of the old ways, sets off a chain of events that neither saw coming.
As I was reading this, I could see, really SEE the things Ms Sheppard writes about. Descriptions of people and places, that sort of thing. The skill has been great in other books I gave books 1-3 5 stars but slipped to 4 for book 4) but in THIS book?? The skill shines, bright and hot and throughout the whole book.
Ewan and Lowri are perfect for each other. Ewan can see Lowri's skill as a warrior as well as a healer. She is head strong and is not afraid to question Ewan.
Lowri can see what's beneath Ewan's outer prickly shell. She lets him have his brooding moments, and his time talking to the stones, but she stands beside him, quietly giving him her strength.
There is a line in the book I highlighted. I never highlight anything! It captures Ewan and Lowri's relationship perfectly.
The fire between them never burned high, but it never died.
I found this one a bit darker in places, but not sure why, I just felt, much like Ewan and Lowri felt, the land was off. Not a bad thing, at all! You know me, and my book brain, it needs to get feelings out when it can actually voice them, and it feels this was darker.
Still, totally clean. I will stand by what I said in each of the others, I'm loving that they are. It's not about that in these books. It's about two people, facing the things that are thrown at them, in each and every way, together.
And the things that are thrown at Ewan and Lowri are less physical things and more emotional and testing their faith in the old gods.
Branwen, who is Lowri's god and Arianrhod, who looks over all the brothers, are the gods here.
There is just one brother left, Gerallt. He was the brother who kept a swan wing instead of an arm when their curse was lifted. I've been waiting for his story for so long, and I will wait patiently (or maybe not so patiently!) for his story. I am keen to get into his mind about why he kept it.
As with all these books, they are loosely based around The Brothers Grimm tales, and given a Welsh twist. This one is The White Snake. I don't know that story, so I cannot say how true or how far apart these tales are, but Ms Sheppard absolutely NAILED the telling of this story!
Best one so far!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Treatment in Books
Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)
The Treatment By C.L. Taylor was a decent enough read that I really quite enjoyed.
I also took into account when reading, that this was aimed at a much younger audience than myself, so I have been slightly lenient in my rating as I feel there were things I noticed that would probably go over the heads of this books intended demographic.
I would say this is a read my twelve and thirteen-year-old boys would really enjoy, Myself being a mum in my forties, well let's just say I enjoyed this, while not overtaxing my brain overmuch.
So The Treatment is about sixteen-year-old Drew Finch and her actions when her younger brother Mason gets expelled from yet another school and sent to Norton House, a residential reform academy.
so after being followed by the mysterious Dr Cobey and receiving a strange message about the treatment, her brother is receiving while residing at Norton House. Drew decides to investigate herself by getting herself admitted as a pupil.
So as I said this was an enjoyable read that does what it says on the tin.
There were no great surprises here, This was more, the underdog saves the day type of tale.
Drew herself, well I felt a bit sorry for her bullied by her ex-best friend (which there was no real explanation for).
Does one thing wrong and then gets shipped off to a reform academy, I know she needs to be for the story to work but jeez, her mum, hardly mother of the year actions are they.
Drew herself seems to be quite a resilient girl with a bit of a kick-ass attitude, more so maybe than I would expect from someone who's been bullied so relentlessly.<br/>But anyway she seems a very likeable pragmatic type of girl.
She teams up inside Norton with her roommate Mouse and the two try to coordinate an escape while steering clear of there other roomy Jude.
Jude is every mean girl cliche you can think off, horrid just for the sake of it. Shes even worse when Lacey, Drew's arch nemesis turns up like a bad penny and the two join forces to torment Drew.
I did find both Jude and Lacey to be slightly one dimensional in their behaviour.
So anyway to cut a long story short Drew strives to save the day, while rescuing her friends and brother along the way.
This is done in true kick-butt style with only the one extra unsurprising twist along the way.
So the wrap up of "The Treatment" I felt was a little bit rushed, I would have liked to have seen things eked out and explored in a little more depth.
But besides that, this is a great addition to the Young Adult/teen genre-leaning more heavily towards the Teen age group.
So I would definitely recommend this to the younger generation, It is a fun action packed clean read, that is well written and is sure to catch imaginations.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an Arc of "The Treatment" By C.L. Taylor this is my own honest unbiased opinion.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm: https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/