I celebrated when I finished this. ( )

'Woods Of The Raven' is the Fantasy equivalent of a cosy mystery with a gay, Happily Ever After paranormal romance thrown in. Xander, the main character is gentle and kind but has the steel to defend himself and the people around him when he needs to. The threat is dark but the tone is hopeful. The rainbow flag is flying high and proud but in a joyful, human way that just says, 'This is how it can be when it's good'.

I liked Xander. He's a man with superhuman power, provided he's on his own land but he isn't Superman, hiding his real self by pretending to be mild-mannered Clark Kent, rather he is Clark Kent, kind, gentle, conflict-averse and he doesn't lose those qualities and become an aggressive alpha male warrior when he has to use his power to defend the land and the people he's bonded with. He just does what needs to be done.

The magic system is well thought out, drawing heavily on European myths that most Fantasy fans will be familiar with, although Xander's persoanl powers manifest in original ways.

.The premise that drives the plot is straightforward and familiar, a witch having to honour his compact as guardian of the land when a Fey Lord tries to cross into it, but it felt fresh because it meshed so well into a contemporary setting and because Xander wasn't the kind of witch you find in most fantasy stories. The action scenes, using a mixture of conventional weapons, magic and supernatural predators, were vivid and convincing without being overly gory.

I'm not usually a fan of romance plots but this one worked for me, mostly because the dynamic between Xander, the quiet, gentle witch and Lorne the burly, charismatic, extroverted Sheriff was well-crafted. ( )

Woods of the Raven has the best of Mary Calmes. She is an author who I really enjoy and who always delivers a good story. This tale of the love between Xander and Lorne comes with a new setting in the town of Osprey. She weaves a world of magic and small-town life that includes Gods, the fae, and cranky librarians. The story includes well-developed characters, a convincing world, and an interesting and twisty plot. Rounded out with strange 'pets' and stranger friends, this is a book worth reading. ( )