Raven's Peak: A Thematic Analysis

After the death of his young sister, Haatim Arison returns to the states to gather his emotions and reconcile with a crumbling faith. But after taking an odd job, evil confronts Haatim in the purest, most wretched form. Only by the grace of Abigail Dressler does Haatim survive his first encounter with the Ninth Circle, an organization dedicated to the resurrection of powerful demons. Their trail leads to the small town of Raven’s Peak, but is Haatim prepared for what lurks amongst the residents?

As the first novel in the World on Fire trilogy, Raven’s Peak sets the foundation and themes for the latter two books. Cole introduces readers to The Council and The Ninth Circle within the first few chapters to familiarize the audience with these pivotal organizations. Along with the narrative's opposing forces, Cole also weaves themes of family, Providence, and allegiance in these beginning chapters. Although the novel elaborates upon these themes, I felt their overall development lacked finesse. Rather …show more content…
Demons such as Abaddon and Belphegor remained true to their origins and their legendary qualities. Belphegor creates doubt and discord among men, and his cameo in Raven’s Peak displays just that. These nods to classical demonology created the only true moments of immersion for me within this novel. Another feature of Raven’s Peak I truly enjoyed came from the diverse set of characters. It’s rare to find a novel representing protagonists of color, Indian and African American in this case, as more than just tokens. Haatim’s family structure and religious beliefs were well understood by the author, allowing readers to learn from cultures different than their own. And finally, I appreciated the professional grammar and syntax of Raven’s Peak. The novel was very easy to read and comprehend, with only one to two grammatical errors in its