Ravens Hill by Garth Pettersen
Quick Summary:
A crown’s reward. A cursed estate. In Ravens Hill, Garth Pettersen delivers a gripping tale of loyalty, buried secrets, and the high cost of peace in 11th-century England.
Author Giveaway:
Garth Pettersen will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card.
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Ravens Hill by Garth Pettersen (The Atheling Chronicles #5) ~ #BookReview #MedievalFiction #HistoricalMystery #HistFic #Giveaway @GoddessFish @writeandride #TirgearrPublishing
Book Details
Ravens Hill By Garth Pettersen
Series: The Atheling Chronicles #5
Published by Tirgearr Publishing on April 15, 2025
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Mystery
Formats: eBook
Pages: 308
In 1030 C.E. — When Harald, the second son of King Cnute, returns from fighting the king's enemies in Northern Wales, he expects his life to return to normal. He's surprised when he's granted a large landholding—an idyllic life, far from the power-mongering of King Cnute's court, farming in the Midlands, evening walks with his beloved Selia. It’s a gift they cannot refuse, but the king has other plans for Harald and his wife.
On arriving at their new holding, Ravens Hill, Harald and Selia receive a tepid welcome from tenants—belligerent housecarls; a conniving steward; an uncompromising abbess, bitter at not adding their estate to her abbey lands; a priest with roaming hands; and a grieving daughter of the previous landholder who has entered the nunnery.
Harald and Selia wish to improve the lot of their tenant farmers, but they face obstacles at every turn, and Harald’s generosity is seen as weakness.
Trouble brews when they learn the lands come with an unexpected millstone—an unsolved murder.
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions
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Excerpt from Ravens Hill
Later, when Selia and I were alone in our bed-chamber, I shared my thoughts.
“I feel as if I have crossed a bridge without knowing it.”
Sitting on the bed in her linen under-dress, Selia unpinned her braid from where she had it wound upon the crown of her head. She untied the braid and taking up the walrus-ivory comb I had given her, began combing out her long fair hair. “And do you feel there is no way back across the bridge?”
“No. I feel the bridge has been swept away.” I pulled my tunic over my head.
“Then you know what that means.”
I gazed at her for a moment. “That we must move forward.”
Selia combed.
“We have not had time to properly discuss the king’s grant,” I said. “Are you pleased, despite what Godwin told us about Queen Emma’s interest?”
Selia stopped combing. Her chest rose with the intake of breath. “It pleases me to see you honored and valued.”
“But?”
“I am pleased that it keeps us in Engla-lond. Though if we had wanted to manage a large estate, we could have stayed in Frisia. I love our steading at Copt Hewick and our life there, Harald. And I have just got you home.”
I sat upon the bed and took her hand. “I love our home, too. And all the time I was away, I longed to be returning to you. But with this estate, this tún or túnland, we will be together. We will appraise it together, and decide whether to leave it under management or to work it ourselves.”
“It’s as you say— ‘the bridge has gone.’”
“And there is the king’s hand in this. The wealthier and more influential we become, the stronger we will be to withstand the storm when my father passes.”
“When your brother, Harthacnute, assumes the throne.”
I unfastened my soft-leather shoes, slipping off one, then the other. “We can still live in Copt Hewick and have property elsewhere, as we do with your Frisian estate⸺providing we have a trustworthy steward on the new property. We can decide after we have ridden the túnland.”
I undid my drawstrings and worked my linen breeches down my legs.
Selia pulled loose strands from her comb. “Then I look forward to seeing the estate. Perhaps there are improvements we can make on the land. And perhaps we can help the tenants prosper, perhaps we can even charm the neighboring abbess.”
I stood and tossed my breeches over a storage chest. I gazed at my lovely wife, appreciating her support and partnership, and wishing I could heal the sadness that sometimes gripped her. “My thoughts as well,” I said, and then leaving all thoughts of the future aside, I drew Selia to me and then, in each others’ arms, we lay back on the bed.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Ravens Hill
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My Thoughts on Ravens Hill
When a king rewards you with land, you expect peace, not peril. But in Garth Pettersen’s Ravens Hill, every stone in the manor seems to whisper secrets, and not all the ghosts are dead.
Harald, the second son of King Cnute, returns from battle hoping for a quiet life with his wife Selia. Instead, they inherit a troubled estate with more than its share of problems—hostile tenants, a slippery steward, an abbess with an axe to grind, and the haunting memory of a long-unsolved murder. As tension builds, it becomes clear that Ravens Hill isn't just a gift... it's a test.
Pettersen’s writing is richly textured, with just the right balance of courtly drama and boots-on-the-ground grit. I appreciated how he handles historical detail without slowing the pace—this is history that breathes and bites. The character dynamics are complex, especially between Harald and Selia, whose bond gives the story a strong emotional core.
If you're a fan of historical fiction laced with mystery, political intrigue, and atmospheric tension, Ravens Hill belongs on your shelf. It’s the kind of story that lingers, much like the shadows haunting the estate itself.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Garth Pettersen
Garth Pettersen is a Canadian writer living in the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC. When he's not writing, he is riding horses or working on his acreage. Garth's short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies and in journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine. His story, River's Rising, was awarded an Honourable Mention for the Short Story America 2017 Prize, his fantasy novella River Born, was one of two runners-up for the Windsor Editions (UK) Short Fiction Prize, and his novel The Sea's Edge won a first place Incipiere Award in 2024. Garth Pettersen's historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles is published by Tirgearr Publishing and is available on most online outlets (The Swan's Road, The Dane Law, The Cold Hearth, and The Sea's Edge). The fifth book, Ravens Hill, will be released in April, 2025. Print editions are available on Amazon.
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Giveaway!
Garth Pettersen will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Ravens Hill
Full Tour Schedule:
May 13: Sandra's Book Club promo
May 13: Locks, Hooks and Books
May 20: Jenniver Ivy Walker Author (IG)
May 27: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
May 27: Gina Rae Mitchell
June 3: Beyond Romance
June 3: Country Mamas With Kids
Extra Buy Links:
Tirgearr Publishing: http://www.tirpub.com/gpettersen
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/author/garth-pettersen/id1292516225
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ie/en/series/the-atheling-chronicles
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Garth%20Pettersen
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gpettersen
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I enjoyed the blurb and excerpt.
Looks like a good read.
Thank you Gina Rae for hosting Ravens Hill, and for the excellent review.
You are most welcome. Come back anytime!
I look forward to it. Cheers, Gina.
This should be a very interesting novel. Thanks for sharing.
I'll also share it on the blog again in my next Friday Finds post
Sounds like a great book.
Thank you so much for hosting and reviewing today.