Rise of the Raven — Kristen Gupton

Famine is ravaging the country of Talaus, and fields of grain have given way to fields of headstones. Young Athan Vercilla spends his days scouring the forest for anything he can find to sustain his family. His last trip ends when he is attacked and bitten by a mysterious woman in the forest. He heads home weak and broken, his foraging trip fruitless. However, there is no home for him to return to, and he discovers he's lost his family to something more horrific than starvation.Athan, the lone survivor of his village, sets out to warn others of his home's destruction at the hands of unknown invaders. He soon marches into war, desperate to avenge his family and spare others from the same fate. ...but the bloodshed of battle sparks something within him, and he begins to change. As his strength and power grow, so does his desire to not just expel his homeland's enemies, but to conquer it all for his own.