An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson | Book Review
Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
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I wanna start that the main reason I was interested in this book was the beautiful cover. I mean look at it! WHOA. I had no ides what it was about when I pre-ordered it, I was like "that cover is so beautiful" and in my amazon cart it went. Then, I read the blurb....like 3 weeks after pre-ordered because I saw that I pre-ordered this book while going over my pending order lists.
It follows the story of an artist named Isobel who lives in a world where magical fay people live amongst her. She soon finds herself wrapped in a problem with the prince of Autumn and they both have figure out how to get out of this mess alive.
Ms. Rogerson has a very poetic way of describing the scenery, almost V.E Schwab and Katherine Arden.
This made everything feel magical rather than seem magical. Not many authors can do this...well. Rogerson also broke the YA fantasy mold, she wrote a fantasy story in a single book and I am actually satisfied. Sure I do wanna know a few more things about the world, but the story still feels complete without my little questions. All other YA fantasy stories have more than one book, usually three to five, before the story feels complete. I applaud Rogerson for this achievement.
Rook has a very Rhysand (from A Court Of Rose and Thorn series) feel. Mysterious, kind, understanding, and willing to admit and reprimand for his mistake without making a big deal about it. We need more males in YA like this.
Rogerson made her female lead, Isobel, actually had to pee and felt really hungry that she felt kinda ill. This barely happens in stories, these tiny details usually go on unnoticed or are nonexistent. I don't know why I felt so excited by that tiny detail, but somehow that made me love Isobel's character even more. (It is silly I know)
Overall An Enchantment of Ravens is so refreshing to have in a world of literature currently dominated with trilogies and series.
Ms. Rogerson has a very poetic way of describing the scenery, almost V.E Schwab and Katherine Arden.
"We passed slender, white-barked birches, their yellow leaves shimmering and clattering like gold coins in the breeze. We passed stony brooks that wended between hillocks of moss, their water the color of milk with snowmelt."
This made everything feel magical rather than seem magical. Not many authors can do this...well. Rogerson also broke the YA fantasy mold, she wrote a fantasy story in a single book and I am actually satisfied. Sure I do wanna know a few more things about the world, but the story still feels complete without my little questions. All other YA fantasy stories have more than one book, usually three to five, before the story feels complete. I applaud Rogerson for this achievement.
Rook has a very Rhysand (from A Court Of Rose and Thorn series) feel. Mysterious, kind, understanding, and willing to admit and reprimand for his mistake without making a big deal about it. We need more males in YA like this.
Rogerson made her female lead, Isobel, actually had to pee and felt really hungry that she felt kinda ill. This barely happens in stories, these tiny details usually go on unnoticed or are nonexistent. I don't know why I felt so excited by that tiny detail, but somehow that made me love Isobel's character even more. (It is silly I know)
Overall An Enchantment of Ravens is so refreshing to have in a world of literature currently dominated with trilogies and series.
Simply a girl who loves tea, blogs about her ever exciting life and wants to make her dreams come true.
Every twist, turn and mystery made this book what it is and I can't wait to reread the series. I love Mara and what she can do as well as Noah. As for Jude I almost feel bad because he couldn't control the monster inside him that was created so he could hurt Mara to bring Claire back. Best series I've read in a long time. Can't wait to read more from this author.
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