An Enchantment of Ravens

5 stars - IF I was under 18yrs old, terrific, easy, science fiction book. But being an older adult, the story lacked more historical background of Rook's fairy world. It felt there wasn't enough story time w/ Isobel's family, & the town, Whimsy. And w/ Rook's, we barely know his background & the history of the Alder King & how it all came about really. This was a very, simple read, but not enough depth for me.

AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. After my string of recent disappointments in YA fantasy, this novel managed to break my disappointment streak and remind me why I love this genre. Gorgeously told, with a hero and heroine that made me laugh and smile, this is definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Isobel is an artist whose clients are the fair folk. In her world, the fair folk desire human creativity (called Craft), and Isobel's Craft makes her much sought after. When Rook, a prince of the autumn court commissions a portrait from her, she does something that threatens, not only the prince, but her life as well.

I am a huge fan of hate turned to love, and while this starts off as an attraction on Isobel's part, it dissolves into mistrust that then turns to love. At first I was a little turned off by how quickly it happens (and with little explanation besides "I was starting to fall in love with Rook"), but as the story presses on, I began to feel their love for one other develop. Isobel is smart and witty; she's not afraid to love her aunt and her adopted sisters (who have a hilarious back story), and later, Rook. And Rook is arrogant and brooding, but he's not afraid of his emotions and his love for a human girl. I was surprised to find that, while their courtship had me saying "aww" a few times, it was also very humorous. I don't remember the last time I chuckled over a declaration of love, but the one in here had me doing so.

The worlds of the fair folk are so deceptively beautiful. If you're familiar with the workings of the faeries, you'll remember that time moves differently there, that the fair folk are cunning and scary with their emotional detatchment and seemingly oblivious look at human life.This is all there, plus some other additions that really make this faerie world refreshing. In fact, that's the word I can best use to describe this fantasy: it's refreshing with how it handles magic, the fair folk, and the romance.

I am actually sad that this is a standalone, because I feel like there's a lot more that can be explained and explored. But it ended where it had to, and I am so dizzy with joy that I read it. Highly recommended!

Don't like giving such negative reviews, but this rates as one of the worst YA fantasies I've read in a long time. Ms. Rogerson's characters are all poorly drawn. Her Isobel, the heroine, is dull and repeats herself constantly when discussing, or thinking about the fair folk in the story. The plot is equally repetitive. I hated being with these people. Read about 70 pages and gave up because the characterization was so lacking, and the story unpleasant. Would not recommend this book to anyone.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

What I Liked:

This book is every bit as captivating and enchanting as you might hear. I've seen people discussing it for months now, sharing excitement and desperation for it. I personally had no intentions of reading the book, because I'd seen people compare it to Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR, and I had way too many issues with ACOTAR to want to read something similar. But this fae book was incredibly different and not at all anything like ACOTAR. I hate SJM's books but I highly recommend this one, either way. Don't let comparisons fool you! They work for some, but not for others. This book needed no comparison, and can stand on its own without needing SJM or anyone else as a crutch.

Isobel is an extremely talented artist, and does portraits of the fair folk. Her Craft of painting portraits is incredibly well-known, and fair folk flock to have their portrait done. One day, the autumn prince returns after hundreds of years of being away from Whimsy. When Isobel draws his portrait with sorrow in his eyes, she doesn't realize that this is a grave error - to draw human emotion on a fair folk. This is a weakness that the autumn prince does not need. So he spirits her away to take her to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. But they are chased by the Hounds of the Great Hunt, sent by the Alder King. What's more, Rook and Isobel fall in love, which breaks to Good Law that humans and fair folk are forbidden to fall in love. Isobel must sacrifice her life or Rook's, or they both must die.

The author's writing is so lovely! It was a pleasure to read this book. There are some books in which you don't really notice anything special about the writing, or you definitely notice the flowery writing, or the clunky, choppy writing. I took note of the smooth, whimsical writing of this book. There is a lush quality to the writing, which I didn't necessarily expect. At the same time, the writing wasn't distracting or too overdone. I got swept into the story and I was hooked.

From start to finish, I was in no danger of setting this book aside. I couldn't wait to see what Rook and Isobel would do next, what they would bicker about next, what Rook would misunderstood next (a lot of human mannerisms went straight over his head). And of course I wanted to see where the story was going - because the conflict switches several times, in order to get to the big picture (which isn't revealed until the very end). In any case, the author kept the story incredibly interesting and engaging, even if the subject matter was slightly dark and not happy-go-lucky.

I love how seamless the world-building is - how I immediately accepted the way things were. Everything from Craft to the fair folks' strange ways to the weird rules about human Craft... once you get a few pages in, all of these things seem commonplace, meaning I didn't question any of it. Humans living among fair folk? Sure thing. A brilliant painter commissioned to paint fair folks' portraits in exchange for enchantments of her choice? Makes sense. Rogerson does a superb job with crafting the world-building. Not for a second did I question the world-building, or fail to see or understand something. More than once, I was vividly imagining this or that - whether it was the rotten fruit, or the oak trees, or the honeysuckles.

Isobel is a character that I connected with very quickly. She is dedicated to her Craft and she is a diligent and determined hard worker. Everything she does is for her family, as well as she loves losing herself in a new portrait. Working with the fair folk is very taxing, but her Craft is who she is. I loved how feisty Isobel was, underneath her polite exterior. She has impeccable manners when it comes to the fair folk, but it is Rook that makes her forget her courtesies.

Ahh, Rook. Rook is an enigma, and yet he is so clearly defined. He is the mysterious autumn prince who stopped coming to Whimsy hundreds of years ago, and now he is returning for some reason (the reason is given in the story eventually, don't worry!). Rook is unusually kind and understanding for a fair one, but he is also charming and ill-tempered too. Isobel thinks of him as arrogant and a little self-centered at first, but he is also selfless when it comes to her safety. He is very powerful and not to be trifled with, especially as a prince. Rook is my favorite type of male lead - powerful, a little arrogant, very concerned with the female protagonist's safety and comfort, somewhat alpha-y but not in a d**chebag way. He has hints of danger and seductiveness that makes you fall for him easily.

This book takes place over the course of many weeks (especially in the beginning, as Isobel paints Rook's portrait), and so a lot of time passes, and the couple fall in love. Isobel has always felt something for Rook, but Rook was never trying to fall for her. They realize they love each other later on in the story and this isn't good, because it breaks the Good Law. Watching these two fall for each other was so cute and swoony, in subtle ways. There aren't many kisses or even physical interactions (arms brushing, holding each other, etc.), but this book is still very romantic. Neither one of them really wanted to fall for the other, but in the end, it was inevitable. They are a beautiful match - especially with all of the bickering and how they still stick with each other. Both of them have many choices to leave the other and go back to their business, but they always find that they simply cannot do so (especially Isobel, who in all rights should have left Rook as soon as possible, to go back to her family).

The climax is exciting and nail-biting - I wasn't at all sure how the book would end. I was so scared that there would be a heartbreaking, soul-crushing ending. BUT. I will say that the climax is extremely eventful, so don't skip to the end at any point. The ending is so lovely, so perfect for the story. Finally, a story involving fae that ends well (in my opinion).

Bottom line? This book is definitely worth reading. It exceeded my expectations! And the ending is so, so good.

What I Did Not Like:

I wanted more kissing, and potential steamy scenes between Rook and Isobel in general! I'm not saying ACOTAR-level stuff, but I definitely expected at least a little more kissing. I think my romance-related expectations were very high, and physical chemistry was high on my expectations list too. Especially with the mentions of a specific nightgown (seriously, all of the details were described very carefully - what did you expect me to think?).

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sweeping, romantic fantasy. I don't usually enjoy fae-related books and I definitely didn't enjoy SJM's ACOTAR, so I was initially turned off by the idea of this book. I almost didn't even read this book. But I'm glad I did, because it was swoony and romantic and heart-pounding and put me on a roller coaster of feels. Did I mention that there is no love triangle or anything else to the romance, besides Rook and Isobel? Linear romance for the win!

Rating:

4.5 stars. I'm still deciding if I should up or down, so I'm rounding down for now. I see why this book made it on the New York Times Bestseller's List. It deserves the spot and I hope it hangs out on the List for a while. I'm glad this book is a standalone (though I definitely wouldn't mind more Rook/Isobel goodness). I can't wait to read what is next by this author!

I did like "An Enchantment of Ravens" but not as much as I had expected that I would. All the aspects of an amazing book are present here. The story tells of a world where fae live bordering human lands and they interact with humans sometimes. This is because of Craft. Human can create Craft- cooking, painting, sewing, writing, etc. (basically any creating). Isobel is an artist whose paintings are very popular among the Fae. She is just finishing up a painting for a regular Fae customer named Gladfly. Gladfly tells her that the prince of the autumn court will be making a visit soon to ask that she paint his portrait. Isobel is enchanted (not literally!) by Rook and knows that when the painting is finished she won't see him again. She feels like he also may not quite want to end their time together. But it happens and Isobel sends the completed painting off to the Autumn court. Now the Fae are naturally an unfeeling lot. At their core they are near empty of emotions. But when Isobel painted Rook, she painted him with human eyes. The emotion in the eyes of the painted Rook, cause all you know what to break out in the Fae lands and Rook comes for Isobel, angry and wanting her head (maybe literally). Thus begins an adventure traveling through the Fae lands. These travels were perhaps my favorite part of the novel. There was action scenes and mysterious creatures they encountered along the way. There was tension snapping between Rook and Isobel as they confront their anger towards each other and maybe still some other feelings. All lovely, and all written spectacularly well. But where the story goes from this point, wasn't as enjoyable for me. The very ending was good and ended this standalone novel well. We have a good, solid resolution to the tale we have been invested in. However, among the pretty descriptions the author used, I felt like the climax of the story moved too fast and wasn't as well explained as it could have been. I had to re-read several passages to make sure I hadn't missed some information. Even still, I still don't feel as though I grasped the depth of the big reveal as well as I should have. Maybe that is on me. Still an enjoyable world, a lovely relationship to watch unfold, and an interesting take on the Fae world.

A few points about An Enchantment of Raven

The writing was gorgeous. The world was beautiful, Margaret Rogerson really has her way with words and she weaves together a stunning, vivid, dynamic world that really makes your imagination come alive.
Thought, the world and the writing are beautiful, where the book really hurt was the characters and the weak plot line. The story follows a 17 year old girl named Isobel, a human with painting as her Craft. They live in the world where summer does not seem to go away. The Fair ones hunger for human craft, and Isobel’s paintings are highly coveted. When Isobel gets her first prince – Rook of the Autumn lands – she paints sorrow in his eyes and puts Rook in danger. For Isobel did not know that showing emotion is dangerous and can get him killed.
Isobel is 17 years old, Rook is hundreds, if not thousands of years old. There is a bit of instalove between Isobel and Rook. I did not get the romance between the two and was quite frankly a bit confused about it. If Fair Folk are not meant to feel, how does Rook fall in love not once but twice? Also, if Rook is as old as he is and in love with a 17 year old, felt a bit off Isobel had moments of maturity but she also had bouts of juvenile tendencies as well. They have this heated kiss scene at which she comments afterwards that sex really turns people into imbeciles. Which I guess just reminds you that she is a 17 year old girl who just got grabbed by a Fair Folk that is hundreds of years old. I couldn’t get past that, mainly because he was so much more mature and experienced as her that the duo was making my head hurt.
There were a few other parts that confused me. The Hemlock plot line just felt kind of underdeveloped. At one point it is said Rook is losing his magic, I did not understand if he was going to recover and get it back and the whole conflict just felt a bit confused and one I found I really did not care for. The Ardan King is somehow poisoning the lands, but I did not understand how or why.
Isobel is a special snowflake, only she can save Fair Folk lands with her craft.
Overall, the writing was magic, stunning in it. But it faltered in characters, romance and a plot line that just didn’t completely work.

I received this book for free from Publisher, Library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a fairy-tale fantasy about a girl named Isobel who is a portrait artist to the fair folk. In the town of Whimsy, the fair folk come and purchase craft from the artisans. In return they exact payment in the form of spells. Isobel has learned at the tender age of seventeen to be very exact in her negotiations because the fair folk are not honest in their negotiations and what seems an innocent wish for true love may become an obsessive infatuation. When Rook, the Prince of the Autumn lands comes to have his portrait painted Isobel see’s something in his eyes that she must paint on canvas. Unfortunately what she paints is a humanity that the fair folk do not wish to see, and Rook spirits her away to stand trial for her error. During this journey she and Rook come to an understanding finding friendship and love which is against the fair folk’s laws.

I was captured by the charm and spirit of this novel. The author painted her words so they flowed lyrically across the page. The melding of commonly heard folk tales such as the fae can’t speak a lie, with a new fair folk history made the story both familiar and foreign, making it easy to huddle into my blanket on the couch and immerse myself into this enchanted land.

Isobel for being a seventeen year old girl, was wise beyond her years. She was essentially the adult in her household, responsible for her two sisters and her aunt. When she is spirited away by Rook, she gives in to the adventure, worrying about her family, but also seeing new shapes and colors in every hill and tree opening her eyes to the world as a whole rather than Whimsy’s summer colors and sounds. I loved how her emotions were painted in colors.

Rook was an interesting hero. He was one of the fair folk and his glamour was beautiful, but underneath that glamour was a reality that contrasted with that beauty they all wanted to portray. That contrast between fae reality and glamour was found throughout the story giving this a real fairy tale feel, more Grimm than Disney. He and Isobel’s love ran a similar juxtaposition from her innocent first love to gritty heart wrenching pain. I loved how this novel ran from one spectrum to the other in a rainbow of colors from light to dark and back again. The story and the feelings all those colors imbued captured me completely.

"Why do we desire, above all other things, that which has the greatest power to destroy us?"

In the town of Whimsy Craft is currency. The fair folk value human artistry and creativity above all else--they crave it and collect it in lieu of creating on their own. For the right talent they might even offer humans their most coveted prize: immortality.

Isobel has made a comfortable life for herself and her aunt and sisters in Whimsy thanks to her skills as a portrait painter. But even Isobel's talent can't protect her from the whims of the fair folk. Any fairy client is dangerous--even Isobel's oldest and most likely harmless patron, Gadfly--but royal ones especially so.

Isobel hopes to dazzle Rook, the autumn prince, with her Craft and then never see him again. Instead, her inclusion of human sorrow in Rook's expression may doom them both in An Enchantment of Ravens (2017) by Margaret Rogerson.

An Enchantment of Ravens is Rogerson's debut novel.

Isobel's first person narration is candid and self-aware with prose that is delicately woven on a sentence level and serves well to compliment the story's masterful world building.. She is keenly aware of the dangers of the fair folk, particularly their promise of immortality from the Green Well. The beauty and charm of the fair folk stands in stark contrast to their terrifying lack of humanity offering a nuanced interpretation of the fae that will appeal to fans of Holly Black's faerie novels.

Instead of being drawn in by all of this glamour, Isobel is at pains to maintain her agency and control. Throughout An Enchantment of Ravens she remains utterly pragmatic and logical even as she is forced to do wild and unexpected things--with caring about and trusting Rook being the most illogical of all.

Isobel is a singular heroine and Rook an admirable foil and ally. This character-driven novel is further enhanced with a strong group of secondary characters notably including newly immortal Aster and my personal favorite, Gadfly. This standalone novel builds to a surprising and truly satisfying conclusion as pieces fall into place as neatly as the brushstrokes in one of Isobel's portraits. An Enchantment of Ravens is an inventive and unique fantasy filled with fairies, danger, and romance. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, The Perilous Gard by Mary Elizabeth Pope, A Well-Timed Enchantment by Vivian Vande Velde, Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin, Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

An Enchantment of Ravens is such a charming read! Took me quite a few days to finish it despite not being that long, but it's because I wanted to make it last. Every page is a wonder to go through and fans of fair folk tales will enjoy this refreshing take!

What I Loved:

I love reading YA books with fae characters, I've been a fan since I was a child, so reading An Enchantment of Ravens felt like coming home by visiting Whimsy and trailing through the spring, summer, and autumn courts! Everything is surreal and beautiful on the surface, but with many dangers lurking underneath all the glamour. I was deeply entranced by every place the characters set foot, silently mourning my inability to visit. The fae world is always intriguing to explore and Margaret Rogerson did it justice!

My most favorite thing about this book is the portrayal of the fae. There's a certain ring of truth behind the idea of the fair folk looking aged and rotten underneath the glamour that makes them look like otherworldly beautiful beings. When they die, they cease to exist as living creatures and instead go back to being part of the earth, so why shouldn't they look like it when alive without their magic to hide their true selves? Loved this aspect so much!

It's also super interesting how humans are not THAT disadvantaged when it comes to the fae. Some humans, like Isobel, have a special skill called Craft that can be for any artistic thing like cooking, painting, or writing. Fairies cannot do human craft, it is deadly to them, so they have to rely heavily on humans to acquire these goods and in exchange, they grant enchantments. However, these enchantments can go wrong and humans still have to be careful around the fae when not pleased, or else they find themselves on the end of a bad bargain. In Isobel's case, when she mistakenly paints sorrow into the autumn prince's eyes -- showing a weakness in front of those who already question his rule -- she is forced to follow the autumn prince straight into fae territory.

My goodness, I dare you to not to fall for the autumn prince. It's impossible and I need one just like Rook! A fae prince who has human emotions (when they shouldn't) and is not afraid to fight for love? All. The. Swoons. Such a fun, sassy character to meet! And he has the ability to shape-shift, with a preference for raven form. His company is precious and the banter he has with our heroine is simply gold.

Isobel is of course a great character to be around with. So talented and quick-witted when facing dire situations. What I liked most about her was her fight to control her human emotions and to think things through, but also not being afraid to be human. Her love for her aunt and goat-sisters (yup, it's true) comes first and it shows in her actions.

What Left Me Wanting More:

This is a GREAT read, but I must admit that I was expecting a far more complicated journey through the fairy courts and a lot more emotional punch/sacrifice. Half-way through the book I came to realize that the book had abandoned its original course of action and the characters set off to another course which was unsettling and left me a bit disappointed. I wanted to explore more! However, this is a standalone fantasy so I understand why it didn't go deeper story-wise. I so wish it did though!

Final Verdict:

Not only does An Enchantment of Ravens have a beautiful cover, but it's also lovely inside. With bright writing and a different take on fair folk lore, readers will end up wanting more of this world!

As soon as I saw this gorgeous cover I had to have this book. Thankfully the story lives up to that cover. It’s been way too long since I read a book about the Fae. I didn’t realize just how much I missed it until I started An Enchantment of Ravens. The book quickly swept me into all the folklore and magic that I love in Fae books. I wasn’t expecting the book to be as…whimsical as it was. That was a very nice surprise!

An Enchantment of Ravens starts off in Whimsy, a town on the edge of the fairy lands. Isobel is a very talented portrait artist that the fair folk seek out. I loved all of the lore behind Whimsy and Craft. The author doesn’t give you a ton of history of the town and I was fine with that. It somehow made things more magical, if that makes sense. I was anxious for the story to take us to the fairy lands and they were just as magical and sinister as I hoped! Isobel and Rook’s journey was one exciting encounter after another.

My favorite part of An Enchantment of Ravens was definitely Isobel and Rook. Their banter and chemistry was wonderfully done! Isobel was a likeable and capable main character. I loved her confidence when dealing with the devious-and sometimes frightening-Fae. She came off as very realistic. I like strong female characters, but they often seem a bit unfeeling and hard. Isobel wasn’t like that at all. Rook was just fantastic! He was a powerful Fae, but not all powerful. He definitely had his faults and that made him realistic too. I loved how sweet he was with Isobel.

Another thing I liked about this book was that immortality was not idealized like it is in so many Fae books. Isobel’s Craft (her art) and her humanity were very important to her. Being immortal was portrayed as a hardship for some of the Fae. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. It was different than a lot of other books in this genre.

An Enchantment of Ravens was a stunning debut! I absolutely cannot wait to see what else Margaret Rogerson has up her sleeve. It will certainly be on the top of my TBR when the time comes. Add this book to your reading lists asap!

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: When I started this one I really thought I was going to DNF it. I am so glad that I held out and gave it the time it needed to be an amazing adventure.

Check out author's other books? YES
Recommend this book? YES

Notes and Opinions: This one started out fairly weird and confusing. It starts out with our main character Isobel painting a picture of a Fey or Fair Folk as they are called in this book. I thought at around 20 pages or so that I was going to get to my normal 50 and call it quits but man that didn't happen at all. One second I was at around page 25 and the next I was well into page 130. This was one of those fast reads that I just couldn't put down and the journal although short will stick with me for time time. I think folks that this is going to be one of those books that you WILL be able to ask me about a few weeks from now and I WILL be able to tell you about. I know shocker right!?

So the world that this is set in was breathtaking. I loved the town of Whimsy (really hope I am spelling that right) where it is always Summer. Then you have the World Beyond that we really don't get to learn to much about other than in the World Beyond enchantments mean everything. I really wished this book was a series or at least had a companion novel to it as it would have been amazing to see what happens after the ending of this book as well as learning more about this World Beyond.

The story itself was very well paced and although as I stated above it was slightly confusing to start that confusion slowly left once I really got into the story. I was no longer confused about what was going on or what things met. I just needed to give the story time to unfold which I am very glad that I did. The start, middle, and ending were pretty perfect looking back I wouldn't have changed a thing. You go into this being confused to only figure out what is happening and being sucked into the story full on. I do wish however that the epolouge would have went further than a few weeks though. I love that this is a stand along although I think it would make a fantastic series! This one also doesnt shy away from gore and things that are well kind of on the nasty side. It made it pretty vivid in its telling which made it all that more amazing.

The characters blew me away! I loved how this didn't shy away from showing us the ugly truth of what it was to be Fey. We know full on during this book that they use glamor and what that all intails. I also loved that this one has a great message about beauty being skin deep that just becuase someone might look different doesn't mean that they can't love and be loved. The characters in this one were fabulous although no one really had growth like you get in most young adult there was a blossoming I guess you could say. But everyone is pretty set in who they are. Even with Isobel being only 17.

To wrap this review up I would say this one would be for fans of the Fey and the start of this one reminded me of The Hunted as well as A Court of Thorns and Roses with the deviousness of the Fey from another book called Need by Carrie Jones. So if you love the Fey and you want a story that doesn't shy away from anything you should totally check this one out!!

Go Into This One Knowing: For fans of Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses as well as other lovers of Fay stories!!

“An Enchantment of Ravens” falls into that small, sometimes awkward category of books that were given to me by someone else with the hope that I’d like it. Books that have come to me this way in the past have been very hit-or-miss, so I’m always a little wary of them…this one especially so since I’m fairly outspoken about my dislike of romance, and this novel bills itself as a romance. Still, when given a book, I’ll usually read it…and this one ended up being one of my biggest surprises to date. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and was thoroughly enraptured with the story and characters. Spoilers follow.

Isobel lives in the town of Whimsy – a strange sort of village stuck in an eternal summer and frequented by the fae folk – with her Aunt Emma and her sisters, March and May. Isobel’s parents were killed by fae beasts when she was a child, but she’s done well in life so far; an accomplished painter, Isobel secures her family’s wellbeing by painting portraits for the fair folk…and it’s a lucrative business since the fae love human Craft (anything not found in the wild – like fashion, cooking, or art) but cannot produce it themselves. When she paints the portrait of the rarely-seen Autumn Prince, she makes the mistake of putting sorrow in his eyes, a human emotion…and a crime to the fae. Faster than she can comprehend, Isobel is whisked away from home to stand trial for her transgression. Their journey to the Autumn Court is cut short by the Wild Hunt, a group of hunters led by the fearsome Hemlock, and they’re forced to take a detour. Isobel is further confused by her feelings toward the Autumn Prince, Rook. She should hate him for taking her away from her home and family, but instead she finds herself growing closer to him. A mortal and a fae falling in love breaks the Good Law…but could that risk be worth it?

The basic plot structure boils down to a travel story, so your enjoyment of it will likely depend on how you feel about that particular story base. Me? As with most things in life, it falls into that delightfully noncommittal “it depends” area. If the characters are travelling so the author has an excuse to spew exposition about the setting and history with little in the way of meaningful character development or plot progression (walking is not plot progression on its own…sorry), then I’ll be bored. If the setting is interesting and the travel weaves together environment exploration with character interaction/development and exciting events and revelations as they move from one destination to another, I’m often intrigued. Fortunately “An Enchantment of Ravens” falls into the latter category. There’s a lot packed into this 300 page book and while, yes, there’s a decent amount of travel, it’s an exciting ride. Isobel and Rook aren’t just meandering around to enjoy the scenery, they’re fleeing from the Wild Hunt, fending off fae beasts, trying to stay one step ahead of the deceit and intrigue of the fae courts, and figuring out their complicated feelings for one another. In a genre filled with (in my opinion) series that drag on far longer than necessary, it’s always refreshing to encounter a story that can be so neatly told and wrapped up in one novel. I was never bored while reading and I was quite satisfied when I read the last page. In short, it’s paced very well and is an appropriate length for a standalone novel. There are also a good deal of surprises and twists – Rogerson makes sure that there’s always something interesting happening! So, even if you aren’t normally a fan of novels that involve a lot of travelling, I’d urge you to still give “An Enchantment of Ravens” a go – it’s a big step above a lot of other books that make use of this plot structure.

So let’s get to the meat of this book, the primary reason that someone will probably be drawn to it (aside from the beautiful cover): the fae. A lot of readers have been drawing comparisons to “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” which I haven’t read so I can’t comment on how “An Enchantment of Ravens” compares…but I’ve come across the fae in other works, and I think the portrayal of the fae folk here is my favourite yet. Rogerson has clearly done a lot of research into fae lore and it shows: the fae can’t lie, they’re weakened by iron, they’re split into four very distinct courts based on seasons, their danger is emphasized as much as their beauty, they use glamour, they’re clever…and happy to trick foolish mortals into making poorly worded deals in exchange for goods and services. She’s also added her own flavour: the fae love human Craft, but are unable to produce it themselves, a conundrum which drives their continued relationship with the mortals of Whimsy. There’s also a dash of humour thrown in for good measure with the fae being so proper and aristocratic that they get a little frazzled when encountering something outside of their bubble. For a 300 page novel, the worldbuilding is pretty solid. Would I have liked to see some things (like the Good Law and structure of how the courts interact with one another) expanded? Sure…but in a standalone novel, there isn’t time to explore everything, and what Rogerson does include is interesting and cohesive. She’s crammed a lot into a relatively short book and her depiction of the fae is an impressive blend of traditional lore and unique additions.

I don’t always discuss prose and writing style in my reviews, largely because it’s just not something I notice unless it’s either really good or really bad, but I’m going to take a second to mention it here because “An Enchantment of Ravens” has some of the most fluid, poetic prose that I’ve seen. Rogerson has a good grasp on written language and her writing is just as captivating and enchanting as her story. Sometimes this sort of style can become very purple very fast, but that mercifully never happens since the author seems to know when to reign it in. As this is a single novel, there’s no room for wasted words…and Rogerson makes the absolute best use of her limited pages to deftly describe imagery and scenes, making the environment come to life on the pages.

The final thing I want to say regarding the story is that I loved the ending. In many of my reviews, I complain about happy endings because they feel too convenient, like they were handed to the main character just because the author felt that the protagonist deserved to be happy. In this book, however, Isobel bloody earns her happy ending. Early in the novel, Rook explains that in order for a monarch to be replaced, he must be killed by his successor. It’s Isobel who comes up with the plan to eliminate the Alder King; it’s Isobel who refuses to continue running, even though Rook and her family are urging her to; and it’s Isobel who stands resolute and strong in the face of an being that could kill her with barely a glance. So, naturally, as the one who toppled the Alder King’s throne, it’s Isobel who’s now destined to rule the fae, not Rook. If Rook wants to assume the position as ruling king, he has to marry Isobel, which gives our protagonist a lot more power than I usually see in YA novels. Perhaps it’s a minor point, but I enjoyed that Isobel was rewarded so heavily for her cleverness and perseverance and that, at the end of the day, she truly worked hard for the best outcome. I’m not sure I’ve been happier to see a character get what they wanted as I was when I finished this novel and knew that Isobel would get the conclusion she deserved.

Alright, so let’s move on to romance. If you’ve ever read any of my reviews ever, you’ll know that I usually hate romance…like, I really despise it and think that it usually serves to ruin books. Yet, oddly, I didn’t dislike the relationship between Isobel and Rook. Colour me shocked, right? I actually went into this totally expecting to roll my eyes at and otherwise be disgusted by the romance, but I found that I didn’t mind it at all. In fact, I think that Rogerson portrayed the process of Isobel becoming infatuated with Rook as she initially painted him very genuinely. In order to finish a portrait, Isobel has to spend hours with the client, so she gets to know their personalities and quirks fairly well by the time she’s done, and I can totally see how she’d become enamoured with Rook, given that he’s presented to her as a mysterious sort of figure. As the story progressed, I was also convinced by their dependency on one another; it feels very natural given their dangerous circumstances in the wild (even if it leads to even more dangerous consequences). I like the things that Isobel focuses on when she considers Rook. I love that she isn’t simply caught up in how hot he is (in fact, without his glamour, he sounds rather scary, but she accepts that as what it is because she cares about him so deeply), but instead admires his determination and stubbornness, his honour and, at the same time, his wild nature. In a genre that’s chock full of heroines becoming doe-eyed over hot guys, I found it refreshing that Isobel’s love of Rook went far deeper than the physical and that, when things got tough, they were genuinely able to support one another. It’s a very organic sort of romance in that you can see where and how it begins and follow it logically through, and I was very pleased to see that it wasn’t based solely on Rook’s physical appearance (nor, it seems, does Rook care for Isobel simply because she’s beautiful – if he wanted a girl that was beautiful, he could find a fae girl – he seems drawn to her due to her personality and talents).

Unfortunately, that’s not to say that the romance is overwhelmingly positive – one of the reasons I gave “And Enchantment of Ravens” four stars instead of five hinges on a big problem I had with the relationship: it moves too quickly. I get infatuation; I understand dependency and growing close to someone out of necessity; what I don’t grasp is how these two things over such a short period of time result in the sort of pure love that we’re supposed to believe exists between Isobel and Rook. I think a good part of this boils down to the old “telling versus showing” rule that pops up in pretty much every writing class. After a point, it started to feel like Isobel was just flat out telling us how much she desperately loved Rook without the evidence to back it up (and vice-versa on Rook’s part). I enjoyed their growing relationship, but I never truly felt that it reached the level of commitment that Isobel claimed it did…and given the risks surrounding their romance, that’s a bit of a problem. I guess I just wanted to feel it a little more – I could see it getting there, but in the time that this novel had, the relationship didn’t naturally progress to the point where I felt that they were absolutely meant to be come Hell or high water. A lot of the novel depends on their burning love for one another, and, to me, that desire fell a bit flat in some key places. A deep relationship takes a lot of time to develop, and Isobel and Rook just don’t have that sort of time, making the whole thing feel a little less genuine than it’s made out to be.

The protagonist of the novel is Isobel, a practical seventeen-year-old with a gift for painting portraits and the dubious blessing of being the go-to artist for the fae. I think she’s one of my favourite YA leads that I’ve come across to date. Isobel is a sort of character that I don’t see very often in this genre: a heroine who’s level-headed, clever, sarcastic, practical, and talented without being a run-at-the-mouth fighter who listens to no one. Don’t get me wrong, I love a snarky gal who can kick ass, but it does get a little old when every main character is a prickly loose cannon who plays be her own rules. It’s such a breath of fresh air to have a central character whose skills lie elsewhere and therefore must rely on her wits. She approaches problems with an analytical, realistic mindset (and sometimes more than a bit of hope) and is confident in her skill with the paintbrush to save the day if necessary. I also love that painting plays such a prominent role in several of the big events and that, ultimately, it’s her artistic skill combined with her resourceful cleverness that saves the day. I get so tired of heroines whose hobbies are immediately ignored by the author as soon as their hunky intended strolls in, so I was delighted that Isobel’s portraits were so critical to everyone’s success. Isobel is a different kind of character that I’d like to see more often, the type of individual who thinks practically (I adored that she always thought of how to best help her family, hence why she asks the fae for resources or protections instead of money when she does their portraits) and has talents and interests beyond impulsivity and fighting…all with a healthy amount of dry sarcasm that lends an enjoyable humour to the book.

This brings me to my second criticism of the novel. Isobel is so practical, so wary, and so critical when it comes to life – and especially in relation to interacting with the fae – that it’s very jarring when she abandons that line of thinking to do something on the basis of loving Rook so darn much. There are several times when she’s in danger and knows she’s in danger, but instead of staying focused on getting out, she’s fixated on Rook and her feelings for him. It just feels a bit unbalanced to have her so grounded and self-reliant one moment and then throwing herself at Rook’s mercy the next without question. In some ways, depending on him makes sense since, as stated above, she isn’t a fighter and isn’t physically strong while he’s very capable of cutting down fae beasts, but sometimes it seems like she steps out of character to rely on him without question, which ties back to my earlier issue with the relationship often not feeling as deep as Isobel claims it is. Since this is Rogerson’s first published novel, I’m hoping that she can work this balance issue out in future offerings so it’s not quite so jarring.

The other figures are all well-characterized, as well (again, something that surprised me since I feel I often see a lot of flat supporting characters in this genre). Rook is charming and intriguing as the male lead. I liked that he wasn’t just snarky machismo and instead was well-mannered, charming, and despite his power and position as a prince had some insecurities surrounding his tenuous hold on his throne. He boils down to being a charismatic, nice dude who, despite his ability to be pretty scary when needed, just wants the best for himself and Isobel (and is willing to sacrifice a lot for it). I also really enjoyed the characters of March and May, Isobel’s little sisters with an odd origin: they used to be the family goats that were changed into human children in a fae magical slip-up. They’re a lot of fun and really do behave as I imagine goats-turned-children would. Aster is a poignant look at what really happens if a mortal drinks from the Green Well to become fae, and it’s both fascinating and horrifying. The real star of the show, though, is Gadfly. Isobel’s most frequent patron, Gadfly initially comes off as yet another amusingly vain fae with a particular love for himself…but he ends up being so much more than that. From patron to prince to enemy to ally to puppeteer, Gadfly ensures that Isobel never fully knows that he’s really up to, though he makes it clear that they were but pawns in his game from the beginning, and while the ending may have been beneficial to all, there’s more than a hint of potential malice simmering beneath his airily vain exterior. He’s delightfully intriguing and I personally love characters that are always up to something.

“And Enchantment of Ravens” is Margaret Rogerson’s debut novel…and damn, what a debut! It’s a very pleasing book with good pacing, a lot of excitement, a unique portrayal of the fae that draws on a lot of lore, and some lovely prose. Isobel is refreshingly practical and sarcastically amusing, and she earns everything she gets. The side characters are all well thought out and characterized astoundingly well for a 300 page novel. The only reason it’s four stars from me instead of five is because the romance often didn’t feel as strong or deep as the characters kept telling us it was and Isobel’s common sense tended to unexplainably fly out the window sometimes when it came to Rook, though with everything else in the novel being so good, I’m confident that Rogerson can figure these issues out in her later books. I look forward to seeing more from this author and wish her success in her future writing endeavours. Four stars.

2.5 stars

Plot: An Enchantment of Ravens boasts an epic love story between a high fae and lowly human girl, and while that sounds like it should be right up my alley....I was bored.

So bored, I even considered DNFing it a few times. My own expectations are to blame as well. An Enchantment of Ravens was probably one of my most anticipated reads of 2017, but looking back, I had unreal expectations. I'll be honest, I wanted a love story of ACOMOF proportions, but that's not what An Enchantment of Ravens was. An Enchantment of Ravens was an adventure that explored various fae lore but only brushed the surface. As Rogerson's debut novel, it's an impressive piece, but there were so many more opportunities where she could have taken more risks, instead, she opted for flowery language and the overanalyzing of a situation. There were backstory and information that Rogerson hinted at, but she never fully explored those little whispers and that disappointed me.

Characters: I feel like I should say something about Isobel, but not much comes to mind. Rook, the autumn prince, confused and surprised me. Isobel and Rook suffered from a bit of insta-love from the very beginning. I expected (there's that word though) a brooding mysterious prince, but he was mostly just naive. There was a lot that he didn't know about the human world and he seemed more curious than anything Isobel had the symptoms of a love-sick pup but had the decency to question her feelings when Rook appeared at random to whisk her away. In the end, I found their romance to be cheesy more than anything.

Worldbuilding: I have a lot of questions about this world and I don't think I'll ever get those answers. I liked An Enchantment of Ravens because the research Rogerson put into this novel was amazing. The fae lore intrigued me, but I didn't understand all of the nuances. The world itself was unclear: there were the fae realms, the human world located next to the fae realm, and then another human world? I understand this was a rather short book, but I would have loved an extra 200 pages if it helped me understand the lay of the lands.

Short N Sweet: My expectations were a wee bit too high, and the pace of the romance wasn't my usual cup of tea. Regardless, I think fantasy readers will enjoy this one.

Isobel lives in Whimsey and earns her living by the Craft of portrait painting the fair folk who live nearby. The fair folk crave the Craft of humans and pay for what the humans can give them with sometimes devious enchantments. When Rook, prince of the Autumn court, comes for a sitting, Isobel makes a mistake and paints his portrait with human sorrow showing in his eyes. Feelings are anathema to the fair folk, and Rook is furious. He kidnaps Isobel to bring her to trial before his court.
This is such a charming story. It reminds me of books by Charles de Lint or Patricia McKillip. The writing is superb, perfect for the genre. It's YA, but readers of any age will enjoy this story.
The worldbuilding depends to some extent on the traditional fairy courts with the different seasons. But the writing is so lyrical and descriptive that the reader is instantly enthralled:
"We were in the autumnlands.
Dim as it was, the forest glowed. The golden leaves flashing by blazed like sparks caught in the updraft of a fire. A scarlet carpet unrolled before us, rich and flawless as velvet. Rising from the forest floor, the black, tangled roots breathed a bluish mist that reduced the farthest trees' trunks to ghostly silhouettes, yet left their foliage's luminous hues untouched. Vivid moss speckled the branches like tarnished copper. The crisp spice of pine sap infused the cool air over a musty perfume of dry leaves."
Ms. Rogerson is equally as descriptive when the scene is a fairy ball or a dress for a masquerade. But it is the small bits, when Isobel has a pimple or needs to eat, when Rook doesn't understand her need for privacy when she goes to relieve herself, that add extra sparkle to the magic of this book. It is just delightful.

“Frankly, I had no idea how anyone knew if they were in love in the first place. Was there ever a single thread a person could pick out from the knot and say “Yes—I am in love—here’s the proof!” or was it always caught up in a wretched tangle of ifs and buts and maybes?”

An Enchantment of Ravens was a somewhat enjoyable read. I felt like I spent the entire book doing one of two things: watching Isobel paint or walking through the woods. At first I enjoyed the descriptions of curves and colors, but then I think my mind started to skip over those details. They were lovely illustrations, but there were a lot of them.

Rook and Isobel have an odd relationship that doesn't always make sense. I felt like I was picking a flower and saying, "She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me..." I never knew how they truly felt about each other, but somehow everyone else did. I wish we had learned more about Rook's raven pendant (and the story behind it), because I feel like that would have answered a lot of my questions. Isobel seemed very isolated from the world, but savvy in the ways of faerie. People were awed by her Craft and proximity to the Fair Folk, but she didn't seem to have single friend.

I was really disappointed when it felt like I was always one-step ahead of the characters. It was a little frustrating waiting for them to figure things out, and honestly I thought Rook would have been more knowledgeable about his world. It seems like a lot of things happen that he isn't prepared for, yet he's a Prince of Faerie. He's supposed to be crazy powerful, but we don't see him use that power too often, and never when it's needed.

Overall, I liked the story. I feel like things either didn't make sense, or they clicked into place too easily. An Enchantment of Ravens just didn't wow me like I thought it would.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?!? I’ll tell you why: everyone was losing their mind over it and I was afraid that the hype would ruin everything.

I have never been so happy to be wrong.

I love love loved Isobel and Rook. She’s smart and talented. He’s stubborn and turns into animals. Together they push each other’s buttons and are absolutely adorable. And don’t get me started on all of the scenes when he’s a raven.

Plot wise, it was captivating. I don’t normally care for books about fairies, but I found myself sneaking chapters every chance I could get. There was a bit of a quiet urgency throughout until the last 60 or so pages and then it’s quite an interesting ride.

Overall, I loved every single page. I could easily read these two forever and I wish there was going to be more, even if the ending is satisfying.

**Huge thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Ohh my what a amazingly fantastic book An Enchantment of Ravens was for me. I know this book is not for every readers which I totally understand, but I absolutely loved and enjoyed everything about it. I really love reading anything with Fae's in them because Fae's are my favorite mythical creatures in books. And this book was no exception, I just love the world of Whimsy and the Fae lands. The world was magically beautiful and scary at the same time along with the immortal Fae's. Now the Fae's that were betrayed in this book were aloof, tricky, sinister and they have no emotions what so ever. Some of the Fae's where very deadly and dangerous and they can care less about humans or for the gifted. Now the Fae's go too Whimsy for the gifted, they gifted are humans who can cook, sew, paint and write stories etc. Which Fae's can't do any of those things if they do the died and turned into dust. Now Isobel is a gifted prodigy portrait artist. She paints amazing portraits for the sinister fair folks. One day she was painting for a fae name Gadfly which I love him so much he really is such a trickster, but I won't tell you why he is a sly trickster because spoilers. But when Isobal was finishing a portrait for Gadfly he mention to her that the prince of the Autumn court, wants too get a portrait done by her. Now Isobal was really surprise because nobody has seen the Autumn prince for centuries, especially Isobal has never seen him herself. And she was very afraid about him coming too her for a portrait to be painted by her. When Isobal one day by accident met the Autumn Prince, at first she didn't now who he was. Isobal just thought it was a normal fair folk who comes to Whimsy to seek out the gifted. But later on she figured out who the strange fae folk was and she was totally surprise and terribly frightened of him. Now things starts going down quite quickly for me when Isobal met the Autumn prince Rook, and things starts happening really fast for Isobal and Rook. That it turned both Isobal and Rook lives upside down, now I won't say that it turned there lives for the worst or the better because spoiler. But it completely changed there lives forever after Rook and Isobal met. Now I am going to leave it off here, without spoiler it for anybody. But all and all I really loved and enjoyed everything about An Enchantment of Ravens and the bright side this book is a stand-alone it is not part of a series. Which I love reading stand-alones. I will most definitely continue reading more books by Margaret Rogerson in the near future!

This is one of those cases where a book starts off amazing. The world is amazing, the writing is enchanting, and the characters are intriguing, BUT the storyline and pacing peters out. Going into this book, I really liked Rogerson's take on fae lore and this unique world she created in relation to crafts, humans, and magic. It's different, I'll give her that. Having the lead get swept away and placed deeply within this magical world, I really enjoyed seeing how it played out, however, I honestly got bored at about the 60% mark.

At the beginning, I was really intrigued by Isobel and her craft. It felt almost magical in itself and I was fascinated that the fae was fascinated about human craft. It's pretty different how they're not allowed/able to do craft of any kind, and so they covet it from the humans. I'd say I got after they come into the Spring court and while there were certain moments that were cool, I didn't care how the problem would work out and it's honestly pretty clear how it would. Predictability usually isn't a problem for me, but in this case, it was. Even though the Spring court has its appeal, I just couldn't muster the care.

As for the romance, I liked it, but I didn't love it and it's honestly one of those romances/couples I'll forget within a few weeks. There's just nothing about them as a couple that really sticks with me. Talk about subtle, that's pretty much this couple/romance, and while it works with the storyline and slow pacing, as a reader, I couldn't really connect with it. I felt for them and I appreciated their slow-build love, but ehhh, I didn't really care for it.

Overall, the book fell flat for me. I liked the writing and the world-building, but the characters and plot left a lot to be desired, which is such a shame because this definitely had potential.

I didn't really know what to expect going into An Enchantment of Ravens, because the book had been gradually getting hyped up all summer and I just kept putting it off for some reason. Well, I definitely wish I read this sooner, because this book is EVERYTHING. I haven't been in the mood for fantasy as of late, and I've been mostly sticking to contemporaries. So, if you're like me and looking for a standalone fantasy where everything is pretty much wrapped up by the end of the book, this is that book.

We meet Isobel, an artist in her small village who takes on dangerous clients, because they pay well. These clients of hers are the fair folk. The fae. She trades them a painting for spells. Whether is it a spell to ward her home or a spell to ensure that the chicken continuously lays eggs, Isobel has been negotiating with the fair folk for several years now and know how to deal with their demands.

Isobel tends to get repeat clients, and occasionally new clients if they fancy a portrait of themselves. The fair folk have been around many years. Many more years than the life of a human, at least. One day, she gets commissioned by a fair folk named Rook to do his painting. However, she does too much and puts too much of Rook's likeness into the painting and depicts him with a sorrow that is easily seen as weak within the eyes of the autumn court. In his anger, he steals her away to answer for what she's done.

The story is quite action-packed and also manages to be light-hearted. I did thoroughly enjoy Isobel and Rook's bickering. Rook, as old as he should be, acts very much like a child mentally when it comes to dealing with humans, and it's hilarious to read. Isobel doesn't put up with anything Rook says, and it's just a funny combination between the two whenever they're in a scene together.

There is a sort of adventure throughout the story as the two are traipsing their way back to the autumn court and trying to avoid beings that appear to be after Rook. The story is beautifully written and there's a sense of magic and wonder about the world that surrounds Isobel and Rook. I loved reading about the secondary characters, Gadfly especially. He's another of the fair folk and a mysterious one with his own agenda. He comes off as quite aloof, but it seems that not all is what meets the eye. <3

The book is self-contained and wraps everything up quite well by the end. I think there's a definite opening for more, if the author chooses, but I did very much love this story from beginning-to-end. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute and fun, adventurous fantasy romance that can be read all in one book.

***Thanks to Simon and Schuster's for providing an ARC of this book***

Such a lovely story! A fairy tale from a brand new author who wields her pen in a beautiful, unique, and loving way. The characters and worlds were utterly fascinating and not quite predictable. As an artist, I loved how art was a subject and craft of power, and as a human, I loved how humans were portrayed as the truly special ones, and the fae came across as a tragic and rather ruined form of life...

Violence: As in any true tale of the dangerous fair folk, there are scary monsters, and these come in a sort of decaying flesh-meets-forest sort of way, so those who don't like decaying things with creepy crawlies might be grossed out. The blood of faerie lords is shed to empower their land. A few people are killed and others are cruelly treated.

Language: To my surprise, there was a few uses of the word "s--t" which really clashed with the tone of the book. Also "h---" and "b-----d"

Sexual: There a few moments where the heroine is not wearing any clothes, but this is not meant to be sexual as humorous and awkward. Not even halfway through the book there is a close encounter of the intimate kind (picking up and french kissing) and honestly, I'm quite tired of that sort of thing. So I skipped it, and you can too if you want (pages 123 -128). In my opinion, the book was SO MUCH BETTER without it, and I did not even miss it, because it came out of the blue and was not even fantasized over afterwards.

OTHER than that unnecessary snippet, the romance had such thoughtful intelligence, and that's what really won this book over to me. Our heroine develops a crush in the beginning, and then realizes those feelings aren't at all dependable. Over the course of the story she questions what real love is and ends up developing a true love of trust and kindness and acceptance of each other's true selves. The hero is also darling, because even though he is a rather vain and in some ways clueless faerie prince, he's not all hopeless angst, and although he feels betrayed by the girl near the beginning, he doesn't cling to the grudge. He realizes her injury to him was a mistake and sets to mending his own error.

It's a stand alone read, easy to read in one day, and for me--now an impatient reader without much time on her hands--that was SO NICE. Maybe not all questions were answered, maybe there were a few plot-holes. Did I care? No.

The book is well written and it has a good heart.

Isobel is a portrait painter, loved by the Fair Ones (Fae) for her ability to paint realistic portraits that served to please the ever-growing vanity of the Fair Ones. But when she paints sorrow into the eyes of a prince, Rook (who rules the Autumn Lands), he is furious and whisks her away on an adventure to set his reputation back to normal.

What did I like? The banter. There were several lines in here that were actually pretty funny and felt genuine to the characters and the moment. The beginning of the book is so full of witty lines that I was very excited to see where the story went.

Truth be told, I very much wanted to like this book. I found the concept refreshing and the cover gorgeous. But it all fell flat with me. It felt incredibly rushed, which I suppose I should have expected since it is a standalone fantasy novel. It could easily have been expanded into at least one other book, which would have allowed for more character and plot development, which it desperately needed.. The world-building, while a good concept, is vague enough that I constantly had to wonder what in the world was going on. I never fully understand how Whimsy existed or where the fae lands were in relation to the human lands. And I never fully grasped anyone's motivations throughout the book - they just seemed to be doing things just because the author wanted them to happen.

This book is a serious case of instalove. Isobel and Rook fall in love early on (although they both have moments of denial throughout), but there doesn't seem to be any reason why. They never really speak to one another. And the conversations they do have are "off-screen" and are mentioned later. The romance just... happens. It felt forced and unnatural, and since their romance and the danger therein was the crux of the whole novel, I couldn't buy it.

In the end, I did enjoy reading the book but found myself skimming the last few chapters to just figure out what happens. I don't think it really deserves only 3 stars because I did enjoy Rogerson's writing style, but I can't give it 4, either, because of the reasons I've explained above. So, 3.5 it is!

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?!? I’ll tell you why: everyone was losing their mind over it and I was afraid that the hype would ruin everything.

I have never been so happy to be wrong.

I love love loved Isobel and Rook. She’s smart and talented. He’s stubborn and turns into animals. Together they push each other’s buttons and are absolutely adorable. And don’t get me started on all of the scenes when he’s a raven.

Plot wise, it was captivating. I don’t normally care for books about fairies, but I found myself sneaking chapters every chance I could get. There was a bit of a quiet urgency throughout until the last 60 or so pages and then it’s quite an interesting ride.

Overall, I loved every single page. I could easily read these two forever and I wish there was going to be more, even if the ending is satisfying.

**Huge thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Ohh my what a amazingly fantastic book An Enchantment of Ravens was for me. I know this book is not for every readers which I totally understand, but I absolutely loved and enjoyed everything about it. I really love reading anything with Fae's in them because Fae's are my favorite mythical creatures in books. And this book was no exception, I just love the world of Whimsy and the Fae lands. The world was magically beautiful and scary at the same time along with the immortal Fae's. Now the Fae's that were betrayed in this book were aloof, tricky, sinister and they have no emotions what so ever. Some of the Fae's where very deadly and dangerous and they can care less about humans or for the gifted. Now the Fae's go too Whimsy for the gifted, they gifted are humans who can cook, sew, paint and write stories etc. Which Fae's can't do any of those things if they do the died and turned into dust. Now Isobel is a gifted prodigy portrait artist. She paints amazing portraits for the sinister fair folks. One day she was painting for a fae name Gadfly which I love him so much he really is such a trickster, but I won't tell you why he is a sly trickster because spoilers. But when Isobal was finishing a portrait for Gadfly he mention to her that the prince of the Autumn court, wants too get a portrait done by her. Now Isobal was really surprise because nobody has seen the Autumn prince for centuries, especially Isobal has never seen him herself. And she was very afraid about him coming too her for a portrait to be painted by her. When Isobal one day by accident met the Autumn Prince, at first she didn't now who he was. Isobal just thought it was a normal fair folk who comes to Whimsy to seek out the gifted. But later on she figured out who the strange fae folk was and she was totally surprise and terribly frightened of him. Now things starts going down quite quickly for me when Isobal met the Autumn prince Rook, and things starts happening really fast for Isobal and Rook. That it turned both Isobal and Rook lives upside down, now I won't say that it turned there lives for the worst or the better because spoiler. But it completely changed there lives forever after Rook and Isobal met. Now I am going to leave it off here, without spoiler it for anybody. But all and all I really loved and enjoyed everything about An Enchantment of Ravens and the bright side this book is a stand-alone it is not part of a series. Which I love reading stand-alones. I will most definitely continue reading more books by Margaret Rogerson in the near future!

This is one of those cases where a book starts off amazing. The world is amazing, the writing is enchanting, and the characters are intriguing, BUT the storyline and pacing peters out. Going into this book, I really liked Rogerson's take on fae lore and this unique world she created in relation to crafts, humans, and magic. It's different, I'll give her that. Having the lead get swept away and placed deeply within this magical world, I really enjoyed seeing how it played out, however, I honestly got bored at about the 60% mark.

At the beginning, I was really intrigued by Isobel and her craft. It felt almost magical in itself and I was fascinated that the fae was fascinated about human craft. It's pretty different how they're not allowed/able to do craft of any kind, and so they covet it from the humans. I'd say I got after they come into the Spring court and while there were certain moments that were cool, I didn't care how the problem would work out and it's honestly pretty clear how it would. Predictability usually isn't a problem for me, but in this case, it was. Even though the Spring court has its appeal, I just couldn't muster the care.

As for the romance, I liked it, but I didn't love it and it's honestly one of those romances/couples I'll forget within a few weeks. There's just nothing about them as a couple that really sticks with me. Talk about subtle, that's pretty much this couple/romance, and while it works with the storyline and slow pacing, as a reader, I couldn't really connect with it. I felt for them and I appreciated their slow-build love, but ehhh, I didn't really care for it.

Overall, the book fell flat for me. I liked the writing and the world-building, but the characters and plot left a lot to be desired, which is such a shame because this definitely had potential.

I didn't really know what to expect going into An Enchantment of Ravens, because the book had been gradually getting hyped up all summer and I just kept putting it off for some reason. Well, I definitely wish I read this sooner, because this book is EVERYTHING. I haven't been in the mood for fantasy as of late, and I've been mostly sticking to contemporaries. So, if you're like me and looking for a standalone fantasy where everything is pretty much wrapped up by the end of the book, this is that book.

We meet Isobel, an artist in her small village who takes on dangerous clients, because they pay well. These clients of hers are the fair folk. The fae. She trades them a painting for spells. Whether is it a spell to ward her home or a spell to ensure that the chicken continuously lays eggs, Isobel has been negotiating with the fair folk for several years now and know how to deal with their demands.

Isobel tends to get repeat clients, and occasionally new clients if they fancy a portrait of themselves. The fair folk have been around many years. Many more years than the life of a human, at least. One day, she gets commissioned by a fair folk named Rook to do his painting. However, she does too much and puts too much of Rook's likeness into the painting and depicts him with a sorrow that is easily seen as weak within the eyes of the autumn court. In his anger, he steals her away to answer for what she's done.

The story is quite action-packed and also manages to be light-hearted. I did thoroughly enjoy Isobel and Rook's bickering. Rook, as old as he should be, acts very much like a child mentally when it comes to dealing with humans, and it's hilarious to read. Isobel doesn't put up with anything Rook says, and it's just a funny combination between the two whenever they're in a scene together.

There is a sort of adventure throughout the story as the two are traipsing their way back to the autumn court and trying to avoid beings that appear to be after Rook. The story is beautifully written and there's a sense of magic and wonder about the world that surrounds Isobel and Rook. I loved reading about the secondary characters, Gadfly especially. He's another of the fair folk and a mysterious one with his own agenda. He comes off as quite aloof, but it seems that not all is what meets the eye. <3

The book is self-contained and wraps everything up quite well by the end. I think there's a definite opening for more, if the author chooses, but I did very much love this story from beginning-to-end. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute and fun, adventurous fantasy romance that can be read all in one book.

***Thanks to Simon and Schuster's for providing an ARC of this book***

Such a lovely story! A fairy tale from a brand new author who wields her pen in a beautiful, unique, and loving way. The characters and worlds were utterly fascinating and not quite predictable. As an artist, I loved how art was a subject and craft of power, and as a human, I loved how humans were portrayed as the truly special ones, and the fae came across as a tragic and rather ruined form of life...

Violence: As in any true tale of the dangerous fair folk, there are scary monsters, and these come in a sort of decaying flesh-meets-forest sort of way, so those who don't like decaying things with creepy crawlies might be grossed out. The blood of faerie lords is shed to empower their land. A few people are killed and others are cruelly treated.

Language: To my surprise, there was a few uses of the word "s--t" which really clashed with the tone of the book. Also "h---" and "b-----d"

Sexual: There a few moments where the heroine is not wearing any clothes, but this is not meant to be sexual as humorous and awkward. Not even halfway through the book there is a close encounter of the intimate kind (picking up and french kissing) and honestly, I'm quite tired of that sort of thing. So I skipped it, and you can too if you want (pages 123 -128). In my opinion, the book was SO MUCH BETTER without it, and I did not even miss it, because it came out of the blue and was not even fantasized over afterwards.

OTHER than that unnecessary snippet, the romance had such thoughtful intelligence, and that's what really won this book over to me. Our heroine develops a crush in the beginning, and then realizes those feelings aren't at all dependable. Over the course of the story she questions what real love is and ends up developing a true love of trust and kindness and acceptance of each other's true selves. The hero is also darling, because even though he is a rather vain and in some ways clueless faerie prince, he's not all hopeless angst, and although he feels betrayed by the girl near the beginning, he doesn't cling to the grudge. He realizes her injury to him was a mistake and sets to mending his own error.

It's a stand alone read, easy to read in one day, and for me--now an impatient reader without much time on her hands--that was SO NICE. Maybe not all questions were answered, maybe there were a few plot-holes. Did I care? No.

The book is well written and it has a good heart.

Isobel is a portrait painter, loved by the Fair Ones (Fae) for her ability to paint realistic portraits that served to please the ever-growing vanity of the Fair Ones. But when she paints sorrow into the eyes of a prince, Rook (who rules the Autumn Lands), he is furious and whisks her away on an adventure to set his reputation back to normal.

What did I like? The banter. There were several lines in here that were actually pretty funny and felt genuine to the characters and the moment. The beginning of the book is so full of witty lines that I was very excited to see where the story went.

Truth be told, I very much wanted to like this book. I found the concept refreshing and the cover gorgeous. But it all fell flat with me. It felt incredibly rushed, which I suppose I should have expected since it is a standalone fantasy novel. It could easily have been expanded into at least one other book, which would have allowed for more character and plot development, which it desperately needed.. The world-building, while a good concept, is vague enough that I constantly had to wonder what in the world was going on. I never fully understand how Whimsy existed or where the fae lands were in relation to the human lands. And I never fully grasped anyone's motivations throughout the book - they just seemed to be doing things just because the author wanted them to happen.

This book is a serious case of instalove. Isobel and Rook fall in love early on (although they both have moments of denial throughout), but there doesn't seem to be any reason why. They never really speak to one another. And the conversations they do have are "off-screen" and are mentioned later. The romance just... happens. It felt forced and unnatural, and since their romance and the danger therein was the crux of the whole novel, I couldn't buy it.

In the end, I did enjoy reading the book but found myself skimming the last few chapters to just figure out what happens. I don't think it really deserves only 3 stars because I did enjoy Rogerson's writing style, but I can't give it 4, either, because of the reasons I've explained above. So, 3.5 it is!

If I had to describe my feelings after finishing this book in one word, that word would be frustrated. I have SO many questions about it!

Why are the fair folk so dangerous to humans? I didn't really see enough evidence of this to buy it. Like, just because of their tricks? I feel like all the stuff that happens in the forest is kind of just a "wrong place, wrong time" kind of thing.

Why can't the fair folk do Craft? Like what is the point of them being unable to perform simple, mundane human tasks? I can see why they would crave the end result if they can't perform the task, but why would something so stupid turn them into dust?

Why is mortal sorrow painted in Rook's eyes a weakness that could cost him his life? The fair folk seem to spend entirely too much time playing at being human and trying to seem as human as possible. I don't understand why being seen with a human emotion would be something to warrant losing your life over. Especially when they all crave human things so much.

I don't understand why Rook is even the autumn prince. Like, they spend all of two minutes in the autumnlands. There is literally not a single point in this book that I can think of where it is at all important that Rook is the autumn prince. They don't go to the autumn court. You don't meet anyone else from the autumnlands. He's probably making it all up to look cool for a girl.

What is the point of the Wild Hunt? It is literally just a super minor inconvenience a couple times in this book. I feel like there was a lot of interesting potential with the Wild Hunt and Hemlock, but it was squandered because a mortal and the autumn prince fell in instalove.

For the longest time, I had no idea what the hell the Good Law was. At one point, I literally thought it was that they couldn't have sex. I had no idea until like 3/4 through this book that the law was that they couldn't fall in love. Why??? It would be interesting to know why that came about. Did the Alder King get scorned by a mortal lover and ruin the fun for everyone? Like any backstory on the Good Law and especially on the Alder King would have made this book better. Especially since the whole book was about Rook and Isobel breaking the Good Law!!!

That's just questions I have based on what's in the summary. And not even all the questions I have based on just the summary.

I feel like I have said in several reviews that sometimes getting history lessons on these fictional worlds in the story makes my eyes glaze over. I was PRAYING for some history in this book because I feel like so much more of this book would make sense to me if I just knew WHY.

And this book has a bit of a journey in it, which was rather dull. And obnoxious because it seemed like they could walk through a whole court in a day. I feel like they were travelling for like two days and they made it from Whimsy to the autumnlands, got sidetracked by the Wild Hunt, detoured through the summerlands (which were decaying for some reason and it seemed to be a problem, but who the hell knows why??), fought a barrow mound monster, slowly travelled back to the autumnlands because Rook got injured, and then changed their plan all together and went to the spring court. Or something like that. And they slept!!! There was time for that!!

Despite all that, I found that I kind of enjoyed the book while I was reading it. BUT I don't think that I can say that that feeling really lived past closing the book.

What did I like about this book?? I guess I kind of liked the characters. I liked Isobel and Rook. And I was rooting for them to be together (despite having so. many. questions about them).

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. If there had been more history, explanations, explorations of ANYTHING in this book, I think that I would have loved it. I think it had SO much potential, but definitely didn't live up to the hype for me.

This book satisfies on so many levels: beautiful writing, unique and complex characters, worldbuilding that takes us deep into the meaning and implications of the usual faerie tropes, and the sort of plot development that left me saying over and over, "So THAT'S why that detail was there!"

This is one of the few books I've finished and immediately started to reread -- which let me pick up even more well-placed and eventually meaningful details.

I loved this book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book so magical and beautiful you wanted to cry when it was over? This book was that amazing. I don’t rate books on my blog but on Goodreads I gave this 5/5, ALL THE STARS. Everything about this book was well thought out and executed perfectly. That tiny detail you thought wasn’t important at the beginning of the book? Complete game changer and plot twist. That malicious glint in a fair folk’s eyes for the briefest of moments? You better be watching you’re back for them.

World building and the intricacies of Whimsy:

Whimsy is unlike any other part of the world. It is perpetually summer, and the fair folk casually visit without a care in the world to partake in the human’s craft. In Isobel’s world only humans can perform craft. This ranges from a simple act of cooking something to make it edible, sewing magnificent dresses, baking artisan sweets, putting pen to paper, to painting masterful portraits and anything in between. The fairies of Margaret Rogerson’s imagination cannot create anything lest they turn to dust. So the bargain and sell enchantments to humans in exchange for craft. Now, these aren’t the sweet natured honey-eyed fairies of children’s stories. These are the cut throat, one wrong bargain and you’re out of your first born child fair folk.

The various courts that we glimpse are magnificent as much as they are deadly. Like a poisonous flower luring a fat bumble bee to its doom, it’s easy to overlook the sinister when surrounded by the pure magic of the fairy realm. I will say I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get a chance to see the Autumn court in its full glory like the summer court but I understand the difference it would make to the plot if that were the case.

Characters:

Isobel has become not only a master at her craft, but a master at bargaining enchantments as well. Never leaving any room for danger and ill will she has successfully bargained numerous times and has her own loyal customers. (One such customer is Gadfly who is from the summer court.) She is a swift thinker, passionate artist and loyal above all to her family.

Rook is a bit of a mystery to Isobel as he’s never been seen by Humans for hundreds of years and suddenly showed up for a portrait. He’s awkward and closed off and very guarded but in time Isobel is able to see through to the real Rook and it melted my heart. Uhg I just LOVED THEM. (Can we talk about how she loves him even without his glamour? I wanted to cry every time he covered himself as if embarrassed or shamed by his appearance.)

Would I buy this book? Hell YES

Would I recommend it? Everyone needs to read this book!

Would I re-read it? Yes, yes, yes!

I put off reading this book due to the numerous mixed reviews. People seemed to either love this story or hate it. Well, I absolutely positively LOVE LOVE LOVED it. I'm so mad at myself for not reading this book sooner. An Enchantment of Ravens was everything I hoped it would be and more.

Plot
Margaret Rogerson weaves a magical, spellbinding, fairytale-esque story. Everything we grew up hearing about faeries is true in this tale: they cannot lie, iron can kill them, they are immortal, and they are notorious tricksters. However, Rogerson puts her own spin on things by making it so that faeries are unable to perform craft such as: painting, drawing, writing, cooking, etc. The faeries cannot perform craft so they desire finding talented humans who can--that is where Isobel, our main character, comes into play. Isobel is the best portrait artist of her time. All of the fae want her to paint them. Our story begins to take off when one of her best customers, Gadfly, recommends Isobel to Rook, the prince of the Autumn court. Rook has not visited Whimsy, Isobel's town, in centuries. Yet, he comes so he can have her paint his portrait. While Rook is there he and Isobel bond. He is very different than any other faerie Isobel has encountered. This leads her to paint sorrow--a human emotion--in his eyes. Once this painting is unveiled in the Autumn Court everyone, including Rook, is horrified. All of the fae now see Rook as weak. Feeling as if he has no other option, Rook seeks out Isobel and begins to drag her to the Autumn court, so she can stand trial. Many magical encounters, beasts, humor, and banter abound from here.

World-Building
Whimsy is in eternal summer. Every day is full of sunshine, warm weather, and lively plants. So, when Isobel is taken into the faerie lands she finally experiences other seasons such as winter, spring, and autumn. Her wonder and appreciation for these new lands is impeccably written. I can honestly feel Isobel's awe. These lands are simply magical. Rogerson's prose brings them alive on the page; it truly feels as if you are there with Isobel and Rook.

Characters
Rook was by far my favorite character. He is adorable. I love how straight forward he is with Isobel right off the bat, sure faeries cannot lie but Rook never tries to purposefully mislead her with his words. Although Rook is centuries years old (I'm not sure how old exactly) he still has this youthful aura to him. Out of all the fae we encounter in this story, Rook is the one who seems to have the most "humanity". Fae aren't supposed to ever encounter and actually feel human emotions yet Rook does. Ah, I just love him.

Isobel was everything I wanted in a main character. She was strong, kind, intelligent, resourceful, and witty. I loved how she messed with Rook since he doesn't understand a lot about humans. I loved her banter with Rook. Quite frankly, I just love Isobel.

Overall
If I've said it once then I've probably said it a million times: I love this story. This story was such an adventure. I cannot wait for Rogerson to write her next book. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me now. This story is one of my absolute favorite fantasy books, fae related books, and romance. It's just such a sweet story

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Simply speaking, some books are worth the hype...An Enchantment of Ravens is one of them!

An Enchantment of Ravens is a divine piece of writing. Margaret Rogerson's first novel is completely masterful and full of whimsy, which is fitting, given that the name of the town in which the humans live is called just that.

Rogerson 100% won me over with her writing! Her style is charismatic, brimming with imagery, and laced with sarcasm. I felt something -- everything -- while reading this book.

An Enchantment of Ravens follows a gifted human artist, Isobel, and her experiences with her fae clients; one experience leading to a journey with the disgruntled autumnlands prince, Rook. This is largely the story of their dangerous trek and their risky feelings towards one another.

The premise of An Enchantment of Ravens compelled me to pick up this book, and the twists and turns kept me from wanting to put it down. I really enjoyed the story Rogerson imagined. However, I couldn't help but feel a little like, through its entirety, we were merely put in a jar, shaken up, and dumped right back out again. In other words, I'm not sure I feel like the plot really went anywhere, despite how much I enjoyed the tale that was told.

I was also left wanting. This book could have easily been longer, and I would have gladly taken it! Someone please tell me this is going to be a series!?!

The world building is stunning and the characters are so imaginative! I could honestly see the setting of this book. Rogerson writes so descriptively and beautifully that I have no doubt what Whimsy and the fairy courts look like. I also greatly appreciate how easily I could visualize the characters. Again, the imagery is on point!

I absolutely adored the characters in An Enchantment of Ravens. The humans are so relatable, and the fae are so...fae!

I didn't find Isobel and Rook to be overdone, either. Yes, they are quick to "fall in love," but they are there for each other throughout the story in a genuine way, and I really enjoyed that, as well as the push and pull that we see between them. It isn't a story of the fae prince saving the weak human OR the human saving the world on her own. This is a happy medium.

Overall, An Enchantment of Ravens is truly a gem! I would recommend this book to fans of SJM and even fans of plot twists à la Caraval. If you appreciate great writing, this is also a book for you! High recommend, guys!

4 charming stars

An Enchantment of ravens was one of these hyped books that I wanted to put my hands on.

In every fairy tale you need:

-A prince. Rook Prince of the Autumn court.

-A modest heroine preferably orphaned and selfless. Isobel.

-Some Fairy Godmother.
Well Gadfly could be considered as a kind of twisted Godmother I suppose.

-A setting in a far away land or medieval country or … Whimsy living in a perpetual summer would do just good enough.

-An ordeal or some danger triggering a change or the beginning of a journey or a quest. Isobel being spirited away to Rook’s kingdom to stand trial is our trigger.

-A moral of the story like power and magic can’t overcome wit and determination;

-Often love because you have the “And they lived happily ever after”!

An Enchantment of Ravens fits the Fairytale description to a T. It is well written with a flowery quality to the penmanship as the story features fair folk. Faeries are very courteous, speaking formally and very insistent on good manners.
They will tear you into pieces but always politely!
Unable to lie they will trick you in other ways and you should be very careful asking something from the fair folk.

Isobel is a no nonsense kind of girl. She is barely seventeen but already a master of her Craft: painting. She is specialized in portrait and faeries are loyal clients. Faeries can’t bake bread or put a pen to paper for fear of dying. They are fascinated by human Craft and thirst for its possession.

The fait folk may live forever but a downside is that they don’t experience emotions. Feelings are seen like a weakness and the weak are crushed! That’s why when Isobel paints mortal sorrow in Rook’s eyes he becomes furious and whisks her away from home to mete justice!
This lack of emotions is also the reason why Isobel certainly does not wish for immortality contrary to most humans. Should she become immortal she would lose what makes her who she is: her Craft.
When most humans are fascinated with faeries and want immortality Isobel is weary of the fair folk.

Falling in love with one of them would be foolish and against the law but the heart wants what the heart wants.

What began between Rook and Isobel in her parlor will blossom once in Fairyland and battling to stay alive. How will they survive this forbidden love punished by death?

I read this book in nearly one sitting.
It was a good fantasy read with relatable and loveable characters but I wanted more from Isobel. I would have loved more information about her parents, her dreams, her childhood. She battled constantly to stay level headed and this restraint put a damper on my feelings as well. It’s hard to love someone who erects walls around her heart and tries not to think with said organ but with her head.
Rook was more interesting! He was conflicted and puzzled by his human feelings. He was broody, courteous, handsome and sometime funny in his reactions and manhandled pride. I loved reading about his downfall as he became less fair folk and more human. Dare I say he seemed more human in his feelings than Isobel?

I know many readers don’t like love at first sight or in a short time span. Indeed tTo believe in their love story you have to go back to your childhood when the prince fell in love with the poor girl in a heartbeat. But hey this is a fairy tale!

The pace was right, the setting was interesting, the prince very charming if cocky and everything was lovely.

Would I recommend it? Yes absolutely if you are looking for a charming fairy tale.

"An Enchantment of Ravens" is a great stand-alone YA fantasy/romance about the "fair folk" (fae/fairy) and their relationships with humans in the town of Whimsy. Humans are valued for their ability to Craft or to create, be it art, music, or clothes. For a fair one to do Craft would mean death. The fair folk enjoy Craft so they "pay" humans to create it for them in exchange for Enchantments. If not carefully worded, the Enchantments can be more of a curse than a blessing. Isobel is valued for her Craft of portraiture. She has been frequented by fair folk, particularly from the spring court, to do their portraits. She finds it somewhat awkward to interact with them, not only because of their deviousness and power, but also their lack of emotions and blank expressions. Their immortality removes them from human emotions.

Things begin to change when the autumn court prince, Rook, comes to Isobel for his portrait. As they spend time together, Isobel begins to fall in love with him. Seeing sadness in his eyes, she paints them as she observes them. However, this is viewed as a weakness which makes him vulnerable among the fair folk. After the portrait was sent, Rook returns to bring Isobel to trial for the crime of painting human sadness in his eyes- the penalty of which is likely death. On their path to his court for trial, they begin to learn more about each other and Rook finds himself unable to bring her to trial. They concoct a ruse and travel to the spring court where Isobel begins to paint the fair folk with human emotions (and this has power to give them some semblance of emotions as mentioned in the synopsis).

The Good Law prevents fair folk and humans from being in love, and as Isobel and Rook come to terms with their emotions, they face the penalty of death. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the pace was great. I felt that their relationship was a little superficial in that we don't see much of the depth to their interactions until later in the book and I would have liked to see their romance building a bit more. The writing was really superb, and it flowed beautifully. The descriptions were really fantastic and brought you into the story. The fair folk really balanced the line between creepy and fascinating (as per design I think). This was a tough book to put down.

I think this will be a huge hit with fans of Maas's Court series! It's a great YA fantasy and forbidden romance that works perfectly as a stand alone.

** 4.5 stars**

I really enjoyed An Enchantment of Ravens. I had been skeptical going into it based on the numerous reviews/comments made about it on book-tube, but it wasn't that bad. Yeah, there were some parts of the plot that seemed slightly off-pace, but I was able to get used to the fluctuations - to be honest it added to the surreal experience of being in the faerielands. The story felt as though it was taking place over weeks if not months when it had only been a few days since she was taken by Rook.

I will say that there were a few parts that did stay annoying to me, and they included:
- The ending - way too convenient
- The Great Hunt lady faerie...
- The well scene - again it was EXTREMELY convenient the way that it plays out for Isobel

I did enjoy the general feel of the book though, which outweighed the negatives. However, I do think that you need to be able to suspend your disbelief in order to fully enjoy what An Enchantment of Ravens has to offer. There was a more adult feel to this book, much like Sarah J. Maas, without the explicit scenes . Plus, having Rook be the Autumnlands Prince was a nice choice. I can't even really say why - it just felt right.

The first (and last) faerie-centric book I read was awful and felt like torture forcing myself to finish it (if you absolutely must know, it was Wicked Lovely), so I was understandably a bit hesitant about picking up An Enchantment of Ravens. What convinced me, however, was the hype around the book before its debut and the gorgeous cover. On a whim, I borrowed the audio book on Overdrive because I wasn't in the mood to read the other books I had and, wow. Not once did I expect I would be hooked by Margaret's beautiful writing, compelling characters, and fascinating world building, all within the first chapter. It's not an exaggeration when I say Margaret's prose is absolutely gorgeous.

Isobel is such an interesting, compelling, and admirable character and I could not help but find her absolutely lovable. She's so strong-willed, wise, and loyal to her family. Also, not only is she an extremely talented artist for her young age, but she is also very cunning - something she had to be in order to deal with her usual clientele of mischievous fair-folk. Unlike most of the people in the village of Whimsy, Isobel was always extremely careful and very practical when it came to receiving enchantments as payment for her Craft from the faeries. I also really admire her determination to stay true to herself, especially when it would have been easier to do the exact opposite.

And, speaking of Craft (basically anything that people do to create something, like cooking, painting, writing, etc.), I thought the entire concept of it and how the faeries all crave it but are literally unable to perform any of it themselves was so interesting! The world-building of the human village of Whimsy, the World Beyond, and the Faerie Courts is crafted and woven together so seamlessly that it was so easy to picture everything. Margaret was able to create such an interesting and magical world without weighing it down with too much new concepts that would have taken me more time to digest, which is what usually happens to me when I read fantasies.

And I can't do this review without expressing my complete adoration for Rook. Even though he was arrogant I found it to actually be quite endearing, especially when Isobel would call him out on being a showing off. I loved seeing him slowly learn more about people, specifically human emotions, through his journey with Isobel. I thought that their feelings for each other in the beginning (even though, chronologically, it occurred over the course of several weeks) were a bit rushed, but I didn't mind so much because I just adore them both so much, and also, later on it was further developed. Honestly, I didn't really notice the insta-love much at all because I was so focused on their crazy journey together, encountering one threat after another, and the revealing of the ugliness hidden behind all the beauty of the world of the fae. I also just really love their characters in general, and the chemistry they had.

That being said, I thought the plot was a bit predictable at times but didn't mind too much, especially since there were other plot twists that took me completely by surprise. At the last quarter of the book I was so enthralled that I actually stayed up until 2am because I didn't want to put it down! I was exhausted at work the following morning, but all I could think about was when would I have time to finish the book because I really needed to find out how it all concluded. Other than that, the only other critique I have is that the ending seemed a little rushed and that I wish there was a little more! (I wanted to learn more about the World Beyond!)

Overall, I definitely recommend An Enchantment of Ravens if you love reading about adventures and politics in a faerie world and enjoy a (sort of) hate-to-love fairy-tale style romance, featuring an arrogant but endearing faerie prince and a smart and strong-willed artist, all told in gorgeous prose.

I admit I was captivated by the beautiful cover and the artwork of Charlie Bowater. Stunning! Plus, I kept seeing this book everywhere so I just had to pick it up. This being the first book by author Margaret Rogerson, I went into it with low expectations. What I found was a beautifully written story about a world where fae and humans coexist in a very unique way. Seriously, how can this be her debut book!?

In this story, the fae are cold, immortal, magical, unfeeling beings and they are not able to create while highly valuing the humans that do. The heroine, Isobel, is an artist and she’s often commissioned by high profile fae clients to paint their portraits. When the fae prince comes to have his portrait done, aside from Isobel freaking out about it, she paints sorrow in his eyes. This careless touch makes the fae court to look down on Rook for being weak and embarks her on a journey with Rook, the prince. Theirs is a story of forbidden love.

Let me go back for a second to the writing. Ms. Rogerson has a way of narrating a story that I was thoroughly enchanted by. It felt magical and lyrical and I could overlook even the plot issues that I normally would have had problems with. And at the same time she created two characters that I really was rooting for. I love Isobel because she’s a strong, talented and level headed woman. And I absolutely fell for Rook as well. In terms of the general story arc this isn’t entirely an original plot. It’s heavily focused on the romance, which I’m totally fine with. But the way she’s crafted the world in this novel was unique and completely lured me in.

Granted there are things about this story that maybe should’ve turned me off. There’s insta-love and even a bit of Stockholm Syndrome going on here which makes me question the depth of their feelings in the end. But I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t find myself getting annoyed or rolling my eyes at these things. I genuinely cared about the characters and found their journey pleasant. I was happy to be swept up into this world with them.

This isn’t an action packed novel. It has a nice slow, steady pace that I think matches perfectly with the feel of this world. This is a standalone novel but I would love to see more from this world. Nevertheless, I’ll be on the lookout for the next book by this author and hope that is just as stunning.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a bit difficult for me to rate. I'm not really a fan of books where the romance is the main focus and, despite the fantasy scenery, that's what this story boils down too. That said, I did quite enjoy this romance. It did seem to develop from mild interest to I-would-die-for-you incredibly quickly, but I liked Rook and Isobel as a couple so it's easy enough to overlook that.

The characters were great. I loved how smart, and driven and practical Isobel is. There's something really down-to-earth and believable about her and I liked her a lot more than, say, Feyre (I've seen a lot of comparisons to A Court of Thorns and Roses -- I prefer this). I liked that her art was so important to her and that she didn't want to just throw it (or her family) away for romance. It's nice to see a fantasy heroine with an actual interest/ profession. Rook is adorably charming, especially in his confusion as to how humans work -- fretting that Isobel could die of starvation any moment. His show-off, childish nature was nicely balanced by his obvious devotion to Isobel. Gadfly was far more interesting than his initial foppish introduction led me to suspect and I really liked Isobel's family -- her Aunt Sarah and goats-turned-sisters March and May.

I felt the plot was a little more simplistic than I'd expected, and I found it a little slow at a couple of points but overall I enjoyed An Enchantment of Ravens. I really liked the world-building put into the fae, their world and how their magic works. I loved the darkness and rot hiding just under the surface. As wonderful as the fae seemed while we were in Whimsy, once Isobel went into their world, they became much darker, more sinister and more frightening than they were charming. Rogerson's writing is beautiful and descriptive, and she really knows how to paint a picture (See what I did there?).

*I read this as part of #ARCAugust (2017) and reviewed it then. As always, this is my honest review.

Well. I’ve always said that autumn is my favorite season.

An Enchantment of Ravens is all kinds of delicious banter and arrogance. It’s the kind of book that keeps you reading late into the night simply because you want to know what Isobel and Rook will say next.

I want to start off by saying that Rook reminded me of Howl from Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle (I can’t compare him to the Howl in the book, because I haven’t read it yet, but…) There was a scene in Enchantment that reminded me of one of my favorite lines of dialogue from the movie. And I quite enjoyed that.

Isobel is couragous and smart. Sometimes good books are ruined by main characters you just don’t like, but Isobel was wonderful from start to finish. She was complex and witty and has growth, but the one thing she is not is whiny. She’s stubborn and takes responsibility and deals with things.

The plot of this novel is interesting. It’s a standalone, which I wasn’t expecting, because this novel could probably pan out into a trilogy easily, but I liked that everything got resolved in one book, even though there was a lot to be resolved.

More than once, I lost track of the side characters, forgetting just what their roles are (there’s more than one character whose name ends with “lock”). The enchantment Rook places has a specific meaning for the number of ravens and me being me, kind of forgot what each stood for, and it was not mentioned again when they came out, so that’s my own fault, but it’s a thing that happened.

There were things that didn’t quite work for me. I wasn’t a fan of the ending dialogue, seeing that it felt really forced. I think the first half of this book is stronger than the latter half (which again makes me think that it would have been interesting to see this as a trilogy or duology), but overall, it was extremely enjoyable.

I’ve seen people on my Twitter feed comment that this book is new and unique, but there’s a lot of classic YA tropes in it (Arrogant/cocky male lead, MC with purple eyes, unconventionally pretty heroine, etc). Personally, I don’t mind tropes if they’re done well, and the ones I caught in this book didn’t bother me in the slightest. I put out the warning in case anyone is expecting something completely unique in the world of YA-this is not it.

This book is enrapturing. It’s good, it keeps you reading, and it delivers. There were things I wanted more of, but overall, it’s a strong addition to YA fantasy.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It was a quick read, light and airy, just right for a vacation. The negative reviews are true: The story is insubstantial, many hints are left unexplored/unexplained, and the plot holes are large and gaping. But the positive reviews are also true: The writing is beautiful and lyrical, the faerie world the author invents is imaginative, novel, and intriguing, and the heroine is likable. I liked Rook, the male protagonist, even though others did not. This is marketed as a YA book but readers of all ages can enjoy this book. There is some kissing but no bodice ripping (so grossly overdone in many books marketed to women, so I appreciate this book was PG), there is some fighting/violence but it is not too graphic.

This felt like a book that could have been greatly improved if the author had more time, or had a better editor, but I see that this is her first novel and it is likely she had neither. Still, her writing is beautiful, and I look forward to her future books!

3.5 stars more like.

An Enchantment of Ravens– one of my most anticipated fall reads, for sure. Fae/faeries used to be something I sort of avoided, oddly enough. But this year I have been finding myself more and more intrigued about these enchanting creatures. With an absolutely beautiful cover and a stellar sounding blurb, I just knew this was a story I had to get my hands on.

Isobel is an extraordinary painter, well-known to the fae for her Craft. When the elusive autumn prince Rook comes calling for a portrait, forbidden feelings start to develop, and Isobel sees more in the prince than she is supposed to. Mistakenly painting the human emotions she saw and unknowingly tarnishing the autumn prince’s reputation in his house, a potential war starts among the fair folk. Rook whisks Isobel away to the fae world to stand trial and to undo the harm caused by the painting.

It pains me more than I can say that this book wasn’t a 5 star read for me. I did enjoy the story overall but not at all to the extent I hoped for. Perhaps my expectations were too high heading in? I’ll break down what worked for me and what didn’t.

Things I Liked: I love how mysterious and sort of frightening the fae were. They were obsessed with human Craft such as art and painting, like our main character Isobel excelled at, and paid by providing enchantments. Of course they were tricky beings and you had to be extremely careful or your enchantment could turn into a curse. My very favorite enchantment gone wrong came in the form of Isobel’s sisters, March and May, who were originally born as… goats, and then turned into humans. I laughed at these two and their goat-like shenanigans. I wish they were around a little more even because they had such personality. There were a lot of moments of great magic and enchanting spells and I found those to be great highlights throughout the story-telling. I also really enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing. She has a beautiful way with words so I know I will be checking out her future work as well. I like how the story came around at the end and even though I could have used a little more in the epilogue, I’m pleased with the conclusion.

Things I Didn’t Like: I wish the world building was more fleshed out. I just never got a full grasp on this world and the purpose of some of the plot points. The traveling around the fae world felt sort of like unnecessary wandering to further the romance and I just didn’t connect with their relationship or to either the characters as individuals as well. I wanted the trial! I wanted more purpose to what was happening.

Overall this was a good read, just missing something to give it that spark of something great. I do look forward to checking out more stories with the fair folk and look forward to what this author has coming next.

I have heard so much hype around this book, I had to read it. I was amazed at the writing and imagery. You could easily see where the two MCs were because the author was very descriptive. I went into this book not knowing much other than it dealt with magic and fairy courts. I finished this book in two days and it is easily one of my favorites this year.

You Have your two MCs, Isobel, and Rook. Isobel is a mortal, she lives with her aunt Emma and her two twin sisters. Rook is a Prince and is Fair Folk, he is immortal and lives in the courts. In this world, mortals have “crafts” cooking, cleaning, writing, painting, etc. Fair folk cannot do these simple tasks anymore, so they look to the mortals to do it.

Isobel’s craft is painting, she can paint amazing portraits and loses her self in her craft. When she is assigned to paint a portrait of Prince Rook, she starts to see the sorrow in his eyes and paints it. Soon rook comes looking for her to fix the mistake she has made. You watch Isobel and Rook go through this really magical adventure and discover so much, not only about the world but themselves as well.

This is one of my favorites this year, I truly didn’t know if I would enjoy this novel or not. Isobel and Rook just capture your attention with their magical characteristics. The writing was so amazing and descriptive. I lost my self in the descriptions of the forest and courts. It’s truly imaginative.

Overall the magic and imaginative world the author have created just sucks you in. It just enraptures your attention from the start and has you wanting more. I also want to know Isobel’s real name. Im hoping there is a second book, and if so i can not wait to see where the author takes us on this very strange and magical adventure.

An Enchantment of Ravens is one of my most anticipated September release. I was lucky enough to get approved for an e-arc and I legit thought it was a mistake. I was super surprised. I remember I fangirled so much like I’ve never fangirled before. Such was my excitement for this book. And I’m happy to say it wasn’t misplaced.

I guess I should start by saying that I absolutely fell in love with the author’s writing. I know very few authors who could write in such a fascinating, enthralling and lyrical way. Margaret Rogerson is now one of them. I have a feeling she could write about the most boring, inconsequential thing and still make it the most interesting and most enchanting thing you would ever read. I think this is the main selling point of the book. The whole thing could have been about Isobel’s preference of color or paintbrush or why she loves eggs so much and I wouldn’t have minded. The author wrote with such flawless grace that had me ensnared from the very beginning.

An Enchantment of Ravens was such a delight! I love everything about it! The world-building was incredible. The fair folk were both extraordinarily beautiful and scary at the same time. The idea that human Craft can be fatal to them was also an interesting twist. I would have wanted to see the fairy courts myself (not that it’s an ideal place to visit but yeah). It was depicted so vividly and beautifully. Isobel was a lovable character. I love that whenever she paints it always feels magical. Rook had my heart from the start. I have a soft spot for heroes with a tortured past and a sweet, loving heart. I admit the romance bordered on insta-love. But I enjoyed the book too much I just ignored that fact.

While writing this review, I’m actually almost finished reading the book for the second time. And I didn’t know it was possible but I LOVE IT EVEN MORE now.

Oh and can we please talk about that cover?!? Take a moment (or two) to admire just how gorgeous and pleasing it is to the eyes? I am in serious cover lust.

ARC provided by Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

“You are like a living rose among wax flowers. We maybe last forever, but you bloom brighter and smell sweeter, and draw blood with your thorns.”

Let me preface this review by letting you all know that all I want in this life is to read books about the fae. Seriously, give me a rainy or snowy day, a big hot cup of tea or coffee, and a book involving anything to do with faeries and I'll be a happy woman. I was completely captivated and entirely immersed in Margaret Rogerson's debut novel, An Enchantment of Ravens.

This story is about a young human girl, Isobel, who is from a city, Whimsy, which lives in a constant state of summer. She is a very talented painter, who focuses on portraits for fair folk subjects from the fairy courts, and in return they grant her different enchantments. But she has to make sure the wording is precise, because the fae in this book are rather mischievous creatures that excel in trickery.

Isobel is very well known by the fae for her painting Craft. See, in this world, even though the fair folk are magical and immortal beings, they are unable to ever create. This means painting, drawing, writing, even tasks like cooking. And Isobel is the most talented and beloved painter among the fair folk. She has many regular fair folk clients, but her world completely changes when she gets a much unexpected message that she will soon be painting the prince of the autumn court, Rook. Isobel gladly accepts, but makes the deadly mistake of painting exactly what she sees, which is mortal sorrow in his eyes.

This simple and overlooked minor detail ends up making Rook look weak and all the fair folk to look down upon him. Rook then rushes back to Whimsy to collect Isobel herself, and together they embark on an adventure to right the wrong of painting human emotion on a fair folk that is supposed to feel nothing. That is, until Isobel and Rook start to develop stronger feelings for one another and they break the Good Law that the Adler King set in place, which states that a fair folk and a human can never love one another and that it will be punishable with death.

Besides Isobel trying to correct painting the emotion, while also trying to keep her emotions in control, we have the Wild Hunt that has fae beasts constantly after them, too. We also have the Green Well, which will change you into a fair folk with just one sip, but for a very high price in an artist's eyes.

And right before our eyes, we get to see a beautiful story of sacrifice and love be painted. Also, this for sure has A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas, feels to it. I just seemed to be constantly reminded of ACOTAR while reading this story. Maybe it is because both stories star fae and take place for a majority in the spring court, but either way this feels like a YA ACOTAR, but Rook is way better than Tamlin.

This story held very true to fae folklore and mythology: the fair folk cannot lie, they have negative reactions to iron, they are very vain and very overly confident, they eat "interesting" food, and they wear glamour to hide what they truly look like underneath. I loved all of these aspects and the way they were seamlessly incorporated.

Isobel is an amazing female protagonist that I felt honored to read about. She was so selfless and was willing to do anything to protect her family. Also, she wouldn't let anyone or anything interfere with her passion for art and it warmed my heart completely. She was so smart, so caring, and so determined. I loved her and she is easily one of my favorite characters of all time.

And Rook... Well, Rook was pretty exceptional as well. Yes, he was cocky and arrogant, but what fae court prince isn't? Rook was easy to love, too, and he also has the power to shape shift and I was completely living for any scene with Isobel interacting with him as an animal. Especially one bed time scene in particular! (I promise, this sounds way more risqué that it really is.)

The side characters in this book were simply amazing, too. Lark, Gadfly, Aster, March, May, Emma, I loved them all. I can only hope that Margaret Rogerson does not stop creating stories set in this world. There is so much potential here, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

My only real complaint is that I just never really believed, in my heart and soul, Rook and Isobel's feelings for one another. I feel like it doesn't make sense on either of their sides, either. Like, Rook was burned once before and Isobel had a family tragedy that made her very weary of all things fae in general. Yes, she spent a few weeks painting his portrait, but they even said they didn't speak that much to one another. It was like a weird type of instalove, which never felt 100% authentic.

Yet, the true love story of this book, in my eyes, is the love between humans and being able to have an outlet to create art. I truly believe this story is a love letter to artists of all kinds, or people in general that can't imagine a life without being able to create. I loved this underlying message, and I loved how Isobel never took her gift for granted, but instead used it as a solution to a problem multiple times.

This story was a gift to read. The imagery was expertly crafted, the prose was beautiful, the characters were fantastic, and the story was absolutely addicting. This three-hundred page stand alone YA fantasy is very fast paced, immersive, and very easy to read. I read this in two sittings and once I turned the last page my only wish was for more.

Also, can Charlie Bowater do more cover art now, because this cover is nothing short of breathtaking. And it's a perfect match for the beautiful story that is inside. I completely recommend this and I have nothing but high hopes for Margaret Rogerson and this stunning debut novel! I wish her all the success in the world and I selfishly hope she doesn't leave this fae world anytime soon.

An Enchantment of Ravens in Three Words: Fun. Charming. Captivating.

I read An Enchantment of Ravens in one sitting. It may just be my favorite read of the year! I originally only picked up this book because of its beautiful cover. As it turns out, the words inside are just as beautiful. An Enchantment of Ravens may not be perfect, few things are, and some may find the romance rushed and will be looking for something a little deeper, but this book was perfect to me. It has my favorite fairy tale elements along with a swoony love interest.

This book is filled with a curious world, vivid descriptions, humor, plenty of swoons, and a fast paced plot. Whats not to like? Once I started reading, I just couldn't stop. It was just that good. The author does an amazing job at using imagery to bring the story to life right before your eyes. One second you will be sitting on your couch, and the next you will be in a world with scary creatures, delightful and frightening fae, and the most interesting season courts. The world building was immaculate, and as an added bonus it wasn't just shoved in your face all at the beginning of the book.

This story is one that fans of star-crossed lovers will immensely enjoy. Isobel is a wonderful artist who lost her parents and lives with her aunt and two younger and very interesting sisters. She paints portraits of the fair ones in exchange for enchantments. As for the Autumn Prince, Rook, he was perfection. Rook was handsome, not overly broody, charming, funny, kind, and proud. Their love comes fast, but since I fell for Rook just as fast it didn't bother me one bit. Their love is one worth cheering for.

There isn't a single thing I didn't like about this book. The characters have a nice amount of growth during their adventure. The magic is interesting and a delight to read about. The romance had some wonderfully steamy moments. The minor characters are a unique bunch of important players in the story. This book made me smile. It's as simple as that.

The Final Verdict: An Enchantment of Ravens is in fact enchanting. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Go buy it!

** I received a free copy of this book. This did NOT affect my honest review.

An Enchantment Of Ravens
By
Margaret Rogerson

What it's all about...

Isobel paints portraits of faeries. They come to her house...in the town of Whimsy...where she lives with her Aunt Emma and these adopted twins. Have I mentioned that the twins used to be goats until they were turned into real kids/children by these faeries? Whimsy is an enchanted town...it doesn’t really have seasons and everything seems to stay the same there. So...Isobel just happens to paint the eyes of a very handsome fae prince...Rook...in a way that makes all of the other faeries want to kill him and Isobel. Thus the adventure begins!

Why I wanted to read it...

I loved the cover and the idea of this story.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

Rook and Isobel fall in love and this causes their great adventure to begin...they are on the run from tons of really evil faeries. Rook can transform into different creatures...Ravens and a magnificent huge horse being just a few of them. There is humor in this book...which I loved. I loved the adventure. Faeries in their true form can be really scary and ugly looking. That part was a bit unnerving.

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love fantasy and adventure should love this book. Isobel was a unique and charming character.

My copy of this book came from the store Vine. My only obligation was to provide my honest thoughts about it.

A few months ago I was wandering the internet (as you do) when I saw an extremely gorgeous book cover and title combination, and stopped in my tracks. That book was Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens. I read the description and didn’t immediately think “must have it now!” to myself, but I did swoon a bit longer over the cover art before going on my merry way. And then… [cue dramatic music] I kept seeing it pop up, usually with the very highest recommendation. Like, it got to a point where I was pretty sure every book person on the interwebs whose opinion I trust had LOVED it. I knew I had to have it, and then when I got it I loved it EVEN MORE THAN EXPECTED. Ughhh good book is SO good! Friends, I read it twice in one weekend and had to put it IN THE BOOKCASE so as to not keep rereading it every time it caught my eye. It is absolutely charming.

An Enchantment of Ravens is seventeen-year-old portraitist Isobel's story. She lives in the never-changing summer of Whimsy, and her clients are dangerous, inhuman fair folk. The folk crave Craft, or human creations, and none so much as Isobel’s masterworks. When she makes an unforgivable mistake by painting human sorrow in the eyes of the autumn prince, Rook, she must risk all that she is to survive.

How fast did I fall in love with this book? By page two! I knew there was a spark of something on page one, when we’re introduced to a fae named Gadfly, who is having his portrait painted while wearing yellow. That’s it, that’s all it took. What can I say, I swoon for allusions and hidden meanings and even if the author didn’t intend it I was picking up something – something charming and lovely and playful. And then on page two, I knew I was 100% in love when Isobel thinks to herself, “Rudeness was not an affordable mistake.” There’s dry humor here, I thought, and I was hooked.

Another reason I found the book so enjoyable was the absolute drama of the fair folk, and especially Rook. He's a wizard Howl (of Howl’s Moving Castle) -level diva and kind of adorable. If you’re not convinced yet, I’ll spoil you very gently by saying this is a “the heroine saves herself” sort of story, and the best kind, at that. In addition to infusing humor and evoking the danger inherent in the fairy realms, Rogerson excels depicting the art of painting, creating relatable (human) family dynamics, and describing the natural world and season-specific foliage in lush details. TL; DR it is a beautifully written book as well as a fun one!

How much did I want and like this book? I stalked my local bookstore last week to pick up an early copy. I canceled my online preorder and went in person and bought it as soon as I could, because I was pretty sure it was going to wreck me (in a good way). Like I was so excited for this book that I couldn’t wait an extra few days until official release day THIRSTY. And it was all warranted.

In all, Rogerson’s debut is a thoroughly delightful take on fairies, and a must-read for young adult fantasy fans.

Recommended for: fans of Diana Wynne Jones, young adult fantasy in general, and any reader who imagines themselves as a smart and capable hero/heroine in their own adventure.

(Originally posted on kaleyconnell.wordpress.com)

This was one of those books where I was expecting so much and got so little. Isobel is a fine main character. She’s gutsy, she’s cute, and she’s trying to carry a burden she shouldn’t have to. Rook, the love interest, is handsome and childish and protective. But by the end of the book, I thought they were both just… okay.

My main issue with the story was that the romance between Isobel and Rook was just forced and unbelievable. It glances over it in the beginning, then Isobel decides she doesn’t like Rook, then all of a sudden the feelings are back. The wishy-washy nature of her feelings and the sudden declaration of love from both of them early on just made the whole situation feel too contrived and childish. Rook is supposed to be hundreds of years old, yet much younger characters than him seem to have more sense. That is to say, having any sense would be more than what Rook has.

One of the main plot points is that Rook needs Isobel to change the painting she did of him before his court tears him to pieces upon finding weakness in their prince, but (spoiler alert) they don’t even get there. Instead, a good portion of the book is them gallivanting through the forest between the different courts trying to figure out where to go next only to change their minds when they get there. It felt like I was watching the author pull pieces of paper from a hat to decide what the characters should do next instead of reading a fully developed and plotted out story.

Which brings me to my next topic: hanging plot points. There were so many things that were brought up and either brushed over or never explained that I lost count. Even the main antagonist, a person who was supposed to be so intimidating, didn’t seem like the big, scary monster I was supposed to believe (s)he was.

And then the climax. Oh boy, that climax.

The pacing had been bad for most of the story, but the last two or so chapters really illuminated this issue. And that’s before mentioning just how easy everything came. Seriously. I mean, sure, Isobel was spirited away to stand trial for a crime she didn’t realize she had committed, but all that happened was she was a little sore, a little hungry, and very dirty. But lo and behold! A bath! Food! And the fanciest, most expensive clothing money (or magic) can buy! Not to mention her boyfriend is basically the most powerful faerie in all the land (even though he hardly ever shows it and can easily be overpowered if more than two people are involved). But even though she was (kind of) in danger for most of the story, everything ended way too cleanly for the setting. I kept imagining what it would have been like in Star Wars if, when Luke finally faced Darth Vader, Vader died from the first swing of Luke’s Light Saber. Seriously, it was that easy.

I usually finish a book and know why it needed to be out in the world: to encourage people, to give you hope, to entertain, to make you cry, to educate, to do something. But this book didn’t give me any of that. Instead, I was left wondering what the author was trying to say, if she was trying to say anything at all.

At the end of the day, it was an okay book with okay characters and a plot so riddled with holes and paths that so abruptly ended that I felt like Wile E. Coyote chasing after the story to suddenly find the ground has disappeared beneath me. Do I think this book is horrible? No. I think Margaret Rogerson has potential, and I plan to keep tabs on any other books she may write. But I also won’t be recommending this title anytime soon.

Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

One of the best and most anticipated books of September was also "An Enchantment of Ravens". September had truly too many amazing books to count, so I'll keep my raving short.
This book is the debut novel by Margaret Rogerson and it follows Isobel, a young and talented artist who makes portraits for the Fae.
When Rook, the Autumn Prince arrives at her cottage asking for a portrait of himself, an adventure will begin.

I enjoyed Isobel; she is smart, practical and she is not swayed by the sugar-coated life of the Fae and its immortality. Her town is in the between of the Fae and the Human world (where there is no magic) and every villager wants to impress the Fae with their Craft. Be it clothes, paintings or any other kind of craftsmanship.

Rook was simply amazing! When I first read the blurb, I thought that Rook was the parallel Lucien from the ACOTAR series, but when I saw him through Isobel's eyes, I realised that he had suffered far more than he truly let on. He was also very funny in his way, trying to understand Isobel and also very brave.

The ending of the book left me with a serious question as to the protagonists future. I truly loved it, I really did, but still, I can't help but feel this nagging fear that I'll have a Tessa-Will life or an Alec-Magnus one...
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4.5 stars

I got this book through the the store Vine program to review. This book starts out a bit slow but ended up being a very engaging and enchanting read involving fae and a young adult heroine who can paint (perform a Craft).

This book is heavy on romance but it is a sweet romance that I enjoyed reading about. It also involves our heroine using her Craft to make these emotionless fae actually feel something, which was thought-provoking.

There is a lot of mythology in here as well as some beautiful imagery. I would recommend to those who enjoy fae themed books with some sweet romance.

Overall this was a fantastic read that I really found to be magical and enjoyable. I would recommend to those who enjoy fantasy that involves fae and who don’t mind some romance in the story as well. This was a beautiful and creative story.

4/5

I went into this knowing it was about the fae, and that was all I needed to know as I absolutely love books about the fae. They are my thing.

Any who.

From the get-go, I was drawn in. There wasn't an ounce of downtime or a moment to feel bored throughout. I had to go to bed at one point, and it just about killed me. I really didn't want to put down.

The world building worked well. It wasn't elaborate, but had just enough to let you imagine it. I prefer it that way for myself. I would rather have, so-to-speak, more of the meat and potatoes of a novel then the garnishment.

My biggest complaint would be that I want more of those "meat and potato" moments. Since it is a standalone, the whole story had to be told within the covers. I wish it could have been a bit longer to let certain areas feel less rushed and easier to believe. The romance is something that falls into that. It's more or less insta-love, and I am a slow burn girl. My complaint is really just in regards to my personal preference, so take that as you will.

I really did love this book besides that little complaint. I wanted it to go on longer. I want to know what happens after the ending events. When I discovered An Enchantment of Ravens was, in fact, a standalone, it was semi soul crushing.

The Good: The strength of this book is absolutely in the power of the descriptions of the scenery and the natural elements. I could vividly picture the nature and the decay and all the beautiful and ugly things throughout. This can be tough to capture, so I appreciate the skill there. I liked that it was consistent with some Fair Folk mythology, and instead of discarded some of the important rules, like “cannot lie,” they became quite important to the story. The dynamic between Rook and Isobel was really enjoyable and I liked watching it develop (not gonna lie, I was getting major Elucien vibes the whole time). I quite liked Isobel as a character, and she reminded me of a Jane Austen heroine a bit! And of course, the little uncanny details were delightful, like the goat sisters or the woman who can’t say words that begin with a vowel. It was all so creative and I enjoyed these elements very much!

The Bad: Despite the great amount of detail in the scenery description and the environment building, there was . . . not much of a plot? Well, there was, but it was very distant right up until the last fifty pages or so. There was virtually no worldbuilding outside of what was immediately relevant to the characters, and sometimes not even that. For example, we never see Rook actually being a prince--he just talks about being one all the time (it’s a running gag, but still). In fact, we know very little about his background at all, and I feel like this is a bit of a missed opportunity. He’s still a good character, but I just wanted more. The same is true for the world as a whole--where is Whimsy in relation to everything? What on earth is the World Beyond? What’s the deal with the Alder King? I still have a good amount of questions after finishing the book, and I kind of wish I didn’t. I have no problem at all if the main point is the romance, which it very clearly is in this book (and it’s good!), but I thought the external structure was a bit too fuzzy for my preferences.

Representation: Sad to say, there was basically nothing in the way of representation in this book. I know Rook is described as having a “darker complexion” at one point, but I wasn’t sure I was supposed to read him as a man of color? It’s the same problem again with “vaguely brown” characters. There’s no LGBT rep, no disability rep unless you count her one sister who doesn’t talk, and no rep for people of color unless the “vaguely brown” thing works for you. My rule is that I take off at least half a point in a ranking for no/too little rep (and a whole point for bad rep with increasing levels dependent on how bad the rep is). The book was fun, but I do have to take off the half point for that.

Favorite Line: “Something was happening to my door. Dark, glistening spots spread across it like an ink spill soaking through a page, or a candle flame blackening a piece of paper from beneath. It wasn’t until the sweet stench of decay hit me, and white mold fuzzed over the surface, that I realized the door was rotting.”

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Isobel lives in a town where it's eternally summer and is a master painter highly sought after by the capricious fae. In this world, the fae are unpredictable and often malicious in their enchantments so Isobel takes payment in the form of enchantments that will protect her and her family from fae harm.

I loved this setup. I am all for dark fae. But it felt like all this cool setup was wasted. The ball starts rolling when the prince of the autumn court commissions her for a portrait, and they fall in love with each other after 5 minutes when Isobel realizes he's "not like the other fae".

Likes:
- It's very beautifully written and a pleasure to read
- I loved the cruel fae and the way they're required to follow polite customs like bowing back
- The setup with the town cut off from the rest of the world and being forever in summer is awesome
- How the fae can't create anything and that's why they're obsessed with human "craft"

Dislikes:
- The romance was very sudden
- It became all about the romance
- The whole rationale Rook had for kidnapping Isobel was really shaky, especially when she's manages to convince him it's a dumb idea in about 3 seconds, and by that point every one wants them dead

I recommend it if you like books with fae, or just for a quick enjoyable read, but I will probably not reread this one

The fair folk are ancient but beautiful, disarming but treacherous, and they love the human Craft; dressmaking, baking, and, especially, painting. They pay for Craft with enchantments, but as fair folk are literal-minded creatures, humans must carefully word their requests. Trading a handmade lace dress for an enchantment that will make men fall madly in love with you can turn sour, even deadly, as fair folk like to play with the humans. Fair folk cannot lie but they will look for loopholes in their enchantments and turn them against the wisher. And while fair folk love what humans can create, they do not, and cannot, ever express the fatal weakness of mortal emotion.

Isobel is a master painter and fair folk pay handsome enchantments for her Craft. But she is clever and cautious and has learned how to word her enchantments so they will not backfire on her. When asked by Rook, the autumn prince, to paint his portrait, she paints what she sees: sorrow. Rook is furious as his court now regards him as weak so he spirits her away to face trial for sabotage.

But, spoiler alert, this is a romance; a lovely, sweet, witty romance that cannot be. Fair folk and humans cannot break the Good Law or they face execution. As Rook and Isobel travel through the different realms of the summer, autumn, winter and spring courts they find themselves growing more and more attached. Despite his cocky exterior, Rook is charming and sweet and caring and almost human in his behaviour towards Isobel. As fair folk are almost child-like in their thinking, Isobel is the practical one, the sensible one, the clever one who is also stunned at how vulnerable she is with her feelings regarding Rook.

Beautifully written and full of magical moments and lovely details, An Enchantment of Ravens is a captivating take on the world of faeries and humans. The author peels away the fair folk exterior and exposes what they truly lies beneath their glamour, and it isn't pretty. There is infighting amongst the courts. There are glorious beasts, supernatural but deadly. There is subterfuge. And while the fair folk are powerful they are also susceptible to their own pettiness and jealousies.

Rook is adorable in how he interprets everything Isobel says and it makes for delightful scenes. No, humans cannot eat food that is still alive. Perhaps a frying pan can be used as a weapon. When she warns him to never touch her unless invited or if she is in peril, he takes it literally and unceremoniously drops her on her butt after rescuing her, as she is no longer in danger. And Isobel is wonderfully written: strong, intelligent, shrewd, vulnerable but never helpless. Their relationship is a delight to watch as it grows. Their spats and misunderstandings and banter is witty and made me laugh out loud, even tear up at times.

And the ending? I loved loved loved the ending. It was perfect, it was as it should be, and it made Isobel a total star in my eyes. It's a fantastic book, the writer perfectly captures the nuances of the fair folk and the humans and has created a beautiful romance between Rook and Isobel. And, for me, the cover wins most gorgeous book cover of the year.

Highly recommended standalone book.

Margaret Rogerson’s debut is nothing short of enchanting (yes I did). Fans will ravenously (yes I did, again) devour this sweeping, magical romance. Rogerson’s writing is exquisite and captivating. The world building is beautiful. The romance develops really naturally; in a way that reads much more enjoyably than the usual ‘insta-love’ or ‘slow-burn’ dichotomy. The novels strong characterization makes it easy to be quickly absorbed in to the world. Rogerson created a vivid and thrilling world with efficient and beautiful language that strayed from the overly verbose style that seems standard in ‘Fae’-type novels.

There was something missing for me. Not enough to make the book unenjoyable, but something I felt the absence of nonetheless. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it feels as though there was some small thread missing that would make the world more immersive and complete. Regardless, I found the novel to be an engrossing and stunning debut that I would recommend to anyone.

Ahhhhh! The feels!!! I absolutely adored every page, no, every word of this book! Within the first paragraph, I fell into the story and was absorbed all through to the end. This author did such a fantastic job of depicting the fae in a new way, it kept the fantasy part of the story fresh. But the true tale t lays with the protagonist Isobel. She's such a magnificent main character. She loves her art she falls into her work, but she equally, or more so, loves the family she has left, and uses her art as a bargaining tool with the fae to protect and provide for her family as much as she can. Rook, the fall fae prince, is another refreshing character. I've read tons of YA/ fantasy and can't think of any book that this compares to. My only regret is that the story wasn't longer. I look forward to reading anything else this author releases.

I am just going to say this upfront. I LOVED this BOOK. Rogerson did such a great job with this book. I loved the characters, the setting, and overall story.

Isobel is talented at her craft of painting portriats of the FAE community, Gadfly is a reagular customer of hers, although she doesn’t know what plans he has for her. He sends her the Autum King for his portrait to be painted, and she captures his real self through his eyes. This sets the King and Isobel on a long journey. Isobel finds herself falling in love with the king and knows it isn’t something that can happen by the Fae laws.

With this book you just need to sit and enjoy the story being told.

Overall I give this book 5/5 stars.

Romance
Wow. You call that romance? I’m sorry, but even I was looking for a book with a good romance, this is not where I would come. I honestly did not feel any build up of relationship between the two characters or any real devotion of love. There was just nothing there. Yeah, they interacted a lot. Perhaps they had some funny moments, but absolutely nothing would have me believe that these two had fallen in love with each other realistically. Absolutely unfortunate.

Plot
Yet, what’s more unfortunate, is that this seems to actually be the plot of this story. I’m so disappointed. I didn’t realize so much of the story was going to be about their romance (which is probably my fault because I didn’t re-read the blurb before I started the book). But if you are going to make an entire romance story, then at least make it good. The whole reason their supposed relationship existed or blossomed or whatever was because they ended up just wandering back and forth in the middle of the forest for days. Literally! They just kept changing their minds about where they were going, like it was freakin’ filler content. Ugh!

That Writing Style
I think the saddest part about this story is that the writing is gorgeous. Honestly! I fell in love with the writing style immediately and got so excited to read the story only to be left to fall on my face 20% into the book because nothing was happening. Because I got so bored, I couldn’t even enjoy the beautiful writing or wonderful imagery. I just started skipping large sections of description like I was hunting for a plot somewhere and just never really found it. Quite a shame. And a waste. Good writing can’t make up for lack of story, sad to say.

No Real Tension
Another aspect that didn’t help this story was how little tension existed. Whether between the characters or in the plot or in the scenes that were supposed to be exciting and nerve-wracking, there was just nothing there. Nothing brought me to the edge of my seat. In fact, I fell asleep on this book a couple times and the ending was just… so anti-climatic and boring. There was definitely not enough build to the end and not enough struggle.

I was almost afraid to pick up An Enchantment of Ravens because of all the hype the book was getting. I love fae stories too much, though, and so I decided to take the plunge and finally start reading. Thank goodness the story lived up to my expectations! I really loved the darker take on the immortal fae world, as it was so unique and really went well with Isobel's fear of going to the Green Well. While most fae stories show the fae as beautiful, elegant beings all humans wish they could be, An Enchantment of Ravens almost flipped this stereotype around and instead showed the rot and emotionless facade that the fae embody when compared to the life that is humanity. I loved it.

The only aspect of the story I wasn't 100% in love with was the speed of the romance. Don't get me wrong, I adored Isobel and Rook together, but I just was a bit disappointed that we really didn't get to see them fall in love. Yes, they spent a lot of time together while she was painting him, but I didn't get to see them interact much during those weeks. I enjoy watching two characters fall in love, so to not get to read about all those little interactions left me feeling like I was missing something.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the story and thought everything flowed well. Some parts were a bit unrealistic, but I felt it added to the charm of the writing. I can't wait to see what else Margaret Rogerson has in store for us in the future!

I loved this! Rook made me laugh, Isabelle was admirable in her strength and knowledge of herself, and watching the two of the interact through the whole book, watching how love changed them both but they stayed the same - I will read anything else this author writes because she showed how well she understands how people fall in love. With humor, with conflict, with trust, and friendship.

Story was clean, with kissing - some intense - but the story isn't revolved around will they or won't they DO IT? A refreshing, wonderful story about facing conflict together - and falling in love in the process.

I absolutely loved this book! It could be because I am on a fantasy kick right now, but I seriously doubt it. The writing was amazing - with the detailed imagery outstanding! The cover wrapped it all up nicely with a gorgeous illustration. Fae fans will gobble this story up in one sitting with a severe book hangover after finishing the last page.

World Building
I loved the world Margaret Rogerson built in this book! I haven’t read many book about fae and I loved the mythology surrounding the fae in this book – from their royal court system to their personalities to how their magic worked. The fae in this book are hideous beneath their glamours, are very vain and love beautiful things, and interestingly have no capacity for human emotion. In a way, they reminded me of the elves from Lord of the Rings – tall, beautiful people with little emotion, who also live forever. Despite that similarity, I found this fae world to be a refreshing change for me when it comes to fanatasy reads and I really, really enjoyed this world.

Characters
I really loved Isobel as a main character – I found her to be both smart and funny. I loved that she was was an artist. Isobel also has a strong love for her family and doesn’t let forget about them throughout everything she goes through. I really enjoyed the romance in this book as well. I can see that some readers would peg this romance as insta-love, but honestly I didn’t feel that way.

Plot and Writing
While this is definitely more of a plot driven book than character, I wouldn’t call it an action packed book. Surprisingly, I still had a hard time putting this book down! There was enough happening to keep me engaged and I loved this world and characters so much that I couldn’t get enough of it. I really loved the writing style and it had a very magical and fairy tale feel to it, which I loved!

In Summary
Overall, this book really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I especially loved the world building, but the writing style and the characters were fantastic as well. This book has a strong fairy tale or folksy feel to it and is very atmospheric – perfect for reading in the fall! While this is currently a stand alone, I definitely wouldn’t mind more stories in this world. I’m definitely looking forward to any future books of Margaret Rogerson’s! I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fairy tale-esque story involving fae.

I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

It’s not a typical epic fantasy. It reads more like a folktale but the protagonist has an almost modern attitude. She isn’t very kickbutt, but she is herself—clever, passionate, brave, and loving. I prefer really strong female characters in my books, but I also truly appreciate the quieter leads, especially in this folktale style story. The fae elements were shocking and beautiful. The mythology she wove into the story was familiar but with unique twists.

I was not planning on reading this until a coworker read it and enjoyed it. Then, I grabbed a library copy and was whisked away on an amazing journey! This book is funny, beautiful, original romantic and gave me the richest reading experience this year. I loved how Isobel is very aware of her feelings, thinks about her intentions and choices and is very brave and clever. The author also tackles the Fae is a very interesting way and I love she paints immortality and what it means to be human. Plus it's cool to see Craft be almost a superpower to the Fae. If you love Laini Taylor, fairy tales or need something to read quickly, go pick this up! It's a great journey story of a girl who discovers her courage to find change and the consequences that comes along the way. This is pretty much my top book this year :)

I LOVED this book! I've always been a fan of books that revolve around fairy lore and this book is definitely one of my new favorites! Isobel and Rook...oh man! From the very first moment they met, their chemistry was off the charts. I found myself falling in love with Rook while Isobel was. There was a twist that I was definitely not expecting which made this book even more entertaining, in my opinion.

All in all, this is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves strong female leads, witty banter between love interests, fairy lore with a touch of action and suspense. You won't regret it.

I really wanted to love this book. The mysterious setting, the spunky heroine, the underlying themes of tainted magic all appealed to me, in and of themselves. However, the pacing of this book felt markedly off at times, as well as the language spoken, which tended to flit across the lines of period and modern day. I felt that, in the end, it was all settled a bit too easily, with the loss of a finger our only real hint of sacrifice from the romantic duo leading the tale.

This is for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses. It has the same feel and flow, except this is more detailed. The author made the point to over explain all of the portions so you can have a vivid picture.
I enjoyed the plot, ideas, and romance but the over explination just irked me. I wanted to imagine it myself. With that said the plot was a suprise and brought a new view of the fae that hasn't been shown lately.
I also have so many questions from the end but cannot say without spoilers. But seriously my mind can't figure it out.... I hope there is a second book...

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't live up to them. Now admittedly I did read this on the heels of Holly Black's newest, The Cruel Prince, and I'm sure that didn't help. The publisher probably shouldn't be making a comparison to Black's books either. Hers are much more dangerous, graphic, and emotional. I found An Enchantment of Ravens to be on the lighter side of faery tales. At first intrigued by the story world and the main character, Isobel, and the world of Whimsy and lands separated by seasons and the idea of human Craft being so valuable to faeries, I soon grew a little weary. Isobel is a little more immature than I prefer in a heroine, and the longer she and Rook were on their journey together and then at the faery court, the more flimsy the premise became. I also wasn't really buying into the love story as much as i should have either. I ended up pretty much just skimming the second half to get to the end. I'm sure this book will please many readers, but those who read the works of authors like Holly Black, Elizabeth May, and Julie Kagawa will likely find this tame by comparison.

I love how this story stuck to the traditional fair folk.

Cover:
The cover is exceptionally drawn and beautifully depicted. It gives the reader an idea of what they will be getting within the story. Since the story is centered around art culture, the covers shows elements of this as well and really solidifies the theme in the story. It is captivating at first glance on an eReader, so I cant wait to receive my shimmery hard copy.
Story:
As I mentioned before, this story sticks to the true nature of the fair folk. The trickster cunning beautify creatures that they are. Except in this book it is all an art illusion. However, Isobel is not so easily tricked which makes her the perfect heroine of the story. Isobel is incredibly talented, which earns her the attention of the more important fairies, specifically the autumn prince Rook. In anticipation of the autumn prince, Isobel tries to prepare as best she can as she had heard he is not an easy one to encounter. Yet, when she finally meets this prince he is not all that he seems, and Isobel is sure she can see something lurking under his eyes, even if she cant quite place it at first.
When she is done with her painting of the prince and sends it off to him, Isobel is forever changed in ways she would have never imagined. This is when her journey into the fairy lands starts, but what she doesn't know is how much this will change her in the end.
The story is filled with adventure, and the imagery that Margaret Rogerson creates is so clear and vivid. It feels as though it was plucked out of a dark fairy tale book and you just can't wait to see how it ends. There are a few places where the story could have ended and continued on in another book, expanding the series, but overall the story was well constructed. I am definitely going to read it again.

First thing first, the cover and title are fantastic. I definitely judged a book by its cover on this one when I picked it up. The primise of the book is also great. Fae can't use craft and if they do, it will kill them. Craft is defind as any artistic art form like painting, sewing, etc. Even cooking. Essentially, Fae can't make these things for themselves and they need humans to do it for them. The fairies in this novel worship humans. They envy their ability to feel and change over time.

Isobel is a portrait artist. She's renowned for her craft. She meets and falls in love with the autumn prince who comes to get his portrait done. The thing is, Isobel falls in love with Rook really fast. The book is around 300 pages and the love story kind of loses its suspense around page 100. It's instaloveitius. I didn't really feel the chimestry between Isobel and Rook. Rook wasn't fleshed out very well as a character, I thought. His main trait is his pride and there's not much else to him.

My real complaint with the story is that the plot meandered terribly. A large part of the book was the characters walking through a forest. It seemed never-ending. There wasn't much of a plot. When it does show up in the last tidbit of the novel, it is super rushed. I also thought the twist at the end was unnecessary. The ending was too ambitious without having earned it through a proper build up. The world isn't as fleshed out as it could be because of the book's short length.

Again, the premise is amazing but I wouldn't pick this book up again if I could time travel. However, some of the descriptions in the book are really good.

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

An Enchantment of Ravens has probably one of the most stunning book cover I’ve ever seen. I was already intrigued by the beautiful cover but what sealed the deal was the synopsis; I’m a sucker for anything faerie related. The book is centered around 17-year-old Isobel, a renown portrait painter in Whimsy with clients to die for…The Fair Folks. Isobel paints portraits for faerie patrons in exchange for enchantments to protect her and her family, whether it be to protect their selves from harm from The Fair Ones or something useful such as a chicken, guarantee to lay 6 eggs per week, forever. However, things get dangerously complicated when she is whisked away by the Autumn Prince for painting him with human emotions, a treason in Faerie.

An Enchantment of Ravens started off pretty good. Whimsy, the place in which Isobel and her family resides is neither here nor there…it was like limbo, a place like our own but not…Whimsy was trapped in eternal Summer, fitting as it is the Summer King that currently reigns. The initial encounter between Isobel and the Autumn Prince had me smiling, because within the first couple of chapters I already knew they adored one another, they had the whole star-crossed lover vibe going on. But once Rook kidnapped Isobel from her home, the story went in a direction that I didn’t see coming. Well, a direction I had hoped that I was wrong about. Turns out I wasn’t and the direction was not for the better.

I get that Isobel has been sheltered all her life, so when Rook, a boy and a prince nonetheless entered her life he was more than appealing. But as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a fan of insta-love. And this was like Insta-love to the max. Yes, teenagers often fall in love hard and quickly but it wasn’t realistic in this case. Isobel has grown-up to be careful and mindful of everything around her, especially when it came to dealing with The Fair Folks. But being around Rook had her throwing caution to the wind. Years of acquiring enchantments and stepping on eggshells around The Fair Folks gone down the drain in a blink of an amethyst eye. It made me like Isobel less and less as the story went on. And even though in the end she out witted the Summer King, she changed and more or less stayed in the lovey-dovy doe eyed state.

The world-building was great. I loved seeing the Faerie world that Rogerson created. But the plot itself wasn’t as enjoyable as I hoped. At the core, this is a romance and journey story. More romance though. There wasn’t much substance. I often found myself bored as Rook and Isobel ran from The Wild Hunt and as they transversed the different courts. The reason behind Rook and Isobel running to Faerie and running away is because they were about to break The Good Law and then they actually broke the law…I just found the whole thing kind of silly. I was expecting more societal and political intrigue but instead I got two love sick teenagers running to and fro causing a mess wherever they went.

An Enchantment of Ravens had so much potential to be a great novel, and it saddens me to say this but it didn’t meet my expectations. The words written within the book didn’t live up to the beautiful cover, the promise of a captivating read. The writing was done well but the plot itself was poorly executed, lackluster and somewhat predictable. The characters were underdeveloped and I had a really hard time connecting with anyone. I never felt invested in the story or the characters, and felt myself being a bit relieved that I managed to finish the book (I don’t like DNF-ing a book). This book has gotten a lot of rave reviews, so while I didn't like it you still might! I can’t say I’d recommend this book but if you’re still interested, perhaps checking out a sample before purchasing?

This is definitely at the top of my list for reads this year. If you love Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series this is the book for you. The world building was fantastic. what most authors have to fit into a series to complete the world Margaret managed to fit into a standalone and I was blown away.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a beautiful story full of mystery and magic. I loved this book and highly recommend it to fairy lovers. This is a 5 out of 5 star read for me.

Folks who enjoy faerie reads should definitely consider this one! But if insta-love stories bother you, you might find this a little bit of a struggle as the build-up happens off page. I found that really was the main thing that made this an unenjoyable read around the middle. Overall though it's an interesting twist on the usual fairy stories and has some really unique elements.

The cover of this book is eye-catchingly gorgeous (appropriate for a story featuring a painter). I enjoy novels featuring the fae, and I like a good romance. Yet even though those ingredients were present here, I wound up feeling a little “meh” after finishing it.

I did like some aspects of the book. The idea of the story works for me: a portrait painter offends a fae prince and is whisked off to the fairy realm to be punished, only for the two of them to fall in love; they then have to fight to save themselves from the death sentence that is mandated by their forbidden romance. I like the passion that the main character displays for her art and that the romance doesn’t overshadow her calling as an artist. Another plus is that the fae characters were portrayed as heartless and inhuman and rather creepy, not just as overly pretty humans, as they sometimes are in novels.

Except . . . that last bit doesn’t hold true for Rook, the prince at the heart of the story. Yes, he looks inhuman (at least when his glamour fails), but he behaves much like any young man in love. I think that, for me, that’s the weakness at the heart of the novel. Why is Rook so different than the other fae? Why is he capable of feeling positive emotions when the others don’t seem to be? Why, if he is centuries old (or more), does he act so young, as young as 17-year-old Isobel? None of this is ever really addressed in the book. Granted, it’s a hard balancing act to pull off, to make Rook both inhumanly strange and yet human enough to be sympathetic to the reader, but the author goes too far in the direction of human with Rook’s character for my tastes.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking of The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle, which also features a young woman who is spirited off to a fae realm by a prince (a prince of trolls, in that case). Dunkle’s book doesn’t have the swoony romance featured in this novel, although there is a love story, but she does a better job of defining her fae creatures in my opinion. Readers who like this book and haven’t read the The Hollow Kingdom might want to give it a try. (Well, unless you’re just in it for the swoony romance; then Dunkle’s book might disappoint.)

An Enchantment of Ravens is a debut novel, and in spite of my disappointment with aspects of the story, I think the author shows a lot of promise as a writer. I’m definitely going to be checking out her next book.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Great world-building and luscious descriptions combine like a trance, pulling the reader into this alternate world, one that is at once familiar and alien in turns. This book also features a perfectly eerie portrayal of "Fair Folk" (or fairies), as well as a whip-smart protagonist who knows her own value, and a princely love interest who respects her. I can't wait to read whatever Margaret Rogerson writes next!

I liked the story and found it to be a quick listen on audio. Isobel is a mortal who paints portraits of the immortals. She paints human emotion into the eyes of Rook, an autumn prince and starts a controversy. The feelings between Isobel and Rook come fast with not a lot of development. I enjoyed seeing the personalities of the different fae folk and thought the strongest parts of the book are the interactions between Isobel and the fae.

4/5 stars. I actually really liked this. I found the description of the Fair Folk interesting since most books paint them to be gorgeous with or without glamour.

I felt the ending was really rushed for such a short book, which is why this is only 4 stars.

I look forward to seeing what she writes next though.

For a debut book, not bad at all.

This was the perfect fairytale story vibe I needed after being in a book slump.
As a huge fan of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I definitely wanted to read An Enchantment of Ravens as it was a suggestion from the author. This story was the perfect stand alone novel, with lush description from the author. I loved rook and isobelle. While their romance was predictable, it was so sweet that my heart ached. This was an adorable story with loveable characters and an exciting adventure and I finished in 2 days.

4.5 stars

This book was like a cupcake, rich and creamy, but, once you begin, in need of whole-hearted devotion... IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL. And I NEED Margaret Rogerson's next book -- stat! <333

(Please do not question the cupcake analogy. Once you read AEoR, you'll understand. ;P )

I loved this book! So lyrical and delightful, humorous yet with surprising depth. It was a joy to read Isobel and Rook’s story. And I especially appreciated that there were no gratuitous or explicit scenes, making it a sweet and tender romance.

This is definitely at the top of my list for reads this year. If you love Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series this is the book for you. The world building was fantastic. what most authors have to fit into a series to complete the world Margaret managed to fit into a standalone and I was blown away.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a beautiful story full of mystery and magic. I loved this book and highly recommend it to fairy lovers. This is a 5 out of 5 star read for me.

Folks who enjoy faerie reads should definitely consider this one! But if insta-love stories bother you, you might find this a little bit of a struggle as the build-up happens off page. I found that really was the main thing that made this an unenjoyable read around the middle. Overall though it's an interesting twist on the usual fairy stories and has some really unique elements.

This was such a fun read! It's so great for fans of Sarah J Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The writing style of this book is GORGEOUS. The natural imagery used makes you feel as if you're actually there. The protagonist is witty and the dynamic between her and Rook is so cleverly funny! Humor has been absent recently in a lot of YA fantasies, so it was a breath of fresh air to find that this novel used it so well!
It was very interesting to see this novel's portrayal of fair folk. Rather than be people to admire and seen as all-powerful beings, they are almost pitied by the end because of their limitations.
It's not a very long read, so it's easy to fly through, which isn't very hard, since the book is very engaging and evenly paced. Overall, I would definitely recommend this for YA fantasy lovers. It's a memorable read for sure!

The cover of this book is eye-catchingly gorgeous (appropriate for a story featuring a painter). I enjoy novels featuring the fae, and I like a good romance. Yet even though those ingredients were present here, I wound up feeling a little “meh” after finishing it.

I did like some aspects of the book. The idea of the story works for me: a portrait painter offends a fae prince and is whisked off to the fairy realm to be punished, only for the two of them to fall in love; they then have to fight to save themselves from the death sentence that is mandated by their forbidden romance. I like the passion that the main character displays for her art and that the romance doesn’t overshadow her calling as an artist. Another plus is that the fae characters were portrayed as heartless and inhuman and rather creepy, not just as overly pretty humans, as they sometimes are in novels.

Except . . . that last bit doesn’t hold true for Rook, the prince at the heart of the story. Yes, he looks inhuman (at least when his glamour fails), but he behaves much like any young man in love. I think that, for me, that’s the weakness at the heart of the novel. Why is Rook so different than the other fae? Why is he capable of feeling positive emotions when the others don’t seem to be? Why, if he is centuries old (or more), does he act so young, as young as 17-year-old Isobel? None of this is ever really addressed in the book. Granted, it’s a hard balancing act to pull off, to make Rook both inhumanly strange and yet human enough to be sympathetic to the reader, but the author goes too far in the direction of human with Rook’s character for my tastes.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking of The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle, which also features a young woman who is spirited off to a fae realm by a prince (a prince of trolls, in that case). Dunkle’s book doesn’t have the swoony romance featured in this novel, although there is a love story, but she does a better job of defining her fae creatures in my opinion. Readers who like this book and haven’t read the The Hollow Kingdom might want to give it a try. (Well, unless you’re just in it for the swoony romance; then Dunkle’s book might disappoint.)

An Enchantment of Ravens is a debut novel, and in spite of my disappointment with aspects of the story, I think the author shows a lot of promise as a writer. I’m definitely going to be checking out her next book.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Great world-building and luscious descriptions combine like a trance, pulling the reader into this alternate world, one that is at once familiar and alien in turns. This book also features a perfectly eerie portrayal of "Fair Folk" (or fairies), as well as a whip-smart protagonist who knows her own value, and a princely love interest who respects her. I can't wait to read whatever Margaret Rogerson writes next!

I liked the story and found it to be a quick listen on audio. Isobel is a mortal who paints portraits of the immortals. She paints human emotion into the eyes of Rook, an autumn prince and starts a controversy. The feelings between Isobel and Rook come fast with not a lot of development. I enjoyed seeing the personalities of the different fae folk and thought the strongest parts of the book are the interactions between Isobel and the fae.

4/5 stars. I actually really liked this. I found the description of the Fair Folk interesting since most books paint them to be gorgeous with or without glamour.

I felt the ending was really rushed for such a short book, which is why this is only 4 stars.

I look forward to seeing what she writes next though.

For a debut book, not bad at all.

This was the perfect fairytale story vibe I needed after being in a book slump.
As a huge fan of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I definitely wanted to read An Enchantment of Ravens as it was a suggestion from the author. This story was the perfect stand alone novel, with lush description from the author. I loved rook and isobelle. While their romance was predictable, it was so sweet that my heart ached. This was an adorable story with loveable characters and an exciting adventure and I finished in 2 days.

This book started out great for me. It had magic, it had intrigue, it had a romance brewing, plus the writing is phenomenal! And have you seen the cover?!
But it just didn't end great for me. There were a ton of questions unanswered.
However, I will definitely recommend this book based on the writing alone! The way she phrases things and describes them. I feel like I was there! Like I could see and touch and smell and taste! Wowza!
I also loved the characters! I thought they were well written and in depth!

4.5 stars

This book was like a cupcake, rich and creamy, but, once you begin, in need of whole-hearted devotion... IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL. And I NEED Margaret Rogerson's next book -- stat! <333

(Please do not question the cupcake analogy. Once you read AEoR, you'll understand. ;P )

I loved this book! So lyrical and delightful, humorous yet with surprising depth. It was a joy to read Isobel and Rook’s story. And I especially appreciated that there were no gratuitous or explicit scenes, making it a sweet and tender romance.

I enjoyed this book. I went back and forth between three and four stars on this one. At first I wasn't really that excited about it, and I ended up setting it down for a few days. But it did pick up, and grab my attention. I did feel that parts of it were very rushed and underdeveloped. The characters were good and the ending was satisfying (if a touch anticlimactic) but again I wish there was just a little more development. Which ultimately is what knocked it down to three instead of four stars.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson has such a gorgeous cover and I was hoping the writing would be just as beautiful. Unfortunately, this is one YA fantasy that didn't work for me. I read until past the halfway mark and was so bored that I just skimmed until the end just to see if it would get better (spoiler alert: it doesn't). It didn't feel like the character had enough substance so I wasn't invested in them at all. The worldbuilding was also flawed, I mean if fair folk are not supposed to feel any kind of emotion, how could one of them fall in love? I didn't get it. This was definitely case of the book not working out for me, but maybe it will for some other reader.

a surprisingly perfect and delightful read for me! I picked this up from my library with not a single spoiler - in fact i'm not even sure how I found it (RIYL recommendation maybe?) but i'm so glad i did. the author really made fae her own and I need more!

I really enjoyed this but I have to agree with what I've heard from others that it just needed to be longer. There needed to be more to it. But I still really loved the idea of the fair ones and Rook is hard not to love. Interesting and really fast read.

This was a perfect addition to our middle school classroom. The cover is gorgeous and is an overall clean read, full of adventure and magic. Pretty much predictable (girl + boy fall in love) and has the right amount of romance, action and adventure. Definitely recommended.

Roger son has a breathtaking ability to write even the most minute details and weave brilliant tales where you can literally picture the scenery as you read. I thought it was an okay book though. Not bad but I just wanted more. There’s no real sense of the past and why things are the way they are, the bad guy was defeated rediculously quick even though everyone was afrad of him and she’s just a human.... the base of this book is so incredible but I fet as though there was something missing or something more. Everything was too nice in a way but it is a rest book for someone trying to test the waters in the YA world to enjoy.

I was handed an advance reader copy of this novel by a friend of the author. I flew through it...I think I finished it in a day and a half and loved every moment of it. I thought she had excellent world-building, intriguing and compelling characters and a classic storyline. I hope for more in this world because I'd love to spend more time with these characters and explore others more in depth. Well done!

I will give it the first half a 3.5 Stars and the other half 5 Stars. Started slow but it really picked up. Love the plots. That twist at the end was well worth it! I didn’t imagine it would end like that!! I hope there is a second book.

Gorgeous writing, and loved the main character's voice. Also was invested and pulling for the romance. Plus, there are the cutest little twins in it, that came with a surprising twist that I so enjoyed.

Beautiful prose, original story. The author was able to create a fully-realized world with fleshed-out characters. While the main character’s decisions sometimes seemed a bit arbitrary, I was drawn into the story so much that I didn’t quite mind. I look forward to any more books that this author has to write.

I was so excited for An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson to be released and I read it as soon as I could!

An Enchantment of Ravens is about Isobel, a human sharing a world with faeries. Isobel is a painter and her skills are coveted among the faeries. When the opportunity arises for her to paint the elusive prince of the autumn lands, Rook, she can't pass up the opportunity. Rook is unlike all other faeries she's met and she's intrigued by him. However, while painting his portrait Isobel makes a detrimental mistake. Before she knows it, Isobel is whisked away by Rook to stand accountable for her mistake.

The book was good and I had fun reading it, but it didn't meet all of my expectations.

I really liked Isobel and her determination. She was constantly faced with problems and she kept pushing through them. I liked Isobel's dedication to her unique family and the way she and her aunt tried to keep their family safe and together. A huge aspect to Isobel's character is her craft-painting. Margaret Rogerson definitely did A LOT of research regarding proper terminology for painting and how colors blend together. The way Isobel's painting and technique was described was amazing. In fact, the whole book was artfully written.

I understand that fae are described differently by each author, but it took me a while to get accustomed to the fae in this book. They're very formal and love to trick humans into bargains. Fae mimic humans in appearance and custom but don't understand them. Their world is very interesting. When reading, I kept having this feeling that everything was just a little bit off. I realize that that's intended but I didn't always enjoy it. Despite my feelings, I would definitely describe Rook as adorkable. I liked that Rook continually tried to help Isobel, but because of the nature of fae not understanding humans completely, I sometimes had a hard time believing the relationship between him and Isobel. But at the same time, his desire to understand adds to him being adorkable.

An Enchantment of Ravens took me on an adventure and I did enjoy reading it, but I was left feeling like something was missing. The ending was good, but it seemed a little abrupt. An Enchantment of Ravens is a standalone book, however I would be interested if there were a second one because I am curious to see what becomes of Isobel and Rook.

I loved this book from beginning to end, I really didn’t want to put it down. Margaret Rogerson’s writing is captivating and takes you deep into the world of An Enchantment of Ravens. Before reading this I was a bit worried that it would be too similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, but it stood alone. I love that this book had a heavy focus on art/craft and how important it is.

Isobel is such a strong and relatable character. She never gives up even when the odds are stacked against her. As an artist myself I really appreciated the descriptions of Isobel’s painting habits. Rook had so much depth and he continued to grow and develop as he learned about humanity from Isobel. I loved reading about the romance between Isobel and Rook. The Fae world was so complex and political, but also different from any Fae books I had read before.

Overall, I loved An Enchantment of Ravens and if you love fantasy and romance then this book is for you.

An Enchantment of Ravens is a bit difficult for me to rate. I'm not really a fan of books where the romance is the main focus and, despite the fantasy scenery, that's what this story boils down too. That said, I did quite enjoy this romance. It did seem to develop from mild interest to I-would-die-for-you incredibly quickly, but I liked Rook and Isobel as a couple so it's easy enough to overlook that.

The characters were great. I loved how smart, and driven and practical Isobel is. There's something really down-to-earth and believable about her and I liked her a lot more than, say, Feyre (I've seen a lot of comparisons to A Court of Thorns and Roses -- I prefer this). I liked that her art was so important to her and that she didn't want to just throw it (or her family) away for romance. It's nice to see a fantasy heroine with an actual interest/ profession. Rook is adorably charming, especially in his confusion as to how humans work -- fretting that Isobel could die of starvation any moment. His show-off, childish nature was nicely balanced by his obvious devotion to Isobel. Gadfly was far more interesting than his initial foppish introduction led me to suspect and I really liked Isobel's family -- her Aunt Sarah and goats-turned-sisters March and May.

I felt the plot was a little more simplistic than I'd expected, and I found it a little slow at a couple of points but overall I enjoyed An Enchantment of Ravens. I really liked the world-building put into the fae, their world and how their magic works. I loved the darkness and rot hiding just under the surface. As wonderful as the fae seemed while we were in Whimsy, once Isobel went into their world, they became much darker, more sinister and more frightening than they were charming. Rogerson's writing is beautiful and descriptive, and she really knows how to paint a picture (See what I did there?).

Ever heard of Sarah J. Maas? A Court of Thorns and Roses? (<---- my fav series btw) If you have read the ACOTAR series, then the whole "strong independent human woman supporting her family gets stolen away by a handsome farie prince who she then proceeds to fall in love with by page 15" type of book before, then spare yourself from this one. Not saying that ACOTAR is like that AT ALL, but that's what this one was.

The cover is obviously beautiful. If you don't read this book for any reason besides the cover, I am throwing absolutely no shade at you. Designed by Charlie Bowater, whom may I also say happened to design the latest ACOTAR book cover, it meets the level of standard we all expected from this wonderful artist. Seriously. Google her. Even if you aren't a SJM fan, her fan art, as well as all her art, is beautiful.

Now. The plot. Isobel was a completely lovely protagonist. As one of those everything-nice-with-spice characters, she fulfilled my feminist needs for this book. However, (you knew THAT was coming) everything in her relationship with Rook was absolutely a Cliche™ classic. Ugh. I hate cliche books.

Next! The love interest. Rook, Prince of the Autumn, who happens to be able to turn into a raven. (Get it? Rook?) Really!? As I've already expressed, Cliche™ is at work. I have no more words for this slightly delightful smol cinnamon scroll.

The plot was ok. The author's writing was clearly beautiful and smoooooth but lacked a little more development. Also, there was not a map included at the beginning of the book. And all I pictured in my head was the town where Isobel lives and the farie lands. Like 2 places in the book here.

Overall, you shouldn't let my naturally pessimistic review of this book and take it with a grain of salt. Because for others, this book could be great! (But not me.)