An Enchantment of Ravens

I love this book so much. Every once in a while one comes across a novel that just hits the nail on the head, where everything lines up just right and you don't find yourself wishing for anything more or less from it. An Enchantment of Ravens is one of those books. It isn't overdone or underdone, not too much nor too little. It is one I come back to reread several times a year and it never gets old. The plot is compelling, the characters well written and consistent, and the storybuilding is lovely. The world makes sense but isn't overwhelming. Just enough detail is given so that you understand the context of the land and the town of Whimsy without it feeling bogged down. The autumn aesthetic is immaculate. Every scene makes sense, belongs, and advances the plot. Rook and Isabelle are both fun and flawed and charming. Its just so good. I love it so much and I am so happy it exists.

I was thrilled to finally get my hands on Margaret Rogerson’s debut novel, An Enchantment of Ravens. Often described as the “perfect fall read,” it truly is, with lush, magical scenery and an adventure reminiscent of a fairy tale. I probably could have read it in a day or two, but it was such a pleasure that I tried to make it last as long as possible, delaying the inevitable end. I found myself wishing for more books with these characters, but according to Rogerson, this book was written as a standalone. (If she changes her mind, though, I’ll take any glimpse of Whimsy and the fairylands that I can get!) I love the world Rogerson has created, from the peculiar town of Whimsy to the alluring and dangerous fairylands. Fans of Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series may find the fairy courts in this book — spring, summer, fall, and winter — reminiscent of those described in her trilogy. But I found the depiction of the fair ones to be more dangerous and haunting. While they are, in some ways, similar to fey found in other YA books, Rogerson shows that their legendary beauty is built on a lie, and their love of mischief and trickery runs deep. I found Isobel to be a likeable, realistic protagonist, with conflicted emotions and a soul-deep sense of duty to her family. And where do I begin with Rook? In some ways, he fits the archetype of the rude, stubborn love interest who eventually grows to love his equally-stubborn companion. But it was such a delight to see his interactions with Isobel change and deepen. He’s definitely book boyfriend material. There were parts of the book that felt a little predictable. It’s not difficult to imagine how it ends before it even happens. But again, much like a fairy tale, that predictability comes with the story: a handsome fairy prince whisks a lovely human girl away, and during their journey, they fall in love. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way it went about telling that story. While the concept is something we’ve seen before, the writing is sharp and engaging. I also had a few lingering questions at the end of the book, but despite wanting answers, I can appreciate it when an author leaves some details to the reader’s imagination. Overall, I think this was a strong debut, and it really is a wonderful book to curl up with. Make some tea, grab a cozy blanket, and lose yourself in the forests with Isobel and Rook.

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.

This book was so much fun and so cozy. I loved the atmosphere and the world building was so rich. I absolutely adored the banter between our two main leads, Isobel and Rook. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments but their love story is so sweet and well developed. The ending was perfect, I could live in this world for much longer but I think the author did a phenomenal job with the ending. A fantastic stand alone fantasy novel that I will definitely be re-reading!

This was AdOrAbLe! Our main female character is Isobel, she is an artist, a painter!- needless to say I was sold at that point already- Every detail and description of Isobel's work was accurate and beautifully written. She paints portraits for the fair folk, since they cannot. The fair folk cannot do anything considered craft- painting, cooking, dress making... She is amazing at what she does and has managed to protect and support herself and her family through it. There is even a rather powerful protection spell in her house put there as payment by one of her most frequent patrons- Gadfly. He is charming and I really liked him. I figured out what he was up to about two thirds in the book and I think you will too. But that didn't make the story any less interesting. One day our other main character pays Isobel a visit. Rook, the Autumn Prince. Faeries don't have emotions, or at least are not meant too. Love perhaps, but that is rare. But Isobel sees sorrow in his eyes and puts that into her painting. When the painting is revealed in the autumn court that causes Rook a lot of problems, it could even cost his life. Because you see, human emotions are considered a weakness for the fair folk and a prince cannot be weak. He drags Isobel from her home to face trial for her crime! And here our story begins... Rook is Adorable! He is proud and a little self obsessed, but in a child like manner. I just giggled every time he said something self serving. He may be a prince -and like reminding Isobel of that all the time- but he is clueless to human emotions and behavior. Some of his comments and questions are just too freaking cute and funny. If you have a thing for precious sweet characters, you will like him. I usually like the bad boys, but every now and then I find a sweet one impossible not to love, he is one of them! I loved how the relationship between Isobel and Rook progressed. At first I thought we would suffer from the 'insta-love' curse. Although it looked that way to start it righted itself as the story went on. I loved how impossible it was for him to hide his feelings and how blind she was to her own. It was cute. The side characters were also great fun. Starting with Gadfly, who I already mentioned. We also have a fun miss-behaved set of twins. A protective loving aunt. And a few fair folk from Gadfly's court that are just hilarious. The only reason I am keeping that fraction of a point back when scoring the book is that is was a tab predictable. A lot remained a surprise till the end, but there were a few things that were obvious. Beyond the review: Here is something I do not understand: Why is this being compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses? Have people gone mad? Acotar is, to start, a New Adult Novel. No YA can be that 'explicit'. An Enchantment of Ravens is most certainly Young Adult. I understand that most of Sarah Maas fans are young adult lovers but you can just choose what genre to call a book because of your personal preferences. Can you imagine acotar in a school library in the teen and/or section? How many parents you think would go mad at that? plenty! Second, Acotar is intense. It has a lot of depth and a rather complicated world. An Enchantment of Ravens is an easy read. It has an amazing world built into it but its not overly complicated. Not much more can be built from it either. And the kind of intensity found here is very different from acotar. It is fun and light hearted even at the most precarious scenes. Can you really call any of the intense scenes in acotar light hearted? Sorry for the rant guys... I love acotar and I really enjoyed this book too, but the comparison is just wrong.

An enchanting debut. With beautiful pose and vivid world building, this is a fae book who's world I wanted to explore more of. I am a sucker for a good fae story, and this one was the perfect fall read. An Enchantment of Ravens has the kind of world building I absolutely love reading about. The imagery of this world is stunning. It's the alluring, and easily drew me into it. Rogerson's detailed descriptions make it incredibly easily to visualize. It has this old world setting I absolutely loved. The magical elements were great. I like that this world is both all it's own, yet also one had some slight touches of the traditional fae world. I would have liked to know more about the traditions of this world, vs being told about them. There's a lot that gets mentioned, but not enough follow through, and it would have been nice to see see things in action, vs just being told about them. Isobel is a character I liked from the get go. I liked seeing the world through her eyes as an artist. She looks at things and people with open eyes, and notices so many little details that most people wouldn't. She also has this reserved, inner strength that fit her her. She's what I'd call a silent heroine. She's not loud, or outspoken, yet she definitely won't back down when things get interesting.... I also like that she thinks before she acts. Which is crucial with journey into Rook's dangerous world. Rook is an interesting character. I liked him, though I never really felt like I got to know him. I guess that's fitting since he's a fae, and for much of the story he wears a glamor. I felt like that was symbolic of his own journey. I liked Isobel's reaction to seeing the real him. She sees past both the outward glamour and fae appearance, to the real him. These two have an interesting relationship. It definitely develops in a short about of time, but it also fit given all that is going on. Being hunted by 'The Hunt' also forces them to learn to trust each other rather quickly. The Hunt was an interesting element to the story. I liked the twists in this story. Especially when it comes to a certain fae, and Isobel's unknowingly part in it all. One of the things I really liked about this fae world, is that not all fae have a magical power or talent (called a craft). That's where the humans, like Iosbel, play a big role in the story. The fae are drawn to humans for their craft. Isobel's craft is that of an artist. Though young, she's very talented in her craft of painting portraits. The fae, being vain, love what she can do. It also sets into a motion some very interesting turn of events I didn't even see coming. Though I loved the world building, and the old world/timeless feel to the setting, I have a love/dislike relationship with the writing. Rogerson's prose and language for the story are beautiful, and lush. It fits perfectly with the old world charm of the Fae world, and that of Isobel's world. At the same time, I felt like it also got a little overbearing. I feel bad saying that, because it is gorgeous writing. It just held something back from the story for me. Over all, yes, I did like the book, and I would recommend it. In the end, I just felt like some minor things needed to polished up a little bit better for me to really love the book like I wanted to. On a side note, I absolutely LOVE this cover! It's a perfect match for this book.

Spoiler-free review! I was gladdened by the sight of those vicious thorns more than I could say, and wondered whether the stories would have gone any differently if the princesses had been the ones telling them. A book about star-crossed lovers, art, and a fae prince who shape shifts into a raven? YES, please! ✘ plot In Whimsy, humans practice Craft: cooking, artistry, writing stories, even designing clothing - all of which the fair folk are drawn to, despite their own lack of capabilities to create. Isobel is a brilliant portrait artist, so it's no surprise when the prince of the autumnlands, Rook, visits her for a painting. Isobel makes a fatal mistake, however, when she chooses to depict the haunting sorrow she sees in his eyes. As fae folk must never be shown with mortal emotions, Isobel is forced to visit the lands of the fair folk, to stand trial for her crimes against the prince. Everything shifts, though, when their relationship shifts into a beautiful love - for love between mortals and fair folk has been banned as long as time has stood, and the punishment is death. ✘ isobel Isobel is such an enjoyable narrator, right from the very first page. Her thoughts are full of quips and snide remarks, and there's a down-to-earth sense about her that I feel like gets lost easily in the high fantasy genre. She feels wise beyond her years, yet at the same time, it's believable to think of her as a seventeen-year-old girl who's just had to grow up a little too fast. I was especially fond of her no-nonsense attitude and outlook on life, particularly when the story progressed and her character developed into a young woman who had to learn that not every dilemma in life can be faced with pure logic; sometimes, you have to just go with your heart. He tried to turn away, but I touched his shoulder. Marvelously, he stilled. He was a head and a half taller than I, and the forest leapt to obey his power, but with that one touch I might as well have clapped him in irons. ✘ rook Rook. ROOK. What can I even say? He's so adorable and haughty and self-obsessed and childlike and fun. Despite being a prince (which he reminds Isobel of often in his own self-satisfaction), he is so bewildered by human lives, and some of his assumptions and questions are so freaking cute. As the book progresses, there's such a tender and kindhearted aspect of his personality. His kindness is seen as a weakness among the fair folk, and it makes him a target, but he's just trying to get by in life, doing what is right and living with the fearful knowledge that everyone wants to dismantle his throne. If you like those "precious cinnamon roll" types like I do, Rook's your guy. "Is that so terrible? You say it as though it's the most awful thing you can imagine. It isn't as though I've done it on purpose. Somehow I've even grown fond of your - your irritating questions, and your short legs, and your accidental attempts to kill me." ✘ side characters & fair folk - Gadfly, who is Isobel's oldest and most prominent patron. There is so much I want to say about him, but I can't, because it would be a huge spoiler. All I will say is that I loved Gadfly from the moment we met him, and he made me cry like the big baby I am by the time it was all said and done. What a delightfully written character. - March and May, Isobel's younger "sisters". They're actually goats in human form , and they're freaking ADORABLE. They butt heads, and eat everything, and destroy things, and bounce around on tops of cabinets, and basically act like... well, goats. I loved them so much. - I also want to touch on the lore in this story and how it affects the fair folk. They can't touch iron, they're held to a standard of politeness that reaches compulsive levels, and they cannot lie. They pay for favors through enchantments rather than money, but are mischievous, wicked things who tend to trick the other parties into enchantments that go sour. All of these things are so prominent in the story and it showed that Margaret Rogerson actually did her homework. As someone who was obsessed with fairy lore as a kid, I'm so here for this. ✘ final thoughts This book was a delight from start to finish, and I could barely stand to put it down for anything. I already am desperately hoping for more stories set in this world, because I could not get enough of the precious romance, or the world and magic system, or the fun characters. My only complaint was that it came dangerously close to insta-love, but even as someone who hates that trope, it didn't really bother me due to the way the relationship progresses. I loved this story so much, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good high fantasy/fae romance. This was easily one of my top reads of 2017 so far and I can't wait to see what Margaret comes up with next!

I loved the opening of this book. I loved the world and the magic and the characters. It was beautifully done and I was hopeful that I was in for a real treat. However, the things I loved about the book ended up being kind of flat. I think the reason why is because the descriptions of the world and the characters personalities were meant to carry the book. The actual story line was super weak and didn't actually make all that much sense. I really was good up until the 75% mark even though I got a little tired of the long descriptions of trees growing and flowers blooming and such as the magic affected the world and how slow things were progressing. However at around the 75% I started wanting all of the build up to lead to an amazing plot ending. And it just didn't. It was more of the same long-winded descriptions but now mixed in with action happening so fast that I didn't know what was going on. I skimmed both. It felt like the ending broke some of the rules of magic that had been laid out (pet peeve when that happens). It also didn't solve the ultimate challenge between the human protag and the fairy prince. ***Spoiler Alert*** Over and over again the reader is told how time passes differently for fairy, how a human life is like the blink of an eye to them, how fairies can't comprehend the shortness of humanity. So a fairy and a human romance is going to be kind of short-lived dust and ultimately unsatisfactory to the fairy. But at the end of the book all of those concerns just disappear. There is no solution. They just live happily-ever-after with the problem unresolved and undiscussed. Gag. Total rule breaker. And when I look past the 'The End' what's left is that Rook ends up in the exact same place he started in having lost his human love. He ends up alone after a 5 second lovelife with the Isobel. The funny thing is I hadn't realized I'd also read the author's book about Grimoires until I went to write this review. I had almost the exact same problems with that book. The author has fun ideas and creates a fascinating world and characters, but it's all a 2-inch deep puddle and when I read a book I want an ocean.

I bought this book for my sister, it is a great book for readers that are into fantasy (books like “the cruel prince”) The book is very pretty and glowy, I haven’t read the book yet, but the summary seems very interesting. I have included the summary for those of you who want to read it.

otima edicao

I loved nearly everything about this book, from the beautiful cover to the magic weaved with words through every page, I loved Rogerson's take on the fey and her main character was perfectly relatable, smart and brave. The chemistry between the two main characters had me with little heart flutters. A beautiful tale, told masterfully.

Love the book. Great characters, interesting storyline, the cover is beautiful too

As seasons and strangeness unfold in this book, wonder dawns on you : beauty and magic don't always come from where you expect... And love can blossom from understanding seemingly unsurmountable differences.