{ about the book }
Standalone Novel
Publishes September 26, 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
e-ARC provided by Netgalley
Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
What an absolutely fun book this was! I keep wanting to read it again and again because it was just so enjoyable and hilarious!
I don't read many faerie books, which is a shame, because I love faerie lore. Of the ones I have read, they all have something different, something unique about them. With Enchantment, it was Craft—things humans can do, such as cook or paint or whatever else, really—and it really interests the fae, since they can't do such things for themselves.
Isobel was a great main character. Her voice was both funny and a bit sassy, you know, in the way you only can be when dealing with creatures that could kill you? Yeah, so like, formal but lowkey snark (my favourite kind). In any case, Isobel was a fun main character. She was endearing and strong and I just adored her! Not to mention, being in a painter's head? Well, it definitely painted some vivid scenes and characters.
Which brings me to my next point: the writing! Oh, it was absolutely beautiful. Rogerson's prose was absolutely perfect and the way she described the courts, the forest, it was just remarkable. It's the type of writing that isn't too flowery, but just enough to paint a gorgeous image in your head.
The way she described other characters was also extremely well done. (If I wasn't lazy, I might post some quotes, but I don't normally highlight those, lmao.) It was poetic without being obnoxious, and I loved every bit of it.
One of my favourite parts of this novel was definitely how... clueless the fae could be. Because they're so... not human, basic human things—like eating, making jokes—it just goes over their head (and in a Drax voice: Nothing goes over my head... my reflexes are too fast). So an adventure with a sassy human and a clueless-about-human Autumn Prince? It creates for a lot of hilarious scenes.
Speaking of the Autumn Prince... I love Rook! So much. He's just a precious little angel, if you overlook his glamour and sharp teeth and ability to kill you!! Okay, no but seriously, Rook is really amazing. He's respectful, and kind even though he doesn't want to be sometimes. He's such a gentleman, and he'd so absolutely anything to protect Isobel, but not without her consent! (There's actually a great bit about consent and it makes me love him all the more.) It was so adorable how clueless he was about certain things in the human world. He's definitely one of the best love interests I've had the pleasure of reading about!
This book is a little heavy on the romance, or rather, a build up to it. It's also a journey book, getting from this place to that kind of thing. It kept my attention throughout, but there were small bits where I was wondering what the exact point of everything was. But, like I said, small bits. And, frankly? I was enamoured with the romance, which ended up playing a lot more into the plot than I was expecting, so it was a nice surprise.
Beautiful writing, two amazing characters, an healthy, budding relationship, loads of funny lines and witty banter, and of course, dangerous faeries, An Enchantment of Ravens is a debut that many readers of fantasy and faeries will adore! I highly recommend this one! 4 stars.
Margaret writes fantasy for young adult readers. Her books draw inspiration from old fairy tales, because she loves stories in which the beautiful and the unsettling are sometimes indistinguishable. She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and when she's not reading or writing she enjoys drawing, watching documentaries, making pudding, gaming, and exploring the outdoors in search of toads and mushrooms.
Website | Twitter | Tumblr
I don't read many faerie books, which is a shame, because I love faerie lore. Of the ones I have read, they all have something different, something unique about them. With Enchantment, it was Craft—things humans can do, such as cook or paint or whatever else, really—and it really interests the fae, since they can't do such things for themselves.
Isobel was a great main character. Her voice was both funny and a bit sassy, you know, in the way you only can be when dealing with creatures that could kill you? Yeah, so like, formal but lowkey snark (my favourite kind). In any case, Isobel was a fun main character. She was endearing and strong and I just adored her! Not to mention, being in a painter's head? Well, it definitely painted some vivid scenes and characters.
Which brings me to my next point: the writing! Oh, it was absolutely beautiful. Rogerson's prose was absolutely perfect and the way she described the courts, the forest, it was just remarkable. It's the type of writing that isn't too flowery, but just enough to paint a gorgeous image in your head.
The way she described other characters was also extremely well done. (If I wasn't lazy, I might post some quotes, but I don't normally highlight those, lmao.) It was poetic without being obnoxious, and I loved every bit of it.
One of my favourite parts of this novel was definitely how... clueless the fae could be. Because they're so... not human, basic human things—like eating, making jokes—it just goes over their head (and in a Drax voice: Nothing goes over my head... my reflexes are too fast). So an adventure with a sassy human and a clueless-about-human Autumn Prince? It creates for a lot of hilarious scenes.
Speaking of the Autumn Prince... I love Rook! So much. He's just a precious little angel, if you overlook his glamour and sharp teeth and ability to kill you!! Okay, no but seriously, Rook is really amazing. He's respectful, and kind even though he doesn't want to be sometimes. He's such a gentleman, and he'd so absolutely anything to protect Isobel, but not without her consent! (There's actually a great bit about consent and it makes me love him all the more.) It was so adorable how clueless he was about certain things in the human world. He's definitely one of the best love interests I've had the pleasure of reading about!
This book is a little heavy on the romance, or rather, a build up to it. It's also a journey book, getting from this place to that kind of thing. It kept my attention throughout, but there were small bits where I was wondering what the exact point of everything was. But, like I said, small bits. And, frankly? I was enamoured with the romance, which ended up playing a lot more into the plot than I was expecting, so it was a nice surprise.
Beautiful writing, two amazing characters, an healthy, budding relationship, loads of funny lines and witty banter, and of course, dangerous faeries, An Enchantment of Ravens is a debut that many readers of fantasy and faeries will adore! I highly recommend this one! 4 stars.
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