Wow so. Wow. I finished An Enchantment of Ravens late last night and it was beautiful? I’m still a little bit in awe, but I shall compose myself. *Don’t think about perfect pumpkin roll Rook or you will never get through this review*
An Enchantment of Ravens is about portrait artist Isobel who lives in a town called Whimsy on the edge of the courts of the Fair Folk. The Fair Folk cannot Craft™—meaning create, even to attempt to cook would turn them to piles of ash and dust—so they prize human Craft, especially gifts like Isobel’s. She paints their portraits and the Fair Folk pay in enchantments. All is going well until Isobel paints Rook, the autumn Prince, she makes the grave decision to paint him as she sees him, with damning human sorrow in his eyes. Betrayed by his weakness, Rook spirits Isobel into the Fair Folk lands so she can stand trial for her “crime.”
First thing to know about An Enchantment of Ravens is that Margaret Rogerson’s writing is deft, sharp, and lovely enough to leave me gasping and turning the pages, hungry for more.
The second is that Isobel falls among my favorite heroines. Her voice, her thoughts, were both sensible and passionate, and realistic. Often I read YA fantasy where the heroines lose all good sense in the midst of a book, whether for love or magic, and it was so refreshing to see Isobel keep her whits about her. She was neither swept away by love/magic, nor completely immune to it, and I loved her for it. (She actually reminded me a bit of two of my recent favorite heroines, Sarai from Strange the Dreamer, and Maya from The Star-Touched Queen.)
The last thing you need to know is that you will fall hopelessly in love with Rook and there’s just nothing to do for it but accept this sweet, vain, proud, SHAPESHIFTING pumpkin roll Prince into your life and smile because it happened. Honestly what a brilliant creature he was. I honestly could not even handle his equally infuriating and adorable nature. I mean…oh gah. AUTUMN PRINCE YALL. AUTUMN PRINCE WHO IS VAIN AND A BIT INSECURE AND WINGS AROUND AS A RAVEN AND SOMETIMES A HORSE AND IS SAD™
Basically you need to put An Enchantment of Ravens on your list for Fall. It releases September 26th (and believe me I’ll be going on and on about it until then so you won’t forget!) Perfect if you love Holly Black, Roshani Chokshi, and Laini Taylor. Perfect if you want your faerie tales well aware of the old lore, with teeth and romance and monsters.
Thanks SO MUCH to Simon & Schuster for sending this my way.
