An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson | Review

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TRIGGER WARNINGS: alcohol (briefly)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Release Date: September 26th, 2017

Pages: 300

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Goodreads Review: here

Goodreads Synopsis:

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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R A M B L E

I’m sure we all know that feeling when we are so excited for a book but as soon as you start reading you go blah. That was me in this case. I was super excited for An Enchantment of Raven, almost every friend I have given it four stars or higher which only built my excitement. Furthered by the fact it was compared to A Court of Mist and Fury, arguably one of my favourite books. I was left so underwhelmed by this book it was ridiculous. I finished and went “that was a waste of time”. I mean, it did only take me around 24 hours to read but still.

So, obviously, this book has been compared to the ACOTAR series several times (or at least I’ve seen it compared). I honestly think that’s an insult to Sarah J Maas, who I know many of you don’t like but still. Feyre is one of the strongest characters in fiction for me and just thinking Isobel could be compared to her is laughable to me. The girl finds herself in love with the love interest within two weeks and basically becomes useless from there. It was so infuriating. She barely struggled when he kidnapped her as well. It was so frustrating.

I should mention I did enjoy the writing style of this book but sometimes it moved too fast and I was left looking back at previous pages confused as to where this new development came from. Half the time it didn’t really add to the plot (prepare for a rant on that).

I just really think I had too many expectations for this book and it didn’t reach a single one of them.

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P L O T

What plot?

Honestly, what plot? There wasn’t a single piece of plot. There was nothing to grip you in and further your reading. Apart from the romance between the protagonists, which wasn’t interesting at all. There is honestly no chemistry between the pair and it is laughable to me that this could be viewed as romantic.

The plot basically goes: Isobel paints portraits, she doesn’t want anyone else to paint portraits, she paints infamous Autumn Prince, falls in love in two weeks, he kidnaps her and after a paragraph, Isobel no longer cares. I shit you not. That’s it.

There is a subplot going on that would have been great to include before the final 80% (which is what happened) but nope. We just get a love story for pages and pages. It did my head in. I love a good romance as much as anyone, but I need chemistry and build up. This book had neither. I also need a good plot to follow the romance so it isn’t all I’m focusing on. Again, not something this book had.

I did like Isobel’s interactions with everyone but Rook (aka the Autumn Prince). It gave her some form of personality. Actually, I take that back. Usually, when Rook wasn’t around she was pining after him and wondering if she really liked him and about his pathetic declaration of love.

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C H A R A C T E R S

#I S O B E L 

I am not sure I have ever read a more bland character than Isobel. Honestly, she had zero personality. Even before Rook kidnaps her she has no personality. Actually, maybe. She is high key petty in one scenario and kind of rude towards her aunt/doesn’t care about them too much further into the book (also conveniently dead parents).

I would usually rant about how dumb she is but I am honestly speechless, a very rare occurrence to me when it comes to venting about a character. I can usually vent for hours. However, Isobel’s stupidly has left me completely speechless. Her obsession with a boy she knows nothing about and who is lowkey a villainous creature is disgusting. I wanted some form of girl power and I did not get a single piece of it.

I truly don’t get the appeal to her either. Rook is basically obsessed with her and I really feel like it is simply because she is obsessed with him (wow romance).

Someone truly needed to give this girl a reality check.

#R O O K 

What a poor excuse for a love interest. I get why people would compare him to Rhysand in some ways (but what an insult to Rhys tbh) due to him kidnapping Isobel (he literally kidnaps her though is the wild thing). I just don’t have a lot to say on him either because much like Isobel, he lacks a personality that isn’t obsessing over her.

Honestly, it’s ridiculous how much I did not like these two. Their scenes together left me cringing and hating everything. Every feeling of ‘love’ between the two felt artificial to me and I really wish the relationship had grown organically instead of just being forced upon us.

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O V E R A L L

Overall, a massive disappointed for me. I really don’t have much to say to round this off (a common theme in this review, but I’ve had a pretty shitty day so writing this in itself was difficult for me). I mean, give this a go, I can understand why so many people love it but just not for me.

Happy reading everyone.