I’m a huge fan of this author and I really enjoyed this book. I thought the storyline was unique and enjoyable and the writing style was beautiful.

Inject this right into my veins thank you very much

Thanks to NetGalley / Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I'm a huge fan of anything related to Edgar Allen Poe, which is what initially drew me to HE RAVEN'S TALE. While it didn't live up to all my expectations, I most enjoyed how the book seemed to embody the same horrific and melancholic atmosphere that I'd expect of anything that echoes Poe. And yet, the story felt completely unique still. I think that alone makes it worth a read.

I was always a big fan of Poe, so I'm drawn to retellings of both his life and his work. I thought Winters offered an interesting take and I was engaged in the beginning. I guess I struggled mostly from the mid-point because there didn't seem to be much happening. The cover was beautiful and gave me the impression this would be a supernatural story with lots of twists. Although the plot was so-so, I did find the author's prose very beautiful. Overall, I'd rate 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Great books and wonderful story. This one a great story and loved reading it.
Would recommend for anyone that loves a good story and loves to read about awesome characters.

I think that the premise of this book was ingenious, however i think unless you are truly a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe, this might be something you skip.

A fascinating reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s teenage years, with a truly gothic and sometimes unearthly setting. Cat Winter’s prose is lovely, especially when paired with Poe’s own work and the premise overall is one that will suck you right in.

However, after about the first quarter of the book, the storyline seemed to grow stagnant and I quickly lost interest in discovering what would come of Edgar and Lenore. I think the biggest issue is that the idea of creative muses, as damn good as the idea was, just wasn’t explored the way it should have been for it to really be successful.

I definitely expected the story to grow in scope and scale, when Lenore’s purpose and nature were revealed (eg. what of the other muses roaming the world?), so I felt a little let down to discover that the story was very narrowly focused on only Edgar and his life.

Overall an interesting read, but one that felt a little too reined in for its own good.

THE RAVEN'S TALE is a fictionalized account of 17-year old Edgar Allan Poe and his turbulent relationship with Lenore, his muse. In this world, muses are real, physical beings, and they're considered corrupt and dangerous by polite society. Lenore comes to Edgar at a particularly vulnerable time in his life, at odds with his foster father and leaving for university. Edgar's passion for poetry and dreams of making a living as a writer are in sharp contrast to the wishes of his practical and cruel foster father. Will Lenore save Edgar's creative spark, or will she be snuffed out forever(more)? I enjoyed that this book imagined what a teenage Poe would have been like, and how his "muse" buried the seeds in his mind for many of his greatest works. The plot struggled in parts, moving slowly especially during his time at university, though the writing was lovely and atmospheric. I was also hoping for more explanation of what the muses actually were. Living spirits, maybe? As a fan of Poe, there was much to appreciate in this well-researched novel. I loved this so much I went and bought a physical copy.

I recieved an copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

3.5 stars

When I initially read about this novel I was very excited, as I do love Edgar Allan Poe and especially his poem The Raven. This novel was VERY enjoyable with having a physical being act as a muse and I love that people could even see his muse throughout the story. I do appreciate that this novel was also semi-biographical as it was based on a lot of facts from his life (per author's note). This novel took an interesting turn into the turmoil of his life as he began writing and getting inspiration. The only reason I chose not to rate it higher was because the ending just fizzled out and was quite unimpressive and disappointing. I had hoped for something more as it seemed it was going in that direction and building up and instead it seemed like, 'meh let's finish this project up' and it ended. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed the novel and appreciate the Poe-esque prose written throughout the novel too.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have come to the conclusion that this author is just not for me. I have read and attempted to read a few different books by her and I just could not get into them or I plainly didn't care for them. I found this one to be no exception, the pacing was slow, the character was whiny and immature, I just could not connect to anything pertaining to the story. I am huge Edgar Allen Poe fan so I was very excited to see this YA paranormalish (it felt like the world was magical realism if you are in to that) take on him, but I was not a fan. This read like a biography with details that a well read Poe fan would be more interested in than a YA reader, yet Poe was very immature and acted like a child instead of the blossoming adult they kept calling him. Lets just say that this did not work for me but I am sure others might like it.

Rating: 5/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: gothic atmosphere, haunting prose, grisly tale; Cat Winters has impressed me once again!; this is a beautiful blend of "historical" and "fiction"; dark, gritty; something you can really sink your teeth into and tear apart; love the inclusion of Poe's poetry

HUGE thanks to Cat Winters, Amulet Books Publishing, and Netgalley for sending a free galley of this title my way in exchange for a review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

And WHAT a tremendous read this was! I was transported in time to a world where muses were substantial, where muses were often feared--and where Edgar Allan Poe struggled to "find" himself. It is a struggle that I find particularly touching, given how often I found myself "daydreaming" and "writing frivolously" during my middle and high school careers. While I have not accomplished a fame akin to Poe...I can understand his dilemma with having a gothic muse. With writing verses that most found morbid and haunting and unacceptable. This made me feel for Poe. But this also made me feel for LENORE.

I really ADORE how beautifully Cat Winters wove the historical aspects of Poe's every day, real world life...with that of the shambling, arguing muses warring in his head (and, in this book, in his bedroom). The ways that Lenore shifts and changes throughout, depending upon Poe's acceptance or his disillusionment of her, only made her breathe more fully in my mind. Having read many of Poe's pieces throughout my schooling, I found it superbly interesting to dive into this book and try to get a better "glimpse" into his head. Cat Winters took on quite a large task, here...and she wove this story GORGEOUSLY.

This was a compelling, compulsory read for me--as soon as I knew who the main characters were, I KNEW I needed to read it. The inclusion of Poe's actual poetry lent credence to the gothic atmosphere that followed Lenore's transformations. I also really enjoyed the Author's Note at the end, that helped to fill in some blanks and show where the historical met the fiction. Cat Winters is a QUEEN at crafting worlds that will suck you in and refuse to release you; if you haven't picked her up before, you should definitely do so now! Be wary of the muses, Penguins; sometimes, to accept them is to hurt.

3 stars.

Reworking Edgar Allan Poe’s life and the poem The Raven, this sounded right up my alley. This had all the makings of being a fantastic haunting book, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

Edgar and his muse, Lenore, both get their own perspectives and while I enjoyed Lenore, I didn’t really care for Edgar. After the first half of the book, it felt just super repetitive and I got bored by the 25% mark. The plot just moved really slowly and I would have liked it to be much more fast-paced.

I adore Edgar Allan Poe’s work so while I didn’t enjoy this book entirely, I did enjoy seeing his story play out. It is a unique concept and I do look forward to reading more of Cat Winters work.

This was an interesting take on Poe. I do love Poe's work so I thought I would give this one a shot. It wasn't as dark as I was expecting, especially with the main character being Poe. I just really wanted something more dark and disturbing with this one.

i’m actually very surprised as to how much i enjoyed this book. if i could give it 3.5 stars i would.

In Cat Winter's story, Muses take physical form. Seventeen-year-old Edgar Allen Poe meets his dark Muse, Lenore, who appears as a young woman with raven-like characteristics. Torn between his desire to write and his duty to his foster family, Edgar hesitates to fully embrace his Muse, trying to keep Lenore a secret as he straddles two worlds.

I loved the historical setting in this book. It begins in Richmond and follows Edgar to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. I would have loved the book to follow even more of Edgar Allen Poe's life.

The Raven's Tale was a great October read. What could be better than a Poe-inspired tale for October? I loved how atmospheric this book was while remaining to true to the real Poe's life.

This book was just not for me. I had read other books by Cat Winters and enjoyed them, but this one I just had so much trouble with.

A YA retelling of Edgar Allen Poe as a teenager? Absolutely yes! Cat Winters did a beautiful job at creating a spooky atmosphere and weaving a tale of young Poe and his muse. I also really appreciated the nods to some of EAP's writing sprinkled throughout the story!

I've had Winters on my radar for a while because I've heard such great things about her books. I went into The Raven's Tale expecting atmospheric writing and was not disappointed. I love Edgar Allen Poe and thought this was a nice nod/tribute to him, but I wasn't quite sucked into the novel as much as I hoped I'd be. Still, a good book for fans of YA historical fiction and Gothic romances.

I loved this so much and was so happy to be approved for it! My teenage self went through an Edgar Allan Poe phase and even as an adult, I loved this. Really fascinating to learn so much about Poe's teen years with fantastical elements mixed in. Perfect for Poe and gothic fans alike!

I'm sorry. I tried. I really tried. After a really interesting and excellent beginning, I think this has stagnated pretty hard – the stakes feel a bit low for the story being told. I love Winters' writing but I just cannot care about this. I guess I just don't find the life of Edgar Allan Poe anywhere near as interesting as I thought I would. I think maybe those who like flat-out horror will find this one more compelling.