When I requested a copy of The Ravens to review, it felt like a book that had been tailor-made for me. You know when it seems as if an author (or, in this case, a pair of authors) have somehow peered right into your brain and decided to write a novel based on some of your favourite things? Here, there’s witches! There’s tarot, which I’ve recently started to read! There’s a focus on sisterhood! On top of all of that, it opened with a bloody prologue that promised a healthy helping of drama and betrayal, and so I eagerly turned the pages, certain that I was in for a winner. Gradually, however, these interesting, exciting aspects began to be eclipsed by elements that really hampered my enjoyment of the story.

One thing that does truly stand out about The Ravens is its unique magic system, and I could tell that Morgan and Paige have put a lot of time and imagination into it. Kappa Rho Nu’s witchcraft is based around the tarot, which is composed of Major Arcana (cards like The Empress, The Sun, and The Tower) and Minor Arcana (made up of four suits known as Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands).

While Minor Arcana spells are intended for more everyday magic, Major Arcana spells are powerful, difficult, may require the support of your sisters to cast properly, and can be dangerous to attempt for a newbie. Moreover, each Minor Arcana suit is associated with one of the four elements, and in this world, each witch is born with an affinity for a particular suit. Cups witches are the best at water-magic and scrying, Swords are particularly adept when it comes to influencing others and manipulating the element of air, Wands witches with their fire magic are the perfect healers, and green-thumbed Pentacles are skilled with earth magic and glamours. I liked reading about this new take on witchcraft, and I had fun wondering if a witch’s element originates from her star sign — as a Leo, I love the idea of being a Wands and using healing magic!

The Ravens is told from the alternating perspectives of its two main characters, newbie freshman Vivi Deveraux and popular junior Scarlett Winters. At first, Scarlett was written to be so intentionally hateable that I (like many other readers, I’d expect) preferred reading from Vivi’s point of view, mainly due to this quote: “She’d always hated going to the cafeteria for the first time at a new school. It was never clear how much you were allowed to take and what you were meant to do with your tray afterward. She couldn’t afford to let her awkwardness win out this time; she refused to become the star of the viral video ‘Girl Spends Seven Full Minutes Befuddled by Milk Dispenser.” As a Certified Awkward Girl who always feels a little less weird whenever she comes across a fellow Certified Awkward Girl, real or fictional, I couldn’t help but think, “same, girl same.” In Vivi’s early chapters, I especially enjoyed following her as she realised the truth of what she was and discovered the strange new world existing alongside her own.

Scarlett, meanwhile, appears to have it all but faces a lot of pressure to be perfect: to have the looks, the style, the ideal boyfriend, the right grades, and when we meet her, her high-achieving mother and older sister are vocal about their expectations for her to become Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Despite these familial pressures and the upset of a relationship that no longer seems to be working out, she tries to be a good friend, has the sorority’s best interests at heart, and is ultimately able to grow, change, and learn from her mistakes. I found myself liking her more and more as the plot went on!

Sadly, the opposite happened for Vivi. Certain developments meant that I began to dread her later chapters, which brings us to my main criticism of this book: I absolutely love romance, but this story would have been vastly improved without it.

On her first day on campus, an upperclassman named Mason introduces himself to Vivi in the cafeteria. He’s friendly and charming, and so she immediately reciprocates his flirting efforts — only to learn that he’s the boyfriend of Scarlett, who already seems to dislike her. She knows she ought to back off, but try as she might, she can’t stop thinking about him. A day after he and Scarlett break up, he’s kissing Vivi, who naturally feels terrible about it given that she and Scarlett have now warmed up to one another. The problem was that this surprise kiss came as the book’s central mystery was unfolding and the sorority was in grave danger, so in the midst of all hell breaking loose, Vivi would be stewing about how ashamed she was that she’d kissed Scarlett’s very recent ex. At one point, she finds out a life-altering piece of information, but rather than processing it, instead thinks of how it’s “bad, but not as bad as what I did to [Scarlett]”.

(I could maybe excuse this repeated self-flagellation if she’d murdered the guy or something, but all she’s done is let him peck her on the lips…)

This love triangle felt unnecessary; it detracted from the story itself, as Vivi’s thoughts are constantly drawn back to Mason — whom she’s met only a handful of times — even in the most crucial of moments. When I’m reading a tense scene, I want to be able to focus on how the characters are reacting to the drama around them without fighting the urge to roll my eyes! Likewise, I mentioned earlier that I love romances, and I do, provided that they make sense for those involved. I wanted to know what about Mason, besides him being witty, allegedly handsome, and all too eager to flirt with a younger girl despite having a serious girlfriend of two years, made Scarlett adore him and Vivi fixate on him to the detriment of her character.

In conclusion, then, I really wanted to love The Ravens. It had a solid base of female friendship and witchcraft with a fun approach to magic and a focus on finding oneself, but it could have been so, so much better if it had remained true to those themes without the insertion of a romance to manufacture tension between the two leads.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Kappa Rho Nu is no ordinary sorority, it's a sorority of witches. Powerful girls who will use their skills to get what they want. When Vivi arrives at college determined to reinvent herself, joining the Kappa Rho Nu Ravens seems like the perfect way to do it. Scarlett meanwhile is determined that junior year is the one that will see her rise to president of the Ravens and finally live up to her mums expectations. But as they sink into the darkness of blood oaths and betrayals who knows where their destiny could lead.
I'm really sad to say that The Ravens wasn't for me. I loved the idea of the book, witches in college who form a sorority and especially the element of dark fantasy but it just didn't deliver for me.
The writing felt quite immature and more middle grade, with the main characters definitely reading more like high school than college. Some of the plot lines too felt quite obvious from the beginning, within a couple of chapters I'd predicted a love triangle that did end up going down! Also I had a few issues with things like introducing characters by their skin colour first and this felt very token as it was never explored properly, there were also a few other characters and plot lines that I think could have been explored better. It read a lot like each author was writing one perspective and were too different in writing styles it just didn't flow for me.
Sorry that this one wasn't for me I'm very grateful to have been sent a copy. but definitely give it a go if you love books about witches with dark elements and the idea of witches in a sorority appeals!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I'm a sucker for anything that combines university life and magic, and this book was no exception! It was a real page-turner, though I did guess the twist about 2/3 of the way through. Vivi and Scarlett are both great characters with a good supporting cast, though I'd like to hear more about the other Ravens. I loved the depiction of female friendship and am looking forward to the next installment!

* * * *
4 / 5

Yeah, I liked this one! I don't normally go for stuff with witches but I took a chance on this - mostly because the cover is so cool - and it turned out really well! Basically, it is set at a university where one sorority is made up of witches. Some come from long lineages of witches, others are kind of new to the whole thing. For Vivi, becoming a Kappa Rho Nu is a chance to become someone new and put down some roots after spending years travelling with her mother. For Scarlett Winters, who comes from "witch nobility", it is more of an obligation. But still, she loves her sisters.

The good: I love university type settings and there is so much of a sisterhood vibe in this, not too much bitchiness and there's this sense that Scarlett really loves her sorority and what it stands for. Also the plot really managed to catch me off-guard; I thought I had the big twist figured out, and then bam, I was wrong!

The not-so-great: I thought Vivi was a bit whiney, to be honest. I also hated how there was this love triangle set up, with Vivi having a bit of a vibe with Scarlett's boyfriend. Though that turned out okay in the end, I still wasn't a huge fan.

A lot to enjoy here and definitely something quite different for me!

I like witch books for the end of the years. The glooming weather, the dark, it is such a great time to read this kind of book. Here it mix to big folklore witch and sorority and it was a fun reading.

We follow Vivi and Scarlett both are witches and both are a part of the Kappa Rho, an elite sorority made of witches for centuries. Sadly for them strange things started to happened and it may be dark magic.

I don't have that much to say about this book, the characters were so different but interesting in their own ways. I like the witch folklore about tarot cards en elements but it wasn't that different from other readings. The main thing really I have to say is that this book was a fast and fun reading with witches. I had a great time and that enough for me.

The ARC for this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.

When a book is marketed as sorority witches - you know I will want to read it. And this book delivered.

Revolving around a Greek house in a Georgia university, this book delved into a found family sisterhood of witches and the price of power. The book proved to be fun and entertaining following hijinx and relationship of the characters, mostly around two "sisters" - Scarlette and Vivi.

But the book is so much more than witches and dark academia. At the heart of the story lies a mystery of missing sisters and magic gone wrong. The book feeds you elements of this mystery throughout, acting as a backstory element before feeding into the main story providing a satisfyingly explosive ending.

A high recommendation for anyone looking for magic and dabs of dark academia in a YA setting.

This fantastic magical realism book will take you on a whirlwind adventure, between the magical and the natural, and the believable and astounding. It's a story of friendships broken and forged, and about working out who to trust, when to trust them, and questioning why all the while.

I loved the dynamics between the characters, how they changed as a set up and as individuals. The pace of the story was brilliant, sucking you in immediately and then speeding you along on the journey. A magically good read.

I'm a sucker for YA/NA and witches so I was all in for this college witch story which hooks you from the synopsis and this book doesn't disappoint.
The characters, at first, seemed typical; the preppy rich girl and the outcast new girl with the troubled background then surround them with pretty boys and high maintenance girls and you have a typical clique filled college. However, beyond all that they have depth, issues and personalities that keep you rooting for them or hating them.
While I liked the main characters I'm not a fan of the alternating POVs of the chapters sometimes I felt it jumped or missed parts I'd have liked more of. This doesn't derail the story, just personal preference.
The story is great. Well paced, twists and turns and enough magic to have you wishing you had a dusting of magic in you.
All in all a fun enjoyable read and even more excited for the sequel.
Grab this book for curling up by the fire with your wine and familiar.

The Ravens was a fun read. I love reading stories with witches, and I enjoyed the story of The Ravens. It reads more like YA. The plot was simple but exciting.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

The premise of the book is the witches use a college sorority to hide their coven. As a British student, the concept of sorority life is unusual. However, The Ravens captured my interest with all the witch-y aspects. This modern take on coven life was unique and I enjoyed reading about it. Very different from how the media's concept of old fashion coven life.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, I am a sucker for stories about witches!
The Ravens is a well developed book but definitely feels more on the YA side than i usually go for.

If you're a fan of YA Fantasy or Magical Realism I think you'll really like this.

I found it amusing enough, after passing the point where all the characters were introduced as hair colour/skin colour + gender.
The plot is well developed and keeps you guessing.
Will read a future installement

Hot dayyum. If I could leave it at that I would, but you deserve a few more than two words.

Witches – ✅
Baddies – ✅
Corruption – ✅
An adorable little witch of which I wanna take under my non-witch wing and protect forever? – ✅

As someone who grew up in Scotland where you could only witness a sorority through tv/films, I’ve always presumed they’d be a nightmare. And I still think they’re a nightmare, BUT if I was swooped into one that was a secret coven for some powerful-witches-in-training, then I’d probably change my mind. I am fickle after all.

SooooOooOoooo. The characters:

✨ Vivi – the adorable little witch mentioned above. She’s lived a sheltered life and isn’t exactly someone you’d get Sorority Sister vibes from. A loner (through no choice of her own) that blends into any wall she stands next to but is desperate to break away from her controlling mother.

✨ Scarlett – you will hate her at the start. Guaranteed. An absolute snobby boot from the beginning and, from time to time, caused me to audibly ‘urghhhh‘ when it was another chapter about her. A Junior in the Kappa Rho Nu sorority and it enjoying every moment of it. You’ll warm to her – pinky promise.

Now little Vivi and Scarlett’s worlds are about to collide when wee Vi turns up at the Kappa party purely by chance, stands against her wall (same girl, sameeee) to observe the chaos of a Freshman party and before she knows it, has power tingling out her fingertips. Before long, she’s a fully-fledged Kappa (I have no idea what this means) and everything gets all Mean Girls up in here.

BUT (and there’s always a but), shit ain’t going smoothly and dark forces are at work in the background ready to mess everything up. Standard.

This little nugget of a book got my attention and it does not mess about. Whilst the book charges off at a hefty speed, you don’t feel like you’re being left in the dust even whilst you’re being slapped in the noggin’ with twists and turns along the way. Oh, and I almost guarantee that you’ll be getting near the end plonked on your sofa with a smug wee grin on your face thinking you’ve worked it out. You ain’t.

Yes, this is a typical YA book. Yes, there is some proper cheese in it (sisters, WOOOOOO etc. etc.) but oh boy am I in love. We’ll be married tomorrow 💜

Witches at college in a sorority club! Spells trouble doesn't it? Couldn't help myself with that pun sorry.
Honestly it was a little slow at the beginning but some books are like that which is fine. It picked up pace around halfway and I loved the spooky aesthetic to this book. It's gonna be a bit for sure. Its a fresh new take on witches that I haven't read about before and I enjoyed reading.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story, a sorority being an actual coven of witches - would love to see that happen more. Unfortunately, the characters didn't really do it for me. They eventually grew on me, luckily, but the first half of the book especially I just spent more time rolling my eyes than enjoying the story. I also thought it was a bit predictable, though there was a plot twist I had not seen coming, so extra points for that. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and will definitely pick up the sequel when it comes out. 3,5 stars.

3.7/5 stars.

The Ravens is a solid beginning of a series! I am always a fan of reading about magic and witches, so seeing that with a whole coven of witches immediately caught my intrigue. The magical spells were great reading about, quite simple to understand but that made it all the more fun. I liked the dual POVs too, seeing from the eyes of Scarlett who is a fully fledged witch aware of her powers and what they can do, and Vivi who is only now discovering her abilities in witchcraft.

Scarlett and Vivi are also both very different characters, the former ambitious and driven and confident, the latter naive and hopeful and shy. Scarlett has had her whole life planned out for her, while Vivi has spent her entire life moving so is still struggling on her own two feet trying to find out who she really is. Its refreshing seeing different strong female protagonists, and their Big and Little sister dynamic and how their friendship blossoms in the second half, but I truly do detest when books use boys as a way to drive a wedge between female characters. Surely there isn't another way to create strife and conflict between them instead of a silly boy? It was frustrating reading that, and I wish it had focused more on the magic and plot instead of a love triangle.

Nonetheless, the plot was interesting to read about! The mystery behind what happened to Gwen and Harper, and who was out to get the sorority Kappu Rho Nu kept me intrigued to get through the novel. I could almost picture it as a fun horror movie with how the story kept me on my toes and second guessing all the characters.

In the end, the book really is about sisterhood, so I let my reservations about the love triangle slide since the overarching plot is the sorority, the ravens, utilising their magic to help each other. With this cemented, I'm curious about what the next novel will be and I look forward to reading it.

I tend to really enjoy books involving magic and witches, and The Ravens was no exception! The idea of a college sorority hiding a coven was just brilliant. "The Ravens", as the Kappa Rho Nu sisters call themselves, are the most exclusive and envied sorority on campus - they throw the best parties, wear the most fashionable clothes and always look perfect and gorgeous, winning everyone else's adoration and envy. What no one on campus knows, though, is that this is all possible thanks to magic.

The actual magical system was quite easy to understand, based on tarot cards and each witch's natural affinity to one of the elements (earth, water, fire and air), and I really enjoyed discovering how the sisters could work together to increase their powers. There was a real focus on sisterhood and cooperation throughout the book that I really loved to read about.

Which brings me to my biggest moan about this book: the whole Scarlett-hating-Vivi dynamic, which is a constant for the majority of the book, is brought on by... yes, you guessed it - a guy.

This feels like such a cliché I was seriously disappointed to see it in an otherwise great book promoting solid female friendships. The romantic interests in general seemed to be in the book just... because? They really do very little beyond acting as a catalyst for conflict between the two main characters.

Aside from that, the characters were well-developed, and I did like to see them grow into themselves and deepen their bond. I really liked the fact that all characters got a fair shot, even the secondary ones. Vivi and Scarlett, with their alternating POVs, were beautifully fleshed out and so relatable, despite being very different from each other.

There were a few intertwining mysteries The Ravens had to solve and, even though I had a fairly good idea of where we might end up, I was glued to the page wanting to see what might happen next. I got some serious Pretty Little Liars vibes from this, which was weird given the college rather than high school setting, but it was very enjoyable all the same.

Overall, this was a gripping read than made me regret having life commitments that meant I couldn't read this all in one setting. Despite the one major flaw for me, it really works and is a great start to a new series. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for The Ravens!

Review will go live on my blog on 5th December 2020.

The Craft with an extra dose of Southern charm;
Welcome to Kappa Rho Nu, witches!

The Ravens follows Vivi, a freshman attending the beautiful Westerly college to escape her overbearing mother and Scarlet, a Raven sorority member who comes from a very powerful family of witches. When these two world’s collide, life as Westerly is gonna get wicked!

The Ravens was such a fun read! I devoured this book in less than 2 days, because I just couldn’t put it down. Even though this book is YA, it’s set in college which is a nice change of pace (especially for those like me, who on are the slightly older side of young adult) and I really enjoyed the sorority setting!
This story is told in 2 POVs, Vivi & Scarlet, which was a fantastic choice! It helped give a more well founded view of the story with Vivi giving us more of the college life aspect and Scarlet giving more of a deeper insight into the witch practises. Both characters are likeable and witty too, which was an added bonus!

The plot was interesting, with a few twists to keep you guessing and pretty well paced. There wasn’t any big lulls in the story, which helped keep your attention the whole way through. I did guess some of the twists half way through, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading.
I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy when the book releases in January!

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and to NetGalley for the opportunity.

Both Kass Morgan (The 100) and Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die) have successful book series behind them, so this was always going to be an exciting collaboration. Throw in a coven of witches and a possible witch-hunter and let the fun begin.

The background of this book is Kappa Rho Nu, an ancient coven of witches, disguised as a sorority house on a Savannah campus. The book is written from two viewpoints. Scarlett is a legacy Kappa with one eye on the presidency and her perfectly mapped out future and the other on her equally perfect boyfriend. Vivi, on the other hand, has lived a transient life, moving around the country with her flakey, fortune-telling mother, and is looking to use her freshman year to reinvent herself. Scarlett is unimpressed by Vivi and both are unhappy when Scarlett is appointed Vivi’s mentor, but bigger things are happening. The coven is suffering from escalating harassment which may have its roots in a past misdeed of Scarlett’s.

Of the two characters, I much preferred Vivi. I empathised with her when she was nervous about not fitting in, and loved watching her discover her powers and form lasting friendships. In contrast, Scarlett was a snob. She had rigid ideas and expected other people to fit around them. Scarlett’s best friend Tiffany seemed a much more interesting prospect, with an irreverent attitude, and a wicked sense of humour, and with a terminally ill mother she also garnered the sympathy vote. Like all good books though, the characters developed and, while I still wasn’t a Scarlett fan by the end I did respect her.

This book is written for the junior end of the Young Adult audience. It is clean, and, with one eye on Christmas, would make a great present for a young teen or someone a little younger than that. Older readers will enjoy the whodunnit aspect of the book, with a few twists, not all of which I saw coming. It’s an easy read and encapsulating enough to transport the reader away from the grim realities of 2020. If you want a little magic in your life, The Ravens is out now.

Reading this book felt like watching a TV series, and I think it would do better as a TV show. The plot didn't leave much impression on me, and it wasn't boring either. I don't understand why there was a love triangle in the book. The book would have been better off without the love triangle and could have focused more on the girls. These girls were more concerned about getting into the Kappa house rather than focusing on their college. I mean, what happened to Vivi's new start; she came here to study, but all of a sudden, she was only concerned to be a Raven. Often, I kept forgetting that it was a college book and had to remind myself of that fact too.

If you are someone who likes reading YA novels with a bit of magic/ witches in it, then this might be your book. This book wasn't for me, and I'm not sure if I might continue reading this series.