The Ravens

Now THAT is how you start a new book series! Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige, individual powerhouses in their own right authoring 'The 100' series and the 'Dorothy Must Die' novels respectively, have joined forces to write something truly compelling and captivating. I am already desperate to read more about the Kappas and their magical world!

The novel follows the perspective of two protagonists who attend Westerly college, Scarlett who is a Junior and well established in the Kappa Rho Nu sorority and Vivi, a freshman who falls into the rush process without much initial hope of success. Little does Vivi know that the Kappa sorority is a cover for the powerful coven The Ravens and she is about to not only discover magic is real but is very real, and powerful, within herself too. As Scarlett gets to work initiating the new pledges, including Vivi, there are also dark forces rising beyond the coven's imagining which they will need every spell and bond of sisterhood to overcome.

This novel does not mess around - the pacing is relentless, delivering dark surprises throughout the plot. I smugly thought I had it all figured out before the rug was pulled from under me near the novel's close. Morgan and Paige manage to balance a good deal of world building, around the coven and how they work with magic, with the novel's mystery, weaving past intrigue with present events to hold a feeling of threat over the witches.

Overall, this novel is the perfect young adult opener and I look forward to recommending it to my students who are looking for something magical with an edge of darkness. Bring on the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

-- I received an eARC of The Ravens via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. --

I loved loved loved The Ravens. I stayed up late and read the whole book in a single sitting as the story was so captivating I simply needed to know how it ended. I think part of what I enjoyed was that it featured the university experience rather than the high school experience of much of YA, which again, feeds in the need for the industry to lean into a New Adult category. The characters were just this tad more adult in the crossover space, dealing with issues in a different way that how YA readers might be used to.

Another of my favourite aspects was the way the world was built around a magic based on tarot cards. And I’m kind of obsessed with tarot cards right now, so that’s right up my alley. In this world, every girl has the potential to be a witch, some stronger, and some less so, and those that end up in Kappa Rho Nu definitely have magic.

The Ravens is a story of magic, sisterhood, but also betrayal and the corruption caused by too much power. It is well-written, excellently paced and lives up to the expectations raised by the concept. I highly recommend picking up this wonderful book for a night of escapism. Although: trigger warning for a parent with terminal cancer, as that might be hard for some readers to stomach.

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and arc of The Ravens for review! I am so happy I did. The Ravens has turned out to be one of my favourite Ya fantasy books I have ever read and I will put money on it becoming a firm book tube and bookstagram favourite! The Ravens is if Legally Blonde and The Craft mixed together and spat out a book 😂

The Ravens follow two young women attending college. One is Vivi , a girl who has always moved from school to school and never really made friends or felt part of a group. The other is Scarlett, a sorority girl who is motivated , a bit snobby and definitely a bit witchy!
It turns out that the Kappa sorority is just a front for a powerful coven of trainee witches .
Together the girls have to overcome the usual teenage problems but also solve the mystery of who is trying to hurt the coven.
The best parts of these books are the simplest things! In most ya you get the same old stereotypes abs tropes burning, the Ravens really turned it around.
Firstly I hated Scarlett to begin with but then the stereotypical sorority turned out to be the stronger written character with so much more depth .
The story also refused to be drawn into the typical girls picking boys over friends or being flattered by being told that they aren’t like other girls. The Ravens pointedly says no to these tropes and I really appreciated it.
I loved all the pop culture references as well!
The story was fast paced and I read it within three days. The ending was fab and I had sort of guessed the twist but not all of it.

The Ravens is a great book and I really hope there is a sequel!

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.

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 💜

Wow.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 is a fantastic novel that blends college life and magic together perfectly.

This dark YA fantasy novel was everything I could have hoped for and boy, do elements of it tueb our emotions every which way possible.

I loved Vivi, she's innocent of so much in the world due to her Mother’s insistence of never living anywhere too long and her frustration is tangible that she's always the 'new girl' until she finds herself as a freshman at Waverley. Everything she's ever known will be tested when she finds herself becoming part of the Greeks on campus and you as the reader will find yourself sometimes telling her to run as fast as she can, whilst at other times encouraging her to grab life and all that the Ravens offer her with both hands.

You won't be disappointed and you certainly won't see the twists and turns coming, I for one was left amazed by what transpires so I'm not going to ruin it.

(I never will intentionally ruin a story - guides honour.)

The story switches smoothly between Vivi and Scarlet who is sorority royalty and she knows it, Scarlet comes from a legacy of Winter women who have attended Waverley and been President of Kappa Rho Nu and she plans on continuing that history. The girls are vastly different and Scarlet especially goes on a path of learning from her first encounter with the quiet freshman and it is that journey that truly gives life to this story.

I really hope there is more from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴, because damn it - these girls have stories aplenty hidden in the corners of their beautiful sorority house. If you are looking for a dark, original fantasy novel that will grab a hold of you from the get go, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 is that book.

Please.. Let there be more as the side characters were equally fascinating and often quiet and I need and want to hear their stories.

Uhm...WOW! I really enjoyed this! As soon as I heard the description for it I just knew I had to read it. Witches and sororities? I could not pass this up!

The overall story was really enjoyable and had me completely shook in so many places! I also loved following both Scarlett and Vivi’s POVs.

I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book but it was truly amazing and had some plot twists I certainly didn’t expect. Some parts sent such chills down my spine and completely creeped me out but I loved it! I also loved the idea of sisterhood and magic being big themes. It truly felt like it carried a message of community and I really appreciated it. The different types of magic was also a really interesting touch to read about that I felt really added to the story.

I also really appreciated the characters, I really want to know even more about them and live with them in Kappa! I also may be quite a bit in love with Mei??! Maybe super in love...I just think this was such an amazing read and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to read about a sorority of witches! Really it was FABULOUS!!

I loved every single moment of this story and felt drawn in and addicted until I finished. Scarlett and Liv were both gorgeous characters - I really enjoyed their separate PoVs and the world of secret sororities/ contemporary covens.
This story felt real, felt magical and mesmerising! It’s possibly one of the best books I’ve read this year!

An exciting and interesting new series that grabbed my attention and hooked my from the very first page! The main characters are a work in progress, they slowly grow and adapt to the events unfolding in the story. Magic, friendship and revenge are at the heart of this spellbinding tale with deception and secrets rounding it out from all sides. Well written and captivating enough that I am very eager for the next one!