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The Ravens
Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappa Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches.
For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bona fide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate—that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet….
When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bona fide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate—that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet….
When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2020
476 people are currently reading
25427 people want to read
About the author
Kass Morgan
16 books4,998 followersKass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,069 reviews
June 17, 2025
I'm sorry, y'all. I wish I had better news to deliver. I really wanted to love this. Ughhhh, why!?!?
The Ravens has a lot of elements I thought would really work for me, but unfortunately, it just didn't.
The story alternates between two perspectives, Scarlett Winters and Vivi Deveraux.
Scarlett is a legacy Raven at Westerly College, aiming for the slot of Sorority President, like her mother and sister before her.
Vivi is a freshman, who is shocked when she receives a bid to join the exclusive Sorority. From what she's gathered at the rush party, she's not really Kappa Rho Nu material.
The Sisters saw something in Vivi, though, and that something happens to be great magical power.
The Ravens are witches, each and every one of them.
Vivi didn't even realize she was a witch until she finds out from the Ravens. Her mother has always dappled in occult practices, but Vivi assumed it was all an act. Apparently not.
After rush, Vivi's pledge class are assigned their Bigs and then set about learning not just the history of the Sorority, but everything else they need to know about being a proper Raven.
I was so excited when I started this novel. I am an alumnae member of a Sorority and was looking forward to getting nostalgic about rush and all the amazing time and friendships that followed.
While initially, I did get a few of those feels, I wasn't sure if I was suppose to be taking this seriously or not.
I am not sure how best to explain what I mean by this. It was like I couldn't quite interpret the tone. From there, the story was just sort of all over the place for me.
I had moments when I was really into it and a lot of moments where I couldn't care less.
Around the middle I could tell, it just wasn't for me. I felt nothing for the characters and I didn't feel like any part of the plot was particularly compelling.
There were two male characters who were basically interchangeable for me. I could really only tell which one was in any particular scene when another character said their name.
That's never a good sign.
Bottom line, this just wasn't the right story for me. I never connected with it and was happy when it was over.
As I always say however, just because it wasn't the right book for me, doesn't mean it won't be the right book for you. If you think the synopsis sounds intriguing, pick it up and give it a go!
Thank you so much to the audiobook publisher, RB Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my thoughts.
The Ravens has a lot of elements I thought would really work for me, but unfortunately, it just didn't.
The story alternates between two perspectives, Scarlett Winters and Vivi Deveraux.
Scarlett is a legacy Raven at Westerly College, aiming for the slot of Sorority President, like her mother and sister before her.
Vivi is a freshman, who is shocked when she receives a bid to join the exclusive Sorority. From what she's gathered at the rush party, she's not really Kappa Rho Nu material.
The Sisters saw something in Vivi, though, and that something happens to be great magical power.
The Ravens are witches, each and every one of them.
Vivi didn't even realize she was a witch until she finds out from the Ravens. Her mother has always dappled in occult practices, but Vivi assumed it was all an act. Apparently not.
After rush, Vivi's pledge class are assigned their Bigs and then set about learning not just the history of the Sorority, but everything else they need to know about being a proper Raven.
I was so excited when I started this novel. I am an alumnae member of a Sorority and was looking forward to getting nostalgic about rush and all the amazing time and friendships that followed.
While initially, I did get a few of those feels, I wasn't sure if I was suppose to be taking this seriously or not.
I am not sure how best to explain what I mean by this. It was like I couldn't quite interpret the tone. From there, the story was just sort of all over the place for me.
I had moments when I was really into it and a lot of moments where I couldn't care less.
Around the middle I could tell, it just wasn't for me. I felt nothing for the characters and I didn't feel like any part of the plot was particularly compelling.
There were two male characters who were basically interchangeable for me. I could really only tell which one was in any particular scene when another character said their name.
That's never a good sign.
Bottom line, this just wasn't the right story for me. I never connected with it and was happy when it was over.
As I always say however, just because it wasn't the right book for me, doesn't mean it won't be the right book for you. If you think the synopsis sounds intriguing, pick it up and give it a go!
Thank you so much to the audiobook publisher, RB Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my thoughts.
January 23, 2021
The Ravens is a fast-paced, deliciously witchy, contemporary fantasy that will keep you addicted until the very last page.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, having not read from the authors previously, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to read a book about a Sorority of Witches.
This is exactly what is says on the tin. The Ravens are a powerful coven that recruits new blood through their Sorority. There's some bitchiness and drama, as well as a few mysterious secrets trying to resurface from the past, but overall, The Ravens value Sisterhood and Craft above all else.
This book is told from two perspectives, the first is Scarlett, who is trying to become the new president of The Ravens, like her mother and sister before her. The second is Vivi, who has come to Westerly college trying to lay down some roots having spent her life constantly on the move at the whim of her superstitious mother.
I enjoyed reading from both perspectives and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I became invested in both the characters and the story. My only real criticism is that as the Sorority is rather large, it was hard for me to differentiate between some of the side characters a lot of the time.
This book is ultimately, a fun witchy story with a thriller-esque plot in the background to keep things moving. I actually thought I had it all figured out by the mid-point, but was still shocked by the plot twists that hit me out of nowhere.
Would recommend for a fun, addictive read.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, having not read from the authors previously, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to read a book about a Sorority of Witches.
This is exactly what is says on the tin. The Ravens are a powerful coven that recruits new blood through their Sorority. There's some bitchiness and drama, as well as a few mysterious secrets trying to resurface from the past, but overall, The Ravens value Sisterhood and Craft above all else.
This book is told from two perspectives, the first is Scarlett, who is trying to become the new president of The Ravens, like her mother and sister before her. The second is Vivi, who has come to Westerly college trying to lay down some roots having spent her life constantly on the move at the whim of her superstitious mother.
I enjoyed reading from both perspectives and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I became invested in both the characters and the story. My only real criticism is that as the Sorority is rather large, it was hard for me to differentiate between some of the side characters a lot of the time.
This book is ultimately, a fun witchy story with a thriller-esque plot in the background to keep things moving. I actually thought I had it all figured out by the mid-point, but was still shocked by the plot twists that hit me out of nowhere.
Would recommend for a fun, addictive read.
January 24, 2021
2.5 stars
This took 84 years to finish but I finally did it! It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The premise was intriguing and I loved the idea of a sorority being a front to hide a witches' coven. But the execution and plot were disappointing and lackluster.
Sisterhood was a central theme throughout the novel and I liked how everyone supported each other. It’s gratifying to see all the Kappa sisters stand up for each other and kick butt. There was one incident that did not scream sisterhood for me, I will get into this later.
In terms of the plot, it was rather predictable and I figured out who the culprit was pretty early on. The rest of the story was enjoyable despite this.
Diversity was handled rather strangely in the novel. As soon as a character was introduced on-page, they were only described by their skin color and nothing else. The only thing I knew about that character was that they were a POC or white. This felt like it was bordering on tokenism.
Scarlett: Wow, I loved her! She was ambitious, determined and had all her priorities sorted out. Initially, she was really catty but that is to be expected when you have so much pressure resting on your shoulders. Scarlett had to deal with pressure from her family to become Kappa’s president, overlooking the sorority’s initiations, as well as balance her relationship with Mason. Girl’s got a lot on her plate.
I loved Scarlett’s character growth. By the end of the book, she had so many terrible things thrown at her yet she still continued to stand tall.
Vivi: She was just so bland. If it weren’t for Scarlett, I would have stopped reading because Vivi’s chapters were so dry. Vivi, unfortunately, suffered from a case of the “I’m not like other girls” trope. She’s described as awkward and not Kappa material. Vivi’s lived her whole life without knowing she’s a witch, and of course we find out her magic is powerful. Of course, she is one of the strongest earth magic users. Of course. I’m totally not salty here. Remember I mentioned something about sisterhood earlier on? Well, Vivi had a hand in that. She would flirt with Mason, knowing full well that he’s with Scarlett. That doesn’t scream sisterhood to me. I lost a lot of respect for her then.
The romance was so unnecessary. The two love interests were interchangeable and had no personality. What I did not like was that Scarlett and Vivi’s dislike for each other stemmed from a guy. Please, we’re tired of this trope. Let it rest! The book would’ve been so much better without the boy drama.
I am so disappointed because I really wanted to love this book. The premise was everything I've ever wanted but unfortunately, everything else fell flat.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This took 84 years to finish but I finally did it! It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The premise was intriguing and I loved the idea of a sorority being a front to hide a witches' coven. But the execution and plot were disappointing and lackluster.
Sisterhood was a central theme throughout the novel and I liked how everyone supported each other. It’s gratifying to see all the Kappa sisters stand up for each other and kick butt. There was one incident that did not scream sisterhood for me, I will get into this later.
In terms of the plot, it was rather predictable and I figured out who the culprit was pretty early on. The rest of the story was enjoyable despite this.
Diversity was handled rather strangely in the novel. As soon as a character was introduced on-page, they were only described by their skin color and nothing else. The only thing I knew about that character was that they were a POC or white. This felt like it was bordering on tokenism.
Scarlett: Wow, I loved her! She was ambitious, determined and had all her priorities sorted out. Initially, she was really catty but that is to be expected when you have so much pressure resting on your shoulders. Scarlett had to deal with pressure from her family to become Kappa’s president, overlooking the sorority’s initiations, as well as balance her relationship with Mason. Girl’s got a lot on her plate.
I loved Scarlett’s character growth. By the end of the book, she had so many terrible things thrown at her yet she still continued to stand tall.
Vivi: She was just so bland. If it weren’t for Scarlett, I would have stopped reading because Vivi’s chapters were so dry. Vivi, unfortunately, suffered from a case of the “I’m not like other girls” trope. She’s described as awkward and not Kappa material. Vivi’s lived her whole life without knowing she’s a witch, and of course we find out her magic is powerful. Of course, she is one of the strongest earth magic users. Of course. I’m totally not salty here. Remember I mentioned something about sisterhood earlier on? Well, Vivi had a hand in that. She would flirt with Mason, knowing full well that he’s with Scarlett. That doesn’t scream sisterhood to me. I lost a lot of respect for her then.
The romance was so unnecessary. The two love interests were interchangeable and had no personality. What I did not like was that Scarlett and Vivi’s dislike for each other stemmed from a guy. Please, we’re tired of this trope. Let it rest! The book would’ve been so much better without the boy drama.
I am so disappointed because I really wanted to love this book. The premise was everything I've ever wanted but unfortunately, everything else fell flat.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2021
CW:
Well, once the actual witchy stuff started I was quite engaged, however, it took too long to get to that point and I expect that this slow beginning may result in some DNFs. I understand that the scene needed to be set and characters introduced but this felt unnecessarily long. It is also undoubtedly a YA story with ample high school type snark and drama. That being said I liked the conflict that was introduced and the slightly sinister vibe that came with it. A bit more spell casting would have been preferable but not for the beauty makeovers we had to endure. The concept of the magic system and coven were quite good and I am interested to see where the author takes book two.
Well, once the actual witchy stuff started I was quite engaged, however, it took too long to get to that point and I expect that this slow beginning may result in some DNFs. I understand that the scene needed to be set and characters introduced but this felt unnecessarily long. It is also undoubtedly a YA story with ample high school type snark and drama. That being said I liked the conflict that was introduced and the slightly sinister vibe that came with it. A bit more spell casting would have been preferable but not for the beauty makeovers we had to endure. The concept of the magic system and coven were quite good and I am interested to see where the author takes book two.
April 25, 2021
3.5 stars!
January 27, 2022
⭐️ 3.5
I was going to give this a 4 but I haven’t thought all that much of it since finishing.
I really enjoyed it. It’s delightfully witchy. I might reread this in the future and continue to the second book.
I was going to give this a 4 but I haven’t thought all that much of it since finishing.
I really enjoyed it. It’s delightfully witchy. I might reread this in the future and continue to the second book.
October 11, 2021
If you haven't heard of The Ravens it's a story about sorority which is actually a secret coven. The story follows two sorority sisters Vivi Deveraux, a freshman and Scarlett Winters, a junior. While Vivi has come to Westerly to escape her mother and find stability she stumbles upon something much greater when she discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Scarlett comes from a legacy of witches having been raised her whole life to be a Raven like her mother and older sister. This year her biggest goal is to become the sorority president like her family members before her.
The story is set on a Southern college campus but I'll be honest and say I didn't feel much Southern vibes and it could've been set elsewhere and felt more realistic. I get what they were going for setting it in Savannah because it's America's most haunted city but some things felt off to me. Outside of the few mentions of gothic architecture here and there it could've easily been set at a college up north or on the west coast and had the same vibes. Or it could've even been set at an elite boarding school since at times I got more high school than college vibes.
At times I felt like it was a little too politically correct. Granted I never went to college in The South but even here in the north there is a little racial tension between the different races at times. They really went out of their way to point out how diverse this predominantly white institution (PWI) is by always mentioning people around campus of different races. And in the sorority of itself you have Scarlett who is Black and who has family history rooted in Kappa Rho Nu. With Greek life being notoriously exclusive and other races having had to create their own sororities to have a place on campus it was a little hard to believe so many girls of different races were legacies. And in this book kind of side steps race while trying to show diversity. I understand not wanting to lean into oppression all the time but let's not pretend racism exists especially in an environment where it's known for being present. The diversity felt very forced at times when we were learning the race of even characters who had no lines and only appeared in once scene.
The magic system is easy to understand. There are four types of witches which include Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords. Each have their own element they are strongest working with. Swords are the air sign, Cups are the water sign, Pentacles are the earth sign, and Wands are the fire sign. Each sign is aligned with it's own deck of tarot cards which can be used to cast spells. Though the tarot cards are more of a pretty prop as when a witch has control of her powers she doesn't need to draw on them.
Let's talk about what sparks a rivalry between Vivi and Scarlett. It's not just the rich girl/poor girl dynamic that causes tension. Scarlett being the queen of campus is dating the hottest guy from a popular fraternity. Of how I disliked Mason and his summer growth. Yes, people change as they get older and realize things they thought they cared about before really don't interest them at all anymore. He went away for one summer and started acting brand new. All of a sudden he's so above all the shallowness of everyone around him after his privileged summer of backpacking through Europe without a care in the world. So he returns to campus and moves in on the impressionable freshman girl and continues to pursue her despite knowing she's joining a sorority with the girl he's still dating. Not sure why either girl wanted him because he was rather bland.
All in all The Ravens is entertaining in a guilty pleasure/nostalgic kind of way with some red herrings thrown in that are easy to see past. It starts off slow setting up the world around the girls but the mystery really kicks off in the last half and we get to see the girls in action. The magic gives me Charmed vibes with rhyming spells, gathering herbs and other ingredients, scrying to find things, etc. I thought the tarot card aspect was cool and liked that it was explained early on but then it became pointless as their powers weren't really based on those signs. I wanted to see if go deeper and explore their specific powers outside of them tapping into their powers together as a whole. I found Scarlett to be more fleshed out than Vivi though Vivi got more interesting to me after the 60% mark. I would watch a movie or series based on this book. And this being an Alloy Entertainment production I'm sure a series or movie is already in the works. I may read book 2 just to see how it ends.
Originally posted at
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
The story is set on a Southern college campus but I'll be honest and say I didn't feel much Southern vibes and it could've been set elsewhere and felt more realistic. I get what they were going for setting it in Savannah because it's America's most haunted city but some things felt off to me. Outside of the few mentions of gothic architecture here and there it could've easily been set at a college up north or on the west coast and had the same vibes. Or it could've even been set at an elite boarding school since at times I got more high school than college vibes.
At times I felt like it was a little too politically correct. Granted I never went to college in The South but even here in the north there is a little racial tension between the different races at times. They really went out of their way to point out how diverse this predominantly white institution (PWI) is by always mentioning people around campus of different races. And in the sorority of itself you have Scarlett who is Black and who has family history rooted in Kappa Rho Nu. With Greek life being notoriously exclusive and other races having had to create their own sororities to have a place on campus it was a little hard to believe so many girls of different races were legacies. And in this book kind of side steps race while trying to show diversity. I understand not wanting to lean into oppression all the time but let's not pretend racism exists especially in an environment where it's known for being present. The diversity felt very forced at times when we were learning the race of even characters who had no lines and only appeared in once scene.
The magic system is easy to understand. There are four types of witches which include Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords. Each have their own element they are strongest working with. Swords are the air sign, Cups are the water sign, Pentacles are the earth sign, and Wands are the fire sign. Each sign is aligned with it's own deck of tarot cards which can be used to cast spells. Though the tarot cards are more of a pretty prop as when a witch has control of her powers she doesn't need to draw on them.
Let's talk about what sparks a rivalry between Vivi and Scarlett. It's not just the rich girl/poor girl dynamic that causes tension. Scarlett being the queen of campus is dating the hottest guy from a popular fraternity. Of how I disliked Mason and his summer growth. Yes, people change as they get older and realize things they thought they cared about before really don't interest them at all anymore. He went away for one summer and started acting brand new. All of a sudden he's so above all the shallowness of everyone around him after his privileged summer of backpacking through Europe without a care in the world. So he returns to campus and moves in on the impressionable freshman girl and continues to pursue her despite knowing she's joining a sorority with the girl he's still dating. Not sure why either girl wanted him because he was rather bland.
All in all The Ravens is entertaining in a guilty pleasure/nostalgic kind of way with some red herrings thrown in that are easy to see past. It starts off slow setting up the world around the girls but the mystery really kicks off in the last half and we get to see the girls in action. The magic gives me Charmed vibes with rhyming spells, gathering herbs and other ingredients, scrying to find things, etc. I thought the tarot card aspect was cool and liked that it was explained early on but then it became pointless as their powers weren't really based on those signs. I wanted to see if go deeper and explore their specific powers outside of them tapping into their powers together as a whole. I found Scarlett to be more fleshed out than Vivi though Vivi got more interesting to me after the 60% mark. I would watch a movie or series based on this book. And this being an Alloy Entertainment production I'm sure a series or movie is already in the works. I may read book 2 just to see how it ends.
Originally posted at
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
November 9, 2020
I always love books that focus on witches, and this one is about a sorority that hides a coven! It took me a while to get into this book, but despite its faults, the excellent second half and the perfect amount of witchiness left me thoroughly entertained.
Kappa Rho Nu isn't an average sorority. It hides a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, who's using university to get away from her eccentric mother, the sorority is a place to redefine herself. For Scarlett, who's part of a legacy family, it means leaving up to expectations. When dark secrets begin to emerge, and someone threatens everything, the sisters must work together to keep their coven safe.
History always comes back around again to cause trouble, and wow there's a lot of trouble here. You've got an interesting magic system based around elements and tarot cards, secrets that come back to haunt you, and a threatening aura of dark magic on the horizon. I love the plot, the magic system, and the atmosphere a lot. The first part of the book was more difficult to get into. Vivi and Scarlett's rivalry begins over a boring man. A trope I don't enjoy. Also, the way diversity is handled is strange. Everyone's is described in detail, but their identity has no impact on their character. Sometimes the only thing I knew about someone was that they were white, or East Asian. It's heading too far into tokenism for me. You've got the potential for a large cast of found family here, but they aren't developed enough. Despite this, one character I did love was Scarlett; her development was superb. She went through hell in this book, and I'm glad to see her on the other side.
CW: Violence, Death, Terminal Illness
(Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.)
If you enjoy witchy fantasy you should check out my Blog. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Kappa Rho Nu isn't an average sorority. It hides a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, who's using university to get away from her eccentric mother, the sorority is a place to redefine herself. For Scarlett, who's part of a legacy family, it means leaving up to expectations. When dark secrets begin to emerge, and someone threatens everything, the sisters must work together to keep their coven safe.
History always comes back around again to cause trouble, and wow there's a lot of trouble here. You've got an interesting magic system based around elements and tarot cards, secrets that come back to haunt you, and a threatening aura of dark magic on the horizon. I love the plot, the magic system, and the atmosphere a lot. The first part of the book was more difficult to get into. Vivi and Scarlett's rivalry begins over a boring man. A trope I don't enjoy. Also, the way diversity is handled is strange. Everyone's is described in detail, but their identity has no impact on their character. Sometimes the only thing I knew about someone was that they were white, or East Asian. It's heading too far into tokenism for me. You've got the potential for a large cast of found family here, but they aren't developed enough. Despite this, one character I did love was Scarlett; her development was superb. She went through hell in this book, and I'm glad to see her on the other side.
CW: Violence, Death, Terminal Illness
(Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.)
If you enjoy witchy fantasy you should check out my Blog. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Read
June 1, 2021This book was a mess. And I don't mean a good kind of mess. It started out looking that way, The Ravens reads very cheesy but at first it wasn't bad. It had Vampire Diaries vibes, if you know what I mean. Pleasure "turn your braincells off" kind of read. A coven of witches disguised as a sorority, danger and a mystery to solve and a magic system that's quite straight forward and easy to understand. But around a quarter into the book, it starts going downhill. The cheesiness becomes overbearing with nothing really to counteract it. The dialogue is painfully cringey, the characters very one dimensional and the romances, well, why? Extremely insta-lovey and they didn't make any sense whatsoever. There were also some major plot holes that had me wondering how they went unnoticed past all the eyes that were required to get this book published. The one decent thing about it was the reveal and the explanation behind it, since it showed a sliver of complexity in one of the characters. I genuinely wouldn't have finished it if it weren't a buddy-read with one of my best friends.
January 31, 2021
❤️🧡💛This was everything I hoped for💚💙💜
I am sooo in for the next book!!!
I am sooo in for the next book!!!
April 26, 2022
VIGILA DÓNDE ACABAN TUS DESEOS, PORQUE ESTOS PUEDEN MATARTE😱
🧙Las brujas están aquí, y esta vez no vienen con escobas ni con pócimas de colas de ratón, ni de escamas de serpientes y ni de dientes de dragón. Al contrario, esta vez son las más chicas más glamorosas, sexys e inteligentes del Westerly Collage. Y, como es de esperar, no están dispuestas a que nadie les quite su trono y mucho menos a que... Pero, espera, antes de decirte algo más, deja que te haga una pregunta: "¿De verdad estás preparada para vivir esta aventura?".
🧙Si quieres saber mi opinión sobre este libro te diré que, aunque me ha faltado algo más de profundidad en la historia y algo de madurez por parte de nuestra heroína, ésta se lee en nada y te deja con muchas ganas de saber qué pasará a continuación. Sobre todo, por el lado romántico🤭
🧙Las brujas están aquí, y esta vez no vienen con escobas ni con pócimas de colas de ratón, ni de escamas de serpientes y ni de dientes de dragón. Al contrario, esta vez son las más chicas más glamorosas, sexys e inteligentes del Westerly Collage. Y, como es de esperar, no están dispuestas a que nadie les quite su trono y mucho menos a que... Pero, espera, antes de decirte algo más, deja que te haga una pregunta: "¿De verdad estás preparada para vivir esta aventura?".
🧙Si quieres saber mi opinión sobre este libro te diré que, aunque me ha faltado algo más de profundidad en la historia y algo de madurez por parte de nuestra heroína, ésta se lee en nada y te deja con muchas ganas de saber qué pasará a continuación. Sobre todo, por el lado romántico🤭
Want to read
January 15, 2020Finally college life! But mostly I’m just here because
Ravens
and Kass Morgan
01/15/2020
01/15/2020
July 7, 2021
The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige is a young adult paranormal fantasy that is the first book in a new series by the same name. The story is mainly told from the dual point of view of two of the sorority sisters of Kappa Rho Nu which is not your normal sorority.
Scarlett Winters is a legacy in the elite Kappa Rho Nu at Westerly College. Scarlett expects that this year as a Raven she will become the Sorority President as those in her family before her and plans to let nothing stand in her way.
Vivi Deveraux is a freshman at Westerly College and new to the whole college experience. Vivi never expected anyone at the most exclusive sorority on campus to take notice of her so she is shocked when she receives an invite to pledge. What Vivi also doesn’t expect is to find that the sorority is actually made up of witches and she herself has powers.
When I saw The Ravens I couldn’t help but get excited to read this series as I’ve been a fan of Kass Morgan for a while and have always wanted to make time to read Danielle Paige so now I could read both. Honestly though I couldn’t tell that this series actually had two authors while reading as it seemed to all flow well together. The story moved along at a great pace and the characters were all likable enough. My one niggle would really be was it really all that new and creative? It was a solid read but reminded me of other witchy type of young adult I’ve read in the past with the standard young adult tropes but I’ll definitely be back for book two to see where the story heads next.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Scarlett Winters is a legacy in the elite Kappa Rho Nu at Westerly College. Scarlett expects that this year as a Raven she will become the Sorority President as those in her family before her and plans to let nothing stand in her way.
Vivi Deveraux is a freshman at Westerly College and new to the whole college experience. Vivi never expected anyone at the most exclusive sorority on campus to take notice of her so she is shocked when she receives an invite to pledge. What Vivi also doesn’t expect is to find that the sorority is actually made up of witches and she herself has powers.
When I saw The Ravens I couldn’t help but get excited to read this series as I’ve been a fan of Kass Morgan for a while and have always wanted to make time to read Danielle Paige so now I could read both. Honestly though I couldn’t tell that this series actually had two authors while reading as it seemed to all flow well together. The story moved along at a great pace and the characters were all likable enough. My one niggle would really be was it really all that new and creative? It was a solid read but reminded me of other witchy type of young adult I’ve read in the past with the standard young adult tropes but I’ll definitely be back for book two to see where the story heads next.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Want to read
November 27, 2021anyone else see the word RAVEN and immediately think, "ah yes another bird book i must read this."
January 19, 2021
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
College can be a real witch, literally. The sisters at Kappa Rho Nu also known as the Ravens are members of the most powerful coven in the world. Scarlett is a junior at Westerly who come from a long line of Ravens. She even hopes to be the president of the Ravens her senior year as long as everything goes smoothly. When a banished ex-coven member returns to reak havock on her former sisters, will the secrets she carries spell trouble for Scarlett and her sisters? Vivi, a fresh faced freshman is pulled into the Ravens as a pledge who had no former knowledge of magic. Even with the promise of witchcraft, Vivi is most excited by the promise of sisters and somewhere to call home. Her mother moved her around frequently as she grew up, but Vivi always chalked it up to paranoia. As she immerses herself further into the coven Vivi begins to uncover there was much more to her mother moving them around and that her mother may not be the tarot fraud Vivi always thought she was.
Guys, this book is magical. It consumed my world as I was listening to it, and whenever I couldn't I was thinking about when I would be able to listen again. The magic system is phenomenal and it was great to see tarot utalized for more than just telling the future. I was sure the characters would be the typical "my poo don't stink, I hate new girls and plan on making their life hell because someone did that to me" and "I would do literally anything to be a part of this"; but I was massively wrong. The authors really ran with the thought of sisterhood and it shows. While of course there are some growing pains, these girls really come together and grow. The story itself had me guessing(incorrectly might I add) until the very end and it all tied together in the end in a way that is super rare for young adult books. I am salivating for the sequel and will just be sitting here eager for every tidbit until it's released(I'm looking at you cover reveal!).
In closing, five magical stars for the first book in a new series. I recommend this book for anyone 12+(there is a bit of violence and romance) who loves fantasy or magic. If you loved These Witches Don't Burn you'll devour this like I did. Let me know which suit of the cards you think your magic would be, I personally believe I would be a swords witch(air affinity).
College can be a real witch, literally. The sisters at Kappa Rho Nu also known as the Ravens are members of the most powerful coven in the world. Scarlett is a junior at Westerly who come from a long line of Ravens. She even hopes to be the president of the Ravens her senior year as long as everything goes smoothly. When a banished ex-coven member returns to reak havock on her former sisters, will the secrets she carries spell trouble for Scarlett and her sisters? Vivi, a fresh faced freshman is pulled into the Ravens as a pledge who had no former knowledge of magic. Even with the promise of witchcraft, Vivi is most excited by the promise of sisters and somewhere to call home. Her mother moved her around frequently as she grew up, but Vivi always chalked it up to paranoia. As she immerses herself further into the coven Vivi begins to uncover there was much more to her mother moving them around and that her mother may not be the tarot fraud Vivi always thought she was.
Guys, this book is magical. It consumed my world as I was listening to it, and whenever I couldn't I was thinking about when I would be able to listen again. The magic system is phenomenal and it was great to see tarot utalized for more than just telling the future. I was sure the characters would be the typical "my poo don't stink, I hate new girls and plan on making their life hell because someone did that to me" and "I would do literally anything to be a part of this"; but I was massively wrong. The authors really ran with the thought of sisterhood and it shows. While of course there are some growing pains, these girls really come together and grow. The story itself had me guessing(incorrectly might I add) until the very end and it all tied together in the end in a way that is super rare for young adult books. I am salivating for the sequel and will just be sitting here eager for every tidbit until it's released(I'm looking at you cover reveal!).
In closing, five magical stars for the first book in a new series. I recommend this book for anyone 12+(there is a bit of violence and romance) who loves fantasy or magic. If you loved These Witches Don't Burn you'll devour this like I did. Let me know which suit of the cards you think your magic would be, I personally believe I would be a swords witch(air affinity).
September 3, 2022
Oh, well. It was ok, but a couple of things really anoyed me.
August 29, 2023
The blend of sorority culture and witchcraft made for a compelling, unique, and enticing read. I enjoyed the themes of power, identity, and the consequences of choices, all within the context of the sorority world.
The characters, including secondary characters, were lovable, had depth, and each had their unique stories.
It was a story of ambition, loyalty, and the price one is willing to pay for power, set against the backdrop of a sorority like no other.
Loved it. 4 stars.
The characters, including secondary characters, were lovable, had depth, and each had their unique stories.
It was a story of ambition, loyalty, and the price one is willing to pay for power, set against the backdrop of a sorority like no other.
Loved it. 4 stars.
January 18, 2022
welllll.... i heard this has ahs: coven/scream queens feels. i need.
after finishing
ok it totally fulfilled that descriptions i absolutely loved the feel of this book😭 definitely the best part. in general i had such a great time listening to this and everything but the very end was wonderful. i just feel like the end was 😐. I definitely would recommend this for the halloween season though👀😌 i’m curious as to what book two is about, but i probably won’t pick it up for a while.
after finishing
ok it totally fulfilled that descriptions i absolutely loved the feel of this book😭 definitely the best part. in general i had such a great time listening to this and everything but the very end was wonderful. i just feel like the end was 😐. I definitely would recommend this for the halloween season though👀😌 i’m curious as to what book two is about, but i probably won’t pick it up for a while.
March 17, 2023
Définitivement pas un livre parfait. Mais définitivement un livre qui touche le sweet spot sur certains points🫡
J’ai moins aimé :
- les quelques plotholes/intrigues non terminées…. Comme dirait kanye, i guess we’ll never know
- les références pop culture😹😹 je veux lire à propos de sorcières jojo siwa m’en tbk, ça va vieillir le livre en plus
- coudonc allez vous à l’école vous autres
- les romances #pasnécessaire #pasréaliste #brojetaikissUNEFOISpourquoionpenseàêtreencouple #potmason
- la mère de vivi O M G elle gosse tellement. je déteste le miscommunication trope dans tutes tutes tutes les relations et celle ci m’a donné envie de m’arracher les poils de bras un par un
PAR CONTRE
- on rentre dans l’histoire dès qu’on la commence!!
- chaque détail a son importance pour le reveal final. toujours cool de se trouver conne à la fin quand tu réalises que tout était devant tes yeux👍🏻(non ironique)
- la dynamique entre les personnages : c’est rare qu’on s’attache autant à des personnages qui ne s’aiment pas mais qui ne font pas partie d’un arc amoureux. autant je pouvais détester scarlett par moments, autant je comprenais ses actions?? J’aime toujours les zones grises et ça apporte une profondeur inattendue au roman
- le système de magie!!! je recommande tout à fait si vous aimez les moments dark academia/witchcore (tlm trendy dans le slang tiktok)
- la fin qui me satisferait totalement si je venais qu’à tellement procrastiner que je ne lirais pas la suite… merci de faire des livres qui se tiennent sur eux mêmes. à moins que les plotholes soient justifiés par la suite. Là ça serait un major L de ma part. À voir si l’occasion de lire le tome 2 me tombe dans les mains!
- ma passion pour les romans d’épreuves à été satisfaite🙌🏻🙌🏻
enfin bref c’est un très bon livre de divertissement, mais il est loin d’être parfait. l’éditeur aurait pu passer 2 semaines de plus dessus disons mais je laisse tout de même un très bon 4 étoiles parce que je vais garder un excellent souvenir de ma journée lecture thank you very much
J’ai moins aimé :
- les quelques plotholes/intrigues non terminées…. Comme dirait kanye, i guess we’ll never know
- les références pop culture😹😹 je veux lire à propos de sorcières jojo siwa m’en tbk, ça va vieillir le livre en plus
- coudonc allez vous à l’école vous autres
- les romances #pasnécessaire #pasréaliste #brojetaikissUNEFOISpourquoionpenseàêtreencouple #potmason
- la mère de vivi O M G elle gosse tellement. je déteste le miscommunication trope dans tutes tutes tutes les relations et celle ci m’a donné envie de m’arracher les poils de bras un par un
PAR CONTRE
- on rentre dans l’histoire dès qu’on la commence!!
- chaque détail a son importance pour le reveal final. toujours cool de se trouver conne à la fin quand tu réalises que tout était devant tes yeux👍🏻(non ironique)
- la dynamique entre les personnages : c’est rare qu’on s’attache autant à des personnages qui ne s’aiment pas mais qui ne font pas partie d’un arc amoureux. autant je pouvais détester scarlett par moments, autant je comprenais ses actions?? J’aime toujours les zones grises et ça apporte une profondeur inattendue au roman
- le système de magie!!! je recommande tout à fait si vous aimez les moments dark academia/witchcore (tlm trendy dans le slang tiktok)
- la fin qui me satisferait totalement si je venais qu’à tellement procrastiner que je ne lirais pas la suite… merci de faire des livres qui se tiennent sur eux mêmes. à moins que les plotholes soient justifiés par la suite. Là ça serait un major L de ma part. À voir si l’occasion de lire le tome 2 me tombe dans les mains!
- ma passion pour les romans d’épreuves à été satisfaite🙌🏻🙌🏻
enfin bref c’est un très bon livre de divertissement, mais il est loin d’être parfait. l’éditeur aurait pu passer 2 semaines de plus dessus disons mais je laisse tout de même un très bon 4 étoiles parce que je vais garder un excellent souvenir de ma journée lecture thank you very much
November 21, 2020
The premise of The Ravens is a fun one and it's a book that would be great adapted into a shop on the CW or Netflix. It follows a sorority that is secretly a coven of witches, with each author writing a different character perspective.
Vivi is an incoming freshman excited to start fresh and stay in one place after a nomadic childhood with her tarot-reading mother. When she's asked to pledge the Ravens, she has no idea what she's in for. Meanwhile Scarlett is gunning to be the next president of the sorority and has her future perfectly planned out. And something about Vivi rubs her the wrong way. This is full of drama, danger, and (not-so-unexpected) twists, and would certainly make a fun show.
I mostly had fun with the story, but the early pacing of the book is a little slow and the twist was pretty obvious with quite a lot of foreshadowing. There's also an element I didn't totally love involving Also the school is set in the South (though it feels pretty generic) and Scarlett is Black, but it's all written as if race is a non-factor beyond literal skin color. And honestly it feels a little tone deaf to not at the very least nod to the reality of racial tensions, especially right now given that this is set in the ACTUAL American South, not a fantasy world.
That said, overall it's a fun, escapist book and I think people will enjoy it. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Vivi is an incoming freshman excited to start fresh and stay in one place after a nomadic childhood with her tarot-reading mother. When she's asked to pledge the Ravens, she has no idea what she's in for. Meanwhile Scarlett is gunning to be the next president of the sorority and has her future perfectly planned out. And something about Vivi rubs her the wrong way. This is full of drama, danger, and (not-so-unexpected) twists, and would certainly make a fun show.
I mostly had fun with the story, but the early pacing of the book is a little slow and the twist was pretty obvious with quite a lot of foreshadowing. There's also an element I didn't totally love involving Also the school is set in the South (though it feels pretty generic) and Scarlett is Black, but it's all written as if race is a non-factor beyond literal skin color. And honestly it feels a little tone deaf to not at the very least nod to the reality of racial tensions, especially right now given that this is set in the ACTUAL American South, not a fantasy world.
That said, overall it's a fun, escapist book and I think people will enjoy it. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 13, 2021
3.5 Estrellas
Lo que hace especiales a las Ravens es que nuestra magia se complementa. Lo que nos hace poderosas no es lo que tenemos en común, sino las formas en las que somos distintas, cada una con fortalezas particulares.
Es una historia de magia, brujas, hechizos, personas con secretos, un aquelarre y todo esto sucede en la universidad. En si, la historia es bastante adictiva y se lee bastante rápido. A mi me costó un poco entender bien la historia y empatizar con los personajes.
En si la historia es muy sencilla, aunque sea de fantasía no la considero muy rebuscada, si tiene sus grados de complejidad pero nada del otro mundo. La historia, los secretos y el saber qué es lo que iba a pasar te mantenía muy activo durante toda la lectura.
Mi personaje favorito es Scarlett pero por mucho, un personaje tan bien construido, en todos sus matices que siento sinceramente que ella se llevó toda la historia. Me gustaba leerla, sus capítulos eran lo mejor y su historia de amor me dejó, muy pero muy picada.
Vivi me cayó bien, pero no tan bien como como otras brujas. Ella tiene mucho potencial de desarrollo en el siguiente libro. Pero igual, la historia que más me interesa es la de Scarlett.
¿Este libro pudo haber sido autoconclusivo? la verdad es que si, no se porque va a haber otro libro. Solamente porque dejaron unos pequeños hilos colgando, pero si hubieran agregado unas páginas más podría haber sido autoconclusivo sin ningún problema. Pero no fue el caso, así que si estoy interesada en saber que más tienen que ofrecer las Ravens.
Lo que hace especiales a las Ravens es que nuestra magia se complementa. Lo que nos hace poderosas no es lo que tenemos en común, sino las formas en las que somos distintas, cada una con fortalezas particulares.
Es una historia de magia, brujas, hechizos, personas con secretos, un aquelarre y todo esto sucede en la universidad. En si, la historia es bastante adictiva y se lee bastante rápido. A mi me costó un poco entender bien la historia y empatizar con los personajes.
En si la historia es muy sencilla, aunque sea de fantasía no la considero muy rebuscada, si tiene sus grados de complejidad pero nada del otro mundo. La historia, los secretos y el saber qué es lo que iba a pasar te mantenía muy activo durante toda la lectura.
Mi personaje favorito es Scarlett pero por mucho, un personaje tan bien construido, en todos sus matices que siento sinceramente que ella se llevó toda la historia. Me gustaba leerla, sus capítulos eran lo mejor y su historia de amor me dejó, muy pero muy picada.
Vivi me cayó bien, pero no tan bien como como otras brujas. Ella tiene mucho potencial de desarrollo en el siguiente libro. Pero igual, la historia que más me interesa es la de Scarlett.
¿Este libro pudo haber sido autoconclusivo? la verdad es que si, no se porque va a haber otro libro. Solamente porque dejaron unos pequeños hilos colgando, pero si hubieran agregado unas páginas más podría haber sido autoconclusivo sin ningún problema. Pero no fue el caso, así que si estoy interesada en saber que más tienen que ofrecer las Ravens.
September 8, 2020
4.25/5 stars
A million thanks to Edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This review is based off an advance copy, so some things might be changed on publishing.
This book called to me as soon as I saw it on Edelweiss! I love anything paranormal, especially witches, and a college story isn’t something you see very often in YA. This was a nice shakeup of my normal reads and I’d definitely recommend it!
Vivi hasn’t ever stayed in one place long enough to make friends, drifting all over the country at her mother’s whims. So when she is accepted into Westerly, a college in Savanah, Georgia, she’s eager to stay on campus for four whole years. But little does she know that the glamorous sorority of Kappa Rho Nu has a secret: they’re a coven of witches.
Scarlett is a legacy Raven who has known she was a witch for as long as she could remember. Pledge this year means living up to her mother’s expectations and becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as Big and Little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into a world much darker than either of them expected.
The only part of the story that fell a little flat for me was the writing. It was a little info dump-y at the beginning and repetitive the whole way through. There were just a couple instances when I was a little confused with the story, such as how Vivi went from having no magic to some magic. Was that the vague studying montage? I just wish we had more information, though that could be fixed in post.
The best part of this book was the storyline. I loved the creative, fresh take on witches, and college is just the icing on the cake! It kept my eyes glued to the screen of my kindle and unable to put it down.
All in all, this was a perfect fresh take of witches! The college life and magic mixed so well and creatively that I had I hard time putting it down. I would definitely recommend this and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Content and trigger warnings: Blood, death, loss of a loved one, and violence.
A million thanks to Edelweiss for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This review is based off an advance copy, so some things might be changed on publishing.
This book called to me as soon as I saw it on Edelweiss! I love anything paranormal, especially witches, and a college story isn’t something you see very often in YA. This was a nice shakeup of my normal reads and I’d definitely recommend it!
Vivi hasn’t ever stayed in one place long enough to make friends, drifting all over the country at her mother’s whims. So when she is accepted into Westerly, a college in Savanah, Georgia, she’s eager to stay on campus for four whole years. But little does she know that the glamorous sorority of Kappa Rho Nu has a secret: they’re a coven of witches.
Scarlett is a legacy Raven who has known she was a witch for as long as she could remember. Pledge this year means living up to her mother’s expectations and becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as Big and Little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into a world much darker than either of them expected.
The only part of the story that fell a little flat for me was the writing. It was a little info dump-y at the beginning and repetitive the whole way through. There were just a couple instances when I was a little confused with the story, such as how Vivi went from having no magic to some magic. Was that the vague studying montage? I just wish we had more information, though that could be fixed in post.
The best part of this book was the storyline. I loved the creative, fresh take on witches, and college is just the icing on the cake! It kept my eyes glued to the screen of my kindle and unable to put it down.
All in all, this was a perfect fresh take of witches! The college life and magic mixed so well and creatively that I had I hard time putting it down. I would definitely recommend this and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Content and trigger warnings: Blood, death, loss of a loved one, and violence.
December 18, 2020
** A huge Thank You to NG for approving me for the audiobook for The Ravens in exchange for an honest review.
I am so glad I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook for The Ravens! This dark YA fantasy was just what I needed. I enjoyed this unique story with all its twists and turns. The gothic feel of the sorority house has me looking for a sign up sheet! How do I pledge Kappa Rho Nu?
So much happened in this fast-paced story. I enjoyed having duel POV's between Scarlett and Vivi. I liked that they came from different backgrounds, one knowing who she is and one discovering who she is. There were some big twists and surprises along the way that helped lend to the mystery of what was happening at the school and among the girls of the Kappa house.
I hope there are more books in this world because I feel like there is so much more we can discover about these witches! If you're looking for an original dark YA fantasy than I definitely recommend this one! I'd also recommend the audio. It was really well done and even though there are two different POV's done by one narrator it is really well developed and the reader can easily differentiate between the chapters.
I am so glad I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook for The Ravens! This dark YA fantasy was just what I needed. I enjoyed this unique story with all its twists and turns. The gothic feel of the sorority house has me looking for a sign up sheet! How do I pledge Kappa Rho Nu?
So much happened in this fast-paced story. I enjoyed having duel POV's between Scarlett and Vivi. I liked that they came from different backgrounds, one knowing who she is and one discovering who she is. There were some big twists and surprises along the way that helped lend to the mystery of what was happening at the school and among the girls of the Kappa house.
I hope there are more books in this world because I feel like there is so much more we can discover about these witches! If you're looking for an original dark YA fantasy than I definitely recommend this one! I'd also recommend the audio. It was really well done and even though there are two different POV's done by one narrator it is really well developed and the reader can easily differentiate between the chapters.
December 7, 2020
Enjoyable YA story. Liked all the characters. Wish we had gotten more into the history of the Ravens. Looking forward to the next one!
December 28, 2021
I wish my years at university had been shaped by witchcraft. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LIVE MY DREAM?
November 3, 2020
The Ravens is the first instalment of a young adult fantasy series of the same name and is the perfect read to curl up with during spooky season. It is told from the alternating perspectives of two students at the prestigious Westerly college in Savannah, Georgia. They are both part of a coven of witches covertly hiding in plain sight disguised as sorority sisters. Vivi is new and hoping to use her move to Westerly as an opportunity to reinvent herself. Sick of being dragged around the country by her eccentric fortune-telling mother, Vivi wants to finally settle down somewhere and make friends. Scarlett is a senior member of the Kappa Rho Nu sorority with her life meticulously planned out in front of her and one main goal – excel at everything in order to impress her mother and sister, both former presidents of Kappa.
Kappa is no ordinary sorority. Rather, it is a convenient front for one of the most influential covens in the world and only the most powerful witches are invited to join its ranks. This year, Vivi is among them (much to her shock) but a series of misunderstandings immediately set her and Scarlett at odds with one another. However, a number of dark events in the sorority’s recent past seem to be coming back to haunt the current crop of witches and the sisters of Kappa Rho Nu are going to need one another’s strength more than ever to overcome the evil they are facing. But are all of them to be trusted?
This is a captivating YA fantasy which moves at a brisk pace and is nicely plotted, however, there is a bit of an infodump at the very beginning in order to set the scene, introduce the characters and impart the backstories, but it is worth continuing if you can manage to get past an issue often associated with the first book in a series. It's a relatively lighthearted, fun and easy read and one that can be devoured in a few short hoursm and what could be more fitting than a tale of witches living among humans this spooky season? Whilst it is predictable from early on in the narrative, I found didn't stop me gaining enjoyment out of it and it did throw up some twists in the tale that I hadn't foreseen. An entertaining and interesting take on the supernatural spellmakers, complete with some pretty solid characterisation. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.
Kappa is no ordinary sorority. Rather, it is a convenient front for one of the most influential covens in the world and only the most powerful witches are invited to join its ranks. This year, Vivi is among them (much to her shock) but a series of misunderstandings immediately set her and Scarlett at odds with one another. However, a number of dark events in the sorority’s recent past seem to be coming back to haunt the current crop of witches and the sisters of Kappa Rho Nu are going to need one another’s strength more than ever to overcome the evil they are facing. But are all of them to be trusted?
This is a captivating YA fantasy which moves at a brisk pace and is nicely plotted, however, there is a bit of an infodump at the very beginning in order to set the scene, introduce the characters and impart the backstories, but it is worth continuing if you can manage to get past an issue often associated with the first book in a series. It's a relatively lighthearted, fun and easy read and one that can be devoured in a few short hoursm and what could be more fitting than a tale of witches living among humans this spooky season? Whilst it is predictable from early on in the narrative, I found didn't stop me gaining enjoyment out of it and it did throw up some twists in the tale that I hadn't foreseen. An entertaining and interesting take on the supernatural spellmakers, complete with some pretty solid characterisation. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.
April 16, 2021
The Ravens is full of witches, mysteries, and magic, I loved every minute of it! I always love when a book is told from two perspectives and I thought it was great that we get Scarlett's POV and she is trying to become president of the sorority, and then Vivi who is a freshman and has just been recruited to this sorority. What Vivi doesn't know is that this sorority is just a front for the most powerful coven of witches.
I really love how this takes place on a college campus and no one ever suspects that these girls are all Witches. I so loved the bond that these sisters share and how they will always protect their sisters.
While I lowkey hated Scarlett in the beginning because she was so overly obsessed with becoming president and being the best, she slowly started to grow on me. She just always put herself and her needs before others, and never seemed to actually care. I really enjoyed Vivi and can't wait to see how powerful she really is in the next book.
The only issue I had in this book was that whenever a new character was introduced the authors would say, "she was black or he was white" and that was how they were described. I just felt it to be weird? Why couldn't they have been described more and not just with the fact of the color of their skin? So I couldn't really get an idea of what these characters looked like besides that they were black or white.
I'm really looking forward to the next and final book and I'm so upset I have to wait until 2022! I just loved the plot of this book and I was a little surprised at the twist. It was just a fun fast paced book full of magic!
I really love how this takes place on a college campus and no one ever suspects that these girls are all Witches. I so loved the bond that these sisters share and how they will always protect their sisters.
While I lowkey hated Scarlett in the beginning because she was so overly obsessed with becoming president and being the best, she slowly started to grow on me. She just always put herself and her needs before others, and never seemed to actually care. I really enjoyed Vivi and can't wait to see how powerful she really is in the next book.
The only issue I had in this book was that whenever a new character was introduced the authors would say, "she was black or he was white" and that was how they were described. I just felt it to be weird? Why couldn't they have been described more and not just with the fact of the color of their skin? So I couldn't really get an idea of what these characters looked like besides that they were black or white.
I'm really looking forward to the next and final book and I'm so upset I have to wait until 2022! I just loved the plot of this book and I was a little surprised at the twist. It was just a fun fast paced book full of magic!
October 24, 2020
For me this was a disappointment. I loved the concept - a sorority full of witches? Count me in. The execution wasn't great though, to be completely honest.
The book follows Vivi, a freshman, and Scarlett, a junior, both witches at Westerly College. Vivi doesn't know she's a witch - she grew up moving from place to place, living in crappy apartments with her mother who always moved them on due to 'funny feelings'. Scarlett is the opposite - her mother and older sister were both presidents of The Ravens, and if Scarlett doesn't follow in her footsteps then she'll be a huge disappointment. So you have the innocent sweet girl who is a bit socially awkward with no fashion sense and the mean girl who seems to have it all. That's just the first of the clichés.
One of the things I disliked the most about this book was that it always introduced characters by their skin colour - there's nothing really wrong with this but given Scarlett has deep brown skin her race wasn't exactly explored at all. I don't know, the diversity just felt a little bit token to me.
There's a love triangle as Scarlett's boyfriend Mason takes an interest in Vivi after going travelling for a summer and completely changing his values. Mason is bland. Mason is boring. Mason flirts with Vivi before he's finished things with Scarlett. And honestly given this sorority is all about girls being close and supportive, Vivi flirting back was just not cool.
Anyway, wish I liked this better. For a book set in college it felt very high school. There were some good bits but I don't think I'll be reading more of this series.
The book follows Vivi, a freshman, and Scarlett, a junior, both witches at Westerly College. Vivi doesn't know she's a witch - she grew up moving from place to place, living in crappy apartments with her mother who always moved them on due to 'funny feelings'. Scarlett is the opposite - her mother and older sister were both presidents of The Ravens, and if Scarlett doesn't follow in her footsteps then she'll be a huge disappointment. So you have the innocent sweet girl who is a bit socially awkward with no fashion sense and the mean girl who seems to have it all. That's just the first of the clichés.
One of the things I disliked the most about this book was that it always introduced characters by their skin colour - there's nothing really wrong with this but given Scarlett has deep brown skin her race wasn't exactly explored at all. I don't know, the diversity just felt a little bit token to me.
There's a love triangle as Scarlett's boyfriend Mason takes an interest in Vivi after going travelling for a summer and completely changing his values. Mason is bland. Mason is boring. Mason flirts with Vivi before he's finished things with Scarlett. And honestly given this sorority is all about girls being close and supportive, Vivi flirting back was just not cool.
Anyway, wish I liked this better. For a book set in college it felt very high school. There were some good bits but I don't think I'll be reading more of this series.
October 27, 2020
I am just not impressed. It is a decent novel, the pace works, the characters are passable if not memorable (other than Scarlet), but the college setting/sorority as a witch coven thing was not used to its fullest potential. It brings nothing new/exciting to the table. We get so hung up on the background mystery of "what did Scarlett DO?" or "Who is going after the witches?!" that the journey from the new witches is barely explored. From one chapter to the next the new witches are able to do ridiculous amounts of things just from memorizing a book of spells in 24 hours. It is a bummer.
The magic system reminded me so much of Charmed. Witches make things happen by making funky rhymes and sometimes (for the major arcana) getting ingredients for spells. I just, wanted a more subversive experience. I wanted an exploration and melding of college life and the sorority lifestyle-I wanted a 20 somethings read and I feel like The Ravens reads very YA, which makes sense because of the author's backgrounds but college is about forging into adult territory. The Ravens could have easily been set in an prep school to keep the kids away from their parents with minimal adult supervision and then it would have read a little truer.
There is romance--it is not great. Vivi (the new recruit/witch) is instantly attracted to Mason, who happens to be Scarlett's boyfriend (shocker). The relationship between Scarlett and Mason is on the rocks after one summer apart though, so you know that ain't gonna last. My biggest problem was Mason, why in the seven hells are either of these girls into this guy? He is the worst. He was flirting with Vivi while still in a relationship with Scarlett, but has no issue in kissing Scarlett and doing other things. But Scarlett is his issue because he is going through a phase and Scarlett is really confused as to where this sudden change came from (girl, so was I and I barely knew the guy). He is also so BLAND, which I guess it would make sense for him to be into VIVI.
CHARACTERS! Vivi is a bland piece of toast. I'm sorry, but her character is so not interesting. I kept wanting to skip her parts just so I can read from Scarlett's POV. On the other hand Scarlett is the f ing best--she tries to work on her relationship but understands that there are things more important than this less than stellar guy, like her standing in the sorority and her sisters. Kick Mason to the nearest moon please. Is she a bit self centered and cares too much about pedigree? YES, but those are flaws that the character can overcome/work around. She has issues with her family putting too much pressure on her; she is a product of her upbringing. It makes her interesting to read! While Vivi's most interesting story line is her "forbidden" romance with Mason, which as I already stated is not great.
I was just disappointed. The Ravens makes for a quick read, if not a memorable one. It doesn't bring anything new to the table and doesn't go too deep into developing the college life setting (other than parties and a VERY short and kind of kiddie "Hell Week"). Maybe I'll pick up the sequel, but probably not.
PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!
The magic system reminded me so much of Charmed. Witches make things happen by making funky rhymes and sometimes (for the major arcana) getting ingredients for spells. I just, wanted a more subversive experience. I wanted an exploration and melding of college life and the sorority lifestyle-I wanted a 20 somethings read and I feel like The Ravens reads very YA, which makes sense because of the author's backgrounds but college is about forging into adult territory. The Ravens could have easily been set in an prep school to keep the kids away from their parents with minimal adult supervision and then it would have read a little truer.
There is romance--it is not great. Vivi (the new recruit/witch) is instantly attracted to Mason, who happens to be Scarlett's boyfriend (shocker). The relationship between Scarlett and Mason is on the rocks after one summer apart though, so you know that ain't gonna last. My biggest problem was Mason, why in the seven hells are either of these girls into this guy? He is the worst. He was flirting with Vivi while still in a relationship with Scarlett, but has no issue in kissing Scarlett and doing other things. But Scarlett is his issue because he is going through a phase and Scarlett is really confused as to where this sudden change came from (girl, so was I and I barely knew the guy). He is also so BLAND, which I guess it would make sense for him to be into VIVI.
CHARACTERS! Vivi is a bland piece of toast. I'm sorry, but her character is so not interesting. I kept wanting to skip her parts just so I can read from Scarlett's POV. On the other hand Scarlett is the f ing best--she tries to work on her relationship but understands that there are things more important than this less than stellar guy, like her standing in the sorority and her sisters. Kick Mason to the nearest moon please. Is she a bit self centered and cares too much about pedigree? YES, but those are flaws that the character can overcome/work around. She has issues with her family putting too much pressure on her; she is a product of her upbringing. It makes her interesting to read! While Vivi's most interesting story line is her "forbidden" romance with Mason, which as I already stated is not great.
I was just disappointed. The Ravens makes for a quick read, if not a memorable one. It doesn't bring anything new to the table and doesn't go too deep into developing the college life setting (other than parties and a VERY short and kind of kiddie "Hell Week"). Maybe I'll pick up the sequel, but probably not.
PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!
August 12, 2021
3.75 STARS ★★★✬✩
⤐ Additionally.
I have accepted that YA and I only get along under certain conditions. This is why I've promised myself to only read YA from now on if I'm accepting its faults without getting lost in them or let it influence my opinion to an abnormal degree (but still a bit).
That being said, this is a fairly mature young adult novel with an intriguing plot. Mixing the coming-of-age aspects of finding out you're a witch and growing into your power with finally starting college away from parents gives triple the fun of an average young adult novel.
That being said, I found one too many stereotypical occurrences of how Hollywood still depicts teenage girls and women. We are not immature girls who can only envy each other. We are amazing creatures that have prevailed through thousands of years of oppression by men (and each other sometimes) and we have long discovered that loving and supporting one another is infinitely more valuable than helping men to profit off our insecurities, the very ones they planted.
⤐ What’s happening.
spoiler alert : Your teenage years, a summary.
_____________________
4 STARS. Would stay up beyond my typical hours to finish it. I found some minor details I didn't like, agree with or lacked in some kind but overall, this was enjoyable and extraordinary.
3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some things irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.
This book is for you if…
⤐ ... powerful teenage witches growing into their powers is the sort of coming-of-age stuff you like to read about
⤐ ... you value lessons of loyalty, grief and friendship
⤐ ... women empowering women is not a frightening but rather a liberating concept to you
⤐ ... you can live with witches not having familiars in this universe
⤐ ... witches should be cristal-y, tarot-y and earth-y to you
⤐ Additionally.
I have accepted that YA and I only get along under certain conditions. This is why I've promised myself to only read YA from now on if I'm accepting its faults without getting lost in them or let it influence my opinion to an abnormal degree (but still a bit).
That being said, this is a fairly mature young adult novel with an intriguing plot. Mixing the coming-of-age aspects of finding out you're a witch and growing into your power with finally starting college away from parents gives triple the fun of an average young adult novel.
That being said, I found one too many stereotypical occurrences of how Hollywood still depicts teenage girls and women. We are not immature girls who can only envy each other. We are amazing creatures that have prevailed through thousands of years of oppression by men (and each other sometimes) and we have long discovered that loving and supporting one another is infinitely more valuable than helping men to profit off our insecurities, the very ones they planted.
⤐ What’s happening.
‘Even in a houseful of people who were supposed to love her the most in the world, she felt alone.’
spoiler alert : Your teenage years, a summary.
_____________________
4 STARS. Would stay up beyond my typical hours to finish it. I found some minor details I didn't like, agree with or lacked in some kind but overall, this was enjoyable and extraordinary.
3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some things irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.
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