An instant New York Times bestseller! An Indie Next Top 10 Pick A Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Winner
“A funny, action-packed, and sweet romance.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “A phenomenal read.” —RT Book Reviews
A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous bestseller that’s “an ideal pick for fans of Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, and Laini Taylor” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious, Rook spirits her away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously wrong in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending on each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
A fantastic, fun read with a lot of heart with lush and evocative writing. At times the plot felt a bit simplistic and obvious, but this may be because Rogerson sticks quite closely to traditional Celtic representations of fairies, though she adds her own twist in delightful ways. I loved Rook, the hero, and Isobel was very entertaining—more than once I laughed out loud at the conversations between these two characters.
I can’t help but address the comparisons to [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491595796s/16096824.jpg|21905102], which are apt in that the setup is similar but the execution is quite different. I love that An Enchantment of Ravens stands on its own and that this is a singular title without any planned sequels. There are unanswered questions at the end but I like that Rogerson allows readers to use their imagination about the characters’ lives after the end of this story.
