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

3.5 stars

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

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

Rating: 5/5 Penguins

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

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

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

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

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

3 stars.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have loved most of Cat Winters books and was incredibly excited to see what she would do with a book about Edgar Allan Poe. This ended up being a bit disappointing to me. While it was a neat idea, it was honestly kind of boring. There is a lot of flowery language but not much of a story here.

Edgar Poe is constantly pulled between the demands of his art and the demands of his foster father. He desperately wants to attend University and his foster father has agreed to send him..for now. When Poe’s muse takes on human form she ends up causing a number of issues for him that lead him down a dark path. I did enjoy the idea of an artist’s muse being a living/tangible thing; basically the human embodiment of their artistic talent. Lenore is all of Poe’s dark tendencies and urges wrapped into one disturbing girl. Eventually another muse shows up who fights with Lenore over Poe and this muse is the embodiment of Poe’s ability for satire.

Unfortunately this story was both too much and not enough for me. Having the second muse enter the scene was distracting and this second muse was just not very well developed (I can’t even remember his name). It was just too much and really defocused the story. I also felt like Lenore was not enough. She just wasn’t dark enough, committed enough, and didn’t feel passionate and developed enough. The whole thing ended up being a bit of a muddle. If you look back at what actually happened in this book it’s really not all that much. It was fairly boring to read, the only bright spots being the poetry excerpts throughout. I also enjoyed the afterward that talked about Edgar Poe’s actual history.

Overall this was a disappointing read for me; it’s okay but feel very short of my expectations. The story is just too slow, boring, and a bit muddled. You don’t get a lot of story and the muses weren’t quite as intense as they should have been. This is one of the weaker Cat Winters books I have read. I started reading it with a huge amount of enthusiasm and by the end just wanted it to be over.

I just could not get into this one. The writing style seemed like it might work for me, but after a while I found myself wanting to skip large chunks of text which I had to keep catching myself on. I didn't really feel like there was much pull to finish the story, and I honestly just felt a little...bored. I feel a bit bad about that, but hey, I read a lot, and some things just aren't my vibe. Unfortunately, this definitely wasn't my vibe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as a lover of Poe's work. I loved the juxtaposition of the muses world and the mortal world meeting. Seeing the beginnings of Edgar A. Poe's adult life and the ups and downs he went through were very interesting and the addition of watching the relationship unfold between muse and artist created an engaging plot. Perfect for the spooky season!

I love that this novel made Poe’s muse into a (somewhat) tangible person. This book was dark and atmospheric and unique.

When I read this one I was super excited about it. Loved the cover and the summary. Once I started reading though, my interest was somewhere in the middle. Honestly it's more average for me. Even now thinking about it, the book just didn't do anything for me.

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Allan Poe can't wait for the day he leaves home - and his foster father - for university. However, Edgar doesn't want to be away from his beloved foster mother and the girl he intends to marry.
Edgar's chance to escape Richmond is put into jeopardy when a horrifying Muse appears to him. He has been told that Muses are foul beings that lead people into disgrace. The Muse, who Edgar names Lenore, wants only one thing - to be seen.
Can Edgar keep Lenore hidden?
Will she ruin Edgar's one chance of attending university?

Going into The Raven's Tale, I didn't know much about Edgar Allan Poe and I hadn't read many of his poems, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.
I liked Edgar as a protagonist - I felt sorry for him at times, and wanted him to follow his dream of being a writer.
Lenore was an interesting character and I felt sorry for her too at times - she just wanted to be seen, but Edgar worried that her appearance would frighten people.
The plot was good overall, but nothing that happened surprised me particularly.
My favourite thing about this book was the concept of Muses. I really liked the idea of having one following you around and inspiring you. 
The setting of the 1800s was also interesting.
The writing style was easy to follow, but I wasn't gripped.
Reading The Raven's Tale has made me want to find out more about Edgar Allan Poe. I didn't realise that he also wrote comedy pieces.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

My feedback here is late to the party.  I enjoyed this book, but it was relatively forgettable.  I'd recommend it to others as a quick read.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say that I have been a fan of Poe's for a very long time. So when I came cross this book and it has him a teenage at the beginning of his creative phase I had to have it. The centers around Poe wanting to write the dark works he is known for and fighting against his family and muse to keep his sanity. He tries to escape all of that by going to college. The dark and creepy tale is perfect for any Poe fan and those discovering him for the very first time.