Vivi has spent her life sheltered by her Mother as they moved from state to state seemingly unable to put down roots anywhere. So starting college as a freshman is going to be the start of a 'new' life for her as she imagines a more stable life for herself staying in one place for at least a few years. Swept up in the excitement of the start of term Vivi finds herself at a sorority party and way out of her comfort zone, but before the night's over she has herself committed to pledging to the Kappa Rho Nu, one of the most powerful sororities on campus and unbeknownst to her one of the most powerful covens in the world.

Scarlett has grown up knowing she is a witch and this year she hopes to become president of her sorority The Ravens in order to follow in the footsteps of her Mum, a legacy she is determined to uphold. But, Scarlett has a secret, one which could threaten to derail everything she knows and loves....how far will she go to keep it??

The Ravens is a tale of sisterhood, magic and secrets which kept me guessing until the final twist - not like me as I'm usually bad for guessing how a story will pan out! We follow the dual perspectives of Vivi and Scarlett who couldn't be more different if they tried. Scarlett is a confident witch who has spent her life surrounded by magic whereas Vivi's first indication that magic exists is when she enters the sorority. It's really interesting to follow Vivi's journey as she discovers the magic which has always lay dormant within her and how she learns to harness it. Scarlett on the other hand was often at times quite unlikeable thanks to her dismissive and often catty behaviour, however as her character and background was uncovered I did find myself warming to her.

I personally found the pacing of this book a little up and down, with a very strong beginning that dipped in the middle before it's page turning finale. I'm not sure if this was just my reading mood at the time, but certainly when I'd finished reading it left me excited to see what's to come in the next book in the series (duology?)

Overall I enjoyed this witchy YA book which was actually surprisingly dark in places. The combo of the college setting and the magical sorority works really well and I especially enjoyed the fact that tarot cards are utilised as part of the magic system. I hadn't read anything by this author duo before but found their writing engaging and easy to read which has left me excited to read not only the follow up top The Ravens but also to discover some of the pairs backlisted books.

This wasn't too interesting. I found it a mainstream YA, that had nothing new to tell me. Unfortunately I am not a fan.

This is the type of witchy book I have been craving for! The witch coven is under the guise of a sorority and danger quickly ensues. There are two POVs, Vivi and Scarlett. Vivi is the new recruit and Scarlett is her mentor. They start off quite rocky because Vivi quickly catches the attention of Mason, Scarlett’s boyfriend. I won’t go into further detail to avoid spoilers.

I wanted to love this book. The premise was so interesting and I loved the witchy references but it just took too long for me to really get into the story. I sadly wasn't gripped straight away which was a real shame. This would have been a complete cover buy for me and I loved the sound of the blurb. There were some creepy parts which I really enjoyed but ultimately it felt too 'young' for me. I would put this at the younger end of the YA category.

That's an incredible read. Think about girl, sorority , witchcraft, dark magic, missing people and weird things happening. Loved the characters and the whimsical setting. I didn't guess who was the villain and I was kept on edge the whole time. I highly recommend it.

If you love young adult books like #crave, #thebeautiful and #beautifulcreatures and you absolutely can’t miss TV shows such as #riverdale and #thechillingadventuresofsabrina then new #youngadultbook series The Ravens is going to be your next big obsession.

Bottom line, The Ravens is an enjoyable, fun read, set in a college sorority which also happens to be an elite coven of witches. The book is not taxing or deep, but then it’s not meant to be. Some books are just meant to be enjoyed and this is one of them. And enjoyable it is…There is plenty of teen angst, mean girls, glamour, parties, problems with boys and plenty of witchy magic. It’s a totally fun read from start to finish.

This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Perfectly enjoyable witchy fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five

I liked the dark academia vibe of this, and the sorority as a cover for the coven was clever and interesting. However, as someone from the UK who has never been part of a sorority, parts went over my head. I think there could have been more explanations about the sorority and how it works.
The book was enjoyable, I half guessed the twist, and was still surprised at the end.
I rated it 6's and 7's across CAWPILE, with a total of 6.43/10, a fairly solid 3*.
I'll probably read the next one.

So, it took me a while to read this book.
Why? Because I got annoyed several times.

Let’s start with some good points. I liked the sisterhood theme and it felt well developed. They stand up for each other and have their backs. I really liked that.
It’s a witch stories with coven(s). Loved that pretty much.

So, there was diversity. Sort of. But in my opinion it was executed rather badly. People didn’t get much attributes beside being black or white - literally, cause the skin colour was described, but not too much more. It felt kinda awkward.

The storyline/plot was enjoyable, but predictable. It still did entertain me.

The characters were a hot mix. I loved Scarlett. She was kinda fierce and grew a lot.
Then there was Vivi. Yeah. That’s all about her. She was pretty bland, boring and her flirting with Mason (Scarletts) love interest, was just mean - and the most »excitement« she contributed to the story. I just didn’t like her.

Don’t get me started on the romance in this books. Girls fighting about a boy? Come on. Not. Again.
This book would have been way better without any romance at all and a bigger focus on the coven and sister hood.
It was a mixed read and okay, but in the end I got annoyed too often.

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.

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.

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. I get that the scenes needed to be set and characters introduced but this felt unnecessarily long. It is definitely a YA story with enough high school type theatrics. 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 great. The concept of the magic system and coven were quite good and I am interested to see where the author takes book two.

CW: Death of loved ones, blood, gore, terminal illness (cancer), animal death as part of magic ritual.

I really enjoyed The Ravens! Especially the setting in a sorority was really interesting to read about since that’s something very unfamiliar to me. Adding the witches trope was also a very good choice in my opinion. The only thing I didn’t enjoy as much were the characters, as they felt a little bit dull. Other than that it was a nice and enjoyable read.

An Amazing story about witchcraft, sorority and friendship! This book is compelling and intriguing! I really recommend it!

I wanted to like this so badly, but alas, I DNFed it. I would watch the heck out of this if it was a teen drama TV show, but it just doesn't work as a book.

Writing style: It just didn't click. Sometimes there's those books that don't have bad writing, but you just don't feel a connection, that was The Ravens for me.

Characters: I could barely keep them all straight... They have no personalities, are super flat, uninteresting and well not memorable at all.

Story: It's a great story for a TV show or a movie, but it didn't work for a book plot line. I read a little over 50% and nothing truly interesting had happened yet and I couldn't picture anything in my head.

This book was a flop. I can't even believe I got as far as 50%, but I guess I skimmed over a lot of pages to get that far... It's a DNF/1 star from me.

A sorority full of witches hiding plenty of secrets, past mistakes coming to haunt them and the power of friendship: *The Ravens* was exactly what I wanted it to be. It's full of magic that is both awe-inspiring and twistingly dark and tackles themes of sisterhood, expectations and the lines we are willing to cross to belong.

I love anything witchy and magical, so my love for *The Ravens* shouldn't be a surprise. The setting and magic system immediately drew me in. I especially appreciated getting to read about characters who are at college and thus a bit closer to my own age. The witches' magic is based on tarot cards and as a tarot reader myself it was fun to see the cards used as the basis for various spells!

For some reason, I assumed this book was queer, specifically sapphic. It is not! Maybe I just associate witches with sapphic stories so I was slightly disappointed when I found out that the main romances are straight. This is of course not the book's fault and while I did not particularly enjoy the romances (more on that in a second), I just thought I'd mention it in case anybody else also got queer vibes from *The Ravens*!

Now, the romance. Admittedly, getting me invested in romance sub-plots is pretty hard so take my opinion on this with a grain of salt. But man, I really think this story could've done without a petty rivalry over the same guy. Luckily, it really is just a sub-plot but it does inform some of the important conflicts and miscommunications that drive the main plot forward.

*The Ravens* has pretty fast pacing, if you're looking for a book that moves fast and sweeps you along with it, it might be a good choice. A downside to that: I wish I could have spent more time with the characters! I also felt like the faster pacing didn't quite allow the space for secondary characters to be fleshed out beyond a few general descriptors which didn't really help me in telling them apart.

Scarlett is not a likeable main character. She is self-centred and at times a true mean girl, but I understood and empathised with her actions every step of the way. Having to live up to an impressive family legacy under the scrutiny of my mother and older sister would make me act much the same way. Although this is not directly addressed in the book (and might be me reading into it), I felt that Scarlett being a young Black woman contributed to her needing to work incredibly hard to be perfect and excel beyond her white peers. She doesn't just have a legacy to live up to but the cards are stacked against her. Let's talk about character development! As a reader, it's very satisfying to see a character be taken apart and having to put themselves back together and Scarlett was a perfect example of that. She really gets put through her paces as her world falls apart but she emerges stronger and wiser, that's the kind of character development I'm here for!

Unfortunately, I didn't vibe as much with Vivi. She felt fairly one-dimensional at times and I just generally would've liked to get to know her and her powers better. Subsequently, I didn't care about her as much as I would have hoped to but I'm excited to see how she develops in the sequel.

Fantastic for getting your fix of teen sororities and witches! Really appreciate the viewpoints of two narrators and still providing a twist at the end. Can't wait for the sequel!

This is the type of witchy book I have been craving for! The witch coven is under the guise of a sorority and danger quickly ensues. There are two POVs, Vivi and Scarlett. Vivi is the new recruit and Scarlett is her mentor. They start off quite rocky because Vivi quickly catches the attention of Mason, Scarlett’s boyfriend. I won’t go into further detail to avoid spoilers.

While there are definitely a couple love interests, they take a back seat in this novel. This strictly focuses on The Ravens and the wicked magic they need to defeat. I personally enjoyed the magic and sisterhood to be a focus instead of romance. Maybe the second book will focus more on the love interests and I find myself actually hoping for that since there is one character I happen to want more of!

As much as I adore the paranormal elements, there are some scenes that can get a bit gorey. They don’t happen too often, but proceed with caution! I tend to not like scary things in general, but I handled this quite well. It was very enjoyable and gave just the right atmosphere.

The reason this didn’t get a full five stars from me is because of they way the past was constantly brought up but always in a vague manner. There is a death that happened that affects the coven, but they don’t give much explanation. Things are revealed towards the end, but I feel it was rushed and we still don’t see the full picture. I really hope it gets more clear in the sequel. I am definitely going to pick it up!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc! This title was released January 5, 2021.

I loved this story soooo much, I can’t overemphasise how much I enjoyed this. The synoptic alone sold me on this absolutely fabulous read.. I was hooked from the start , I loved the alternating POVs the writing flows brilliantly and it is beautifully written , the characters are so well constructed and developed during the book. , I thought the world building was astonishing, so well done and interesting going deeper into it. The magic system is unlike anything I’ve read before. The twists and turns are breathtaking and have your head spinning and keep you hooked. I cannot wait for the sequel and so happy I read this, absolutely fantastic

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book read far younger than I think the intention was. It felt like the characters should have been in early high school, not college. They were all unconvincing and therefore the plot didn't hold up for me. I couldn't see any of them acting in the ways they did or for the reasons intended as they were so underdeveloped. The two male love interests were entirely interchangeable and very boring. It seemed like huge chunks of time were missing where they learnt spells, suddenly they just knew how to do it. The general idea was ok, but was not implemented well.

OMG! Easily going to be a favourite book of the year I mean wow. I absolutely love the alternating point of views, Scarlett and Vivi are both amazing and complete opposites but I loved each of them in their own way. The writing had me hanging on every single word! Don’t even get me started on the jaw-dropping magic system. It isn’t like any other magic system I’ve read about and is so incredibly realistic and interesting not to mention easy to grasp. The plotline and the plot twists had me on the edge of my seat totally enthralled in this story. I feel so privileged to have had the chance to read this story and I will 100% read more by both of these fantastic authors in the future. I can’t wait for the sequel ‘The Monarchs’ to be out to see the characters again.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton & RB Media in exchange for an honest review.

The Ravens is the story every witch-obsessed teenage girl wants to read (and quite a few young adults too). It is simply the story of two college girls who are part of a sorority which actually turns out to be a coven. We have Scarlett, the more experienced and older sorority member who is keen to fight for her place as leader (and also for her failing relationship with her boyfriend) and Vivi, the new girl who is discovering she is a witch for the first time (among a blossoming romance with none other than Scarlett's boyfriend). Tensions rise when the use of dark magic is suspected and a girl from the sorority goes missing.

I was lucky enough to be given both an audio and an e-ARC of this book, so I'm in the unique position of having listened to 75% of it and read the other 25% physically. I will say, I wish I had listened to less of it as I connected so much more with the written version. The audiobook is fine and there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but this book has a very specific style of dialogue and I think it got lost a bit in translation. When I was listening, I found that the characters blended together more. I could tell Vivi and Scarlett apart but I had no idea there were even two male characters until I read someone else's review on Goodreads. The dialogue being very stylised also means that it comes off a bit awkward when it is read out loud.

As soon as I switched to the ebook though, I was hooked. Instantly the characters and plot came to life, and I desperately wanted more of this world. I think this is a fantastic set up for a much larger, Buffy-esque series focusing on this sorority fighting the powers of darkness and I really want that. This is a solid fantasy story with a cool use of magic, interesting worldbuilding and great characters to populate that world.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely have plans again to read it entirely in print as I think it will get a higher rating from me. As it is, it still has a lot of strengths and I want to be clear that my view of the audiobook is mostly down to personal taste and preference. If you enjoy witchy stories and like a focus on exploring the supernatural through college-age characters, you should definitely give The Ravens a try.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I had a lot of fun reading this book. The writing flows evenly, the characters are sympathetic, and I loved delving deeper into their world and learning how it works. It plays to a lot of things which I like, sisterhood, finding your own place and your own family, growing up and changing, and the power and connection woven into this made it a very entertaining read.

It´s a classical college story and with the focus on a sorority, there are certain expectations woven in. Now, I´m not American, so sororities and the greek system are things I only know from tv shows and books, so you can expect that I was expecting all the clichés. And they do pop up, thought they get played with a bit. The ravens are the elite, and they know it. They are the queens on campus, but we get to know them as genuinely nice girls who, contrary to the cliché, really care about one another and stick together. That´s something which really drew me in, since I love found family like stories, and it was a nice break from the usual spiel.

The magic system was well thought out and I loved how it got explored in really playful, teaching way so we learn alongside Vivi how it works. Which brings us the focus of the story, the two main characters, Vivi and Scarlett. There are a few traditions at play here, with Vivi as the new girl trying to fit in and Scarlett as the queen bee, who comes into conflict with her, but that conflict really doesn´t play as much of a role as it usually would. Because Scarlett actually take her role as big serious and isn´t trying to out manipulate Vivi they get space to grow alongside each other.

Vivi is a nice character, but I kinda liked Scareltts journey more, because she is going through an upheal of her whole life. The future she planned changes abruptly, she finds herself unmoored after the loss of her closest parental figure (and I loved how that grief is constantly with her, in small memories and longing for Minnies advice) and she tries to deal with that as best as she can. It makes for an interesting character journey. And Vivi of course just shakes things up even more for her.

They are sisters, and sisterhood and the betrayal of this close bond, for power and other reasons are the big themes of this book. What could make you turn against those closest to you? How far are you willing to go for power? The mystery is fun and hits a lot of the right creepy bits, with an exciting finish.

Honestly, I had fun with the Ravens, it reminded me about my college days, and it was a quick, entertaining read. There are lot´s of easter eggs thrown in to similiar college stories (I think i caught two about Scream Queens!) Not one of my absolute favourites, but I liked reading it and that´s what is important.