Seth is a troubled high school student. His first boyfriend dumped him without saying why, and his second turned out to be a violent abuser. Maybe his newest crush, a mysterious college student with a melancholic air, will be Mr. Right? The only problem is that his crush is an adult, and Seth won't be for some months, so the legal implications of pursuing that relationship leave everyone looking bad. Choosing lust over good sense, Seth lies about his age, betting that soon enough it won't matter anyway. Spoiler: it does turn out to matter, with heartbreaking results.
But his age isn't the worst secret Seth is keeping. There's a darkness inside him, an ancient power that has remained dormant all his life. The threat he carries moved his mother to try to kill him as a child, and he's been dealing with that trauma ever since. Even with her locked away in a mental hospital, he hasn't gotten rid of the constant nightmares. Of course, he has never believed her desperate claims that he's too dangerous for this world, that the thing that lurks within him must be eliminated. He tells himself she's just hopelessly deluded. She has to be.
Still, strange events seem to follow Seth everywhere. His touch starts giving people small electric shocks. A wolf crosses his path, looking at him like it knows him from somewhere. And no matter where he goes, a flock of ravens is never far behind, watching out for anyone who dares to threaten him. He takes refuge in his new relationship to try to forget about all the weirdness, but his Tall, Dark, Handsome obviously knows more of occult matters than he's letting on, and the way his eyes gleam sometimes hints of something beyond this realm...
The Raven Key is a slow-burn romantasy that takes its sweet time to really get going, but the extended buildup is no less enjoyable than the action. For most of the first half of the book, we follow Seth taking the risk to fall in love again after some awful past attempts, and the hidden encounters with his crush are narrated with the sweetness of youthful yearning. One almost forgets this was supposed to be a fantasy story, with how much space is given to developing this growing relationship, but the author knows how to make the mundane feel compelling and meaningful. Seth just wants to be happy, despite the indelible way his mother hurt him, despite his self-doubts, despite the legally questionable choices he knows he's making. And by the story's midpoint, it almost looks like he's succeded.
But the weirdness only gets worse from there, snowballing into an unstoppable train of awful consequence after awful consequence that starts when his boyfriend finds out about his age. That part is painful enough, but at the same time the presence that lives inside Seth gains more power and starts manifesting its intentions in horrific ways, seizing more and more control over him. He needs to find where this curse came from, even if it means talking to his mother after all these years, because if he doesn't stop what's happening to him, he will lose himself completely, and the whole world will suffer.
The escalating revelations that come during the second half of the book do a good job of rewarding the reader for waiting all through the first half. The truth behind Seth's curse points to a layer of mystical phenomena underlying our reality, giving the reader the right amount of detail to satisfy this book's longstanding mysteries but leaving ample space for further secrets to be explored. The ending, however, comes too abruptly, a cliffhanger at the wrong time that makes the built-up momentum crash against the last page. It's one thing to write your book as the first in a series and leave some events unfinished; it's another to take your climactic scene and rip it with a machete. The misjudged execution of this ending is the only reason I don't give the book a higher score.
The Raven Key is written with impressively polished prose for a debut, and the thorny legal question at the center of its plot is handled with the proper care and nuance. It's clearly conceived as introducing a whole series, and the reader must be prepared for a less than conclusive ending to this first entry. Setting aside that last bit, it's a captivating story with a solidly delineated protagonist and judicious doses of worldbuilding. Recommended with minor reservations.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

This was a good October, spooky season read that I would recommend to new adults who enjoy steamy romance scenes. The spice was there for sure!

I was provided this book through NetGalley by Harper L. Carnes and this is my honest review:

For me The Raven Key had a very strong start and the mystery was captivating and the atmosphere was definitely eerie. I wanted to know what happened next and why Seth not only had that tragic past but was also seemingly being followed by all these crows. However as the story progressed and it morphed from a "teen-romance" to an horror story it kept getting more convulsed and too much information was thrown into the mix.

For the amount of pages this book had there were also too many characters, each with their own plotlines which made it hard to cover them all in a satisfactory way for me. As for the romance while there was parts I did enjoy, the age-difference didn't seem to make much sense to me in this case except to later slide in a shocking revelation about Gabriel's past.

Basically the second half of the book wasn't my cup of tea but I do see the potential in it and perhaps in the next book things can be better explained. However I do think some of the faults I found with this book might be because, as far as I'm aware, this is the author's first book and perhaps it just needed some extra editing to make it great. As a side note I did also find a few typos and at one time a full sentence that repeated twice in the same page so perhaps the final draft could still use some revision.

An intriguing read, and a phenomenal first entry into a startup series. The mystery of Seth’s mother’s attack that starts off the story and sets the tone for how it progresses is quite intriguing and keeps the reader engaged. I did not like the subplot of Seth lying about his age to Gabriel however, and how it’s played off as Gabriel overreacting to his age

Special thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not for me. I was not a fan of the age difference. In addition, I was more interested in the mc's past and the other aspects of the storyline fell flat to me.

This was a fun read. I loved all the magical aspects, and I'm a sucker for a good cursed from childhood story. The romance was great, I loved every character involved, and the cliffhanger ending has me dying for more.

The world building was really interesting. I’m excited to see where this author goes! The background characters were great! It took a minute for me to connect with the main character but overall a great story!!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!

In "The Raven Key: The Famirian Chronicles" by Harper L. Carnes treats us to an imaginative world of fantasy and romance that sweeps you off your feet and carries you to a world where secrets and supernatural powers entwine.

Seth Cunningham's life has been anything but ordinary, plagued by a traumatic childhood event that left deep scars. As he navigates the intricacies of life, Carnes' paints a picture of his journey to find love, redemption, and self-discovery. While the horrors of Seth's past loom large, a budding romance with Gabriel provides a ray of hope in his otherwise turbulent world.

A haunting voice within Seth echoes from the depths of his soul. It's a voice shared only with the ravens who appear to serve a dark, insatiable hunger. As Seth grapples with his inner demons and the unearthly forces at play, we are thrust into an intricate dance between the ordinary and the supernatural.

Carnes has contrived a story that blends the romantic with the supernatural, painting a world where love and darkness coexist. The descriptions and well-drawn characters envelope you in the story, making you feel every emotion and sense every heartbeat. It's a tale that tantalizes with intrigue and mystique, leaving you yearning for the next turn of the page.

"The Raven Key" is a unique and imaginative experience. Carnes has crafted a story that probes the human psyche and explores the resilience of the human spirit against the forces of darkness. This book will leave you yearning for more.

"A spellbinding blend of romance and the supernatural that will leave you breathless."

"Harper L. Carnes weaves a mesmerizing tale of love, redemption, and the unknown."

"An enchanting journey into a world where secrets and supernatural forces collide."

"Immerse yourself in a story that explores the resilience of the human spirit against darkness."

"A unique and imaginative experience that will leave you yearning for more."

"A mix of the ordinary and the supernatural, where love and darkness coexist."

"Prepare to be transported to a world where the mysteries of the heart meet unearthly forces."

"A vivid tale that will make you feel every emotion and sense every heartbeat."

I found it a bit slow going at the start (after the initial attention grabbing prologue).

Lots of characters were introduced but not really fleshed out - although Seth was very well written and I absolutely loved his character and felt his confusion and angst. I’m guessing/hoping the other characters will get more attention in future books. Classic first in series syndrome - lots of world building and character introductions - and loose ends!

The world-building was convincing and the atmosphere evocative. The pace sped up later and the story became gripping. The end was frustrating so I definitely want to read the next in the series!

I don’t think it is a YA book at all.

Also - just a small puzzlement - Kit was Silver? But why was he suddenly called Kit when he reappears near end as a guardian spirit? Did I miss a clue to this renaming?

This LGBT story should have been great but sadly it had so many different characters and plot lines it was hard to really care about anyone. The story did flow half way decently but with that amount of characters with an under 400 pages it was a lot. And I found myself having to reread sections over and over to really grasp the story. This one reminds me of the same issues I had with Priory with the Orange Tree.

This book is filled with heartache, tragedy, horror/terror, romance, and struggles.

It will fill you with rage, make you smile, pull at your heart strings, and make you cry all in the span of one single chapter.

As a trauma survivor and someone with PTSD, I love that Harper L. Carnes incorporates this into her writing/book and shows the struggles and darkness within this certain mental illness. It helps shine a light on a very real struggle and I think she does a beautiful job of doing so with her writing.

And speaking of writing, it was beautiful. It was well-done, and detailed to the point it wasn’t difficult to imagine the story unfolding.

I have to say, I’m impatiently waiting for book two now, because, THAT ENDING 😮‍💨 (I also think I read it’s from a different POV so I’m excited about that!!)

But, this was for sure an easy 5 stars for me, and I can’t wait to see more from Harper L. Carnes 👏🏻👏🏻

This has a very interesting start. Unfortunately, I didn't find that I could stay interested. There were more things that took away from the story than added to it for me.

the prologue to this book starts this story off on a pretty dark note. which I like.

unfortunately it went south not long after that.
Seth is hard to like or care about. It was hard for me to sit through this book. It will definitely do well in the right readers hands.

DNF 37%
I found Seth’s past and feelings toward his mother captivating but beyond that I was bored. I like the relationship between Seth and Gabriel. It’s nice to see something healthy. I like that although the father has a drinking problem he is still there to make sure Seth goes to therapy and lets him know that he’s there if he wants to talk. His drinking so far hasn’t made him a bad father.

This was definitely a good book! The writing and pacing were phenomenal!! I will say that this book is definitely for mature audiences as there are multiple s3x scenes (that were very descriptive 🙃). All and all I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and can't wait for the next part as it did leave the reader hanging.

<spoiler> <u>The Raven Key <u> starts with a bang: Eliza is trying to drown her six-year-old son Seth in the woods behind their house. She’s convinced that something evil lurks inside of him and killing him is the only way she can stop in from emerging.

We flash forward to Seth as a prickly, angry seventeen-year-old. He’s traumatized (obviously) by his mother’s horrific act, convinced that her actions were the result of mental illness. When we met him, he’s wrestling with his anger towards his mother, work, his senior year of high school, his alcoholic father, and just when he’s starting to notice the presence of ravens and other strange birds, he meets a handsome, mysterious, older love interest, Gabriel.

Things I liked: the Portland, Oregon setting adds to a great spooky/Fall atmosphere. I felt like Harper Carnes does a fantastic job of incorporating the city and its suburbs into the story, particularly in an eerie pocket-park scene where the reader realizes that nature encroaching into suburbia is more ominous than Seth understands. Seth himself is well-realized, and you root for him as he figures out that he’s surrounded by the supernatural. Appreciated the queer representation and a depiction of the PNW that wasn’t lily-white, which it so often is in fiction.

What didn’t work for me: I felt like there were so many characters with so many competing plotlines introduced that I never ended up caring about either the characters or their arcs in more than a superficial way. We’ve got Seth’s ex-boyfriend, who is dying of cancer. Not be confused, as I was, with Seth’s other ex-boyfriend, the abusive and awful Adam. His best friend Evelyn has a not very flushed out “bullied by mean girls” subplot that seems to exist only to show how the paranormal is escalating around Seth. Oh, and also she’s a witch, but doesn’t know it. And of course, Seth’s father, who has been caring for him since his mother was committed for the whole attempted murder thing, isn’t actually his father. Not to mention that our gorgeous green-eyed love interest Gabriel comes with his own set of friends, family, and secrets. Layer in a bunch of supernatural world building, and I just found myself skimming.

Finally, the relationship between Seth and Gabriel really didn’t work for me. They meet a college party, Seth lies about his age, they connect again, start dating, exchange love declarations, and have on page sex all before Gabriel finds out that Seth’s in high school. The result of Seth’s deception is that Gabriel unknowingly commits statutory rape. I think the sex scenes are supposed to be spicy, but Gabriel, who is all about consent, is participating on the basis of a lie, which is uncomfortable enough before it’s revealed that he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by an older mentor. It’s also hard to imagine how they got so far in their relationship without anything ever giving Seth’s age away. They spend enough time together to fall in love (most of it off page), but they’ve never gone somewhere where Seth’s been carded? Never talked about how they spend their days? Seth figured out that Gabriel wasn’t fully human because his eyes flashed yellow twice, but Gabriel really doesn’t question Seth’s age, especially after his sister calls him out on how young Seth looks? YMMV. </spoiler>

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Seth is haunted by the memories of his mother trying to drown him as a child. When he lies about his age to Gabriel that he’s interested in, they get into a sweet and caring relationship. Gabriel is compassionate about Seth’s trauma but also harbors secrets of his own. As Seth discovers newfound powers, their world is upended, and they must navigate their own secrets, truths, and the complexities of their relationship while striving to save themselves and others.

“The Raven Key” by Harper L. Carnes is a perfect queer fantasy book. I loved the unique spin on lore which reminds me a lot of Native American lore. I loved Seth and Gabriel’s sweet and complicated relationship that’s realistic despite being a fantasy book. I felt the trauma aspects of the book were good. 5 out of 5 stars and cannot wait for a second book.

Unexpected! I love going in without knowing the background information of a book or series. I enjoyed the author's explanation of the background of each character and the romantic connection of the main characters. Although this is fantasy based, the "horror" aspects were not overdone and the scenes were short enough for the reader to understand but not too long to where I was bored. I also loved that the author incorporated scenes and conversation in Spanish and delved a little bit into our culture. The only aspect of this book that I did not like was the age gap between the main love interests. I'm not a fan of underage people having relationships with older individuals. In this case one person was 17 and the other in their early 20's. I do appreciate that the author provided a trigger warning in the synopsis of the book, briefly at the beginning of the book and in a section in the back of the book for topics related to abuse, mental illness, etc. I wish more books provided that to the reader! Overall, this was a quick read but one where I was able to get lost for a bit. I look forward to reading the other books in the series!

I enjoyed this journey into an urban fantasy setting. It was accessible and well-written and contains a good amount of romance and mystery to keep you on your toes.

The characters are interesting and I found myself rooting for Seth and Gabriel. I didn’t quite understand Silas and how he manifested but he was a solid villain for the story and I found myself fearing him whenever his name was mentioned. Seth is an adorable character, I wish I could have taken him home and wrapped him in cotton wool or something… he comes across as so innocent, and with everything that had happened to him, it was surprising and endearing to see such a purely adorable character grace the page.

The plot was interesting too. We start out as a straightforward coming of age romance and somewhere along the way it seamlessly morphs into a paranormal fantasy thriller. Cleverly done. Overall a good and easy book to delve into. Worth a looksee.