ARC Book Review: The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Series: The Ravens #1

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: January 2021

Pages: 400

Summary

From New York Times bestselling authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige comes a thrilling, dark contemporary fantasy about a prestigious sorority of witches and two girls caught up in its world of sinister magic and betrayals.

At first glance, the sisters of ultra-exclusive Kappa Rho Nu - the Ravens - seem like typical sorority girls. Ambitious, beautiful, and smart, they're the most powerful girls on Westerly College's Savannah, Georgia, campus.

But the Ravens aren't just regular sorority girls. They're witches.

Scarlett Winter has always known she's a witch, and she's determined to be the sorority's president. But if a painful secret from her past ever comes to light, she could lose absolutely everything...

Vivi Devereaux has no idea she's a witch. So when she gets a coveted bid to pledge the Ravens, she vows to do whatever it takes to be part of the magical sisterhood. The only thing standing in her way is Scarlett, who doesn't think Vivi is Ravens material.

But when a dark power rises on campus, the girls will have to put their rivalry aside to save their fellow sisters. Someone has discovered the Ravens' secret. And that someone will do anything to see these witches burn...

My Thoughts...

I tend to really enjoy books involving magic and witches, and The Ravens was no exception! The idea of a college sorority hiding a coven was just brilliant. "The Ravens", as the Kappa Rho Nu sisters call themselves, are the most exclusive and envied sorority on campus - they throw the best parties, wear the most fashionable clothes and always look perfect and gorgeous, winning everyone else's adoration and envy. What no one on campus knows, though, is that this is all possible thanks to magic.

The actual magical system was quite easy to understand, based on tarot cards and each witch's natural affinity to one of the elements (earth, water, fire and air), and I really enjoyed discovering how the sisters could work together to increase their powers. There was a real focus on sisterhood and cooperation throughout the book that I really loved to read about. 

Which brings me to my biggest moan about this book: the whole Scarlett-hating-Vivi dynamic, which is a constant for the majority of the book, is brought on by... yes, you guessed it - a guy.

This feels like such a cliché I was seriously disappointed to see it in an otherwise great book promoting solid female friendships. The romantic interests in general seemed to be in the book just... because? They really do very little beyond acting as a catalyst for conflict between the two main characters.

Aside from that, the characters were well-developed, and I did like to see them grow into themselves and deepen their bond. I really liked the fact that all characters got a fair shot, even the secondary ones. Vivi and Scarlett, with their alternating POVs, were beautifully fleshed out and so relatable, despite being very different from each other.

There were a few intertwining mysteries The Ravens had to solve and, even though I had a fairly good idea of where we might end up, I was glued to the page wanting to see what might happen next. I got some serious Pretty Little Liars vibes from this, which was weird given the college rather than high school setting, but it was very enjoyable all the same.

Overall, this was a gripping read than made me regret having life commitments that meant I couldn't read this all in one setting. Despite the one major flaw for me, it really works and is a great start to a new series. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for The Ravens!

Rating: 4/5