Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! Unfortunately, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I'm glad I found out this was part of a series prior to reading it, this gave me time to read the first and gain some much need background information. There was a lot of world building in the book when compared to book one. The characters truly grow in this book. The story grows and truly becomes itself in this novel. I enjoyed the witch aspect to it. Even though it is set in Victorian London, at times it did not feel that way.

I want to thank Netgalley and 47North for an ARC of this book.

This second book was very enjoyable but not quite as captivating as the first, for me. I liked the way Ian and Edwina's relationship continued. He is a source of strength and comfort for her that she does not hesitate to rely on. There was so much happening in the span of a week, building on the world more, furthering the story and revealing why/how the twins have the abilities that they do.
I feel like there is room for the story to continue and look forward to reading if it does.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

A very intriguing and slightly complicated story but good.

The Raven Song is the second book in a lush and engaging historical fantasy mystery series by Luanne G. Smith. Released 11th Oct 2022 by Amazon on their 47 North imprint, it's 269 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first book in the series, The Raven Spell, is also currently available on KU.

This is a non-linear story, full of side trips and impressive world building. Despite having a curse/ruthless killer subplot, there's not a huge amount of dramatic tension, and I found it a relaxing and enjoyable read. The author is adept at storytelling and there's also a significant romance subplot. The book is a fantasy mystery, and there's shifter/witch/supernatural/fae content.

There are two books available in the series now, this is the second (and it's currently available on KU), making it a good bet for a short weekend mini-binge read. Some of the word choices were a bit iffy, and the book would have benefited from being worked over by a ruthless editor, but it's eminently readable and enjoyable in its current form.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 46 minutes and is capably narrated by Susannah Jones. She has a well modulated light/neutral American accent and does a good (mostly unobtrusive) job with the read. Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Four stars. Readers who enjoy Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, Tasha Alexander, et. al., will likely enjoy this book. It's got more fantasy/magical elements than the aforementioned, but sits largely within the same subgenre.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

An interesting diversion into a world of victorian age magic, full of mystery and whodunnits. Building on from the first book, I think this one was much more clearer and more distinct world building

A victorian witchnovel with faemagic sounds like a great premise and parts of this book were really enjoyable to me.

As a reader not familiar with the first installment of this series it took me quite some time to get to know the characters but then it turned out to be an entertaining read. Somehow the pacing never quite hooked me but other than that I liked the setting.

The world building could have had more details, it felt a bit blank and the story was told rather quickly, the twistsbeing no great surprises.

This is book two of the Raven Series and I did not see this coming!!

So Book one focuses on her and her sister and their odd powers as witches. After the outcome of book one, I did not expect this one to bring out a different kind of magic. Fairy magic. This one was full of different types of fae people and just an absolute change up from what book one was.

While change is always typically good, I was very skeptical of this.. I don't think that the witches play into the whole fairy thing too much but I do like how the fables of them were intertwined in this book. Overall, the magic and the mystery of this book were much more extravagant than book one and you could picture every little detail.

I am hoping there is a book three that ties everything up together. The end of this one left you with a "okayyy... but what now" type of feeling and I could really use some resolution.

I really tried to get into this book, but it was not my cup of tea. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and the plot was very confusing. Still, I recommend this for fans of paranormal mysteries!

A worthy addition to the series. Everything I have read by her is top-notch. I highly recommend this author and this book.

Thank you Netgalley and 47th North for the chance to read The raven song by Luanne G. Smith. I loved the author's debut novel The vine witch and I quickly requested this new book The raven song, without realizing that it was book 2 of the Conspiracy of magic series, and felt I had to read The raven spell first. While I enjoyed it, I wasn't a fan of where the middle of the story went, but was so intrigued by the surprise ending that I quickly started book 2 and was totally hooked!!! The issues I had with The raven spell now made sense. I enjoyed Edwina and Ian, and the character Hob, was hilarious. I totally recommend this series, especially if you enjoy historical fiction about witches and The Fae.

This is the second book in the Conspiracy of Magic series. I enjoyed the first book very much, but I enjoyed this one more and hope there will be another book. Book 1, Raven Spell, laid a lot of the groundwork with world building and especially the types of magic and those who wield them. The Raven Song built on all of that, rounding out characters and adding more layers.

I really like the main characters, Edwina and Ian. They were both more fleshed out in this book and their personalities came through more strongly. I also liked the side characters, even one who was treacherous had a mischievous charm that made him impossible to dislike.

My only complaint is that I wanted a lot more of Elvanfoot. Fingers crossed for another book with Elvanfoot in a more prominent role.

I adored the first installment of this series, but this follow-up did not do it for me.

We follow Edwina again, as she journeys to discover why she is able to shape-shift with her new beau, Ian. There are a host of characters (honestly more than I wanted to keep track of), a misguided attempt at summoning evil, and lots of confusion.

The plot just didn’t hold up for me, and the pacing is much slower than the first book. I was disappointed as I was so looking forward to this one.

Edwina is a witch and her life has turned upside down. Her parents have disappeared, her sister was killed, and her home was destroyed. With all that is going on she needs to get out of London before something happens to her. She turns to Ian who is a supernatural detective for help. On their journey they meet a Wizard named Sir Henry and he agrees to provide protection to them, with some help of some casted spells. While in hiding, Edwina thinks that she is safe while in hiding, but it's just the beginning of the chaos that is coming her way. The veil between earth and the otherworld is thinning and she is being pursued by someone. A mind-bending plot and great world building skills makes for an exciting fantasy story.


Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and 47North for this review copy, I received is copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Before she can properly mourn for her twin sister, Edwina is hit with another tragedy. On the run from an unknown assailant, Edwina accepts an invitation from Elvanfoot, a famous wizard, who offers her a safe place to recuperate, possibly in exchange for a chance to study her unusual transformation abilities. But Elvanfoot isn't the only one interested in Edwina's abilities. Someone is still pursuing her, and their intentions aren't anywhere as well meaning.

This book did a nice job of answering the unsolved questions from the first book. Mostly about Edwina's and Mary's abilities and their disappearing parents. I was hoping for Edwina to become more independent, especially since the blurb indicated she would be, but she mostly went through this book in a passive manner. Almost everything she did was a result of others' actions or decisions. Even after losing her source of livelihood, she never once made any plans for her own future. She was a bit too passive for my liking.

As before, Ian is occupied with solving a mystery. This took him away from Edwina for a good part of the book. They still had some sweet moments, but it was tempered by their separate narratives and the social restrictions of Victorian times. There's romance, but it takes a background seat here.

Smith's prose is always really good. She can write about almost any topic, and I'd still be drawn in, bespelled by her words. As it was, the plot was pretty good too, but the prose definitely lifts it up to the next level.

Edwina grew up with her unusual transformation abilities, but the time has come for her to pay its costs. Caught up in some trickery attempted between the seelie and unseelie courts, Edwina, with the help of Ian, Hob, and some other friends, must uncover secrets and dance carefully with the fair folk.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Raven Spell by Luanne G. Smith in exchange for an honest review. I tried the first of these books on a lark and really enjoyed so when I saw the second was coming out I requested it. In this book we find out more about Edwina and Ian and their place in the world and the Otherworld. This was a great sequel and I really enjoyed it.

Absolutely loved this sequel!

The Raven Spell swept me away and took me by surprise and this one did the same. Really enjoyed this and had a great time following the story and these characters.

This is the second (and final?) book of the Conspiracy of Magic series. We were introduced to the two twin sisters in the first book and then in this book we are dealing with the aftermath of the events with Mary.

I have to admit that I had a hard time with how quickly and completely Mary went off the rails. It felt like Edwina should have had SOME clue....but, that is neither here nor there as we are now thrown into the events happening...up north.

Ian and Edwina escape to supposed safety without realizing that they may just be falling directly into someone's evil plan. It was interesting to be able to have the POV of the "bad guy" while the events were unfolding.

Things honestly ended up being pretty convoluted, but they seemed to work out in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Edwina Blackwood is a witch. She has closed her shop as her sister has died. As she gets ready to leave the shop an old woman knocks at the door with a bundle in her handles. Edwina decides she will answer her door. Inside the bundle I are beautiful long-stem red roses. Thinking they are from Ian Cameron, she goes to the kitchen to get water for them. When Ian arrives, he denies the roses are from him. Ian finds a card with green ink on the bottom of thepackage. The roses start burning and causing fire to go all throughout the room. She is able to gather her shawl and some inexpensive jewelry on the table. Edwina and Ian watch the store burn. Edwina doesn’t know what to do until she remembers the witch’s safe house. Meanwhile the mysterious person is checking what is going on across London — he wants Edwina for his own nefarious reasons. He thinks he can persuade her to be friends with him. Ian Cameron suggests that they go to Lord Henry Elvanhoot, the famous wizard of the north, who can protect her. Ian Cameron is a supernatural detective is determined to find out who is trying to harm Edwina. Edwina and her deceased sister have/had the ability to shapeshifter into ravens. Edwina still can. Somehow Edwina knows something is not right with the veil between Earth and the Otherworld. Will Edwina be able to discover what it is and stop it? Is that unknown person who caused the store to burn still after Edwina? Is it because of her ancient bloodline?

The author has written a marvelous story. It has enchanted me while I read it and now when I think off it. The mystery of the man going after Edwina, Ian falling in love with Edwina and Edwina learning about herself. There is magic in the Victorian era in this novel. The novel has adventure, mystery and a romance starting to bloom.

I had a bit of skepticism about reading this with my TBR list being as long as it is. However, I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The book has far too many details told in almost a list like manner. When the bad guy is dressing himself up for his demon summoning it sounds like he is reading a grocery list of what to wear to the occasion. I got bored.

I did not realize this was the second book in the series and having not read the first one, I felt at a disadvantage. Overall it was kind of meh for me.