The Raven Song by Luanne G. Smith

A great conclusion to The Raven Spell, with the coveted happily ever after.

The Raven Song followed the same rhythm as the previous book. The pacing was well done and kept me on my toes. I loved all the magic and the introductions to new characters.

The suspense was so good. I never knew what was going to happen next. The writing is very expressive and gave the book an almost classical feel without being drawn-out. I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more from Smith.

Content Warning: mild language, dark magic

As another reader said in his review, the action in The Raven Song is slower than in the first book, which I consider necessary to spark the reader's curiosity and very much in keeping with the story.
However, the plot is just as interesting as that of The Raven Spell; in fact, the second book picks up right where the first ends.
As usual, the characters are perfectly developed, the setting is very well done and the ending is satisfactory, without leaving unfinished business, although I would gladly read more books in this series, if the author decides to expand it.
Five well deserved stars. ☆☆☆☆☆
I thank the author, publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this duology, and state that the opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think of this book.

Overall I liked this book. It did take me a really long time to get into the characters and the story line which is why I gave it a 3 star rating.

I thought that the magic in this book was very interesting. And I loved the different POVs that you got while reading.

Would recommend people read this.

After enjoying the Raven spell by Luanne I was looking forward to reading Raven song sadly I struggled with this second installment.

I found the beginning to have a very slow pace compared to book one and the tone and personality of the characters changed to the point where sometimes they came across as whining and not very realistic in terms of thier interactions with each other, I struggled to connect to the characters and the story in general.

Despite the slow pace Luanne does answer some key questions that were developed in book one and leaves plenty to explore in a another book.

I'd personally read this straight after Raven song to help not lose pace with the characters and thier world but be aware the speed of the story telling is more of a slow burn then the first and you may not agree with all of Edwina choices she makes on her journey of self descovery while trying to escape a mysterious, mad killer.

The Raven Song is a fantastic story about a witch and her companions escaping London when a stalker starts after her. The characters of Edwina, Ian, Hob, Elvanfoot, and Finlay were all wonderful. I had no idea this was the 2nd in a series. That would explain why at the beginning I felt I was missing something. However, it works fine if you have not read the first book, you can infer much of the past from reading this one. The world-building was great and I really enjoyed all of it, especially the time spent with Sir Elvanfoot. I found the dialogue quite funny at times, especially when it involved Ian. All in all, this was a fabulous book and I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

PG rating for mild terror. 4 star rating.

A witch with the peculiar gift of transforming into a crow, and a detective who specializes in the supernatural pick up in this story exactly where The Raven Spell left off. They end up traveling north to the place where Ian and his friend Mr. Elvanfoit are from, and Ian finds himself striving to finish a case he didn't remember he was working for the fae. Edwina starts investigating why she has such a peculiar gift, and questioning why her parents left without a trace.

I adored this sequel. In both books I was completely immerged and transported.

Thank you to 47North and Netgalley for sending me an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, 47 north and Luanne G. Smith for the arc of this title. The opinions following are solely my own.

The Raven Song was exquisitely and intriguingly written. It picked up the cliff hanger from The Raven Spell and took off from there, a lovely way to drive back into such an immersive world of magic and mystery. We welcome back Edwina, Ian and of course Hob. New characters are introduced and woven intricately in. Eventually things start to peace together. The beautiful gothic fantasy world is built up more and we are taken to surprising new areas. Although it picked up rather fast the pace did slow back down to what i had come to find in the first book. It was still laced with mystery, mayhem, a tad bit of romance and of course magic. The ending was not what I was expecting at all. I hope that another book is in the wings (no pun intended). I can not wait to fly back into this beautiful, cunning world and see where it goes. This book was a perfect witchy fall read for sure!

Releases October 11th, 2022

I really enjoyed the first book so I was excited to return to this series but unfortunately in a lot of ways this is a disappointing followup. It starts off well and for readers like me that need a reminder of where we left off the author quickly reminds us so I think this is a book that’s easy to return to. It’s starts off right after the funeral with the cliffhanger from the last book. Edwina and Ian are quickly brought together again and it seemed like the story was about to take off but unfortunately we almost never see the two of them together again and the characters really started to come apart. They suddenly seem to be mooning over each other while apart which really struck me as very different from the last book and started to seem juvenile. Even worse Edwina started to make completely unbelievable choices. I think even the same choices could have been made more believable if they had been written better, like because she can transform she was overconfident or something. The author chose to have her flee to the very powerful wizard and yet he’s barely a footnote in the story which is annoying and frankly back to dumb the way Edwina acts.

On the plus side we do get a lot more world building and answers to the questions from the first book, although again when they had the chance they missed asking a crucial question. At one point she reads a letter which basically self-destructs only to have her read it again which also really annoyed me. This book could clearly have used more thought and editing. I’m glad I read it because I did love the first one and I still enjoy the world so I hope if there is another book it has more thought out in. I think this book had less violence and explicit scenes than the first book. I preferred the tone of this book in that sense. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

okay, so i really wanted to enjoy this book. but it did not work for me. it was way too much and just not what i was looking for. i might come back to it in the future to try again. thanks so much, netgalley!!!

Picking up where the first book left off, Edwina and Ian are immediately met with misfortune and are forced to flee the city using a prepaid method of safe passage bought by her missing father sometime in the past. Ian shares with Edwina that there have been rumors of a pair of girls that possess an ancient magic that allows them to turn into ravens. This magic comes from the very beginning, when the fairy courts left for the Otherworld and gave a gift of magic to what became the first witches.

Edwina and Ian find themselves in the north together and grow closer all while investigating the recent strange and dangerous happenings. As time goes on, the mystery grows and Edwina is invited to attend a grand ball to celebrate the fairy queen, she finds herself in the spotlight and whisked away by her dangerous stalker. The end holds terror, reunions, grief, and surprises for Edwina in this magical sequel which I found just as enjoyable as the first in the series!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I will admit I had to put it down and think about it for about a week. I then picked up where I left off and enjoyed it to the end. The world building and magic was great. I look forward to the sequel that I hear is being planned.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Luanne Smith does it again with an absolutely enchanting fantasy novel following Edwina, Ian, Hob, Henry Elvanfoot, and a whole host of new and amazing characters.

I love reading Luanne Smith’s books because they’re easy to read while still having great world building, plot, and character development. She accomplishes so much within so few pages and the way she weaves a believable historical setting into a world laced with magic is masterful.

I would absolutely read more about this cast and will be definitely be reading the Vine Witch trilogy. I highly recommend The Raven Spell and The Raven Song for fans of historical fantasy!

The Raven Song picks up where the The Raven Spell ended. Edwina Blackwood has just buried her sister Mary after Mary threw herself in to the river rather than face murder charges which could result in her own death by hanging. Alone in her storefront, Edwina receives a mysterious note from a supposed secret admirer who seems to be aware of details of her private life. When the shop she shared with her sister, Mary, suddenly catches fire due to unexplained circumstances, Edwina and Ian Cameron, the supernatural private detective, we met in "The Raven Spell" embark on an adventure that will lead them away from London and placing them both in life threatening danger. Edwina will discover what happened to her mother and father and uncover a connection which will explain her abilities to prophetize yet unseen events. All the unanswered questions of "The Raven Spell" will be explained and the ending is just the beginning of Edwina's future. Thank you netgalley and amazon for the opportunity to review this prepub arc..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy of this book. The Raven Song is the sequel to The Raven Spell, a story about two witch sisters and a detective who find themselves involved with discovering who is murdering people in their city and memories being taken from the dying. The Raven Spell wrapped up that story well, but The Raven Song continues the story of who the witch sisters really are and why they have the unique powers that have. The story takes them north and we see more of the magical world to which they belong.
I enjoyed this second book for the further insight it gave me to this magical world of goblins, faeries and the unseelie. I would have enjoyed more romance from the main characters but being set in Victorian times, I guess the level of romance fit the time period. I enjoyed the mystery of the 'secret admirer' and the ending was wrapped up nicely too.
All in all, an enjoyable read.

This book reminded me of the Spellbreaker/Spellmaker duology. A bit magic, a bit of the fey and very human.. I actually was quite surprised at the ending of what was actually happening but some of the resolution felt too quick (a smidge less on the investigation and a tad more on the human relationships would be welcome). All in all, a sweet book with likeable characters (except the ones you're supposed to hate). 2.5 stars

This book is lovely combination of witches, fairytales, and Victorian England. I loved the dark, moody vibes of the story, but I also loved that the story itself didn't feel depressing. Instead, the story flowed with lyrical language that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The magic was unique, which is also a big "win" for me. I loved the shapeshifting ability, too. There were many delightful set pieces, from the quaint shop in town to the mansion in the country and the surrounding gardens. There was also a touch of glamour with the fae elements.

Great slow-burn romance, which is also my favorite.

The ending was well done, as the mystery unfolded and came together in the end. Threads were nicely tied together. Readers get a touch of bittersweet, but also a warming HEA.

I loved the first book in this series and I still loved many aspects of this second book, but the pacing was a problem for me. So slow. I almost gave up twice. But, I just loved the characters and the magic building the author has created so I kept going and I am glad I did. Now I am up to date and ready for the next in the series, which I can't wait for!

Another great installment in what I hope becomes the Raven series (or whatever Ms. Smith wants to call it). Edwina, Ian, and Hob have become like old friends and I'm not ready to see them go yet. I hope we have many more adventures with them. This is my first review where I'm at a loss for words. I have no complaints about this book. If you liked the first one, if you liked the Vine Witch series, I would 10/10 recommend this book. If you haven't read the The Raven Spell but liked the Vine Witch series, go read The Raven Spell and then come back and read this one. It's not the same characters but exists in the same world with a lot of the same characteristics. Ms. Smith has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I'll be not so patiently awaiting her next book.

I'm downright upset about not knowing this was a sequel. I couldn't figure out why the story wasn't coming together for me despite the warm and comforting writing I love from Luanne Smith.

A good continuation of the story, I actually felt it could be combined into one book rather than being two short books. I enjoyed the slow burn of Edwina and Ian's relationship in its Victorian beauty, a scandalous hand touch is so sweet!

It seemed surprising that Edwina and Mary did not know about this area that was so integrated with magic when they were looking for somewhere to hide, but I guess if you are out of the area you wouldn't know and they didn't talk to anyone.

There were a lot of very heavy hints towards her lineage throughout the book and I felt that we could have been told earlier and watch her come to terms with what that meant for her.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.