Thank you Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the e-arc!

I’ve been a huge fan of Stacey Marie Brown since her Savage Lands series and she is the type of author that does not hold back when it comes to dark romances and doing things non traditionally. I had high hopes for the White Raven and Stacey delivered.

I just finished reading it and that ending is going to haunt me. Oh boy, did I not see that coming but in a way it makes sense. The hints were so small that unless you paid really close attention it would seem out of nowhere but to me it just clicked. The fact that I have to wait even longer now for the next book it’s going to haunt me. I haven’t felt this gutted about an ending since reading The Sea Spinner.

Let’s get into the characters: the fmc was defiant but not to the point where she was overbearing. Most of her actions I understood them and I liked the fact that she never stopped trying to escape. She also isn’t perfect and because of her naivety she will piss you off at times. The mmc, oh boy, he’s a morally black character and I ate. It. Up. Their tension, delicious. The yearning, passionate. The slow burn, is indeed a true slow burn.

The side characters are memorable and I could easily picture each character. No one got lost and everyone was so well written. This book to me was 6 stars. Please note though the mmc is not a sweetheart, he cares for me the fmc, but he makes choices that are dark.

Wow!! what did I just read!? I know, one of the best books I read this year in the fantasy romance genre! That was a 6 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me! This story delivers in every way imaginable. We encounter triggering elements alongside violence, secrets, betrayal, murder, shocking moments and a slow burn with tension that makes toes curl. I found myself kicking my feet and glancing around, wondering if anyone noticed! The tension grows so intense that you’ll yell at your book, then swoon moments later. Each chapter pulls you deeper. I’m fully invested and need book two immediately! That ending had me screaming! A MUST READ!!!!!!! The side characters are adorable and i need merch!!!

I haven’t seen this darker side of the author before reading this addictive masterpiece, but I am absolutely obsessed with the way this book is written. The worldbuilding in this book is ideal for me, having it told solely in Wren’s POV, with a lot of the details revealed along the way to the reader when they are revealed to the characters. There are only a handful of characters to acquaint yourself with, making it really easy to follow along with the storyline. I usually prefer multiple POVs, but for this plot of this story to have the effect that it does, I just can’t picture it told any other way. My absolute favorite part of this story is that we can possibly refer to Wren as an “ unreliable narrator.” Seriously, that last paragraph of the book will truly test everything you thought you knew as the reader. This is probably one of the greatest cliffhangers that I ever read, while simultaneously making me need to reread the entire book again to figure out what I missed. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!