The Raven & the Lake pulled me into a beautifully written, immersive world full of gods, fated mates, and Arthurian magic, and honestly I couldn't get enough of the found family vibes and the tension between Jes and Owyn. The writing itself is gorgeous and really puts you right there with the characters, especially on their adventures together. That said, I did find myself getting a bit lost at times, the plot moves around a lot between characters and I occasionally struggled to picture exactly where things were happening. Some of the phrasing and descriptions felt repetitive too. Still, I loved the fated mates dynamic and how much heart went into their bond, even with the heartbreak of them being pulled apart. I'm genuinely excited for book two and can't wait to see where this series goes.

This was a 5 star Romantasy for me. I fell in love with this book.

The fae, ancient magic, mythology and Camelot influences had me hooked and awake until 3am!

The love between Jesryn and Owyn was the best. The Angst had my heart ripped apart and put back together so many times, which has left me feeling a little emotionally wrought in the best way. Their relationship had me wanting to scream at them one minute and swooning the next. You could feel the history between them.

I also loved how atmospheric the whole book feels. There is something dark and almost dreamlike about the world that made it incredibly easy to get completely lost in it. The mythology and worldbuilding left me wanting to know so much more.

The story feels like the beginning of something much bigger and I can't wait for the second book!!!

I would reccomend this to readers who love dark fae, fated mates, second-chance romance, mythology, slow burn and a healthy amount of emotional suffering.

I can't wait to get a physical copy of this book and hopefully book stores in Australia start to stock it soon!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
A beautifully written, immersive slow burn into a world of gods, fated mates, and Arthurian magic. The prose is gorgeous, pulling you right alongside Jes and Owyn as urban fantasy entwines with the epic magic of Faery and old legend. Their fated mates bond carries real heart, and the found family around them adds warmth even as heartbreak pulls the pair apart. A strong heroine facing a destiny she doesn't want, a fiercely devoted love interest, and a loyal group of friends give the story a compelling emotional core. This isn't a book built for speed. It rewards patience, asking readers to sit with its riddles, prophecies, and dense world building rather than rush through. The plot shifts between characters and settings in ways that can blur where things are happening, but the atmosphere, dark, eerie, and poetic, more than makes up for it. Things ramp up by the back half, leaving you desperate for the sequel.

Thank you to Ravenheart Books via NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This was beautiful. The prose was very dreamlike, very atmospheric. This is something that you have to read slowly, to really enjoy as the plot meanders a bit between characters and settings. I loved the snippets of Morgan le Fay and Arthur in between chapters; they really mirrored what was happening between Owen and Jes. If you enjoy reading King Arthur, and Celtic folklore, you’ll really enjoy this. Definitely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

First off, I really loved the prose. It's very lyrical, and if that isn't your style, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to you!

I did enjoy it! I loved the mythology and world-building, but the pacing and some of the plot points were just really confusing, and I struggled to figure out sometimes what I was reading or, frankly, what happened.

Still, it was enjoyable, and I do think the romance between Jes and Own was good, and I enjoyed it. But you do need to be patient with this book. If you're looking for a quick read, don't pick it!

New adult fantasy style book 🖤💮

Good writing style

Good characters

Good dialogue

Good memorable book

The Raven & The Lake, Hoarfrost, Book One, is an atmospheric romantasy novel with great world building.

Jesryn and Owyn are the core of this story, but there is so much more to this world than just romance. There's magic, fae, mythology. So many things to keep your interest that adds layers upon layers to the story. There's a lot of angst, longing, and so many emotions and feelings that the author gets just right.

However, there is quite the learning curve and much patience is needed to finish the book. I found myself having to go back and re-reading when trying to piece the story together, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed book one of this series and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next from this series!

I am so happy that I was allowed an ARC of this wonderful book which marks the debut novel of Rowan Ravenheart. The novel was incredible, I cannot believe this is a debut because the language, the worldbuilding and the beauty with which she crafts her world is far beyond many published novelists. The story is based on Arthurian legend with a health dose of magic sewn in. Fated mates who have been separated must come together to face challenges and old gods who oppose them. The language throughout is so rich and well crafted. I CARED about these characters, they were not the run of the mill FMC and MMC we see over and over in Booktok. One of my top reads this year. I cannot wait for more from this author

Calling all fantasy and romantasy lovers 🖤💙🖤💙
If you love incredible atmosphere, beautiful character relationships, books with elements of fantasy worlds and essence of real life British villages, this book is for you.
Our FMC Jesryn is strong and resilient but struggling over commands from the old gods asking her to return to the magic realm when trouble arises.
But this means leaving to mortal realm, the home she’s built and the magic she chose to leave behind, to return to the world of her former mate from whom she fled and a broken realm.
Our MMC Owyn is troubled, haunted by his past and fighting for what he lost when Jesryn fled without explanation with burning passion, and he’s not giving up!
A beautifully atmospheric read, fantastic world building brimming with folklore and old gods, surprising contemporary elements and a beautifully written but tragic love story bringing to bring fate bonded mates back together to save the magic realm.