An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel

Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Perfomance: 🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑
Story: 🌑🌑🌑🌑

Gorgeous cover! It's the kind of cover that heightens my expectations of the story. I am so glad it delivered!

Isobel is a genius at portraits. Faeries all over came to her to have their portraits done. One day the Autumn Prince came and sat for a portrait. She studied him closely and saw mortal feelings in his eyes. She painted what she saw and it made the fair folk feel.

Granted there was insta-attraction between Rook and Isobel, it wasn't as contrived or forced. I think the time Rook was with her while she was painting forged a tentative bond between them that grew stronger the longer they were together. What I also liked about their romance was that the author gave it time to grow during their travel throughout the fairy courts. Rook's declarations were something else though.

“Are you in love with me?” I blurted out.
A terrible silence followed. Rook didn’t turn around.
“Please say something.”
He rounded on me. “Is that so terrible? You say it as though it’s the most awful thing you can imagine. It isn’t as though I’ve done it on purpose. Somehow I’ve even grown fond of your—your irritating questions, and your short legs, and your accidental attempts to kill me.”
I recoiled. “That’s the worst declaration of love I’ve ever heard!”

Actually, I like that better than declarations that promised eternal love like the stars and the moon, blah, blah, blah. I think Rook's declaration is hell of a lot more sincere than the flowery, poetic ones.

Isobel is a great character. The story is told in her POV and I liked her 'voice'. She's practical, capable and also very self-aware. She knows her weaknesses and how to work around it. I like her pragmatic take on fairy-tale endings.

And we wouldn’t live happily ever after, because I don’t believe in such nonsense...

I wish I knew her True Name. Too bad it was never revealed.

Rook is the Autumn Prince. He is arrogant and proud but a bit insecure about his power, something he reluctantly admitted. He's pretty much in love with Isobel and was bad at hiding it. In the fairy courts, the Good Law forbids mortals and fair folk to fall in love and so he and Isobel were in danger if they get caught. Rook's your standard haughty but likable YA male love interest. Despite that, he had enough charm so I didn't feel jaded towards his character. 

The book runs through the four seasons as Rook and Isobel pass through all the fairy courts. I love the descriptions of the scenery and since autumn is my favorite season, I relish the fact that it's Rook's court. Interestingly though, summer, usually the favorite of most people, was seen as something stagnant and rotting. 

One thing of note, I have always wondered why immortal creatures such as these fair folk, vampires and some such paranormal creatures would want to be human or want human things. I feel like these creatures were given advantages they are not using properly like somebody who won the lottery but doesn't know what to do with all the money.  You people are not making full use of your powers! If I were a fairy or a vampire, I would relish being one. That's why I side with Hemlock who thinks fair folks should embrace their true nature. Well, that's my unpopular opinion for today. 

I think Margaret Rogerson's take on fairies was convincing and while consistent with the usual fairy tropes still came across as fresh and interesting to me.  The world-building was vivid and well-thought out. The story was riveting enough for me to listen to for hours. I stopped only because I had to sleep. It was resolved in a satisfying way but also left some openings in case Rogerson plans to make sequels. 

And so now, the fairy kingdom will be ruled like it has not been ruled before. What does this new rule bring? Now that the laws of the Alder King are broken, what does it mean for the fair folk and the mortals? What is Isobel's True Name? And who will paint Gadfly now?  Just some questions I hope will be answered in the future.
                                           

SOUNDTRACK

Autumn Shade II

The Vines

Winning Days

Look through me because I am transparent
Her to know me but why even know yourself
I'm beginning to need all that I can't have
I'm succeeding to speak like I'm fucking mad 

Looking at the autumn shade
You am I and I am great
Looking at the autumn shade, oh yeah 

Look through me because I am transparent
Her to know me but why even know yourself
I'm beginning to need all that I can't have
I'm succeeding to speak like I'm fucking mad 

Looking at the autumn shade
You am I and I am great
Looking at the autumn shade, oh yeah 

Oh....

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