By Margaret Rogerson - ★ ★ ★
This is a stand-alone debut novel revolving around a fairie prince named Rook who's just slightly arrogant, slightly devious, and just slightly filled to the brim with sorrow. I think it's safe to say you understand what slightly means. Then there is Isobel, the protagonist, and our humble narrative. She is a seventeen-year-old mortal prodigy at the human Craft of painting. Old fashion painting, too, and wow are all the details and quirks of a painter spot on. Together, they fall in love after a series of attempts at harming one another. Because that's what you do when a Fair One with no understanding of human emotions kidnaps you to force you to stand trial and possibly be executed for a petty crime such as being too good at your job.
I myself, haven't read much Fair Folk books, so I'm unsure what the atmosphere you're supposed to get from Fair Folk novels. If it's this rustic raggedy whimsical aesthetic, then this book definitely hit the marked spot on.
"You're a prince, remember? wake up and infuriate me, please."
Start / End: 11.30.19 / 12.03.19
Page Count: 297
Reading Format: Physical & Audio.
Owned Copy(s): Hardback.
Song: Broken King (Orchestrated)
How I Met This Book?
This book was apart of November's selection of the Penniless Readers book club in Miami, FL, that I attend too. I had ordered the hardcover book and attended to read it as soon as possible but just... didn't.
So I lung across the fire and tore the stick from his hands.
The Bookish Checklist.
Concept
I say Margaret Rogerson's take on the Fair Ones was beautiful and somewhat original.
There is a small land called Whimsy, surrounded by four different Courts of the season. The Fair Ones are obsessed with human Craft, such as cooking, sewing, painting. The idea that the Fair Ones can't participate in a craft, otherwise they die is the source of most conflict, if not all. I loved the idea of the Fair Ones feeling an obligated curse of returning polite gestures-it made for several hilarity moments.
There were a few ideas here and there that seemed like it had great story potential, but they were never seen ever again. Particularly the book's title, I was really bummed not to have seen that more. I think there is so much potential to be tapped into, and if there's a world to be seen beyond the pages. Then that's when I believe the concept succeeded. (In terms of Fantasy, of course.)
★
Storytelling
Let's start with the narrative. There are many readers who just absolutely adores it when writers go seven pages about the grass.
I am not one of those readers.
However, I did enjoy it and took my time imagining everything that was explained to me. The only reason why, however, was because of the protagonist who also served as our narrative. She is a painter, a master at her illustrating craft. It's simply how she sees the world and I truly admire that.
The style of writing also deserves applause, because it really captured the rustic raggedy town of Whimsy. And stood on equal grounds with the elegant Fair Ones. Dare I say, the writing style was quite whimsical.
The pacing of the events transitioned smoothly enough for me to not have to pause and ponder if I had missed a chapter. The string events that carried each other sometimes did become a little odd, not in a bad way, but just where I had to stop and ask myself "Is this honestly ever so necessary?".
Yes. Those chapters were. These chapters were curtains, inside a lightless tower with a locked door on a dark moonless night. Every chapter pulled back a curtain, one by one, without a sound. The final chapter was the moment the sunlight rose behind the tall hill, illuminating the dark tower all at once.
These kinds of journeys only work with certain audiences, mix this way of the plot with the style of the concept. There was a very narrow window to pull it off, and for a debut novel, I think it did it well enough.
★
Characters
Probably where the book falls short. (In my humble opinion, at the very least.) Our protagonist, Isobel, is a painter, and the book is written in her perspective. Even when she's incapacitated. The author finds creative ways to have Isobel's eyes be the only eyes we read through. That being said, the book casually reminding me that she is seventeen-year-old kept throwing me off.
Isobel was extremely mature and understood how her world worked. She was a kind older sister but in such a motherly way. Her guardian, at times, seemed younger than her. She had a regal aura around her and a confidence that was more elegant than a Fair One's stride.
The moments in the book where she loses all that and does something that a seventeen-year-old would do, felt awkward, forced and out of character. I don't like using that phrase, because Isobel isn't my character, I don't truly know who she is, but what I've observed. And what I've observed about Isobel is that she's clearly in her mid to late twenties with the age maturity of a thirty-year-old. It felt like Isobel was made to be this young simply because YA Fantasy had to have protagonists with "teen" still in their age.
Then there's Foxglove and Gadfly. Two characters who did a 180 when they could've been more complex the way they were. It seems their character changed when the plot needed them too, and given the type of book this is--I suppose that's not such a crime as it usually would be. Regardless, I'd preferred if the Fair Ones played a role other than plot devices and obstacles for our love-struck heroes.
Romance
And so, here comes the reason why I just couldn't get absorbed into this world as the others have. The romance was just not believable. In the beginning, it seemed there was so much potential for the relationship between Isobel and Rook to bloom into something elegant. Her infatuation with him in from the beginning was a great start. What led this romance downward was how he was the first one to fall for her.
The plot shifted and became about that.
Which wouldn't have been as stale as it was if we got real intimate moments between the two. What was given instead were cute miscommunications, and them opening a window into each other's way of life. Wich was a very mature way of falling for one another. Their relationship was refined, like wine. It was full of grace. It was so vanilla, the pudding was ashamed to show their faces.
This was a short book where the plot centered around the romance between the two protagonists, their "instalove" was a hard pill to swallow, but their "I'm a seventeen-year-old naive girl/I'm a forty-year-old blushing prince" moments were so forced, and fitted against the book's elegance in a very jagged motion.
It just wasn't who they were, that's how I felt at least.
Would I Recommend?
Yes, I definitely would. Of course, after asking a series of questions because this book was targetted to a very specific audience. I simply wasn't it, but I did notice the type of atmosphere the book had laced between the pages and understood why I couldn't fall for it, and why others did. An Enchantment of Ravens has a refined bookish aesthetic, those with an acquired taste, or naturally comfortable with these types of books will love it, truly.
It's the kind of book you open up after spending a few moments snuggling up in your oversized chair, with your warm fuzzy blanket and after making sure your carefully crafted cappuccino, or steaming cup of tea, is within reach. Only after taking another glance at your familiar, do you begin chapter one to read for the sake of it.
Otherwise, read Sorcery of Thorns instead.
★
This is a terrible decision, I thought. I've gone completely mad and I need to stop this instant.
This concludes my rambling disguised as a review on An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson.
Thank you for supporting me and listening to me go on and on!
-Amethyst Majestorye
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