The Raven Spell: A Novel: 1 (A Conspiracy of Magic) Paperback – 1 Feb. 2022

Nice read, good characters and a face paced story. Murder mystery with magic really enjoyed. Look forward to book two

Rating: 3.8/5Having felt somewhat uninspired when I first saw this month's Amazon First Reads selection, I ultimately decided to take a chance on this historical fantasy by Luanne G. Smith. I have to confess that my expectations were not that great, but I am now very glad that I made this particular selection. "The Raven Spell" is the first in a new series of books by the author and it presents an appealing mixture of murder mystery and magic in Victorian England.I tend to read far more novels from the mystery / thriller genre than books that venture into the realms of fantasy, but I found this to be much more readable and engaging than the standard fantasy fare. I won't spoil your enjoyment by divulging key elements of the plot - there is enough in the official synopsis to get you started. Suffice to say that there is plenty here to appeal to many readers who may not be regular devotees of this genre with a very solid (and intriguing) mystery structure underpinning the plotline.The story is well-paced. Not only is there no slow-burn in the opening stages, but neither are there any particular lulls in the proceedings as developments unfold. The characterisation is solid and there are plenty of engaging protagonists that are easy to visualise emerging from the pages of the book. The chosen backdrop of Victorian London, just prior to the end of the 19th century, is nicely portrayed and evokes a genuine sense of atmosphere. If I were to be very picky, I would suggest that it is a pity that one or two blatant Americanisms were allowed to slip through the editing process. On the occasions where they crop up, they seem strangely out of place in a narrative that is otherwise reassuringly appropriate for its setting.Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly entertaining read and one that I have no hesitation in recommending - even if, like me, you are not automatically drawn to this genre. I will certainly be coming back for the next book in the series.

While I will echo some other reviews that this book really needed to have been looked over by some Brits before being published, the fact that I noticed the little slip-ups in language and terminology didn't detract from the fact that I found this book a captivating read that I found very hard to put down. Having interesting, relatable characters and an intriguing plot are what makes a book enjoyable to me, and Raven Spell didn't disappoint on either count, so I was happily going along for the ride as the story explored the murder mystery in Victorian London, the conflicts arising from Mary's relationship with her sister Edwina and the resulting difficulties of loving someone while struggling to deal with them, and the impacts of Ian's memory loss in terms of the nature of self when the memories that created the person are gone. Thus, what seemed on the surface like a fairly "standard" murder mystery against a magical backdrop, was actually a story that is surprisingly insightful when you stop and think about it for a while.Despite the lack of "Brit-picking", as it's known, I can say I really loved this book and am looking forward to the release of the second in the series.

Easy read set in victorian London. The only issue I had as I listened to the audio book was that the narrator was American doing both English and Scottish accents This would be fine but the use of ladybug instead of lady bird reminded me once again the author must've been American and used the odd Americanism in her writing. A small gripe but with the use of ken' (Scottish slang for know) you'd think that they'd have been more accurate. Other than that it was a quick and enjoyable easy read.

Two witch sisters, trying to fit into society. Add a few grisly murders, mortals and magical folk, a missing person.... its a who done it, murder mystery ... with a twist. Easy read...

Captivating story line. Looking forward to the next one.Sad and happy with the ending. Very well written others should read

Read in a day, as the story was gripping and I wanted to find out what happened next....The story revolves around twin witch sisters who run a small shop in London, selling items they've found whilst searching the muddy banks of the Thames at low tide (they don't think of themselves as 'Mudlarks', like the humans trawling the stinking mud - they search at night, when they find it easier to see the coins, watches, hairpins, buckles, etc, shining in the starlight).They discover what they initially think to be a dead body on the foreshore, but find that he's still (barely) clinging to life.The story takes us through the mystery of who this man is and why he came to London and what brought the sisters to the capital. Meanwhile, there's a murderer on the loose....It was well worth reading, right up to the last page (no spoilers).I really recommend it, even if fantasy novels aren't your thing.

This was an engaging book, and I enjoyed the unfolding plot. Like another reviewer, the issue I had was with Americanisms. I understood very quickly the author was American, from the use of "Theater" and not "Theatre." Also the use of Scots vernacular, intended I feel to define Ian Cameron's heritage. It didnt work. Most of the time he spoke like an Englishman. It felt as if the author then recalled the character was meant to be a Scot, so added a few "Dinna Fash yersel's" for "authenticity" - didnt work for me. It was irritating, tbh. For a far better example of utilising Scots vernacular, Diana Gabaldon has it nailed. At least the author didnt insert any "Och, Aye - the noo's." That said, I enjoyed the tale, and hope the second book will eliminate the minor irritants and not develop any new ones.

La pasta es de muy buena calidad, me agrado mucho al tacto, se siente bien, y todas las páginas del libro están bien impresas, recomendado

Having enjoyed The Vine Witch trilogy, also by author Luanne G. Smith, I picked up The Raven Spell without really knowing what to expect. What I found was a delightful gothic mystery permeated with magic. The Vine Witch & it's two sequels were quite good, but I have to say that the evolution of Ms. Smith's writing was apparent to me. This book felt more polished than the others I have read by her. The premise of the story is a bit on the dark side. Edwina Blackthorn is our main character. She & her twin sister, Mary, are witches who simply want to be allowed to live & let live. However, they have been forced to move many times in their past, primarily due to the macabre nature of Mary's gift: that she can see "corpse lights" of the dying or newly dead, & is capable of coaxing the memories out of these recently deceased. Because of this grim gift, it has been difficult for the sisters to find welcome even among communities of their own kind. The story kicks off with Mary & Edwina stumbling onto a man who has been attacked on the riverfront & left for dead. Despite Edwina's misgivings that the man might be saved, she allows Mary to convince her he is beyond help & watches as her sister takes the man's memories (which she saves in the form of sparkling marble-like "baubles"). But Edwina's worst fear comes to life when the man appears on the doorstep of the curiosity shop the sisters run. He is unable to remember a thing about his life— except for the image of the two sisters standing over him while they took something irreplaceable that he cannot name, but knows he is incomplete without. I will not spoil the ensuing events as Edwina helps the man restore his memories, except to say that Ian, the man in question, turns out to be a private eye who was investigating a series of robbery/murders in the area. The mystery was quite gripping, & I really enjoyed following the characters from point A to point B as they suss out clue after clue. The author did an excellent job instilling suspense into the story. The mystery developed quite organically & was all very believable (aside, of course, from the obvious supernatural aspects with have already called for suspension of disbelief) & well written. The whole story flowed beautifully & at no point did I find it slow or boring. Pretty much everything that happens is relevant to the plot in some way. The Raven Spell is book 1 of a series but the primary plot of this book is fully wrapped up, before an epilogue adds a final unexplained occurrence to entice readers to the next book. Without the epilogue the book could be read as a satisfying standalone, although I personally am glad that there is more to come, since Edwina is an interesting character, & we hardly got a taste of the romance developing between she & Ian. Bottomline, I greatly enjoyed this book & I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy or paranormal stories, particularly those about witches. The Raven Spell is also a work of historical fiction, & the author did a good job of conveying that time period, so it might appeal to readers of historical fiction who don't mind a little paranormal weirdness mixed in. If you do like this book, I would definitely recommend Ms. Smith's Vine Witch trilogy as well.

An interesting leap back in time to the streets of old London. One could imagine the stench and darkness and the poverty. A dose of magic is always good. A well done who done it that I very much enjoyed.

This book felt a little bit like a hardboiled detective story set in fantasy-based Victorian England. Like the hardboiled genre, it was dark and cynical, showing the worst of the world in the era.The first quarter of the story was pretty interesting and showed a lot of promise, but then it got weaker. The actual mystery and clue hunting wasn't as intriguing as I hoped it would be. In the final quarter, the story picked up again as everything started to come together.Not my favorite, but still a good read.

Thank you Luanne for this tale, as gripping as your Vine Witch Series. Katrina and Mary, sisters and witches whose magic action is defined quite passively. They sell trinkets in a shop, which are found on the muddy shores of the Thames River. They find Ian in the mud, unconscious and injured as a result of a violent theft. They join forces to investigate a series of murderous thefts. Not only are their trinkets gone but their memories are taken just prior to death. You will not put this down. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻