Ravenfall
by Kalyn JosephsonPublished by: Delacorte Press on September 6, 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 256
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
One magical inn, two kids with supernatural powers, and an ancient Celtic creature trying to destroy their world by Halloween night...
Halloweentown meets Supernatural in this spooky middle-grade series from the acclaimed author of the Storm Crow duology!
Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family's standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it's hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.
So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .
As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin's family's secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can't stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open--which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Whimsical worlds filled with magic.
- Semi-omniscient houses like in Nevermoor and Encanto.
- A super charming supernatural cat sidekick.
- Family and sibling bonds and found family.
- Slightly creepy, Halloweeny vibes.
- Irish mythology and Jewish rep.
Many thanks to Delacourte Press and TBR and Beyond Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes taken from an unfinished version and may differ from the final product.
The minute I saw this book comped to Supernatural, I knew I had to read it! Such an interesting premise for a middle grade book. Plus, have you seen that cover? It gives me all sorts of creepy vibes, perfect for fall reading! Throw in the promise of Celtic mythology, and there was no way I wasn’t going to pick this book up at some point. I’m only human, after all. Or am I?!
Ravenfall combines the whimsically dark world (and house!) of books like Nevermoor with a slightly darker, more sinister paranormal world like Supernatural to spin a thrilling story of magic, sibling bonds, and found family.
This book was so much fun. It’s got a magically whimsical world complete with a semi-omniscient house that feels a lot like Nevermoor or even Encanto. So if you haven’t been charmed by a house before, prepare yourself. The experience is thrilling. Anna and Colin are fantastic characters, and the supporting cast are all charming and make for one heck of a ride. I never wanted to leave this world!
Anna is one of two protagonists, and she’s so relatable in her struggle to feel needed and useful but not quite knowing yet how to do that.
Anna’s so relatable because her struggle is one that’s quintessentially at the core of human being in general: wanting to belong. If you’ve seen Encanto, you’ll recognize Anna’s struggle right off the bat. In a house full of people with these amazing powers, Anna’s ability to see Death feels like more of a curse . . . and a rather unhelpful one at that. Though, now that I think about it, curses, in general, are unhelpful in nature, so that maybe was a little redundant. Oops?
I really connected with Anna, because she tries so hard to do the right thing, but she doesn’t always quite make it. I mean, she’s a kid, and kids often make mistakes (but so do adults, which also comes up in this book!). In the end, Anna just wants to feel useful and a bit less lonely, which I think is something most people can relate to, especially middle grade readers.
Nora’s in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. Max takes one look at her and bolts back out the front door. I wish I could follow—she has the exact same you’re in so much trouble look on her face my mom would get.
Anna shrinks as if she might disappear into her sweater. “Yes?”
“Gran called. You went after a wraith?”
“Um, it was an accident?”
Our other protagonist is Colin, who isn’t entirely unlike Anna in his desires, but with an added benefit: like the reader, he’s new to this whole magic thing. And he doesn’t always handle it well.
I think this worked really well, since the reader gets to see the world through Anna’s eyes, as someone who’s used to magic, but also gets to discover the world little by little with Colin, who’s often surprised and impressed by what he discovers. It’s a great balance that also mirrors the reader’s reaction to some of the supernatural elements as they crop up.
Colin has seemingly lost everything, having witnessed the death of his parents at the hands of some supernatural creature. Now he’s determined to avenge their deaths, whatever it takes. But deep down, Colin really wants what most of us want: a place to belong. Made all the more important, of course, due to his loss of everyone he ever considered to be home.
Colin is doing his best to be brave in the face of so much change and loss, and his character is really admirable in that regard. Little by little, though, he has to learn how to let other people in again, because this isn’t a problem he can solve on his own. Especially as he realizes the world is bigger (and more dangerous) than he ever imagined.
It’s good and it’s bad and it’s too much to keep contained inside you.
If you’re a fan of cute animal sidekicks, you won’t be disappointed. Meet Max, the black cat, who’s actually really a Jabberwocky, filled with sarcasm and attitude.
He is the best sort of sidekick. Namely, one that has an attitude and isn’t afraid to show it. Max serves as comic relief in many ways, but he also plays an important role. A Jabberwocky, after all, is a sort of guardian, so don’t let the cute, fluffy exterior fool you. Despite having no speaking parts (obviously . . . he’s a cat!), Max is still one of my favorite characters.
Then the cat leaps at me.
“Ha!” Anna catches it in midair, twirling in a circle. “I knew you were going to do that!” she exclaims triumphantly at the cat, holding him out at arm’s length. “You’re getting predictable.”
The cat droops in her hands, looking defeated. Because apparently cats can look defeated.
This book is filled with all sorts of tropes I love, including sibling/family bonds and found family.
It’s not even just between Anna and her siblings, though that’s definitely an element. As inadequate as Anna already feels, it’s made worse by the fact that her older sisters are twins, with pretty cool powers, who live a little bit in their own worlds. Despite the fact that of course her sisters would have her back.
The struggle is also reflected with Colin and his older brother, Liam, whose fate is currently unknown. Both boys escaped the encounter with their parents’ killer, but they were separated in the process. Which means Colin has no idea what’s become of his older brother, who has always taken care of him.
What I especially loved about this book, though, is that the sibling bonds (and sometimes conflicts and struggles) are echoed through the adults, even, which provided an extra level of realism and honesty that is so refreshing to see in middle grade. Roy and Elaine still quarrel and tease each other like siblings, and there’s even arguments between Nora and Elaine, including mentions of possible resentments and unresolved conflict between them. Because relationships are tricky and hard to navigate, especially with siblings. It’s so nice to see that just because people grow up, it doesn’t mean they’ve figured out how to handle their siblings. I sure haven’t!
Elaine rolls her eyes. “You mean your temper?”
Roy slings an arm over her shoulders. “Still mad about that bedspread?”
“You set it on fire!” Elaine pushes his arm off. “Do you know how long that took me to make? If it weren’t for that ghost I’d been chatting with, my whole room would have gone up in flames.”
This world is 1,000% percent one I would absolutely LOVE to live in, and its mix of magic and darkness will likely appeal to many readers and have them begging to visit longer.
There’s so much charming magic in this book, from the way the house has a life of its own (even demanding to wear a hat to match its mood), to the cantankerous Jabberwocky guardian named Max, to all the characters. There’s so much utterly adorable magic in this world, and I really don’t want to get too into it, because half the fun is discovering all the unique little elements. Needless to say, though, this is a world I absolutely loved and can’t wait to visit again in the sequel!
Don’t get it mixed, though: this world can also be dark. Like the idea of Redcaps, who are murderous creatures whose primary concern is their next kill so they can dip their hats in fresh blood. Creepy, right? There’s definitely a darker side to magic, and set on the backdrop of Samhain, it really creates a spooky atmosphere that makes this a wonderful fall read. The plot itself is focused around Samhain and includes Celtic mythology, which helps with the spooky factor!
An elderly couple stands just inside the doorway, blinking at me in alarm and clutching their suitcases.
“Don’t worry,” I reassure them. “Max only eats dead things.”
The man draws up, looking horrified, and I realize too late that didn’t actually sound as reassuring as it did in my head.
As thrilling as the build-up is, the actual resolution of the climax was a bit of a let-down for me.
I can’t decide if this is just as a result of constraints due to acceptable middle grade tropes and content or if I’m making just asking for too much. This isn’t unique to this book, even, but something I’ve seen a lot in middle grade horror. Authors build the atmosphere and tension splendidly, but then the actual resolution relies on some convenience that doesn’t entirely make sense given the backstory and goal of the Big Bad. Finding a strong ending for a middle grade book, given the constraints, is hard, and I realize that, but I still wanted something a bit more from the resolution of this conflict.
About Kalyn Josephson
Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in Biology and English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW duology is out now.
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Lovely review, this sounds perfect for MG readers
Wendy recently posted…New Releases in September 2022 That I’m Excited About!
It definitely is! I’m so excited that our copy just finished being cataloged for my library so we can start recommending it. :3
This sounds like such a fun book. I can’t wait to start reading my copy! (I pre-ordered it, but have a few other things I need/want to read before I can start this one.) I’m glad to hear that the cat isn’t just cover bait, but is actually in the story!
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I feel that dilemma in my soul. xD I think you’ll love the cat. I hope you get to read it before too long! Perfect if you’re in the mood for something very fall-ish. 😀