A gripping tale of magic, murder and family secrets, The Raven Spell invites readers to explore how far one might go to protect their loved ones, especially from themselves.
Published on 1 February 2022, The Raven Spell is Luanne G. Smith’s fourth novel, blending magic with crime and romance. After reading the synopsis, I picked it up as a Kindle First Reads for February and enjoyed an intriguing introduction to Smith’s world of magic and mystery that had me rushing to discover the ending.
Set in Victorian London, The Raven Spell follows two witches, Mary and Edwina Blackwood, when they cross paths with a private detective, Ian Cameron, after finding him on the foreshore of a river on the brink of death. Ian was investigating the disappearance of a master wizard’s son when he was struck on the head and left for dead, and after losing his memory, he comes to realise that the Blackwood sisters might have exactly what he needs to recover it.
To piece together his lost time and return him to his former self, Ian and Edwina retrace his forgotten steps and find themselves wrapped up in a confusing case of disappearance, a string of gruesome murders, and secrets between the sisters that threaten the delicacy of their lives in the city.
The Raven Spell is primarily a story of two sisters who are witches and outcasts in both the mortal and the magical world thanks to their unique gifts that have the power to both intrigue and terrify. The love and care between them are felt from the first page until the last, despite what the two sisters learn about one another throughout their story. Mysteriously abandoned by both of their parents, the two young women rely heavily on one another, but the cracks that Smith reveals in their usually easy double act and subtle and well-done.
“All she and Mary wanted was to be left alone, but to wear an air of strangeness in a crowd of sameness always found them out.”
Luanne G. Smith, The Raven Spell
Smith creates a simmering tension between Mary and Edwina that rises alongside the suspense of the criminal investigations being conducted by Ian, expertly weaving together the strands of her plot. Not to be forgotten is the connection that builds between Edwina and Ian as she guides him through a city unfamiliar to him and comfortable to her. He serves as the perfect symbol of the distance building between Mary and Edwina, as well as offering Edwina a means to recall that she and her sister are separate beings.
While the book had a lot of positive points, I was mildly disappointed by the ending and ultimately felt as though there were a few characters whose development could have been better or happened to be a little unsatisfying after a promising beginning. The big reveal always feels a little less grand when it seems like a purposeful misdirection to an explanation that proves less satisfying, and a little bit forced or rushed.
Overall, The Raven Spell offers a lot of great elements, including its unique magic and some wonderful character dynamics, as well as some not as great aspects that still don’t ruin the story entirely, especially with the twist at the end that builds towards the upcoming sequel (The Raven Song). Since this book blends quite a few genres, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about magic, likes crime fiction, or is a fan of novels set in Victorian England.
My rating would be three out of five stars. It was a fun read and I was definitely captured by Smith’s storytelling, but it did not blow me away by the end.
I’d love to know if you’ve read The Raven Spell, and what you thought if you did. Thank you for reading!
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