An Enchantment of Ravens
Margaret Rogerson
Margaret K. Elderberry Books
Fiction, YA Fantasy/Romance
Themes: Avians, Country Tales, Creative Power, Cross-Genre, Faeries, Girl Power, Shapeshifters
****
Description
The town of Whimsy exists in a perpetual summer, thanks to its proximity to the fairy courts and the influence of
the Alder King. The immortal fair folk cannot get enough of crafted works - art, poetry, anything worked and shaped
and made, even cooked food and brewed drinks - for all that they themselves cannot hold so much as a frying pan
without risking death. In exchange for these works of mortal hands, they pay in kind with enchantments and
blessings... though, as in anything related to the fae, one must be very careful what one asks, and how one asks it,
lest a loophole be found. One must also be careful not to give offense, be impolite, or otherwise imply that life in
Whimsy can feel less like a privilege and more like a trap... not even when the odd monster borne in the magical
woods ventures into town and kills locals. Above all else, one must never delude oneself into believing that one is
in love with a fairy; the Good Laws of the Alder King strictly forbid relations, with death for any offender.
A gifted artist since she could hold a brush, seventeen-year-old Isobel is renowned through the town of Whimsy and
the fairy courts for her portraits. When her reputation spreads as far as the reclusive Rook, the Autumn Prince who
has not been seen in the mortal realm for centuries, some see it as a testament to her skill and the greatest of
fortune; after all, the more powerful the fair folk, the greater the gifts they might bestow. But ever since her
parents were killed by a magical beast, Isobel has known better than to consider dealings with fairies as fortunate
in any way, or to be tempted by their more extravagant promises; for payment, she keeps to strictly practical,
useful enchantments, such as blessings on the household chickens or protections for her family. With the many
immortals she has painted, the countless hours she's observed them, she knows better than anyone just how inhuman
and empty they truly are within.
Rook is nothing at all like any fair folk she has painted before - but it's not until she paints his picture that
she realizes why. Her brush captures the sorrow she sees deep in his amethyst eyes - and one thing no faerie ever
shows, or would even admit to experiencing, is a mortal emotion. Rook is enraged, and demands she fix the "flaw" -
snatching her away from Whimsy and bringing her into the heart of the fairy realm to do so. But a greater threat
lurks here, in the endless woods and cruel courts, one that turns Isobel and Rook into unlikely allies... and,
before either realizes it, the two become something more to each other, something that violates the Good Law
itself.
Review
There is no shortage of "romantasy" on the shelves these days, just as there's no shortage of fairies. This
title, however, manages to avoid the more obvious traps many of those books fall into, presenting a reasonably
competent heroine and fairies who retain the sharp edges and inscrutable, dangerous nature that makes relations
with the fair folk - even casual meetings, let alone love affairs - so deadly.
In many books with the fae, there's an inherent power imbalance; aside from the usual weakness to iron, the fair
folk are ageless, physically and mentally superior, innately magical, and unburdened with anything like what a
human would recognize as morality (even if they are sometimes encumbered by their own peculiar customs and
rituals), against which humans stand little chance. Here, however, mortals hold a couple advantages that puts them
closer to a level playing field (if still often outmatched and easily duped by fae illusions and cunning). The
biggest of these is humanity's ability to craft items, to change and shape natural things, something that is so
antithetical to faerie nature that they could die if they even attempted to write a single letter or hold a sewing
needle. Fairies can (and do) covet crafted items, but can never make them themselves, a "magic" they can never
possess - and they burn with envy, even as they lust after mortal craftings. The other advantage, which can also
be a disadvantage, is of course the range of human emotions. Fae have something like emotions, but not in a way
humans readily recognize most of the time; more often than not they're simply mimicking or emulating rather than
experiencing such things as joy or sorrow (though they do seem to have quite genuine streaks of envy and anger).
The fairies see mortal emotions as weaknesses, and one thing their society will not tolerate is weakness in any
form. This is what makes Isobel's "mistake" in Rook's portrait such a source of scandal and rage; by showing the
sorrow that she saw in him, she was potentially showing the faerie world that the Autumn King is weak. Thus, his
fury and his demand that she make it right... but there are games afoot in the courts that even Rook misjudges,
putting them both at risk.
Neither Rook nor Isobel are perfect, and both make mistakes and missteps that cost them, but they also learn along
the way. The dangers the two face are real, tangible, and occasionally terrifying; the fairies are only barely
human beneath their glamours, more akin to predatory ghouls or conniving demons who delight in tormenting mortals
even as they obsessively emulate humans - in part to mock, or simply to study their favored prey, but also out of
n unspoken yearning toward something they can never truly understand. Only a few, such as Rook, even come close.
The relationship between the two has sparks early on, but takes some time to spark a flame, yet even in the midst
of attraction Isobel is never a helpless victim of her own hormones or emotions. She can (and does) step back and
recognize what an unwise idea it is, even if the heart ultimately cannot be restrained. Rook, too, never forces
the issue, and is as surprised as she is to find his own heart betraying him.
The story hits a few lulls and can be a touch repetitious in its description of fae cruelties, drawing out some
torments and scenes, but only really stumbles with a climax that draws itself out a little too long for its own
good. There are also some elements that were set up to be more meaningful or plot relevant than they ultimately
were, such as Isobel's little "sisters", March and May; they used to be a pair of goats until fairy magic
intervened, and they retain several goatlike traits (a streak for mischief and a tendency toward destructive
behavior and even head-butting), but ultimately don't contribute anything meaningful to the plot. I get the
feeling there's supposed to be a sequel at least, which may explain why parts of the ending feel unfinished. But
it does more right than it does wrong, so I ended up forgiving it some weaknesses and gave it the solid fourth
star in the ratings it came close to losing.