The Raven Spell: A Novel (A Conspiracy of Magic)

So, The Raven Spell is book one and I hate to say it, but you can tell. I did enjoy it and liked it well enough, but there were points where things flatlined before they got interesting again. The main characters are sisters and witches named Edwina and Mary. They've been looking after each other and a shop they run since their parents abandoned them. While they are out searching for interesting things to sell at their shop, they come across an unconscious man whom they believed to be dead. Having this understanding Mary decides to collect his memories from him which her powers allow her to do when someone is dead or near death. It helps them move on peacefully as I understand it. They later find out the man is not dead, but he is left with not knowing who he is or what he is doing in the city where the women reside. After some unfortunate mishaps, the man learns his name is Ian and he was sent to the city to help track down a missing person. This book is a giant puzzle with pieces that do not remotely make sense. For example, after finding out Edwina had tried to find Ian's memories in her things, Mary acts like a child and runs off instead of realizing that Edwina wouldn't have done it if it weren’t important. Edwina is always having to be careful around Mary because her outbursts can have dangerous consequences. This is proven true as Edwina and Ian stumble across some evidence that allows them to believe Mary has been caught up in some dreadful things happening in the city. Mary knew they were following her and deliberately led them the wrong way. She led them to a trap. She knows who has been causing the destruction in the city and she helped wanted their memories. The ending, while sad, gave me hope for book two. I would love to continue watching Edwina and Ian work together. It wasn't a favorite, but I enjoyed it well enough that I would recommend it as an easy read to teens and adults alike. This seems to be one of those stories that not a lot of thinking and keeping up is required. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we need to not be bogged down by complicated stories. Sometimes simple is best.

Really enjoyable to read. Quite a bit darker than I expected. Fun to read around Halloween!

Interesting, did not expect twists.