Danielle Paige

This book could have easily gone the way of rote clichés and cheesy college drama, but instead I was pleasantly surprised at what a fun read it was. The story is set at the beginning of the school year on campus, and follows the arrival of new student Vivianne Devereaux and returning senior Scarlett Winter as the two are thrown together during Rush Week. The Greek world on campus has always been a slight fascination of mine, because we have no equivalent at Canadian universities (or at show more least not at the schools I attended), but what sets this book apart from other campus dramas is that the sisters in this sorority are also a coven of witches. Considering the closeness of the Greek houses and their love for ritual, this trope is actually a perfect counterpart and adds a fun layer of complexity to the tests and drama that are part of Rush Week and the bonds that eventually link the houses together. There’s still plenty of typical college drama (the new girl vying for her Big Sister’s boyfriend, parties, and tests for the new students), and the tone of the story sparks pleasant memories of one of my favourite tv shows from years ago: Greek! Just add some witchy vibes, spellwork, and an added layer of secrets and the drama felt particularly nostalgic. Besides the Rush Week storyline, we have a darker major plot that adds a lovely layer of mystery to the tale as the events of a spell gone wrong from years ago slowly begins to unravel the carefully built world that Scarlett and her friends (and the witches who have come before them) have built. The scenes that play out as the ramifications of their spells come to conclusion are far more gristly than you would expect from a college story, but add a deliciously dark undertone that is necessary for grounding the tale in the world of witchcraft. The spells and rituals in the story are realistically well representative of the craft, with familiar practices woven quietly into the storyline, aptly revealing both the comfort of coven life as well as the potential for evil as our new witch Vivi explores life with her newfound powers and Scarlett has to face her demons. show less

I don’t usually read sequels back to back (or even that close by), no matter how much I’m enjoying the series, for fear that I’ll end up with book burnout or that I’ll end up being disappointed that the continuation of the story doesn’t live up to its origins. But, one of my 2026 reading goals is to finish all the series that have been languishing on my TBR, and having just devoured The Ravens I felt obligated to make the trip back to campus alongside witchy sorority girls Vivi and show more Scarlett ASAP. The journey was well worth the trip, since we got another exciting story that is a perfect balance of college campus melodrama (which we secretly live for lol) and magical highjinx. This time the sisters are faced with a more supernaturally inclined foe, who ties back to the history of the Raven coven, and we get a glimpse of a wider magical world with the introduction of witchfinders - which definitely ups the narrative drama on all levels. We see Scarlett and Vivi face some major challenges, from self-inflicted doubt to a hostile takeover attempt from a rival sorority, before having to trust their bond as sisters to rebalance magic on campus. Morgan and Paige definitely had their work cut out for them with such a strong first novel, and they did admirably at building some new magic into the groundwork they had already laid, adding complications to the girls’ love interests, and bringing in the post-college world of magic (flawed though the apparent Monarchs seem to be). That being said, I feel like I enjoyed the first book more, simply because it kept things simple and all of the themes tied neatly back into reinforcing the sisterhood of the sorority/coven. But I still had fun reading the continued adventures of our favourite collegiate witches! show less

The Ravens is a dark, twisty college-set fantasy that blends the drama of sorority life with the intrigue of a secret magical society. Told through the alternating perspectives of Vivi, a freshman eager to belong, and Scarlett, a legacy witch balancing status and secrets, the novel dives deep into themes of identity, power, and sisterhood—with a healthy dose of suspense and supernatural stakes.
The dual POVs are a highlight, giving readers two very different emotional journeys that show more intersect in explosive ways. The magic system, tied cleverly to tarot cards and innate abilities, offers a fresh take on familiar magical tropes. The use of tarot as both a narrative and symbolic tool gives the story depth and flair, elevating the tension and adding a mystical layer to the already chaotic college drama.
While the initial plot twist packs a punch, the subsequent mysteries can feel more predictable—though still engaging enough to keep the pages turning. The tension between Vivi and Scarlett is well-written, especially with the added complication of a shared romantic interest. Though the boyfriend drama occasionally feels forced, it does serve its purpose in creating friction and emotional stakes.
Jackson, a surprisingly loyal and grounded side character, adds heart to the story. His role, while limited, leaves a strong impression. The ending, which sees him stripped of his memories and severed from the magical world, feels like a bittersweet blow—not only for the romance but also for the potential he had as a supportive ally.
Overall, The Ravens is a strong start to a series, mixing magic, mystery, and coming-of-age struggles in a way that’s both entertaining and emotionally resonant. Readers who enjoy contemporary fantasy with dramatic twists and strong female leads will likely be eager to see where the series heads next. show less

I'm not going to lie, I definitely considered not even reviewing this book. I found nothing redeemable about it, and why should I spread word about a book I despised? Ultimately, I decided to write this review for the same reason that I chose to read Dorothy Must Die to the end-- in the hopes that I could learn something, AKA what not to do.

I was draw to DMD as soon as it came out, as it had a lovely cover and even a staff picks sticker at my local bookstore. Naturally, that boosted my show more confidence, and since I love re-tellings, I hoped it would be the thrilling adventure I'd been craving.

What I got, instead, was every possible cliche in the young adult handbook. I'm pretty sure the author just Google searched Most Overused Tropes in YA and then crammed all of them in. From the love triangle between the 'sweet' boy and the 'troubled' one, to our main character being ghosted away from her home to be the "chosen one" and the "only one who can stop Dorothy." After Amy, our main character, is dumped into this twisted version of Oz, she trots along and gets herself arrested and thrown in Dorothy's prison despite the numerous warnings and red flags around her that insist it wasn't so smart. She might as well have walked down the middle of the road and then acted surprised when a car hit her. As Amy orients herself into this new world, she learns little by little about the world and what happened since she heard the story of Oz and Dorothy. And I mean, LITTLE by LITTLE. Because every flipping character has to give her the same roundabout "I can't tell you that/I'll tell you later/You shouldn't have to know things" bull that comes up far too often. I read a great post recently about tension that summed up the failures of this book perfectly: When an author withholds important information in an attempt to generate "tension," it means they have no faith that the story and its plot will generate tension on its own. Sadly, if the author didn't spend so much of the book pussyfooting around and actually got to the point, the book would not only be more enjoyable, but the tension would be stronger. When withholding information from your reader that the characters know or should know, you are treating your readers like toddlers. Instead of building a story, it leaves the reader frustrated and in the dark. They're reading your book because they want to know what happens. Don't hold back from that.

Tension aside, each character within this book made me want to beat my head against a desk. Amy is possibly the only character with some small bit of development and personality, and that's only because we get to look into her history, her mom, how she deals and copes with it all. But because this had no effect whatsoever on her story (not even affecting her choices in OZ, for example) the whole thing felt out of place. Aside from this, every other character was about as flat as a pancake, the most pathetic of which included the love interests, specifically Nox. The entire romance between them was so, so painfully forced. There was NO chemistry between the characters, there was barely even an attempt. The adult characters pushed Nox and Amy together like they were trying to play matchmaker. There was nothing there to draw them together, especially since their relationship starts off rocky (of course), and the only thing that made Amy slightly like him was that he said she wasn't useless. I'm sorry, but Amy needs some way better standards. A kiss eventually comes too, but like I said, the forced romance coupled with zero chemistry left me rolling my eyes and moving on.

The only redeemable thing about this book has to be the re-imagined characters of Oz. I really enjoyed how the author reinvented each one, but that's where the enjoyment ends. Though they were creatively recaptured, their characters were just as flat, if not more so than any of the others. They were often defined by a single thing -- the Tinman's love for Dorothy, the Scarecrow being creepy -- and didn't ever expand or build on that. Moreso, Dorothy's character had been completely flipped to be a promiscuous, drunk, cruel little princess. The author touched briefly on some of Amy's fears-- will she end up just like Dorothy?-- but didn't go deep enough. Why was Dorothy like this? What about the magic drove her to be this way? And more importantly, how easily could Amy slip down the same road?

At the end of the day, this felt, aside from the copious swear words that again, seemed out of place, like it should have been a middle grade novel. The thought processes and ideas expressed were very black and white and didn't look any deeper than the surface, and I feel like it could have been re-tailored to a younger crowd and been more successful. As it was, the book itself felt like a little kid dressing in provocative clothing, swearing, and trying to insist they were all grown up, while its reliance on troupes and cliches left it really juvenile.

If you're looking for the same crap you could find in any fanfiction on the internet, if you find comfort in simple concepts and cardboard characters, then by all means take a gander. The only thing this book is good for is guilty pleasures. Or maybe a fire starter.

TL;DR: .5/5 stars. Goddamn this one made me embarrassed to write YA. show less