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snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
I found book two on Netgalley and it sounded like something I enjoy, and when I got approved I went ahead and bought book one on kindle.
I was a bit in a reading slump and this book pulled me out of it. It was just what I needed. A light, funny, paranormal romance. In a world of shifters and fae and humans.
I really enjoyed the writing, it is fast paced story and super easy and fast to read and follow. I also was a big fan of Raven, I liked that she had her real -life struggles as well as her paranormal struggles. It just made her so much more relatable. She was super down to earth and funny as all get out. I actually enjoyed her entire family and wish we would have gotten more of them and dinners. I actually was hoping that one thing for sure will be brought up and see how that went, but maybe that will be in future book(s). Her brother Mike was also one of my favorites.
Cole I also enjoyed very much, but I think we should get to know him better, we know some if him and of course that he is smoking hot but not much as far as what makes him tick. Im looking forward to hopefully learn more about him.
The only thing I was at odds about was the whole Insta lust thing and that she lusted after him sometime in the oddest situations, which she herself even acknowledges. But that is just my personal opinion and I’m sure many people don’t even mind
Overall it was a funny, steamy, fast paced paranormal romance with plenty of shocking plot twists. I’m super happy I picked it up and looking very much forward to book two.
I rate it 4 ★
I was a bit in a reading slump and this book pulled me out of it. It was just what I needed. A light, funny, paranormal romance. In a world of shifters and fae and humans.
I really enjoyed the writing, it is fast paced story and super easy and fast to read and follow. I also was a big fan of Raven, I liked that she had her real -life struggles as well as her paranormal struggles. It just made her so much more relatable. She was super down to earth and funny as all get out. I actually enjoyed her entire family and wish we would have gotten more of them and dinners. I actually was hoping that one thing for sure will be brought up and see how that went, but maybe that will be in future book(s). Her brother Mike was also one of my favorites.
Cole I also enjoyed very much, but I think we should get to know him better, we know some if him and of course that he is smoking hot but not much as far as what makes him tick. Im looking forward to hopefully learn more about him.
The only thing I was at odds about was the whole Insta lust thing and that she lusted after him sometime in the oddest situations, which she herself even acknowledges. But that is just my personal opinion and I’m sure many people don’t even mind
Overall it was a funny, steamy, fast paced paranormal romance with plenty of shocking plot twists. I’m super happy I picked it up and looking very much forward to book two.
I rate it 4 ★
cjburright's review against another edition
5.0
When I was offered the chance to read Conspiracy of Ravens, I immediately had my grabby hands going on because I loved the Carus Chronicles and I kinda-sorta have a thing for mythological ravens. I suspected this story was going to hit the spot and I wasn’t wrong. While I do love me a kick-ass heroine, one of the many things I loved about the main character (Raven) was the fact that she wasn’t all that. It was almost refreshing to have an imperfect heroine who didn’t have skills and couldn’t possibly compete with all the more powerful species, yet still found ways to be strong. Then there is Cole…Lord of Shadows, assassin, fae from the Underworld—whew! He burned up the pages. As this is the first book in a new world, there were times that the pace became slow-ish as Raven dealt with the mundane, which allowed the reader to become familiar with the world, how the barrier between humans and the Underworld came about, and the various species. But there was enough action to keep it all going, not to mention a few twists that I absolutely loved—such as who Raven’s true father is. The addition of Norse mythology and Irish language adds a richness to the world, and the chapter headings are always funny. Raven is easy to relate to and a heroine to root for, and with the Lord of Shadows near…I’m excited to see what happens in the next book as Raven undoubtedly begins to uncover her heritage and gets into more trouble with the Underworld.
amandabrit's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book
I really enjoyed this book and wasn't annoyed by the main character which I normally am. I finished it in 1.5 days and can't wait to read the others. It has some Crescent City vibes.
I really enjoyed this book and wasn't annoyed by the main character which I normally am. I finished it in 1.5 days and can't wait to read the others. It has some Crescent City vibes.
gypsydawn's review against another edition
4.0
Good start!
A well done UF that sets the stage for an interesting new world. There are gods, myths and legends, all placed in a universe that is struggling to make sense of them. Good characters, interesting developments.
Pros:
- Family first.
- Characters have depth and interrupt motives.
- Life still goes on.
- Her powers are incredibly unique, and I live where she gets them!
Cons:
- Needs about her mom.
- Ending feels... off?
A well done UF that sets the stage for an interesting new world. There are gods, myths and legends, all placed in a universe that is struggling to make sense of them. Good characters, interesting developments.
Pros:
- Family first.
- Characters have depth and interrupt motives.
- Life still goes on.
- Her powers are incredibly unique, and I live where she gets them!
Cons:
- Needs about her mom.
- Ending feels... off?
angels_gp17's review against another edition
2.0
Conspiracy of Ravens is book one in the Raven Crawford series by J.C. McKenzie.
First let me mention the cover. It is something to admire and it sucked me in. Next let me say I feel conflicted on this one. I wanted to like this novel, but it didn’t hit the mark.
Raven and her twin brother grew up in a family of fox shifters. The family has helped hide their true nature, but things are about to change.
I liked the ideas in play, but the execution was a let down. The first half was slow and didn’t move the plot along. The second have was a bit better giving us information on Bear (twin brother) and what he stole. There is a romance, but its muddled up with Raven’s thought process which is all over the place. It was like she couldn’t keep her thoughts together and the first 40% off the book was her fantasizing/dreaming about Cole, the Dark Fae Lord’s body. It was too distracting and took away from the story.
As for Raven you can feel the author wanted to make her cool, but the implementation was lacking. As for her twin bother, Bear, he’s a selfish prick. I don’t understand how she can have such loyalty to him when he is bad to her and the family.
Some other things that bothered me where the consistency issues, the author didn’t fact-check, and raven practiced self-hatred.
Conspiracy of Raven was not the book for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Rated: 2 Stars
First let me mention the cover. It is something to admire and it sucked me in. Next let me say I feel conflicted on this one. I wanted to like this novel, but it didn’t hit the mark.
Raven and her twin brother grew up in a family of fox shifters. The family has helped hide their true nature, but things are about to change.
I liked the ideas in play, but the execution was a let down. The first half was slow and didn’t move the plot along. The second have was a bit better giving us information on Bear (twin brother) and what he stole. There is a romance, but its muddled up with Raven’s thought process which is all over the place. It was like she couldn’t keep her thoughts together and the first 40% off the book was her fantasizing/dreaming about Cole, the Dark Fae Lord’s body. It was too distracting and took away from the story.
As for Raven you can feel the author wanted to make her cool, but the implementation was lacking. As for her twin bother, Bear, he’s a selfish prick. I don’t understand how she can have such loyalty to him when he is bad to her and the family.
Some other things that bothered me where the consistency issues, the author didn’t fact-check, and raven practiced self-hatred.
Conspiracy of Raven was not the book for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Rated: 2 Stars
novel_sarahndipity's review against another edition
3.5
Thank Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
This book was a welcome surprise. I’ve put it off for sometime now. It was one of the ARCs I received when I obtained more than I could handle. I finally got to it and I’m happy that the next books in the series are already out and ready for me to dive into ASAP.
Our main character Raven is relatable and her inner dialogue is quite funny. One part of her inner thoughts did get quite repetitive though. She had the same sayings over and over again “Odin this” and “Odin that”. I would have liked to see a bit of creativeness and uniqueness when it came to her sayings and thoughts.
But all in all I really enjoyed this book. It was nothing overly remarkable in terms of writing, but I just had a lot of fun with it!
raven168's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This was SUCH a good book. I enjoyed almost everything about it. I laughed, I swooned (a lot), and kept wanting to find out what happened next. It was a great world created here with an interesting combination of dark realms, shifters, normals, and Nordic myths. What I really liked, that we definitely do not get enough of, was just how realistic and believable Raven was. She knew her limits and had no illusions of her being a one woman army. She had spunk, but knew when to bite her tongue. Her internal battle of wills between her head and her body were too funny. She didn't constantly run off doing stupid shit just to prove that she could. Needless to say, I liked her.
Raven was just a normal girl, working two jobs and living in a shitty apartment thanks to her ex who left her with $50k in debt. Just because she's part Other and can shift into a bunch of ravens doesn't make her that special. Or does it? She's had a rough couple years now, but she has a family she loves and who will always be there for her. Unfortunately, her twin has disappeared. And there are a lot of dangerous people looking for him.
Cole is one such person. Patron fae of assassins, Lord of Shadows...he can kidnap me any day. Raven called it to a T when she said he was 'Tall, Dark, and Dangerous'. He's not a man to mess with with his violent personality that was just so damn hot. Add to that his quick wit, superior attitude, and volatile treatment of Raven and I'm a goner. Cole knows it was Raven's brother (Bear) that stole something from him, something very powerful, and he'll use any means to get it back before anyone else.
So the two of them sort of work together in order figure out where Bear disappeared to. During which time, Raven is constantly attacked by another Dark Fae Lord and Cole is always trying to save or protect her. Who cares if a few people have to die in order for him to do so. Something Raven thinks she should feel bad about, but in Cole's presence it only turns her on. I hear ya sister. During this time Raven is also constantly fighting her body's reaction to Cole because her body wants him bad. Man, did it take long enough for them to finally get together!
The more they find out, the more questions Raven ends up having. Her search for her brother leads her to, arguably, the most powerful person around...and her learning of her real father. Something she has a lot of trouble wrapping her head around. After Raven gets kidnapped (for the third time) we learn who was behind everything and why. It was a good end with some interesting fighting and lots of bloodshed. The only thing that could be considered urk-some is her brother's declaration because it was sooooo predictable.
The very end annoyed me, but only because I would have done the opposite of Raven. And I have a feeling what she did is going to have a Riddick kind of affect. If my theory is correct, this is going to be awesome going forward and would give her and Cole no reason to be apart. I really hope I remember to keep my eye out for the next one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
This was SUCH a good book. I enjoyed almost everything about it. I laughed, I swooned (a lot), and kept wanting to find out what happened next. It was a great world created here with an interesting combination of dark realms, shifters, normals, and Nordic myths. What I really liked, that we definitely do not get enough of, was just how realistic and believable Raven was. She knew her limits and had no illusions of her being a one woman army. She had spunk, but knew when to bite her tongue. Her internal battle of wills between her head and her body were too funny. She didn't constantly run off doing stupid shit just to prove that she could. Needless to say, I liked her.
Raven was just a normal girl, working two jobs and living in a shitty apartment thanks to her ex who left her with $50k in debt. Just because she's part Other and can shift into a bunch of ravens doesn't make her that special. Or does it?
Spoiler
I was so certain about Odin being her father from the moment he was mentioned that I was already patting myself on the back when she goes to see him. But then that twist! Did not see that coming.Cole is one such person. Patron fae of assassins, Lord of Shadows...he can kidnap me any day. Raven called it to a T when she said he was 'Tall, Dark, and Dangerous'. He's not a man to mess with with his violent personality that was just so damn hot. Add to that his quick wit, superior attitude, and volatile treatment of Raven and I'm a goner. Cole knows it was Raven's brother (Bear) that stole something from him, something very powerful, and he'll use any means to get it back before anyone else.
So the two of them sort of work together in order figure out where Bear disappeared to. During which time, Raven is constantly attacked by another Dark Fae Lord and Cole is always trying to save or protect her. Who cares if a few people have to die in order for him to do so. Something Raven thinks she should feel bad about, but in Cole's presence it only turns her on. I hear ya sister. During this time Raven is also constantly fighting her body's reaction to Cole because her body wants him bad. Man, did it take long enough for them to finally get together!
The more they find out, the more questions Raven ends up having. Her search for her brother leads her to, arguably, the most powerful person around...and her learning of her real father. Something she has a lot of trouble wrapping her head around. After Raven gets kidnapped (for the third time) we learn who was behind everything and why. It was a good end with some interesting fighting and lots of bloodshed. The only thing that could be considered urk-some is her brother's declaration because it was sooooo predictable.
The very end annoyed me, but only because I would have done the opposite of Raven. And I have a feeling what she did is going to have a Riddick kind of affect
Spoiler
In the "You keep what you kill" way. With Cole leaving that sythe in her room and her having killed the queen of the shadow realm, it would make sense that she's gonna be the new queen. Also would explain why Bane didn't want to do it himselfARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
saydesadie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
chllybrd's review against another edition
4.0
Raven is my kind of people. Half hot-mess, half bad-ass, all awesome.
Not only did I enjoy Raven, but I enjoyed her family. They have a great relationship and I loved getting to know them.
I loved the chemistry between Raven and Cole. I enjoyed the way they interacted and the way they worked together. There was a lot of fighting feelings on Raven's side. I loved the way Cole handled it and the overall progression.
I can't really get into the plot as it would give away spoilers. I will say that the story was had plenty of humor, action and mystery rolled up in a nice paced story.
I enjoyed the storyline and I enjoyed the characters. I will definitely be reading more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Not only did I enjoy Raven, but I enjoyed her family. They have a great relationship and I loved getting to know them.
I loved the chemistry between Raven and Cole. I enjoyed the way they interacted and the way they worked together. There was a lot of fighting feelings on Raven's side. I loved the way Cole handled it and the overall progression.
I can't really get into the plot as it would give away spoilers. I will say that the story was had plenty of humor, action and mystery rolled up in a nice paced story.
I enjoyed the storyline and I enjoyed the characters. I will definitely be reading more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
book_lover_97's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced, steamy, and funny paranormal romance. I really enjoyed this read that is filled with action, adventure and so many unseen twist and turns. I really liked this introduction to this series.
I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased, honest review.
I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased, honest review.