The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters (Young Adult Book Review)

The Raven's Tale

by Cat Winters
Published by Amulet Books
on April 16, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Horror

Length: 368 pages
Ages: 12 - 17 years

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Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family--the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: "Let them see me!"

My Thoughts:

Edgar Allan Poe is ready to start University and leave behind his overbearing adoptive father, John Allan, who positively hates Edgar and deems his work a waste of time. "Silence your muses!" he tells Poe, but Edgar loves his craft and will do no such thing. In steps Poe's actual muse; a dark, feathered thing trailing soot and ash and Poe names her Lenore, giving her the power to roam as a living thing. The problem is, everyone can see this demon-like muse and Edgar must choose to shun her to stay in his family and friends' good graces or embrace her and his true calling. 

"Give me a name that means 'light,' not shadow," she says, "and we may be able to show them there's beauty in horror."

This was a little difficult to get into at first and even once I did, it took me a while to finish. I continued reading because Edgar Allan Poe was one of my first favorite authors and I've always adored his poetry and dark stories.

What I did enjoy was the haunting quality of the story; particularly Lenore's chapters. She was not an idea or a spirit. She was a real thing that people could see and knew was Poe's muse. She is kind of feral and terrifying and Poe is not quick to embrace her for what she is.  The personification of a gothic muse made this book infinitely more interesting.

I also loved all the bits of Poe's poetry that are included throughout the story!

"Whenever I'm not writing, time trudges forward with the maddening, mortifying, miserable, morose, moribund pace of a funeral procession. And so, I write as often as I can.

If you like E.A. Poe or historical fiction with a macabre twist, give this a try!

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