When Ravens Fall

Yesterday, fellow Five Enchanted Roses author, Savannah Jezowski, released her newest novella: When Ravens Fall. I do not usually do beta reading or ARC reading, as I very much dislike reading long stories on my computer and I don't enjoy feeling the looming deadline of having to write a review when I've finished the book. I much prefer to just grab a book from the library or buy a book and enjoy reading it... writing a review if I really feel compelled to. However, I do make the occasional exception if I already know that I enjoy the author's writing style, or am confident that I will enjoy the story. So, it was without any hesitation at all that I volunteered to be an Advance Reader for this novella.I could not put it down.Let that sink in. Remember, I was reading a pdf copy on my computer. I repeat: I could not put it down. I would have torn my way through in one sitting, but I got started late and had to get up early the next morning and thus was forced to turn my light out... but the next night I stayed up late to finish the book.

When Ravens Fall is a marvelous novella with an old Norse setting. If you love stories like Beauty and the Beast, How to Train Your Dragon, and feisty heroines like Cimorene in Dealing with Dragons then you will love this book.Follow Astrid, the daughter of the town dragon-slayer as she takes it upon herself to change her own fate and attempt to change the fate of her entire town. A curse has been laid upon her village, and each year, one girl is chosen to attempt to break the curse... but each year, the girl is sent home in disgrace. Astrid's name is not eligible to be entered into this trial, due to the fact that she is not a servant, but when she willingly throws her marker in with the others, fate appears to twist to her whim. Like everything I've read by this author so far, the story started out right in the middle of the action. This can be a little disorienting and confusing at first, but I enjoy that the set-up is sort of skipped and left for later. Immersed in the moment with each character, I had to let the backstory surround me and figure things out as I went. But Ms. Jezowski unwraps her stories so well, that the mystery and lack of immediate understanding of what all is going on is well worth the read and the wait, and she ties up most of the mystery by the end of the story, so don't worry that you'll be left still wondering what in the world is going on. You will be left wanting more... but that's not a bad thing!I loved the characters. I loved the story. I loved the writing style. If you enjoyed Savannah Jezowski's "Wither" in Five Enchanted Roses, know that this is a very different type of story. There are no ghouls or zombies in this world. To some extent, this has a much more fairy-tale feel to it and perhaps even more "Beauty and the Beast" themes even than Wither contained. There are princesses and dragons and questions about true love: what is it? Can it truly triumph over all?This is a beautiful tale. A coming-of-age. A fairy tale romance. A tale of self-discovery for many of the characters. All woven together into a veritable tapestry of words. It is a short, quick read, and will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end.The only negative remark I have to offer is that because it is so short, there are a few things I still don't really understand. I wish that more pages could have been devoted to the dragon and how he played into the entire story, and maybe a little bit more backstory for Baldur and Kenna so that I could understand them a bit more. But even without those things, I loved this novella and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and dragons.Five Dragon Eggs:

I am quite happy to hear that Ms. Jezowski plans to write more stories following these characters, because I definitely want to know more about everyone, especially Astrid, whom I just loved to pieces.

**As per FTC guidelines I must disclaim that I did receive an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. But, though I love getting free books, my opinions are my own and cannot be bought nor influenced.**