Book Review for Witches of Ravencrest, by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross

The Witches of Ravencrest, by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross, is a gothic horror about the terrifying wishes the dead tend to leave behind.

Belinda Moorland is the governess living in the beautifully foreboding Ravencrest Manor. Though her budding romance with the wealthy Eric Manning continues to blossom, dark forces begin to move from beyond the grave. From zombies rising, to wandering ghosts seeking out revenge, Belinda must use her unique gifts and wits to protect her loved ones. However, when a woman named Rebecca approaches her with an ominous request, suddenly, Ravencrest Manor is thrust into a horrifying situation where no one, not even Belinda, is safe.

I loved reading about Belinda and Eric’s relationship, and saw their relationship paralleling with other couples in the book. From the tragic pasts of Edward and Alice, to the more stable, peaceful relationship of Grant and Riley, each couple showed me a new aspect of their relationship, one I never even considered before. I also loved how Cordelia interacted with the others, including Belinda, however stuck up she is. She’s so arrogant to the point she can’t even see the corner she’s putting herself in. But I feel that she does redeem herself by putting down the more annoying characters in the book, even if she can be a bit unbearable at times.

I especially enjoyed the haunting setting Thorne and Cross set up. It compliments their characters; from the doomed lovers living in a lonely mansion, to the walking, killing scarecrow, to even the utterly disgusting mother whose humanity had long since faded, each of these elements add a certain mystery to the manor. And like with all well-executed gothic novels, it’s as if the atmosphere had come alive, hiding the monsters in plain sight. The fact that Ravencrest also honors innocents who were killed during the witch trials is a testament to its peculiar nature.

I do have to admit, when I picked up this book I was more than a bit confused, though it was probably due to the fact that it was the second book out of a series. But despite that, I loved it, and would give this book a rating of a 4.4 out of 5 stars. The relationships between the characters, as well as the manor itself, enchanted me. Thorne and Cross have outdone themselves, and it’s because of stories like these I was reminded why I fell in love with the gothic genre to begin with. I would recommend this book to fans of the Fallen series and The Moth Diaries.