The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters
Summary
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!”
Book Details
The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters
Published on April 16th 2019 by Amulet Books
Young Adult Fiction / Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural
Hardcover, 368 pages
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
“Everyone knows Edgar Allan Poe—now it’s time to meet the Muse who inspired him”
THE RAVEN’S TALE is the story of a young Edgar Allan Poe and Lenore, the dark muse that appears to him; inciting within him the Gothic writing he would later become a legend for. Both whimsical and filled with the macabre, this is a well-researched story that entertains and chills its readers.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! I imagine myself saying from the pulpit in the pink sanctuary of our church. My name is Edgar Poe, and today, for reasons I don’t fully comprehend, I’m obsessed with the seventy-two bodies buried beneath us.”
Cat Winters paints a wonderful picture of a seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe with inky-splashes of this dark and tortured soul. He hungers for recognition, and when he meets his muse, she encourages him to unleash the darkness within him and in his writings.
“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!”
THE RAVEN’S TALE takes readers into the world of seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe as the first experiences the world away from home as a student at the prestigious new university, where he discovers his dark muse, the capricious attitudes of his peers, and the bitter pangs of lost love. Each experience is like an emotional meal to his muse, Lenore, whose very existence is dependent on Edgar’s acknowledgment of her in his writings. I found the combination of these two dark souls compelling and chilling.
In the End
Part historical and part supernatural in tone, this is a slow-burn story with plenty of macabre and gorgeous writing. If you are in the mood for something unique and a fan of Poe, I would definitely recommend checking Cat Winter’s newest young adult tale of Edgar Allan Poe.
