Ratings
Content Warnings: Mention of murder, manipulation, emotional and verbal abuse, slight smut
Introduction
An imaginative, fantasy, and fae-fueled retelling of Cinderella that will have you swooning. Tessonja Odette’s Heart of the Raven Prince is magical and full of twists and turns. While it follows the premise of Cinderella closely, this story also has its own history, its own characters, and its own voice.
Hearth of the Raven is a refreshing and whimsical read.
Side note: Odette designed, not only the cover of this book but the map and illustrations of the couples found within!
Pros
- Realistic characters and character arcs
- Enticing world-building
- Solid story, both main and subplots
- Subtleties that come back later
Cons
- Somewhat of an odd layout for the courts (but that’s a minute detail😅)
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Plot
As I mentioned in the Introduction, Heart of the Raven Prince follows the main premise of Cinderella. A cruel stepmother and 2 stepsisters treat Cinderella (Ember) like their maid. All the while they try to climb the societal hierarchy. In their endeavors, they unintentionally create the perfect environment for our main character to meet Prince Charming and fall in love.
The difference? Magical bargains, impersonations, glamours, a large inheritance, and an arranged marriage. Oh, and not to mention a mysterious pink-haired princess that runs away at the beginning of the book.
The story does an awesome job of setting up the story within the first few chapters. We get a sense of who the characters are, what’s at stake, and even foreshadowing key events later in the novel.
I don’t have a quip about any elements of this book’s plot. We had a strong main plot with well-woven subplots that pushed the story and characters along. It was an equal mix of character and story-driven, which can sometimes be hard to accomplish.
I love the complexities of Ember’s story with her stepfamily and Franco’s relationship with his sister, and how they connected to make a tense peak and ending. I can’t praise that enough as sometimes in other books the various plots fall flat or don’t make sense.
Characters
Ember
The poor girl has been through so much in her short 19 years of life. But she didn’t let it get her down. She kept her bold personality and wits about her. She had plans for the future and ways to achieve those plans.
At the beginning, I truly was wondering how we would get the Cinderella feel, but that was soon kicked off by Maisie’s bargain (side note: I love the name Maisie! So cute!). Ember handled the entire situation well, given it was kind of the only choice she had. But she played the part and did what needed to be done in order to escape, or attempt to escape.
I admire Ember’s ambition and passion. She still had a heart even though she’s been through hell. She didn’t let her stepfamily stop her from seeing injustice in the world and caring for those who needed compassion. Ember really was the perfect match for Franco.
Franco
Not going to lie, I kept imagining Howl, from Howl’s Moving Castle when it came to Franco.
Anyways! Franco was a very interesting love interest, as in he differed a lot from male love interests in the usual fantasy settings. Yes, he was charming and sarcastic, but he was an introvert, shy, and lacking confidence. It was nice to see that side of him come out around Ember. When he didn’t have to hide or put on a brave face. It was refreshing, honestly.
His character is one I wish to see more of in romance books. I love me a good sassy shy guy who hides behind a persona. Men don’t have to be brave and courageous throughout, and Odette does a wonderful job at portraying that with Franco.
Side Characters
While the main characters are strong, so are the side characters. They hold true to their character throughout and create a sense of urgency. Especially Mrs. Coleman.
That woman never stopped scheming. She always tried to stick her hand into everything she could just to get a leg up or simply money. She was consistently a horrible character, even during the brief backstory she shared with Ember at the end. And honestly, before she bastardized a child (Ember), I felt bad for her. She had a rough go at the beginning, but it gave her no right to kill her husbands later and play victim while allowing her step daughter to take on the emense guilt of “killing” her father.
And because of her actions, her daughters followed suite. Well, at least Imogen. Clara showed promise, just as Ember was seeing. She didn’t want to always follow her mother and sister’s plans, but she did because she felt like she had no choice. Once she was on her own, it seemed like she thrived and became a better person. While I wish the same happened for Imogen, it was nice to see the contrast between the sisters, and how it showcased just how a rough and terrible parent can negatively influence a child’s life.
For Nyxia and Brother Marus, we didn’t see much change in them, but we got a sense of their character during the brief times we saw them. Nyxia is a strong and loyal queen and sister, who wants nothing but the best for her brother and mate. While Brother Marus was a power-hungry church official who still held onto the zealot’s beliefs before him, whether he admitted it or not.
All of these side characters, come together to create a complex and realistic environment for our 2 main characters to navigate in.
Writing
Odette’s writing is very concise and to the point while maintaining the subtleties and nuances of a strong story. She didn’t get lost in inner monologs or info dump world building onto the readers. Instead, she wove the world into her story and placed monologs precisely where they needed to be, without over doing it (I’m looking at you Poppy).
Throughout the story, her writing maintained its tone and atmosphere of whimsy and magic, with an air that the rouse could all be undone too soon.
Additionally, her character writing is superb. Not once did I question the motives or actions of the characters. Nothing was out of the blue or jarring to the point it made me question what was going on. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, so to read a book that fits the ages of the characters, within their own context, was a breath of fresh air, and one I appreciate greatly.
Final Thoughts
Heart of the Raven Prince is a book I couldn’t put down. I think I finished it in 2 days. I was so enthralled with the characters and story that I caught myself constantly thinking about it during the day. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something familiar, yet new.
Odette is the type of author I aspire to be. Her story is cohesive with no plotholes, her character-building is thorough, and her world-building is awe-inspiring. There’s so much to unveil in her world of Faerwyvae that I can’t wait to read more of her books!
What did you think of the book? Did you like it or could you have done without it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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