The White Raven

The White Raven

by Carrie D. Miller

Synopsis
In her thirteenth life, Aven has settled into the now witchcraft-friendly Salem where she has found true happiness and friendship, maybe even love. Despite her contentment, the truth of Aven's existence haunts her. When she dies, her Spirit is forced from the Veil to live again in the body of a stranger.

Does the elusive white raven, who has shadowed Aven through each of her lives, hold the secret to her release--or is it the cause?

To make matters worse, an unrelenting, twisted evil from Aven's past lurks closely behind her. Sustained by his hatred of the witch, he won't give up until she's paid for what she did to him.

When the truth of Aven's connection to the white raven is revealed, it is more horrifying than she could ever have imagined.

Her freedom will come at a terrible price. And even then, will she truly be free?



Review
Aven has set up a pleasant life for herself in Salem, but are her previous lives coming back to haunt her.

I won a copy of the audiobook back in March, which was pretty awesome, as this looks just my cup of tea. Witches, and witchcraft all entwined with history and intrigue.

It might still be my cup of tea, if I try reading it. I just really didn't get on with the narration, but I did think there was promise to the story, so I'm writing a review (which will only feature on Goodreads & my blog), but refraining from a rating.

I'm not a big audiobook listener, and to be honest, it's only been a recent development that I've started listening to them. I only know what I like, and what I don't like.

I wasn't a fan of the narrator from the start.
She just seemed too cool, and detached from the story, and it made me feel like I was listening to a sat nav. Not having read the source material, I can't say whether it is because that is how it is written, or if it is the narrator's style.

I found the story itself very long-winded, spending a lot of time musing over particular morals, or the shop, or magic itself. I got frustrated with Aven who, after 13 lifetimes, seems really complacent about the big mystery of who she is and why she's cursed. OK, I get that maybe she's tried to investigate in previous lifetimes and there's nothing to be done about it, but it is a central point of procrastination.
Again, I couldn't tell if I would have liked it, if I hadn't been irritated by the narrator.

There were a few moments of lightness, and I particularly liked Aven's friend Jo, who managed to bring her own flavour of humour to the story.

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