Book Review and Giveaway: Ravencliffe by Carol Goodman

Pages: 432

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: December 4, 2014

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Blythewood (#1)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "She’s a student at Blythewood Academy, an elite boarding school that trains young women to defend human society from the shadowy forces that live among us.  After the devastating events of her first year at Blythewood, Ava is eager to reunite with her friends—and with Raven, the compelling but elusive winged boy who makes her pulse race. She soon discovers, though, that the sinister Judicus van Drood hasn’t finished wreaking havoc on Blythewood—and wants to use Ava and her classmates to attack a much bigger target. Ava’s the only one with any hope of stopping van Drood. But to scuttle his plans, she must reveal her deepest secret to everyone at Blythewood. What’s she willing to sacrifice to do what’s right—her school?  Her love?  Or her life?"

Ravencliffe picks up where Blythewood left off; readers know that Ava is a half-breed Darkling, which means she is dealing with the fact that not only is her unknown father a Darkling, but the huge problem that the school she attends would never approve if they found out the truth. On top of it, her wings are starting to be a problem to hide.  Just when she thinks that's her only problem, more issues arise at Blythewood.  Young girls are mysteriously disappearing and they think that van Drood is behind it. Ava and her friends realize they have to stop him, but what if they find out the truth about her?  Ravencliffe is another action packed fantasy by Carol Goodman. If you love fantasy, you should definitely check out this series.

Like I said when I reviewed Blythewood, Ava is my kind of heroine and I like her even more so in Ravencliffe.  I loved learning more about her family (who her father is!!), the secrets surrounding her mother and what it means to be a half-breed Darkling.  Of course there is more of Raven in this novel and I liked their relationship a bit more this time around, even if he has a tendency to save her quite often. I'm hoping I'll see Ava save herself a bit more as the series progresses. 

What I love so much about this series is the turn of the century setting of New York.  Goodman does such a fabulous job bringing it to life and the setting definitely adds to the atmosphere of the story.  I love how she intertwines real-life events and locations into the story, such as the sinking of the Titanic.  

Also, Ravencliffe reads like a true fantasy. There's monsters, scary things that lurk in the woods, Darklings, faeries, and a magical boarding school filled with a cast of eccentric characters. Plus, Ava has her close friends, also shrouded in a few mysteries, which makes Ravencliffe an enjoyable read.

While I didn't love Ravencliffe as much as Blythewood, I am still very much a big fan of this series and can't wait to see what happens in the next book.  If you are a fan of fantasies with a historical feel and set at a boarding school reminiscent of Hogwarts, I urge you to check out Goodman's Blythewood series.

Thanks to Penguin, I am giving away a copy of Ravencliffe to one lucky US reader.  Didn't read book one? Check out my giveaway for Blythewood!  The deadline is January 4, 2015 and please refer to my giveaway rules.

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