No, I haven’t blogged about this book before, that was The Raven Spell, the first book in this series. In that post, I mentioned that the next book in the Conspiracy of Magic series by Luanne G. Smith was coming soon; it was as delightful as the first book, with a publication date of October 2022. This review was originally published in the August 2, 2022 issue of Booklist Online.
Stunned by her sister Mary’s sudden death at the end of The Raven Spell, Edwina Blackwood is forced to retreat from London when a stalker magically destroys her shop at the beginning of Luanne Smith’s The Raven Song. Even her departure from London is threatened when their train tickets are pickpocketed from her love interest, Ian Cameron, and they resort to the witches’ safe house and a magical train to reach Sir Henry’s Elvanfoot’s home in the north. Thinking themselves safe, Edwina and Ian relax as the witches and fair folk prepare for the Gathering, a celebration of Midsummer, and Edwina explores her increasing abilities with fewer restrictions than in London. As Ian investigates something sneaking through the veil between the mortal and fairy worlds, he finds increasingly disturbing connections between his work and Edwina’s stalker, and runs afoul of his employer who mistakenly thinks he’s hindering the fair folk. The surprises about both characters and the setting throughout this story will delight readers as Smith continues to skillfully play with folklore.