Have Some Birdseed: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Oh boy. What can I say about this book? 

Long story short, this book rapidly became a chore to read. I was initially attracted to it because of its ostensible similarities to the Folk of the Air trilogy, but alas. It bears very little resemblance to Holly Black's works. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy some parts of the book. The writing was nice. The plot was nice (in some parts). But overall, I finished the story feeling . . . completely unmoved. And for a book whose entire plot hinges on human emotion, that isn't a good sign. 

I didn't like the book for several reasons—the most serious of which is the character development. Rogerson starts the story with a worldbuilding concept that would require at least 300-400 pages, if not a second book. Unfortunately, An Enchantment of Ravens is only 250 pages. Much too few for thorough and appropriate character development and plot development. Isobel and Rook remained completely static characters that did not seem to learn much from their adventure or their burgeoning romance. 

That's another failed point for me: the romance. Isobel and Rook shared some attraction, but not nearly enough to warrant the soapy praise that Rogerson seemed to heap upon their love story. And again, 250 pages is hardly sufficient for a story of this ambition. 

The beginning starts off promising enough. We are introduced to Isobel, who is an exceptionally skilled painter, and the Fae/human world she lives in. The Fae, devoid of all art and emotion, seek out human artists in order to capture what they cannot have. 

When Rook first showed up and saved Isobel from the wild beast, I was initially on board. However, the pacing of the story quickly slowed and became disjointed. Isobel spent weeks working on Rook's painting, but his anger at the result and Isobel's subsequent romp into the world of the fair folk happened over the span of less than a day. It seemed as though Rogerson skipped all the necessary relationship development between Isobel and Rook in exchange of transitioning to a more exciting part of the story. But in doing so, the story lacks the  requisite reasons why the reader should even indulge the idea of a relationship between Isobel and Rook. 

The whole side plot with the spring fae (forgive me, I can't quite recall the actual name of the court/lord) was stilted. With how much danger both Isobel and Rook stressed they were in, I didn't expect them to stop for something as quaint and peaceful as a vacation in the springtime. The plot slowed down—massively. I felt as though I was reading a daily log of Isobel's outfits rather than an actual story. Even with the revelation that the spring fae are integral to Isobel and Rook's eventual mission to kill the Alder King, this portion of the book just did not meet my standards. 

There are only a few things I know for sure after reading the ending: one, Isobel and Rook killed the Alder King; two, the spring fae helped; and three, Isobel and Rook are allowed to be together. Everything else that isn't specifically contained under those three reasons is a complete mystery to me. There was no gravity to the final battle; in fact, there was not very much gravity given to any event in this book. Isobel and Rook seemed to float through things with only pretended urgency. Was there ever a real threat to their relationship besides vague references to the "Good Law"? 

Isobel comes out of her arc the same exact way she went into it. She was headstrong at the start; she was headstrong at the end. She was wise at the start; she was wise at the end. Little, if any change, occurred in her character that showed development. 

Rook, if possible, has even less development than Isobel. Other reviewers have postulated that this is because the story is told completely form Isobel's first-person POV, and I am inclined to agree. Rook remains a mysterious, brooding, handsome young man—and haven't we seen enough of those in YA fiction? 

This story has every element needed for success: forbidden love, a lush fantasy world, interesting characters. But it ultimately falls flat.