Never before have ever I read a modern book written only in verse. I think the only stories I’ve read in poem format were The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf, but unlike The Epic of Gilgamesh, David Elliott’s The Seventh Raven was an interesting and engaging experience! At first, it was a little hard for me to get used to, but after that, I was fully engaged in this wild and wonderful tale of a boy who wants only to fly.

There are a lot of things that I liked about The Seventh Raven, and I can’t really think of anything that I disliked. Firstly, I loved how the rhyming patterns were different for each character, to give them their own unique voice as the book wasn’t written as a regular narrative. I don’t really know too terribly much about poetry, but Elliott explained in the back of the book what rhyming schemes he used and the patterns for each character and why he used them. It was really interesting and clever.

Everything about the plot was so different and so unique. I loved how the brothers were turned into ravens and how their younger sister, even though she had never met them, was determined to save her brothers. I didn’t even know it was a fairytale retelling until the end, when Elliott explained that it was a retelling of The Seven Ravens by the Brothers Grimm. Now it makes me want to find the original story and read it!

I loved the lyrical beauty, and nostalgia that the story invoked. It was like being back in my childhood reading fairytales and dreaming of castles magic animals all over again. Only, there’s a sort of controversy throughout the story. I don’t know how much I can say without spoiling the plot, but let’s just say that of the seven brothers, the seventh is the only one who doesn’t bemoan his fate, and feels he’s finally free to be what he was always meant to be. It was interesting seeing that contrast between the characters, and seeing how the younger sister is portrayed, in her own mind, as the hero, when in fact, the youngest brother sees her as a villain. I just found it to be a fascinating spin on the typical fairytale story.

The only issue would be the fact that because it’s in verse, we can’t really connect as well with the characters as we would if the book were in narrative writing. However, at the same time, I feel that it’s perfect, as original fairytales are written with an omniscient narrator, and therefor we’re never inside Cinderella or Ariel’s head. So, while it would have been nice to be able to dive into the characters’ minds and see more of this world, at the same time I also found it somewhat fitting for The Seventh Raven to be written this way.

Another issue is that the story was too short! It’s not really a negative complaint, but I would love to see more of this world and have explanations for some things that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I don’t know if this is a spoiler, but I also would love to know where in the world the glass castle came from, and its history. If Elliott could write a sequel, or at least another book set in that world in whichever prose he chooses, that would be amazing! I would be all there for that!

Overall, I loved the poetic format and the fact that it’s a retelling of a fairytale I’ve never heard of! If you enjoy poetry, original Grimm’s fairytales, and thought-provoking tales, then you’ll love The Seventh Raven by David Elliott!

The Seventh Raven is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up The Seventh Raven? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Best-selling author David Elliott examines the timeless themes of balance, transformation, and restoration in this evocative tale about a girl who will stop at nothing to reverse a curse that turned her seven brothers into ravens. 

And these are the sons
Of good Jack and good Jane
The eldest is Jack
And the next one is Jack
And the third one’s called Jack
And the fourth’s known as Jack
And the fifth says he’s Jack
And they call the sixth Jack
But the seventh’s not Jack
The seventh is Robyn

And this is his story

When Robyn and his brothers are turned into ravens through the work of an unlucky curse, a sister is their only hope to become human again. Though she’s never met her brothers, April will stop at nothing to restore their humanity. But what about Robyn, who always felt a greater affinity to the air than to the earth-bound lives of his family?

David Elliott’s latest novel in verse explores the unintended consequences of our actions, no matter our intentions, and is filled with powerful messages teased from a Grimms’ fairy tale. Stunning black-and-white illustrations throughout by Rovina Cai.

The post Review: The Seventh Raven by David Elliott appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

March 2019 sees a few retellings hitting the shelves with Maid Marian taking over from Robin Hood in Sherwood, while Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy pen a new King Arthur story with a teenage girl being the newest reincarnation of Arthur. What else is instore for you? Brave an alien attack in Laura Pohl’s The Last 8, join a secretive boarding school in Killing November, follow the journey of a young scientist with powers in K.K. Pérez’s The Tesla Legacy, or be enchanted by dark faeries in Sarah Porter’s Never-Contented Things

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be reading of them!

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From debut author Justin A. Reynolds comes The Opposite of Always, a razor-sharp, hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose and the moments that make life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A high-stakes survival story about eight teenagers who outlive an alien attack—perfect for fans of The 5th Wave

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A new YA standalone novel about dark faeries with surefire appeal by Sarah Porter, the critically-acclaimed author of Vassa in the Night and When I Cast Your Shadow. 

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this start to a thrilling, subversive near future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private high school that is far more than it appears to be.

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fans of Danielle Paige, Marissa Meyer, and Alex Flinn will devour New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner’s next fierce fairy tale-inspired story, which Illuminae author Amie Kaufman calls “a kick-ass, gender-flipped feminist retelling.”

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Victoria Parker knew her dad’s behaviour toward her was a little unusual, but she convinced herself everything was fine—until she found herself locked out of the house at 3:00 a.m., surrounded by flashing police lights. Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden.

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Killing November by Adriana Mather
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built–and toppled–empires.

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees
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Pan’s Labyrinth meets The Hazel Wood in this novel about a girl with terrifying visions and a wish-granting witch whose lives collide in the most unexpected of ways.

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott
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Author David Elliott explores how Joan of Arc changed the course of history and remains a figure of fascination centuries after her extraordinary life and death.

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie
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Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched trilogy, returns with an intricately crafted and emotionally gripping story of one young woman’s journey to move beyond the grief and anger that control her and find the inner strength to chart her own course.

The Tesla Legacy by K.K. Pérez
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An action-packed, young adult coming-of-age adventure, K. K. Perez’s The Tesla Legacy follows a precocious young scientist named Lucy Phelps whose fateful encounter in the Tesla Suite of the New Yorker Hotel unlocks her dormant electrical powers.

Will you be reading any of these books? Tell us in the comments below!

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