So, I Needed a Raven

 

TITLE: Raven Hill

AUTHOR: Jools G. King

PUBLISHER: Self Published

PUBLISHING DATE: October 12, 2023

PAGES: 144   

SOURCE: KU

FROM GOODREADS: A grim horror overlooks the village. A horror more than three hundred years old. 

A witch with a chokehold on the folk that live at the foot of Raven Hill. 

A witch gone rogue, an evil crone with a vengeance that must be satisfied at all costs. Fish are dying. Crops are withering. The birds no longer sing. Everywhere, flocks of malevolent ravens darken the skies. The air is poisoned. 

Nate fears the life is slowly being choked from the village. But he has no idea why. For the villagers, time is fast running out. 

Who is the mysterious but enchanting Abbie who has set up camp close by? Is her travelling folk band here merely to entertain the locals? Or is their purpose far more ominous?

MY THOUGHTS: First, a bit of backstory. One of my Facebook reading groups is holding a 6-week "Year of Birds" challenge.  We are split into two teams and the goal is to locate birds and provide pictures of them.  They can be real, in stores, on books, from everyday household items, you get the drift.  There was a bonus challenge where you could get extra points for your team one week for reading a book with the word "raven" in the title.  So, I went off searching on Kindle Unlimited and found this novella and started it right away.  It was a risk, but luckily one that paid off. 

Nate and Miranda live in the small town of Raven Hill.  They have been together for several years and the relationship has grown stagnate.  Nate is perfectly fine with the status quo, but Miranda wants to get married and start a family.  One night while out at a pub, they watch a traveling folk band perform and Nate is suddenly mesmerized by the lead singer, Abbie. So much for the stagnate relationship.

Weird things are happening in Raven's Hill and one day, while seeking out a man who resides in the community, Nate runs into the band living in a camper in the woods.  Nate is enchanted by Abbie and soon learns that she and her bandmates have come to town to banish an evil witch - one which might be the root of all they deterioration and death for the villagers. Nate, who unknowingly has been marked by this evil witch himself, teams up with the colorful characters but will it be enough and what do they all stand to lose in the process.

I consider myself pretty lucky with this find.  It wasn't spectacular but it was actually pretty good, and I enjoyed the story.  I had a few problems with the book especially the insta-love/insta-lust between Nate and Abbie.  However, the author eventually addresses this, and it does explain a lot. Secondly, I'm not a fan of cheating in books.  I know it happens but avoid it when I can.  I will say the horror elements were pretty interesting though and I loved learning more about the evil witch and her motives.  

This isn't a book I might have given a chance had I just stumbled across it, but it was a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.  Plus, it never hurts to put that KU subscription to work since I pay for it.   

MY RATING: 3 PAWS