This was an unusual tale of Edgar Allan Poe’s teenage years. He leaves his home and his horrible foster father, only to be haunted by his muse, Lenore.

The story alternated between Edgar’s and Lenore’s perspectives. Lenore is strange because she is Edgar’s muse from his imagination, yet everyone else can see her. Whatever Edgar does, affects Lenore. For example, when he gets drunk and passes out, she also faints wherever she stands.

This story was tragic because of the way Edgar was treated. His foster father abandoned him at the university, leaving him to get deep in debt. I wanted to root for Edgar, but he made so many bad decisions. I really felt sorry for him. Lenore was pushy and annoying, always barging into Edgar’s life. I also didn’t really understand how she was visible to everyone, yet a figment of his imagination.

This story didn’t really work for me. I couldn’t connect to the characters or the tragic plot.

Thank you ABRAMS Kids for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I gave it a go, but after a week of trying and only getting to 10% with zero interest built, I'm calling it quits. Pains me to do so. It sounds fabulous, but the writing isn't engaging for me.

Such an enjoyable read. I went through a Poe-obsessed stage when I was a teen, and I know there's still a subset of new fans with each generation. This will be a perfect companion for anyone deep in the dark abyss of Poe's work.

The Raven's Tale is a fictionalized account of Edgar Allen Poe's teen years. Edgar “Eddy” Poe is desperate to escape the suffocating life of upper-crust Richmond, Virginia. He is looking forward to going to college and being free to follow his passion for poetry as well as getting away from his controlling foster father. The passionate and talented Edgar is close to achieving his goal when she appears. A girl in a dress of ashes and raven feathers, she is Eddy’s muse, whom he names Lenore. Lenore is fierce, powerful, and hungry for words, but she needs Eddy to commit to her so she can evolve from her new frail human form into a higher being. Poe has to decide whether or not he can continue his artistic expression or live his life without it.

The story is narrated by Poe and his personified muse in alternating chapters. Edgar and Lenore share the present-tense narration in distinctive first-person voices. Several of Poe’s most well-known works are given the nod in the narrative, however, I found the alternating chapters at first engaging, but I soon found it tedious and repetitive. There is not much character growth for Poe as he whines and complains about his financial woes. I also found the discussion surrounding the family slaves to be troubling and problematic. I normally really like Cat Winter's infusion of supernatural into her stories, but The Raven's Tale was unfortunately a complete miss for me.

Cat Winters weaves together a creative and melancholy story in this Edgar Allan Poe retelling.

The Raven’s Tale takes us on a journey following Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar struggles between writing his poetry and putting up with all the pressure that he receives from his father. Edgar’s writing soon turns into a muse named Lenore. A muse that is frowned upon by the inhabitants of Richmond.

If you’re a fan of Edgar Allan Poe’s work than you will definitely appreciate this retelling. Edgar has a lot to put up with in this story from following his dreams of becoming a poet, to sticking to his father's demands. A story where Edgar has to either hold onto his muse or to banish her completely along with his poetry. This story is filled with beautiful pieces of poetry as well as some pretty macabre stories of Edgar’s making.

"The kindest thing you can do for the dead," says the young man who requested the kiss, "is to weave their names into art."

The language and writing style that Cat Winters uses is amazing and very fitting for the setting of the book and events. Although there were some parts that felt a bit slow, the writing was easy to follow and was entertaining most of the time. The story is also told from both Edgar and Lenore's points of view, but this retelling is to honour Edgar Allan Poe as stated by the author. Cat Winters truly put in so much love when writing this story and I found myself loving every second of it.

The story is whimsical and gothic all at once, and you could see the difference between the world from Edgar and Lenore’s eyes. The prose is breathtaking and seeing Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry written and weaved through the story was perfect. Cat Winters included Poe’s deepest fears as well as a look into his love for writing deep and dark stories. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of dark fantasy and historical fiction.

I did not enjoy this book. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros
- Creative concept and an interesting way to introduce Poe to YA readers.
- Author’s note contained interesting information about her research about Poe and his life.

Cons
- I absolutely did not buy into the idea of a muse as a supernatural, but living creature.
- The Lenore chapters bored me to tears.
- The pacing was slow. So little actually happened in the story – there was nothing to hold my interest. I noted above in the Pros that I thought this was a creative concept for a story, but overall I think the execution was lacking.
- Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed the story more without the Lenore character at all. Just make it about Poe’s teenage years and his dysfunctional relationship with his foster father and his own internal struggle with his writing. While I get that the author was trying to write about Poe in a Poe style, bringing in a living and supernatural muse muddied the story for me.
- Overall, the story felt a bit erratic and seriously stagnates quickly. The chapters alternate between Poe and Lenore so there is also a lot of repetitiveness.
- I literally didn’t connect to this story in any way.

Summary
In all honesty I would not have finished this book if I hadn’t personally requested it from NetGalley to read and review. The synopsis sounded unique and interesting, but the execution of the story itself did not work for me personally. I really struggled to finish this book. I appreciate the research and work the author put into the story, but ultimately this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Amulet Books for a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books that I think the premise sounded absolutely incredible and brilliant and like something that I would absolutely love but ended so disappointed with its outcome. I had such high expectations and I think that the concept was very interesting, but unfortunately I wasn’t the biggest fan of the story neither the characters, and was expecting something entirely different.

The plot of this book felt really flat and boring many times throughout the story. There were parts of the novel that were quite repetitive and barely anything was happening, and others where there was too much information given to us. It was such a slow story that I honestly debated DNFing it multiple times, because the plot was a bit weak and the characters weren’t my cup of tea.

One of my issues regarding the characters was that the dynamics between them felt quite forced and awkward. Neither of them had many layers and there were times where I felt I was reading the same thing over and over again. This was such a personal thing but I imagined Poe so much different from the character of this book, and even though I understand that it is fiction, I found him so lanky and not brooding enough. His interactions with his “muse” were so uninteresting, and there was nothing about them that made me empathize with neither of them.
The ending was pretty underwhelming and disappointed. Even though I had my issues with The Raven’s Tale, I was still expecting the ending to redeem the story a bit, but I didn’t really enjoyed the path the story took and the final scenes were a bit of a flop.

Overall, I had such high expectations but I was so let down by the characters and the plot. This is one of those novels where it’s a “me” thing, but I’m still glad I read it.

Non-Spoiler Review
I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

There is so much I want to say about this amazing book! First I'll say that I've been a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe since I was a little girl. Something about his writing drew me in, and I loved all of his poems. My father would read me a lot of his poems at night. I distinctly remember him reading A Tell-Tale Heart on more than one occasion and it quickly became one of my favorites. I remember getting a huge book with all of Poe's works in it and thought I was the coolest person ever. When I saw this book on NetGalley and saw what it was about I knew I had to have it. I was elated when I got the email that they were giving me the arc!

We follow a young Poe, not even 18 yet in this book. Cat Winter has said that most of young Poe's life in this book is true. She has done a lot of research but added to the story with other information she had. What makes this book not a biography is the fantastical gothic muse that Winter has created for Poe. And not only that but we get the muse as a POV which is so awesome.

Poe has lived a life that does not fit who he is. He lives with his adoptive mother and father who took him in when he was younger because his parents passed. His adoptive father is not a nice man and hates that Poe wants to be a poet. He wants Poe to become something successful and doesn't believe he can become successful writing. Poe tries so hard to do what "Pa" says because he wants more than anything to go away to college to get away from him. That's when his muse, Leanore pops up and wants Poe to write his dark gothic stories and poems.

I loved this book so much. Winters did an amazing job capturing Poe's own writing style in this book. I couldn't put this baby down because I was so intrigued by it all. The way she used the muse in the story was brilliant. I am definitely recommending this book to everyone I know. There should really be an audiobook for this as well because it would be amazing, especially if the narrator could capture the mood perfectly. I'm a huge fan of Cat Winter's now and can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

“Everyone knows Edgar Allan Poe—now it’s time to meet the Muse who inspired him”

THE RAVEN’S TALE is the story of a young Edgar Allan Poe and Lenore, the dark muse that appears to him; inciting within him the Gothic writing he would later become a legend for. Both whimsical and filled with the macabre, this is a well-researched story that entertains and chills its readers.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! I imagine myself saying from the pulpit in the pink sanctuary of our church. My name is Edgar Poe, and today, for reasons I don’t fully comprehend, I’m obsessed with the seventy-two bodies buried beneath us.”

Cat Winters paints a wonderful picture of a seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe with inky-splashes of this dark and tortured soul. He hungers for recognition, and when he meets his muse, she encourages him to unleash the darkness within him and in his writings.

“Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”

THE RAVEN’S TALE takes readers into the world of seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe as the first experiences the world away from home as a student at the prestigious new university, where he discovers his dark muse, the capricious attitudes of his peers, and the bitter pangs of lost love. Each experience is like an emotional meal to his muse, Lenore, whose very existence is dependent on Edgar’s acknowledgment of her in his writings. I found the combination of these two dark souls compelling and chilling.

In the End

Part historical and part supernatural in tone, this is a slow-burn story with plenty of macabre and gorgeous writing. If you are in the mood for something unique and a fan of Poe, I would definitely recommend checking Cat Winter’s newest young adult tale of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Raven's Tale
By: Cat Winters

What a fantastic tale of early Edgar. I adored this in such a way that I just want to go read a bunch of Poe's work and consume it all. Cat Winters has given new generations a fantastic tale to begin their love of the amazing gothic poet. Winters definitely put a lot of research and love into this novel because you can sense her adoration for this beloved poet! I enjoyed this because I have been a fan of EAP for as long as I could remember from discovering poetry. If you are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, then I truly believe you will love this fictional historical retelling of his teenage life.

Muses are said to be damaging to the soul. At least that is only what some seem to believe. Edgar has one. Or two. Or a few, who really knows, but there is one that speaks to him and craves his words. I adore Lenore, his muse. She is one tough cookie. Why can't I have a muse as determined as her?

This novel takes on a journey of Poe's struggles growing up. The struggles he endured at college, at home, and his own insecurities. It was such an eye-opening tale to the truth and personality of Edgar Poe. He was such a strong individual who only wanted to create art. He was burdened in some aspects, and still became one of the greatest poets in literary history.

Trigger Warnings:
Parental Abuse
Gambling
Alcohol Abuse
Depression
Gun Violence

Such a beautifully written book on one of my most favorite men of literature. I loved it. I will recommend it to you if we ever talk about Edgar. He is such a brilliant and talented man who deserves any and all recognition. Cat Winters delivered this novel in such a way that it is going to open up classic literature for new generations!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Amulet Books, and Abrams Kids for allowing me to review this one.
Until Next Time,
DauntlessReading!

First, I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. That being said, I apologize for being so ridiculously late getting this review posted.

The Raven's Tale is about a young teenage Edgar Allan Poe and the beginnings of his macabre writings. We jump right into the inner workings of Poe's mind while he sits in church listening to a sermon on silencing muses and how the fancies of the imagination are a sin. But in young Poe's mind, he can't stop thinking about the many lost souls buried far beneath the church he sits in, knowing that he will never give up his passion for poetry. This is just the beginning of his struggle to break free of the confines of the small town of Richmond, Virginia where he has lived since being adopted as a baby when his mother died of an illness leaving him and his brother and sister orphans. Aside from his beloved Elmira Royster, he does have one thing to look forward to. In a matter of days he is to leave to study at the University of Virginia and the days couldn't go by any quicker. But when his muse takes on a more human form, walking out of the shadows late one night to break free and run rampant around town, he fears that this could be what keeps him from escaping his terrible foster father.

Writing about such a well known person of history, its clear that the author went to great lengths to study every bit of information regarding Poe that she could get her hands on. In the back of the book she mentions what she researched and how she came to certain conclusions on how Poe's life must have been as a youngster. From letters, to bank receipts, to interviews of other students, its clear that she covered all her bases to bring about the most accurate portrayal of our beloved Poe as she possible could. This was one of the bigger parts of the book that stood out to me to be completely honest. From the town he grew up in, to the location of the church he attended, to the names of his friends and family and acquaintances and love interests. There is scarcely a stone not turned. Winters even goes to mention how she came up with the ideas for the blank periods of time where there isn't a lot of history to be found, and to be honest I think she did a fantastic job staying true to the character and represented Poe in a way that feels so incredibly realistic and believable.

I think that on top of having to know the personality and history of Poe so well, this led to the writing in this book being dark and poetic and perfect for the atmosphere that the poet deserves. It feels like the chapters were written by Poe himself and the incorporation of the actual works of Poe into the plot of the book were woven together so seamlessly that it honestly felt like the author somehow went back in time to find out what inspired him to write each and every work of art. There were even times where the author wrote some of her own poems that to be honest were amazing. I loved how the tone never changed and it felt so accurate and similar to what you would expect in a tale about a young Edgar Allan Poe. Some books you get to parts where you want to cringe knowing that this is an artistic liberty that the author must have taken to keep to their plot, but that was so far from the case in The Raven's Tale. Every part of the plot seemed to revolve around actual poems and historical facts that I was convinced it all must be real.

If there is anything that kept me from truly loving this book to its full potential, its that there were points where it tended to lag. It felt like I was just waiting for something to happen while following Poe on his daily routine to just end up reading about an average day of waking up, struggling to get by and then going to bed unsatisfied with the days work. This always tends to be my issue with historical fiction though, I know that the author can't take too much liberty into changing the events around too much, but sometimes there are parts that to me don't seem as necessary to the plot. While I did get a little hung up on the slower, dryer sections, they moved on quickly enough to keep me interested and didn't take away from the atmosphere that the story portrays. I also had a little issue with the fact that the book just sort of ends. If I hadn't read on to the author's note I would feel a little frustrated with all the loose ends of the life Poe left behind in Richmond. Knowing that these are real people its easy enough to do some research of your own to find out where they ended up and how their lives turned out, but I didn't start this book to end up doing research once finished. But still like I said, these issues weren't enough to make me dislike the book in any way shape or form. The story itself is still wonderfully written and stay so true to the characters that I really had to reach to find anything that I didn't quite like all the way.
My favorite part of the whole book would be how the muses come to life. I absolutely loved Lenore and felt like this was such a beautiful way to describe the inspiration for so many of the poems that we know so well today. I felt so much for her and her journey as well as rooting for Poe to overcome his obstacles and find his connection to Lenore. There were so many times where I wanted her to do away with the evil Mr. Allan and his mission to keep Poe from ascending to greatness that he was always destined to achieve. She knew it all along and now look at how well known Edgar Allan Poe is today! I'm honestly surprised he would ever keep the name Allan after all he went through at the hands of that jerk of a man.

This was such a well written, dark, poetic, and lyrical book that takes you right into the life of who we all know today as The Master of the Macabre and I think it did him wonderful justice. Everything was so on point and respectfully written. Be prepared to look over your shoulder at every creak and pop you might hear and don't read this one before bed because that thump thump that you keep hearing just might be the sound of The Tell Tale Heart, or your darkest muse about to step out of the shadows!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”

My thoughts:

Edgar Allan Poe longed for the freedom to follow his muse wherever she leads him in terms of writing. His foster father most definitely was opposed to this and at every turn discouraged Poe's writing and encouraged him to adapt to a sensible life of working for him.

This book covers a little more than a year in the life of Poe -from just before he enters university up to the publication of his first pamphlet of poems. It covers the arrival of his gothic muse and how she affects him. And his struggles are documented at university, home, and in between. I found myself frustrated with how his adopted father treats him. You'd like to say he meant well, but he might not have had Poe's best interests at heart at all times.

Lenore fights to inspire Poe and to be seen. The other muses have cautioned her against the latter, but still, she persists. And it is, at times, almost her undoing.

I was impressed by the amount of research that Cat Winters put into the book. The author's note and resources listed at the end give some idea to what all she looked into in preparation for this book. Also, I was impressed that she penned lines in Poe's style to give some idea as to how he responds to his muse.

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well-written, creative, and interesting. It gives a window into what Poe may have been like at that tender age of 17. I recommend it particularly for fans of Poe, but it is also a good book to read as a historical, gothic piece. It's definitely worth the read.

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters was published April 16th, 2019 from Amulet Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

And for the final DNF of the month. This book reads exactly like the classic Edgar Allen Poe, and because of this, I was easily distracted. I think the reading slump turned me away from this one since it was harder for me to get invested. This book just wasn’t the right vibe I needed for now.

A great premise, but doesn't deliver. The macabre start is engaging as Lenore emerges from Poe's mind in all her ghastly glory, but then quickly becomes tiresome and difficult to follow.

While there will be a market for the dark undertones this novel provides, it is going to be a tough sell and an even tougher finish.

A dark atmospheric and gothic tale that is worthy of Edgar Allan Poe! If you have read any of Winter's books before you will not be surprised by the writing style or storytelling approach. It is what I love most about Winter's books. She has a very unique style to telling dark, atmospheric historical fiction novels with surprising twists and turns! Winter's take on the teenage years of Edgar Allan Poe piece together a possible detailed depiction of how this master of the macabre got his start.
" Horror is for the lower classes. Horror isn't art!"
As a huge fan of Poe I was loving the odes to his work and the use of parts of his writings to tell the story of his beginning. The sprinkling of words from "The Raven" lit my heard with joy! There were so many great references to some of my favorite Poe works. It was evident that Winter's did her research and worked hard to mimic Poes writing style at times. The dual perspective with Poe and his muse Lenore wove together perfectly to share both the sides of Poe and his inner workings of the poets mind. Like any writer there is the internal struggle , especially being a teenager, Poe has a lot of obstacles to work through.
" I'm your son's muse- his macabre spirit- his poetic obsession with madness and weirdness, and the most delicious horrors."
Lenore was my favorite. I enjoyed her chapters so much more than Edgar's. She was such a complex character and began to take on a life of her own. She has her own obstacles to deal with and figure out, while trying to help Poe become his best self and the dark, macabre poet he is meant to be.
Overall I was enthralled with the dark, grim and all things macabre that are woven throughout Poe's young life. The gothic atmosphere that are so familiar in Poes writing is strongly apparent in this story. If I were to give this book a color it would be dark gray. I visualized the whole story in my head as a black and white and I loved that aspect of the book. It was a great depiction of how young Poes life could have been and shaped and let you imagine how his writing came about. Most notedly his poem "The Raven" !

4.5 Stars

This may be one of the most imaginative book I have read this year. It was so creative in melting the documented events of the teenage life of Edgar Allen Poe with the fantastical macabre elements that so perfectly capture the haunting cadence of Poe’s works. It seemlessly combines stanzas from various of Poes work, poets that clearly inspired Poe and even new works within Poe’s stylistic fashion.

I honestly don’t want to discuss the plot or the characters too much as there was something so delicious about with way the fantastical elements were introduced to the narrative of Poes life, that I don’t want to give spoilers. I think it is very much a book that people should go into blind and just let the tale be revealed to them. Both elements merge so seemlessly into the story that I forgot that this had its roots within the life story of Edgar Allen Poe. His tale itself is interesting but the fantasy introduced here just catupred my imagination. The story is told over two perspectives. 17 year old Edgar, charts his young life as he attends university and attempts to write his poetry despite the disapproval of his adoptive father. We also get the perspective of Lanore, Poe’s peculiar and almost frightening Muse that he accedentially counjours late one evening. Lanore allows us to explore the darker side of Poe and what may have influenced his tales of the macabre. These two distinct narratives weave between each other linking the real to the magical and creating a fantastic and absorbing story.

I don’t think readers would need to know the work of Poe to be able to enjoy this book. A familiarity with Tamerlane and The Raven may help with some of the visual aspects within the book but I don’t think it is necessary. What is particularly nice is that an authors letter including research, resources and bibliography adds even more to the story showing how true to Poe’s life the plot stayed while adding in the mystical muses.

Overall I really enjoyed this tale. The writing was beautiful and the plot was strong, with a fantastic and original ending. It’s definately a book to curl up with on a dark dreary night – maybe near midnight on a bleak night in December- and just devour this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me the opportunity to early read and review The Raven's Tale. All opinions and thoughts are my own and have not been influenced by this opportunity.

I am not entirely sure where to begin with this one. I went into this story with incredibly high hopes. I mean, just look at that cover! It is incredibly gorgeous and really drew me in to want to read this story about Edgar Allen Poe. But, in all honesty that's where my love for this book ends.

It's just that, nothing happened. Throughout this whole story it felt like the plot never moved anywhere and it began to drag the last half of the book because I could tell the pace wasn't going to pick up or take us anywhere. I find it difficult to like a book when nothing happens and we get nothing out of the plot.

I also didn't particularly care for the characters? I feel terrible saying that but I don't know how else to put it. Edgar just went through the motions of writing, seeing his muse, fighting, more writing, seeing his muse again and so on and so on. Edgar's Muse Lenore was just, entirely boring to me. I understand her reasoning for being angry at Edgar but also, YAWN already bored just thinking about it again because this is all that happens throughout the story.

I'm just not entirely sure what I read here, and I was mostly disappointed in this book because I was really looking forward to it but I just can't enjoy a book that has dull unlikable characters and essentially no plot.

This makes 3/3 Cat Winters books that I’ve given 5 stars to. It has a survivalistic aspect & some high-stakes conflict that kept me reading, along with such a unique personification of people’s aptitude for the arts as living, breathing muses.

I really enjoyed this book. Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite writer of all time and this unique tale of how he came to write his masterpieces was amazing. I don’t think this novel is for everyone. It has Poe’s writing style in full length novel form. It isn’t a page turning fantasy story. It is a story of how a mans horror becomes his muse. It is slow paced. I do think it needed a bit more going on. The premise is great but it does seem to drag at parts. Since it’s a full length novel I think there should have been more to the plot. I really like this book and I recommend it to fellow Poe lovers. It was dark and honest and full of the twisted thoughts that are common in Poe’s works.