Woods of the Raven

By: Mary Calmes

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

Something wicked this way comes…and it might be too late to stop it.

Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.

And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.

But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive….

©2023 Mary Calmes (P)2023 Mary Calmes

Excellent

Nice work Mary I live all your stories and you Greg Tremblay are awesome pair.

Good book narration great

Book was good never like the magic stuff till recently narrator was good too if you are on the fence get it is worth the credit

A fun new magic world

I thought that this was another "new to me" author, but after finishing this book, I checked on Goodreads and discovered that I had read one book by her prior to this. I went and looked up the review and realized that I enjoyed that book as much as I did this one. So, for me, that just tells me that I need to go and find more books by this author (as if my TBR list isn't long enough already.....)

So, this is a stand alone book that introduces us to Xander, a small town witch who lives in a very small town in upstate New York. There is a whole world of magic surrounding Xander and I enjoyed getting to learn about the world as the book unfolds.

We then get to meet the Chief of Police. When we are introduced to him, Lorne is described as being really mean and petty to our MC Xander. But is he really?

Xander comes from a long line of magic and is responsible for guarding a rift into our world that just happens to be on his ancestral property. Lorne, of course, is clueless about magic.

I enjoyed this book and loved all of the unique details that are not as common in this genre. A house that is almost sentient and lets its opinions be known. Cats who aren't really cats and dogs who are more than they seem. Xander also has a LOT of power and the ability to shift into a band of ravens. No, not one raven, but a bunch of ravens. Cool, right?

The story is interesting and kept my attention from beginning to end. I'm definitely going to need to see what else I can find by Ms. Calmes.

Surprised by how good it was

I bought this because it was an Audible daily deal and it's October so it seemed to fit the season and because of this I was expecting a (hopefully) entertaining story. I got that and so much more. I could not stop listening to it and many times found myself smiling or outright laughing out loud during the story. I loved the mythical and magical creatures and only paused the story to look some up to get a clear visual in my head. Xander and Loren are so good together. I love when we get a couple who just get each other and don't have to deal with any third act breakups. I love the supporting characters in this as well including a sentient "cottage". Also, the narration was fantastic. This was pure delight.

what a beautiful story of life, magic and love

I loved this book. The nature magic, the amazing love and bond between two people. wonderful narrator, did such a good job bringing it all to life. My one problem, it seemed so short. I got hooked and then it was over. I want more. 🤣🥰 Excellent job to all who made it possible. Hats off to you.

Magic, storyline, twist on lore

This was a great story, yes it turn into a bit of a love store but has magic, creativity, creatures, a town n character, a property that’s alive. I highly recommend it’s one of my favorite books of 2024 this year

Interesting funny touching & kind of gory 😅

Really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. And I am a 65-year-old retiree who doesn’t listen to much fantasy.
But the community building & development of characters/places was so vivid. The author filled in the details & wrapped up loose threads.

Narrator was great listen to!

I would definitely dive into the next in the series. As well as listening to this one again as I don’t think I caught everything via the audio.

Wonderful

This is a great story with wonderful characters. I really enjoyed this one. The narration was amazing as well.

Welp don’t know what to do now.

This one snuck up on me. The synopsis sounded good enough to intrigue me, at the very least enough to listen as a background story. Damn was I struck upside the head, a pleasant surprise for sure. A cute little story that will warm you to the core.
3.5 / 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Too much sex

(As posted in Goodreads)
The title _Woods of the Raven_ didn't keep me from assuming that it was anything but a standard mystery - my son corrected me; "the Woods" Is a standard fantasy trope, and " Raven" Was a Dead Giveaway. SIGH, I'm clearly just old and out of touch. So whereas I was expecting a classic mystery, it is actually A total fantasy--complete with magic and witches and demons.
That being said, it's OK, But not totally great. There's way too much sex, and the importance of feelings, whereas it's an interesting addition, does not really add to the story.
Overall, ho hum.