POE Prophecies: The Raven by P. Anastasia

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I picked up this book because I'd heard a lot of buzz around the series, and I was curious. I've always been a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe, and I was intrigued by the idea of a series of YA novels that incorporated his written legacy into a story infused with magic.

Sadly, I didn't find the depth of story I hoped for. Yes, this is the first book in a series of seven, written for a young adult audience... but because it was so remarkably short, it felt more like three chapters of the first book, rather than the entire first book.

The story has wonderful hooks that grab your attention and make you want to learn more about the academy, the connection to Poe, and the magic that lives inside his writings. The addition of the element of "familiars" and the special connection they have with their students is enticing, but the author allows us only the smallest morsel of understanding. So too, with the few magic spells that are cast, and the beginning of the student's "special" education, which they embark on in secret.

I was immediately hooked. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about these characters and I wanted to learn more. I wanted to become a magical archaeologist in their world and dig deeper into the lore this book teases, but the abrupt ending, after only 150 pages, left me frustrated. Even as a teen, this would have been the case. There just wasn't enough meat to satiate my hunger.

I'd like to read the other books in the series, if only to fill in the obvious holes from book one; but I fear a reprise of my frustration. I think perhaps this series would be better served as a trilogy, to give readers an opportunity to really become immersed in the characters' lives and the lore they must learn to navigate.