Darkly beautiful. I wish Marly would write a sequel or two. ( )

"Curse of the Raven Mocker" and its companion novel "Ingledove" are truly American fantasies, set in the Great Smoky Mountains and infused with the Scots-Irish and Cherokee mythology of that region. I can't recommend them highly enough to anyone who wants a change from European-based fantasies. "Raven Mocker" is the story of Adanta, a girl whose mother is lured away by the man-raven shape changer of the title. Adanta journeys to try and overcome the evil and reclaim her mother. The quirky and unusual characters she encounters along the way populate a lushly-drawn landscape that is both real and on the borders of mystery. Bird catchers, stolen brides, native plants and animals, and tale-telling spirits are just a few of the alluring details of this world. I also really appreciated that Youmans doesn't give us a comfortable happy ending - it is optimistic, but there is sorrow mixed in too, just like real life.

It is a short novel, but rich in detail and thus not as fast a read as it appears. Marketed at Young Adults, there is enough that is original and compelling about the book that it should not be overlooked by an older audience. ( )