Ravenfall, the first book in Kalyn Josephson's Ravenfall series, showed up among my LibraryThing recommendations. I was intrigued enough to check it out from one of my county's libraries. This middle school fantasy has chapters from two either Anna or Colin's viewpoint, usually alternating between our heroine and hero.

Ravenfall Inn is a magic house in Wick, Oregon, a magic town. The House stands within Hollowthorn Woods, also magical. The Ballinkay family call Ravenfall home. It's run by Nora Ballinkay, a fortune teller with visions of the buture. Her husband is a relic hunter and often away from home. Together they have three daughters and a son: The fraternal twins Rose and Kara are 18. Anna is the youngest at 13. The brother is studying to be a physics professor at MIT. The family members have magical gifts. Rose is an empath (senses emotions) and Kara is a telepath. Anna has recently come in to her gift, psychometry. She is deeply disappointed. What good is the power to see death as a person who witnessed it saw and experienced it? (Well, I think that law enforcement agencies would find it very useful, but Anna wants to be able to help entertain the guests.) Gran runs a tea shop in town. Her known gift is telekinesis. Any other magic she possesses, she refuses to reveal. Aunt Elaine, Nora's sister, can read auras and talk to spirits. Uncle Roy, Nora's brother, has pyrokinesis.
This magical family and young Colin are going to have to foil a plot to destroy the world as we know it.

Notes:

Chapter 1:

a. There is a singing ivy in the ballroom. It has crimson vines.

b. Anna's gift gives her a vision of a double murder. Ick.

c. Max caught a faerie trying to poison the garden when Anna was three.

d. Nora has brown eyes. Her son started the kids calling their mom by her first name.

e. The house needs a new coat of periwinkle paint, but won't allow it because being painted tickles.

f. Crushing a fairy light will grant a small wish. There are some decorating Ravenfall's wraparound porch.

g. Colin's eyes are a very bright gray.

Chapter 2:

a. Colin Pierce arrives and describes the exterior of Ravenfall.

b. Anna has olive-brown skin and big brown eyes, but her hair is blond.

c. Colin came to Ravenfall from Montana. His family had been on the run for seven months and told him nothing.

d. Don't answer any questions from the mirror on the third floor. Avoid the third floor -- it tends to disappear.

e. Some of the interior of Ravenfall is described. Generations have added to the house and the house hates that. It's alive.

f. Colin's room is described.

g. The Pierces were living in California before they went on the run.

h. Colin has a worn dictionary from their first motel room...He's read it through part of 'S'. HIs father was a nurse before he became a part-time grocer. HIs mother used to work in an auto shop. Both didn't want anything that could be tracked.

i. Colin finds a worn, leather-bound journal with an Irish trinity knot on the cover in his bad. It was his parents' - and he's sure it was in his mother's bag.

j. Colin puts on his mom's necklace, a silver Trinity knot with a tiny emerald in the center that is on a black rope. He took it from her night side table before leaving the motel.

Chapter 3:

a. Anna has picked up her Aunt Elaine's habit of lifting one eyebrow. She tells Colin about her power.

b. Anna parents once called the cops because a vampire was on a hunting spree. The cops bungled it.

c. Anna tells Colin that Max is a Jabberwocky, a guardian of the Shield between our world and the Otherworld. They help spirits cross over. (This is a big error. 'Jabberwocky" is the name of Lewis Carroll's poem about a Jabberwock. The error seems to be spreading.) Max has chosen to be in the form of a cat, but his kind take different forms.

d. Ravenfall was made from the trees of the Hollowthorn Woods that surround the house. The woods are very magical because the Shield is thin there.

e. Anna's powers come from her mother's Irish line. Her Jewish father has no powers, but his family has some magic. Anna hasn't seen them since she was very young. Her dad doesn't want to talk about it. From Anna's description of what they did, they may have been celebrating Sukkot.

f. Anna's dad is gone for months at a time. He brings her a new funny T-shirt when he comes back and tells her stories.

g. Colin has pale skin and dark hair. He's cute.

Chapter 4

a. Colin is tired of frozen pizza or takeout. His father used to make a new recipe every night and his mom made dessert.:

b. Nora's sister, Aunt Elaine, is described. Her eyes are green, her hair is black, and her arms tattooed. She recognizes who Colin is. Colin's mother grew up in Wick. His parents stopped coming to Ravenfall because of his brother Liam's birth.

c. We learn Elaine's powers. Also, it was Uncle Roy who taught Anna a piercing whistle.

d. Aunt Elaine gives Colin Wish Cider, which tastes like whatever one wants it to. He chooses oatmeal butterscotch.

Chapter 5: Max takes his true form to deal with some ghosts. Two of the ghosts are Colin's parents.

Chapter 6:

a. Anna explains the Shield.

b. Anna is home schooled because when she went to school in the third grade, she got nicknamed 'Ghost Girl' (haunted cafeteria).

c. Colin sort of remembers a logo on one of his parents' killers.

d. Rose uses their herbs to make glamour bags for the guest rooms.

e. The Andrades' powers are explained.

f. Ravenfall handles cleaning, changing sheets, and baggage handling.

g. The password to Anna's dad's computer is given and his study described.

Chapter 7:

a. Anna explains what a grindylow is.

b. Rose and Kara's room is down the hall from Anna's. Anna, the twins, and Nora are the only family members who live at Ravenfall full time. The twins' room is described.

c. Supernatural creatures' eyes turn silver on camera.

d. An oak in Hollowthorn Woods will give a ride for a pie. Its favorite is strawberry-rhubarb.

Chapter 8:

a. Downtown Wick is more forest than town.

b. There's a row of pumpkin-shaped witches' cottages where locals go for spells. All of Willow Street is spelled for good luck.

c. A dark green building covered in ivy sells magical hats. Max buys most of Ravenfall's hats there - don't wear one of them.

d. The Wicked Orchid has a purple and white front with its name spelled out in real black flowers. Inside it's a greenhouse that's bigger than the outside. Dilara, a brown-skinned teen dressed in black works there. She's Rose's girlfriend.

e. Other shops on Willow Street include a wish granter, bottled dreams seller, candles that help one relive memories, and an enchanted bakery run by a witch. Normal people can't see the magic, which makes Colin wonder why he can. The last building is green with cartoon cats and dogs on its face. It's the Andrade Animal Shelter.

f. Pocket dragons are great at finding things.

g. Wick has a Faerie Garden with a white wooden bridge. A wraith is there.

Chapter 9:

a. Anna explains that Ravens are keepers of the Shield.

b. That wooden bridge in the Faerie Garden belongs to a Red Cap, which is explained.

c. The Merrow Café, where Anna's Gran lives, is painted scarlet, is nestled among cherry trees, and has a cù-sìth (midnight green huge faery dog) named Mr. Connolly on its porch. The effects of some of Gran's teas are described.

d. Gran has Celtic tattoos and the tips of her silver hair are dyed fire red. Part of Merrow's inside is described, too.

e. Both of Colin's parents were descended from ancient lines of Ravens. Brigit used to work at Merrows in the summers. She met Niall there when he came from the East Coast tracking a rare Faerie. Brigit learned how to make her oatmeal butterscotch muffins that Colin loves so much from Gran.

Chapter 10:

a. Pierce '67 Dodge Charger is delivered to Ravenfall without Liam.

b. This is where we learn that Anna's full name is Annabella Neviah Ballinkay. (Some parents in the USA have a system to let their children know how much trouble they're in. First name only means one is not in much trouble. First and middle name together means medium trouble. All three names at once? It's groveling time! In fact, middle names are so common in the USA that the Air Force put down my late father's name with 'NMI' for 'no middle initial' on his official paperwork.)

c. Uncle Roy arrives.

d. Colin's mother once took on a Red Cap with her bare hands.

e. Aunt Elaine has a skull tattoo on her forearm. She and Roy talk about Ravens.

Chapter 11:

a. Ravenfall has a 1900s-style fedora with a gold feather on its chimney. Max changes its hats.

b. Aunt Elaine performs a ritual with the Pierce family Raven journal.

c. Elaine and Roy start Colin's training. Roy trained with Brigit. (Elaine is still mad that Roy set fire to a bedspread she made when they were kids.)

Chapter 12:

a. Until now, the only Raven that Anna has known is her father's friend, Salem.

b. Niall might have given Brigit Saint Knives.

Chapter 13:

a. Colin has a vision because of the Saint Knives.

b. We learn about wraith toxin and, later in the chapter, what a Triskelion is -- more about them in chapter 14.

Chapter 14: Anna hates to read or do research.

Chapter 15:

a. Elaine was supposed to take over Ravenfall, not Nora. We learn what happened.

b. Anna has a nightmare and makes a flip book about it.

c. There are more wraiths in town.

d. To be friends with Max is the greatest offense, in Ravenfall's opinion.

e. Colin and Anna discuss Anna feeling useless.

Chapter 15:

a. Uncle Roy's husband runs a farm in Ireland.

b. Anna loses a bet with Max that determines her Samhain costume.

c. The source of the crest Colin saw in his vision is tracked down.

Chapter 16:

a. Anna attempts to help with the Pierce family journal.

b. They visit the Final Masquerade costume shop. Anna has a vision there.

Chapter 17: Seamus the shopkeeper identifies a mask as a Radharc and explains it,

Chapter 18: Kara reveals Anna's theory about Colin. Colin doesn't like it, but Gran confirms it.

Chapter 19: Uncle Roy and Colin go to the When in Wick Motel. Roy tells him why his parents left the family trade.

Chapter 20: There's a discovery about Gran. Gran talks about Fin Varra, his people, and Otherworld.

Chapter 21: Alice the motel clerk has powers.

Chapter 22: Aunt Elaine attempts to contact Liam.

Chapter 24: We learn about a ritual for getting rid of something one does not want.

Chapter 25: Anna searches for their enemy.

Chapter 32: Anna tells Colin what new things she's learned about her power.

I love the house, the woods, and the town. I love the fact that the book teaches readers how to pronounced 'Samhain'. The folklore lessons were painless, the peril real, and I liked the solution. The only thing I didn't like was calling Max a 'Jabberwocky' instead of a 'Jabberwock'. Was that enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book? No. I've already ordered my own copy and book two, Hollowthorn.

Dog fans will doubtless find Mr. Connolly's appearance all too brief.

Cat fans will probably enjoy Max's impersonation of a black cat. ( )

Supernatural for 12yr Olds? Would recommend for 5th grade and up.

*I got this book from the publisher*

I really loved this book. I think this book gave me such fall vibes and loved the setting of this read. I also loved this book because it not only had so any different types of witchcraft and powers but also creatures as well. It also had elements of irish mythology. It was a really quick read. I also really enjoyed the murder mystery was at the heart of this read. I also really enjoyed that this book had parent involvement and also elements of classic action adventure. It also gave me both keeper of the lost cities vibes, fall vibes and also haven fall vibes because this whole book is set at a magical inn!! I also really loved both main characters as well and not only how different they were but also the friendship the developed. I am so excited we are getting book 2!! Such a great fall read!! ( )

*I got this book from the publisher*

I really loved this book. I think this book gave me such fall vibes and loved the setting of this read. I also loved this book because it not only had so any different types of witchcraft and powers but also creatures as well. It also had elements of irish mythology. It was a really quick read. I also really enjoyed the murder mystery was at the heart of this read. I also really enjoyed that this book had parent involvement and also elements of classic action adventure. It also gave me both keeper of the lost cities vibes, fall vibes and also haven fall vibes because this whole book is set at a magical inn!! I also really loved both main characters as well and not only how different they were but also the friendship the developed. I am so excited we are getting book 2!! Such a great fall read!! ( )

Ravenfall is a spooky yet cozy MG, perfect for Halloween read. Colin, on the run from mysterious murderors ends up at magical Ravenfall where he meets Anna, a girl who’s trying to find her place in her magical family. When a threat comes to town with Colin, the two must join forces to defeat it. I really enjoyed how we are immersed in both the magical world and the complex emotions of the main characters, Colin’s survivor guilt, sorrow, and search for belonging, and Anna’s struggle to be special in family of extraordinary talents. Highly recommend! ( )