The Raven's Tale

Available from Abrams
Hardcover, ISBN 9781419733628
Ebook, ISBN 9781683354864
Audiobook, Recorded Books
Download the Teaching Guide

“Brooding, macabre, romantic, and surprisingly whimsical . . . a must-read for Poe fans and Poe newcomers alike.”
—Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series

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 a 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 steps out of the shadows with one request: "Let them see me!"


⚜PRAISE FOR THE RAVEN'S TALE⚜

“Winters’s smart, silvery, slithering prose finds beauty in the grotesque—and what is art if not that?”
—Daniel Kraus, co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Shape of Water

“A darkly delicious tale that’s sure to haunt readers forevermore . . . Winters’s voice is electrifying.”
—Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series

“Winters (Odd & True) delves into the life of young Edgar Allan Poe in this elegantly scripted, detailed exploration of a world in which muses take corporeal form . . . This well-researched and darkly entertaining tale serves as an excellent introduction to Poe and his classic works.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A captivating and intensively researched tribute to the famous poet and his Gothic muse.”
—A.G. Howard, author of the international and New York Times bestselling Splintered series

“Several of Poe's most well-known works enhance the narrative, complemented by the author's own finely crafted writing that flows with gorgeous, Poe-inspired phrases . . . A labor of literary love that will appeal to fans of Gothic horror and anyone who has ever had to assuage a determined muse.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Spellbinding, imaginative, whimsical, and unforgettable. A rattling good tale that is worthy of the master poet himself.”
—Dwight L. MacPherson, author of The Imaginary Voyages of Edgar Allan Poe, co-host of The Raven Lunatics

“ . . . a probing, fictional glimpse into the early life and career of one of the world's most notable writers. Eerie, macabre, and appropriately esoteric.”
—Booklist

“Haunting and inventive, The Raven's Tale is a heady mix of history and imagination, offering an eerie, original, fantastical window into the man who would become a beloved muse for so many of us.”
—Leanna Renee Hieber, award-winning author of Darker Still and Strangely Beautiful

“The Raven’s Tale transports readers to the haunted streets of Antebellum Richmond, the city that shaped the teenaged Poe’s melancholy outlook and inspired his chilling poetry.”
—Chris Semtner, curator of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia

“A darkly seductive read, bringing a highly relatable Poe to life for the modern teenager.”
—Dawn Kurtagich, award-winning author of The Dead House

“Winters strategically creates a physical being, Lenore the Muse, as a metaphor for passion or dreams, a theme that rings true as Poe tries to ignore and escape his gothic poetry . . . teen fans of Poe’s poetry will learn about his life and the included verses will create new fans.”
—School Library Journal

“Winters effectively infuses Poe’s macabre aesthetic into her fictional retelling of his life. Fans of classic literature will delight in the many references to mythology and other poets; fans of Poe himself are bound to enjoy passages written in a similar voice to 'The Raven,' as well as the many allusions to his early works.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Winters injects this supernatural story with cleverly crafted, reworked versions of Poe’s poems and successfully turns the personal woes of the budding young writer into its own gothic tale.”
—Geeks of Doom

“Like Poe's stories, The Raven's Tale is dripping in mood and the macabre . . . Absolutely delightful, morbid, and creepy!”
—Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA

“In The Raven’s Tale, Cat Winters writes a heady study of Edgar Allan Poe that is thoughtful, entertaining, and inspiring. It is one of the most atmospheric tales I have ever read.”
—MuggleNet.com

“Drawing on extensive research into Poe’s life, Winters crafts an elegantly written tale . . . Highly recommended for high school collections, this will entice many readers into a new or strengthened following of Poe’s horror writing.”
—PSLA Teaching and Learning: Literature Review

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