We Become Ravens

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I LOVED every single second of this story!! I wasn't 100% sure what I was getting into but I was pleasantly surprised. We Become Ravens is a devilishly dark, sexy and atmospheric story about our FMC Evangeline who starts to visit the man who killed her brother - Valdemar Montresor.

The story gets straight into the drama as we follow Evangeline and Vlademar meeting in the prison and even though he is quite obviously morally grey I loved him and their interactions together. Part of this story takes place in dreams and I found this to be really interesting and unique to me. The writing was compelling and had me reading when I should have been sleeping, I loved the references to Edgar Allen Poe and the smut was on point.

If you like dark romance and morally grey MMC's then please check this out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Alright, buckle up, because We Become Ravens by Maria Dean is the kind of book that sinks its claws into you and refuses to let go. Dark, eerie, and dripping with gothic allure, this is a story that feels like stepping into a dream—one that’s equal parts intoxicating and terrifying.

We follow journalist Evangeline Bransby, who’s spent the last decade haunted by the murder of her twin brother. So when she receives an invitation to interview Valdemar Montresor—the infamous leader of the Raven Hands gang and, oh yeah, the man convicted of killing her brother—she does what any self-respecting journalist with a death wish would do: she goes. Straight into Monroe Penitentiary. Because of course she does.

From the moment these two meet, the tension is thick enough to choke on. Valdemar is the definition of morally gray—dangerous, enigmatic, and way too charming for a man locked behind bars. But here’s the thing: he insists he didn’t kill her brother. And as Evangeline digs deeper, she finds herself caught in a web of secrets, supernatural forces, and dreamlike visions that blur the line between reality and nightmare.

Maria Dean’s writing? Absolutely stunning. She weaves a story that feels like it was whispered to you in the dead of night—lyrical, haunting, and impossible to shake. The chemistry between Evangeline and Valdemar crackles with intensity, and their dynamic is the perfect mix of I shouldn’t want this & but what if I do?

And let’s talk about the atmosphere. If you love gothic tales soaked in mystery, with just the right amount of the supernatural, We Become Ravens will have you absolutely feral. It’s unsettling, seductive, and perfect for readers who like their romance with a side of existential dread.

Final verdict? If The Raven Cycle, Gideon the Ninth, and Interview with the Vampire had a beautifully unhinged love child, it would be this book. Prepare to get lost in the shadows—you won’t want to leave.

Sometimes, I'll pick up a book on a whim, and that's what I did here. This is a new-to-me author and a fantasy book (which isn't my go-to genre), but something about this book's blurb just called to me. So, I picked it up, and once I did, I didn't want to put it down.

When the man who killed Evangeline's twin brother asks for her to meet him in prison, what could he possibly want other than her forgiveness? That's the one thing that she can never give Valdemar Montresor, but as he starts to reveal the secrets of the Raven Hands and the night that her brother died, Evangeline is caught between dreams and reality and she must seek the truth.

This story consumed me right from the start and it's hold on me only got stronger with every twist and turn. Valdemar had me in his grip from the moment that we swaggered into the visiting room. This is one of the sexiest stories that I've read in quite some time. That's says a lot about this author considering that for much of this story, Evangeline and Valdemar are in a prison, separated by a table and overseen by guards.

Mystery, danger, suspense. This haunting story has all of that and more, all tied together with echoes of Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven'. This story surprised me again and again, and I found myself fascinated by these characters and their connection to each other. The way that this story played out had me turning the pages so fast, wanting to get to the end without wanting the story to be over.

We Become Ravens will definitely be a contender for one of my top reads of this year and it will have me checking out this author's entire backlist too.

This was such an unexpected delight.
I knew the general direction that this would go but how it all panned out was so interesting, haunting and fantastic.

I loved the way the fantasy elements of this story worked. They were layered and interesting. I’ve read about these powers before but never in this way which I absolutely loved.

I was so drawn in by the promise of an Edgar Allen Poe-esque story and I think this one actually nails some of the elements that others haven’t quite achieved. Is it entirely reminiscent? No but there’s aspects that have the same haunting, ethereal beauty that Poe captures in his work in a modern, urban setting that somehow came together and worked so well.

Evangeline was a fantastic FMC. She feels very realistic and I felt the aching pain of losing her brother. As someone who has twins in their family multiple times I see the connection daily and it was sickening to imagine that loss of bond even in a fiction setting.

Valdemar was interesting. His character felt demanding. I especially loved the vulnerability he has while being a commanding figure in the raven hands.

The plot twist at the end was fantastic. I was fully on board with the first story when it was told so that was both great and devastating to me.

I will definitely be picking up whatever book Maria Dean writes. The writing style is so easy to read, the setting was vivid and I adored the characters.

Thank you to Hot Tree Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Okay so I personally haven't read anything like this before, and I found it a very unique read!

We have our FMC who is a journalist and she has been requested to get the scoop from a guy serving 10 years in jail for murdering her brother.

The book has some great paranormal elements and a really different type of "gift" system instead of magic as such. I loved all the subtle little nods also throughout the book to Edgar Allen Poe 🤌

It was a really mysterious read, and I really felt the loneliness of BOTH the main characters. It was a quick read with short chapters and was a spicy one too! How a book manages to be so sexy when for majority of the book they're on opposite sides of a table in a prison visiting room 😆

A real truth finding story, Would recommend 👌

This book was fantastic and I could not put it down. Which means I am really tired writing this having been up till 3 am. I was excited to get an ARC after reading the description, and it did not disappoint. The plot was so good and unique. I can't recommend this book enough!