The Monarchs

Content warnings: witchcraft, black magic, blood magic, murder, near-death experience, demon

The sorority sisters/coven of Kappa Rho Nu must face the consequences of the previous year.

The sisters of Kappa Rho Nu must deal with the consequences of destroying the talisman and the death of their power-hungry sister during the previous school year. Scarlett is still interested in Jackson, the guy from the other side of the tracks who is the polar opposite of her former longtime boyfriend Mason. Scarlett's "little" (the younger sorority sister she mentors) Vivi returns as a sophomore and is dating Mason (awkward!).

Vivi and Mason's relationship feels the same as Scarlett and Mason's relationship and carries on without much excitement. Scarlett is irked when Jackson starts dating a girl from Theta (their rival sorority), and as the relationship progresses Scarlett suspects there is magic at work in their connection.

Strange things are happening on the Waverly campus, with magic performing strangely or not at all. There's a mystery surrounding what is happening in the Georgia college, and Scarlett and Vivi make it their mission to discover what's going on with their magic.

Scarlett and Vivi make all the mistakes that would make the novel end much sooner -- not confiding in their sisters, not realizing they're in over their heads, not asking an adult for help. It seems a bit unrealistic that teenage witches wouldn't reach out to their elders for help with magical issues way outside of their knowledge and abilities.

Sophie Amoss continues the narration of the series with a performance that's unremarkable.

Recommended only for diehard fans of the first novel, or teens obsessed with college life and the occult. Fans of shows on The CW like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Charmed may also enjoy this book.

Kass Morgan is an editor and YA author who studied literature at Brown University and Oxford University. She lives in Brooklyn.

Danielle Paige is a bestselling YA author who also works in television. She lives in New York City and is an alumna of NYC's Columbia University.

Series: The Ravens, #2

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (print); Recorded Books (audio)

Narrator: Sophie Amoss

Running Time: 12 hours, 24 minutes

Length: 448 pages

Release Date: January 11, 2022

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.