A Foreboding of Woe

A Practical Guide to Sorcery #4

by Azalea Ellis

The Raven Queen...

Siobhan didn't choose this name.

But now she will take control of it.

The secrets of this world are deeper and darker than Siobhan knew, and those she once trusted seem strange and sinister. But her Will is as abyssal as the ocean, and she is determined to uncover the truth.

As Sebastien's reputation begins to bloom with its own light, new eyes turn her way. With new magic and old plans come to fruition, she feels the inklings of true power within her grasp.

But there is a storm waiting beneath the placid surface of the ocean...

And old enemies have not forgotten her.

Running has not worked for Siobhan, and so the Raven Queen will stop running, and instead advance. She hopes to strip away any power they hold over her, but as she uncovers secrets and unravels mysteries, things may not go as planned. Will Siobhan and the few allies she has bound to her side be able to stand against the might of their enemies?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

572 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

Azalea Ellis loves to bend the world to her will. Maybe that's why she likes writing books. Creating worlds and people and then sending them through every ordeal imaginable might even give her some kind of sick thrill. Who knows?
Azalea is also an artist, so perhaps she just likes taking things from her head and bringing them to life. Because of her artistic background, she's lucky enough to also be able to do all of her own book covers, and does freelance illustration when she feels like it.
She's fascinated by almost everything, and wishes she could live to be a thousand, so she would have time to learn and do everything she wants.

Reviews

[Drew Caylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need her to come at least partially clean to Damien 😡

[WyoGal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic systems and world building to geek out about

I feel like I’ve attended a semester of magic classes right along with Sebastian. There are so many vivid details woven into this book that it is very immersive.

The action scenes are sustained and intense, which is very satisfying. The characters are memorable, especially if you listen to the Audible version! The plot unwinds slowly with multiple layers of suspense and conflict. I have stayed up way too late reading into the wee hours of the morning.

The series is rather dark with violence but is not overly graphic. Several characters die, are wounded, but a few are saved with magic.

The plot is very compelling. I want to devour the story but also want to savor the journey. There are brief humorous moments, and bright spots of success, but the overarching plot conflicts are deliciously slow to resolve.

The main character is very focused and could be off-putting for her single-mindedness, but she has moments of personal insight, compassion, and growth. Because of her dire situation, her behavior is very believable. Most importantly, she has honor and is worth spending time with.

For readers who enjoy deep mental investment, don’t mind cliff hangers between books, and appreciate a glossary, this series is worth reading!

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shockingly Good

If you liked any of the previous books, I'd definitely check this one out. The stakes are higher than ever, the secrets more crazy than I thought possible, and our protagonist is, as always, both brilliant and daft at once.

The biggest concern I had from the previous book is mostly abated here; I thought that Siobhan was growing in power too unbelievably fast.

The author has countered this problem in about three or four different ways simultaneously. This book has much longer time periods between chapters, so her progression is more believable. It also expands a ton on Siobhan's backstory (which was thoroughly teased before) and gives the reader some good reasons that Siobhan is simply different from others.

All in all, I enjoyed this book greatly. I think I can see some future plotlines as a result of the events of this book, and they make me extremely excited to read Book 5 when that comes out.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d love to say that this book picked up the pace, but if anything, it became more mired in pedantry. I care not for the wee details like where to place which item in any given spell, just make it work, or fizzle, depending on the situation. Then’s there’s the reading she’s doing. Yes, we all love a reader, but I don’t necessarily want to read what she’s reading. A more concise breakdown wouldn’t have left me skimming and galloping past pages of prose.

There was a weird time dilation during Sowing Week, the time between winter and spring terms. She’s doing things that take a week or more, as well as accomplishing something in a single day, while claiming “despite the pain caused by multiple hours a day of intense effort.”

The one thing that kept this book on the rails was the personal interactions, although she’s going to find that her best friend will be quite righteously upset when he discovers the level of her deception. Instead, it’s as if she’s levelled up and is now dealing on the same level as the mentors and guides, the law and the Crown - the very people who could see her brought down. It places a level of danger in the interactions, and elevates the stakes for the next book.

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a fantastic start and I was totally wrapped up in the first half. It slowed down a bit later on before having a real comeback at the end.

The main downside of the series continues to be Siobhan's secrecy. By her never confiding in people the author is stuck with a dull internal monologue rather than external dialogue. This is such a shame because the writing is so good when Liza, Thaddeus, Oliver, Damien, Anna etc talk to Siobhan. All those scenes buzz with life and I love the reactions of other characters to Siobhan's actions.

The duplicity with Damien is a real downer too. He's proved his loyalty time and again. That being said the worldbuilding is fantastic, the action scenes were great, the mysteries have been brilliant and multi-layered. I think the plot really leapt forward in a lot of ways and there's been definite character growth. I will definitely read book 5 when it comes out and the narrator did an amazing job with the audiobook.

[Shane Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book in the series. In this book a lot of dangling plot threads wrapped up, a few big mysteries began to unfold, and the protagonist finally reaches a state of relative competence and security.

I really appreciate that as much as magic in this story has been thoroughly explored and explained, it hasn't become a mass of numbers or game mechanics. The fight scenes have also remained easy to follow and entertaining, even as there has been a bit of increased power involved.

I look forward to continuing to follow this series.

[caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book! I devoured this saga in a week, still sad when I discovered that the next book comes out next year 🥹🥹🥹I didn't even feel that the chapters were long and although I have never liked that there are different POVs, this author has changed that I LOVE IT.

Siobhan has proven to be one of my favorite protagonists by far. I just finished it and I think that with a little more time I will prepare my reviews of these books.

[subzero · Rating 4 out of 5]

it breaks me that the series is not finished and now i have to wait for i dont know how long to get the rest of the story. on the other hand, the story is not over!! When i'm president, i will burn every copy of harry potter and give out free copies of this series instead.

[Hannah Stoutenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I care deeply for the friend who recommended this series to me, so I won't cut them out of my life for getting me so heavily invested in an INCOMPLETE SERIES. Reading books in an incomplete series is against my religion, and this is the perfect example for why. I hate waiting.

[Rebecca Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stellar, just like the previous 3 books in this series. Darker, scarier, but oh-so-satisfying.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book.

Complex coherent magic system
We’ll developed likable characters
Engaging story
Lots of action
Vivid description of background world and history

[Dimitar Kalinkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything just becomes better and better, and finally we see the tip of long held secrets on their road to be revealed.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun!

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are popping off!

[Kes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had the High Crown involved - great way to pick up the stakes and also see more of Thaddeus’ power.

[☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

best one so far.
RTC

[Peche Esse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rough on the suspension of disbelief and an increasingly unlikeable MC, but interesting world building.

[DavidO · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much I made a promo of sorts for it on Youtube

https://youtu.be/SQjL9ZNBcwc?si=A-yik...

[S.F. Henne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 comes out swinging and despite being the longest books so far (824 pages!) I powered through this in two days. It was just that great. There was so much action in this book compared to the other three, and that is probably why it had become my favorite out of the series. The stakes are raised even higher, the danger ever present, and Siobhan will need every trick up her sleeve.

A lot of the story threads that have been building over the series have finally arrived and Siobhan can’t outrun the dangers any more. As always, I love Siobhan/Sebastian’s meticulous planning and seeing it pay off is always worth it. Seeing The Raven Queen come out to play was glorious and even though we (the reader) knows the truth, I love seeing how others react viscerally to her and her mind games.

As soon as I finished this book, I went a preordered book 5. I cannot wait to see how things escalate again.

[Neetesh Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars
Mind Blown!

The revelations in this part! This was my favourite part of the series till now. In many parts I was hooked up to my phone breathless, thinking 'Oh, no,oh no'.

The way the misunderstandings are taking a life of their own, the action, the magic, the characters are the best.


Siobhan reminds me so much of Ainz from Overlord whenever someone praises their depth of cunning, while they are just clueless. However, I prefer the MC over Ainz because Ainz had the power to still get out of trouble, Siobhan is dealing with powers much stronger than her and only alive till now because of her luck stat.

The part when her shadow detaches and becomes the actual Raven Queen!!! That was the best moment of this book for me, which hints at more of her hidden past. Hopefully, it would be revealed more in the future books



Definitely going to read the next parts when they come out!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait for the next book to come out 😭 but I loved this book just as much as the other 3 and absolutely loved how this one ended. I will elaborate later, it's nearly 1 am and I still have work in the morning. If you're thinking about reading this series, do it! I have been hooked for months. I haven't had time to sit and read them, so I've been listening to the audiobooks on Audible. I'm pretty picky with narrators for audiobooks, but I love the lady that's reading these ones, she does a fantastic job! I highly recommend them!

[ARR62 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and Politics

Siobhan gets more enmeshed in political games as she tries to extricate herself and attain freedom. Book 4 is just as engaging and thrilling as the books before. Her magical knowledge and capacity continues to grow. And, we learn more about her early life. Read it and enjoy!

[Karen Gwaliasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Foreboding of Woe

I find that I am really enjoying this series, if you like strong women and twists in a story, you will too.