All Timberlyn wants is to get out of her small town, where she’s branded a freak just because she happens to wear all black and draw gruesome monsters in her notebooks. When a letter arrives saying she’s been accepted to the mysterious Ravenwood Academy for the Exceptionally Gifted, she jumps at the chance. Never mind that she’s not sure what she’s supposedly gifted at, or the fact that she … that she doesn’t remember actually applying there.
When she arrives, the school seems like a dream full of beautiful people ready to befriend her. There’s only one problem with Ravenwood: it’s run by Alarick Wolf and his brothers, three surly, thuggish, insanely gorgeous guys. Timberlyn’s new friends give strict instructions to stay far away from them.
Unfortunately, she’s not good at taking orders.
When girls at the school begin disappearing, Timberlyn refuses to maintain the status quo. She’s sure Alarick and the Wolf boys are up to something, and if she has to, she’ll take them down herself.
That is, if they don’t take her down first.
This is a slow burn romance series appropriate for 14+ due to language. Though there are several guys in Timberlyn’s life, this is not Reverse Harem.
*Cliffhanger Warning
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Ravenwood Academy (Year One: Wolf Moon) is a ya fantasy/paranormal series. Begins a new series brimming with mystery, secrets and sprinkles of romance. We begin with a strong foundation, and I’m looking forward to delve deeper into the backgrounds of the Wolf Brothers. The main female protagonist Timberlyn is well fleshed out with detailed upbringing. Supporting character’s bring more mystery to the narrative. I loved the plot twists surrounding the mystery of Ravenwood Academy. I loved the cliffhanger at the end leading into book two. Looking forward to listening to book two when its available.
Narator Vanessa Moyen is the perfect choice to narate this series. I absolutely loved her performance. Her inflection fit the character Timberlyn perfectly (age appropriate). Easily distinction between the characters. Her inflection was smooth and saccharine. Looking forward to listening to more.
This is an entertaining paranormal YA academy audiobook with some minor hints of possible reverse harem. Timberlyn has never fit in at her Arkansas high school and has always felt out of step with life in her home town. Dreams that seem real, goth attire, a snarky humour and drawings of monsters set her apart. When out of the blue she gets accepted to a Canadian boarding school for the gifted she jumps at the chance, especially as it is in the same town her grandmother lives in. School life at Ravenwood is not what Timberlyn expected and when girls start disappearing, she can not help but try to find out why. Told from a teenager’s point of view, this story has drama, intrigue, action, and highlights all the insecurities, angst and lack of insight that teens seen to feel. There are hints of romance, hot moody guys, secrets and a tense, somewhat creepy cliffhanger at the end. The narrator brings out the characters personalities well, shows good emotion and the voices she uses fits the age group perfectly. I enjoyed the spunky, “in with both feet” attitude of Timberland, the grumpy, brooding demeaner of Alarick Wolf and the slow unraveling of the plot that leads to the suspenseful ending. Overall, this is an entertaining story that is a good fit for the target audience.
YA paranormal boarding academy series heavy on high school drama and intrigue, light on paranormal and common sense. This is a solid, if formulaic addition to a popular sub-genre. I think it is a good fit for the target audience, but older readers might find it predictable. Just what the paranormal element is and how far it extends is the mystery that Timberlyn slowly unravels though the course of the book. While Timberlyn managed to get herself into quite a bit of trouble, it felt like the real action didn’t start until right at the end – when the book abruptly ended mid-scene. The characters in this book are supposed to be on the younger end of highschool but engage in activities that seem more appropriate for college age or older eg alcohol, sex, and the club scene.
This is the first book in a series and ends in quite the cliffhanger. You’ll want to have book 2 ready when you finish this one. The purpose of this book is to set the stage, and that is accomplished by the end. The pivotal scene where the book abruptly ends is a teaser for what happens after the mystery is revealed. A door was opened and there is no going back.
The narration was well done and suited the story well. Vanessa Moyen reads a bit quicker than the average narrator and the end of her words tend to be a touch clipped but is still easy to understand and has good emotion and inflection.
Year One: Wolf Moon (Ravenwood Academy, #1) was a great read by Lena Mae Hill. Timberlyn wants to get out of her small town. They have branded her a freak since she wears all black and draws gruesome monsters throughout her notebooks. She receives a letter where she was accepted to Ravenwood Academy. It is a mysterious academy for the exceptionally gifted. She isn’t sure how she was accepted because she doesn’t remember applying there. Everything at the school seems to be like a dream, everyone is beautiful and wants to be her friend. Ravenwood seems to be run by the three Wolf brothers. But Timberlyn is given instructions to stay far away from them, but she isn’t good at taking orders. Some of the girls there begin to disappear and is determined to find out what happened to them. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.
Ravenwood Academy: Year One: Wolf Moon (Ravenwood Academy, #1), my first read/listen from author Lena Mae Hill, an author I’d wanted to read for some time and never got around to it. 5-hours 6-minute/318-page listen. I was given an Audible copy of this book and I’m voluntarily reading & reviewing it because every great book needs reviews. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. Narrator Vanessa Moyen’s narration, my first time listening to her, adds to the book’s enjoyment. I look forward to reading more from this author and I definitely need to read more in this series! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
This is not a feel-good happy cheerful story, it is full of teen angst, suspense, and tension. The potential romance is forbidden and dangerous, and seems to be one-way, if it is a romance at all. There is definitely a strong attraction but it does not seem to be reciprocated. Loner and misfit Timberlyne does not fit in to her high school. To escape being the “monster” goth, she transfers to Ravenwood Academy, hoping to get a fresh start as a normal teenager. But Ravenwood has cliques and exclusive groups, plus some uber-bullies. It’s a good thing she’s gotten used to standing up to bullies and teasing because her first day did NOT go well. Events take a turn for weird and ominous as girls disappear. Timberlyne suspects the Wolf brothers, despite them warning her to be careful and mind her own business. The mystery deepens as one of the girls comes back, changed and traumatized and hanging with the Wolfs rather than her friends. Timberlyne finally makes real friends to watch her back. Then things get really crazy in the last few chapters, ending in a cliffhanger. Have Book 2 ready!
Raven Wood Academy is a enjoyable read. The story has a couple of parts where it got a little slow but mostly it moves at a good pace. The characters in my opinion are a bit young to be having intercourse but given the fact that the story is paranormal and about werewolves I was able to suspend judgement and enjoy the story for what it was instead of focusing on that aspect.
I liked the characters but I want to know more about each of them. I’m curious to see how they grow and develop in the next book.
There’s a nice twist at the end of the story that left me wanting to know more. I look forward to continuing Timberlyn’s journey as she navigates through her second year at the Academy. (3.5)
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
This was a great first Academy book with a slow burn. Yes there is a slow burn with the romance so if you don’t like that, then move along. I thoroughly enjoy slow burn romances as long as they are written well and keep me wanting more. This book did not disappoint!
I absolutely love Lena Mae Hill’s world building! It is always captivating and action packed throughout all her books. In this book, We meet Timberlyn and some sexy wolves! This book literally had me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this series to see where it goes.
I love academy books. I love trying to figure out the mystery in the book. This one definitely delivered. The characters are great, the story building was great and so was the mystery. I love the ending it keeps you wanting more but not a gut wrenching cliffhanger. Well done Lena. I can not wait to read the remainder of the series and even five into your other works.
A great start to an interesting academy series! It took several chapters for me to get into the story, but once she settled in at Ravenwood, I was hooked. Timberlyn’s defiant spirit, her newfound friendships, and the Wolf brothers were a winning combination. I enjoyed trying to unravel the mystery, including Gramma’s little quips, before the big reveal. The story didn’t quite have the depth and complexity to reach its full potential, but given the target audience and its place as first in series, this was minor and could be overlooked as it still held my interest. The ending promised even more sinister reveals, twists, and romance and I look forward to reading the next!
What a fantastic academy read! A well written slow burn romance that hooks you from the very start so much so that you will not want it to finish! Action packed this has a fantastic storyline that had me on the edge of my seat, a kick ass heroine and some hot and sexy wolf boys!! I am so enjoying this world that the author has built and cannot wait to see the characters continue to develop!
Oh my gosh, I love this book! What a great start to a new series. It can be tough growing up and figuring life out but when you dream of monsters and only when you draw them will they leave you alone, well, not ideal. Of course, sharing about the monsters is not on the list of how to be one of the popular girls in school. Timberlyn wants out of that school and town so she applies at schools all over the country and is always politely turned down. That is until Ravenwood Academy has accepted her enrollment, except Timberlyn doesn’t remember applying. The school is near Vancouver, Canada, not far from where her grandmother lives. Timberlyn heads to Ravenwood and to her surprise and delight, makes friends. But something is not right, girls are going missing and Timberlyn tries to find the girls. Only the Wolf brothers, who seem to run the school rather than be just students, stand in her way. As she searches the forest around the school, Timberlyn comes face to face with her monsters.
This was such a good story. I enjoyed the world building and the characters were interesting and you wanted to know more about them and what is going on at Ravenwood. And the cliffhanger had me gasping NO! I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I highly recommend Wolf Moon!
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.
Loving this new series!
I am a fan of Academy books. This new series does not disappoint! It has everything which makes an Academy series worth reading. The main character Timberlyn, is a strong female student who doesn’t care what others think of her. Having grown up being bullied most of her life. She’s learned to stand up for herself. Even after transferring into a new school, she’s stronger then ever. This Academy doesn’t seem to be what it appears after all. Her dreams are more real then she knows. And monsters really do exist. As well as does werewolves and witches and vampires. There’s hot smexy guys, the Wolf brothers especially Alarick. Lots of secrets and surprises. Twists and turns. It’s so good!!! I highly recommend this new series! Looking forward to reading more, can’t wait until the next book is out! Definitely a cliff hanger!!! Which will leave you wanting more and more!
Definitely fast-paced, slow burning and oh so fun!
Great characters, enticing storyline and beautifully written world building!
This is a fantastic read. Timberlyn gets accepted to the Ravenwood Academy, shes branded as a freak for wearing all black. Things are very different when she gets to the school. This is a fantastic read, that the Author has done an a fantastic job at world building and bringing the Characters to life. It is a real page turner that I definitely recommend.
Shauna Joesten
I enjoyed this academy book and will be reading the next in the series. It is your typical academy story lie (with more): new girl, new academy, bullying, angst, and great characters. There is steamy in this story, bullying, but also mystery and angst. I think it was a nice read and well thought out.
The added paranormal aspect was welcome and added a great deal to my enjoyment of this story. I liked the way the author wrote the story as I liked to be a part of my reads and experience things right along with the characters. I felt a part of this story and was asking questions right along with everyone else. There were times when the main character annoyed me with her meekness/naivety, but I overlooked that as I think in book two she will grow more.
The Wolf boys stole the story for me, they were interesting and mysterious. I loved their personalities, even if they were mean at times. I think I finished this story for them and want to read the next because of them as well. I am a sucker for a great group of alpha boys. I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review. Oh and that cover if fabulous!
This was the first book in a new series. I enjoyed all the new school, new start feelings of this book. I also liked how though I finished this book there are still so many questions I have so cant wait for the next book. There were plenty of surprises and plot twists. The characters are very well developed and realistic. I read this book in one sitting because it kept me wondering what would happen next.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author. This is an honest review.
This book has a slow build-up to one heck of a cliff-hanger ending. There was a lot of time spent building their world and laying the foundations of the mysteries to track down. There wasn’t a lot of real action until very near the end of the book. I love that our heroine is a strong, independent female, but I don’t like that she’s so antagonistic. I’m reserving judgement on the insta-love aspect of the story. I remember being fifteen, and falling madly in love at the first sight of a boy doesn’t seem completely far-fetched for that hormone-driven time of life. I’m also more forgiving of the whole “fated mates” thing in any paranormal book. However, as a Canadian, I’m a little miffed at the stereotypes and inaccuracies this story perpetuates. In any case, that ending guarantees I need to read the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
ONE ELECTRIFYING EXPERIENCE!!!
Hook, line and sinker! This baby hooks you from the start and reels you in for the duration. Lena Mae packs this baby with one hard hitting punch that keeps your total focus on every word. Nah, you won’t be able to put this baby down. Grab a seat, get comfy cause your in for the long haul. One non-stop action packed, page flipping bombshell that keeps you riveted on a razors edge. Wrangling through all the trials and tribulations trying to get one step ahead and running out of time. A throng of startling circumstances and unforeseen events blast those churning emotions forward in this thrilling storyline and gripping plot. The realism and authenticity of the characters as their on point personalities blend and connect along with the graphically detailed scenes that really pull this baby together smoothly. Awesome job Lena Mae, thanks for sharing it.