Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Raven's Head cover art

The Raven's Head

By: Karen Maitland
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Company of Liars cover art
The Seeker cover art
Sinful Folk cover art
The Ashes of London cover art
Legacy cover art
Heartstone cover art
A Plague on Both Your Houses cover art
Beneath the Roots cover art
The Spirit Ring cover art
The Wolves of Savernake cover art
A Conspiracy of Violence cover art
All the Murmuring Bones cover art
Poison cover art
The Fifth Knight cover art
The Coffin Path cover art
The Thief Taker cover art

Summary

A gothic delight from Karen Maitland, author of the best-selling and much-loved Company of Liars, that will delight fans of Game of Thrones, The Silent Companions or fans of Deborah Harkness seeking a new, dark fix this Halloween.

Never trust your secrets to a Raven when you are not its true master....

1224. Langley Manor, Norfolk. Lord Sylvain has been practising alchemy in hiding for years and now only the Apothecary's niece can help him with final preparations to forge the Philosopher's Stone.

Alchemy calls for symbols - and victims - and when a man in possession of an intricately carved raven's head arrives at the Manor in a clumsy attempt at blackmail, Sylvain has both symbol and victim within easy reach. 

But the White Canons in nearby Langley Abbey are concealing a crucial, missing ingredient...Regulus, a small boy with a large destiny.

©2015 Karen Maitland (P)2015 Headline Digital

Critic reviews

"A compelling blend of historical grit and supernatural twists." (Daily Mail)

"An atmospheric and dark story." (The Times)

What listeners say about The Raven's Head

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    121
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    142
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    101
  • 4 Stars
    53
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Darkly medieval - not for the faint hearted!

Would you try another book written by Karen Maitland or narrated by Jonathan Keeble?

Yes. Karen Mailtland's book are always fascinating and the social history very well observed. Jonathan Keeble's narration was excellent.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

A little less cruel. Many of the scenes were very upsetting and hard to listen to. It spoiled an otherwise good tale. Caution advised.

Any additional comments?

Caution advised. Scenes of great suffering involving children. It took me out of y comfort zone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Ravens Head

This is a nice story Brilliantly read. Not really Black Gothic but entertaining until the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

best ever maitland!!

the best Karen work of Karen yet! absolutely spellbinding, loved every second of it as I do all her work but this tops the lot!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great

Enjoyable enough tosh but rather obvious twists in the plot made this less enjoyable than it might have been. However the author is really good at writing within a historical context.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

We listened to this book on the back of company of liars. But it is defiantly no where near as good as that book. There are huge gaps in the plot and way too many unresolved issues with in the narrative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

extremely depressing story.

I did persevere with this mistakenly thinking it would get better . VERY DARK story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Maitland at her best

I'll admit I have struggled through a couple of Karen's books and wasnt sure whether to undertake this one. I am so glad I did as after company of liars I think this is my favourite. The story was easy to follow and the narration absolutely top class as always. Her trademark similes made me laugh and were delivered with excellent deadpan delivery by David Thorpe. I'd fully recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Full of plot holes

Some interesting characters in this novel, but the plot meanders and it is unclear what or who the author really intends the story to be about. Struggled to get into it and to finish.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

As brilliant as ever

I very much enjoy Karen Maitland's book, the stories are exciting and, with the historical facts, informative. The narration by Jonathan Keenle is excellent. This story breaks your heart as you realise just how worthless life could be considered by some.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

raven head

A really interesting story, must have took a lot of research, typically Karen mainland, great!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!