📖 Book Review ~ The Valley of Ravens by Barbara Erskine

Harper Collins
30 July 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

In the depths of the valley, two women, centuries apart, are bound by fate…

Present

Eve, desperate for a fresh start, arrives in the Valley of Ravens to restore a long-abandoned cottage.

Everyone knows the place is cursed. Why else would it be called The Witch’s House?

As Eve begins her renovations it becomes clear the place has a secret waiting to be uncovered, if only she can make the connection with the past.

Wales, 1260

Alys, a healer living in the depths of the valley, discovers Llewelyn – last true Prince of Wales – lying wounded on the battlefield. She tends him and her fate is forever bound to his.

Her vow to keep his final secret will echo through the centuries…

📖 My Review..

The Valley of Ravens gives us a glimpse into the political world of thirteenth century Wales, which features Alys, a local healer, who befriends Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, who lived during the reign of the English King, Edward I. Running alongside the thirteenth century story is that of Eve, also a healer, who, in the present day, is irresistibly drawn towards the rural isolation of the locally named Tŷ’r Wrach (witches house). Eve is intrigued by the sensation of being watched by a woman from the past and, haunted by Alys’s story, Eve is soon bedevilled by suspicious events, fuelled by a dangerous obsession, which threatens to destroy everything.

Cleverly written, with a fine eye for historical detail, The Valley of the Ravens is filled with a brooding sense of unease, particularly in the older sections of the story which the author describes well. With Alys as our supernatural guide we are allowed a glimpse into the final days of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, and of the precious gifts he entrusts into Alys’s safekeeping. Eve’s uncertainty and difficulties she faces on her own are explored in detail and there’s a creeping  sense of menace to the story especially with its fascinating connections to the past and the devastating consequences of one man’s obsession that continues to seek revenge. 

I particularly enjoyed the references to the author’s previous work, Lady of Hay, and having a couple of characters from that story turn up in this one adds an extra dimension to what is a haunting story of revenge, greed and terrifying madness. Beautifully authentic, and with a definite sense of foreboding, The Valley of Ravens is another fascinating dual time historical mystery from this bestselling writer.

About the Author

Barbara Erskine is the author of thirteen bestselling novels and three collections of short stories that demonstrate her interest in both history and the supernatural. Lady of Hay, her first novel, has now sold over three million copies worldwide.

 X @ Barbaraerskine

Website

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