“Jesse Blackadder has all the hallmarks of a great historical fiction writer, achieving a fine balance of thoroughly researched atmospheric detail and suspenseful story... In The Raven's Heart she doesn't hit one wrong note.” Sunday Telegraph. (CLICK TO READ FULL REVIEW)
“Jesse Blackadder does a wonderful job in this novel of allowing the historical aspect to come through without overtaking the plot. Her prose is both sexy and chaste, ruthless and tender, bringing out these elements in all her characters.” Lamda Literary. (CLICK TO READ FULL REVIEW)
“Every character does what they do for love or power, and the lines are suitably blurred, so that the reader is forced to question the motivations of even those people who had been most trustworthy. It takes a skilled writer to do that, and Jesse Blackadder is that. …The Raven’s Heart is a powerful story of revenge, love, and loyalty.” ForeWord Reviews (CLICK TO READ FULL REVIEW)
“In The Raven's Heart , Blackadder has given us an absolute historical treat. With Antonia Fraser's authority and Sarah Water's eye for arresting description and fabulous romance, this is a sweeping adventure into the realm of the Scottish court ...” Booktopia February 2011 Newsletter. (CLICK TO READ FULL REVIEW)
“...utterly intriguing and completely unputdownable... The writing is evocative and powerful and I haven’t enjoyed a book in this genre so much since The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.” Good Reading
“…Jesse’s novel is gripping from the first few pages. Her writing and research paints an intriguing, intimate glimpse into Queen Mary’s life and character...” Courier Mail.
“The Raven’s Heart is a marvellous historical novel, set in a period of Scotland’s history full of intrigue, danger and betrayal... I was struck by the timeless themes that have emerged.” Northern Star.
“Within the rich tradition of positioning the previously invisible or marginalised centre stage, The Raven’s Heart is a complex political intrigue counterbalanced by the protagonist’s increasingly poetic sensibilities... a welcome and audacious piece of work.” Australian Book Review. (CLICK TO READ FULL REVIEW)
“A haunting tale of obsession, treachery and violence...” www.historicalnovels.info