The Raven and the Hummingbird

Shattered Immortals #1

by Jessica Griffin

A haunted manor. A chained god. A girl with nothing left to lose.

After the mysterious death of her parents, Daphne is left at the mercy of her controlling brother—tormented, starved, and groomed to be sold into marriage. When she defies him one final time, he locks her away in an asylum on the outskirts of Victorian London. There, a demonic doctor offers her a deal that could grant her freedom—or cost her life.

All she has to do is enter the haunted Duskmere Manor and steal the secret of the monster trapped within.

But the manor is more than just haunted. It holds secrets, vengeful spirits—and something far more dangerous. Emrys Caerwynne is no mindless monster. He is a powerful immortal, once worshipped as a god.

Will Daphne break the wards that hold him and set forces in motion that could tear the world apart?
Will she risk everything for a chance at freedom… even if it leads straight into a darker trap?

In a realm of forgotten gods, secret societies, and curses that span centuries, falling in love may be the most dangerous choice of all.

The Raven and the Hummingbird is a dark, slow-burn fantasy romance set in a richly gothic world—perfect for fans of Belladonna, One Dark Window, Phantasma, and A Dowry of Blood.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2025

Reviews

[Terri West · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing gothic read that will take you back to a forgotten era of steam trains and gas lamps. A tale of a girl enduring hardship and cruelty from her brother in a supernatural world that will have you checking under the bed for monsters and sleeping with the light on to ensure nothing lurks in the shadows.
This book reads like a classic, however the author has created a world with both humour and romance within it's dark walls. Wonderful characters and worldbuilding that take you away into this dark fantasy. Great read I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Erin Gaffney · Rating 5 out of 5]

*5/5 stars*

"Arc the Raven and the Hummingbird" by Jessica Griffin is a mesmerizing read that will capture your heart and imagination. From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the world of arcane magic and mystical creatures.

The story is expertly woven, with complex characters that feel fully realized and relatable. The author's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the world and its inhabitants.

I devoured this book in a few sittings, unable to put it down as I became invested in the characters' journeys. The pacing is well-balanced, with a perfect blend of action, suspense, and emotional depth.

Overall, "Arc the Raven and the Hummingbird" is a stunning debut that will appeal to fans of fantasy and magical realism. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing what Jessica Griffin has in store for us next.

*Highly recommended for fans of:* Fantasy, Magical Realism, Adventure

[Kendra Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Griffin has always been an instant buy author for me. I love her style of writing and no matter how I think a story is going to turn out or which direction the plot is going, I'm always in for a surprise. The Raven and the Hummingbird is beautifully gothic and has some very dark elements. There are some serious trigger warnings to look out for BUT it sets the tone and is vital to the story and the character growth of the FMC. I love how the darkness of the book doesn't over shadow moments of humor, compassion, and yes, spice. Favorite character shout out: Nibble aka Shadow (IYKYK) I would love to see if this is the start of a new series, however, I think with the way the story wrapped up, I would be content with it being a standalone book. 4.5 stars

[Hayley Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this it felt like a mixture between beauty and the beast and penny dreadful. The gothic fairytale vibes were perfection. Every time I thought couldn’t love it more it exceeded my expectations. Fantastic book and can’t wait to see more of this author’s work.

[Tabitha jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! Very fast paced so a lot going on quickly but I enjoy that. And who doesn’t love an immortal daddy lolz

[Rachel’s Coffee & Rain Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Super interesting concept, loved the gothic vibes and really liked both MCs Daphne and Emrys (and the side characters though I would have liked more of them!) The romance was decent, I did feel like they went from very little interaction but some chemistry I guess to like big feelings rather quickly. It was a bit of whiplash but I did enjoy their bit of banter and the development of their relationship. My main issue with this book is the same as her other duology Elder’s Hex… the execution just doesn’t measure up to the concept. There are also some minor editing and plot contradiction issues that took me out of the story. Overall it was entertaining, and I enjoyed the characters immensely but the execution just wasn’t stellar.

[m · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 But a very good 3 star
Idk it just felt very rushed, kinda like a plot outline with filler in between. The content and world building had a lot of potential but the pacing was just a little off.
I will say with what little development the characters had I still loved them- esp nibble my goat I want a talking bat bsf now
I also don’t know what part two is going to be about considering the whole plot start to finish was done in this one

[Jay Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Raven and The Hummingbird
A Gothic Romatasy.
Cursed People
Immortal gods
Imprisoned and locked up.
Discovering freedom and love.
Awesome read.

#theravenandthehummingbird
#indieauthor #booktok #gothicromantasybooks

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot. It seemed to skip over the juicy bits really fast. I didn't feel as though the romance aspect had any weight to it either. It was like it started to yearn and then boom in love. You skipped over the good part. The ending was also a little rushed.

[Ellie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fresh breath of air compared to the books I’ve been reading lately and I’ve always been weak at the knees for an immortal romance story

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sara Zabrensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Honestly perfect for spooky season. I did feel like the plot jumped to a lot of different locations pretty quickly and almost felt rushed but overall I enjoyed it.

[Casey Joyce · Rating 1 out of 5]

i read this for some spooky vibes and that delivered… sometimes.
i felt so underwhelmed by so many things. the story had a great start- i was hooked! but … Arthur’s story line was incredibly underwhelming. knowing what the undyne wanted from Daphne is still meh, and the ending was truly lame imo.
the story felt kinda jumpy and so many scenes were unimportant, idk if the author was trying to foreshadow what the serpent and skull mark meant but it truly kinda came from nowhere i felt like tying it to Daphne’s grandfather who I don’t recall even being mentioned previously in the book until the last 2 chapters? idk.

so many loose ends that made me dislike the book in the last few chapters of it

[Aneta Tomasiuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had so much potential — the concept? Super unique. The vibes? Right up my alley. And Nibble?? Absolute scene-stealer. I would protect that little creature with my life

But… everything moved so fast. Blink and boom — new creature, new plot twist, new locations. I was craving more world-building, more magic system details, more time to really feel the story. The pacing made it hard to connect with the characters, especially the FMC. She starts off as a badass, then suddenly feels helpless, then suddenly she’s back to being fierce again… it felt odd.

Also… the romance? Gave a bit of “Where did this come from?” energy. I would have love a good slow burn or tension but this felt like a skip button was pressed.

All that said — I did have fun, and I’m glad I read it!