The Shadow in the Glass, By J.J.A. Harwood ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Abortion, Fairytale Retellings, Historical Fantasy, Miscarriage, Physical Abuse, Rape References, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 4th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis: Once upon a time Ella for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now, forced to work hard under the lecherous gaze of the man who she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must decide if it’s one she’s willing to pay…

A smoldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella—perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern. (Goodreads)

The Shadow in the Glass is an extremely dark retelling of Cinderella  that bears little resemblance to the Disney version, but is definitely something that the Grimm brothers would have appreciated. It’s very different and unique, with a hint of Goethe’s Faust woven in, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I however, found it utterly delicious and was captivated from the very first page.

Ella is a complicated character whose actions will leave readers emotions in turmoil. Despite her difficult circumstances, she starts out as an innocent naive young girl, but quickly descends into a morally gray area as she makes her wishes. The decisions she makes are somewhat understandable, but they’re truly terrible and lead her farther and farther down the dark path she’s on. The third person narrative brings the reader directly into Ella’s mind and helps bring all her emotional pain to life which is why I remained empathetic toward her for the most part.

The setting and world building are wonderfully written, and I loved the blend of Victorian era fantasy, gothic, and supernatural elements. Skillfully underlying this is the appalling conditions of the poor, particularly women, who had no rights, no protection, and more often than not, nowhere to turn. The ending, has left me conflicted, and a day after I finished, I haven’t decided whether I liked it or not. I don’t want to say anything more, except that it’s definitely NOT a happily-ever-after. There was some repetition and I think the narrative could have been tightened a little, but for the most part this stayed a page-turner for me from beginning to end.

The Shadow in the Glass is a beautifully told and memorable dark fairytale and Ella will stay in your mind for long time after you’ve finished. It includes a few themes that could be triggers for some readers, including: physical abuse, references to past rape and the possibility of future rape, abortion, and miscarriage. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy dark fantasy, flawed characters, and don’t mind the inclusion of difficult themes. 

Poison Priestess (Lady Slayers #2), By Lana Popović ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

France, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Relationships, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 6th, 2021

304 Pages

Synopsis: In 17th-century Paris, 19-year-old Catherine Monvoisin is a well-heeled jeweler’s wife with a peculiar taste for the arcane. She lives a comfortable life, far removed from a childhood of abject destitution—until her hind spendthrift of a husband lands them both in debt. Hell-bent one returning to a life of poverty, Catherine must rely on her prophetic visions and the grimoire gifted to her by a talented diviner to reinvent herself as a sorceress. With the help of the grifter Marie Bosse, Catherine divines fortunes in the Ille de la Citee—home to sorcerers and scoundrels.

There she encounters the Marquise de Montespan, a stunning noblewoman. When the Marquise become Louis XIV’s royal mistress, with Catherine’s help, her ascension catapults Catherine to notoriety. Catherine takes easily to her glittering new life as the Sorceress La Voisin, pitting the depraved noblesse against one another to her advantage. The stakes soar ever higher when her path crosses that of a young magician. A charged rivalry between sorceress and magician leads to Black Masses, tangled deception, and grisly murder—and sets Catherine on a collision course that threatens her own life. (Goodreads)

Poison Priestess is the second book in the Lady Slayers series, but as it has entirely new characters, you needn’t have read Blood Countess to enjoy this. Each book in this series is a fictionalized account of real life historical murderers of the female persuasion. Sounds delicious doesn’t it? Blood Countess looked at the relationship between Anna Darvulia and serial killer Countess Elizabeth Báthory. In Poison Priestess the story details the rise of Catherine Monvoisin, a jeweler’s wife and fortune teller who is brought into the French Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Once there, her skills at prophecy develop into a side business of providing poison to those in the noblesse who wish to get rid of their enemies. What I found fascinating about this were the real life characters who wound up embroiled in the infamous L’Affaire des Poisons which was a major scandal in the court involving accusations of witchcraft and murder. What didn’t work for me were the way the characters were depicted. It wasn’t just that they were unlikable, I usually find flawed characters intriguing. No, these were all rather flat, cardboard cutouts, which made forming a connection with any of them an impossibility. Despite this, there was much I enjoyed, including the supernatural details added to the history. Overall, Poison Priestess wasn’t perfect, yet I’m still glad I read it. If there is a third book in the Lady Slayers series I will definitely give it a try.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus, By Constance Sayers ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 23rd, 2021

469 Pages

Synopsis: 

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder—a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family’s strange and magical circus, it’s the only world Cecile Cabot knows—until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world—until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations. (Goodreads)

The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a darkly magical read, that I enjoyed so much I didn’t want it to come to an end. The first quarter of the book delves into the life of Lara in 2004/2005 as she struggles to move on after the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé on their wedding day. You find out a little bit of her background, and her family’s magic, but the real revelations come when her great-grandmother Cecile’s journals fall into her hands. The majority of the book alternates from Jazz Age Paris to the early 2000s and what Lara discovers involves the supernatural, star-crossed lovers, a family curse, and the question of what you’re willing to sacrifice to save the one you love. It’s exquisitely told and although it’s almost 500 pages long, I had to make a concentrated effort to slow down. There are so many elements to this atmospheric novel: demonology, history, art, circuses, and magical realism. Sayers skillfully builds layer upon layer, until I felt as though I was within the pages of the book. There’s a little bit of romance but this isn’t really the focus of the story. All that’s left to say is that The Ladies of the Secret Circus is creative, mesmerizing storytelling at its finest, and perfect for fans of The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. 

Bad Witch Burning, By Jessica Lewis ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

#ownvoices, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Drug Dealing, Poverty, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 24th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: For fans of “Us” and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” comes a witchy story full of black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her and even darker future.

Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. Clients pay her to talk to their deceased loved ones, but it isn’t enough to support her unemployed mother and Mom’s deadbeat boyfriend of-the-week. Things get worse when a ghost warns her to stop the summonings or she’ll “burn everything down.” Katrell is willing to call them on their bluff, though. She has no choice. What do ghosts know about eating peanut butter for dinner?

However, when her next summoning accidentally raises someone from the dead, Katrell realizes that a live body is worth a lot more than a dead apparition. And, warning or not, she has no intention of letting this new lucrative business go.

But magic doesn’t come for free, and soon dark forces are closing in on Katrell. The further she goes, the more she risks the lives of not only herself, but those she loves. Katrell faces a dark choice: resign herself to poverty, or confront the darkness before it’s too late. (Goodreads)

For me personally, Bad Witch Burning was a difficult read. As you can tell from the 5 stars I’ve given it, it’s not because I think it’s a badly written story. No, it’s because it’s so on point in regards to living with a toxic parent, something author, Jessica Lewis sadly experienced herself. Without going into details, I too am a survivor of a childhood filled with abuse, although my background was white and middle class, rather than black and poverty stricken. Despite the differences in race and socioeconomic background, I strongly connected with Katrell and her complicated feelings toward her mother. She makes many terrible decisions, but every one of them can be laid at the feet of her horrendous home life and her desperation to escape. Her anger, bitterness, loneliness, and anguish are so intense they pulsate off the pages, and what she goes through is utterly heart wrenching. I confess to tearing up more then once. Mixed in with the darker real life themes of child abuse and neglect, is this incredible supernatural mythology which reminded me at first a little of The Monkey’s Paw, before taking a truly unique turn which had me worrying how Katrell was going to survive. Lest you think it is all doom and gloom, it’s not. There are moments of bright spots in the forms of Katrell’s loyal best friend Will and her adoptive parents who do their best to help, and Katrell’s caring guidance counselor, Mike. And without giving any spoilers, the book ends on a hopeful note. Because of the graphic abuse scenes, certain readers may have a tough time reading Bad Witch Burning, but if you’re looking for a vulnerable yet fiercely courageous protagonist to root for in a story that will suck you in from the first page, I highly recommend you give this a try. I guarantee it’s a book you won’t soon forget.

Kingdom of the Wicked, By Kerri Maniscalco ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Historical Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and JIMMY Patterson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 27th, 2020

448 Pages

Synopsis: Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to discover who did this and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, the outlier among the seven demon brethren, always choosing duty over pleasure. He’s been tasked by his master with investigating a series of women’s murders on the island. When Emilia’s and Wrath’s fates collide, it’s clear this disturbing mystery will take a bewitching turn…

I absolutely loved Kerri Maniscalco’s debut Hunting Jack the Ripper series, so to say that I’ve been looking forward to Kingdom of the Wicked is somewhat of an understatement. And, after devouring it in less than two days, I’m thrilled to say that it’s a stellar beginning to this new series and a witchy delight for the month of October. This has everything I look for in this genre: exquisite world building, captivating characters, smoldering romance, sharp and witty dialogue, exciting mystery and suspense, loads of action, and a unique storyline. The only issue I had was there needed to be more details as to what time period this is set in. I’m thinking 1860s, but it wasn’t really made clear. Oh! There’s also a humongous cliffhanger, so be prepared. I’m even more determined than I usually am not to give away any spoilers, so let me just say this. If you’re already a fan of Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Wicked will make you even more so. If you haven’t read her previous series (WHY?), but you enjoy historical fantasies you can’t miss this!

 

Ink, By Jonathan Maberry ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Rape, Horror, Supernatural, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 17th, 2020

464 Pages

Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, comes a standalone supernatural thriller Ink, about a memory thief who feeds on the most precious of dreams.

Tattoo artist, Patty Cakes has her dead daughter’s face tattooed on the back of her hand. Day by day it begins to fade, taking with it all of Patty’s memories of her daughter. All she’s left with is the certain knowledge she has forgotten her lost child. The awareness of that loss is tearing her apart.

Monk Addison is a private investigator whose skin is covered with the tattooed faces of murder victims. He is a predator who hunts for killers, and the ghosts of all those dead people haunt his life. Some of those faces have begun to fade too, destroying the very souls of the dead.

All through the town of Pine Deep, people are having their most precious memories stolen. The monster seems to target the lonely, the disenfranchised, the people who need memories to anchor them to this world.

Something is out there. Something cruel and evil is feeding on the memories, erasing them from the hearts and minds of people like Patty and Monk and others.

Ink is the story of a few lonely, damaged people hunting for a memory thief. When all you have are memories, there is no greater horror than forgetting.

Argh! I finished Ink three days ago and I’m still trying to sort out my feelings. This is a follow-up to Maberry’s Pine Deep trilogy which I LOVED, but it can be read as a standalone. Let’s get what I didn’t like out of the way. First, I’m not a prude, but I thought there were way too many sex scenes, and the ones with the villain masturbating while he fed on his victims’ memories were particularly unnecessary and turned my stomach. Also, too many characters and POVs. Really, the only two I wound up caring about were Monk and Patty. And finally, the pace was too drawn out and there wasn’t enough action until the final few chapters. I loved the actual storyline with this psychic vampire feeding on people’s memories through their tattoos. I also really connected with Patty and Monk and their traumatic backstories. This is a spoiler, but I feel it’s necessary, Patty’s little daughter was gang raped and killed, and while this is mainly talked about off scene, I think it could be a possible trigger for some readers. The last few chapters were everything I had hoped the rest of the book would be. So for me, Ink wasn’t bad, but it was a bit of a disappointment. Most reviewers however are loving it, so if you’re intrigued don’t let my review dissuade you from reading it. Although the events in Ink take place years after the ones that occurred in Maberry’s Pine Deep trilogy, I do recommend you read it not only because it’s one of my favorite horror series, but also because there are numerous vague references to the “Trouble,” in this book and there’s no explanation until after the halfway point, which I think could be annoying to some readers not familiar with the previous books.

Angel of the Crows, by Katherine Addison ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Steampunk, Supernatural

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 23rd, 2020

432 Pages

Synopsis: Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor, returns with The Angel of the Crows, a fantasy novel of alternate 1880s London, where killers stalk the night and the ultimate power is naming.

This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.

In an alternate 1880s London, angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings in a well-regulated truce. A fantastic utopia, except for a few things: Angels can Fall and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical world. And human beings remain human with all their kindness and greed and passions and murderous intent.

Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of this London too. But this London has an Angel. The Angel of the Crows.

Being a Sherlock Holmes fan, I was immediately intrigued by Angel of the Crows which began as fanfic. It’s not bad, but it could have used some more originality.

For the most part, what Katherine Addison has done, is taken some of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories (A Study in Scarlet, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Speckled Band), thrown in the Whitechapel murders by Jack the Ripper in the background, and added fantasy, dystopian, and steampunk elements. The problem is, despite these different themes the characters and stories don’t really divert much from the original source material. Some of the dialogue is even remarkably similar to BBCs Sherlock Holmes series.

For the first half of the book I was also a bit confused much of the time in regards to this alternate London. It took me a while to understand the difference between angels and their roles. I felt as though I had just been dropped and left to make my own way through this murky world.

Despite these issues, I did find much to enjoy in this rather curious tale. I did like Crow (Sherlock), and Doyle (Watson), and as much as I love ACD’s original stories, it must be admitted that some had racist and sexist connotations. Addison deftly removed these without taking anything away from the story. I also liked the addition of Dr. Doyle’s secrets that he’s hiding. They’re creatively done yet perfectly fit in with his personality. The story is also quite fast-paced and I never found myself bored.

Overall, while not perfect, Angel of the Crows is an entertaining journey back to Victorian London with English literature’s most endearing odd couple. I can easily see this being turned into a tv series like Showtime’s Penny Dreadful. For fans of the original Sherlock series, think of this as a nice reread with some interesting fantastical additions. If you’re not familiar with the four stories I mentioned, you may actually enjoy this even more.

 

Prelude For Lost Souls (Prelude For Lost Souls #1), by Helene Dunbar ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 4th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: For readers of Nova Ren Suma, Maggie Steifvater, and Maureen Johnson comes a spellbinding tale of choosing your own path, the families we create for ourselves, and facing the ghosts of our pasts.

In the town of St. Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.

Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he’s been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.

His best friend Russ won’t be surprised when Dec leaves—but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He’s made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.

But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec’s main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets of an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire there are no such thing as coincidences.

I was so excited when I saw the gorgeous cover and read the premise of Prelude For Lost Souls. And you know what? It wasn’t bad. However, I wasn’t blown away by it like I thought I would be.

This is a unique, and quite imaginative plot driven story, which I really appreciated. I swear it’s getting more and more difficult to find a book out there that doesn’t contain at least some elements that remind you of a previous one. Rest assured, that’s definitely not the case here. For those of you familiar with Lily Dale, the real hamlet made up of mediums and spiritualists in south western New York, it served as the author’s inspiration. St. Hilaire however is quite a bit darker and has some strong fascist overtones. There is definitely something underhanded going on in terms of The Guild, and there’s not a lot revealed in this first book, so I’m looking forward to what comes next.

The weakest part of the book lies in its characters. Anna and Dec both have what should have been fascinating backstories, but they and the dialogue between them come across as rather flat, which makes it difficult to connect with them. The saving grace though is Dec’s best friend Russ, who also gets his own chapters. I absolutely LOVED him! All the emotions and passion I was looking for in Dec and Anna poured out of Russ’s pages.

The middle of the book slows down a bit before picking up toward the end, which perfectly sets things up for the sequel. All in all, while not perfect, Prelude For Lost Souls, has me hooked, and I’m eagerly looking forward to revisiting St. Hilaire and its secrets.

 

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel, by Ruth Hogan ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Supernatural

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date : April 14th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things and The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes—a novel of mothers and daughters, families and secrets and the astonishing power of friendship.

Tillie was a bright, outgoing little girl who liked playing with ghosts and matches. She loved fizzy drinks, swear words, fish fingers and Catholic churches, but most of all she loved living in Brighton in Queenie Malone’s Magnificent Paradise Hotel with its endearing and loving family of misfits—staff and guests alike.

But Tillie’s childhood was shattered when her mother sent her away from the only home she’d ever loved to a boarding school with little explanation and no warning. Now, Tilda has grown into an independent woman still damaged by her mother’s unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only friend is her dog, Eli. When her mother dies, Tilda goes back to Brighton, and with the help of her beloved Queenie sets out to solve the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, and discovers her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all…Mothers and daughters…their story can be complicated…it can also turn out to have a happy ending.

What initially caught my eye about Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel was the awesome title and visually appealing cover. Then, when I read the synopsis with its description of an intriguing mystery complicated mother-daughter relationship, and wacky guests, well, my requesting it was a forgone conclusion. And for the most part, it did not disappoint.

The story is split into two narratives. That of six-year-old Tilly, and the present day middle-aged Tilda who is struggling with intimacy issues and OCD, which go back to the trauma of her mother inexplicably sending her away all those years ago. While I enjoyed both past and present passages, I have to admit I enjoyed young Tilly much more, although Tilda did grow on me eventually. The secondary characters are delightfully quirky as promised and added an extra layer of fun to an already enjoyable tale.

I truly enjoyed Hogan’s descriptive style of writing which helped bring her story and characters to life without slowing the pace down. While reading I could have sworn I could smell the ocean air and hear the waves crashing on the beach. There were also a few little twists that managed to surprise me before the eminently satisfying ending.

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel was my first book by Ruth Hogan and it’s left me with the burning desire to scoop up her other books. With its beautifully descriptive setting of seaside Brighton, and a storyline that almost immediately sucks you in, this will hold wide appeal for readers no matter what genre they usually prefer. Its poignant exploration of love and loss is tempered by moments of levity resulting in a multi-layered, memorable read. I highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a story that’s a little off the beaten path with enjoyably eccentric characters, and topped off with a splash of the supernatural. 

The Burning, by Laura Bates ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Social Issues, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 7th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: A rumor is like fire. You might think you’ve extinguished it, but one creeping, red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back to life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames.

New school. Check.

New town. Check.

New last name. Check.

Social media profiles? Deleted.

Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she’s been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in a history project about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century.

In her newfound friendships with Alisha, Cat, and Robin, as well as her connection with Maggie, Anna finds a voice to face her tormentors.

“We are the voices of the witches you could not burn. And we’re not putting up with it any more.”

From Laura Bates, internationally renowned feminist and founder of The Everyday Sexism Project, comes a debut novel that is a harrowing look at misogyny through the centuries. It’s a powerful call to action, reminding all readers of the implications of sexism and the role we can each play in ending it.

The Burning earnestly attempts to tackle a plethora of social issues including: depression, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, abortion, homophobia, child abuse, bullying, cyber-bullying, body-shaming, and slut-shaming. Then it throws in some light romance, a historical mystery, and a pinch of the supernatural. And, therein lies the problem. While well-meaning, there are so many ingredients it can’t figure out what it wants to be, and instead becomes a bit of a mess. Adding to this is some awkward dialogue which made the characters unbelievable at times. The reason I’m giving this 3 stars is because the pacing was consistent, and there are some touching moments that made me connect to some of the characters, especially Anna.

The Burning is Laura Bates’ debut, and I sincerely hope to see more from her in the future, because I think her writing shows promise. This however, comes across more as a mishmash of after school specials that adds little to any of the issues it touches upon.