Anathema by. Keri Lake | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)

Author: Keri Lake

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 688

Publication Date: 9/10/24

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Horror, Romantasy, Gothic, Enemies to Lovers

A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm’s forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods …

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.

Content Warning: grief, trauma, child abuse, sexual abuse, abuse, violence, horror, sexual assault, threat of rape, body horror

I picked this book to read for my Spell the Month tbr challenge because the title starts with an A, so I can fulfill ones of the A’s for the month of January. So I went into this pretty blind!

I don’t think I’ve read a book this dark in a long while. This story is told between two POVs, Maevyth, who is a mortal and Zevander, who lives in another world. The mortal world Maevyth lives in is pretty horrible. Women have no rights, any girl caught in a scandal is left to the Eating Woods and it happens to her sister, Aleysia but Maevyth will not give her up. Zevander is a cold-hearted assassin and he has a lot on his plate: trying to break the curse upon him, trying to keep his family safe, and carrying out jobs for the king. When these two cross paths, it’s a slow, SLOW, burn filled with desire and challenges. But I did love their interactions when they were together! The romance comes together at the end but it really took a long time to get there.

As characters, I like Maevyth – she loves her sister, fights for her and she’s the sunshine to Zevander’s darkness. As for Zevander, he is a complicated man with such a traumatic past. Some of his trauma was too dark for me that I almost didn’t want to finish the book. The slow burn was so slow and this is not a short book, it’s just under 700 pages!

Also with the 600+ pages and so much going, I felt it was too long. I did find myself invested in Maevyth’s mysterious past and wanting Zevander to break the curse but there were times I did have to skim, like when Maevyth was training and learning all the lore about the Corvikae – there was just a lot of world building. I felt like more action in the middle would have moved the story faster.

But the author did a great job with the dark, horror (the spiders!, and body horror), gothic vibes. The atmosphere of this world is dangerous, brutal and very much not so kind to women. I also felt sick with the sexual and physical abuse that Zevander relives in memories and nightmares – poor guy.

Final Thoughts:

This one was almost too dark for me to read but I did like Maevyth and Zevander’s love story even though it was a very slow burn. I thought the world-building was fascinating even though the story was very long. Will I read book two? I think I will because I want to see how it goes for Maevyth and Zevander, and hello, that cliffhanger? I’m just too curious to see what will happen next but I just hope it isn’t 600+ pages long again.😬

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The House at Watch Hill by. Karen Marie Moning | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The House at Watch Hill (Watch Hill Trilogy, #1)

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: William Morrow

Categories: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Series, Gothic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to William Morrow for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets…

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.

Content Warning: death, violence, death of parent, illness

I was obsessed with Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series so I was very curious to see what this new series would be about. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

I really enjoyed the world building especially because it’s centered around a town and a monstrosity of a house. There is a lot of mystery about the town and the house itself. It’s dark and fits the vibe of something bad coming. I like the paranormal themes of the story and we have witches and vampires and who knows what else as the series continues. I usually find mysteries slow but I was mostly engrossed in this one.
Zo is a fighter. Her mom just died and it’s turned her world upside down. She’s now supposedly the heir to a fortune, but that’s not all. There are conditions of her inheritance and she finds out there’s is more to the town than what is presented. We learn a lot about her upbringing by her stories of struggle and I don’t necessarily feel like I know a lot about her to like her, but I admire her strength in taking care of her mom. She’s a woman who has learned not to make connections with people, because she never had a chance to do so.
There are a a lot players in this story and I can’t say I have a good grasp on any of them yet. But many of them are intriguing. Este, seems like Zo’s only friend. The rest of the cast is untrustworthy at this point of the story.

Dislikes:

Nothing much happens in this book except it’s building the story for whatever is coming. I didn’t mind that so much until the second half of the book when I wanted Zo to stop wallowing in her thoughts so much. But there are conditions to her will and she has a lot of waiting to do – that makes us wait as an audience too. When Zo sleeps with men, we don’t get any real details, it’s more telling than showing and I hope that changes in book two.
I thought with how the beginning was written that the house was sentient and it would have been cool if it was! But it’s not (at least so far), it’s got weird energy though, that’s for sure, and I have to say there is a lot of detail about the house which I thought was nice. I love the darkness of the atmosphere but yeah, a sentient house would have been very interesting.

My Thoughts:

This book has the best vibes for fall reading and that’s actually what kept me reading. It’s dark, mysterious, and there are plenty of secrets and also so many sexy men. But I feel like not much happened in this book except for laying the groundwork for what’s to come. I feel like Zo is strong which is admirable but she was also about to hurt the one person she has on her side. So clearly she needs help and control and it will be interesting to see who she can actually trust going forward. So I’ll be waiting for book two and hope we get so much more out of this story because it has so much potential to be amazing. I have lots of questions so I hope we get answers in the next book.

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Darkfever (Fever, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bloodfever (Fever, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Faefever (Fever, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dreamfever (Fever, #4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadowfever (Fever, #5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Iced (Fever, #6) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Burned (Fever, #7) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feverborn (Fever, #8) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feversong (Fever, #9) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

High Voltage (Fever, #10) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Immortal Highlander (Highlander, #6) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**I’m pretty sure I read the whole Highlander series but it was at a time I was not consistently using Goodreads to rate the books so that’s all the info I have on the books I did rate on the site.**

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Thirteenth Child

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Horror, Gothic, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

Content Warning: body horror, death, violence, illness, neglectful parents, poison, grief

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but I love this author’s work and this did not disappoint at all. It surprised me and made me fall in love with Hazel and Merrick. This might be my favorite book of 2024.

I had to look up what this book was a retelling of and found that it’s a retelling of The Brother’s Grimm story called Godfather Death. I had never heard of it so I was invested in Hazel’s story right away. She’s the thirteenth child in a family who was too poor to take care of her. Three different gods come to offer to take care of her, but it’s Merrick, God of Death who has the honor of being her godfather. Their story is so complicated, yet morbidly sweet. He takes care of her the only way how an immortal god knows how and it’s endearing and strange because everyone is afraid of death. But not Hazel.

He gives her the life he promised her bio parents but it’s not an easy life. She is needed in the community for her healing talents and power, but because death is inevitable in a mortal’s life, she also has to make hard decisions like helping her patients seek peace by ending their lives. Hazel experiences love, friendship and even a found family but betrayal and making mistakes of her own to the detriment of her already fragile and strange relationship with Merrick. She also learns about the consequences of her actions.

The romance is sweet, the secondary characters all provided something to the story and I just enjoyed how the story made me think about and question things about life like love, death, parenting, power, religion, grief, making decisions and facing consequences. This book really has everything – it has paranormal elements, fantasy, romance, and even body horror (it’s gross but I think tolerable). And it made me cry at the end because there is just something about Merrick and Hazel that touched my heart. Him yearning to fill a void in him (as her godfather) and her needed a void to be filled because her birth parents neglected her.

My Thoughts:

I love this book so much and I’ll have to buy a hardcopy to have on my shelf so I can reread it again. It’s beautifully written and moved me to tears by the end. It’s my favorite book of 2024 so far!

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House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Monstrous Kind

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic, Paranormal, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in a Regency England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story.

Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie.

Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness.

Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

Content Warning: violence, death, loss of a parent

I went into this one not knowing it was inspired by Sense and Sensibility until after I read it. With that said, I loved how it is written because I felt like it was regency era inspired so I think the author did a great job capturing that era and the gothic vibes.

As for it being inspired by Sense and Sensibility, I can definitely see that with a few twists here and there. The world building and history is interesting with this encroaching fog that kills people, so over generations it has pushed territories to defend and protect their borders. Merrick’s family has had a change in head of household with her father’s death and her sister is the named the next lord of their manor. What I found fascinating in the stories was the relationship between the sisters and how complicated it is. Bottom line is both girls are trying to survive and keep their house in order but one is head of household and the other has to marry. It’s not so easy to do either though when their borders are being breached, and they seem weak.

I did enjoy how the story unfolded though it can feel slow at some parts because a lot of it is a mystery until all is revealed. I loved the gothic atmosphere. I mean the fog has Phantoms (zombies?) that kill people! It took me only two days to read but I can’t say I loved Merrick. She is pitted as the most vulnerable of the sisters because she has no power, and has to marry to survive but she seems willing to fall for any guy who pays her attention. Is that survival or is she just too trusting? Especially when she has a cousin-in-law, Cressida who is trying to teach her to be more aware of the games the people in power play? I just wanted Merrick to be a little more smarter about some situations. But as a comparison to Marianne from Sense and Sensibility then I can totally see that she stacks up well to her. I did want more from Essie also.

My Thoughts:

Regency era mystery, gothic vibes, zombies in the mist, and inspired by Sense and Sensibility – I think the author pulled it off. I do wish I loved the characters more though and the romance had a chance to take off, but is there a book two because the ending did feel like it was left open? Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

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A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Study in Drowning

Author: Ava Reid

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 378

Publication Date: 9/19/23

Categories: Young Adult, Gothic, Mystery, Romance, Academia

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Content Warning: sexual assault, neglectful parent, misogyny, grooming, smoking

Okay this book has been on my radar for awhile and I saw good and bad reviews for it so I had to read it for myself.

+ It has very gothic, academia vibes to it which was nice and it was what I was expecting. Effy is an architect and takes on a project for the estate of one of her favorite writers, Emrys Myrddin. The estate is a fantastic gothic setting with tales about the Fairy King and the “drowning”, and the mystery about Myrddin and his writings. I like how Preston and Effy were investigating his writings.

+ Effy is a fascinating character and at times an unreliable one. She’s beautiful, all the men tell her so and they are drawn to her – she even got into a situation with her professor, which has caused her to be an outcast at school. She’s afraid of men because of what happened to her and she deals with a lot of misogyny. Her mother basically hates her – which is awful. She’s alone and needs help but doesn’t have anyone on her side until she meets Preston, who off the bat, she doesn’t like at all. Effy also has these nightmares about the Fairy King and takes sleeping pills so she is mysterious herself. The themes about misogyny and power imbalances are very present in this book though and there were a few quotes that hit home.

There was an intimacy to all violence, she supposed. The better you knew someone, the more terribly you could hurt them.”
– A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid

Lying was a form of survival, a way out of whatever trap had been set.”
– A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid

You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.”
– A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid

+ I did like Preston and Effy’s interactions because he’s this stuffy, uptight literary student. I think the most Effy has ever stood up to a guy was to Preston – she wasn’t afraid of him and he didn’t make her feel unsafe, which I liked about him. As for the chemistry between them – there is tension for sure, but I also felt at times they would have been great just been really good friends.

~ I think there was a lot going on in this book and I chose to stay focused on the Myrddin mystery – basically that’s the whole reason Preston and Effy are at the estate in the first place. There is a war also going on in the book and there is Effy’s nightmares about the Fairy King and I was confused at times if Effy was experiencing things with this Fairy King or it was all in her head.

~ At times the setting or I should say time period, was confusing. I know it’s basically an alternate Earth, countries names are all made up, and the world they live in kind of felt like the 1940’s-ish and I’m just going off of them smoking cigarettes and drinking hard liquor a lot. Effy also mentioned something like girls at school usually come away with a ring and engaged – so that sounds like to 1940’s or earlier to me. I enjoyed the setting but at times I felt like I was confused about certain things about this world.

My Final Thoughts:

I think I read this at the right time – the weather here has been rainy and the gothic setting of this book and the lyrical writing was perfect for my mood. It is a dark story dealing with misogyny, parental neglect, power imbalances and even grooming. I do think the world building at times was somewhat confusing or something was mentioned and not explained fully. The romance was a sweet spot in the story with Preston and Effy being a sort of rivals to lovers relationship. I thought Effy’s journey from being alone to finally having someone in her corner and being kind to her without wanting anything in return was amazing for her. If you like lyrical prose and a gothic setting, you’ll like this one.

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Starling House by. Alix E. Harrow | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Starling House

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Sentient House, Romance, Gothic, Dark Fantasy, Magic

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can’t stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

Content Warning: violence, thieving. nightmares, monsters, incest, death of parent

I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve read from this author but I finally did it.

+ I like the small town vibes with secrets and a haunted house! The story is set in Eden, Kentucky and the Starling House is what they are known for. Starling House is a mysterious house and author Eleanor Starling used to live there but disappeared. There is lots of lore about the town and the house. Everyone has a version of the story about Starling House and different theories. It’s quite a mystery.

+ Opal is such a strong character – she is a survivor. She thieves, she lies, she does everything she can to keep her brother Jasper thriving – but they are close to being homeless. They have little to eat most times but they only have each other. She only wants to give her brother a good life. Arthur is the new guardian of Starling House and he’s a scary, anti-social recluse. They are both described as very not good looking people but I love that they look ordinary (because that’s REAL) and they fell for each other in all their imperfections.

+ I love the found family, the romance between Opal and Arthur, the sibling bond between Opal and Jasper, and the history of Starling House. The gothic, dark fantasy vibes are great, it’s very atmospheric – makes for a good book for fall.

~ I think the beginning was a bit slow for me (it’s a me thing – sometimes mysteries are just too slow for me), but the second half of the book, I was totally hooked until the end.

~ There was a lot going on at the ending and the way it was resolved was not what I was expecting. It was strange and maybe I needed to suspend my belief a bit more because I didn’t totally believe it. I did like Eleanor’s story and how we learn the truth of what happened but it also felt a bit anti-climatic for me.

My Final Thoughts:

This one is a great read for fall because it has all the right elements: it’s gothic, has a haunted house, and a small town with secrets. I did like the second half of the book more than the first but only because mysteries are not my favorite genre. This one had a great lore surrounding Starling House and it was definitely a fascinating story. If you are into gothic, fantasy contemporary tales about a sentient house, nightmares and monsters then you will definitely enjoy this one.

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Two Twisted Crowns by. Rachel Gillig | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)

Author: Rachel Gillig

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/17/23

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Gothic, Dark Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult

In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she’s wrought – perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head. The Nightmare. And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Content Warning: violence, death

Two Twisted Crowns is the sequel to One Dark Window and the last book in this duology. It is a fantastic conclusion to this dark gothic fantasy series.

+ Everything comes together. Ravyn and Elm are close to finding the Twin Alders card but they have to deal with the horrific realization that Elspeth has now been possessed by the Nightmare. It’s a story full of political intrigue, a quest to find the last card and protect the others, and needing to save Elspeth. This book is like seeing all the puzzle pieces coming together which was really well done.

+ Ravyn and Elspeth’s romance takes a backseat because that would be awkward with the Nightmare inside her. So the new romance in this book is Elm and Ione and I LOVED it. Elm has a reputation and before Ione wielded the Maiden card and became “beautiful” he was curious about her. But they get more time together it this book and they have chemistry, tension, passion and I love how they helped complete the quest together.

+ The ending made me emotional. Even though the Nightmare was a villain for most of this series, we learn his history and he honestly grew on me and Elspeth it seems.

+ The author does a wonderful job capturing the gothic, dark vibes and I still say the magic in this series is so unique. I’ve never read a book with magic cards quite like this and I love the lore and the questioning of the consequences of having too much power.

~ I hate Hauth – what a villain he is!

~ I did miss having Elspeth be her own person but I did love her interactions with the Nightmare who was almost like a dad to her – in a strange way.

My Final Thoughts:

It took me a little longer to read this one because Elm and Ione becomes the main characters and I was waiting for Ravyn and Elspeth to take the spotlight. But I’d say everyone had a chance to shine since this is told through Elm, Ravyn and Elspeth’s perspectives. I was emotional about the ending because I really loved the Nightmare as a character and it was tough to say goodbye to him. Overall this duology has everything – romance, dark fantasy, gothic vibes, a quest, unique magic, a villain, court intrigue and I highly recommend it if you like any of the things I mentioned!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

One Dark Window by. Rachel Gillig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Foxglove (Belladonna, #2)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 8/22/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Series, Fantasy, Gothic, Mystery, Paranormal

The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death’s story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

Content Warning: death

I finally read one of my most anticipated reads this year and I will say I did not expect this new direction in the story at all! And how gorgeous is this cover?! I bought the hard copy and this is what it looks like:

Most of this book is set as a gothic paranormal mystery. Signa and Blythe (mostly Blythe) are trying to figure out who murdered the duke. Blythe’s father is the main suspect and she will do anything to clear his name. But we get a new player in town, Death’s brother, Fate! Fate is convinced Signa is his long lost love but Signa is doesn’t believe it when she is so madly in love with Death. But they all have to make deals with Fate to help clear Elijah Hawthorne’s name.

I already loved Signa and Death from Belladonna so I didn’t love Fate trying to come between them. I did like learning more about Life though and of course Signa’s skill for seeing and talking to ghosts lends the gothic paranormal vibes to this book, which I love. I felt like the beginning of the book went slowly because it is a mystery. I also didn’t feel like there was much of Signa and Death in this book as I would have liked only because Blythe has a bigger role in this book.

Blythe really gets the spotlight in this book. She fights for her dad, trying to figure out who could have killed the duke because she believes with her whole heart it wasn’t her dad. She even makes a deal with Fate that would have unknowingly (to her), ruin Signa’s life forever. I loved how she goes toe to toe with Fate. As for Fate – he’s a mysterious character and not very likable but the twist in his fate was fantastic and I’m excited to see what happens in book three!

My Final Thoughts:

I don’t think I loved this as much as Belladonna but I do love how Blythe emerges as a strong character in this book. I think it’s a balanced enough book for Signa and Blythe to share the spotlight in this one but it’s clear in the end the next book will be Blythe’s story. The mystery moved a little too slow for me at first but the story picks up in the second half and I was hooked from there to the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt, #2)

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Mystery, Romance, Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .

Content Warning: violence, death, gruesome experiments

We are back with Thaumas sisters but mostly one in particular, Verity. I will note that only Verity and Camille are present in this story though the other girls are mentioned. But that’s totally okay because this is Verity’s story and what a story it is.

Verity goes to Bloem under the pretense of doing the future duke’s portrait. But she has longed to leave Highmoor for awhile now and live her own life and this is her chance. But Camille tells Verity something about her that is shocking. Bloem is way different than Salaan and Highmoor but it is as gothic a setting as Highmoor but filled with more…flowers.

Without giving any spoilers let’s just say the first part of this story builds slowly like a mystery but the new characters like Alex, Gerard and Dauphine are intriguing. Something is going on at Bloem, and I kept trying to guess what was happening and I will tell you when all was revealed I was in shock. The hits kept coming and I was wondering to what end?! And what an ending it was. I loved the mystery, the gothic vibes of Chauntilalei, the ghosts, the romance (which didn’t really start off with sparks – it’s a slow burn), the creepy experiments and the reason behind it all!

Tropes: girl can see ghosts

Why you should read it:

great storytelling and building up to that ending
gothic vibes, creepy, ghosts, romance, Gods

Why you might not want to read it:

not into Gothic mysteries

My Thoughts:

I was so excited to get a copy of this arc and I can say I was not disappointed. I didn’t know which way the story was going and when I thought it did – it changed on me and in an unsuspecting way. I enjoyed Verity and the gothic estate of Chauntilalei where there are secret passage ways, long, dark hallways and someone or something lurking in the corners. I am eager to read book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

All the Dead Lie Down by. Kyrie McCauley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: All the Dead Lie Down

Author: Kyrie McCauley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/16/23

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Categories: Mystery, LGBT+ Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Gothic, Horror

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows in award-winning author Kyrie McCauley’s contemporary YA gothic romance about a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.

The Sleeping House was very much awake . . .

Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.

Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.

But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.

Content Warning:

I never read The Haunting of Bly Manor (but now I’m intrigued) but I did read House of Salt and Sorrows and loved it. This book was not what I expected. Here is what I thought:

+ Right away the cover gives off that this will be a creepy book and I’m here for it. Marin moves into the house of her mom’s friend, Alice, an author with three daughters. Marin’s mom died so she’s alone and so she is now the nanny to Thea and Wren. The girls, especially Wren – are creepy. The writing is atmospheric and I got the gothic vibes for sure.

+ I was definitely kept guessing throughout the book. And there were weird and gross things like finding teeth in clams, or the girls cutting their hair and saving it in a chest and of course the dead animals around the property. If I was Marin, I would have left the moment Wren tried to feed me poisonous berries as a test lol.

+~ The lgbt+ romance was a sweet one – Marin and Evie complimented one another and they bonded through their grief. Marin lost her mother and Evie, her father. But I also felt like it didn’t work for me. I was caught up in trying to figure out what was going on at the Lovelace estate instead of wanting to read a romance happening.

~ The main reason this story didn’t work for me was to slow in the first half and it just lost my attention. I also failed to connect to any of the characters.

~ I’m probably not the right audience for this book or it was due to me not being in the mood to read it that I didn’t really enjoy it.

Tropes: creepy secluded house

Why you should read it:

you like gothic mystery and horror
the theme of grief

Why you might not want to read it:

too slow for me

My Thoughts:

The beginning was too slow for me to get invested into the story but I did think the writing was atmospheric and brought the creepy vibes. This one didn’t work out for me but I think if you like gothic horror and mystery, you will enjoy this one a lot especially in the second half of the book.