Category: Gothic

Review: A Study in Drowning

Title: A Study in Drowning
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Gothic
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Effie Sayre is the only girl in her university architecture program. She wasn’t allowed to attend the literature program because girls aren’t allowed in. Her favourite book is Angharad, the famous book by Emrys Myrddin about a girl who falls in love with the Fairy King and then destroys him. When Myrddin’s son creates a contest for an architecture student to redesign the late Myrddin’s home, Effie enters and wins. She goes to the estate, where she meets Preston, a literature student who is researching Myrddin’s documents to prove he was a fraud. That goes against everything Effie has always believed about her favourite author, but she can see some truth in it. Effie and Preston have to discreetly look for evidence to prove Myrddin was a fraud, while his estate crumbles around them. 

This was such a powerful story about women finding their voice. Effie had experienced so much sexism and misogyny at school. She wasn’t believed at home or school because she was a girl. I liked the theme of history repeating itself. Effie’s story was universal, because at some point in every woman’s life they have heard comments like this or experienced horrible acts simply because of their gender. This story also addresses what happens when the author of your favourite book, that you’ve always believed in, betrays you. It’s very difficult when someone you’ve admired for your whole life turns out not to be the person you thought you were, but unfortunately that happens. 

A Study in Drowning is a thought-provoking story!

Thank you Frenzy Books for providing a digital copy of this book. 

Content warnings: sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, drowning, death of parent (off page)

Have you read A Study in Drowning? What did you think of it?

Review: Starling House

Title: Starling House
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Fantasy, Contemporary, Gothic, Horror
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Review:

In Eden, Kentucky, there is a strange house that belonged to Eleanor Starling, the author of The Underland who disappeared. Everyone in the town avoids the house, and it’s occupant, Arthur Starling, at all costs. Opal has lived in Eden for most of her life. She lives in a motel with her younger brother, who she wants to give the best life. Opal has always been drawn to Starling House, seeing it in her dreams and nightmares, so when Arthur offers her a job with a huge paycheck, she accepts. However, Starling House is more haunted than Opal expected. Opal and Arthur must battle the beasts in the house before their nightmares take over. 

Eleanor Starling’s book The Underland was based on her life at Starling House. Since Opal loved that book, she got to live in her favourite story when she went to the house, which is a reader’s dream. I think the story would have had more tension if it was a little shorter. There were some long descriptions and drawn out scenes that could have been condensed. At the beginning of the story, there were footnotes that expanded on what was written in a funny way. I wished those footnotes continued to the end of the story because they were entertaining. 

Starling House is a spooky, gothic novel. 

Thank you Tor Books and Raincoast Books for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent, drowning, car accident

Have you read Starling House? What did you think of it?

Review: The Alchemy of Moonlight

Title: The Alchemy of Moonlight
Author: David Ferraro
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Gothic
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Source: Manda Group
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: May 30, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Emile’s aunt declares he must marry or be disowned for being gay—he runs away to hide as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. In their service, Emile tends to the family who all suffer a strange affliction on the full moon. And after overhearing suspicious family arguments, he finds a body on the estate, drawing the attention of a handsome doctor as well as the count’s charismatic nephew, Henri. 

Before Emile can sort out his affections or unravel the growing Montoni family mystery, his identity is revealed and his aunt comes to collect him.

When she arrives, Count Montoni forces everyone to depart to the remote Udolpho Castle—where there are no witnesses and no chance for escape. There, Emile realizes that he will have to risk his life to find the love he deserves—and survive the Montoni family.

Review:

When Emile’s aunt insists he get married or be sent to an asylum for being gay and lose his inheritance, he runs away and gets a job as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. He finds a dismembered hand on the property which introduces him to the local doctor, Valancourt. Emile also draws the attention of the Count’s nephew, Henri. As Emile finds more bodies on the property, he wonders if the Count has a dark secret. He hopes to figure it out so that he can blackmail the Count so that he no longer has to wait for his inheritance. However, Emile’s past catches up with him and the family moves to Udolpho castle, where there is no chance for escape and the danger lies within the castle walls. 

This story is a queer retelling of The Mysteries of Udolpho. I haven’t read that story but I am familiar with it. Though I can’t speak to the way this story was adapted, I liked the other nods to classic gothic novel. For example, there was a character in a scene named Carmilla, whose skin was cold to touch, like the vampire in the book Carmilla. This story was exciting, with twists that I didn’t see coming. There was also a love triangle, but it actually ended in a healthy relationship, that I won’t give details on to avoid spoilers. 

The Alchemy of Moonlight is a spooky new gothic novel!

Thank you Manda Group for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, mentions of suicide, dismemberment, homophobia

What to read next:

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Have you read The Alchemy of Moonlight? What did you think of it?

Review: Belladonna (Belladonna #1)

Title: Belladonna (Belladonna #1)
Author: Adalyn Grace
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Gothic, Mystery
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 30, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.

Review:

Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow was orphaned as a baby and has spent her years with a variety of different guardians who all met an early death. Signa can see ghosts, and she can also communicate with Death, who appears to her before her relatives die. After her aunt dies, Signa is sent to live with her distant relatives, the Hawthornes, at Thorn Grove. Elijah Hawthorne is coping with the loss of his wife by throwing extravagant parties. His son, Percy, is trying to take control of the family business, and his daughter, Blythe, seems to be suffering from the same illness that killed her mother. When the mother’s ghost tells Signa that she was actually poisoned and murdered, Signa has to solve the murder in time to save Blythe’s life. 

This was such an enchanting gothic mystery. The setting was gorgeous and evocative, with Thorn Grove filled with decadent architecture, food, and clothing. I loved the paranormal aspects, especially that Signa could communicate with death. I was really shocked at the twists and reveals at the end of the story. It ended on a thrilling cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to see what happens in the next story!

Belladonna is a beautiful gothic paranormal mystery!

Content warnings: poisoning, stabbing, death of parent, death of grandparent, vomiting, substance abuse (mentioned)

What to read next:

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Other books in the series:

  • Foxglove

Have you read Belladonna? What did you think of it?

Review: Juniper and Thorn

Title: Juniper and Thorn
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Horror, Gothic, Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

From highly acclaimed bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.

A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites. 

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart. 

As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.

Review:

Marlinchen and her two sisters are witches who live with their father, the last wizard, in the city of Oblya. Marlinchen and her sisters must use their magic to earn money for their family since their father was cursed. The girls are never allowed to leave their home. One night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak into the city to see the ballet. She falls in love with the show and the principal dancer Sevas. After this taste of freedom, Marlinchen pushes the boundaries to leave her home more, but her father’s anger becomes more threatening as she has more secrets to keep from him. 

I wasn’t familiar with The Juniper Tree story, which this book is based on, so this story was a surprise to me. I really liked Marlinchen, though the people around her didn’t like her at all. She suffered abuse from her family and some clients. Though some parts of this story were difficult to read, I loved the twists and it had a meaningful ending. 

I had the opportunity to meet Ava Reid yesterday in Toronto. After hearing her speak about the book, including her inspiration and publishing process, I feel like I understand the book much better. 

Juniper and Thorn is a thought-provoking gothic horror. 

Content Warnings: physical and emotional abuse, child abuse (emotional, sexual and physical), rape, murder, death of animals, death of parent, body horror, cannibalism

What to read next:

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Have you read Juniper and Thorn? What did you think of it?