Tag: gothic fantasy

Review: House of the Beast by Michelle Wong

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Kindle with House of the Beast in a coffee shop and strawberry matcha

Alexis:

Happy Pub Day to House of the Beast by Michelle Wong!

This dark, new adult fantasy debut is about a young woman who strikes a deal with a mysterious and alluring god to seek revenge on her aristocratic family—featuring illustrations throughout by the author. 

I am going to include the synopsis here, because otherwise, this review might not make all that much sense.

Synopsis:

Born out of wedlock and shunned by society, Alma learned to make her peace with solitude, so long as she had her mother by her side. When her mother becomes gravely ill, Alma discovers a clue about her estranged father and writes a message begging for help. Little does she know that she is a bastard of House Avera, one of the four noble families that serve the gods and are imbued with their powers—and her father is a vessel of the Dread Beast, the most frightening god of all, a harbinger of death.

In a desperate exchange for her mother’s medicine, Alma agrees to sacrifice her left arm to the Beast in a ceremony that will bind her forever to the House and its deity. Regardless, her mother soon passes, leaving Alma trapped inside the Avera’s grand estate, despised by her relatives and nothing but a pawn in her father’s schemes.

Now vengeance is the only thing that keeps Alma going. That, and the strange connection she has with her god—a monster who is constantly by her side, an eldritch being taking the form of a beautiful prince with starlit hair that only she can see. He tells Alma that she has been chosen to bring change upon their world, and with his help, Alma plots a perilous journey to destroy the House that stole everything from her.

What I Liked:

First things first, the cover! It’s gorgeous, mysterious, and gothic, which fits this book perfectly. Secondly, Wong includes her own illustrations throughout the story, and even on my Kindle, they added a little something extra to the story.

When I’m in the mood for a dark fantasy, I want it to be dark, and this hit the spot. The atmosphere overall is dark and gothic, with small sprinklings of humor. I especially enjoyed the monsters that Wong included in the story; there’s even a woman who creates Frankenstein’s monster-esque creatures. There are plenty of body horror elements.

The entire concept of being a vessel of a god called the Dread Beast is dark and fascinating, and I really felt for Alma when she was forced to lose her hand by her abusive father. Additionally, as the Dread Beast himself is a harbinger of death, death magic plays a role in the story.

I also enjoyed the cast of characters that we get. Wong did a great job of making them each well-rounded by having them have complicated feelings, motivations, and distinguishing characteristics. 

Overall, I connected with the first half of this book more than the second half. The first focuses more on Alma’s struggle as she is thrust into this strange and dark new role, as well as her loneliness, grief, and desire for revenge on her father. It shows just how out of place she feels in the world, which leads her to forming a connection with Aster, her god/monster who only she can see and hear.

What I Didn’t Like Quite As Much:

The second half of this book lost me a little bit. While I enjoyed the action scenes, as Alma fights monsters and deals with her antagonistic father, the emotional side of it just fell a little too flat for me. The final fight/climax didn’t have the impactful emotional impact that I expected. On top of that, Aster’s character was always held at arm’s length from me as the reader, especially since the story itself jumps over the time when Alma actually forms her connection to him, so I didn’t feel his connection to Alma as much as I wanted to. On top of that, there was one mention of a TV that completely took me out of the story for a minute and felt very out of place.

That being said, I loved Wong’s descriptive language and how she didn’t shy away from dark topics, and I appreciated how she turned several tropes on their heads. Thank you so much to HarperCollins and Netgalley for my ARC of House of the Beast in exchange for a review!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Review: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

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The Knight and the Moth held over a book cart

Alexis: If you haven’t heard of The Knight and the Moth, are you living under a rock?

(Just kidding). But really, Rachel Gillig, the author of One Night Window, has been having a moment across social media with her new book. 

The Knight and the Moth follows Sybil, who is just known as Six. She’s a Diviner, one of the prophetesses who live in the great cathedral. Her task is to dream, where she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens.

But one day, the new boy king and his group of knights pay a visit so the king can have his future predicted. Among them is a mysterious knight, Rodrick, called Rory, who has no respect for Six’s dreams or even the Omens. When Six’s Diviner sisters start to disappear, she finds herself following Rory on a journey.

I don’t want to reveal too much more than that. The Knight and the Moth has the classic Gillig gothic atmosphere that I love. The dark way the Diviners dream was fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed learning about Six and her sisters.

I also really enjoyed the cast of characters. Sybil was a great main character, and I loved how strong yet emotionally vulnerable she is. I also equally loved Rory, and their chemistry and banter worked really well; the romance subplot in this was fantastic.

And, of course, there’s the gargoyle. The cathedral has stone gargoyles that are alive, and the main gargoyle, which becomes Six’s companion, is a true gem of a character who often brings welcome comic relief throughout the story. 

Overall, my main critique is that I didn’t care for the actual quest plot. I didn’t find the actual Omens all that interesting (which could just be a me problem), and this played a huge role in the story. I did guess the two huge plot twists fairly early on. The pacing also felt a little off to me at times, especially in the first half.

That being said, I definitely still think this is worth a read, and I’m interested to see where the story goes in the next book, especially since the stakes will be even higher! 

VERDICT: ⚒️⚒️⚒️.5/5

Review: The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

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Alexis sits on a step and holds a library copy of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

Alexis:

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library follows Ivy, who is the last living descendant to the Blackwoods, which means she inherits an estate called Blackwood Abbey. The abbey is grand yet dusty and old, but Ivy is drawn to its mysterious library. Despite warnings from the abbey’s staff, Ivy begins to peruse the library. But with time, she learns that there is something sinister in its shelves. 

The thing I most loved about this book is the atmosphere. It has all the markings of a good Gothic story: creepy house, ghosts, and a dark mystery. I also really enjoyed the setting as a whole. The story is set in the aftermath of World War I, and Fox does a great job showing how the war impacted both society and the veterans. 

Of course, I love the emphasis on books, as well!

While I really enjoyed the first half, and everything it sets up, there were a couple of things I got hung up on while reading.

  • Ivy. While I liked her first, she was just such a naive main character that she dragged the story down with her. Despite copious amounts of warnings (and even things she sees for herself), she continues to make very bad decisions throughout the story.
  • The plot becomes a little convoluted in the second half of the story. The mystery also drags on a little too long.
  • There are some spoiler-y things that I will mention below!

Overall, I enjoyed the concept, the atmosphere, and the setting.

VERDICT: 📚📚📚/5 

SPOILERS BELOW:

I’m going to elaborate a little on the plot here. The plot focuses heavily on memory and memory loss, which I like the idea of! However, as a reader, I did feel a little blindsided because we would be told that something happened, alongside Ivy, but have zero idea it happened because of her memory loss. I wish there was a way for us as the readers to have more insight as to what was happening.

This also made the romance feel lackluster to me. The hints were all there, but because we didn’t get to see Ivy fall in love, it fell a little flat to me.

Last point, and the one that bothers me the most: It was randomly thrown in at the end that Ralph just doesn’t remember who his parents are (despite him working with them everyday) because of his PTSD from the war?? This felt like a very important yet random development that was thrown in at the end just so that he could relate to Ivy’s memory loss. 

Review: The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russell

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A Kindle rests on a blue Kindle pillow that a moon and star pattern. On the left is a Sweater Weather candle. On the right is a notepad that says "Read."

Alexis:

If you’re into gothic books that are similar to Jane Eyre, then add The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses to your TBR. 

When Theodora becomes a governess for a little girl in a quiet mansion, she realizes the house and its mysterious lord, Cassius, are full of secrets. 

What I liked:

  • The atmosphere

Russell’s words drip with atmosphere! Her writing is lyrical and paints such a vivid picture of the multiple decaying houses in this book. Speaking of which…

  • Creepy mansions

The settings almost feel like characters themselves. Theodora’s house, where she lives with her grandmother, is an ancient being falling apart around them. And Broken Oak Manor, where she works, feels like a slumbering giant. 

  • Ghosts! (Enough said.)
  • Secrets

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that Theodora tries to uncover.

  • Theme of grief

Even though Theodora’s father died when she was young, his death plays a pivotal role in Theodora’s character arc. 

  • A great plot twist 

What I didn’t like as much:

  • Slow-paced

While I generally enjoy slow-paced and character-driven novels, the middle of this book dragged in places.

  • The romance 

The romance was just okay for me, and I felt like it could have been developed more!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 

Pub date: May 15, 2023 ⁣

⁣Thanks to BookSirens, Quill & Crow Publishing House, and author L.V. Russell for sending me an ARC for review!

Review: One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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One Dark Window rests on a yellow scarf next to a cashmere candle and an oil perfume rollerball called Dusty Manuscripts.

Alexis:

One Dark Window is a new adult fantasy that follows Elspeth, who lives in the mist-locked kingdom of Blunder. Elspeth has a secret—after she contracted the infection that gave her illegal magic, she accidentally let a monster called the Nightmare into her head. Now, it lives in the back of her mind and protects her.

But when Elspeth runs into a group of highwaymen, she unexpectedly ends up joining a quest to rid Blunder of its dark magic: a deck of cards called the Providence Cards.

The first topic I want to discuss is the magic system. The idea of a magical deck of cards is very unique, and I really enjoyed how it shaped the worldbuilding and the story. The cards are the only legal way to do magic; each card temporarily gives the user a magical ability. 

Now for the worldbuilding. In the beginning of each chapter is a passage or two from a text called the Book of Adlers. This really helped give insight into the culture of Blunder and helped shape the world, as well.

As for the pacing, the beginning is really slow, and it takes a while for everything to be set up before Elspeth can actually go on her quest. But once the quest began, I really enjoyed being on the journey with her.

There’s a romantic subplot, as well. I’m a huge fan of a romantic subplot, and while I did enjoy it, I was hoping for a little more depth. (It’s worth noting that there’s also the fake-dating trope in this book, which I haven’t seen anyone mention!) But I’m hoping the romance doesn’t feel as surface-level in the sequel.

Speaking of sequels, the ending of One Dark Window sets up for a killer second book. 

Overall, One Dark Window is a great choice if you’re looking for an atmospheric and gothic read with a unique, dark magic system. 

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5