Tag: gothic

Reviews

A Study in Drowning Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on A Study in Drowning Review

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.

I didn’t really form any sort of connection with Effy. I was just a bit ambivalent towards her and wasn’t really all that invested in her as a character. She definitely undergoes a bit of an evolution over the course of the plotline, growing in strength and coming out of her shell.

Preston was a nice contrast to Effy however he also didn’t really do much for me. He didn’t have that feeling of complexity or seemed very interesting at all. I think what really bothered me was how insta lovey the relationship was between these two. The go from hate to indifference to love so quickly it just kind of bugged me as I read. It doesn’t feel genuine to me and even though this is a fantasy I want to see the relationship play out somewhat realistically still.

I did very much enjoy the setting and the overall atmosphere as well as the mystery. Wondering whether or not this was actually going to be fantastical or if Effy was just hallucinating the Fairy King and it was all just a symptom of her medication after being abandoned and victimized. The misogyny was frustrating and the fact that had Preston not gone along with her to present the findings nothing would of changed.

⭐️2/5 stars didn’t hate but wasn’t a fan

Reviews

A House with Good Bones Review

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*BEWARE OF SPOILERS*

“Mom seems off.” Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out. But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above. To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Sam seems to err on the side of caution when it comes to her mother and the weird things that are going on inside the house. Normally her and her mum have such an open and honest relationship from what she tells us so the fact that she didn’t outright say wtf is going on here mum kind of bugged me a little. I get that she is a scientist and is looking for the most logical explanation but there comes a point where you just have to believe what you are seeing.

I loved Gail’s character and Phil seemed to be an interesting love interest but I want to know more about them! How did Gail become a witch and what happened with Hermes that he decided to stay with her? How did the feud with Granmae start and how did she know how when to come when Granmae was resurrected by the roses? I’m just left with so many questions about these characters that I’m left feeling a unsatisfied.

I’m a little bit hit and miss with T. Kingfisher so far. I just feel as though her books don’t have enough substance. I’m not sure if this is considered a short story and not an actual novel but overall this felt a tad rushed to me and didn’t delve as far into these characters and the plot as I wanted it too. The concept is fantastic and I love all of the witchy elements and the familiars attached to them but I didn’t get enough time to form a connection.

⭐️2/5 stars liked the concept but I want more!

Reviews

The Hacienda Review

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*KIND OF SPOILERY*

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz has had a lot to deal with since her father was executed and I think she jumped at the chance to step out from the shadows of her aunt and cousins even though Don Solórzano might not have been the right match for her. Definitely naïve and stubborn when she first comes to her husband’s estate. She wanted to come straight in and make all of these demands and changes and didn’t get off on the right foot with the staff. I think if she maybe would of had a bit more humility they would of warmed up to her a lot faster and explained the history of the hacienda and what happened in there.

Andrés I thought was an interesting character for sure; being from this long line of witches in his family while still being a priest and helping out his community. I’m not a religious person so all of the talk about faith and religion didn’t really do anything for me, but I can appreciate how it impacts all of his decisions and adds that layer of conflict for him in regards to letting his powers come forth. I also appreciated how slow the relationship between him and Beatriz developed. It wasn’t rushed or insta-lovey at all and they both really tried to maintain their morals but circumstance kept bringing them together and their feelings grew naturally.

The pacing in this book was on the slower side but I appreciate how the the dread and horror really creeps into the story. I was very much invested in the finding out what this spirit that resides in the Hacienda is and how it got there. I’m still not sure why it chose to target, torture and try and kill Beatriz when Juana and Rodolfo are the one’s at fault here. All of the twists and turns were very entertaining and I was pretty much invested from the start.

⭐️4/5 stars I just wish we could of got a little more of a satisfying ending

Reviews

Gallant Review

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Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

I really liked Olivia as our main protagonist. She has a bit of a petty streak that I really appreciated from her, it definitely made her more of a realistic character to me. She is very relatable in her yearning to belong and how excited she was at the prospect of being a part of a family even though her mother warned her about going to Gallant.

I kind of wish this was a dual perspective with Matthew. I think seeing how his mind comprehends Gallant and the duty the Priors have held and how it has crippled their family. To see how the whispers have driven him nearly to death and why he was so adamant in sending Olive away when she first arrived. I think we don’t get enough interaction between the two of them and the ones we do get were so poignant and touching.

I love a haunted house setting and this book really brought that spooky atmosphere for me. The ghouls were a great addition to the plot and really cemented the history of this estate and how much this family has sacrificed for the greater good. I really enjoyed the contrast between the two worlds and how Olivia’s magic changed with the different settings.

I liked the overall concept of Gallant and what is expected being a Prior. Learning how Olivia was lured back and how she unintentionally followed in her mother’s footsteps going across the wall was fascinating and compelling. I was very much invested in the storyline and wanted to know how everything was going to come together in the end. I was very happy with how this wrapped up and the fact that it wasn’t the fairy-tale ending I was expecting made it even more satisfying to me.

⭐️4/5 This was fantastic!

Reviews

Mexican Gothic Review

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This was definitely not was I was expecting.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

This books takes place in the 50’s I believe and the societal expectations of the time really gets on my nerves. The fact that women aren’t allowed to really do anything for themselves, where it’s considered rude to interrupt when men are speaking and when the main protagonists doesn’t have any authority to do anything is so annoying. I think this was the most frustrating part of this book for me. Noemi not being able to visit her cousin even though she came all this way to see her having to abide to such stringent rules without any reasoning. I liked that she pressed against these rules and still did what she wanted but all of the restrictions bugged me.

I really liked Noemi. She doesn’t take no for an answer and seeks out proof rather than just accepting Virgil’s version of events. I think she was a little disrespectful at the start smoking in the house when it was requested that she didn’t but still had I been in that situation and was greeted the way she was I probably would of acted the same. She refuses to be intimidated by the Doyle’s and keeps asking questions and delving deeper into what is going on at High Place and what it has done to Catalina.

The pacing felt quite slow at times but I found I was so enthralled that I got through it quite quickly. There is definitely an atmospheric tone to the story which made it even more gripping. I have to admit having a unreliable main protagonist isn’t my favourite trope in terms of the hallucinations and trying to figure out whether or not she was dreaming. But I can appreciate how it added that layer of unpredictability to the storyline.

This was an intriguing, dark, weird and twisted tale that didn’t shy away from shocking the reader. I appreciate how far Silvia Moreno-Garcia was willing to push the plot and take it to a place that I wasn’t able to predict for sure. This was highly original and in the end quite thrilling and action packed.

⭐️3/5 stars haunting and creepy!