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roannasylver's review
5.0
"Someone once said that there's nothing more poetic than the death of a beautiful woman, but I think that's only true until the women get revenge. And I'm done with spending my days hidden away behind heavy curtains and wrought-iron gates. I want to burst forth into the sun and unfold and blossom there, like a waterfall cutting through rock. No more beautiful dead girls. No more sculptures made of women's bones. Never again."
* * *
And another review where I can't pick a single sentence to start out with, because the entire section I want is just so good and illustrative of the book's major themes.
We're familiar with the deaths of women in fiction. Fridged love interests and female family members' pain - so common that the term 'fridged' was actually coined for an expendable woman being killed to drive forward the narrative's often-male POV (their bodies discovered, often for shock value, discarded in a humiliating way, like being stuffed into a fridge).
Women do die in Graveyard Sparrow, and due to its Jack-The-Ripper Re-imagining feel, it's not glossed-over. The book is a rather dark one, with its Gothic thriller tone and setting, an alternate 19th-century London, if I'm right. Here, magic and its studies are woven into the culture, and things like talking to the dead are rare but by no means impossible. And atrocities happen. (If you're put off by this kind of violence, I'd go into it with your eyes open, at least.)
But women also fight back, take charge of their own lives, refuse to be silenced - even by death! - and fall in love. And yes, get revenge.
There are two antagonistic forces at work here: the literal serial killer, and the pressure of restrictive cultural misogyny. The murderer here is very much a 'product of his time,' not that his brutality isn't his fault, but meaning he is the natural and chillingly believable manifestation of a society that devalues and actively abuses women, while at the same time elevating a privileged few to the throne of sainthood - an always-slient, always-'pliable', always-demure and deferential goddess. And the killer himself should be a very familiar figure in today's media, fiction and news alike. He's all around. You might have even escaped him once, or more. I certainly recognize him. But I'm not as familiar with his failure, or defeat at the hands of his would-be victims.
That needs to change. And here, it does.
Graveyard Sparrow can be brutal, but is ultimately cathartic. For anyone who's reached the state of Frustrated, Disappointed but Not Surprised at another dead/silent/expendable woman in a story, who's thought the leading lady had much more chemistry with her female friends than the male romantic lead (really, so many things seem to do this, stick the main man and woman together for no other reason aside from... they are a man and woman). That is not this. No more sculptures made of women's bones. Never again.
Also, the entire thing runs on dramatic irony - the reader knowing more than the characters, in this case the actual identity of the murderer, and his motive, very early on - and I just love this. It's one of my favorite literary devices, but I've never read anything where it's structured in so effectively.
Lastly, Katriona and Anthea are delightful themselves. I'll eat my nonexistent hat if Katriona wasn't written as autistic and/or some other kind of neurodivergent - aside from the inevitable trauma that comes from being able to speak to dead people. And her handling is sympathetic and respectful (and in cases of meltdowns/panic/ableist abuse, painfully accurate). And Anthea's determination, individuality and warmth are just lovely. The fact that she's described as a gorgeous chubby girl whose shape is only portrayed as beautiful and desirable doesn't hurt either - a refreshing and encouraging element I've literally only seen with indie/ownvoice books.
A f/f paranormal thiller/romance where the ND girl is the sympathetic and multidimensional star instead of a pathetic figure meant for tragic pity, who falls in love with a brave, resourceful, fat witch, in a story where they not only defeat the villain and SURVIVE, both of them, but end up happily together? This is why I've been reading indies/ownvoices pretty exclusively lately. The books we want are out there (or soon will be). This is one of mine, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
* * *
And another review where I can't pick a single sentence to start out with, because the entire section I want is just so good and illustrative of the book's major themes.
We're familiar with the deaths of women in fiction. Fridged love interests and female family members' pain - so common that the term 'fridged' was actually coined for an expendable woman being killed to drive forward the narrative's often-male POV (their bodies discovered, often for shock value, discarded in a humiliating way, like being stuffed into a fridge).
Women do die in Graveyard Sparrow, and due to its Jack-The-Ripper Re-imagining feel, it's not glossed-over. The book is a rather dark one, with its Gothic thriller tone and setting, an alternate 19th-century London, if I'm right. Here, magic and its studies are woven into the culture, and things like talking to the dead are rare but by no means impossible. And atrocities happen. (If you're put off by this kind of violence, I'd go into it with your eyes open, at least.)
But women also fight back, take charge of their own lives, refuse to be silenced - even by death! - and fall in love. And yes, get revenge.
There are two antagonistic forces at work here: the literal serial killer, and the pressure of restrictive cultural misogyny. The murderer here is very much a 'product of his time,' not that his brutality isn't his fault, but meaning he is the natural and chillingly believable manifestation of a society that devalues and actively abuses women, while at the same time elevating a privileged few to the throne of sainthood - an always-slient, always-'pliable', always-demure and deferential goddess. And the killer himself should be a very familiar figure in today's media, fiction and news alike. He's all around. You might have even escaped him once, or more. I certainly recognize him. But I'm not as familiar with his failure, or defeat at the hands of his would-be victims.
That needs to change. And here, it does.
Graveyard Sparrow can be brutal, but is ultimately cathartic. For anyone who's reached the state of Frustrated, Disappointed but Not Surprised at another dead/silent/expendable woman in a story, who's thought the leading lady had much more chemistry with her female friends than the male romantic lead (really, so many things seem to do this, stick the main man and woman together for no other reason aside from... they are a man and woman). That is not this. No more sculptures made of women's bones. Never again.
Also, the entire thing runs on dramatic irony - the reader knowing more than the characters, in this case the actual identity of the murderer, and his motive, very early on - and I just love this. It's one of my favorite literary devices, but I've never read anything where it's structured in so effectively.
Lastly, Katriona and Anthea are delightful themselves. I'll eat my nonexistent hat if Katriona wasn't written as autistic and/or some other kind of neurodivergent - aside from the inevitable trauma that comes from being able to speak to dead people. And her handling is sympathetic and respectful (and in cases of meltdowns/panic/ableist abuse, painfully accurate). And Anthea's determination, individuality and warmth are just lovely. The fact that she's described as a gorgeous chubby girl whose shape is only portrayed as beautiful and desirable doesn't hurt either - a refreshing and encouraging element I've literally only seen with indie/ownvoice books.
A f/f paranormal thiller/romance where the ND girl is the sympathetic and multidimensional star instead of a pathetic figure meant for tragic pity, who falls in love with a brave, resourceful, fat witch, in a story where they not only defeat the villain and SURVIVE, both of them, but end up happily together? This is why I've been reading indies/ownvoices pretty exclusively lately. The books we want are out there (or soon will be). This is one of mine, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
hrjones's review
3.0
Katriona Sparrow is known by Victorian society as "the mad heiress" for her odd and debilitating talent for psychic empathy. One of the few reasons she ventures out of her empty mansion is to lend her talents to the police, for in addition to being able to read the lives of any living person she touches, she is able to take impressions from the dead of their last moments. Her guardian, Doctor Fuellore allows this, despite seeing the effects on his ward's health and sanity.
Anthea Garlant has a tenuous place in society, but hopes that her magical talents will win her membership among the academic ranks of the Magician's Society, as her father did. She hasn't encountered Miss Sparrow since they were children together, but now the police have--informally--requested that she see what assistance she can lend to their prized empath to regain her health and equilibrium. A Ripper-like serial murderer is haunting London, and Katriona's attempts to solve the mystery may destroy both her mind and body.
Needless to say, this is an alternate Victorian England where magical talents are taken for granted. Bashe's worldbuilding in this regard is spare and deft, bringing the reader into her fantasy quickly while grounding the setting and events in familiar themes and tropes: the harried constabulary, the reclusive heiress, the violent murder of working girls. As they work together, the two protagonists develop a growing attraction and mutual desire, driving both elements of the conflict and the urgency of the final climax. The setting is enough like our own history that outside awareness of that desire is sufficient to threaten social ruin, though not complete personal disaster.
Although this is a thriller, it is not a mystery. We are introduced to the killer's point of view directly enough to be quite aware of his identity and his threat to Katriona. Indeed, the continued suspense depends on her inability to "read" him, alone among the people she encounters. There is more than a little of a gothic feel, as abductions and twisted desire turn our protagonist into a classic damsel in distress. There is just enough peril to be riveted to the page, but not so much that the reader expects tragedy.
Two elements pull this novella back from top marks for me. The writing style involves a bit too much "telling" of things that could as easily have been conveyed by more integrated exposition. And a number of aspects of this historic setting are a thin window-dressing that dissolves on closer examination. Just as one example, Katriona Sparrow evidently lives in a large ancestral mansion alone except for a single lady's maid. (This isn't simply a matter of a staff that goes unmentioned in the narrative. It's a plot element that when the maid is absent she is completely alone in the house.) Enjoy it as a delightful piece of historic fluff, but avoid looking too closely behind the curtains.
Anthea Garlant has a tenuous place in society, but hopes that her magical talents will win her membership among the academic ranks of the Magician's Society, as her father did. She hasn't encountered Miss Sparrow since they were children together, but now the police have--informally--requested that she see what assistance she can lend to their prized empath to regain her health and equilibrium. A Ripper-like serial murderer is haunting London, and Katriona's attempts to solve the mystery may destroy both her mind and body.
Needless to say, this is an alternate Victorian England where magical talents are taken for granted. Bashe's worldbuilding in this regard is spare and deft, bringing the reader into her fantasy quickly while grounding the setting and events in familiar themes and tropes: the harried constabulary, the reclusive heiress, the violent murder of working girls. As they work together, the two protagonists develop a growing attraction and mutual desire, driving both elements of the conflict and the urgency of the final climax. The setting is enough like our own history that outside awareness of that desire is sufficient to threaten social ruin, though not complete personal disaster.
Although this is a thriller, it is not a mystery. We are introduced to the killer's point of view directly enough to be quite aware of his identity and his threat to Katriona. Indeed, the continued suspense depends on her inability to "read" him, alone among the people she encounters. There is more than a little of a gothic feel, as abductions and twisted desire turn our protagonist into a classic damsel in distress. There is just enough peril to be riveted to the page, but not so much that the reader expects tragedy.
Two elements pull this novella back from top marks for me. The writing style involves a bit too much "telling" of things that could as easily have been conveyed by more integrated exposition. And a number of aspects of this historic setting are a thin window-dressing that dissolves on closer examination. Just as one example, Katriona Sparrow evidently lives in a large ancestral mansion alone except for a single lady's maid. (This isn't simply a matter of a staff that goes unmentioned in the narrative. It's a plot element that when the maid is absent she is completely alone in the house.) Enjoy it as a delightful piece of historic fluff, but avoid looking too closely behind the curtains.
irurian's review
3.0
I think this is the first book I've read where a character states that they're bisexual. Which is awesome, considering I never see people like me actually identified in fiction.
The story was quite charming. I especially liked Anthea, who really drew me into the story.
However, the time period the book is set in makes the characters feel quite out of place. The writing also seemed kind of clunky at times.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading Graveyard Sparrow. I will be reading more from Ms. Bashe in the future.
The story was quite charming. I especially liked Anthea, who really drew me into the story.
However, the time period the book is set in makes the characters feel quite out of place. The writing also seemed kind of clunky at times.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading Graveyard Sparrow. I will be reading more from Ms. Bashe in the future.
plumeriade's review
2.0
i knew the backdrop of this book was a crime mystery about a serial killer, but there was waaay too much graphic violence against women for my taste--plus you get the internal thoughts of the killer at times, which are just streams of thoughts about how women are only good when they're dead and butchered. the two main characters have promise, but that and the small bit of romance (which was not a slow-burn, and had no real chemistry) don't make up for the average writing and numerous decapitated women.
dreamofbookspines's review
3.0
Cute idea but amateurish execution. Bashe is 21, so it's not like she would automatically have a developed/mature author voice, but in particular Graveyard Sparrow came off as immature (I did not find this true of Bluebell Hall, her other book that I've read). The plot seemed rushed and character development struck me as cliche. No shade to Bashe re: my review of this book. I think the style was not for me. I love the idea that's at the core of the story, I love Bashe's general aesthetic, it's just that this particular book is not one that I personally would recommend if the style of writing isn't your thing.
iamlitandwit's review
4.0
This only took me as long as it did because real life distracted me and kept me busy. If it weren't for that reason, I would've finished this story so fast, because it was so good! I really liked the Gothic elements mixed with the magical elements. I have a soft spot for girls who are so soft and gentle with one another: Anthea and Katriona are well developed as a couple and are sweet with one another. I enjoyed reading this kind of commentary of academia and of the Victorian mindset of female bodies/female worth as well. 4 🌟!
robberbaroness's review
4.0
Slim paperbacks whose covers feature nightgowned maidens fleeing big houses may no longer be ubiquitous in convenience stores, but that doesn’t mean the gothic romance is dead! Graveyard Sparrow, by Kayla Bashe, is a charming throwback to those female-centric narratives with their grisly murders and forbidden loves, albeit with a few characters the 1970s likely wouldn’t have included- but should have.
In a regency-era England slightly different than our own, Katriona is a neurodivergent empath, and Anthea is the witch hired to care for her. They fight crime! In less glib terms, they find themselves tracking a self-styled artist whose works are composed with the bodies of murdered women. In between terrors they fall in love, and their mutual infatuation is the heart of the story; the crimes aren’t really a mystery, since the villain is revealed to us from the start. Both ladies are kindhearted and fascinated with each other, a welcome change of pace from the kind of artificially drawn-out antagonism or Big Misunderstandings that sometimes plagues romance.
Also included is a short story called Blood and Newsprint, this one a romantic adventure set in roaring and deadly New York. Its short length didn’t allow for the slow development with which Katriona and Anthea’s characters were drawn, and I found it the less appealing of the two narratives. Nevertheless, Bashe continues to show off her taste for the macabre mixed with wit and dashing heroics, a combination that made Graveyard Sparrow a delightful read.
In a regency-era England slightly different than our own, Katriona is a neurodivergent empath, and Anthea is the witch hired to care for her. They fight crime! In less glib terms, they find themselves tracking a self-styled artist whose works are composed with the bodies of murdered women. In between terrors they fall in love, and their mutual infatuation is the heart of the story; the crimes aren’t really a mystery, since the villain is revealed to us from the start. Both ladies are kindhearted and fascinated with each other, a welcome change of pace from the kind of artificially drawn-out antagonism or Big Misunderstandings that sometimes plagues romance.
Also included is a short story called Blood and Newsprint, this one a romantic adventure set in roaring and deadly New York. Its short length didn’t allow for the slow development with which Katriona and Anthea’s characters were drawn, and I found it the less appealing of the two narratives. Nevertheless, Bashe continues to show off her taste for the macabre mixed with wit and dashing heroics, a combination that made Graveyard Sparrow a delightful read.
bethalani's review
3.0
When I first came across this novel, I was intrigued. I have seen it described as a modern gothic story, a magical mystery with a romantic backdrop, and a magical romance with a mysterious backdrop.
Graveyard Sparrow is all of these things and more. Kayla Bashe's voice embodies her gothic predecessors with poise and elegance. Her protagonists are engaging. Katriona and Anthea are a wonderful pair. Her story draws you in, with elements of magical realism woven throughout. As a reader, you root for the budding romance throughout its glacial progression.
Although the antagonist is revealed early on, that doesn't belittle any twist or turn. If anything, it highlights them. I read this book in two sittings, and I'm sure I could have devoured it in one.
My only gripe is that the story is quite slow in places, so I did have to persevere from time to time. But I'm glad I did.
Graveyard Sparrow is all of these things and more. Kayla Bashe's voice embodies her gothic predecessors with poise and elegance. Her protagonists are engaging. Katriona and Anthea are a wonderful pair. Her story draws you in, with elements of magical realism woven throughout. As a reader, you root for the budding romance throughout its glacial progression.
Although the antagonist is revealed early on, that doesn't belittle any twist or turn. If anything, it highlights them. I read this book in two sittings, and I'm sure I could have devoured it in one.
My only gripe is that the story is quite slow in places, so I did have to persevere from time to time. But I'm glad I did.
betharnold9's review
3.0
When I first came across this novel, I was intrigued. I have seen it described as a modern gothic story, a magical mystery with a romantic backdrop, and a magical romance with a mysterious backdrop.
Graveyard Sparrow is all of these things and more. Kayla Bashe's voice embodies her gothic predecessors with poise and elegance. Her protagonists are engaging. Katriona and Anthea are a wonderful pair. Her story draws you in, with elements of magical realism woven throughout. As a reader, you root for the budding romance throughout its glacial progression.
Although the antagonist is revealed early on, that doesn't belittle any twist or turn. If anything, it highlights them. I read this book in two sittings, and I'm sure I could have devoured it in one.
My only gripe is that the story is quite slow in places, so I did have to persevere from time to time. But I'm glad I did.
Graveyard Sparrow is all of these things and more. Kayla Bashe's voice embodies her gothic predecessors with poise and elegance. Her protagonists are engaging. Katriona and Anthea are a wonderful pair. Her story draws you in, with elements of magical realism woven throughout. As a reader, you root for the budding romance throughout its glacial progression.
Although the antagonist is revealed early on, that doesn't belittle any twist or turn. If anything, it highlights them. I read this book in two sittings, and I'm sure I could have devoured it in one.
My only gripe is that the story is quite slow in places, so I did have to persevere from time to time. But I'm glad I did.
ange_reads's review
3.0
The writing style of this book was very flawed, but it was a charming little story nonetheless.
There were moments when I admired a turn of phrase or how well written and simple a sentence was (the title is a great example of that). Bashe definitely has the ability to write well. However, the scenes were written in a very choppy way (switching from one character's POV to another's very rapidly, quickly moving through important plot points); characters reacted to plot twists with very unrealistic behavior (e.g., when Katriona's maid turns up dead, and she first doesn't recognize her, and secondly, she barely reacts to the death of a loved one ); and important world-building and character-building bits were quickly skipped over.
One question that kept bothering me: are lesbians socially acceptable in this world? Everyone seemed to accept lesbian attraction as par for the course, and the main objections seemed to be around class and reputation...I think? I'd have loved to understand more about the social mores and norms of the world these two women lived in. Part of the reason I love reading 1800s romance is that there are so many rules that the main characters have to carefully navigate around in order to make their love legitimate, and while there was a little of that in this story, it was rather glossed over.
The thing that made me cringe the most was when anachronistic things popped into the story, when our heroines acted as if they were 21st century feminists, or an idiom from today was used. For example, early on, Katriona is taken to the hospital when she collapses. Instead, she would have been taken home, and a doctor would have been brought to her. Hospitals weren't the most common way to receive medical care in the 1800s.
All that being said...I did enjoy the story. It was charming and sweet, and I liked our heroines, especially the lady adventuress, Anthea. A girl after my own heart. :)
I would love to see what Kayla Bashe could produce when she's got an astute editor to fine-tune her writing. I am so down for some lesbian Victorian romance mixed with magic and lady adventurers. Bring it on!
There were moments when I admired a turn of phrase or how well written and simple a sentence was (the title is a great example of that). Bashe definitely has the ability to write well. However, the scenes were written in a very choppy way (switching from one character's POV to another's very rapidly, quickly moving through important plot points); characters reacted to plot twists with very unrealistic behavior (e.g.,
One question that kept bothering me: are lesbians socially acceptable in this world? Everyone seemed to accept lesbian attraction as par for the course, and the main objections seemed to be around class and reputation...I think? I'd have loved to understand more about the social mores and norms of the world these two women lived in. Part of the reason I love reading 1800s romance is that there are so many rules that the main characters have to carefully navigate around in order to make their love legitimate, and while there was a little of that in this story, it was rather glossed over.
The thing that made me cringe the most was when anachronistic things popped into the story, when our heroines acted as if they were 21st century feminists, or an idiom from today was used. For example, early on, Katriona is taken to the hospital when she collapses. Instead, she would have been taken home, and a doctor would have been brought to her. Hospitals weren't the most common way to receive medical care in the 1800s.
All that being said...I did enjoy the story. It was charming and sweet, and I liked our heroines, especially the lady adventuress, Anthea. A girl after my own heart. :)
I would love to see what Kayla Bashe could produce when she's got an astute editor to fine-tune her writing. I am so down for some lesbian Victorian romance mixed with magic and lady adventurers. Bring it on!