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renettereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
We find Marta in Victorian England where she follows a prophecy to Fynshade. Here she is to be a governess to Grace Pritchard, but we soon find that Grace’s brother Vaughan is really who Marta believes to be her destiny.
Marta was an incredibly challenging character who could be quite devious and would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, which made this an interesting read. I was constantly against rooting for her, but SOMEHOW ended up doing so anyway - let’s hear it for feminine rage!
Because I had listened to this as an audiobook, I think it was okay, but I can see how the pace might be a little slow if you’re reading it physically.
I liked the supernatural elements of witchcraft in this and I loved the gothic setting, but I think this was a little too straight-up historical fiction for me. I usually like my historical settings with a dash of fantasy. Still, an enjoyable and tense listen with some mysterious elements mixed in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Mental illness
outsmartyourshelf's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Marta has lived with her grandmother for as long as she can remember, & the old woman has educated her in the ways of using magic. Following her grandmother's death, Marta discovers that she is to be sent away to be a governess at Fyneshade Hall, & she suspects that this is a plot cooked up between her aunt & the mother of Marta's lover, Nathaniel. When Marta arrives at Fyneshade she discovers that her charge, Grace, has developmental & learning delays (the description seems to suggest Down Syndrome).
The house & its environment is distinctly odd: not only is the Master (Sir William Pritchard) never at home, but all of the maids & staff are homely & 99% are female. Not only that, but one of the few males, young Master Vaughan Pritchard is forbidden to enter the house whilst his father lives. This is not a pleasing situation for Marta but she uses her time to learn about the secrets of those around her & how best to use them to her advantage. Marta believes she is destined for something much greater than being just the governess but her conceit might be her undoing.
This is a dark gothic read, a genre which I love. Usually the audience empathises with the main character & wants to see them succeed, but here the main character, Marta, is easy to dislike. She's manipulative, cunning, physically abusive to Grace, mercenary, & what we would now term fatphobic with how she describes others. She thinks herself above everyone else, so what kept me reading above it being an engrossing tale, was hoping to see she gets her comeuppance. The author has crafted Marta so convincingly that the character raises antipathy from most readers judging by the reviews. That's not quite the end of the story though, & there's a nod to Henry James in the final scenes. Verdict: liked it but not sure I'd re-read it due to the main character. If you like books by authors such as Laura Purcell, you'd probably enjoy this one too.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
The house & its environment is distinctly odd: not only is the Master (Sir William Pritchard) never at home, but all of the maids & staff are homely & 99% are female. Not only that, but one of the few males, young Master Vaughan Pritchard is forbidden to enter the house whilst his father lives. This is not a pleasing situation for Marta but she uses her time to learn about the secrets of those around her & how best to use them to her advantage. Marta believes she is destined for something much greater than being just the governess but her conceit might be her undoing.
This is a dark gothic read, a genre which I love. Usually the audience empathises with the main character & wants to see them succeed, but here the main character, Marta, is easy to dislike. She's manipulative, cunning, physically abusive to Grace, mercenary, & what we would now term fatphobic with how she describes others. She thinks herself above everyone else, so what kept me reading above it being an engrossing tale, was hoping to see she gets her comeuppance. The author has crafted Marta so convincingly that the character raises antipathy from most readers judging by the reviews. That's not quite the end of the story though, & there's a nod to Henry James in the final scenes. Verdict: liked it but not sure I'd re-read it due to the main character. If you like books by authors such as Laura Purcell, you'd probably enjoy this one too.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
natashaleighton_'s review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Deliciously gothic and exquisitely atmospheric, Kate Griffin’s new brilliantly inventive historical thriller was a veritable feast for the senses—with secrets, lies and morally ambiguous characters I couldn’t get enough of!
Firstly, I’m a huge sucker for anything even remotely gothic, so I knew I had to read this as soon as I heard it compared to one of my all time fave novels, Jane Eyre—If Jane had been a witchy, calculating social climber eager to get her hands on the grand (but crumbling) manor.
And I’m glad to report that not only did it live up to my expectations, it actually surpassed them! The lush, mysteriously suspenseful descriptions were to die for and really wouldn’t be out of place in a Brontë novel.
Likewise, the hauntingly uncanny sense of dread that seems to encompass our protagonist, Marta as soon as she arrives at Fyneshade had me practically glued to my seat in anticipation.
For the most part, I did like Marta, but she’s probably the least likeable protagonist I’ve ever encountered—with her fiendish, unfriendly demeanour on show to virtually everyone around her (barring the handsome and soon to be wealthy Vaughan) it was pretty difficult to decide whether to root for or against her at times, especially when considering her pretty abysmal treatment of Grace.
Still in mourning for her grandmother, and smarting from her banishment to a life of servitude (after her dalliance with a wealthy heir she was forbidden from marrying), Marta comes across as quite mercenary in her pursuit of fortune and refuses to socialise with any of the staff beyond Mrs. Gurney (the housekeeper) and Old Maggie (the nursemaid.) And yet, I still found myself inextricably drawn to her, eager to see how far her unapologetically manipulative nature would carry her.
This is a bit of a slow-burn, but the gorgeously atmospheric and tantalisingly psychological buildup will more than make up for it. Personally, I absolutely love a good, gothic slow-burn particularly when it’s as detailed, emotional and full of twists as this was.
Henry James fans will also love the literary nod to his most influential supernatural tale, The Turn of The Screw-I don’t want to spoil the surprise on that front so I’ll leave things there, but trust me the payoff is definitely worth it!
And if like me, you love flawed morally ambiguous characters then you need to add this to your TBRs immediately, as pretty much every character is suspect in some way; their secrets and lies muddying every single action —it’s absolutely glorious!
Also, a huge thank you to Viper Books for the finished copy and for my spot on the blog tour.
Firstly, I’m a huge sucker for anything even remotely gothic, so I knew I had to read this as soon as I heard it compared to one of my all time fave novels, Jane Eyre—If Jane had been a witchy, calculating social climber eager to get her hands on the grand (but crumbling) manor.
And I’m glad to report that not only did it live up to my expectations, it actually surpassed them! The lush, mysteriously suspenseful descriptions were to die for and really wouldn’t be out of place in a Brontë novel.
Likewise, the hauntingly uncanny sense of dread that seems to encompass our protagonist, Marta as soon as she arrives at Fyneshade had me practically glued to my seat in anticipation.
For the most part, I did like Marta, but she’s probably the least likeable protagonist I’ve ever encountered—with her fiendish, unfriendly demeanour on show to virtually everyone around her (barring the handsome and soon to be wealthy Vaughan) it was pretty difficult to decide whether to root for or against her at times, especially when considering her pretty abysmal treatment of Grace.
Still in mourning for her grandmother, and smarting from her banishment to a life of servitude (after her dalliance with a wealthy heir she was forbidden from marrying), Marta comes across as quite mercenary in her pursuit of fortune and refuses to socialise with any of the staff beyond Mrs. Gurney (the housekeeper) and Old Maggie (the nursemaid.) And yet, I still found myself inextricably drawn to her, eager to see how far her unapologetically manipulative nature would carry her.
This is a bit of a slow-burn, but the gorgeously atmospheric and tantalisingly psychological buildup will more than make up for it. Personally, I absolutely love a good, gothic slow-burn particularly when it’s as detailed, emotional and full of twists as this was.
Henry James fans will also love the literary nod to his most influential supernatural tale, The Turn of The Screw-I don’t want to spoil the surprise on that front so I’ll leave things there, but trust me the payoff is definitely worth it!
And if like me, you love flawed morally ambiguous characters then you need to add this to your TBRs immediately, as pretty much every character is suspect in some way; their secrets and lies muddying every single action —it’s absolutely glorious!
Also, a huge thank you to Viper Books for the finished copy and for my spot on the blog tour.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Pregnancy, and Murder
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