Category: review

Book Review: The Key in the Lock – Beth Underdown

Book Review: The Key in the Lock – Beth Underdown

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: January 13th 2022
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 304
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the terrace.

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy – one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

Brimming with secrets, this lyrical haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Macneal, Sarah Waters and Diane Setterfield.

Review

The Key in the Lock is the newest release from Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder’s Sister. I absolutely loved The Witchfinder’s Sister so I was really intrigued to pick this one up. In the book, we follow Ivy Boscawen who is struggling with the grief of losing her son Tim in the war. Mourning the loss of his young life, she reflects on the death of another boy decades earlier – a mystery that still haunts her. Though there was a fire and a tragic death, Ivy knows that isn’t the whole truth. Ivy soon discovers if she is ever going to let that night go, she must find out what really happened.

The Key in the Lock is a slow burn mystery. It is atmospheric and Underdown feeds the reader little bits of information as the story progresses. It’s incredibly well-paced and throughout the tale, I was never quite sure who to trust. Each character has their own motivations and Underdown does a terrific job of bringing the characters to life. Ivy is a brilliant protagonist, determined to uncover the truth whilst still learning to cope with the loss of her son. She felt like such a realistic person – she’s flawed and makes mistakes but ultimately wants to do the right thing. The Key in the Lock is a beautifully told story and one that kept me reading for hours on end.

I really enjoyed the way the story was told in two different timelines and the Cornwall setting really comes to life in Underdown’s prose. The Key in the Lock feels very well researched and I did not want this story to end. The Key in the Lock is a stunning historical fiction read and I am so excited to see what Beth Underdown does next.

Book Review: All the White Spaces – Ally Wilkes

Book Review: All the White Spaces – Ally Wilkes

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: January 25th 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 494
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

In the wake of the First World War, Jonathan Morgan stows away on an Antarctic expedition, determined to find his rightful place in the world of men. Aboard the expeditionary ship of his hero, the world-famous explorer James “Australis” Randall, Jonathan may live as his true self―and true gender―and have the adventures he has always been denied. But not all is smooth sailing: the war casts its long shadow over them all, and grief, guilt, and mistrust skulk among the explorers.

When disaster strikes in Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, the men must take to the land and overwinter somewhere which immediately seems both eerie and wrong; a place not marked on any of their part-drawn maps of the vast white continent. Now completely isolated, Randall’s expedition has no ability to contact the outside world. And no one is coming to rescue them.

In the freezing darkness of the Polar night, where the aurora creeps across the sky, something terrible has been waiting to lure them out into its deadly landscape…

As the harsh Antarctic winter descends, this supernatural force will prey on their deepest desires and deepest fears to pick them off one by one. It is up to Jonathan to overcome his own ghosts before he and the expedition are utterly destroyed.

Book Review

All the White Spaces is the brilliantly told story of Johnathan Morgan who stows away on the ship of renowned explorer James Randall and his expedition to the Antarctic. Johnathan’s brothers were obsessed with Randall and his daring exploits, wanting nothing more to return from the war and join his crew. When both Rufus and Francis die from their wounds overseas, Johnathan knows he must fulfill that dream for them. As their ship gets closer to the Antarctic, there is a strange sense of unease on the ship. When disaster strikes the crew has no choice but to abandon ship and find somewhere to survive in the frozen landscape. As darkness descends the expedition soon fear they are not alone – is there something hunting them or is the cruel frozen landscape driving them mad?

This book sucked me in right from the very first page. All the White Spaces is my first five-star read of 2022 and it’s such a compelling story. It was brimming with atmosphere, I loved the way the tension built and built as things progressed. The writing really brought the frozen tundra to life and there were more than a few scenes that sent a shiver down my spine. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and I ended up reading right into the middle of the night because I had to know how it was going to end.

This book has such fascinating characters and I think they’re what captivated me so much. Johnathan – dealing with the loss of his brothers, finally feeling like he’s in the place he’s supposed to be. There were so many characters that I liked and each was dealing with their own trauma from all that had happened during the war. All the White Spaces is an incredible book, one I cannot wait to reread in the future. This book is a must-read and I cannot wait to read more from Ally Wilkes.

Book Review: The Witch of Willow Hall – Hester Fox

Book Review: The Witch of Willow Hall – Hester Fox

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 2 Comments


Release Date: October 2nd 2018
Publisher: HQ
Pages: 384
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I bought a copy of this from a local bookshop
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

Years after the Salem witch trials one witch remains. She just doesn’t know it… yet.

Growing up, Lydia Montrose knew she was descended from the legendary witches of Salem but was warned to never show the world what she could do and so slowly forgot her legacy. But Willow Hall has awoken something inside her…

1821: Having fled family scandal in Boston Willow Hall seems an idyllic refuge from the world, especially when Lydia meets the previous owner of the house, John Barrett.

But a subtle menace haunts the grounds of Willow Hall, with strange voices and ghostly apparitions in the night, calling to Lydia’s secret inheritance and leading to a greater tragedy than she could ever imagine.

Can Lydia confront her inner witch and harness her powers or is it too late to save herself and her family from the deadly fate of Willow Hall?

Review

The Witch of Willow Hall is the beautifully told tale of the Montrose family, who move to the countryside following a family scandal in Boston. The family take up residence at Willow Hall but as the family attempt to build their lives back up there are some strange sightings and a sense of dread that lingers in the house. When Lydia meets the previous owner John Barrett, she begins to suspect the house has a dark past, but will she be able to uncover the truth and confront the secrets of her own past before it’s too late?

The Witch of Willow Hall is an atmospheric tale, full of beautiful writing and captivating characters. I picked this one up on a whim and I’m so glad that I did – I ended up completely devouring this book. The mystery kept me hooked right from the very beginning and it was well-paced, keeping me intrigued right to the very end. There are some spooky, eerie moments in the book that definitely added to that tense, uneasy atmosphere. The Witch of Willow Hall is an impressive debut and I’m incredibly excited to read more from Hester Fox.

Lydia has a really strong narrative voice and I really liked her as a protagonist. The sibling relationships were really interesting – with Lydia having a really close almost motherly relationship with Emmeline and a strained relationship with Catherine. Fox does an excellent job with the characters and I loved the mixture of historical fiction, mystery, and a dash of magic. The Witch of Willow Hall is the perfect read for a dark winter night and you won’t want to put it down.

Book Review: The Women of Troy – Pat Barker

Book Review: The Women of Troy – Pat Barker

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: Women of Troy #2
Release Date: 304
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 304
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I took part in a Tandem Collective readalong for this book
Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Synopsis

Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors – all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo – camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.

The women of Troy.

Helen – poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace – and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over.

Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them.

Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king.

Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead.

And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.

Review

I had never read anything by Pat Barker until I picked up The Silence of the Girls and I ended up reading it and The Women of Troy back to back. The story continues on where we left off in The Silence of the Girls, following Briseis and the other women after Troy has fallen. The Greeks have been victorious, but the winds are not strong enough to sail and they are stranded with only the women of Troy for company.

Whilst this was an interesting sequel, I found myself much more gripped by The Silence of the Girls. Barker has created some really compelling characters, dealing with the grief and trauma of losing everything and everyone they know and love. She really captures the sense of loss and I was really captivated by the well-crafted characters. Briseis in particular was a really interesting character – now a free woman and pregnant with Achilles’ child, she is still completely at the mercy of the men around her.

I did feel like there wasn’t an awful lot happening in the story and there were a couple of points where the story dragged a little. I do wonder whether Barker will write a third installment in this series and I would be excited to see where she takes it. If you’re a Greek mythology fan this is definitely one for you.

Book Review: Home Before Dark – Riley Sager

Book Review: Home Before Dark – Riley Sager

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: September 17th 2020
Publisher: Hodder Books
Pages: 402
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I bought a copy of this from my local Waterstones
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

In the latest thriller from New York Times bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound – and dangerous – secrets hidden within its walls?

“What was it like? Living in that house?” Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a non-fiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity – and skepticism.

Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself – a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

Review

Riley Sager is one of my go-to authors for fun and fast-paced thrillers. Home Before Dark sounded like exactly the kind of book I was going to love and it had the most intriguing premise. Maggie Holt is famous around the world because her Dad wrote a non-fiction book claiming their house was haunted. Everywhere she goes she is asked what it was like to live in that house. When her father dies and she learns he still owns the infamous Baneberry Hall, Maggie decides to restore the house to sell it on and while she’s there she’ll try and get some answers – but what really happened all those years ago?

Home Before Dark is an addictive read. I picked it up one evening and found myself turning pages long into the night. It has some genuinely creepy, sending a shiver up your spine moments and there were a whole bunch of twists that I absolutely did not see coming. Like all Riley Sager books, you have to suspend your disbelief a little bit, but it was a really fun and compelling read. I loved the way chapters from House of Horrors were included in the book and I found these chapters to be particularly engaging.

Home Before Dark has probably become my favourite Riley Sager book (though Lock Every Door is a close second). It was easy to read with really interesting characters. If you’re looking for a fun, addictive thriller to hook you in right from the beginning – look no further.

Book Review: All of Us Villains – Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

Book Review: All of Us Villains – Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: All of Us Villains #1
Release Date: November 9th 2021
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I received a Netgalley copy of this and then I bought a physical copy from Waterstones.
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters alike flock to its spellshops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

Review

All of Us Villains was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. I absolutely love Amanda Foody’s Shadow Game series and I was so intrigued by the premise of this. Set in the city of Ilverneath, the story follows the champions of seven families that must fight to the death in order to win control of the city’s high magick. The Lowe family are infamous and are the favourite to win every year, but when a book is published revealing the secrets of the tournament, the city is overrun with reporters and tourists desperate to know who will win. When things start to change in the tournament the champions might have the chance to destroy the curse that has plagued their families for generations.

All of Us Villains was exactly what I was looking for. It was dark and addictive – once I started reading I absolutely could not put it down. It had a few twists and turns did not see coming and it was gorier than expected. It was an exciting read, one I thought was well executed. I did feel the pacing was a little off, with it being quite slow to start with and much faster towards the end.

The world in this story is fascinating and I loved learning about the magic in this world – curserings, spell shops, and a centuries-old curse – I wanted to know more and more. Where I think this book really excels are the compelling characters. Whilst there are seven champions, we get POV chapters from four of them – Alastair, Isobel, Gavin, Briony. All of the POV characters were really intriguing with complicated histories and motivations for entering the tournament. I loved that the characters were so villainous and determined to succeed. Alastair and Isobel were probably my favourite – though I did really like Gavin too.

All of Us Villains is a book I haven’t stopped thinking about since I finished it. If you’re looking for a new YA fantasy book to get hooked on, this is a must-read.

Blog Tour: The Gift: Eleanor – R. A. Williams

Blog Tour: The Gift: Eleanor – R. A. Williams

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 1 Comment


Release Date: 9th December 2021
Publisher: Whitefox
Pages:  443
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

The North Atlantic, 14 April 1912. Amid the chaos of the sinking Titanic, a young Eleanor Annenberg meets the eyes of a stranger and is immediately captivated. As the ship buckles around them, she follows him down into the hold and finds him leaning over an open sarcophagus, surrounded by mutilated bodies. She catches but a glimpse of what lies within before she’s sucked into a maelstrom of freezing brine and half-devoured corpses.

Elle is pulled out of the water, but the stranger – and the secrets she stumbled upon – are lost. Unintentionally, however, he leaves her a gift; one so compelling that Elle embarks on a journey that pulls her into a world of ancient evils, vicious hunters and human prey to find the man who saved her that fateful night.

From trench warfare at Cape Helles in 1915 to a shipwreck in the tropical shallows off the Honduran coast, from a lost mine beneath the towering Externsteine in a Germany on the verge of war to the gothic crypts of Highgate Cemetery in London, Elle gets closer to a truth she has sought for most of her life. But at what cost? Gifts, after all, are seldom free.

Review

The Gift is a dark and intriguing tale that follows Eleanor Annenberg. Traveling with her parents back to America onboard the Titanic, Eleanor is captivated by a mysterious stranger. She follows him to the very depths of the ship where he opens an ancient sarcophagus. There are corpses everywhere and Eleanor only catches a glimpse of what lies inside before she is swept away in the vicious waters. When she awakes she has been pulled from the water and has a chance to survive that fateful night. The events on the Titanic leave Eleanor with so many questions and she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth – who was the man who saved her and what evil thing killed and mutilated the people on the ship that night? The journey will take her from the tropical shallows off Honduras to a lost mine in Germany. Will she be able to uncover the truth and will it be worth the cost?

The Gift is a brilliantly addictive adventure story, one that pulls the reader in from the very beginning. The book was excellently plotted and I loved the slow unraveling of the mystery. Williams has a gorgeous writing style and the different locations really came to life. The writing was very compelling and I found myself getting sucked deeper and deeper into this gothic tale. The story gave me Dracula vibes and it was the perfect book to get lost in on a dark and stormy evening.

The Gift easily hooks you in with its first chapter set on board the Titanic. It was a clever and compelling tale and I felt like I was right alongside Eleanor, desperate to know more about Balthazar. Eleanor was a really fascinating main character, she’s incredibly sharp and clever and I liked her immediately. She’s determined to uncover the truth, even if that puts her in danger. The Gift is a dark and addictive gothic adventure and a book I could not put down. The Gift is a brilliant start to the series and I cannot wait to see where things go in book two.

Book Review: Horseman – Christina Henry

Book Review: Horseman – Christina Henry

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: September 28th 2021
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 336
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt’s grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that’s just legend, the village gossips talking.

Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play “Sleepy Hollow boys,” reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

Review

Christina Henry is well known for her retellings and when I heard her newest release was a retelling of Sleepy Hollow, I was desperate to get my hands on it. The story follows Ben Van Brunt a resident of sleepy hollow. Everyone in the village knows the legend of the horseman, but no one actually believes it happened. When Ben and a friend are out playing in the woods, they discover the headless body of one of the village children. Ben soon becomes entangled in a web of secrets and is determined to uncover the truth – is the Horseman real or is the evil thing in the woods even more sinister?

Just like every other Christina Henry book I’ve read, I absolutely raced through this one. It’s the perfect Autumn/Winter read and is full of atmosphere. I loved the tense, eerie feeling in the story and there are plenty of creepy moments. The story was actually a little gorier than I was expecting but it worked really well with the story. There were also a few moments that I found genuinely quite scary, which is always the mark of a good horror tale.

The pacing in the story was excellent and Horseman is a book you will find hard to put down. Henry has created some truly wonderful characters in this book and I absolutely adored Ben, Brom, and Katrina. Horseman is a well-executed story and one that I still found myself thinking about after I’d finished reading. If you’re looking for a dark and spine-tingling story to keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning, Horseman is a brilliant choice.

Book Review: The Dark – Emma Haughton

Book Review: The Dark – Emma Haughton

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: August 31st 2021
Publisher: Hodder Books
Pages: 384
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Synopsis

ONE DEAD BODY
TWELVE SUSPECTS
TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DARKNESS

In the most inhospitable environment – cut off from the rest of the world – there’s a killer on the loose.

A&E doctor Kate North has been knocked out of her orbit by a personal tragedy. So when she’s offered the chance to be an emergency replacement at the UN research station in Antarctica, she jumps at the chance. The previous doctor, Jean-Luc, died in a tragic accident while out on the ice.

The move seems an ideal solution for Kate: no one knows about her past; no one is checking up on her. But as total darkness descends for the winter, she begins to suspect that Jean-Luc’s death wasn’t accidental at all. And the more questions she asks, the more dangerous it becomes for them all…

Review

The Dark is one of those novels where you sit down to read a chapter or two and then look up to find hours have passed and you haven’t even noticed. The story has a really intriguing premise – Kate North is a doctor who has taken up a new post at a remote research station in Antarctica after the previous doctor has died from an accident on the ice. When Kate arrives she soon learns the job might not be all that she hoped, with the entire winter spent in darkness, tensions soon become frayed. Kate begins to suspect that Jean-Luc’s death might not have been the accident it appeared to be – but is there a killer amongst them and will they strike again?

The Dark is a clever, twisty story and one I could not put down. I loved the remote, claustrophobic setting. It was dark and tense and the scenes out on the ice were incredibly gripping. There were plenty of surprise moments I didn’t see coming and I think I suspected just about everyone at one point. Haughton kept me guessing till near enough the end and the final few chapters had me right on the edge of my seat. The story is fun and fast-paced and I think mystery fans will devour this one.

The Dark has some pretty interesting characters and it was fascinating watching the dynamics between the group change as they spent months in the dark. Kate has an addiction to pills and it keeps the reader guessing – is there something suspicious going on or is Kate paranoid from the pills? It was a fascinating read and while this is my first from Emma Haughton, it absolutely will not be my last. The icy landscape of this book makes it perfect winter reading but be warned, it is addictive.

Book Review: The Devil Makes Three – Tori Bovalino

Book Review: The Devil Makes Three – Tori Bovalino

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 1 Comment


Release Date: September 14th 2021
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

When Tess and Eliot stumble upon an ancient book hidden in a secret tunnel beneath their school library, they accidentally release a devil from his book-bound prison, and he’ll stop at nothing to stay free. He’ll manipulate all the ink in the library books to do his bidding, he’ll murder in the stacks, and he’ll bleed into every inch of Tess’s life until his freedom is permanent. Forced to work together, Tess and Eliot have to find a way to re-trap the devil before he kills everyone they know and love, including, increasingly, each other. And compared to what the devil has in store for them, school stress suddenly doesn’t seem so bad after all.

Review

The Devil Makes Three is one of those books that I read at the absolute perfect time and I got completely wrapped up in the story. This YA fantasy/horror follows Tess, an assistant at the Jessop Library – home to a large collection of ancient (and dangerous) grimoires. Eliot is the headmaster’s son is desperate to get his hands on some of the most restricted texts in the library. When Tess and Eliot accidentally stumble upon a secret tunnel in the library, they find a strange book that releases an ancient devil from his prison. This leaves Tess and Eliot no choice but to work together to find a way to put the devil back before it destroys everything they know and love.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I’m a big fan of dark academia and this book felt so well crafted. The story had tons of atmosphere and the writing was so vivid and beautiful that I could not put the book down. I loved the library setting and I was so fascinated by the magic in this book. I loved the way Bovalino blended both fantasy and horror – it meant I was never quite sure what to expect. The story was pretty quick paced and I ended up glued to the book long into the night.

The Devil Makes Three is an incredibly impressive debut and one I think fans of V. E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House will absolutely adore. Bovalino has some really well-crafted characters and it was so compelling seeing Eliot and Tess work together to put the devil back. I really liked both characters and they both dealing with complex pasts and complicated family lives. This spooky book is an absolute must-read and is perfect for getting lost in on a dark winter night. I have no doubts that The Devil Makes Three is going to be a high contender for one of my favourite books of the year.