Release Date: March 18th 2021
Publisher: HarperVoyager
Pages: 416
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
Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.
Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.
One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must to decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay it.
A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern
Review
The Shadow in the Glass is the beautifully told story of Ella, once a ward of the house and now forced to be one of the maids. Ella dreamed of a life travelling the world and wearing beautiful gowns, but with trouble brewing in the household that dream seems to get further and further away. When she stumbles upon a book in the library and a fairy godmother appears, she is offered seven wishes in exchange for her soul. But is Ella willing to pay such a high price?
The Shadow in the Glass is such a dark and compelling spin on the Cinderella tale. I loved the way that Harwood took elements from the original story and put a completely different spin on it. It is quite a subtle retelling with only some aspects of the fairy tale, but I loved the way Harwood brought the story to life. This is a really addictive read, I sat down one night to read the first chapter and was still there at three in the morning. Thoughout the story there is a tense, uneasy atmosphere – particularly towards the end of the story as the stakes are getting even higher. I loved the concept of this story and it was well paced. Harwood has a really gorgeous writing style so it was easy to get completely lost in the sights and sounds of Victorian London.
The story is quite a bleak one, showcasing the hard lives of the maids and their attempts to avoid catching the eye of Mr Pembroke. The story also touches on the subject of grief, as Ella mourns the death of Mrs Pembroke. I really liked Ella as a main character. She was a bit naive to start off, but she shows lots of depth as the story goes on and she attempts to save Aoife from Mr Pembroke.
This is a really gripping story with really beautiful writing. if you love fairy tales, this dark and sinister retelling will absolutely be the book for you.
Horrorstör is a book that caught my eye online and as soon as I read the synopsis I knew I had to order a copy. A haunted house story set in an Ikea type store? Where do I sign up? I expected this to be a fun, entertaining read but what I didn’t expect was for it to be genuinely quite creepy and spine tingling. Horrorstör is a gripping and compelling read, and one I absolutely did not want to look away from.
Across the Green Grass Fields is the sixth instalment in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. Each instalment follows a child who has gone to a magical land (think Narnia). When the children return to the real world they end up at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children, a place for them to live while they try to find their doors. In this instalment we follow Regan as she enters the hooflands and must venture on a quest to save the herd that takes her in.
Bobby March Will Live Forever is the third instalment in Alan Parks’ Harry McCoy series. This time we’re following Harry as the drug trade is taking over Glasgow. When twelve year old Alice Kelly goes missing and rock star Bobby March over doses in a hotel room, the press churns up a storm. There’s pressure on the force to get results, but will Harry have be able to uncover the truth in time?
Dangerous Women is the beautiful and heartbreaking story of 180 women convicted of petty crimes and sentenced to board The Rajah and live out the rest of their lives in Australia, never seeing their families again. On board all they have is each other, until a stabbing occurs and suspicions arise. Who is guilty and if they aren’t found, will they all survive?
Sleep Tight is the first in an all new thriller series – but with a supernatural twist. The story follows DC Rose Gifford as she investigates the death of a woman who dies in her bed. The cause of death is suffocation, but Rose is determined there is more going on than a typical crime scene. When Rose meets DS Moody – a detective from UCIT who solves supernatural crimes – he offers to help with the case, but does Rose even believe any of that stuff is possible? Rose has to everything she can to find the killer, before they strike again.
A Song for a New Day is the beautifully told story of a world where everyone has retreated into virtual Hoodspace. People don’t meet up in groups anymore and everything happens virtually. The story follows two characters – Rosemary the perfect employee of corporation giant Superwally and Luce, the musician who played the last face to face concert. When Rosemary makes the decision to leave Superwally and take a job with StageHoloLive, the company which has the monopoly on the music industry, Rosemary finds herself on the road travelling across the country in search of new bands. The job takes her to illegal venues and places she could not imagine. But once Rosemary begins to get to know the people still making live music, she learns Hoodspace might not be enough.
The Black Coast is the first in an all new fantasy series by Mike Brooks. This is my first time reading a book by Mike Brooks and I was completely sucked in by that absolutely stunning cover. The story follows two different cultures in their attempts to make peace, The people of the Black Keep see ships on the horizon and immediately prepare for an invasion. But the people aren’t coming to raid as they normally would, they’re looking to stay there and flee the horrors of their homeland. As the two cultures attempt to live together war looms on the horizon and the Black Keep will become caught in the middle – but will they be able to survive?
Ramsey Campbell is an author I have always wanted to try so when I was offered the chance to read The Searching Dead I jumped at it. The story follows young Dominic Sheldrake as he begins to have suspicions about his history teacher Mr Noble. He learns that his widowed neighbour is part of a church that allows you to contact your dead loved ones and as Dominic and his friend Jim explore France on a school trip he learns that Mr Noble might have other reasons for being there. As Dominic and his friends attempt to uncover the mysteries surrounding them, they uncover much more than they bargained for.
This Golden Flame is the fun and fast paced adventure of a young orphan woman named Karis who is forced to serve at the Scriptorum for the rest of her life. All Karis wants is to be reunited with her brother, but he was shipped away by the scribes and she has no idea where. In her search for answers she uncovers a hidden automaton with a mind of his own. This discover rockets Karis onto a path of danger and rebellion as she attempts to find her brother and stop the Magistrate gaining unlimited power.
The Bibliophile Chronicles 