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natashaleighton_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Body horror
Minor: Slavery, Trafficking, and Racism
c4vyn's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I liked the premise of the book, but the relationship between characters was just not ok. Andi and Jesper’s relationship is highly abusive and yet at the end she decides it’s ok because he loves her. Despite all the characters being adults, the main couple felt like they were emotionally 15.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Torture and Addiction
emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I started off LOVING this Jane Eyre retelling. I thought that Blackwood did such a good job at creating Rochester’s desperation in Magnus and the dialogue between Andromeda and Magnus felt as dramatic and devoted as it did in the original. The setting was also really intriguing. However, I liked the book less and less as time went on. There was a lack of context historically and geographically which made it difficult for me to place the book. The romance became the sole focus to the detriment of the more interesting cleansing-the-household plotline. And also the drama in that romance was SO contrived; at some points I didn’t even know what they were disagreeing about. Most importantly, I don’t think it worked well as a Jane Eyre retelling. There was a lack of atmosphere, and also none of the themes of coming-of-age/character development that really makes Jane Eyre stand out to me. Also, the romance in the original is an important part, but not the ONLY part, which is kind of how it ends up in this book. Moreover, I don’t think the toxic relationship between Andromeda and her mentor is given the gravity that it deserved. I also thought that the whole concept of disabilities coming from the attraction of the Evil Eye was super problematic.
I would by no means say this was bad, it just didn’t live up to the expectations it set and instead presented an average, slightly gothic instalove romance. As a side note, I did listen to the audiobook and thought it was okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Ableism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Gun violence, Racism, Drug use, Mental illness, Slavery, War, Excrement, Rape, Pedophilia, and Suicide
Menstruation, drowning, chronic painhalfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
I have a little over 3 hours left of the audio and am taking myself out of misery by throwing down the towel.
The beginning I felt had potential and it constantly nose dived.
Watching paint dry would be more exciting that this book. The only reason I listened so long was due to the narrator's British accent. I like her voice and it's very therapeutic to listen to. Until I realized that I was daydreaming and no longer really following the story.
I like the premise of Andromeda exercising spirits. But her character is DEEPLY dampening my soul.
The only moment the book captured my attention was during the scene where the room Magnus was sleeping in began to fill with blood.
Every character in this story is a tortured soul and all the characters are toxic. I...just... can't.... anymore!!!!
This book makes my soul tired😩
The beginning I felt had potential and it constantly nose dived.
Watching paint dry would be more exciting that this book. The only reason I listened so long was due to the narrator's British accent. I like her voice and it's very therapeutic to listen to. Until I realized that I was daydreaming and no longer really following the story.
I like the premise of Andromeda exercising spirits. But her character is DEEPLY dampening my soul.
The only moment the book captured my attention was during the scene where the room Magnus was sleeping in began to fill with blood.
Every character in this story is a tortured soul and all the characters are toxic. I...just... can't.... anymore!!!!
This book makes my soul tired😩
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse
vicktorea's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chilling, creepy & atmospheric
this creepy Jane Eyre-inspired book would've been a great read for spooky szn!
I really enjoyed the writing style, fantasy/horror elements, romance, and how the author interwove Ethiopian culture throughout the novel. The Jane Eyre inspo was really apparent to me in the atmosphere and romantic elements of the story and i really appreciated that (since it's my fav classic)! the main character was also smart, feisty, and headstrong (just like Jane 😌)!
There were times, however, that i found the plot dragged. I listened to the audiobook via Libby; the narration was impeccable and i think that really contributed to my enjoyment! I think i would've gotten a bit bored with the movement of the plot had it not been for the audiobook/narration.
this creepy Jane Eyre-inspired book would've been a great read for spooky szn!
I really enjoyed the writing style, fantasy/horror elements, romance, and how the author interwove Ethiopian culture throughout the novel. The Jane Eyre inspo was really apparent to me in the atmosphere and romantic elements of the story and i really appreciated that (since it's my fav classic)! the main character was also smart, feisty, and headstrong (just like Jane 😌)!
There were times, however, that i found the plot dragged. I listened to the audiobook via Libby; the narration was impeccable and i think that really contributed to my enjoyment! I think i would've gotten a bit bored with the movement of the plot had it not been for the audiobook/narration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
buttermellow's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Classism, Drug abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
kayladaila's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
internationalreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS has ill-advised romance, ghosts, and past abuses in a tangled and emotionally-rich story of haunting and moving on. It asks what we owe to those who tried their best but hurt us anyway.
I like the setting and the worldbuilding, the house and the curse are pretty well described. The characters are the best part, with various blends between relatability and detestability. At several points Andi encounters something that's new to her but well-known to the other characters (and definitely known to the author), and the way they're described is so precise and interesting. I like strange descriptions of things. There's particular moment where she sees, for the first time, a food I know very well but which I had to figure out along with Andi because of how she approached the description. It captures the feeling of figuring out something for the first time and it reinforces the character generally, fitting in with her previously limited realm of exposure. , and I was initially thrown by her description
I know the plot is like this because it's a Jane Eyre retelling, but I'm too demi to click with stories of instant attraction and there didn't seem to be much buildup before Andi was interested in Magnus. This is a quick attraction with interpersonal obstacles discovered after the spark is lit, and even those difficulties lingered just as long as necessary for narrative tension before melting away in an instant. It's a particular flavor of romance and not one that suits me well. It's also an employer/employee situation, with the associated power imbalances intact (but remarked upon, and I appreciate the level of self-awareness).
There are themes of abuse from a parental figure who is a secondary character, and I think it usually finds a way to make that character understandable without minimizing the abuse. I never got to like him, though. Andi is very much putting up with his current level of abuse because she needs something from him. It is a nuanced take on this dynamic, and I like the level of care involved in the narration. It focuses on the shape of how Jember's brokenness hurt Andi in turn, and there's a gradual process of them coming to terms with who they were to each other and setting a new standard for what they want to be now. It's very well done, and while they balance they strike isn't what I would want for myself, it genuinely seems to work for the two of them.
I like the setting and the worldbuilding, the house and the curse are pretty well described. The characters are the best part, with various blends between relatability and detestability. At several points Andi encounters something that's new to her but well-known to the other characters (and definitely known to the author), and the way they're described is so precise and interesting. I like strange descriptions of things. There's particular moment where she sees, for the first time, a food I know very well but which I had to figure out along with Andi because of how she approached the description. It captures the feeling of figuring out something for the first time and it reinforces the character generally, fitting in with her previously limited realm of exposure. , and I was initially thrown by her description
I know the plot is like this because it's a Jane Eyre retelling, but I'm too demi to click with stories of instant attraction and there didn't seem to be much buildup before Andi was interested in Magnus. This is a quick attraction with interpersonal obstacles discovered after the spark is lit, and even those difficulties lingered just as long as necessary for narrative tension before melting away in an instant. It's a particular flavor of romance and not one that suits me well. It's also an employer/employee situation, with the associated power imbalances intact (but remarked upon, and I appreciate the level of self-awareness).
There are themes of abuse from a parental figure who is a secondary character, and I think it usually finds a way to make that character understandable without minimizing the abuse. I never got to like him, though. Andi is very much putting up with his current level of abuse because she needs something from him. It is a nuanced take on this dynamic, and I like the level of care involved in the narration. It focuses on the shape of how Jember's brokenness hurt Andi in turn, and there's a gradual process of them coming to terms with who they were to each other and setting a new standard for what they want to be now. It's very well done, and while they balance they strike isn't what I would want for myself, it genuinely seems to work for the two of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Body horror
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
porshea's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Don’t you just hate when the premise you’ve heard for a story doesn’t quite live up to the story that’s told? Well, I’m happy to report that this is solidly NOT the case for Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel, Within These Wicked Walls—a horror novel targeted towards the older end of the young adult audience. Billed as an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre, this book lives up to the high bar set by its description.
Andromeda is a magic practitioner—a debtera, to be exact—who has trained extensively in crafting amulets of protection for various usage, including against powerful curses such as the one at the secluded Rochester mansion. Not quite a retelling, this mansion is located outside of an Ethiopian-inspired village rather than an English hamlet. Magnus Rochester is a twenty-two year old man of mixed heritage who not only inherited his English father’s exorbitant wealth, but his most relentless and deadly curse as well—the Evil Eye. Since the curse affects any household that he builds, Magnus has settled into a life limited to socializing with those who serve his home, his lawyer, and the lawyer’s sister. So when Andromeda enters his life, Magnus has all the bad habits of a rich guy who has only interacted with people paid to serve him in one manner or another. Andromeda pushes Magnus to examine this dynamic and how he manages the personnel issues among the staff, some of whom would like to see her status within the mansion taken down a peg. The real problem? Mansion staff has increasingly–and mysteriously—diminished so that by the time Andromeda takes on her role of ridding the mansion of its curse, there are only four members of staff left.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/10/the-plot-thickens-within-these-wicked-walls/
Andromeda is a magic practitioner—a debtera, to be exact—who has trained extensively in crafting amulets of protection for various usage, including against powerful curses such as the one at the secluded Rochester mansion. Not quite a retelling, this mansion is located outside of an Ethiopian-inspired village rather than an English hamlet. Magnus Rochester is a twenty-two year old man of mixed heritage who not only inherited his English father’s exorbitant wealth, but his most relentless and deadly curse as well—the Evil Eye. Since the curse affects any household that he builds, Magnus has settled into a life limited to socializing with those who serve his home, his lawyer, and the lawyer’s sister. So when Andromeda enters his life, Magnus has all the bad habits of a rich guy who has only interacted with people paid to serve him in one manner or another. Andromeda pushes Magnus to examine this dynamic and how he manages the personnel issues among the staff, some of whom would like to see her status within the mansion taken down a peg. The real problem? Mansion staff has increasingly–and mysteriously—diminished so that by the time Andromeda takes on her role of ridding the mansion of its curse, there are only four members of staff left.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/10/the-plot-thickens-within-these-wicked-walls/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, and Gore