Reviews - The Manor of Dreams

408 reviews for:

The Manor of Dreams

Christina Li

3.75 AVERAGE

maghenreads's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

eclaidley's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

bogbodyreading's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

priyastoric's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense

kbramban's review against another edition

2.75

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

kmartbooks's review

3.25

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This leans heavily into gothic family drama, weaving together decades of secrets, betrayal, and grief within the crumbling walls of a once-glamorous estate. If you’re expecting pure horror, this isn’t that. Instead, it’s a slow-burn, multi-generational unraveling of what happens when secrets fester, when ambition warps love, and when the past refuses to stay buried.

I’ll be honest, this book was a lot more melodrama than horror. The actual horror elements take a backseat and the real weight of the story lies in its complex interpersonal dynamics. I'm not mad at it, but I didn't expect it. It’s a tangle of generational trauma, old wounds, and bitter resentment, all playing out against a backdrop of legacy, fame, and identity. I appreciated the layers, but I wasn’t always in the mood for how long it took to get there.

The book is told in dual timelines and jumps around quite a bit. While those shifts are clearly intentional, they could still be disorienting. Which is probably the point, but just when I’d start sinking into the mystery, I’d get yanked back into a different time period. I can respect that choice even if it sometimes left me frustrated. The pacing slows in spots, but in a deliberate, almost theatrical way.

What I really clung to was the present-day sapphic romance. It’s understated but emotionally grounded, offering a bit of tenderness in the middle of all the chaos. It gave the story a necessary beating heart amidst all the darkness surrounding it. There was some of that in the other relationships, but they had so much baggage and there were always some jagged edges.

Overall, The Manor of Dreams reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but darker, queerer, and with horror elements. It’s haunted by legacy, haunted by silence, haunted by everything the characters won’t say until it’s too late. I enjoyed it, even if I wasn’t quite in the right headspace for the heavy emotional weight it carried. Still, for readers who love a sprawling, character-driven mystery soaked in generational drama, this one will deliver.

hammy91's review against another edition

2.75

Still waiting for the horror part.
Extremely predictable plot lines. Extremely surface level on every aspect. Would totally recommend this book to a 13yo no cap.

booksbyj's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense medium-paced

This was such a great book. I loved the cottage gore vibes, the haunted house vibes, and the generational trauma to wrap it all up. This was very well done and kept me on the edge of my seat all throughout. I loved the alternating viewpoints from all three generations of women.