You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
mysterious
This was an incredibly immersive and atmospheric gothic folktale. Perfect for autumn! I felt fully immersed the season of Autumn in mid 1800s Cornwall. There is some great autumn imagery in the book. The eeriness and gothic tone of the book reminded me of something from the mind of one of the Brontë sisters. You can tell that the author really did her research of the time period and setting of the novel, which only lended to how immersive the story is. I really enjoyed how I was immediately pulled into the story. The murder mystery aspect happens within the first few chapters, hooking the reader in for the long run. While some might find the book slow because of the mundane everyday “slice of life” elements, I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I loved hearing about Mina walking to and from work, her making pasties for the tearoom and her brother. It really put me in her shoes. I felt like I was involved in the character’s life, not just the exciting plot points of the story. *Mild Spoiler!* My only complaint is that at one point the solution to the main conflict felt a little too easy and convenient. The antagonists motivation behind the murders felt odd to me. It really didn’t make much sense till the end. But I guess a bloodthirsty monster doesn’t have much sense. Overall I really enjoyed this story and will definitely pick up more by this author!
*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!*
Fisher is very good at writing cozy, well-researched Victorian-era fantasy romance, and this was another great one. Unlike Victorian-esque alt-universe romantasies, this is set in our world, or one very like it, where magic exists but is hidden and disbelieved. Our hero, Harker Tregarrick (yes, I could have done without that name, too), is an alchemist, isolated from the world around him (including the Cornish village near which he makes his home) because of his terrible secret and his own guilt. Our heroine, Mina Penrose, is a simple village girl who lives at home with her heavy-drinking but beloved brother (who works in the clay pits) and works part-time at the local tea shop. If those two names, Harker and Mina, don't give you a clue as to Harker's terrible secret... well, then I won't spoil it.
Fisher does a great job with setting and characterization; the village manages to feel realistically Victorian and Cornish while being generally full of well-drawn and well-intentioned people. Her take on the folklore and myths she's using here is fascinating and definitely kept me invested as Harker and Mina work to uncover terrible truths. That said, there's some occasional clunkiness, as when Mina doesn't know the word "detective" but seems perfectly comfortable with "parasite" - Mina feels generally more like an archetype of spunky, self-educated nineteenth-century romance heroine than an actual nineteenth-century villager, if that makes sense. But that's in keeping with the vibe of the whole book, really, which is cozy and gently affectionate; despite the mystery and the murders it is engaging without being stressful or terrifying, which made it a really nice light read.
I received an ARC for free but these are my honest opinions.
Fisher does a great job with setting and characterization; the village manages to feel realistically Victorian and Cornish while being generally full of well-drawn and well-intentioned people. Her take on the folklore and myths she's using here is fascinating and definitely kept me invested as Harker and Mina work to uncover terrible truths. That said, there's some occasional clunkiness, as when Mina doesn't know the word "detective" but seems perfectly comfortable with "parasite" - Mina feels generally more like an archetype of spunky, self-educated nineteenth-century romance heroine than an actual nineteenth-century villager, if that makes sense. But that's in keeping with the vibe of the whole book, really, which is cozy and gently affectionate; despite the mystery and the murders it is engaging without being stressful or terrifying, which made it a really nice light read.
I received an ARC for free but these are my honest opinions.