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amoralteething 's review for:
Craven Manor
by Darcy Coates
3.5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads.
As far as wholesome gothic tropes go, this book had a number of great images and situational checkmarks. Creepy manor? Check. Overgrown creepy garden concealing a mausoleum and a number of lifelike, emoting statues? Check. Defamed family and one last heir who prefers the shadows and being shut-in than social convention? All reason and instinct being abandoned in favor of curiosity and no better opportunity? Murder, contained and concealed and wild lore surrounding it? Check, check, check.
I appreciated having a main character who really understood hardship without moping about his situation. His situation is relatable, and even though it’s frustrating to see a character allow himself to be walked all over, it’s realistic to a lot of people’s situations.
That said, the secondary antagonist—a fat, slovenly gamer who lives in filth and has an angry violent problem when he drinks—seemed out of place and unconvincingly meddlesome.
The writing, though not terrible, seemed repetitive. We get it. The garden was overgrown. He had to cut some. So he went to get some shears. So he could cut the overgrown vines, which would be pretty if they weren’t overgrown....etc.
Not bad. I wouldn’t say this READS like a horror novel, but some of the horror imagery and descriptions didn’t disappoint.
As far as wholesome gothic tropes go, this book had a number of great images and situational checkmarks. Creepy manor? Check. Overgrown creepy garden concealing a mausoleum and a number of lifelike, emoting statues? Check. Defamed family and one last heir who prefers the shadows and being shut-in than social convention? All reason and instinct being abandoned in favor of curiosity and no better opportunity? Murder, contained and concealed and wild lore surrounding it? Check, check, check.
I appreciated having a main character who really understood hardship without moping about his situation. His situation is relatable, and even though it’s frustrating to see a character allow himself to be walked all over, it’s realistic to a lot of people’s situations.
That said, the secondary antagonist—a fat, slovenly gamer who lives in filth and has an angry violent problem when he drinks—seemed out of place and unconvincingly meddlesome.
The writing, though not terrible, seemed repetitive. We get it. The garden was overgrown. He had to cut some. So he went to get some shears. So he could cut the overgrown vines, which would be pretty if they weren’t overgrown....etc.
Not bad. I wouldn’t say this READS like a horror novel, but some of the horror imagery and descriptions didn’t disappoint.