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lanawhite 's review for:
The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses
by L.V. Russell
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loss and decay have surrounded Theodora Corvus for as long as she can remember, leaving her to find reluctant comfort in the whispers of her crumbling family home and the presence of the black-eyed watchers that lurk by the lake.
Theodora leaves behind her home and grandmother, travelling north to Broken Oak Manor to become young Ottoline Thorne’s governess, and she soon realises that, unlike her home, Broken Oak is eerily silent and devoid of the watchers. Footsteps traipse the halls at night, winding through the manor until they finally stop at the only part of Broken Oak that ever seems to defy the silence: the attic. Theodora finds herself mysteriously drawn to the lord of the manor, who is bathed in secrets but reluctant to divulge them.
I absolutely adore the poetic, almost lyrical way that Russell writes. It perfectly fits the gothic horror genre and is so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I really appreciated the use of anthropomorphism to paint such a vivid scene of a world so hauntingly lonely and help the reader picture Theodora on her journey to find her home. I would definitely read another book from Russell just for the writing style and the mesmerising atmosphere she creates. There are so many quotes I could cite to demonstrate this, and one of my favourites is, “It was a lonely farewell, but Theodora was used to being lonely; it brought a strange sense of comfort – a familiarity that nestled amongst the melancholy of leaving.”. The focus on atmospheric aspects of horror, as opposed to heavier aspects, makes this an excellent introduction to gothic horror-type books.
Whilst there are many things I admire about this book, I do have a few issues that left this book at 4 instead of 5 stars for me. One problem I had was with the pacing; the book felt slow-paced at the beginning, which I enjoyed as it allowed the suspense to build, but unfortunately, it then felt quite rushed towards the end. As the romance was mainly in the latter part of the book, this resulted in the romance feeling rather rushed and not entirely fleshed out, which almost took me out of the haunting atmosphere Russell had so masterfully created. I feel like this book could’ve benefitted from being slightly longer, with more time to properly pace and develop the romance, allowing more individual character development and fully reaching its potential as a 5-star gothic horror read.
I have seen some reviews of this book describing the ending as predictable, and to an extent, I agree, but I don’t agree that this is a negative thing. I found the ending hauntingly comforting; it wasn’t the obvious HEA that we tend to desire and have become accustomed to when reading romance, but it was the ending the characters needed. I think that there’s beauty in that predictability and knowing the characters together have found their home, even if it isn’t exactly in the way we want it. I really enjoyed the ‘simple’ and ‘predictable’ elements of this book; I found that it made it easier to sink into Russell’s lyrical gothic prose and become absorbed within the story.
Overall, I enjoyed The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses. I recommend it as a light introductory read for those new to gothic horror or avid atmospheric horror readers. I wouldn’t personally class it as a gothic romance due to the pacing issues as I felt the romance was held back, and I wouldn’t recommend it to those looking only for darker horror, but I think this could be a great first horror book for a broad audience. While it is not the same story-wise, the setting and description reminded me of Crimson Peak, so if you’re looking for a Victorian/Edwardian-feeling light gothic horror, this may be the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Theodora leaves behind her home and grandmother, travelling north to Broken Oak Manor to become young Ottoline Thorne’s governess, and she soon realises that, unlike her home, Broken Oak is eerily silent and devoid of the watchers. Footsteps traipse the halls at night, winding through the manor until they finally stop at the only part of Broken Oak that ever seems to defy the silence: the attic. Theodora finds herself mysteriously drawn to the lord of the manor, who is bathed in secrets but reluctant to divulge them.
I absolutely adore the poetic, almost lyrical way that Russell writes. It perfectly fits the gothic horror genre and is so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I really appreciated the use of anthropomorphism to paint such a vivid scene of a world so hauntingly lonely and help the reader picture Theodora on her journey to find her home. I would definitely read another book from Russell just for the writing style and the mesmerising atmosphere she creates. There are so many quotes I could cite to demonstrate this, and one of my favourites is, “It was a lonely farewell, but Theodora was used to being lonely; it brought a strange sense of comfort – a familiarity that nestled amongst the melancholy of leaving.”. The focus on atmospheric aspects of horror, as opposed to heavier aspects, makes this an excellent introduction to gothic horror-type books.
Whilst there are many things I admire about this book, I do have a few issues that left this book at 4 instead of 5 stars for me. One problem I had was with the pacing; the book felt slow-paced at the beginning, which I enjoyed as it allowed the suspense to build, but unfortunately, it then felt quite rushed towards the end. As the romance was mainly in the latter part of the book, this resulted in the romance feeling rather rushed and not entirely fleshed out, which almost took me out of the haunting atmosphere Russell had so masterfully created. I feel like this book could’ve benefitted from being slightly longer, with more time to properly pace and develop the romance, allowing more individual character development and fully reaching its potential as a 5-star gothic horror read.
I have seen some reviews of this book describing the ending as predictable, and to an extent, I agree, but I don’t agree that this is a negative thing. I found the ending hauntingly comforting; it wasn’t the obvious HEA that we tend to desire and have become accustomed to when reading romance, but it was the ending the characters needed. I think that there’s beauty in that predictability and knowing the characters together have found their home, even if it isn’t exactly in the way we want it. I really enjoyed the ‘simple’ and ‘predictable’ elements of this book; I found that it made it easier to sink into Russell’s lyrical gothic prose and become absorbed within the story.
Overall, I enjoyed The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses. I recommend it as a light introductory read for those new to gothic horror or avid atmospheric horror readers. I wouldn’t personally class it as a gothic romance due to the pacing issues as I felt the romance was held back, and I wouldn’t recommend it to those looking only for darker horror, but I think this could be a great first horror book for a broad audience. While it is not the same story-wise, the setting and description reminded me of Crimson Peak, so if you’re looking for a Victorian/Edwardian-feeling light gothic horror, this may be the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.