A review by roxxie
A Grave So Cold by C.M. Tillman

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A Grave So Cold ♦ CM Tillman | Review

A multi-generational family curse, paranormal and otherworldly beings, worlds within tombs where the dead are imprisoned in some sort of purgatorial afterlife, and a fair lot of spice… This was a very satisfied spooky read.

Opinion

I wanted to read something slightly spooky and wasn’t disappointed. So I found out about A Grave So Cold through BookSirens.

I wasn’t prepared to become so totally absorbed in Willow’s universe and be left with a ton of questions! Gladly, this is the first volume and it was captivating. I really enjoyed the amount of suspense this story got.

Young and comparatively sheltered, Willow mostly stays at home and looks after her sick father while others of her age have left for college. That is, until Halloween when her father disappears, and she’s told to go home, an historic mansion where her mother was raised and where her family has resided for many decades.

Willow discovers a dark family secret — a curse that confines their remaining spirits to the house and gives them an odd connection to the dead. The curse allows Willow and her ancestors to travel into so-called tombworlds, kind of alternate realities where troubled spirits, who haven’t yet passed, are stuck. Through the curse Willow is able to help these souls to pass over. I really enjoyed the intriguing, eerie, and very well-written sequences that took place in the tombworlds.

With just the perfect amount of knowledge throughout the plot, CM Tillman kept me glued to the pages. Because I could never be sure whether a new character was a friend or foe and what secrets they may be holding back, just as we all have our little (dark) secrets. The end of the book left me baffled, I haven’t seen this cliffhanger coming.

Conclusion

While some characters still need a bit more developing and some minor editing changes need to be done, the concept of the book was very intriguing, and I could easily look over the tiny mistakes.

So anyone who’s looking for a short and engaging read should definitely grab this novel. A Grave So Cold comes with some romance, mystery, and even horror. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the sequel.



I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
 

This review was first published at The Art of Reading.