historical horror

Review: Turn Off the Light at Jacquie Walters

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Turn Off the Light: A NovelTurn Off the Light: A Novel by Jacquie Walters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Turn Off the Light is a Horror novel from Jacquie Walters that blends many different subgenres. It’s part Domestic, part Paranomal Mystery, part Historical, part Thiller and part Haunted House. That sounds like a lot, but I felt like Walters effortlessly put it all together.

This engrossing story is set on the Coast of Virginia, and features both a past and present perspective. I didn’t know what to expect going in, I’m not even sure I read the synopsis, but I ended up really, really enjoying it.

At the heart of the story is one of my favorite tropes, a character returning to their hometown after a long period away, and ending up embroiled in some sort of mystery.

We follow Claire, who is returning to her childhood home to assist her sister and bro-in-law with the care of their ailing father. The house itself has a lot of history, and something about it has Claire unsettled. She’s not sleeping well, hearing things and sensing things that may, or may not, be there.

Walters also brings us a past perspective, Edith, a healer with knowledge that isn’t necessarily encouraged, or appreciated, by her tight-knit, religious community.

Edith’s perspective, as a woman working with natural healing in the past, goes about as well as you would expect. She faces many discriminations against her, but she’s still driven to help all she can with her unique skills.

As a Reader, it’s clear that these two women, they’re going to be connected, but how is it even possible?

Walters succeeded in pulling me along, into both Claire and Edith’s lives, as we barrelled towards the answers held within the conclusion.

Walters did a great job of presenting both the current perspective and the historical perspective, and ultimately connecting them. I enjoyed Dearest, it was fine, but this one was definitely more to my taste as far as content.

I did feel a bit more intrigued by Claire’s perspective, but Edith’s was necessary in order to make the story work. This was reminiscent to me of things I have enjoyed from Jennifer McMahon and Simon St. James, so if you’re a fan of those authors, I would recommend checking this out.

There was quite a bit of mystery as well, and Walters did a great job at pacing the reveals. At no point did I feel like I knew all of the answers. I didn’t know what was happening until Walters was ready to show me, which was nice.

Thank you to the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m jazzed about my experience with this one.

I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more from Jacquie Walters. I’d love to see more from her in this lane.

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Review: As the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce

~ megs14malloy

As the Snow GathersAs the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the Snow Gathers was such a hugely-anticipated 2026-release for me. Sadly, I walked away disappointed.

Ah well, we can’t win them all.

This is a historical novel set in the village of Aplin Shade, deep in the remote corners of the Canadian wilderness. We follow Dominic, a native of Aplin Shade, and Lex, his boyfriend, who works at the logging camp near town.

As a young adult, Dominic is now the head of his family. His father was killed in a carriage accident, and his sister, who suffered head trauma in the accident, will never make a full recovery. She’s never been the same. Thus, Dom is left to provide for his mother and his sister on his own.

Life is not easy in Aplin Shade, and Dom and Lex have dreams of moving somewhere less bleak, buying a farm and taking Dom’s family with them.

The odds are stacked against them though, as even their love for one another must be kept a secret. They also both have enemies in the town, and outside of town dangerous beings known as the Fanteur, lurk in the woods.

The Fanteur are known to steal the bodies of the dead of Aplin Shade, only to return them later, drained of blood. They’ve never been known to take the living. Until now. Now something has changed, but the townsfolk have to clue as to what it could be.

It seems the Fanteur are on the attack, and no one is safe, particularly the men of the logging camp, entering the forest to cut down the trees.

We follow Dom and Lex as they fight to survive, and try to make their dreams come true. With dangers around every corner, both human and not, will that ever be possible?

Y’all, I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this one. In the opening bits, the first 10%, I was definitely intrigued. I liked the cold, unforgiving atmosphere that Joyce was bringing to the page.

By 30%, I was scratching my head. There was a lot of romance happening, which fine, but not what I signed up for. I was losing the intensity of the atmosphere to the intensity of the feelings between Lex and Dom. Again, fine, but where was the atmosphere? Where was the Horror?

By 48%, I was almost ready to give up. Nothing was happening. Every page felt so slow, just crawling along in detail. I think a lot of it for me was that I found Dom boring. Just as a character in general, I couldn’t care less about him.

No offense, Dom.

Additionally, the Fanteur as the big bad was equally disappointing. I just wasn’t feeling it. I probably should have DNFed, but I just kept waiting for the stuff to hit the fan.

There is a couple of scenes, where we did get action and in those moments I did like Joyce’s more gorier descriptions. I think she did well in that area. I just needed 89% more of it to pull this out of the 2-star read territory.

I think at the end of the day, it just wasn’t the right fit for my tastes. It felt like the longest 368-page book I’ve ever read. For me, the romantic relationship overshadowed everything else, and that’s not what I wanted.

I know there’s gonna be a huge readership for this novel, but I’m just not part of it. I’m happy I gave it a shot, but am disappointed it didn’t work out differently.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I never write an author off after just one book, so look forward to seeing what Mere Joyce comes up with next.

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Review: The Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier

~ megs14malloy

The Whitechapel Full Moon SocietyThe Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society follows Caroline Foster as she travels to London in search of her brother, Charlie. Caroline grew up in a wealthy family, but unfortunately that family unit has crumbled to nothing.

After the recent death of her father, Caroline has been left alone and the family estate sold off. Caroline’s deepest connection in the world now is with Charlie, who she’s only spent sporadic time with over the course of her life.

Following clues from his correspondence, Caroline ends up at the Whitechapel Full Moon Society, a dilapidated building currently serving as a gentleman’s boarding house.

After an appeal to the landlady, Caroline, under slightly false pretenses, is hired on as the Full Moon’s maid in exchange for room and board. She’s hoping locating Charlie after this will be easy, but we all know, nothing is ever easy.

There are very strict rules at the Full Moon, at least for Caroline. She’s not to ask the residents personal questions, or to enter the iron-barred room on the second-floor, and oh yeah, she must remain locked in her bedroom from sundown to sunup on full moon nights.

Even though to most of us, these rules may be suspicious as heck, it doesn’t phase Caroline in the slightest. When she finds no signs of Charlie though, and when she finds out that the previous maid was brutally murdered, she starts to suspect the Full Moon may be more than your average boarding house.

This novel is set in Victorian London during the time of the Jack the Ripper slayings, and those historical crimes, as well as the corresponding fear that permeated the city, play a large role in this story.

I loved the inclusion of that, and how the author wove in those historical elements, it made the story feel that much more realistic. The atmosphere was oozing off the page, and as an atmosphere girlie, that was something I truly appreciated. I could picture everything perfectly.

I was actually surprised how immersed I became in this novel. This is far from my typical read, but I was swept up into it. She’s a slow burn, it’s true, but just such an enjoyable read nevertheless.

DeLozier’s writing is very pleasing and engaging. It’s straight-forward and accessible for Readers who don’t read a lot of historical fiction, like myself. I was drawn to this because of the cover and the inclusion of the Jack the Ripper slayings, but ended up really impressed by the full package.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’d definitely be interested in pick up DeLozier’s future works!

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Review: Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden

~ megs14malloy

Carry Me to My Grave: A NovelCarry Me to My Grave: A Novel by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Wow, this was excellent. A brutal and bloody road trip story that I never saw coming!

I’ll be honest, I don’t think I read the synopsis prior to picking this up. I see Christopher Golden’s name on a cover, and that’s enough for me.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot either, as I feel like it’s best just to be swept up into the story knowing as little as possible. However, I will give you a few key points in the hopes of intriguing you enough to pick it up.

This is set in the U.S. in the 1950s, and we follow Malcolm and his sister-in-law, Violet, after Malcolm’s Mom, Maggie, passes away. On her deathbed, Malcolm promised her that he would see her body safely buried in the ground of the town of her birth, Shediak, Maine.

They have a timeline, a very specific and important timeline, and are to make their way to Maine via train, all the way from the middle of the country.

Maggie’s death has awoken an ancient evil, buried in the ground. It’s risen, with the sole aim of preventing Maggie’s burial at Shediak. Needless to say, Malcolm and Violet’s journey is not going to be an easy one.

By 25% in, my jaw was on the floor. What in the heck was going on? It was insane, but I was here for it. I popped my popcorn and settled in for the wild ride Golden was setting up to take me on.

I loved the historical setting and how we got to travel via train for a good part of the story. It also took modern tech, like cell phones and GPS tracking out of the equation, which was refreshing, IMO. I think Golden did a phenomenal job of setting the scene and sticking with it.

I became completely immersed in the story. The direction it went, I was not expecting at all. It was so good. I was feeling pretty bleak for a while for these characters, and upon completion, yeah, still sort of bleak, but I love the way Golden concluded it.

There were a couple of sections I felt dragged a little, and then towards the end, a couple sections that were so chaotic, I had a hard time picturing the action. Overall though, a very well-rounded, horrific story. I loved the level of blood and gore brought to the page, and how intense it felt.

Even in the quieter moments, there was an overriding sense of urgency due to the extremely high stakes. That made it a very fun reading experience.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Christopher Golden is one of my go-to Horror authors, and I love checking out his latest works.

You never know quite what you’re going to get!

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Review: An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino

~ megs14malloy

An Immaculate DeceptionAn Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

An Immaculate Deception is a debut Historical Horror novel from Isabela Livino. This book is set in 1870s-Brazil, where we meet and follow a woman named Madalena.

Madalena has fallen in love with a dashing young man, and as sometimes happens, finds herself pregnant, out of wedlock. Having been raised in a strict and religious household, Madalena fears her mother’s head could actually explode when she learns Madalena’s secret.

After Madalena confesses, her Mom’s head doesn’t explode, but she does put up a forceful ultimatum: marry, or surrender the baby.

Madalena feels confident that the baby’s daddy, Leandro, will do the right thing when he hears the news. He’s bound to propose. He loves her. Yeah, yeah, he loves her.

She picks a night to tell him, and just as she’s about to share the news, a terrible storm sweeps in and causes the carriage they’re traveling in to careen off the road.

Awakening after the accident, Madalena finds herself in a bed at Leandro’s secluded estate. She’s being looked over by a Doctor Lobo, and she let’s him know she’s pregnant, to which he’s surprised.

Leandro is also there, but he doesn’t seem the same since the accident. His personality has completely changed. No longer the charming and affectionate lover she once knew, he’s now glowering and always watching.

It’s not just Leandro though, the house itself sets Madalena on edge. She fears it’s haunted. There’s phantom smells, things disappearing, a startling lack of mirrors. She begins to fear Leandro and Doctor Lobo as well. She doesn’t trust them at all. She feels trapped.

She’s got to figure out what’s happening here and get away before it’s too late. It’s not just herself she needs to think about, but also her unborn child. It’s a race against the clock for Madalena; one girl against the world.

This was good. I enjoyed my time with it, and while it didn’t necessarily blow me away, I feel like it’s a strong debut novel. I was particularly intrigued in the 1st-half. It was mysterious and I enjoyed the descriptions of Leandro’s house and the things going on there.

Additionally, there was shift at one point that really surprised me, and I loved that the author chose to set the narrative up the way that she did. It made the reveals more impactful, IMO.

There were some aspects that I found odd and slightly-confusing, but for the most part it had a solid premise, good characters and lightly-creepy vibes.

I would recommend this to fans of The Hacienda, or Mexican Gothic. I think if you like those sort of Gothic Historical Horror stories, this could work for you as well.

I will say, I do feel a little weird about the cover. Speaking of The Hacienda. I feel like perhaps they hit a little to close to Isabel Cañas’s cover style. As soon as I saw this, I thought, does Isabel Cañas have a book coming out that I don’t know about?

I feel like it’s sort of her thing now to have this beautiful, artistic covers with a lone woman in a red dress, especially outside, with some sort of weather brewing, and that’s exactly what this is. I just wish they would have gone in a different direction, as it feels a little copy-catty.

With this being said, this isn’t a review of the Publisher’s choice of cover, it’s a review of the story itself, and that’s what I’ve based my rating on.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely pick up more from Isabela Livino in the future.

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Review: The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy

~ megs14malloy

The Ghost WomenThe Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ghost Women is an atmospheric blend of Dark Academia, Police Procedural and Occult Horror, all in a believable historical setting. I had no idea what to expect going into this, having never read from Jennifer Murphy before, and man, was I impressed.

Our story kicks off on a hot Summer morning in 1972, when the body of Abel Montague, a wealthy student at St. Luke’s Institute for the Arts, is found hanging upside down from a tree in the forest abutting the school.

In his back pocket, a tarot card, and you guessed it, it’s The Hanged Man. Upon examination, it’s clear that his body has been arranged in the exact pose as the man on the card.

Detective Lola Germany is the investigator in charge of Abel’s murder and we do get her perspective throughout the novel. She’s originally from the area, and ended up being my favorite character.

As she starts her investigation, interviewing students and the school administration, Lola meets Abel’s live-in girlfriend, Pearl. It’s clear Pearl is not just upset about Abel’s death, she’s hiding something.

Lola’s digging takes her further into Pearl and Abel’s world, and brings her into contact with Pearl’s group of girlfriends. They’re all a little quirky and do consider themselves a coven of witches.

They’ve also openly been using the tarot. Could the coven be involved in Abel’s murder? Perhaps helping Pearl, if Abel has crossed her in some way?

But soon more people are found dead. Again, their bodies arranged to match a tarot card left at the scene. Lola realizes these ritualistic killings could be connected to something much larger, and older, than she’d initially expected.

I ended up enjoying this story so much. More than I thought I would, actually. I loved the 1972-setting and the location being in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

It does have Dark Academia vibes, being set at a secluded private art school, and that’s not always my jam, but having the perspective of Detective Lola looking into the mysterious murders definitely helped for my personal tastes.

I thought the mystery was also very intriguing. The incorporation of the tarot cards into the murders was fun and only added to the atmosphere. I liked the occult feel it brought to the story.

Additionally, Murphy’s writing was just great. It was so fluid and compelling. I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this one. I need more people to read it.

My only minor issues were some of the perspectives, of the young ladies at the school, I did have a little bit of trouble differentiating amongst them. That could have been totally the headspace I was in at the time of reading it though. So take that with a grain of salt.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m very happy to have been introduced to this author; looking forward to more!

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Review: One of Us by Dan Chaon

~ megs14malloy

One of UsOne of Us by Dan Chaon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Hot on the heels of reading, and enjoying, Liar’s Dice, a Coming of Age story set in 1970s Brazil, last week, I decided I was having a Coming of Age moment and decided to pick up another. I’ve had One of Us on my radar for a long time because of the author, Dan Chaon, and felt like now was the time to finally give it a go.

This is a Literary Horror-Coming of Age story, set in 1915-U.S., following orphaned twins, Bolt and Eleanor. After their mother dies, the twins are taken in by a con-man, who claims to be their long-lost Uncle Charlie.

The twins have a special connection and an ability to read each other’s minds. To shysters like ole’ Uncle Charlie, the twins abilities, particularly at this time, could easily be exploited and end up being quite valuable. But Uncle Charlie isn’t just a shyster, he’s also a violent man.

After a late-night poker game, where one of his rages ends in murder, Eleanor and Bolt decide it’s time to move on. They need to run away as fast as they can.

They end up on an orphan train and then at an auction, where they’re ultimately scooped up by an apparent savior, Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders, which is a traveling sideshow, a popular form of entertainment during this time period.

They travel by train across the country, performing in different locations, and we follow the twins as they settle into their new life. We learn a lot about the other members of the show as well, and Chaon did a great job of incorporating their many different stories, bringing humanity to the story in an oddly-beautiful way.

It’s the first time Eleanor and Bolt have really been a part of something like this, but as Bolt falls deeper and deeper into the found family of the Emporium, Eleanor finds herself growing farther away.

With Uncle Charlie on their trail, the twins are suddenly in more danger than ever. Will they be able to evade his capture, and protect their new family in the process?

This was a really interesting story. I’ve definitely never read a Coming of Age story quite like this before. I did find the time period and the idea of this traveling sideshow very compelling, but emotionally, I never really felt like I was able to connect with Eleanor and Bolt’s story.

I’m not sure why that is, necessarily. The writing was great, very fluid and it did have solid pacing. I think that maybe it was just my head space at the moment.

I definitely can appreciate what the author did here, giving a space where the misfits can get their time in the spotlight and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction fans. Particularly, those who may like something a little darker, or surreal in their stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m definitely interested in picking up more from Dan Chaon in the future. This was good.

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Review: Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez

~ megs14malloy

MuñecaMuñeca by Cynthia Gómez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Muñeca is a captivating Gothic Horror novella set in 1968-Oakland, California. We follow Nati, a working class witch, as she sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress, the beautiful Violeta Miramontes.

Nati’s Mom used to work for Violeta’s family, so Nati is familiar with the household. After hearing rumors that Violeta has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness, Nati feels compelled to help.

Nati ends up securing a position as a caregiver for Violeta, and will actually be staying in the house during her employment. It’s quickly clear to her that Violeta’s illness has been caused by dark magic. Nati needs to figure out who cursed Violeta, and why?

As the two young women grow closer, and Nati continually fails to break the curse, her desperation escalates. She feels like she’s running out of time and her methods get progressively reckless. Soon she realizes she must face her own past if she’s to have any hope of helping poor Violeta.

Gómez pulled me in very quickly, which is an important component of any successful novella. I found her writing fluid, engaging and accessible. She wastes no time setting up the main issue of this story, Violeta’s mysterious illness, and getting Nati to where she needs to be.

The plot was captivating. I actually didn’t realize what Muñeca translated to until I got to a certain point in the story where a real a-ha moment occurred. It was probably the most fun moment in the whole book for me. I was excited to see the direction it was heading in.

I also loved Nati. She was a great MC, who was really proactive in trying to cure Violeta. I think my main issue with this one was, I wanted more of everything.

I know it’s a novella, and it needs to be concise, but at the same time, there were so many great aspects that I would’ve loved expanded. Honestly, it probably would have been a 5-star read for me if it had been like 400-pages.

For example, we know Nati’s Mom worked for Violeta’s family and that Nati spent time in the household when she was child. I would have loved two or three detailed flashbacks of interactions between Nati and Violeta that would have helped establish the base of their relationship.

Then when they got as close as they did, as quickly as they did, I feel like there would’ve been more context to make it believable, and less instalove.

This is just one example, but I kept having moments where I’d be thinking, wow, that’s so interesting, I want to know more, but we’d have already progressed to the next thing.

One of the biggest ones involved Nati’s family members. We did get some of Nati’s backstory in relation to magic, and I found those details fascinating. I would have loved to have gone a bit more in depth with that.

At the end of the day though, the point of a novella is a full story in a shorter number of pages. This is certainly a beautiful example of Gómez’s creativity and writing style. You better believe I’ll be picking up more of her work.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a Sapphic Witchy read. Bonus points if you love gothic atmosphere!

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Review: Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran

~ megs14malloy

Spoiled MilkSpoiled Milk by Avery Curran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Spoiled Milk is a engaging Gothic Horror novel set in 1928 at the Briarley School for Girls. Our MC is Emily, and we follow her and a group of her friends after one of them, Violet, plunges to her death following her birthday celebration.

Emily and her rival, Evelyn, are in agreement that Violet’s death was no accident. They believe she was pushed purposefully and they have a particular suspect in mind.

They believe the French Schoolmistress, to whom Violet had recently become quite attached, is the one to blame, but how can they prove it?

Violet was the sun in Emily’s sky, she would do anything for her, living or dead. No matter what it takes, she’s going to prove Emily was done dirty. Let the investigation begin.

This isn’t your standard murder mystery, however, as the ladies turn to more unconventional methods to get the answers they seek. They turn to spiritualism, and even invoke the help of local medium to assist them.

To their great surprise, they’re actually able to summon Violet’s spirit, who chooses Evelyn as her host to convey her important message: the danger has just begun.

An evil presence is infecting Briarley and its grounds. It starts with simple things like rotten apples and spoiled milk, but soon escalates to much more dangerous levels.

As the body count rises, and students begin to get plucked from the school by worried parents, Emily, Evelyn, and their friends, must double-down their efforts if they wish to defeat that which haunts them.

I was so pleasantly surprised by Spoiled Milk. I loved all the occult elements and the overall tone of this private school story. Even though I have a hard copy, I ended up listening to the audiobook and highly recommend that format.

The narration by Charlotte Ryder fit the story perfectly. Her accent and delivery sold me on Emily’s character and made the story feel believable and realistic.

I always tend to love private school stories, and this had just the right amount of school elements to help build out that backdrop. The young women we follow are on the cusp of adulthood, and this does focus a bit on that as they explore things like identity and sexuality.

It definitely went deeper into the occult and supernatural than I was expecting and I loved it all within the historical context. I’m hoping Avery Curran stays in this lane. I’d love more stories like this.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys lush, historically-set Horror novels, or stories with seances and the like. Additionally, those seeking Sapphic representation could enjoy this as well. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

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Review: Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

~ megs14malloy

Bone of My BoneBone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Bone of My Bone is a historically-set Religious Horror novel set during the time of the Thirty Years’ War. It’s Sapphic, contains a lot of gore, and also some really interesting elements stemming from Germanic Folklore.

We follow Ursula, a nun, and a peasant girl named Elsebeth. Both women are fleeing from marauding soldiers. Ursula has fled her convent, and Elsebeth, after the loss of her entire family, is trying to make her way to her Aunt’s home.

They meet on the road after Elsebeth jumps in to protect Ursula from an attacking soldier. Once they’re safe, the women have a chat, and decide it would be safer for them both if they travel together. Safety in numbers, and all that.

Keeping to the woods in the hopes they won’t be spotted by any more soldiers, they happen upon a dying man. He’s clutching a glass box, within which lies the gilded skull of a Saint. Ursula immediately recognizes it for what it is, and also knows that it’s said that if you reunite the Saint’s skull with it’s body, you’ll be granted a wish.

In these horrific times, both women have a lot to wish for. They discuss it a bit, and decide they have nothing to lose. It’s worth a shot. Thus, they scoop up the reliquary and begin their quest.

There’s a map to where the Saint’s body is said to be, but there’s certainly a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately, the dangers on the road are plentiful, and it’s not just the soldiers they need to fear. There’s also a Necromancer, drawn to the power of the skull, who is hot on their heels.

Will they be able to survive the dangers of the road, dodge the Necromancer and be able to reunite the Saint’s skull with her body? There’s only one way to find out.

Johanna van Veen has done it again!

This is such an excellent blend of Historical, Religious and Folk Horror. The setting is rich with detail, gritty and brutal. There’s dirt, grime, gore, blood, and everything in between.

Ursula and Elsebeth were both well-developed and I found their quest to be gripping. Gore is mentioned-above, and I loved how gory it was, but I also appreciated the softer character moments than van Veen included.

I was a bit intimidated by this going in, but instantly found it so accessible. I had concerns it would be challenging, I think because I found the synopsis a little confusing. Nevertheless, I had nothing to be concerned about.

Having the quest gave the story great focus, and also allowed Ursula and Elsebeth to bond more quickly due to their reliance upon one another for safety.

I’ve heard some people mention it’s too heavily-focused on religion, and understand people having those opinions, but I feel like it makes sense due to the historical context of the story, and Ursula’s role within the church as a nun.

The Thirty Years’ War is such a horrible period of history, and it’s not one I’ve read a lot about in a fictional way. I liked that van Veen chose that time period. It’s certainly made me more curious about that war and to imagine what life was like during that time is truly horrifying.

This is only the 2nd-novel I’ve read from van Veen, but she’s quickly jumped the ranks of my go-to authors list. I still need to read My Darling Dreadful Thing. I have a feeling I’m going to love that one just as much.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to get a hard copy of this for my shelves!!

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