Being trapped onboard a ship with an unknown murderer is a frightening enough prospect on its own, without adding powerful magic to the mix. Luckily Maud Blyth is just as undaunted in the face of overwhelming odds as her brother Robin. I just reviewed A Marvellous Light, Book 1 in Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy, the other week and went straight from finishing that one to reading the sequel. A Restless Truth, the second book in this fantasy romance series came out at the beginning of November. Continue reading Review of A Restless Truth—Magical Murder at Sea
Tag: romance
A Marvellous Light Review—Edwardian Magicians
Getting cursed is just about the worst way to find out magic is real… An English baronet finds himself thrown headfirst into the world of magical conspiracies and sorcerer soirees in A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, which came out last year. I’ve been a long-time fan of Marske’s podcast, Be the Serpent, but only just picked up her first book in preparation for reading the sequel, A Restless Truth, which came out earlier this month. Continue reading A Marvellous Light Review—Edwardian Magicians
Review of Ghosts of the Forbidden—Gothic Romance Is Back!
Dangerous mine shafts, an abandoned ski resort, families feuding for generations, and ghosts galore—the town of Glazier’s Gap has enough fodder for a whole string of Gothic novels. And that’s the idea. Ghosts of the Forbidden by Leanna Renee Hieber is the first book in the new Glazier’s Gap series published by Castle Bridge Media, which will include loosely connected novels that all feature a supernatural romance set in this unusual town. As the queen of haunting heartwarmers, Leanna Renee Hieber is the perfect author to start this series off, though this is her first foray into contemporary romance. But not to fear—while the story may take place in the twenty-first century, the lovers in Ghosts of the Forbidden are as stuck in the nineteenth-century as Leanna’s devoted readers are. Ghosts of the Forbidden comes out October 11. Continue reading Review of Ghosts of the Forbidden—Gothic Romance Is Back!
Review of the Greenhollow Duology: Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country
Looking for something short and sweet that will scratch that itch of wanting to run away into the woods with a forest spirit? Then may I recommend the Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh. These two novellas, Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country, came out in 2019 and 2020 respectively. But I just read them both together in the lovely audiobook narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies. Continue reading Review of the Greenhollow Duology: Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country
Review of The Ghost and Mrs Muir—Midcentury Ghost Romance
Would you move into a haunted cottage? For Lucy Muir, the ghost of a grumpy old sea captain turns out to be just what she needed to complete her picture of perfect domestic bliss in The Ghost and Mrs Muir. The novel was published by Irish author Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym R. A. Dick in 1945. It was adapted into a popular film in 1947, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. If you’re looking for something sweet, slow, and low-stakes to read this summer, definitely check out this classic! Continue reading Review of The Ghost and Mrs Muir—Midcentury Ghost Romance
Review of In the Vanishers’ Palace—Loving a Monster
In a corrupted and poisoned world, the worst diseases can only be cured with the aid of a powerful dragon. But a dragon’s help always comes with a price. Aliette de Bodard beautifully blends the post-apocalyptic genre with Vietnamese-inspired fantasy (and some spicy sapphic romance) in her 2018 novella In the Vanishers’ Palace. Continue reading Review of In the Vanishers’ Palace—Loving a Monster
Gothic Vocab: Romance
You’ll often hear the term “Gothic romance” tossed about, sometimes in wildly different contexts. Are we talking about mid-century pulp novels whose covers feature women in flowing gowns fleeing from brooding men and looming castles? Or are we talking about The Castle of Otranto—a novel which hardly contains anything that modern readers would recognize as romance. To understand the many meanings of a phrase like “Gothic romance,” we have to dive into the history of what the words “romance” and “romantic” have meant in a literary context over the years.
Review of The Witch King
Would you want to rule over a kingdom that hates you? Wyatt Croft certainly doesn’t in H. E. Edgmon’s The Witch King. This debut YA fantasy novel came out this past summer and centers on a trans witch who escapes from a fae kingdom, only to be dragged right back into its politics and prejudices—and romance! I’ve been hearing so much hype for this book this year, and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read it. Continue reading Review of The Witch King
Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
What would you trade for the power to protect those you love? Violeta bargains with gods and monsters in Lyndall Clipstone’s debut YA novel, Lakesedge. Described as a “lush gothic fantasy,” Lakesedge comes out tomorrow, September 28. Continue reading Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
Review of The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle
Even Gothic romance authors deserve a Gothic romance of their own. Lisa Greer gets meta about the genre in her self-published romance novel, The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle, which came out earlier this year. If you’re looking for something fun to read this summer that blends the sweet and silly with the spooky and atmospheric, give this one a shot! Continue reading Review of The Haunting of Craigmorag Castle