2⭐️ (The more I dwell, the more I had to revoke the half a star. I know, I know.)

I guess this book just didn’t live up to my expectations. I thought there were interesting elements to the story, but the world building and plot left something to be desired (imho).

What I expected: a rich, atmospheric, slow-burning gothic novel.

What I got: a half-fleshed out dark fantasy with Insta-attraction. (And while Leta may be demisexual, I feel as though that left something to be desired because she barely knew Rowan and felt drawn to him instantly…idk)

I feel like this was incorrectly billed as a work of gothic lit, which to me has very specific conventions. Some of those were present in this story, but they really took a backseat to the “cure the corruption plot.”

(Edited to add: As someone else mentioned, the gothic conventions used were like window dressing. But there was no substance to them. We’re TOLD that there’s a gloomy estate full of mystery, but really there’s no mystery. A few other critical elements of the gothic genre are also absent. It just should have been labeled differently.)

Speaking of corruption, that also seemed to leave something to be desired. The “solution” to curing the corruption was solved prior to Leta and her brother’s arrival at Lakesedge. They were simply pulled in to the thick of it to supply extra firepower. Though there were some struggles with their ability to perform the ritual, there was no real need to create a “new” solution. They just needed to practice? Be more powerful? The magic could have used more attention.



The bottom line is that I kept thinking of ways the story could have played out differently, incorporated more gothic elements, been more fleshed out, or otherwise improved. It was all show and little tell, the plot was repetitive, and the descriptions were so adverb heavy, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. Overall, this is just not how I want to feel as the reader.

You may be wondering what I liked…

I thought the romance elements were well done. Consent was abundant, and I think this is so important, especially in YA stories. Especially when you have a character generally regarded as rude or monstrous, yet still ultimately desirable or dateable—if they can still respect consent, that’s phenomenal. We need more of that in books with grumpy boys, lest young people learn to accept less. The found family was a nice touch. I enjoyed the characters most of all (Violeta least of all lol), and would have liked to spend more time with them.

I’d definitely like to read the next one when it releases and see how it compares.