Blogmas 2024
Happy Monday!
This is the second week and fifth post of my best reads of 2024 and today, it will be pretty straightforward as we are talking about gothic books or rather, books with a gothic feel to them!
I have two favorites this year!
A sorceress Comes to Call is a Gothic vicious and atmospheric tale. A sorcerer is determined to climb the social ladder and it’s up to her shy and abused daughter to stop her with the aid of an old, but smart woman.
Evangeline is a sorcerer whose dream is to become rich whatever the cost and whomever she has to kill . For years she has abused her daughter Cordelia, sometimes controlling her like a puppet and she now is determined to find a rich husband to marry. The next step is to find another husband for her 14 years old daughter. Evangeline has set her eyes on the squire Samuel. After a ruthless change to their former lives, they are headed to his home..
What will follow is a gripping and horrifying story were people will band together to stop Evangeline’s machination.
I read the story with all along an impending sense of doom . It was my first T kingfisher story and it was perfect for the spooky season. Filled with quaint characters, found family trope, lots of drama and black magic. It would please every lovers of dark stories.
« Belong
Yes, a single year at the whims of a wood demon is worth a lifetime of belonging. »
WTDSS is a story of yearning, of finally finding the place to belong.
Lisha has always had to play a role. To be unnoticeable. To quieten the wild and « wicked » part living inside of her, getting smaller and smaller in the process.
In the eve of being cast out of her village by her mother, she will flee to the dangerous woods, the Driada, on a desperate chase of a granting wish flower of legend.
What she will find in the dark enchanted forest is a demon boy, the Leszy, and a bargain. Serve him for one year and he’ll take her unwanted magic.
She will be free. She won’t have to hide her true nature. She will belong in her village.
That’s how Liska followed a demon into his manor. In the heart of the Driada, surrounded by trees and rivers hosting many spirits and demons.
The whole story reads like a dark fairy tale. One with a looming threat, strange demon boys, house spirits and a simple but courageous heroine whose only wish had only been to belong.
Strong on magic and found family, built on a beautiful writing, that gothic tale will sweep you off your feet, plunging you in that dangerous world and making you forget that our world doesn’t host house spirits nor alluring demon boys.
It’s an excellent atmospheric read and I can’t wait to talk about it with the author and read more of her future stories!
If you have read gothic/atmospheric stories this year, what have been your favorites?
Thanks for reading.
Sophie
2024 was a big year of Gothic reads for me! Your choices are quite different, I 5 starred the first one and dnfed the second one lol!
Bwahahaha!
I loved A Sorceress Comes To Call!! And Where The Dark Stands Still is on my radar so… Who knows?! Maybe I’ll read it, sooner or later!
Fingers crossed Susy!
Where the Dark Stands Still is one I need to read at some point
I will wait for your review then Tammy!
I don’t think I read any gothic books. I love the mood of the cover for Where the Dark Stands Still.
I was surprised by that one!