3.5/5

For fans of: dark fairytales, sister relationships, witches, instalove, Eastern European folklore, Hungarian folklore, Jewish folklore, the Brothers Grimm, gothic horror, turn of the century industrialization, complicated parent-child relationships

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? fantasy, gothic horror, romance

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Not for me, but definitely for the MC

• Is it spicy? Soft spicy, described but not graphic

• Is it violent or gory? VERY gory

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you are a fan of Ava Reid’s debut novel or gothic horror, buy it! Otherwise, borrow it!

Synopsis: A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites.

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart.

As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.

Review: If you are looking for the perfect gothic horror/fantasy romance to kick off the Halloween season, this is it. The setting and world building sucks you. It’s got the vibes of Moulin Rouge with a fancy turn of the century exterior hiding a dark underbelly. There’s gore and guts as a killer runs rampant in the streets of Oblya while Marlinchen and her sisters hide in their home full of mystery and magic. Held captive by their cursed father, they fear that the world is leaving them behind as magic makes way for industry. This story wraps you up in its dark web of crushing control and yearnings to be free as it delves into emotional manipulation and abuse. Marlinchen is such a complex character as she struggles under the yoke of her father, the horrors inflicted on her city, the coldness of her sisters, and the fears of her own dark desires.

Where the book weakens is the rest of the characters and plot. The secondary characters are not well-rounded and there is so much potential here for a more robust cast especially in the romance department. Yes, this is Marlinchen’s story, but for such a compelling character, she falls for quite a flat one. I am not a fan of instalove and this is textbook. Hints of his lonely and abusive backstory are not enough to make their romance plausible. The sisters are also one note, but more well-rounded with the history they share. The father was…intense. But again, not delved deep enough to justify so much of what he does. The plot also failed to deliver, or at least did not deliver on its marketing. I was expecting monster hunting and death at every turn, this isn’t that story. Yes, there are monsters and there’s death, but they are a secondary plot to the drama that is the last family of witches in the fast-growing industrialist city of Oblya. But for the vibes alone, I recommend it!