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All Richard Hadlow wants is a happy family and a peaceful home. Having built the perfect house deep in the Kent countryside, now all he needs is a wife. He's about to discover, however, that even the most perfectly-laid plans can go horribly and tragically wrong.
The year is 1689 and England is in the grip of turmoil. A pretender is trying to take the throne, but Richard has no interest in the affairs of his country. He only cares about finding the perfect wife and giving her a perfect life. But someone – or something – at his newly-built house has other ideas. Is Richard's new life about to be destroyed forever?
Hadlow House is brand new, but already there are strange whispers in the corridors and unexplained noises at night. Has Richard just been unlucky, is his new wife Rebecca simply imagining things, or is a dark secret from the past about to rise up and deliver Richard's worst nightmare? Who wins when the past and the present collide?
1689 is the first book in the Haunting of Hadlow House series, which tells the story of one haunted house over the centuries from its construction to the present day. All the lives, all the souls, all the tragedies... and all the ghosts.
The year is 1689 and England is in the grip of turmoil. A pretender is trying to take the throne, but Richard has no interest in the affairs of his country. He only cares about finding the perfect wife and giving her a perfect life. But someone – or something – at his newly-built house has other ideas. Is Richard's new life about to be destroyed forever?
Hadlow House is brand new, but already there are strange whispers in the corridors and unexplained noises at night. Has Richard just been unlucky, is his new wife Rebecca simply imagining things, or is a dark secret from the past about to rise up and deliver Richard's worst nightmare? Who wins when the past and the present collide?
1689 is the first book in the Haunting of Hadlow House series, which tells the story of one haunted house over the centuries from its construction to the present day. All the lives, all the souls, all the tragedies... and all the ghosts.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2023
About the author
Amy Cross
602 books1,541 followersAmy Cross writes novels and short stories in a number of genres, mainly horror, paranormal and fantasy. Books include The Farm, Annie's Room, The Island, Eli's Town and Asylum.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
May 24, 2024
Surprisingly Delicious!
Lots of good eating in this story. The yumminess is exciting for everyone and so it will definitely be for you.
Just need to mention that a good man is the man who thinks that he is truly a kind man. So he takes a wife just like The Farmer in the Dell.
And he keeps on taking a wife to make his house a happy home. But it is just not fully satisfied, the house I mean.
The Baxters, servants, who are a large proportion of this story, are both in their own way, causing a lot of problems and confusion.
The story is a bit overwhelming at times, but it gives one the sense of horror and scariness that is often shown throughout this story.
Hope this series continues to inspire the other books to explore the terrifying nature of this world.
Would love to give this book five stars, but too many editing errors.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
Lots of good eating in this story. The yumminess is exciting for everyone and so it will definitely be for you.
Just need to mention that a good man is the man who thinks that he is truly a kind man. So he takes a wife just like The Farmer in the Dell.
And he keeps on taking a wife to make his house a happy home. But it is just not fully satisfied, the house I mean.
The Baxters, servants, who are a large proportion of this story, are both in their own way, causing a lot of problems and confusion.
The story is a bit overwhelming at times, but it gives one the sense of horror and scariness that is often shown throughout this story.
Hope this series continues to inspire the other books to explore the terrifying nature of this world.
Would love to give this book five stars, but too many editing errors.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
August 28, 2023
Richard Hadlow want to build a new home for him and his new wife. Then a tragic accident occurs and Catherine dies. Coming back to his estate with a new wife, Rebecca, sinister things are creeping in. What's the role of the Baxters, staff at his home? Is Fanny Baxter hiding something? Why is Oliver, her husband, so distracted, always looking to the old oak tree? How is Rebecca settling into her new home? Dark gothic horror with some extremely disturbing and twisty elements. The ending is exactly the way you want to pick up volume 2 of this series. Very eerie, very English, very gothic, in short highly recommended! Amy Cross does a great job here!
July 1, 2023
The start of a "must read" series!
That was quite a tale. The year is 1689 and the "Old Pretender", James Stuart, has been forced into exile, thus making way for the Protestant King William to ascend to the throne of England. As former supporters of the deposed James Stuart, the Hadlow family have fallen upon hard times. Desperate to regain the family's good name and fortune the one surviving son seeks a wife in order to bring a new family into the world. He marries and builds a great, but remote, house to resurrect the family's fortunes. However, fate intervenes and before she can bear him children, his wife is cruelly killed in a freak accident. Within a year he is married again and brings his new wife to the recently constructed house. However, as in the Daphne Du Maurier novel, Rebecca, the first Mrs Hadlow may not have left the building. This was a spooky and spine tingling tale, worthy of Amy Cross.
That was quite a tale. The year is 1689 and the "Old Pretender", James Stuart, has been forced into exile, thus making way for the Protestant King William to ascend to the throne of England. As former supporters of the deposed James Stuart, the Hadlow family have fallen upon hard times. Desperate to regain the family's good name and fortune the one surviving son seeks a wife in order to bring a new family into the world. He marries and builds a great, but remote, house to resurrect the family's fortunes. However, fate intervenes and before she can bear him children, his wife is cruelly killed in a freak accident. Within a year he is married again and brings his new wife to the recently constructed house. However, as in the Daphne Du Maurier novel, Rebecca, the first Mrs Hadlow may not have left the building. This was a spooky and spine tingling tale, worthy of Amy Cross.
September 3, 2023
The best Cross book I’ve yet to read.
I am an Amy Cross fan. Some of the other, earlier work that I’ve read frustrated me a bit as a reader because they had—what I perceived to be—pretty glaring plot holes and questions and issues that came up that had no relevance or resolution.
I have come to respect and like the sort of escapist horror she puts out.
1689 seemed to have none of those issues, even though I have sort of just let the stories unfold without over-thinking it. But it still worked very well for me.
This book offers a haunted house tale that grabbed me almost from the beginning. We have some poor unfortunate souls who have bad things happen. Richard, is a product of his background. As seems to be the case throughout history, privilege creates solely by social standing kind of breeds stupidity. Richard, the MC, is sort of clueless and blind to that which he doesn’t want to see. That being said, I totally bought him as the land-owning gentleman in 1689 England. And that helped propel the story. A lot of time he is his own worst enemy because he simply cannot accept a reality that doesn’t comport with his desires and that leads him to bad decisions and opening up him—and those he cares about—to harm.
There were questions that cropped up to me as to why things were happening. One in particular was . But by the end it made sense and I felt like the resolution of that issue was totally consistent with tiny details earlier in the story. I found it very satisfying.
It has just the right amount of gruesome gore to fit the tone of the story without being over the top or needlessly gratuitous. The story clips along quite nicely. Cross reveals little nuggets as needed to keep the story interesting and heightens the tension as more and more of the underlying mystery becomes revealed.
This is part of a new series. As of the time of this review, I believe the last two are yet to be published. I very much look forward to the rest of the series.
I am an Amy Cross fan. Some of the other, earlier work that I’ve read frustrated me a bit as a reader because they had—what I perceived to be—pretty glaring plot holes and questions and issues that came up that had no relevance or resolution.
I have come to respect and like the sort of escapist horror she puts out.
1689 seemed to have none of those issues, even though I have sort of just let the stories unfold without over-thinking it. But it still worked very well for me.
This book offers a haunted house tale that grabbed me almost from the beginning. We have some poor unfortunate souls who have bad things happen. Richard, is a product of his background. As seems to be the case throughout history, privilege creates solely by social standing kind of breeds stupidity. Richard, the MC, is sort of clueless and blind to that which he doesn’t want to see. That being said, I totally bought him as the land-owning gentleman in 1689 England. And that helped propel the story. A lot of time he is his own worst enemy because he simply cannot accept a reality that doesn’t comport with his desires and that leads him to bad decisions and opening up him—and those he cares about—to harm.
There were questions that cropped up to me as to why things were happening. One in particular was . But by the end it made sense and I felt like the resolution of that issue was totally consistent with tiny details earlier in the story. I found it very satisfying.
It has just the right amount of gruesome gore to fit the tone of the story without being over the top or needlessly gratuitous. The story clips along quite nicely. Cross reveals little nuggets as needed to keep the story interesting and heightens the tension as more and more of the underlying mystery becomes revealed.
This is part of a new series. As of the time of this review, I believe the last two are yet to be published. I very much look forward to the rest of the series.
August 29, 2023
Mysteriously Spooky!
Small backstory:
Richard Hadlow wants a perfect house built so that he can raise a family, but when tragedy strikes right away with his wife, Catherine and she passes away he grieves for a time.
Nine months later he has a new wife (Rebecca) who tries to be the perfect wife that Richard is looking for but something is haunting the house and property. The caretakers, Oliver and Fanny try to help Rebecca with getting her acquainted with the home and property but something is amiss which leads Rebecca to believe that something is not happy that she is there and whoever is haunting the house is seeking some kind of vengeance!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book and series!
Thoughts:
I have read a few Amy Cross books and have been reading her for years. I have always felt that she excels in the haunting/ghost stories as every book she has written that has to do with ghosts and hauntings have spooked me silly!
This book was no exception as it took off right away and kept me glued to the pages. I read almost 40% of the book in just about two hours as I became caught up in the storyline and just could not break away from what was happening within the story!
This book is in a series and I will be continuing on with it soon as I want to see what else happens within this series as the Hadlow House is center stage for the rest of the series. Giving this book five "Hair-Raising Haunting" stars!
Small backstory:
Richard Hadlow wants a perfect house built so that he can raise a family, but when tragedy strikes right away with his wife, Catherine and she passes away he grieves for a time.
Nine months later he has a new wife (Rebecca) who tries to be the perfect wife that Richard is looking for but something is haunting the house and property. The caretakers, Oliver and Fanny try to help Rebecca with getting her acquainted with the home and property but something is amiss which leads Rebecca to believe that something is not happy that she is there and whoever is haunting the house is seeking some kind of vengeance!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book and series!
Thoughts:
I have read a few Amy Cross books and have been reading her for years. I have always felt that she excels in the haunting/ghost stories as every book she has written that has to do with ghosts and hauntings have spooked me silly!
This book was no exception as it took off right away and kept me glued to the pages. I read almost 40% of the book in just about two hours as I became caught up in the storyline and just could not break away from what was happening within the story!
This book is in a series and I will be continuing on with it soon as I want to see what else happens within this series as the Hadlow House is center stage for the rest of the series. Giving this book five "Hair-Raising Haunting" stars!
September 3, 2023
Spooky!
1689 (The Haunting of Hadlow House Book 1) by Amy Cross, is a gripping, well written, and gory horror story!
I recommend it!
1689 (The Haunting of Hadlow House Book 1) by Amy Cross, is a gripping, well written, and gory horror story!
I recommend it!
September 9, 2023
Cross nailed this one! A haunted house story done expertly. Creepy, perfectly paced, and a little twisty. Feels like this is going to be a great series!
July 10, 2024
”She watches… and she waits”
1689 is the first installation of the Haunting of Hadlow House series which follows Hadlow House from its construction to present day.
Let me start by saying that I love the premise behind this series: following the house itself through the years, through all of its different inhabitants, all of its different strange occurrences… Brilliant.
1689 is a tragic and gruesome tale that kicks off the series with a bang, following Richard Hadlow, the original constructor and owner of Hadlow House. He’s a quiet man, desperate for a happy life and is convinced that this perfect house will be the kickstart he needs.
”What use is a man if he leaves behind nothing of value once his mortal life is done?”
In the house with him are the Baxters—husband and wife pair that keep the grounds and the house—and his newly-domesticated wife, Rebecca, who was given to Mr. Hadlow by her father. Rebecca is struggling to settle in to the new house and her new life and the Baxters are acting strange, making Rebecca even more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Richard is struggling to release the burdens of his past: a sudden death of a loved one and a family name that has been tainted from past generations.
This eerie, gothic haunted house story takes unexpected, gory turns and it certainly won’t be easy for those with a light stomach to digest. I’m not a fan of gore for gore’s sake and I generally don’t expect that in haunted house stories either which generally tend to lean more towards psychological horror and distress. That said I didn’t particularly care for it here.
In addition to some things being far-fetched (yes, even in a fictionalized supernatural tale), one of my biggest complaints though is that this definitely needed some tighter editing as there were many grammatical errors, instances of people being called by the wrong name, and other pieces of information that were overlooked.
Still, Cross can undoubtedly create tense, distressing scenes and is capable of eliciting a mournful response from readers. I am certainly interested in the next installment to see what direction this series takes.
1689 is the first installation of the Haunting of Hadlow House series which follows Hadlow House from its construction to present day.
Let me start by saying that I love the premise behind this series: following the house itself through the years, through all of its different inhabitants, all of its different strange occurrences… Brilliant.
1689 is a tragic and gruesome tale that kicks off the series with a bang, following Richard Hadlow, the original constructor and owner of Hadlow House. He’s a quiet man, desperate for a happy life and is convinced that this perfect house will be the kickstart he needs.
”What use is a man if he leaves behind nothing of value once his mortal life is done?”
In the house with him are the Baxters—husband and wife pair that keep the grounds and the house—and his newly-domesticated wife, Rebecca, who was given to Mr. Hadlow by her father. Rebecca is struggling to settle in to the new house and her new life and the Baxters are acting strange, making Rebecca even more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Richard is struggling to release the burdens of his past: a sudden death of a loved one and a family name that has been tainted from past generations.
This eerie, gothic haunted house story takes unexpected, gory turns and it certainly won’t be easy for those with a light stomach to digest. I’m not a fan of gore for gore’s sake and I generally don’t expect that in haunted house stories either which generally tend to lean more towards psychological horror and distress. That said I didn’t particularly care for it here.
In addition to some things being far-fetched (yes, even in a fictionalized supernatural tale), one of my biggest complaints though is that this definitely needed some tighter editing as there were many grammatical errors, instances of people being called by the wrong name, and other pieces of information that were overlooked.
Still, Cross can undoubtedly create tense, distressing scenes and is capable of eliciting a mournful response from readers. I am certainly interested in the next installment to see what direction this series takes.
September 8, 2023
This was a good story with some great plot twists. Full review to come.
October 14, 2023
I went into this book expecting a ghost story. What I read was poorly edited, kind of ridiculous and full of gore. I’ve read fanfiction better than this.
October 18, 2023
This book was full of gratuitous violence and gore that added nothing to the story. I love a good gothic horror story and to have a haunting series about the owners of a house is a great idea, but the desecration of corpses, cannibalism and just outright sick grossness of this book detracted so much from the story I quit reading it and won't read the rest of the books in the series. There was also one unintentionally hilarious moment where one character says to another that they've seen a photograph. Never mind that photography wasn't even a thing in 1689.
April 4, 2024
This short book managed to stir in me such strong emotions related to the main characters. From pity, to hatred and of course, lots of sorrow.
This isn't a hopeful story, in fact, it gutted my heart just a bit, but what would you expect from a haunted house story? 😅
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this and I'm rushing to the sequel to get some more of this horrible, horrible house.
This isn't a hopeful story, in fact, it gutted my heart just a bit, but what would you expect from a haunted house story? 😅
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this and I'm rushing to the sequel to get some more of this horrible, horrible house.
January 24, 2024
This book was poorly written and edited. So many missing words and incorrect words, very difficult to read. The worst thing is no color to the book. 1689? it could have been any time. Except for a few mentions of carriages and flintlock pistols, it could have been the US South last Tuesday (yes, they still treat women like that).
Rebar being used for private residence construction in the 1600s? As the description was not great, the metal bars used in the house construction sounded suspiciously like rebar which wasn't widely or commonly used for hundreds of years after this time. For me, historical accuracy in setting and scene is a must even in ghost stories!
The story had promise, it was interesting and scary but the blatant laziness of writing a book and slapping any date on the time period without supporting details turned me off. I know there are several other books in this series, not even interested. blah.
Rebar being used for private residence construction in the 1600s? As the description was not great, the metal bars used in the house construction sounded suspiciously like rebar which wasn't widely or commonly used for hundreds of years after this time. For me, historical accuracy in setting and scene is a must even in ghost stories!
The story had promise, it was interesting and scary but the blatant laziness of writing a book and slapping any date on the time period without supporting details turned me off. I know there are several other books in this series, not even interested. blah.
October 8, 2023
@ rebecca, immediately: you in danger, girl.
September 10, 2024
Not great
This novel started off quite well, with some interesting characters. A tale of a man wanting to build his own home, in seclusion, away from the burden of a tarnished family name. He and his new wife travel by horseback to oversee the foundations and lay the first brick. Tragedy strikes and his young bride meets a grisly demise, of which Richard is unaware of some hidden, insidious details.
Richard marries again and brings his new bride to the, now finished, secluded home. This new bride, Rebecca, is a reluctant one and takes time to warm to Richard.
Richard’s servants Mr and Mrs Baxter have a nasty secret about Richards first wife, Catherine. Mrs Baxter isn’t as nice as she first appears.
About half way through the story begins to seem quite amateurish, the writing takes a downward turn and feels a bit silly. I began to skim through because it was just a bit like Scooby Doo.
There are some really gross developments that just don’t seem to fit or flow. I began to lose interest but continued to skim. The crescendo brings the elements together in quite gory and sickening fashion! Which could have been really cool but the middle ground was a washout (pardon the pun - if you read the book you will understand the pun!!).
Anyway I was disappointed and felt there were some elements of good story, but not many.
This novel started off quite well, with some interesting characters. A tale of a man wanting to build his own home, in seclusion, away from the burden of a tarnished family name. He and his new wife travel by horseback to oversee the foundations and lay the first brick. Tragedy strikes and his young bride meets a grisly demise, of which Richard is unaware of some hidden, insidious details.
Richard marries again and brings his new bride to the, now finished, secluded home. This new bride, Rebecca, is a reluctant one and takes time to warm to Richard.
Richard’s servants Mr and Mrs Baxter have a nasty secret about Richards first wife, Catherine. Mrs Baxter isn’t as nice as she first appears.
About half way through the story begins to seem quite amateurish, the writing takes a downward turn and feels a bit silly. I began to skim through because it was just a bit like Scooby Doo.
There are some really gross developments that just don’t seem to fit or flow. I began to lose interest but continued to skim. The crescendo brings the elements together in quite gory and sickening fashion! Which could have been really cool but the middle ground was a washout (pardon the pun - if you read the book you will understand the pun!!).
Anyway I was disappointed and felt there were some elements of good story, but not many.
August 25, 2024
Overall, a good book. It moved at a very fast pace and kept me interested, but it was very gory, and there were times I had to skip passages because it was grossing me out. That being said, I am interested to read the rest of the series and see, the different families that move into the same haunted house.
August 14, 2024
Eerie scary makes you shudder with uncomfortableness. A quick good haunted house first book in a long series.
April 6, 2024
Hmm, I'm not too sure about this.
It was kind of creepy, but I didn't really like the characters and I wasn't expecting .
It was kind of creepy, but I didn't really like the characters and I wasn't expecting .
February 5, 2024
The concept of a haunted house and following its story over every 100 years really caught my attention, like it was going to be Haunting of Hill House vibes. It definitely was not! The story it self was just all over the place in my opinion and a lot of times didn’t make any sense to me or follow any kind of path. It was just not enjoyable at all.
August 14, 2023
trigger warnings needed
I am not sorry to spoil this, but this book includes cannibalism, abuse of a corpse, and zombies. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
I am not sorry to spoil this, but this book includes cannibalism, abuse of a corpse, and zombies. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
August 23, 2023
had to take a star off for all the times the gore made my stomach hurt & skin crawl
January 28, 2024
This is possibly one of the worst books I’ve ever read. It started out promising but the editing is quite poor and it’s generally just kind of disgusting.
January 18, 2024
A wonderful story and very creepy if you love ghost stories and the macabre then this is the book for you
March 1, 2024
Spooky but dumb.
May 3, 2024
Basically five hours of my life I'll never get back.
May 30, 2024
This review might be all over the place. Kinda like this book.
Here I am, once again, trying something different. Occasionally I enjoy a good spooky story. And there were parts of this story that had that element for me. The beginning started off promising. We have a guy in his 30's looking to rebuild his family's legacy by constructing a new house and bringing his new wife there so they can begin their lives together. Unfortunately, while they're visiting the construction site his wife is tragically killed. So, there ends that dream. Nine months later he returns with a new, reluctant bride. The caretakers, an older couple, arrive to help guide this man and his new bride and help them establish themselves in the community and bring honor back to the family name.
But, here's where the story got a bit bumpy for me. While there were some spooky elements...like maybe ghost...there were also some really weird, gory things. Such as...
All that said, and while really gross, wasn't the biggest issue I had. Surprisingly.
I just felt like there were so many things going on in the book that it was hard to focus in on the main plot of the story. Was it a haunting? Is the house it's own entity? Are the creepy couple involved? Is the location having something to do with it? It honestly made my brain hurt at times trying to figure out what was the actual crux of this story!
And, there were a few editing issues.
This book starts a huge series surrounding this house at different points in time. So, even though I had issues with this book, I kinda want to read the next one to see where this series takes readers and if the overall feel settles in and gets better. The concept is very interesting, I just worry it may not deliver.
Here I am, once again, trying something different. Occasionally I enjoy a good spooky story. And there were parts of this story that had that element for me. The beginning started off promising. We have a guy in his 30's looking to rebuild his family's legacy by constructing a new house and bringing his new wife there so they can begin their lives together. Unfortunately, while they're visiting the construction site his wife is tragically killed. So, there ends that dream. Nine months later he returns with a new, reluctant bride. The caretakers, an older couple, arrive to help guide this man and his new bride and help them establish themselves in the community and bring honor back to the family name.
But, here's where the story got a bit bumpy for me. While there were some spooky elements...like maybe ghost...there were also some really weird, gory things. Such as...
All that said, and while really gross, wasn't the biggest issue I had. Surprisingly.
I just felt like there were so many things going on in the book that it was hard to focus in on the main plot of the story. Was it a haunting? Is the house it's own entity? Are the creepy couple involved? Is the location having something to do with it? It honestly made my brain hurt at times trying to figure out what was the actual crux of this story!
And, there were a few editing issues.
This book starts a huge series surrounding this house at different points in time. So, even though I had issues with this book, I kinda want to read the next one to see where this series takes readers and if the overall feel settles in and gets better. The concept is very interesting, I just worry it may not deliver.
March 17, 2024
I struggled with this book and story, starting and stopping it over nearly a month as it failed to engage me. The narrative felt tedious, and the characters were more irritating than captivating. The sole positive aspect was my familiarity with the country, which allowed me to envision the house's location, giving me a sense of pride. My hope that the story would improve kept me reading, and it did in the last six chapters.
Richard Hadlow aspired for a content family and serene home. He constructed an ideal house in the Kent countryside for this purpose, lacking only a spouse to complete his vision. However, he discovers that even the most flawless plans can falter. Amidst England's 1689 chaos, with a contested throne, Richard's focus remained on finding the perfect wife to share his idyllic life. Yet, something at his newly built Hadlow House seemed to conspire against him.
Despite its newness, Hadlow House was rife with eerie whispers and nocturnal disturbances. Was Richard merely unfortunate, was his wife Rebecca's perception skewed by imagination, or was a sinister legacy poised to unleash Richard's greatest fears?
The book was a laborious read for me, exacerbated by my reluctance to abandon books prematurely. My disconnection stemmed from my indifference towards all characters except Rebecca, whom I perceived as an unwitting victim amidst detestable individuals. Richard's egocentrism blinded him to anything beyond his desires. Even the ostensibly kind housekeeper and her husband harbored secrets that ominously promised future turmoil.
The conclusion was unexpected and dramatic, standing out as the narrative's highlight for me.
I intend to explore the sequel.
Richard Hadlow aspired for a content family and serene home. He constructed an ideal house in the Kent countryside for this purpose, lacking only a spouse to complete his vision. However, he discovers that even the most flawless plans can falter. Amidst England's 1689 chaos, with a contested throne, Richard's focus remained on finding the perfect wife to share his idyllic life. Yet, something at his newly built Hadlow House seemed to conspire against him.
Despite its newness, Hadlow House was rife with eerie whispers and nocturnal disturbances. Was Richard merely unfortunate, was his wife Rebecca's perception skewed by imagination, or was a sinister legacy poised to unleash Richard's greatest fears?
The book was a laborious read for me, exacerbated by my reluctance to abandon books prematurely. My disconnection stemmed from my indifference towards all characters except Rebecca, whom I perceived as an unwitting victim amidst detestable individuals. Richard's egocentrism blinded him to anything beyond his desires. Even the ostensibly kind housekeeper and her husband harbored secrets that ominously promised future turmoil.
The conclusion was unexpected and dramatic, standing out as the narrative's highlight for me.
I intend to explore the sequel.
July 11, 2024
Amazing concept, terrible execution. If you're going to write a historical fiction horror novel(la) you should probably put more effort into establishing a contemporary setting beyond reading a couple wiki pages so random nobodies can exposition the political context of seventeenth century England. This would help with silly mistakes like the idea that a 17th century servant could force her mistress to learn how to skin a rabbit for a meal and then slap her in front of the master of the house with zero repercussions. If you can't manage that, then you could at least make an effort to create some tension that would make your readers feel like they were actually in a story instead of watching someone just go "how do I make every bad thing that happens more cartoonish and gratuitous than the last?"
The last thing I'd mention is probably more of a personal pet hate than anything else, but human biology in this book is so bad it's genuinely painful and distracting to read if you happen to have a medical or health background. I actually did a little disbelievingly laugh at the final "twist" reveal that was apparently supposed to be horrifying because it was so absurd and fundamentally implausible.
Just a massive let down all around.
The last thing I'd mention is probably more of a personal pet hate than anything else, but human biology in this book is so bad it's genuinely painful and distracting to read if you happen to have a medical or health background. I actually did a little disbelievingly laugh at the final "twist" reveal that was apparently supposed to be horrifying because it was so absurd and fundamentally implausible.
Just a massive let down all around.
December 15, 2023
The way I'd describe this book is... Disjointed, in a way.
The beginning was quite promising: A new beginning, a hopeful man setting the very foundations of his new home alongside his blushing bride... Only for it all to go to hell in a cruel twist of fate.
Sounds very interesting, I was hooked. But then a buncha plots shot out of nowhere and I could barely register all the info thrown my way. The author had their heart in the right place but withing a hundred or so pages you can only do so much.
I'd love to hear how the rest of the story goes but I wouldn't go through the books myself, I'll be relying on other users to spoil me their misadventures along the rest of the saga.
The beginning was quite promising: A new beginning, a hopeful man setting the very foundations of his new home alongside his blushing bride... Only for it all to go to hell in a cruel twist of fate.
Sounds very interesting, I was hooked. But then a buncha plots shot out of nowhere and I could barely register all the info thrown my way. The author had their heart in the right place but withing a hundred or so pages you can only do so much.
I'd love to hear how the rest of the story goes but I wouldn't go through the books myself, I'll be relying on other users to spoil me their misadventures along the rest of the saga.
September 29, 2024
This is the second Amy Cross book I read. I liked Stephen better and more original. But even so, I finished this book in just a few days. It's certainly not bad but the maggots keep coming back, nauseating for sure but also a bit boring and predictable. I am still curious about her other books though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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