House of Secrets by Darcy Coates: An Atmospheric but Unnecessary Sequel
Author: Darcy CoatesSeries: House of Shadows Duology, Book TwoDates Read: July 16–17, 2026Rating: ★★★☆☆Point of View: Third person, primarily following SophieContent Note: This review contains spoilers for both books in the duology. After giving House of Shadows five stars, I could not wait to return to Darcy Coates’s beautifully eerie world. Unfortunately, House of Secrets did not capture the same mysterious dread that made the…
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell Book Review | A Gothic Masterpiece That Genuinely Haunted Me
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars There are gothic novels that are simply set in old houses, and then there are gothic novels that make the house feel alive. The Silent Companions is firmly in the second category. Laura Purcell doesn’t rely on jump scares or excessive gore. Instead, she slowly tightens the tension until every creaking floorboard, every…
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher | Book Review (2 Stars)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ A Snow White Retelling That Never Quite Cast the Spell I went into Hemlock & Silver excited for another T. Kingfisher novel. Unfortunately, this one never found the same magic for me. This is an incredibly loose reimagining of Snow White; so loose, in fact, that if you removed a few familiar names and plot points,…
About Mandy 