- 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝙴𝚢𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍
- 𝚂𝙷𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙽 𝙴𝚇𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙸𝚂𝚃 𝙶𝚄𝚈𝚂 𝙸𝚃’𝚂 𝙰𝚆𝙴𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙴 (𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻)
- 𝙴𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚊𝚗-𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍
- 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗//𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚎
- 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚛𝚎𝚙
- 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝//𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜
- 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎
- 𝚁𝙸𝙳𝙸𝙲𝚄𝙻𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖
- 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝙴𝚢𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘...
- 10/10 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑑

Holy smokes! This one was amazing! I was so entranced by the desert setting and the characters- the thrills and chills abound.

This is a Jane Eyre retelling set in the African desert where manifestations (spirits essentially) of the Evil Eye lie in wait.

Andromeda is a debtera- exorcist- and she is on a mission to find patronage after losing her mentor. She comes to Magnus Rochester’s home to cleanse it of manifestations and remove his curse before it becomes too late. She is unlicensed as a debtera and has everything to prove. Mr. Rochester may prove a bit of a distraction too.

This story is haunting and beautifully descriptive, it really brings you into the house and among the manifestations within, but be careful as it may suck you in and never let you out.

This is Lauren Blackwood's first book?

Well, I'm a fan.

I don't know about Jane Eyre, but the story reminded me strongly of Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is gothic/horror/Victorian, but with more POC (think more on the lines of Bridgerton the TV show). It also reminded me of Haunting of Hill House, so it is a perfect match of both of those actually. The MC is the kind of person who tries to find the silver lining, less she be drowned in the tragedies of her life. Growing up in an abusive household, Andromeda has learned to survive. Once she is kicked off however she needs to find a different way to survive, and that is when she takes the job of cleansing the cursed local castle.

I give top grades for the imagery. I could picture the castle so well, and the monsters roaming inside. It gave me strong Haunting of Hill House vibes, and it wasn't gory for gore's sake. I do wish we got some background information on the manifestations--why are they showing this way? Why do they take this form? So it could have gone more in depth and fleshed out some details more, but I still enjoyed reading about the different ghosts and aspects of the curse; they felt original as does Andromeda's job of creating shields and amulets to cleanse the manifestations.

It barely touches upon the topic of colonization, Magnus and his father being the colonizers and owners of a rich chocolate empire. Again, it doesn't go very in depth as to why his father decided to establish his household in the dessert, or why he choose Magnus' mother, or why Magnus' mother went along with it, or even if she didn't have a choice.

Fair warning, the parental relationship is very tricky as Andromeda grew up in an abusive household. The relationship of course made me uncomfortable, and it feels like the author couldn't quite decide if to make Jerrod a monster, or give him the benefit of the doubt as a man who had his own issues and raised Andromeda to be a survivor. It gave me Kate Daniel's vibes and her relationship with the man who raised her solely so she could kill her father.... Like I get wanting to raise a kid to survive a harsh world, but beating her and taking away her apprenticeship? I could never forgive and would set the man on fire. Plus it makes no sense since Jerrod himself stated Andromeda is one of the best at what she does, this frankly takes away from my enjoyment of the story because there is no clear answer as to why he did what he did.

Jerrod, the "parental" figure is also adverse to touching other people. A lot goes on throughout the novel, that will or won't change your mind when it comes to Jerrod, but what I got from his aversion to touching is that there are other ways to show love, other than physically. But I would still set the man on fire.

MAGNUS--he reminded me of Cardan in Cruel Prince. He is very drama prone, artistic, intense, and sometimes doesn't know how exactly to talk to someone he is trying to court. Again, I got very little information on his background, or what he was doing prior to the curse passing on to him. The romantic relationship between him and Andromeda was high teen angst with some serious subjects sprinkled in (for example, infidelity).

Overall I really liked this book, even though I did feel like we should have gotten more information on certain aspects of the story, the manifestations should have been more fleshed out, and the parental relationship was questionable. I look forward to reading more from Lauren Blackwood.

First, an obligatory disclaimer: I’ve never read Jane Eyre, so I can’t speak to Within These Wicked Walls’ strength as a retelling. I can say, however, that I loved the strangeness that pervaded the entire book. A house that bleeds from the floor and walls? A character made out of porcelain? Sign me up! And, coincidentally, it was the perfect book for me to read during Halloween weekend.

The characters were just as strange as the setting. As the protagonist, Andromeda predictably drew my attention the most. I liked her wit and stubbornness—I still remember comebacks such as “‘I’m protecting you, you incredible little snapping turtle.’” (I’ll definitely be finding a place to use that insult in one of my conversations.) Plus, I was glad to see her push back against Magnus, who had a much more sheltered, wealthy worldview that made him come off as arrogant despite his tortured past. The other side characters who worked in the house were intriguing, even though they didn’t stay around long enough to get fully developed. On that note, I wanted more insight into Andi’s strained relationship with Jember, the father figure who raised her and trained her as a debtera. Their conversations seemed to glance over formative moments from the past that could’ve made present-day Andi even more of a sympathetic character.

Also, this might be my fault for not reading the synopsis closely enough, but I didn’t expect romance to be the central storyline. I think this is why I wasn’t as invested in the book; Andi and Magnus had undeniable chemistry, but the rapidity with which they fell in love turned me off.

Overall, a pleasantly eerie debut with plenty of room for growth!

Thank you Wednesday books, net galley, and Lauren Blackwood for this early copy in exchange for an honest review. I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. I really enjoyed a lot of the haunted house, ghostly vibes in this story and really enjoyed Andromeda’s character. This book has some serious Crimson peak vibes when it comes to Andi and her mysterious employer. I really enjoyed The characters and the world building in this book. I am so thankful I was able to receive this copy and can’t wait to see what Lauren does next!

When I saw this being promoted, I was immediately so excited based on nothing but the cover alone. After reading the description, I will say I was a bit less excited but decided to give it a shot anyway. This took me a bit to get into, and the first 1/3 of the book really dragged for me. I had a hard time really falling for the characters. The middle of the book started to pick up in drama and intrigue and kept me going. I did feel this wasn't interesting enough to keep my attention throughout, however. That is, until the last 1/3 of the book - where the drama really ramps up and has you waiting with baited breath to see what will happen. The ending really did save this entire novel for me. I really wish the rest of the book had been as good as the last 1/3 of it because I really found myself enjoying it at that point. Overall, wasn't the best but wasn't the worst. I enjoyed parts of it but found this to drag for the most part. 5/10 rounded up to 3 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

- Y'all know I'm a JANE EYRE lover, so as soon as I heard this was a YA fantasy retelling, I ran to grab a copy. And yes, WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS delivers!
- I love how Blackwood kept all the pieces of the original story but rearranged them a bit, and it all still works wonderfully. Slight tweaks to relationships, and of course the entire idea of Andromeda being a debtera, relocate this story to the fantasy space quite smoothly, while maintaining the basics of the original characters and plot.
- I was gripped by the action and the imagery. Some of those manifestations are gonna stick with me for real.
- The one thing I wish there was more of was backstory on how the church came to be involved in the debtera process. It felt like there could have been a whole prequel novel here with Jember's experience and Andi's training.

I love re-imaginings of Jane Eyre as it is my favorite novel. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is a really fun nod to the Charlotte Bronte classic. I read that it is based in Ethiopian myth. Just reading the novel, I don't know that I would have picked up on its specific origins. The main character in this novel, Andromeda is a lovely homage to Jane in that she comes from humble, abusive beginnings, yet is strong enough to hold her own against a cast of characters who treat her as less than.

I'm going to be honest about one thing: I never did really understand why Rochester's house and he, specifically, were cursed so violently. However, for me, this supernatural storyline gave the story enough of a departure from its source material that I really enjoyed the ride...from the beginning when Andromeda realizes the job of ridding the house of the Evil Eye is really bigger than she can handle, to how the story resolves. I also liked the twist on the woman who plans to marry Rochester. I think the author makes plenty of pro-woman points in Within These Wicked Walls, which, thanfully, work well at this period in time. I am sure in Bronte's time, just making Jane as strong and influential as she did was controversial.

In my opinion, for those who love Jane Eyre and don't expect re-tellings to match its plotline exactly, Within These Wicked Walls will be one they will really like. For those who do not read supernatural plots they may not like this one. For me, I was engrossed throughout. Lauren Blackwood is an author I am happy to add to my list to watch for!

It took me a minute to get into this book but once I did I could not put it down. I was completely captivated with story and felt as though there was a genuine feeling of peril as well as the story giving me all of the spooky vibes that I crave at this time of year. I did not realise until quite late into the book that this is a Jane Eyre retelling which I am not sure if that says more about how poorly I recall Jane Eyre or how expertly Blackwood has taken this story and made it their own.

The slow burn romance of this story was so incredibly delicious and everything that I look for in historical romance.

Definitely, definitely check out this book

Honestly I don’t really know how I feel about this book. It was good and interesting but there were parts that I didn’t really enjoy. Like the romance seemed forced to me. I didn’t really feel much chemistry between the characters.

I did like the creepy factor and the magic but didn’t really enjoy that the magic was so religion based.

Andromeda is a debtera, a person hired to perform exorcisms to rid places of the Evil Eye. Raised by a debtera named Jember, she learned from the best but also the harshest. She learned at a young age that she needed to toughen up in order to survive. Now 19, she leaves her home with Jember to live on the streets, only to be hired by Magnus Rochester, a wealthy heir to rid the demons from his estate. As she spends more time in the house, Andomeda quickly realizes that there is more to Magnus than expected, and this job may be more than she bargained for.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Ethiopia inspired loose retelling of Jayne Eyre. This castle was TERRIFYING, the manifestations that arise made my skin crawl and I would have been out of there in two seconds flat as soon as the walls started bleeding... EXCUSE ME. I really enjoyed Andi as a main character, she is so complex and layered. She is resilient and feisty, and I loved how fiercely she protected those she cared for. Learning more about her backstory was so interesting. I enjoyed her complex relationship with Jember. She considers him a father figure. She tries so hard to make him proud of her, and gain his fatherly affection, but he is far from fatherly towards her. It broke my heart to see her try so desperately to be accepted by him and being turned away every time. Magnus was an intriguing character, albeit a bit of a brat. He was definitely charming, and you can't help but fall for him a little bit, but he was also so entitled. There is definitely a case of insta-love between Magnus and Andi, but it was still an enjoyable romance none-the-less. The banter between the two was a lot of fun. There isn't much world-building but the magic system was interesting, although a bit confusing at times. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator did a great job getting the spooky atmosphere vibes into their telling of the story.

Overall, a spooky book, perfect for October!

This debut novel is billed as an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre but I think the Jane Eyre part is the least excited part of this fantastical tale. (Which is saying something!)

I’ve never read any YA Fantasy book like this one. The world building is so unique. Andromeda is an exorcist who cleanses households of the evil eye. Magnus Rochester is desperate to have the evil eye removed from his household but no other exorcist will take the job.

The chemistry between these two is intense and instant, the scenes of terror throughout the book are ideal for the haunting season, and the subtle Jane Eyre references bring the whole thing up a notice.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is a debut novel with Jane Eyre vibes set in a haunted mansion in the Ethiopian desert.

Scare Factor
If you are here to find out if this book is scary. The answer is yes. Them walls was a bleedin’! Andromeda’s first night in that place had me tensed up like a ball in my bed with my eyes super wide. If it wasn’t the middle of the night (because I’m a mom and that’s when I read) I would’ve been hollering at my e-reader screen for her to get out.

The house is legit under the control of the Evil Eye as the book says. Each room has a different flavor of horror and haunting. Everything is super cold too, despite being in the middle of the desert. The house was big scary. No lies told here.

Jane Eyre Connections
I like retellings because I like to read books that take something familiar and put a new twist on it. I think that Within These Wicked Walls does that. Some readers want a story that really only changes the names of the characters (or doesn’t) and updates the setting and time period a modern and a contemporary one. I think that is kind of boring, but to each their own. I prefer retellings/remaginings that use the original tale as flavor or framework for a new one. Some of the major elements carried over from Jane Eyre are: the isolation, tough heroine, romance with Rochester.

Character Relationships
One of my favorite components of the book are the relationships between the main characters. Magnus and Andromeda have a cute banter and budding romance. By the way, that boy is useless and adorable at the same time. He is a spoiled rich kid, but he doesn’t act like it because, you know, he is cursed by the Evil Eye. So that puts some humble in your step.

I also loved the development of the relationship between Jember and Andromeda. I’m glad it became more than what it started as in the beginning. Trigger Warning: Jember is abusive to Andromeda as a child in the name of discipline and survival. His idea of teaching her to be a survivalist is not for kids.

Survival Skills
Andromeda has been taught how to survive since she was 5 years old. She has learned that optimism is the key for her coping and surviving. She is a strong heroine, but not afraid to ask for help. Magnus and Jember also have their own methods for survival. Although if you mess with Jember and his survival technique you might not walk away from it.

More Details on the Setting Wanted
I wanted to learn more about the setting. Traditional Ethiopian food and dress are included and I loved it. I just wanted more details on the the environment outside of Magnus's house. The book has two main settings, one is Magnus's mansion and the other is desert and the city/town that Andromeda is from. Other than the church and Jember's place, you really don't get any sense of being in someplace specific.

When I heard "gothic fantasy Jane Eyre" my ears were peaked. The reimagining elements in this are stellar; however, it does fall into to some typical story plot ARC issues when doing a retelling. Either way, I'm looking forward to whatever Lauren Blackwood comes up with next.

This Ethiopian-inspired reimagining of Jane Eyre follows Andromeda, a debtera whose duty is to exorcise manifestations created by the Evil Eye. Andi is hired for a notoriously difficult job by Magnus Rochester, the young heir who is haunted by a particularly nasty manifestation. As an unlicensed debtera, succeeding in exorcising his desert manor is her only chance for future work. Andi quickly realises why no one has been successful, as the house is riddled with a particularly powerful curse. The writing style and atmosphere were gorgeously gothic. It expertly builds tension and a sense of dread as Andi discovers just how far the manifestations reach. On top of this, the worldbuilding was unique and intriguing. The romantic relationship builds up quickly, and although the characters had chemistry it felt slightly underdeveloped. Magnus was a particularly frustrating character as although he has appeal as an emotional, eccentric man, his behaviour often stepped into unbridled selfishness. It made it difficult to truly root for our couple. Within These Wicked Walls uses a trope I am often critical of, in that it features an abusive disabled character. That’s not to say disabled people can’t be abusers, but there should be consideration of how a marginalised group who are more likely to be victims of abuse are portrayed. I appreciate the way the book didn’t shy away from the impact of this abuse on Andromeda, while also attempting to investigate how softness is difficult to cultivate when faced with harsh living conditions. It was a nuanced discussion about navigating these types of fraught relationships but perhaps didn’t do enough denounce abuse. Regardless, the framing of disability in this way is something to be aware of. Within These Wicked Walls is a stunning debut novel, and despite a few criticisms, I would recommend it to people who are looking for an eerie, autumnal read.

I am all about Jane Eyre. It was a book I read and reread over and over as a teen and young adult, so I was already predisposed to like this reimagining by Lauren Blackwood. Within These Wicked Walls was an intriguing rendition of the basic storyline of Jane and Mr. Rochester with a delightedly supernatural twist. I loved the relationships and the flow of the story. The interweaving of the diverse cultures was very well done, also. All in all, I really enjoyed this book!

This is the first Reese YA pick that I didn’t love; likely because I am not a seasoned fantasy reader and it was hard for me to visualize the magic elements. I did find it fun to look for the parallels to the classic Jane Eyre. I loved the main character Andromeda and the wit and humor between her and Magnus. If you like a dark fantasy with a strong heroine, check this one out.

When I originally heard Lauren Blackwood’s YA debut would be a Jane Eyre-inspired retelling, I was very much on board. It sounded like the perfect creepy house tale I needed for my fall reading. But after I read a third of the novel, I couldn’t seem to get into it and decided to give up, mark it DNF (did-not-finish), and move on. It wasn’t a decision I came to lightly as it would be my first DNF of the year. Of course as soon as I did that, all the positive reviews started coming in from my fellow bloggers and Reese Witherspoon chose it as her YA fall pick. I decided to give it another chance, and I’m happy to report I read the rest of the book in one day.

I think my failed first attempt was a combination of things: I was distracted with wrapping up my yearly reading challenge (and this book was not one that would fulfill a prompt), the book wasn’t as creepy as I expected, and the romance was feeling a little too insta-love for me.

I still feel like the romance felt too instant, but as soon as I picked the book back up, there was a scene in the library that won me over to the story and the romance.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the world building and the characters that occupied that world. Andromeda is a fascinating character: her upbringing, her abilities, and her weaknesses. While I thought the romance was fast, I did enjoy their banter and chemistry. I think something that might have hindered my initial enjoyment of the book was my expectations for the Rochester character. I expected him to be like his namesake. But really the name was primarily all they had in common.

While the book didn’t start as creepy as I’d hoped, the second half did not disappoint. I was fully invested, unable to set the book down until the climatic end.

But go into this one with an open mind, not expecting a faithful retelling of Jane Eyre.

Within These Wicked Walls is well-written, has unique and engaging characters, and a creative plot unlike anything I’ve read before. And possibly one of my top five favorite titles for the year.

Loved this spooky Jane Eyre retelling -- Lauren Blackwood is incredible! I truly did not want this one to end. Haunting world-building, lifelike characters and heartwrenching romance.

Loved the spooky, eerie themes of the evil spirits and the haunted castle Andromeda found herself in the confines in. I also love a good female protagonist who is fierce but eventually learns how to love. With that being said, I thought the beginning of this book started out so strong with suspense and shadows, but then as it progressed, the whole plot became a little too sappy for my liking. I get that was the whole point of the character arc for the protagonist, but the love story aspect of the book took over too much to where there was no longer any adrenaline or suspense left to feel about the evil spirits she still had to cleanse. The ending was also a little too soft.

Overall, it was still a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you St. Martins Press for sending me a copy!