Content warning: body horror; gore; memories of child abuse; bullying

Don’t you just hate when the premise you’ve heard for a story doesn’t quite live up to the story that’s told? Well, I’m happy to report that this is solidly NOT the case for Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel, Within These Wicked Walls—a horror novel targeted towards the older end of the young adult audience. Billed as an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre, this book lives up to the high bar set by its description.

Andromeda is a magic practitioner—a debtera, to be exact—who has trained extensively in crafting amulets of protection for various usage, including against powerful curses such as the one at the secluded Rochester mansion. Not quite a retelling, this mansion is located outside of an Ethiopian-inspired village rather than an English hamlet. Magnus Rochester is a twenty-two year old man of mixed heritage who not only inherited his English father’s exorbitant wealth, but his most relentless and deadly curse as well—the Evil Eye. Since the curse affects any household that he builds, Magnus has settled into a life limited to socializing with those who serve his home, his lawyer, and the lawyer’s sister. So when Andromeda enters his life, Magnus has all the bad habits of a rich guy who has only interacted with people paid to serve him in one manner or another. Andromeda pushes Magnus to examine this dynamic and how he manages the personnel issues among the staff, some of whom would like to see her status within the mansion taken down a peg. The real problem? Mansion staff has increasingly–and mysteriously—diminished so that by the time Andromeda takes on her role of ridding the mansion of its curse, there are only four members of staff left.

As the story progresses and Andromeda learns more about the nature of the Rochester curse, she realizes that the myth behind the curse is a lot more sinister than it seems. She also finds that she is not completely equipped to face it alone and later has to seek assistance from the person who left her to such a dire situation, her adoptive father—who has Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy, yet stoic, vibes. Her dedication to ridding the Rochester household from its curse is amplified when she and Magnus begin pining for each other, as their attraction suffers from more obstacles than you can find at a track competition: 1) the whole employer/employee thing 2) the whole poor/rich thing 3) the whole your-family-line-is-cursed-forevermore thing 4) no one in either of their lives wants them to be together. However, nothing is a greater barrier than Magnus’ lack of boundaries which veer on the edge of spoiled aloofness to discomfiting, especially, when we learn just how affected he is by the curse. The way that the creeping horror of the house escalates as the story reaches its first pivotal point—and we begin to unravel the secrets—is admirable and truly made me reconsider my stance on reading horror books (I may or may not have a fear of them invading my nightmares).

If you have a stomach for light horror and gore, similar to what you may find in Nightmare Before Christmas or Cabin in the Woods and share a love for angst and mutual pining, then Within These Wicked Walls is definitely for you. It served me the perfect dose of mystery, romance, magical mayhem, and consistency in pacing and storytelling.

Within These Wicked Walls

This book was very kindly sended to me by NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review, this book was packed with action and suspense, being this a retelling, inspired on Jane Eyre, and since i never read it, and I don't know anything about it, i can only say that this was captivating, and with a good measure of horror and romance, Andromeda is an young exorcist hired to fight a curse that haunts the castle of the heir Magnus, while fighting her demons she's determined to fight this curse and not leave Magnus behind. This was a perfect reading experience, fast pace and perfect for a Halloween season,I recommend it to any fantasy / paranormal lovers. I gave it 4 starts. #withinthesewickedwals #NetGalley #bookreview

*3.5 Stars*

Andromeda is a debtera. Basically, she gets rid of spirits and such in houses. But she's unlicensed and has been living in the street ever since her mentor threw her out. So she really doesn't have a choice when she's being offered a contract. So what if all its habitants are weird and unwelcoming? She needs the place to live and the salary, even if she's the eleventh debtera to try and cleanse this house...

I really loved the setting of this book. it was great, the whole haunted house was so easy to picture, in the middel of a desert, it was all insanely cool.
I also loved how the cleansing worked, the whole ghost system was really well documentated and easy to picture. i just love the amulet thing too. Basically, I loved everything about the spooks.
However, what kind of turn me off was the romance. I just didn't feel it. i felt like the MC just went from "bleah, I don't like to be touched, don't touch me, don't talk to me" to "please be near me" very very fast and I didn't see why. So I was never really able to get into that aspect of the story which ended up being a very big part of it.
I feel like the one relationship that really felt true and natural was Andi's relationship with Jember. Even her friendships felt a bit fast and contrary to what we had been told right before.
Anyway, this was still a fast read with great spooks that you should definitely read if you like plot driven books.

I didn’t enjoy this. I couldn’t understand why the walls were haunted. The world building just didn’t make sense and wasn’t engaging to me. And while I live Jane Eyre and I saw the parallels it didn’t work for me. I’m sure others will feel differently. I just couldn’t get into it.

This book was the perfect spooky read. There was more gore than I would have liked but the haunted house, evil spirit, found family, and romance really did it for me. There were parts when I was internally screaming for everyone to run. I think I would have enjoyed more world building and a little more background on all rhe characters.

When a novel can keep the action going from start to finish you can just about guarantee I am coming at you with plot praise. Within These Wicked Walls was not what I expected in a deliciously dark way. I am not sure why it didn’t click for me when I read the synopsis that this fits the YA Horror slot. I had to read this one slower than I am used too to fully appreciate and comprehend a few areas. Don’t take that the wrong way though. This was everything I was hoping it would be though I wouldn’t necessarily say this felt like a Jane Eyre retelling. Maybe it’s just been way too long since I read Bronte’s original.

The characters are easy to fall in love with. Andromeda (Andri) is her own package of womanly force and I appreciated that she was older than most characters in a young adult. Magnus was freaking wonderful! His banter and sarcasm had me cheesy grinning through a good portion of this book. Take into account that Andromeda is basically an exorcist (debtera) and is hired by the snarky magnus to rid his decrepit household of the Evil Eye. The gore, atmosphere and layer of gothic-esque vibe was wonderful. The romance is probably the one thing that I wasn’t able to connect with in the end. Though I adore the two MCs together, for some reason I just couldn’t feel the chemistry like I wanted too.

Lastly, Blackwood’s writing style is artfully vivid and swept me away with not only the gory and eerie, but with the well-crafted magic system and scene setting. From characters to prose I have found myself a new author to keep an eye out for. I can see Blackwood stealing the scene in the young adult literary world. Thank you, Wednesday Books, for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I received an ARC of Within These Wicked Walls from NetGalley.

Andromeda is an interesting and flawed character, with a mysterious past and complicated relationships with the men in her life. From her adopted father who purportedly bought her from her parents to apprentice her as a debtera, to her employer Magnus Rochester who hires her to cleanse his home of the Evil Eye, to her biological father who (along with her mother) attempted to sell her into child prostitution, Andromeda has plenty of reasons not to trust men. She is a talented and skilled exorcist, but because of a falling out with her trainer, finds herself unlicensed and without a patron. So when an opportunity to cleanse a wealthy chocolate baron’s home arises, Andromeda commits to the job, despite the fact that so many previous debtera have failed.

This is a love story, but it also isn’t. This is really a story about redemption, about the triumph of the human spirit in the midst of spiritual warfare, about finding purpose and capitalizing on talent. There is a lot of gore when the Evil Eye battles with Andromeda and the other tenants, but the storytelling in this particular area is original and well done.

Though this book is being marketed as an updated Jane Eyre, I didn't see so much of this reference in the story. I enjoyed the foray into Ethiopian culture, especially the idea of exorcists (debtera). In fact, I wish the story had more about the Ethiopian culture and practices at the core of the book because the little bits of it in the story left me wanting more. Developing this part of the story would help readers see this as a story that is Ethiopian in flavor where it sometimes feels like a story that could have happened anywhere. In fact, this is really the only detracting point I can find.

I really enjoyed the Within These Wicked Walls and recommend it for fans of books like Mexican Gothic.

4.5 stars

Excellent atmosphere, loved the fresh take on a very different—and minimally inspired—Jane Eyre retelling. Loved the magic component, the haunted house, the Ethiopian-meets-gothic vibes… ahhh so good.

Concept: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★

First disclaimer: I have not read Jane Eyre.
Second disclaimer: I did not go into this book wanting, or requiring, a faithful interpretation of Jane Eyre.

Andromeda, or "Andi," is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. With a rough upbringing behind her, current poverty around her, and a very uncertain future ahead, Andi is out of options and in need of steady employment.

So when an offer for a house cleansing comes her way riddled with warnings, she's too desperate to refuse.

Andi arrives at Thorne Manor in the middle of the African desert with desperation and everything to gain. She needs to eradicate this manifestation at whatever the cost—she has nothing left to lose.

But Thorn Manor, with its English colonialist design and history forced into the African landscape, is nothing like Andi's expectations. It's dark and freezing cold in the middle of the desert. It's filled with weird, misplaced furniture and false illusions. There's a sense of foreboding that Andi has never experienced despite all of her prior cleansings. And, to top it all off, the host of the manor is not at all like her expectations.

Andi has a job to do. And as the servants keep disappearing (or worse) and the house creeps closer toward Andi with every breath, the stakes are too high to leave.

Now add in a romance, a ghost story, and a claustrophobic atmosphere on par with Mexican Gothic, and you have a STORY.

Don't let your guard down...

Again, with my disclaimers at the beginning of this review aside, I thought this was a fantastic story. I read it over the course of one evening—and basically one sitting, if you don't count tea breaks!

Within These Wicked Walls had truly fantastic writing. Most times for young adult fiction/fantasy, I am attached to the characters, plot, or world building more than I'm attached to the actual words and their structure themselves. But for this one, the writing itself stood out to me. I loved the sense of place conveyed through the sentence descriptions, Andi's presence on the page, and the great sense of dialogue and scene transitions. This sounds like I'm reviewing an academic paper or something (boring, I know) but I really wanted to call it out here. GREAT writing.

I also thought that entire plot (romance, relationships, pacing, and all) was just.... chef's kiss. Really nice. I have no complaints besides a few spots that felt slowly paced.

Why is it so hard to talk intelligently in reviews when you love something??? Sigh. Please take my badly-constructed word on this: this story is fantastic, it's atmospheric, and it's a fresh take on a very old concept with some much needed non-Western influences.

I could see myself rereading this one every autumn. Pick this one up, gothic/ghost fans!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book sounded promising and it lured me into this story. With almost no time passed, I was at 30% done with this. And then something happened. It felt like the pacing and character dynamics went upside down. Until the very end, it felt like nothing was resolved and the characters were either flirting, dying/running away or begging someone else to help.

There were still some things that enjoyed. For example, the character of Magnus was probably the most interesting thing in this entire book. He was funny, great at creating tension with Andromeda, had a curse on him, and had so much secrets. Most of that lost its potential around 50%, because I felt like the the events weren't flowing well. Things just kept moving in circles and characters who I thought were going to be more present or important in the later half just... stopped being here at all. It looked like the author changed their mind halfway while writing this book and decided to change things, but without editing the beginning to fit that.

The last third of this book was unfortunately just a big nothing - the characters were once again running in circles. Everything resolved at the very last moment, but by then, the tension was ruined and it just felt rushed. It all started very dramatic and dark, but the only sinister part of this were the Manifestations.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 3/5 stars.

I never finished Jane Eyre so I wasn’t sure what to think of this. Honestly, I requested it because of the stunning cover and the fact that it was based in Ethiopia and also for the fantasy elements.

I really liked the beginning. I love Andromeda and the debtera and all that part of the world, but I quickly grew tired of the book about 40% in. The romance with Magnus was just bleh and I despised him as a character. Andromeda quickly lost all of her personality once the relationship was built.

It was good, don’t get me wrong, and adequately creepy for an October release, but I hated the character development.

Some books take a few pages for me to settle into, and then some books immediately pull me in from the first line. Within These Wicked Walls is very much the latter. Hooked by the descriptive writing, I had to keep reading even though I only intended to take a quick peek at what I was getting myself into. Blackwood successfully creates an atmospheric read with gothic tones and just the right amount of creepiness to make my skin crawl. While the writing is effective in setting the mood and tone of the novel, the romance was off-putting. It felt more like a product of the book being a retelling rather than organic to the particular story told here. On its own, if I could assess it separately from the rest of the book, there is a lot to like about the romance, especially the playful banter. I understand the romance is meant to be a driving force for Andi's decisions but can't help feeling something more subtle could have been as or maybe even more effective.

Within These Wicked Walls is a good read, well-paced with a protagonist I liked and both mood and tone set well, but is somewhat hindered by a romance that feels all too sudden and even unnecessary. Pick up the book if you like unique retellings of classics and if gothic tales are a favorite. If you've never read Jane Eyre just like I haven't, although I've skimmed a few of the movie adaptations, it won't detract from enjoying the novel. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Within These Wicked Walls is a standalone Ethiopian historical fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre, where the protagonist, Andromeda, is hired to exorcise a manor house of the Evil Eye. However, she soon discovers that both the house and its young master, Magnus Rochester, are not what they seem, and the house staff keep disappearing. Andi is an engaging protagonist with equal parts spunk and humility, a vast improvement on her classic literary archetype. The prose is engaging and perfectly balances deep character moments with necessary worldbuilding. While Magnus didn’t appeal to me personally as a viable love interest, other readers may find his interactions with Andi to be romantic.
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Content warnings: abuse & abandonment, character death, blood

Within These Wicked Walls has a wonderfully unique premise of a young woman hired to exorcise some evil right out of a rich dude's mansion. But this will be no easy task, as you might imagine. I mostly enjoyed this one, so let's break it down!

What I Liked:

►Magnus cracked me up! I love when a darker book nails the lighter moments, and this one certainly does! His banter with Andromeda is top notch, and I really enjoyed reading about their developing relationship.

►It is definitely delightfully dark and atmospheric. The setting of a creepy old mansion obviously hits all the marks, but the author did a fabulous job of making it feel extra rough. I wouldn't have wanted to spend the night there, frankly! And without giving too much away, some of the twists were just messed up and I love that!


►Adored Andromeda's relationship with her father-figure. Ohhh, it's complicated and messy and delightful! I won't say too much, again, because of spoilers, but it was a high point for me for sure.

►A great balance of emotions. Like I said, it is dark at points, and by that virtue, sad at times. But because the author did a stellar job of injecting the lighter moments throughout, the book didn't feel heavy or depressing, and flowed quite well.

What I Didn't:

►I just felt fairly apathetic, tbh. I honestly hate that feeling, because there isn't any explainable reason behind it, I just felt fairly "meh". It was fine and interesting and I didn't dread reading it or anything! I just didn't feel particularly enthralled either? I also am not sure I completely understood the magic, which may have been a part of said apathy.

►I wanted to know where/when we were, but I never did find out. There is talk of England at one point, and a few other European countries, but it was clear that is not where we are. Maybe it wasn't totally necessary to the plot for me to know, but I wanted to nonetheless. I read on Goodreads that it is "Ethiopian-inspired" which is very cool- I see some reviews that say it is set in Ethiopia, but Idk if that is true? If it explicitly said so, I must have missed it, but since most of it takes place in an old mansion, I guess that mansion could technically be anywhere.

Bottom Line: It's a solid story with enjoyable characters that certainly entertained me, even if it didn't leave a long-lasting impression.

I may not be reading much this month, but I am fully embracing spooky season as much as possible. Kennedy has acquired over 15 pumpkins already, and demanded we make our front door spooky 🕸🕷

& what better time of year to be reading WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS by Lauren Blackwood a fantastic YA inspired by Ethiopian practices as Andromeda, a debtera is hired to clean the Evil Eye from Magnus' home.

Full of chilling details, in this unique world Blackwood creates a classic twist full of danger and love that will keep you wanting more with each and every page. Not only does she give us a book full of creepy surprises, she manages to give a love story that transcends beyond the limitations of class or being, and leaves us full of the hope that LOVE can conquer all.

& I am SO thrilled for Lauren that it was also selected as the FALL YA Reese's Book Club pick -- Thanks to Books Forward PR + Wednesday Books for the advance reader copy of this incredible book, I had SO much fun reading it during this time of year. There may have been MANY a giggle over Lauren's tweets leading up to release, and I just love seeing debut authors KILL IT. This book will surpass your expectations with witty banter and an a romance fitting for this age group, I hope it is picked up and enjoyed by MANY, I gave it 4.25 stars!

I was first interested in this book because it was being pitched as an Ethiopian-inspired, Jane Eyre retelling. It delivers Thornfield in a desertscape and resembles Jane Eyre enough to be familiar, but it isn't strictly a retelling. At least not as most readers expect. Most character names are changed and the circumstances that bring Andromeda (Jane Eyre) and Magnus Rochester together are very different.

I think Lauren Blackwood's story is a refreshing twist of a classic story and not an outright retelling; and it is so much better for it. If you want the gothic vibe of Jane Eyre with the added fright of a haunted house give this book a read.

Recommended for: young adult & adult readers looking for a fast-paced, horror fix

Content warning: violent death, blood/gore

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻
Who here loves retellings of classic stories?? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of classic old stories getting turned on it’s head then you MUST read this book! It’s a Jane Eyre retelling but set in fantasy world! How fun does that sound!!

I devoured this book, it was that good! Lauren Blackwoods debut novel blew me away. Taking the idea of Jane Eyre and making it into a world where fantasy/supernatural creatures exist was just so brilliant I loved it! Her writing prose was beautiful and I’m oh so tempted to get the audiobook and listen to it all over again. Personally, I’d have loved to see more of the romance but that’s just me.

Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel “Within these Wicked Walls” is a haunting and romantic novel of a Andromeda, a novice debtera (essentially an exorcist), who embarks to free a household of a generational curse. The events and risks continue to escalate with each chapter.

Blackwood sets an atmospheric and macabre book that will stick with you for a while. This book is perfect for October with Halloween around the corner. The characters are memorable. I’d definitely recommend it to others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

A perfect October book! Have you ever heard of a debtera? I have not but I sure know a lot about it now. Andromeda is a debtera, which is an exorcist hired to cleanse Houses of the evil eye.
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When Magnus, a handsome complicated man offers her the job, even though every previous debtera has quit she is in no position to say no.
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There is danger at every turn, but love is there too. This is a haunted, romance that had me turning the pages quickly.
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Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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The book is out today!

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is a dazzling remix of Jane Eyre with dark spirits, magic, and romance. The story follows Andromeda, who is a Debtera; someone trained in the art or cleansing dark spirits. She has been summoned to the residence of handsome Magnus Rochester, a wealthy heir to a vast chocolate fortune. He has been cursed with the Evil Eye, and household members mysteriously vanish frequently and the house itself is dark and cold despite being located in an Ethiopian dessert. She quickly is exposed to horrifying manifestations and violence. I found the characters and plot intriguing and wanted to know what would happen. Nneka Okoye expertly narrates the audiobook. The tone and cadence of her voice was enchanting and immediately drew me in. The novel is wonderfully written and I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books / Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

This was a perfect book for this spooky season too!

Andromeda, a debtera, who was hired to rid Magus’ mansion of the Evil Eye. This job came at the perfect time as Andi found herself to be homeless and without money after leaving her mentor Jember who years ago took her in and taught her over the years. She’s now being put to the test to see if she’s able to use her amulets to clean the mansion. However, she’s not an official certified debtera and this comes after the unsuccessful attempts of many previous debtera.

In Magnus’ spooky mansion, he has given the order that everyone must stay in their rooms during the “waking hours” when the Evil Eye comes out to prey on the house guests. If you are caught in the hallways during this time, you may not see the light of the next day. As Andi ventures to figure out how to get rid of the evil eye, she learns about herself, how new employer and other house guests, her mentor and her past.

I enjoyed the story as little bits are revealed about Andromeda, the house, and the other characters involved. This book not only includes a great story, we have a little blood abs action throughout as well. Good story, blood and gore, fighting some killing as well as spooky paranormal beings “𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨” sign me up! Oh I can’t forget there is also a bit of romance in there too.

There was some parts of the book that was a little slow for me, but over all the book is one to read!