This was book was beautiful creepy, i have read a lot of paranormal books and i have never read a book like this.

This is Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel and she has a way that makes you feel every characters emotions and you feel like you are that person in that book.

The synopsis of the this book describes it very well and i would say go into only knowing what the synopsis told you.

The banter between Andromeda and Magnus was everything.

Please get this book when its released you won’t regret

The concept of this story is stunning, I mean a female Debtera. Within the first pages I was dissapointed. The writing is very basic no beauty,no metaphors or descriptive language to it there are various repetitions of the word gaped and gasped and it was annnoying. There is no world building especialy considering its supposed to be a story set in Ethiopia, where in Ethiopia exactly north,east south or west? it could be anywhere in this world. I hadn't anticipated how fast this was going to turn into a romance between the main characters maybe because i havent ever read the source material (Jane Eyre).The main characters are barely developed, Andromeda has an unstable personality and Magnus was not adorbale but boderline creepy, A lot of things happened of book like Andromeda surviving on the street and I would have liked to see that and the curse itself and how it came about
I assume this is an early copy of the book and some things will be better handled in the final copy.


Thank you netgalley and the pulisher for letting me read this copy.

I think I’m clearly an outlier when I say that this book was just fine. Good, should have had all of the things that excited me and where I certainly read it fast, I didn’t think it was quite 5 starts good. I think I sit at a 3.5.

I did enjoy a lot of things in this book, and only wish they would have been expanded upon. The debtera are fascinating, and I’m absolutely in love with the religious themes. Magnus and Andromeda had fun banter and I found both of them to be, while somewhat flat, enjoyable characters.

I felt like the romance was a bit too insta-love for my tastes, and would have liked to see more Gothic-horror than just a spooky house, but found the writing itself very enjoyable and well done. I think if you’re someone who is looking for a fun, fast, and unique take on old stories you wouldn’t be upset spending an afternoon reading this debut.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an early copy of the book.

WTWW is a gothic supernatural story based on Jane Eyre. Set in an Ethiopian desert this intriguing story kept fascinating me.
As mentioned before, it is a re-telling of Jane Eyre. However, it must be one of the most unique and original retellings I have ever read in my life. Our main protagonist Andi is an exorcist who has just lost her mentor and in search of a job. She finds one quickly and sets her journey to cleanse Magnus Rochester's house, falling in love along the way.

There are some amazing descriptions and incredibly creepy moments that had me agonizing. The side characters were amazing and I once the story kicked in I couldn't stop reading.

If you like sweet romances, badass heroines, mystery and heartbreak then I totally recommend this one.

The only thing I didn't like was how Andi behaved during some scenes related to Magnus and a secondary character. It was a little messy and cringy to me but overall I loved this book.

I know it said "fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre" in the blurb, but I feel like there were also quite a few elements of Beauty and the Beast in there. A man living mostly alone in his house save for his servants; that man considering himself a monster, calling himself that and believing it; a curse to be lifted... The author definitely wrote this with Jane Eyre on the mind – and delivered, plot-wise and character-wise – but I saw another retelling mixed in there. And I liked that!

For the most part, I was really fond of Andi. Tough, determined, knowing exactly what she wanted and what she didn't: she started off as a character I knew I would be rooting for throughout the novel. Her relationship with her old mentor, with all its twists and turns, was what I loved most about this book. The instalove, though, I couldn't quite get behind. It had both Andi and Magnus acting more like 16-year-olds rather than 19 and 20 respectively, hiding behind bookcases in overwhelming emotion and giving romantic speeches without knowing each other for all that long, really. Their manner of speaking and word choices confused me about the time period this story was placed in, too: the setting may have been charming, but I wasn't sure if this was set in an older time or was a little more modern.

The plot more than made up for a lot of the areas I was not as invested in. Andi, one of the exorcists known most commonly as debtera, was hired to cleanse a mansion of the Evil Eye – one which ten debtera had tried to cleanse before her and failed at. The methods used to rid people of the Evil Eye, the descriptions of the many forms the manifestations took: all of it was riveting and ensured I had a good time reading this book.

Hmm... Mixed feelings on this one. This was one of my most awaited releases of 2021 so I was ecstatic to read the ARC. I mean... Ethiopian gothic fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre where the heroine is an exorcist hired to cleanse a cursed house? GIVE IT TO ME! <b>While I enjoyed the first half immensely, even ready to rate it 4.5, I feel like the second half really needed more work.</b>

This very much reads like a debut novel. My biggest complaint is the romance. There is instalove, which I'm not a fan of. And the romantic pacing is very weird: sometimes good, sometimes too fast, sometimes there's a really emotional moment but there isn't enough gravity to it.

Midway through, our heroine momentarily rejects the hero because she's heartbroken that he hid something very important from her (this is a Jane Eyre retelling; you can probably tell what it is)... and I was aggravated that everyone acted like she was making a big deal out of nothing? Even the narrative voice wasn't sympathetic to her which was so weird. Girl, you were right to get angry at him. You should make him GROVEL for an apology. What he did was wrong and IDK why the book treated it like a tiny misunderstanding...

HOWEVER.

Independently, I actually really loved the elements. <b>The protagonists and central romance remind me of a Margaret Rogerson or Cassie Clare novel.</b> Super likable heroine who is kind, positive, and no-nonsense (my favorite scene is when she slaps Magnus LMAO). Bratty prince love interest who is super tactless but has a secret heart of gold. Tons of banter, drama, and epic love confessions like a standard gothic romance. Actually, this is the rare case where I feel that they should have been aged down. Andromeda is nineteen, Magnus twenty... But they felt more like 16 or 17 year olds to me.

The worldbuilding is also incredible and I adored the magic system. Vivid setting, unique magic, quirky characters. Furthermore, I loved how the first chapter started exactly where it needed to. No long, winding, and unnecessary introductions. Just. Straight to the point.

<b>I just wish it was more complex, but hey, it was still fun. I received a galley copy so I'm hoping that my issues will be fixed in the final copy. We'll see.</b>

<b>Check this out if you enjoyed <i>Mexican Gothic</i> or <i>Down Comes the Night</i>.</b> Personally, I'm loving the resurgence of gothic fantasy right now!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I'm not sure why Jane Erye is having a resurgence right now, but it seems like I've read more modern Janes's this year than I have P&P adaptations. That said, if you want to hop on the Jane boat (I mean, everyone is doing it, after all), this is a great place to start. It's atmospheric and the heroine is tough and the magic system is fairly novel.

Lauren Blackwood took elements of the story of Jane Eyre and managed to turn it into cursed house mystery. And I can safely say that even if you have never read Jane Eyre, you can still wholeheartedly enjoy this book.

Andromeda, her character is an absolute treasure, she was smart and brave- it was hard to not love her. As her and Magnus spend more and more together they develop quite relationship, while many spooky and mysterious things are happening at his house. I enjoyed his character a lot s well.
I loved the romantic element in this book, I thought the growth of the romance was organic and sweet and believable.

This was so expertly woven! And the dark feelings and vibes throughout really makes this such a unique and amazing reading experience.

If you’re looking for Gothic romance that funny, with an addictive plot and fantastic characterizations, look no further.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been quite a while since I read Jane Eyre, and I honestly don’t remember much about it. It was the mention of Andromeda being an exorcist that hooked my horror-loving heart and made me request this book.

I’m thrilled this story is set in Ethiopia and incorporates some of the traditional food and dress. It’s nice to find a YA book not set in the US or UK. Gothic overtones are apparent the minute Andi crosses the theshold of Magnus’s home, and she’s informed of the house rules almost immediately. The most important is to be in your locked bedroom by 10pm (that’s when the Waking begins) if you want to live to see the next day. Over the past three years, nearly a dozen debteras have tried and failed to cleanse the household, and it seems like Andi is the last hope. Homeless before this position, she’s determined to succeed and also gain Magnus’s patronage when the job is completed.

Andi is a no nonsense kind of gal who’s learned to survive the hardships of life. Sold by her parents at the age of five, she was taken in by a well-known debtera who probably had no business raising a child. But he taught her some valuable lessons. I didn’t know what to think of Magnus at first. He comes across as gruff, spoiled, and a tad clueless, but once the secrets of the house are revealed, his moods make sense. He’s also a scene stealer with some lines that are laugh out loud funny. It’s not hard to predict a romance between these two is on the horizon, but Andi’s mood swings from one sentence to the next during their conversations nearly gave me whiplash. Since I’m not much of a romance reader, that could just be me.

The magic system isn’t something I’ve come across before. Debtera create amulets from silver and other materials, each being unique to the manifestation. Amulets can both protect the exorcist and also drive away the Evil Eye and everything connected to it. The ghost in the library who throws books at intruders is my favorite – she probably just wanted to read undisturbed. I get it.

With no major twists or surprises, the ending is predictable, but that didn’t hinder me from enjoying this story. It’s an impressive debut novel, and I’ll absolutely keep tabs on this author and look for her future releases.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a great retelling of the classic novel Jane Eyre with totally new elements and a setting that makes the story fresh. I think teens will really enjoy the fast pace and the ingenuity of the main character Andromeda and the mysterious and tragic love interest.
The only thing that really bugged me was the focus on the relationship between Andromeda and Jember. There seemed to be a lot of focus on redeeming him. He had abused Andromeda earlier in her life, and it seemed a little odd that so much of the story was focused on making him seem--not so bad? Like the fact that he called her "his daughter" in the last few pages makes up for the fact that he beat her up and kicked her out.
Other than that, this story was a lot of fun from beginning to end.

Within These Wicked Walls has everything I love in a story: witty banter, so much romantic chemistry, and a cursed house with an equally cursed (and also very cute) owner. I adored Andromeda's forthright voice, her stubborness, and her sense of humor. This book weaves a perfect blend of spooky atmosphere with heartfelt emotions.

I didn’t expect to sit down and finish a book in one sitting, but here we are.

This book was absolutely amazing. From the beginning, I was in love with Andi (or Andromeda). Her no-nonsense attitude was plain as day in the very first lines of the book. Growing up under the tutelage of a gruff, bitter man—he trained her to be all business. And that business was staying alive despite the Evil Eye and its darkness. She had trained to be a Debtera (aka excorcist) almost her entire life. So when Magnus, the rich chocolatier and owner of a cursed castle, hires her for an impossible job, the promise of not living on the streets and a patronage is too tempting to ignore.

There is a lovely gothic feel to the story, sprinkled with just the right amount of horror and suspense. Adi’s emotions are written so well and it was a joy and an adventure being in her head. There wasn’t a lull in the plot at all, and I found myself at points even holding my breath.

Even the characters you don’t like at first, you end up loving. Adi takes the same journey—through blood, stubbornness, and a whirlwind romance.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Just be prepared to spend the rest of your day reading once you pick it up.

♥♥ ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ♥♥