Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
Publication date: May 3, 2022

Date read: April 27, 2023

Audiobook narrated by Laura Knight Keating


Lou never believed in superstitions or magic--until her teenage aunt Neela is kidnapped to the goblin market. The market is a place Lou has only read about--twisted streets, offerings of sweet fruits and incredible jewels. Everything--from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves--is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. Determined to save Neela, Lou learns songs and spells and tricks that will help her navigate this dangerous world and slip past a goblin's defenses--but she only has three days to find Neela before the market disappears and her aunt becomes one of them forever. If she isn't careful, the market might just end up claiming her too.
I’ve long been intrigued by the idea of a magical market, so this book caught my eye right away - first with the amazing cover art, and then with the goblin market.

This book goes back and forth between Lou and her adventures and the trouble that her aunt May got into back when she was a teenager. I really enjoyed that we were finding out about the Wickett family right along with Lou - and their ties to the goblin market - so she was asking the questions that we wanted to know without it feeling too much like exposition. May's story of her past was really intriguing, and I also really liked Lou, so I was happy no matter which storyline the book was telling at the time.

The audiobook was narrated by Laura Knight Keating, who I thought did a great job of transitioning between the York, England accent of the Wickett family to the American accent for Lou. It felt seamless and really helped position the story in each time period.

This is marketed as a YA novel, but I feel that this book can appeal to all ages. The story mostly revolves around family and the lengths the characters will go to keep each other safe, which is a pretty universal theme. And aside from the main character being a teenager, nothing about the book seemed stuck in the YA genre.

As far as the horror elements, there was a fair amount of gore and body horror, but it wasn't over the top or too descriptive. More an atmospheric horror novel than a blood and guts horror.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and found it just the right combination of creepy and fun. I would recommend this to horror readers, both teen and adult (but due to the content, I would not recommend it for younger readers than that). A really enjoyable horror novel set in a unique setting that I think many readers can enjoy.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Content warning: gore, body horror, murder

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Tori Bovalino's second book is yet another story perfect for spooky season. Set in the goblin market, it's reminiscent of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters stories, but she tells a story all her own. It had twists and turns I didn't see coming. All in all, an enjoyable story.

The main character is Lou, and there is something that her family never told her about, but now that her aunt Neela has been kidnapped she has to know : the Goblin Market.

DNF 32% If I had to rate it even though I didn't finish it I would give it 2,5 for the genre that I find interesting, and for the intriguing concept for and concept with the Goblin Market, but because it didn't click with the characters or the plot, I can't give a higher rating.

The book has the system of Past/present chapters, dual timelines, which I either love or don't feel connected to, which the latter is the case.
About the genre, this is a young adult fantasy/horror story which I like the idea of, but because I didn't care to know more about the story or the characters, I wasn't enjoying myself much.

I preferred the older sisters story and the part set in the goblin market but ultimately it’s a very good YA Horror book that I would recommend to someone looking for a mix of fantasy and horror!

This is such an interesting story and very different than I anticipated. I enjoyed the dual timelines and I liked feeling off pace and unsure of what was going on through most of the book. It made the end, when I did realize what was happening, that much more dramatic and conclusive.

*edit: I should add that of all the books I read this year this one stuck with me more than I expected and I still find myself thinking about it 7 months (and dozens of books) later. I'm raising the rating to 5 stars based on that alone.

-----

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I really liked it. The story (parts of it at least) was compelling and some of the characters really drew me in. And I am 100% here for May and Atra's star-crossed sapphic love story. On the other, it was closer to horror than I normally choose to read and was bloodier and more grotesque than I usually like. And some of the characters were like blank walls.

I'm a sucker for goblin market stories, and this was probably the most horror-adjacent one I've read. In that regard, it shaded towards being a bit too much for me. I was barely able to handle the body horror, though I put the book aside several times while reading because I kept thinking it would get to be just that tiny bit more and I wouldn't be able to handle it. It also focused on the grotesque and bloody side of the goblin market, rather than the glittery tempting side you usually see in stories. There again, it was almost (but not quite) too much for me.

I was immediately sucked in to May and Atra's story. They were compelling and intriguing and I would have loved the book more if it had been solely about them. The problem was that their chapters (18 years in the past) alternated with present-day Lou's chapters, and Lou just wasn't compelling as a protagonist. I never got a sense of her personality at all. I know that she's asexual and that she doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere, but when I try to picture her I draw a complete blank. Laura (her mother), too, is a mystery, even though we see her both in present-day and 18 years in the past. But in the present we see her though Lou's eyes, and in the past we see her through May's, and that could be why she doesn't feel complete. Neela isn't on page enough to really get a sense of her.

In the end I stuck around through Lou's chapters just to get back to May and Atra. If the book had been solely May and Atra's story, I probably would have devoured it rather than putting it down over and over.

Also, mind those trigger warnings. There is a LOT of blood, gore, and body horror. Like, a lot.

The narration is really well done and the character voices are consistent and believable. I also really enjoyed the narrator's voice. It made for an excellent listening experience.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for providing an audio arc for review.

I read this as an audiobook arc, and I had some difficulties reading it in this format. The accents and regional dialects here did not seem to be done very well, to the point they were distracting. I also had a hard time connecting with this story and characters - it felt like a very straightforward retelling. I have read/am somewhat knowledgeable about the original, so I expected to enjoy this, but I came away uncertain of what's been gained by doing a modernization. I've read a few compelling reviews arguing that the anti-Semitism of the original hasn't been addressed here either, which is disappointing to say the least. I wouldn't normally use other reviews in my own review like this, and I haven't done enough of my own research on the topic to give an opinion, but it's something I'd want to point out to any of my own readers that they should look into on their own.

This is a strange little tale. One that took me a little while to get into but once it grabbed a hold I was all in for the entirety of the story.
Underneath the streets of York, there is a market place. It’s the goblin market and it calls to the Wickett women. The Wicketts are a family of witches that takes care of its victims and tends to them. For many generations they have defended the streets with their magic. They know the dangers and never enter the market themselves. Never until May Wickett fell hard for a goblin girl, accepted her invite to the market, and became tied to the world that her family did all they could to protect her from. The market learned her name and even when she and her sister left York and went to Boston, the goblins remembered.
Seventeen years later, May’s niece Lou, knows nothing at all about her magical family or all the wonders of the goblin market. However, just as it happened with her Aunt, she finds that the market calls to her. It’s the echo of a long standing curse. When her youngest aunt, Neela, is kidnapped by the goblins, she finds out just how real and dangerous the market really is.
May and Lou must save her and to do so they will need to confront their family’s past and all that happened. But everything is a haunting temptation to humans who find their way to the market and if Lou isn’t careful she may just find herself lost to the market too.
This was good but I didn’t love the beginning. I think I just had to get into the feel of the book because once I was there I didn’t want to have the book end!
I listened to this on audio as well and I would say it’s not a bad way to do it. The narrator is very good though the accents slip just a tad from time to time. However, it’s about 100 times better than I could ever hope to ever do so I definitely would say it’s a good way to go if you like this form.

I really enjoyed my time with this book. I loved the writing style and the audiobook narrator's voice made it even better. The dark descriptions made the book very atmospheric and it would be a good Halloween read (in my humble opinion). The characters were good and I was invested in the story despite it being somewhat predictable. My only issues with it is that I wanted more hardship/struggles since they kind of solved things easily and fast. Moreover, the last May chapter should have been sooner since it felt like a repetition at that point because we already knew how it things happened in it.

Overall, it was still an enjoyable read and I would definitely check more books from the author.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital and audiobook copy for an honest review.

I should start this "review" by pointing out that I haven't finished this audiobook - yet. It's not that I disliked the book, I just lost interest in the story halfway through and couldn't bring myself to listen to it anymore. I do plan on finishing it some other time though because the whole evil goblin plot is pretty cool. You just have to be in the right headspace for it I guess.

In Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovaalino we a wonderful weaving of fantasy and fairy style myth. The goblin market knowing your name meaning you are bound to it and its magic.
What I Enjoyed
1.Split Perspective
2.Witch Vibes
3.Queer and Sapphic Representation
4. The Audio book experience was stellar
What Didn't work for me as well
1. I have not experienced the Goblin market story that this is apparently a retelling of so twists or insights on the original story are largely lost on me. This story stands very well on its on outside of its retelling status though.
2. The pacing of the first fourth of the book feels slightly quirky though this may be intentional on the authors part
.
Who I would recommend this book to.
Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino is a good read for anyone looking for a spooky reading experience that challenges the reader's perspective of family and legacy.

If you are a fall and Halloween lover like me this book definitely fits the vibe!

A retelling of the Goblin’s Market that brings the spooky and creepy feels. I adored the focus on the family of witches and the secrets they keep. Tons of queer rep throughout the story with a sapphic enemies to lovers relationship! The dark seedy world of the goblin market was definitely intriguing.

I did struggle with some of the character building and style of the writing. We follow two timelines the present and the past and jump around a little bit. I did enjoy the storyline for the past a lot more, following May and her romance.

I listened to this as an audiobook and felt like it added some creepiness to the story although it made it a little harder to track the timeline switches.

This book was unlike anything I have ever read before and I found myself unable to put it down!

Not Good For Maidens felt like a dark fairytale full of blood, gore and trauma and is definitely not for the faint of heart!

I would recommend this to lovers of dark fantasy and those that love queer fantasy!

Many thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with this audiobook in return for an honest review.

This book was such a treat. Split between the perspective of two young women belonging to the same witchy family, we see the push and pull, the terror and beauty of the Goblin Market and the danger it poses to both the women themselves and those closest to them. The two perspectives, as well as their connection to their witchy legacy and duties ( i.e.: the one who wants to reject her legacy and carve her own path and the one whose legacy is with-held from her), as well as their relation to the market (the constant attraction and lull for the one, and the desire to free a loved one from it for the other) made for such a compelling dual POV novel and I found it very difficult to even pick one perspective I prefer over the other. I LOVED the individual paths our characters were on, and I loved the casual queerness of this novel (special mention to an ace protagonist!!!!), but what I loved most was the way familial love and devotion rested at the core of the novel for each character. This was such a thrilling, haunting read, yet it held as much tenderness as it did darkness. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an audiobook copy of this for review.

Let me start off by saying two things. The first being that I actually REALLY enjoyed The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino so I had preordered this book from her sometime after finishing that book last year. Second, I am REALLY glad I had a physical copy of this book, because the narrator when reading the goblin lines was EXTREMELY painful and I would have DNF'd on that alone. The rest of the reading was not bad at all, it was just those lines, specifically in the parts with goblins that were excited, was honestly hard to listen to.

Unfortunately, unlike The Devil Makes Three, this book did not work for me. Which is a shame since I really love stories based on the Goblin Market. I do see how people could enjoy this, but I just think that perhaps I am not the target audience. While this book may have some trigger warnings, it definitely reads very young adult. I also think that this book could have been a lot shorter. It definitely isn't long to begin with, but there's a whole bit on a misunderstanding and a lot of moody and whiny pieces that I personally could have lived without.

I think the queer aspect was a nice addition to the story and I can appreciate the author going out of the way to include multiple types of representation amongst these characters. However, with that being said, I didn't connect to any of these characters. They all fell a bit flat for me, and as a result, I was not invested in their relationships or much of the story. Because while this story is about the Goblin Market, it's also mostly about a teen girl who feels sheltered and misunderstood- which is definitely not my vibe at all.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book, and I will likely be picking up the next book by this author in hopes that it works a bit better for me.

Summary
Beneath the streets of York, the goblin market calls to the Wickett women—the family of witches that tends to its victims. For generations, they have defended the old cobblestone streets with their magic. Knowing the dangers, they never entered the market—until May Wickett fell for a goblin girl, accepted her invitation, and became inextricably tied to the world her family tried to protect her from. The market learned her name, and even when she and her sister left York for Boston to escape it, the goblins remembered.

Seventeen years later, Lou, May’s niece, knows nothing of her magical lineage or the twisted streets, sweet fruits, and incredible jewels of the goblin market. But just like her aunt, the market calls to her, an echo of a curse that won’t release its hold on her family. And when her youngest aunt, Neela, is kidnapped by goblins, Lou discovers just how real and dangerous the market is.

To save her, both May and Lou will have to confront their family’s past and what happened all those years ago. But everything—from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves—is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. And if Lou isn’t careful, she could end up losing herself to the market, too.

Review
This was a really enjoyable read.

*4.75 Stars*

Lou has always lived in the states with her mother and aunt May, far away from Yorkshire where the rest of that side of her family lives. Both her mom and May have always been quite secretive but Lou is used to that. What she's not used to is that her best friend and aunt, Neela, who's only a couple years older than her, disappeared leaving only a couple cryptic messages. And that shifts Lou's entire world. Her mom goes back to Yorkshire to find Neela and Lou is shocked to find out the family secrets...

That was a very bad summary, I'm sorry. The point is, this was great.
I liked everything about it. The dual timeline, the different points of view, the characters, the plot, the setting...
The dual timeline was so perfectly crafted, the jumps from then to now felt effortless and just made sense, as did the pov changes.
The characters were layered and flawed but I loved them all the same. I loved being in Lou's head, and I do love a main Ace character, especially when it says so on the page.
The plot really kept me on my toes from beginning to end. I fell right into the story and I could not stop reading. I just wanted to know everything and I wanted to know it now! (yes, I am a brat)
I also loved reading about the family dynamics, and seeing them and Lou grow throughout the book.
The only reason why this doesn't get five whole stars is that I didn't cry and I need at least a tear to rate something five stars. (a brat, like I said)
Anyway, this made me want to read more books by Tori Bovalino which is great because I already own The Devil Makes Three.

If you’re looking for a really well done standalone fantasy story, check out Not Good For Maidens. I can’t say I know much about goblin lore, but you don’t need to know anything going into this. I do know a little about fae lore, and the similarities between the fae and the goblins is even referenced.

The goblin market appears once a year for a short time. Humans can enter with safe passage for three days, but any more time and they’re at the mercy of the goblins. Witches are forbidden to enter due to a past treaty signed to protect both the witches and goblins.

Lou and her aunt Neela are close in age and therefore close as sisters – as close as they could be when Lou lives in America and Neela in the UK – but Neela visits often. When Neela leaves a frantic voice message for Lou, she knows something is wrong. Lou, her mother, and aunt Mae all return to England to try and solve what happened to Neela.

This is told in alternating perspectives between Lou in the present and Mae, 18 years earlier, when she entered the goblin market and what forced her to leave England for good.

This isn’t a romance story, but there is some romance to be had. Young Mae falls in love with a goblin girl and the two become close, with Mae willing to do anything for Eitra despite her being a goblin and Mae a witchling. It is said on page that Mae is bisexual. In a flashback of the present time, Lou comes out as asexual to Neela while Neela says she is pansexual. I love that these identities are said on page and you aren’t made to guess about it.

I was intrigued the entire time and never felt taken out of the story with the changing perspectives. Mae’s past actions lead to Lou’s current actions in the goblin market and they both want Neela safely returned. While this is classified as horror, I wouldn’t call it too creepy. It has its moments but nothing that will keep you up at night. The authors has content warnings so do check those out, but don’t let the “horror” genre deter you from reading this story!

I enjoyed this one a lot and it’s hard to write a review without giving too much away.

4 stars! - Happy release day to Not Good For Maidens! I really enjoyed Tori’s debut novel The Devil Makes Three last year and I was really looking forward to her latest release. Since this book is a retelling of the Goblin Market story, I think it will be a perfect mood read for the fall months. It’s spooky, gory, and unsettling.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and enjoyed the narration. There’s a lot to like in this story, with queer rep (both ace and bi rep for MCs), a coven of witches, and a dual storyline. The dual POV was good, but I did find myself early on being confused with who was who but I think that was more on me than the story.

The cover of this book is stunning and I think a lot of people will be intrigued by it. Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to Tori’s future works!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy. This did not affect my review in any way.

This book is perfect for the Autumn season. It was really good and the atmosphere was perfect and spooky. The writing was done well and I loved the characters. The best part was the market. I loved the goblin market and this book did it so well. Its was deliciously dark and it's perfection.