So when I decided to read The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish, I didn't know that it was the first in a series. Quite frankly, the book seemed to go on forever, so getting to the end of it and not feeling like much of anything was resolved made me feel exhausted, and not so interested in reading the next book. The story tends to go into mundane details that don't contribute to the overall story. The story also seems to oscillate between almost cozy mystery like, where a young woman discovers she has the ability to see and speak with ghosts (souls if you please) and that map in the library where she works comes to life with all kinds of fun little critters, including a griffin she's particularly fond of. But it also tends to parts that read more like out and out horror, with evil spirits, possessions, exorcisms and malevolence. They don't really work well together - nor with a woman being courted by two different men as an additional storyline. Also, and this is strictly a personal opinion, I'm ready to move past stories where the Christian church is the "good guy" and the evil is coming from a culture interpreted as savage by the church. It may make sense with the time in which the story is taking place, and while I appreciate the fact that Brackston made Hecate a strong female character, I don't love how she positions good versus evil, and there's things that Hecate herself does that seem particularly dismissive of the people around her in pursuit of pursuing her ability to commune with ghosts. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to be impressed with this story.

It checked all my boxes as far as what I most look for in a story.

it fell short somewhere in the middle for me and never seemed to recover.

3 generous stars.

This was my first Paula Brackston novel; she's been on my book radar for years, as I'd read several reviews comparing her writing to that of one of my favourite authors, [author:Alice Hoffman|3502]. So I was very excited to read an eARC of this book through NetGalley.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is the first book in a series that seems more targeted at YA audiences. It is a Gothic mystery set in a small town in 1881.

The namesake heroine is excited to have a new job at the local cathedral assisting the persnickety librarian in maintaining a catalogue of rare books, most of which are kept on chained shelves.

Hecate is the daughter of an archaeologist and loves history. This is her dream job, but she is working against her mother's wishes and societal expectation, with her father's support, which causes tension in the family. She has a sickly younger brother, Charlie. She is determined to be an independent woman and dearly loves her new-fangled bicycle but is highly conscious of her family obligations.

Hecate is especially fascinated by the library's old map, The Mappa Mundi, full of exotic figures and mythical beasts. When she dares to touch it, it comes alive for her - and a ghostly griffin emerges!

Suddenly she can see other friendly spirits at the cathedral, including a monk in the library, a lovelorn lady, a former soldier, and a very fastidious cleaner. Soon secrets about her bloodline come to light - she is an avatar for the goddess Hekate, and as such has a duty to fight an old necromantic evil that is once again rising.

Brackston mentions extensive research into cathedrals in the Afterword, and it shows in the writing. The cathedral is lovingly and realistically rendered, from the cloisters to the pipe organ. She excels at maintaining a tone of gloomy, oppressive foreshadowing dread right up until the rather abrupt and cliffhanger-ish ending.

My problem lies in the pacing. Although the details of the atmosphere are so well evoked, I didn't feel much connection to Hecate as the main character, or indeed any of the others. The romance was not affecting or particularly believable. The major plot twists were easy to see coming. There is a distance to the writing. Like other reviews have mentioned, the slow and steady pace really drags and has a curious lulling effect. So much so that I considered not finishing it several times; but I did love the little griffin and mythological references, so I kept on reading. By the time things finally come together and begin to get interesting, the book is over.

It also doesn't know quite what it wants to be. It is an odd melding of historical adventure (through Hecate's father's work), cozy English village mystery, Jane Austen style marriage concerns, traditional ghost story and supernatural horror, with an unconvincing romantic triangle thrown in.

Although I think the story has potential, I likely won't be following the series.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC and chance to review. Publication date is July 23rd, 2024.</i>

This book was destined to be a favorite book of mine, because it has all the elements I love from a gothic theme, to a headstrong, independent woman to a medieval church with a library to supernatural happenings. Where it started to fall apart for me was the style of writing and the fact that I did not end up caring for the characters. There were aspects I really enjoyed, for example, the magic surrounding the map, and the lead character, Hecate’s relationship with her father. After those though I had an hard time staying interested. All in all the book left me wanting a bit more.

Thank you to Goodreads, St. Martin's Press, and Paula Brackston for the digital ARC.

I wanted to love this book beyond measure... but I didn't. The pace was slow and the ending was wanting. That being said, I absolutely loved the FMC and her name is a glorious hint to the entire book. I am so glad I read it and I will definitely read the rest of the series (if there is one) as this could just be the origin story of a masterpiece.

Hecate wants nothing to do with marriage which is scandalous for a Victorian era woman. She is smart and driven to do what she wants... being immersed in books. I know we all can relate a little to that or at least I can. I loved the relationship between her and her father as well as her spirits. While the pacing was slow, I really appreciated the writing. I could visualize everything so well. I sincerely hope this series continues and I am here for the evolution of Hecate Cavendish.

Paula Brackston's The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is a historical mystery with glimmers of magic and the paranormal—set in a library. Where secrets are held in books, and locks and keys must be had to get to secrets, it’s hard not to capture my attention. Add a romance line and I’m all in. As a fan of Brackston’s other books, The Haunting of Hecate has the lush prose and the slower pace I expected but as the mystery unfolds the lights dim and the pace quickens, I’m caught up the intrigue and the pages turn faster. The prose has an old-world feel which lends itself well to the period.

What’s special about this book is Hecate, the main character, who acts with a delightful blend of moxie and propriety while allowing her curiosity to lead her. At times, I was recalling the BBC series Miss Scarlet, with a strong female-lead in Victorian times, who manages to retain her lady-status while standing toe-to-toe with the police investigators. Hecate also has an unusual upbringing in her archaeologist father, lending her a rich background to draw from. He is a great (and unusual during this period) support character (and father) lending her the materials for success and giving her confidence when required. Hecate’s uniqueness in other ways, revealed later in the story, make her even more dimensional and evolving.

No spoilers here but the paranormal element is two-fold in the sinister forces and the benevolent ones which include mythical creatures (one of which is now close to my heart). By unraveling the mystery Hecate learns about her unique situation which and that frames and evolves into an exceedingly intriguing character which I’m happy to follow into the next book.

Coming July 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advance Reader’s Copy for an honest review.

Reminiscent of true gothic, Victorian-era writing (think Brontes, Austin, or Collins), we have a headstrong, capabel protagonist with a special gift for connecting with the dead. She finds herself wrapped up in an old mystery / ghost story that she must solve. There are elements of paranormal and horror included as well. The premise was excellent, but I felt the writing could have been a bit better executed. I didn't expect it to be part of a series, either, so it will be interesting to see what the premise of Hecate's next mystery entails...

Paula Brackston has again crafted a charming world filled with magic and mystery. Hecate Cavendish is a delightfully independent heroine, a breath of fresh air in Victorian England. Her connection to the spirit world and the ancient library she works in are wonderfully atmospheric. While the ending leaves much unresolved and some might find the pacing a bit slow, it's clear this is just the beginning of Hecate's adventures. I'm eager to see how the series develops and delves deeper into the magical elements and the Mappa Mundi's secrets. Thanks to Paula Brackston, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I quite enjoyed The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston, which is the first in a series featuring Hecate Cavendish, a young woman who wants more than to marry and have a mundane life.

Hecate begins her assistant job in the library of Hereford Cathedral. There she finds unusual things happening and also discovers that she can see and communicate with ghosts.

The pace of the book was good and the plot developed nicely. My favorite part was Hecate herself, she is an interesting character and I can’t wait to read more about her in the next book.

St. Martin’s Press
To be released on July 23rd, 2024

#arc #netgalley #Brightbookreviews #Magic #england #1800s #Fantasy #Library #ghosts #Stmartinspress #series #Goodreads

I love Paula Brackston, and she has given us another great witchy book.
I am excited this is the start of a series, and cant wait to see how the story progresses.

I really enjoyed Hecate Cavendish’s story of being able to communicate with ghosts. It was a bit mysterious and gothic feeling and the vibes were well done.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an arc of this book!!

First let me say the flow, word choice, and pacing reminds me of true Victorian novels. Not bridgerton! Similar to Thomas Hardy, Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen. I throughly enjoyed her writing.

I enjoyed that the main character (Hekate) is not whiny or dramatic. She truly holds her own. She is brave, cunning, smart, and daring. I enjoyed the plot for the most part. It was a roller coaster…in a Victorian way. Where it had gothic vibes and you are not quite sure what is going to happen. But, I could only give it 3 stars because the ending was dreadful!!! I felt it was a major letdown after 300+ pages.

I would still recommend it for those spookiah Victorian era vibes .

This is my first time reading one of Paula Brackston's novels, and now I want to read all of them! The story is so imaginative and written in such a way that kept be glued to the book from start to finish.
Hecate's character is so interesting and she experiences so much throughout the book, I found her story to be captivating.

I have read this author before and have enjoyed her books! They are always filled with cool fantasy/paranormal elements and have great historical settings. Although this book provided all of that, I found myself not being as invested as I would have liked to be.

Hecate was a very strong and intelligent character. I enjoyed learning about her job in the cathedral. There is obviously a lot that goes on there, especially when it comes to the paranormal. It isn’t very heavy in the fantasy/ paranormal realm though because the book remains light on the topics which makes for an enjoyable read that doesn’t take much out of you. I did like the lightness, but it also felt like it lulled at times and there wasn’t much pushing the plot. I actually didn’t realize that this was going to be a part of a series until the end. That is also where it really picks up, but by that time it kind of felt out of place.

I don’t know if I would pick up the next, but we will see.

Overall, it was a decent book!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
This book should have been fantastic. A haunted church library in a beautiful cathedral with a librarian who not only can see ghosts but who is the unwitting heir to the powers of Hecate Goddess of the Witches by one of my favorite witchy authors- it should have pushed all the right buttons. Sadly, it was merely OK. I felt the writing was a bit sophomoric. The plot was forced and a bit tired. This was gothic fiction 101. I did finish it but I found myself putting it down again and again. I doubt I will bother with book two.

THE HAUNTING OF HECATE CAVENDISH

A magical realism mystery set in a medieval castle with ghosts and libraries. A great start to a series, though I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself because now I’m going to have to wait forever for the next one.

The writing is fantastic and the characters pop off the page. It’s more of a cozy historical mystery which is just my speed. I’m excited to see how the story continues.

The year is 1881, and young Hecate Cavendish has taken a new job at a cathedral library. As well as dealing with the general looks of disproval from her surly boss, she also discovers she is able to communicate with the ghosts in the cathedral. Not to mention a strange map that comes to life, and has griffins flying out of it. But when horrors begin in the real world, Hecate must use her new-found talents to protect those she loves.

I would describe this book as quaint. Hecate, while clearly a headstrong and competent character, has a streak of Hermione Granger about her which I found quite grating. Brackston's prose is very straight-forward; I unfortunately didn't feel challenged or compelled by the writing.

Although there is some violence in the story, it felt light and somewhat predictable. If you're looking for an interesting mystery with a hint of magical realism, you may enjoy this novel. I found that it lacked the depth and bite of a truly engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I love this author and this book did not disappoint. Can’t wait to read the next installment in this series. The perfect mix of magic and supernatural.

I quite liked this book to start. Hecate was an eager and excited young girl journeying into the next phase of life as a young adult. A medieval castle, priests, old books, and mysterious maps made for quite the setting of what would end up being a slow trod through mystery, intrigue, and ultimately obscurity. The plot here was overly wordy, and drawn out. And I didn't originally know this was the start of a series but I didn't get enough that would warrant continuing on with this story. There simply wasn't enough present or anticipated that made any investment in any particular character while I do quite like Hecate.

I love Paula Brackston's books they pull you in and hook you. I love her writing style it is so easy to read and get lost in the story. This new book is the start of a new series and I am here for it!!! This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint me. It had magic, ghosts, libraries and magical beasts. This book was everything that I had hoped. If I coyos give 6 stars I would!!!!! It kept me up all night reading this book. Love it. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!!!!
I just reviewed The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston. #NetGalley
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