The premise of The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is delightful, but it moved a bit slow for me. I technically DNF at 38% but I had to skep to the end to find out what happened. If there’s ever an abridged audio version, I’d check it out.

3.5/5 stars for The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish. I really did enjoy this book. Hecate is a wonderful heroine who is smart and genuine to all those around her. I thought the plot was very interesting although I felt it dragged a little through the first half of the book.
The writing was beautiful and intriguing. Unclear whether this will lead to a sequel, but if It did I would definitely read it!

First of all I absolutely am in love with this cover. The dress, the keys, the colours the sparkle, perfect.

I don’t read a lot of books in this genre but the description of this one (and the cover) really called to me.

Hecate is hired to be a library assistant at the cathedral library. This library houses not just old and rare books but a medieval map and a few souls who have spent their lives and afterlives looking after the books. Hecate will soon learn that she can see and speak with these spirits. But there are some dark forces who would seek to do her and the library harm in search of some knowledge that had been locked away for safety.

So I was hooked on this book from the start, Hecate is so earnest in her love of books and knowledge. Her father is an archaeologist and the bond they share is beautiful. This is a really neat story, but somewhere a little past halfway it starts to fall apart. And by then end I was finding myself a bit uninterested. I think the scope of the story expands too quickly and it doesn’t have the foundation to carry it. I do know this isn’t my typical book so it might just be it didn’t mesh with what I like but I wound up not loving it by the end the way I did in the beginning. There is another book coming as this is going to be a series so maybe the next one will flesh out the rest of the story a bit.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for letting me read this one a little early. Look for it July 23 2024.
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The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish has a lot going for it: interesting premise, strong lead you can root for, great setting, and paranormal aspects. There were just two pieces keeping me from giving it a higher rating. The pacing at times seemed off. There were sections of the story that dragged and then the ending was rather abrupt for me. The second was the ending itself. I know it's a series but I was hoping for somewhat better resolution before moving to the next installment.

I'll definitely continue this series though

I adore Paula Brackston's writing and stories! She is my go to when it comes to all things magic as I just love the creativity and spins she puts on the stories. There are definitely slow parts, but not enough to make me stop reading.

I loved the storytelling in this. Yes, the paragraphing was weird and I do wish the ending left on a better foot. Yet, I am willing to read the next installment. Hecate’s character is fierce and unmoving. I absolutely loved stepping into her world with the very realistic cathedral setting.

Thank you NetGalley for my copy!

I’ve been wanting to read something by this author for years. Why I never have is beyond me. This being my first book by Paula, I had no expectations. After seeing some lukewarm reviews, I was hesitant, so I’m pleasantly surprised that I quite enjoyed this. Yes, it’s slow, but in this instance it didn’t bother me. For one, I loved the characters. Every single one of them, especially Hecate. I think the story flowed at a good pace. I liked the action at the end. I like that there’s going to be more……I hope. Lastly, I liked the paranormal aspect. I won’t be hesitant about reading more of Paula’s books.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Wow, what a strong start for a new series, with an incredibly compelling lead! Hecate Cavendish is the independent-minded bright daughter of an archaeologist. She speeds through Hereford on her bicycle, thrilled to be starting her new job as an assistant librarian at the local cathedral. There, she's enthralled not only by the collection of old, obscure books, but by the medieval map over her desk--and in it, the figures seem to move, for her eyes alone. Within the first day, she meets new friends on the grounds as well--ghosts, which to her shock, she can speak with. But when evil entities burst forth from the crypt beneath the cathedral, darkness soon stalks the streets of Hereford.

There is so much I love about this book. Foremost is Hecate, who is smart, savvy, and oh so human. Her love of books immediately made her relatable for me. The setting is wonderful, too--Hereford, a quintessential British small town with a deep history and ready access to London for when the plot requires a jaunt to the British Museum. The supporting cast is great, too. There's the kind of ensemble cast you need for a mystery.

There were two major points that made me pause from a full 5 stars, though. First of all, I was left craving more... uniqueness in the dark magic that was afoot. Maybe more nuance and originality will emerge with future books--I hope so! The end brought a devastating twist that was a bit transparent, and overall, left a whole lot hanging. I would have liked to have had more resolved in this book, but hey, I adore Hecate and I'll be happy to read onward to find out what happens next.

I received a temporary digital copy of The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hecate Cavendish, the new Assistant Librarian, at Hereford Cathedral learns of her special background as the "daughter" of the goddess of Magic, Hecate. As a necromancer raises spirits from the cathedral's crypt, Hecate does everything she can to learn of its origins and how to stop them.

The Haunting of Hecate was okay - the premise was interesting and I enjoyed the character of Hecate; however, the story moves slowly and there was absolutely no resolution by the end of the book. I also don't feel compelled to continue the series by any means.

I have always loved reading Paula Brackston's novels and her newest release, The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish, is no different. I greatly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. Five stars.

With a modern looking father and a traditional mother, Hecate Cavendish is lucky to have earned a position as an assistant librarian in a local Cathedral. Not a job most would consider a woman for, but her father helped to pave the way with the head of the Cathedral. But as soon as Hecate begins her new role, use learns something new about herself as well. She can see and hear things that others cannot.

Committing herself to her job and her new found friends and fighting evil, Hecate will have to make many choices in her young life that can lay the foundation for her future. If she can manage to survived the current evil, that is.

Brackston NEVER disappoints. She is the mistress of all things paranormal in her books and she brings the character and creatures to life. If you have not yet red a book by Brackston, or haven’t read anything of hers in awhile, you are missing out!

This one was hard for me to get into... I managed 20ish pages at a time unless I really committed myself. It made the first 100+ pages pretty tough to slough through...and then the last 50ish pages weren't much more fulfilling.

Hecate is a smart girl--and you'll need to remember that because it's pretty much her defining characteristic. She's smart for a girl. She's smart for the time period. She's smart enough to outwit, outrace, out maneuver. The constant reminder of her "brilliance" became tiresome.

Hecate works in a local church's library, where she befriends spirits and finds mysteries. As deaths occur in the town, SHE wants to find them and her father bends to her will while her mother holds her at arm's length. While I'm glad Hecate was her own person, the reverence that every one felt for her (and her intelligence) seems shallow and lazy.

The story's pacing needed work, the vocabulary was vexing, and the characters lacked depth. It didn't hit for me while reading and became a wholly forgettable story.

Overall: 2 stars (It was fine; won't reread)

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, religion, supernatural, trauma, sexism, violence/gore/death

**Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

I try to read everything that Paula Brackston writes. I have loved her books about witches and the historical period pieces she’s written. This book captured my attention because it was a historically set book but not one about witches per se. I found Hecate’s character very intriguing as her gifts were revealed throughout the book, and loved how she was portrayed as the strong young woman who often defied behavior expected of her time.. The other characters in the book were equally compelling especially the souls and the Romantic interest. The mystery and other dramatic events in the story unfolded at a good pace. I didn’t realize that the book was the beginning of a series, so I was caught off guard at the end. Now I’ll be impatiently waiting for the next in the series!

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is the beginning of a new magical series by author Paula Brackston. This story mixes historical fiction, mystery, and the paranormal into a delightful beginning. Hecate is a wonderfully engaging character who is smart, strong-minded, warm-hearted, and inquisitive. Her father has gotten her a job at Hereford Cathedral as an assistant librarian. Here she immediately makes some interesting new friends who are spirits that reside there and also discovers a special connection with the Mappa Mundi map of the world behind her desk.

Hecate turns detective after a disturbance in the crypt precedes several seeming possessions and deaths around the town. With the help of her father, who strongly supports her investigation, she proceeds. Inevitably she puts herself into some dangerous situations. I enjoyed the supernatural elements of the book. They are woven so well into the narrative. The author Paula Brackston is a beautiful writer and I was easily immersed in the world she has created. There is the comfort of the library contrasted with the dark atmosphere of the plot.

I really enjoyed this story. My only issue was the unexpected ending that left me a bit confused. It felt like an odd place for the story to stop. As the story moved forward, there was a sense of urgency to resolve the mystery. This urgency seems to have disappeared when the book ends and leaves us waiting for book two.


Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNFing at 26% - there’s something about this one that just isn’t capturing my interest, I think it might be the writing style. It’s definitely cute and cozy from what I’ve read but it’s also kind of boring. I know I had just gotten to where the action was starting but I still can’t get myself into it.

2.5 stars, rounded up to three. I didn't hate it, I didn't seriously consider a DNF, but I did have to slog through. I've read 300-400 page books in two days before, this one took me close to 5 weeks.

I am not typically fan of historical, but I struggled with the whole historical fantasy thing. The idea that a woman with a fairly overbearing mother and is tied by societal norms of the 1890's can function as the living descendant of the goddess of witches without being persecuted as a witch herself didn't fit in the realm of 'believable' for me.

I loved the entire supporting cast of characters. I can get behind a woman of any age in any time with a father, love interest, friend, a cathedral full of ghosts and a random merchant who all enable her to be her best self. Hell yeah, dad!

Setting aside the slow start, (100 pages for anything interesting to happen) my big disappointment was the ending which was less of a cliffhanger and more of a flop. No questions answered, no resolution, or even a hint, of who the big bad is. She didn't defeat any evil, just pushed it off to another day.

I wanted to like this, I feel like I would have like this much better had it been set in more modern times with less tepid word choices. I may have even been more forgiving of a frankly bad ending.

I can't honestly say I'll stay tuned for another installment. It just didn't grip me enough to care.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. A magical story that kept me entertained right to the end. Hoping there will be further adventures for Hecate.

When St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley, approved my request to read this ARC, I hastened to the novel with immediate excitement. It had all of the makings of stories that I love: 18th century setting (and a library at that!), strong-willed gothic heroine, a love triangle (of sorts), and souls (ghosts)! This novel was one that I raced to read and then the strangest thing happened…. I developed novel-induced narcolepsy. I could only read this book sitting up in full light; otherwise, I was a goner. Indeed with only 9 minutes left in the book (as gauged by my Kindle), I had to set a 10 minute alarm on Alexa so that I may rest my eyes as they drooped closed and power through later. That is not to say that this was bad writing. Far from it. But there was something about the rhythm of the narrative that put me right to sleep.

The first couple of sentences were a beautiful work of prose: “For more than three hundred years the ancient tomb had housed the remains of its occupant without threat of disturbance. Even the hungry rats and slithering worms had been deterred by its impenetrable walls, so that the cadaver within had, over the long, lonely centuries, quietly and gently turned to nothing more than dry bones.” This is imagery at its best. Additionally, Brackston’s word choice consisted of some of my all time favorite words: remonstrate, sundry, vertiginous, termagant, nomenclature, Sisyphean, and scintilla. She clearly has a love for language as evidence in the narrative. There was also the time when I was tickled by the philosophical tidbit in the following excerpt and immediately read it to my best friend, a pastor’s wife: “Faith and gossip are what fuels our work here. Faith is what calls us. Gossip, or as I prefer to think of it, a real and lively interest in our congregation and parishioners, well, that is what gives faith its application.” That’s an ideology that I can get behind.

No, my steady mental slide into slumber while reading this had less to do with the writing and more to do with the dichotomy that exists in the narrative. Much of this felt like wait and then hurry up and then wait again. There were long stretches of inactivity and then bursts of activity that were quickly resolved. The concept of “Never Stand Next to the Hero” (thank you Mr. Foster) was textbook in relation to the culminating event. What should have felt like an organic stopping point until the sequel instead felt like a mask of resolution. If I was Hecate, I would never be able to sleep again (I understand the irony of that statement pertaining to my earlier comments).

Overall, while I would not recommend this to my coterie, I do think there are people who will enjoy this novel.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston, just not for me. I tried to get into this book and it simply failed for me. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book and I do think others will enjoy it