This was such a good gothic fantasy romance! Think Bridgeton but spooky.

The mystery is amazing. I'm kind of a big baby when it comes to horror but this was just the right amount.

This is a very YA romance. No spice.

If you're looking for a good slow burn, atmospheric mystery to read this spooky season, this is it.

**A Positive but Critical Review of *The Manor's Shadow***

*The Manor’s Shadow* offers a unique fusion of atmospheric fantasy, Regency-era charm, and a hauntingly immersive world full of romance, mystery, and danger. Drawing inspiration from Jane Austen’s *Sense and Sensibility* while blending it with monstrous elements and the eerie threat of the Phantoms, the novel provides a refreshing twist on both period fiction and dark fantasy.

**Strengths:**

1. **Atmosphere and Setting:** The novel’s setting—Regency-era England, marred by a toxic fog that creates terrifying Phantoms and a societal landscape of Manor Lords—is richly atmospheric. The contrast between the seemingly genteel world of Merrick Darling’s privileged life and the looming, ever-present danger of monsters and societal collapse creates an enticing tension. The fog and the threat it carries are chillingly real, providing a constant undercurrent of unease that permeates the narrative.

2. **Characterization and Relationships:** Merrick Darling’s position as an outsider in her own family is compelling, as is her relationship with her elder sister, Essie. Merrick’s desire to preserve the family estate while navigating the complex dynamics of inheritance and societal expectations adds emotional depth to her character. Essie’s transformation from a strong, capable figure to a fearful one raises the stakes, and the bond between the sisters provides a grounding emotional anchor amidst the chaos. The development of their relationship against the backdrop of dangerous monsters and political intrigue gives the story an intriguing duality of personal and external conflict.

3. **Engagement with Themes:** Themes of inheritance, societal pressure, and personal agency are explored in nuanced ways. Merrick’s battle against the constraints of her gender and class—especially her realization that she must marry for security or live in the shadow of her sister—adds layers of complexity. These elements resonate with readers who appreciate Austen’s exploration of societal expectations while also enjoying darker, fantastical elements like monstrous threats and betrayal.

4. **The Blend of Romance and Horror (Romantasy):** The combination of romance and horror in a Regency setting feels fresh and engaging. The genre mix of *romantasy*—blending romance with the gothic elements of fantasy and horror—is effectively used to create suspense and elevate the emotional stakes. The tension between Merrick’s romantic desires and the looming dangers she faces adds an exciting dynamic that will appeal to fans of both genres.

**Weaknesses:**

1. **Pacing and Plot Clarity:** While the atmospheric setting is engaging, at times the plot feels slightly bogged down by its dense world-building and slower pacing. The first half of the novel, while rich in detail and mood, may come across as overly cautious in its progression. Merrick’s personal struggles are well-developed, but the external conflict with the Phantoms and the threats from the Manor Lords feel a bit distant early on. The tension between these two narrative threads—personal drama versus external danger—can feel uneven in places. There is a noticeable slow burn before the story truly picks up momentum.

2. **Character Depth of Secondary Figures:** While Merrick and Essie are well-crafted, some of the secondary characters, particularly those involved in the larger political intrigues of the other Manor Lords, could benefit from more development. These characters feel somewhat one-dimensional in their scheming, and their motivations can be unclear at times. The presence of these external threats (the Manor Lords) creates tension, but without enough depth to these characters, their actions occasionally come off as more plot devices than fully realized individuals.

3. **Predictability of the Mystery:** The central mystery surrounding Essie’s disappearance and the broader intrigue involving the Manor Lords can be somewhat predictable. While the book does introduce some interesting twists, the buildup toward the revelation of key truths doesn’t always surprise. Fans of suspenseful mysteries may find the general direction of the plot a bit too familiar. More red herrings or unexpected twists would have made the narrative more gripping.

4. **Romantic Subplot:** The romantic tension is appealing but somewhat underdeveloped. While Merrick’s emotions and desires are explored in detail, her romantic entanglement doesn’t quite match the intensity of the other dangers she faces. The balance between romance and danger could be more tightly woven to heighten both aspects. A deeper emotional investment in Merrick’s romantic choices could have further heightened the stakes of the narrative.

**Suggestions for Improvement:**

1. **Pacing Adjustments:** Streamlining some of the world-building and focusing more directly on advancing the plot in the first half of the novel could maintain the reader’s engagement. A stronger, faster buildup to the external conflicts would help keep the pacing consistent throughout the story.

2. **Greater Depth for Secondary Characters:** Developing the motivations and complexities of the Manor Lords and other secondary characters would add intrigue to the story’s political landscape. These figures could become more than just antagonistic forces if given more depth and emotional resonance.

3. **More Surprising Plot Twists:** Incorporating more surprises or unexpected developments into the central mystery would enhance the suspense. Avoiding predictability would keep readers on edge as they try to uncover the truth behind Essie’s disappearance and the larger dangers surrounding the Manor.

4. **Heightened Romantic Stakes:** Strengthening the romantic subplot by adding more tension or emotional complexity could make the stakes feel more personal for Merrick. Exploring the intersection of love and danger could provide more dramatic weight to her choices and actions.

**Conclusion:**

*The Manor’s Shadow* is a well-crafted, atmospheric novel that deftly balances Regency-era romance with dark, fantastical horror. With strong character development, a vivid setting, and a compelling central conflict, it offers an enjoyable reading experience, particularly for fans of *House of Salt and Sorrows* and *Anatomy: A Love Story*. However, while the novel is engaging, it could benefit from a tighter pace, more depth in secondary characters, and a more unpredictable plot. With these improvements, the book could be an even more gripping and immersive tale of family, danger, and forbidden romance.

The Monstrous Kind is giving a mash up of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the movie The Fog. We have this fog that is surrounding the British isles so the people keep constant bonfires going to keep it at bay or you can get infected and turn into a zombie also knows as phantoms in this book.
The author did an interesting take on Jane Austens Sense and Sensibility and adding in zombies. We get the Victorian/Regency era along with the gloom and doom of an apocalypse.
My only complaint is it is marked as a romantasy and we don’t really get a whole lot of that here.

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

Wow! This book surprised me. It was intriguing and mysterious. I had no idea what was going to happen. If you like gothic, atmospheric stories, I definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Also, can we talk about this cover! I love it!!!

3.5 stars

I recently finished reading this book and it's a fascinating blend of fantasy, horror, and romance set in a world reminiscent of Regency England. After the sudden death of her father, Merrick Darling finds herself navigating a dangerous world filled with deadly Phantoms and political intrigue.
What really stood out to me was the atmospheric and haunting setting. The world-building draws inspiration from Jane Austen's 'Sense and Sensibility,' and the gothic elements, combined with the tension and mystery, kept me hooked. However, I did find that the pacing was a bit slow at times, and the gender politics of the world were somewhat confusing.

Despite these minor criticisms, I really appreciated the unique blend of genres and the emotional journey of the protagonist. Overall, 'The Monstrous Kind' is a promising debut from Lydia Gregovic, offering a fresh take on the gothic romantic fantasy genre. If you're a fan of Jane Austen and young adult fantasy, I think you'll enjoy this novel—just be prepared for some dark and monstrous twists along the way.

3.5 stars

I was expecting more from this, I thought it was a full romantasy but it is YA at best.

If you are basing it off of that, then it was a great read but if you expected what I did then it fell a little flat.

I probably should have done a little more research on it but a pretty cover always gets me.

This book was really good. Lets take a typical Regency England family power struggle and add zombie-like creature creating mist. Fantastic! I don't know if there will be a sequel, but I feel one is needed to truly feel like the story has wrapped up. There were parts that were a bit predictable.

First, if you're looking for romance, this is not it. There is a love triangle, but no spice. It was marketed as romantasy, so just a heads up. I'd say it's more fantasy then anything.
Second, the world building was okay. I also liked the premise- Jane Austen, but with monsters. It sounded good, but fell short.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was marketed as a romantasy and there's hardly any romance in this. Didn't enjoy this book at all.

I had a lot of high hopes for this book, I thought the premise was really intriguing.

The things I loved about this book was the world building and the lore of the book. I felt it was engaging and something new and I really loved learning about how this world works.

The things that really dropped this book the rating was the love story. There was a lot of love triangles… a kind of love square and I feel like the love story really took away from the point of the story — which was about the relationship between the sisters. Because of this, it took away a lot of the weight with the reveal and relationship between the two girls.

This book would not end. I enjoyed the set up of the world, but it felt like so much exposition. I wanted to love this book. Anything with the word "gothic" in the description usually gets at least 3.5 stars from me. I just could not with this book.

This author LOVES a metaphor and a simile. It was almost every other sentence and some of them didn't make sense, for example my favorite line, "the paper felt cold like cream" huh?

I know it was trying to sound lyrical but for me it felt forced, and overtly descriptive to the point, and I can't believe I'm saying this, it was too descriptive. I know gothic literature is supposed to be aggressively descriptive, but this was too much as it pulls you out of the story.

I ended up DNFing The Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic because the writing style felt a bit too young for my current tastes. I can see it being a great fit for readers who enjoy a lighter, more youthful tone, but it just didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for.

3.5⭐️

I genuinely found this story to be intriguing. I was shocked by the ending, the way nothing really tied up neatly. While frustrating because of how much I want more from the main characters, there is something very realistic about that.
The prose is beautiful. Almost too filled with metaphor at first, but I found it to be more enjoyable once I stopped resisting and let the story take me with it.
Hoping for a sequel!

This was one of my favorite reads of 2024! It was fun and I really enjoyed the plot twists and world building!

I haven’t read a book like this before, it was so interesting and detailed. I couldn’t put it down after I picked it up. I nearly pulled an all nighter to finish this. The world building and the plot were so interesting and I loved being a part of it !can’t wait for more 5/5.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for an e-arc of The Monstrous Kind.

Confession time: I’ve never read Jane Austen novel, but I know enough and have read bits that I knew somewhat of what I was getting into.

with that being said… I REALLY ENJOYED this!!!!

I loved the gothic vibes and the mystery at the heart of the story.

Merrick is returning to her family home as her father has died, and also where she left her sister months before to deal with the estate. Her sister was named Manorlord of the estate and Merrick has now taken on the role of finding a husband, since there isn’t much more a woman can have in her status as an Archdaughter. Oh and at her home there are phantoms, supernatural beings who kill humans, along with a fog which turns humans into monsters; both which have been around for centuries.

When Merrick returns home not is all what it seems though - cousins have come to stay and her sister is acting strange. But why have there been so many breaches to the fog as of late? The manorlords are those that rule over the country and are in charge of keeping the people safe, but what happens when things seem to be spiraling out of control and your sister is kidnapped before her ascension to Manorlord?

While I loved the writing and vibes of this book, one thing I was confused about was this being called a romantasy - because it is not, at least by my definition. While there is a touch of romance subplot, I wouldn’t say it’s a romance as the main focus wasn’t on the relationship, but more so the mystery of the Phantoms and murder happening in the story while bits of a romance occur.

All the said though I very much enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to people as it was such a mysterious read with so much scheming. I loved how everything came together at the end and really loved the ending!

Now I’m off to read some Jane Austen novels.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of this moody gothic novel but it didn't stick the landing so to speak. I struggled with the plot and characters.

DNF at 20% There was just something about this one I couldn’t get interested in it. It seemed to have all the ingredients for a “good” book but I just didn’t find myself caring about the characters at all.

This book was such a fun and fascinating read. The thrill and mystery adds perfect layers to the story. The main character is relatable and frustrating at times. I loved reading this book and will recommend it to friends.