Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward offers a unique premise that blends psychological tension with mystery, exploring the complexities of control and manipulation. The writing is solid, with a clear atmosphere that pulls readers into its dark and unsettling world. The characters are intriguing, and their complex relationships add layers to the plot, making the narrative engaging in parts.

However, while the concept is strong, the story can sometimes feel slow, with pacing issues that may leave readers waiting too long for the payoff. The character development, though interesting, doesn’t always feel fully fleshed out, and some of the twists feel predictable. Despite these flaws, Marionette offers a thought-provoking story that will appeal to those who enjoy dark psychological thrillers, even if it doesn’t completely reach its potential.

Overall, Marionette is an interesting read with a compelling idea, but it might leave some readers wishing for more depth and faster progression.

𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤/𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕤:

• female rage/revenge
• possessions
• spooky séance
• 1800s Paris
• MMC saves the FMC
• horror erotica
• dancer FMC/artist MMC

❗ sʟɪɢʜᴛ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ❗

Cece is a dancer who unknowingly partakes in a séance and George, an artist who moved to Paris witnesses something that the crowd thinks is all part of the act.

When Cece commits a horrifying crime while being possessed, George is hypnotized into taking the blame and is apprehended. With the help of his friend he goes into hiding, but when he learns that the spirit that's taking hold of Cece's body is working to complete the spell he tries to find out how to break her free.

→ The main characters were likeable. Cece was a bumpkin who moved to Paris in hopes of getting recognized. George was an artist who promised his father he would focus on his studies, and make a name for himself.

→ Cece was experienced in pleasing men, but she also had this air of innocence and coyness to her. George was a sweet man who only had eyes for Cece and all he wanted to do was paint her like the goddess he thought she was.

→ The antagonists did their part in the readers rooting against them. Although, I do understand why the spirit did what she did. The men in her life wronged her and she wanted revenge. The way she went about it was questionable lol but I get her reasoning. The men that caused all of this can go f*ck themselves 🙂‍↔️

•• This is a novella with 19 chapters, so if you're looking for a short read I would recommend this.

**Also, the possession/whole idea of it 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 reminded me a bit of the plot of The Mummy (1999) where Imhotep tries to resurrect Anck-su-namun. So if you liked that couple/the movie perhaps you'll like this book.**

Thank you Net galley :)

This book is a beautiful horror and so captivating.

The plot was good enough that I read this in one sitting. the

I enjoyed the characters and this was so well written.

I found this to be a quick, easy read, despite the subject matter. I feel like it could be fleshed out more for a full-length novel, but maybe that would be too intense. The concept was neat, and the execution was well done.

3.75⭐
This quick fantasy/horror erotica set in old timey Paris was, well... Interesting.

I'm still dabbling in the horror genre, but this was more enjoyable than I'd expected.

Thank you NetGalley and Brigids Gates Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Brigids Gate Press for this arc.

There were many aspects of this story that had promise. The plot, while intriguing, could’ve been a lot stronger and details that were simply examined and mentioned didn’t make the impact they should have. One of my key problems was that this story felt rushed and lacked the opportunity to create depth for the characters and the vehicle they were meant to be to further multiple stories throughout the years. A major ick for me was the instant love and connection that George and Cece immediately had within a matter of 2 or 3 days of meeting one another. While fictional, it felt almost painful to read.

The story of possession and how it intermingled with Cece’s past was something I enjoyed. However, it just felt short-lived. Where it could’ve had a chance to be given a few extra paragraphs or sharp lines of more in depth information, we got instead something that overall made the characters appear flat and one dimensional.

A more diabolical end to this story would’ve seemed more fitting. If Cece and Selena became one in her rage, a shared rage, and ended the story with two souls mingling and creating an image for both women to reside into one being. For Cece to defeat Selena who seemingly gained immense power from a feeding of dozens of souls just doesn’t ring genuine even for a fictional novella.

Welcome to Paris George! Where women are gorgeous and the parties are unforgettable.

As soon as George arrives in Paris he is dragged to a theatre and gets mesmerised immediately by Cece.

Cece is an exotic dancer that knows how to manipulate men for her own benefit but this time she agrees to go to a séance with her friend Rose and gets hypnotised, letting a spirit take over, and getting trapped within herself.

So here’s come George, a knight in shining armor, that between sexy times and witnessing someone being unalived, tries to save Cece from her own body.

This is a horror erotica novella with some gothic vibes so expect a lot of bedtime action (or elsewhere action), powered by a supernatural force that has an appetite for blood.

I have to admit I was not expecting to like this little novella as much as I did.

It’s a very easy story to follow with characters that you wont’ forget but somehow I was left with the feeling that 100 pages weren’t enough.

I needed a bit more of Cece and Rose.

I think there was a really good plot within this very short, graphically spicy horror story.

Without giving away anything, the idea of using hypnosis to create room within a body for possession was really interesting to me. Everything revolving around the possession and how it was controlled was something that I hadn't read before and enjoyed thinking about.

I do feel like the ending was rushed and a bit thrown together. And, some of the writing was a little underdeveloped and didn't match the tone of the rest of the book. But, all together, I gave this a solid 3 ⭐️ just for the unique aspects of the storyline.

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Marionette was such a good book. the characters were well-written. Thank you for my early copy of this book.

This should have been a homerun: spooky premise, sexy historical...all good stuff. Had it not been a short story and therefore a fast read, this might have been a DNF for me.

As stated, the premise is interesting. Classic mystical show, add a little ghost possession and some obsessive love-this feels like a recipe for success. Some of it certainly was, there were threads of what the story could have been.

Overall though, the story was predictable, the so-called "erotica" was only racey if you think anything queer-coded is, as the kids say "so extra," and much of it felt very "men writing women."

Thank you to the author for the arc from netgalley. I am a lover of Historical fiction and horror so I was really excited for this. However, it felt more like a low 3. Since it was so short I couldn’t be too critical. It did what it set out to do. I wish there could have been a little more added. Everything felt so rushed and I had guessed the plot twist by like halfway. The writing was ok but this story is kind of forgetful. I wish it would have took a risk or at least showed us the crazy stuff instead of just summarizing it and moving on to the next thing. I’m wondering if the smut was supposed to be the crazy part because it wasn’t all that crazy. Idk it was alright. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Thank you Netgalley, Antonia Racheal Ward and Brigids Gate Press, LLC for the eArc of Marionette.

Marionette is a dark, fast paced, erotic novella set in the Victorian Era. This took me by surprise and I really enjoyed reading it. With fast paced thrillers, it's difficult to get a balance between the plot and character building. Antonia Ward did just that with this novella. The characters were all intriguing and I didn't expect the direction of the narrative. The erotism isn't over done and combined with the horror elements made for a quick read. Also loved the cover artwork.

4 stars

i really enjoyed this book. whilst it wasn’t my personal favourite, i do think a lot of people would enjoy this! the descriptive writing was engaging and interesting. it wasn’t what i initially expected so it surprised me! the plot was also intriguing and different from what i usually read and i was so glad to have found this book to broaden my horizons. while it wasn’t the best book i’ve ever read, i do recommend it still!

This was SUCH a good idea, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

Straight-up, I think this could have been a novel, bc it all needed a little time to breathe. It wasn’t really scary, because it didn’t have time to slowly amp up and get the reader going “oh Cece is FUCKED fucked”. You don’t feel the relationships between the characters bc there’s not time to. I would have loved to see more of Cece and Rosie, because I was a little confused as to exactly what their dynamic was, and I would have liked elaboration on that. Tbh I am canceling George tho, sorry king, I know you’re an upper class British man, but please stop being weird about this woman’s ‘purity’

Now, I might be a little insane for this, but the sex could have been weirder. I know this is turn of the century France so they didn’t have ao3, but like, idk, I feel like the blood play could have been more erotic or at least charged! I feel like half the fun with something like this is really digging into the eroticism of horror, but all of the sex felt vaguely uncomfortable and repressed. It’s not very pro-sex at all, despite being marketed as erotic horror, and I’ll be so honest, unless the weird sex is hot, I’m not that interested.

I’d be quite interested to see what Ward does with a full-length novel, as I think that would give their ideas time and space to shine.

This book was such a good read. I could not put it down at all. When I read a book, especially when it evolves.around spirits, I am lost to the book. Loved the.story. what's not to love.about this book? It has a little bit of love,little bit of killing and a little bit of witchcraft. All that together makes a great story..

I received a.free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book (although is it really an ARC if the book came out in 2022?) This book was not terrible, but it was just ok. The story was very interesting, and it held my attention, but it lacked substance. I felt like it needed more backstory as it took some liberties with assuming the audience would know what and why things were happening. 2.5 stars.

This novella was full of surprises. I mean how could it not be the most fun thing to read all year. I was completely drawn in immediately especially with the premise of having a hypnotized victim be possessed by a ghost! Wow what a cool concept.

Summary: A story about Cece, a young sex worker (term used: prostitute), in the 1800s who experiences a hypnosis gone wrong and becomes possessed by a spirit. George is a young man enamored with Cece and strives to save her from her possession.
Genre: horror, historical, suspense, thriller
Content Warnings: spirit possession, misogyny, sex work, non-consensual activities (hypnosis, possession), violence, murder, gore

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story was captivating! The writing was sophisticated and articulate. There were great descriptions of the characters and scenery; I could easily see the dirty, enchanting marvel that was Paris in the 1800s. For a novella, the writer did a fantastic job balancing character and location details with plot and dialogue.

It was easy to discern the contempt held for sex workers in that time period and yet how coveted they were. Cece was of a poor background but found fame and spotlight in Paris, and thus suffered from imposter syndrome. No matter her talent on stage, she is still just a tool used by powerful wealthy men for their own entertainment. This includes sex work, often being presented from one man to another as a sort of gift. It is a demeaning position to be in but Cece embraces the attention while she has it, knowing such favor can be extinguished from one moment to the next. To be cast aside was akin to being dead - no money, no gifts, no celebration. She fearfully remembered a girl who had suddenly disappeared, a girl who had previously held esteem in the eyes of the wealthy men. Cece wished to avoid this fate at all costs.

The reader experiences the same sense of thrill one feels when presented with the disturbed. This is craftily rendered in the scene where Cece first experiences the hypnosis. The audience in the room is enthralled, giddy in the knowledge that their presence in the dark was palpable and should be forbidden, but was lustily allowed. The girls on the stage were the only ones under the spotlight. It elevated the tension in the room, Cece's nervous hesitation stamped down by her desire to be needed. The author does an incredible job of suspending the reader in the midst of this greedy, taboo thrill: the horror of Cece's arrested mind. Desired by all, but no longer belonging to herself. Her anxiety was keenly felt on the page.

I could see, as the story unwinds in its crafted and controlled depravity, George's own grip on his morals slip. He fights his attraction to Cece as it is displayed on stage: gritty and rough, a drastic change from his own opinions of himself and his genteel upbringing. He believes himself in love with Cece and uses this affection to save her. While I thought the sentiment was rushed, I do appreciate how sincerely he felt for her and his wish to rescue her. I rooted for him to succeed.

The true horror of it all, when you bypass the nonconsensual spirit possession and sordid career, is the vulnerability of these girls, to be used on a whim by powerful men. The horror creeps in from the sides, the animal part of Cece's brain flaring with panic, with the remembrance of how the spirit who frequently possesses her died. It was clever of the author to use the symbolism of flooding water whenever Cece's body is overcome by the spirit. I also loved the detail of the ruby necklace and the prison it made for Cece. It was wonderful imagery.

The female rage is strong, the love element is strong, the sense of desperation and fear is terrifying. It made for an entertaining and suspenseful read. I had a great time reading this book and would read this author again.

4/5 stars

This was certainly an interesting read - I haven't read heterosexual erotica in quite some time, if ever. While I found some of the erotic scenes ... cringy, for lack of better word, I see a lot of spooky gothic potential in Marionette. Set in Paris, we have erotic dancer Cece and bohemian artist George. It's love at first sight for George, and he follows Cece's goings to a sexy magic show run by a mysterious Monsieur Rossignol. Cue the ghosts, cue the erotica, cue the ghostly possession tale.

There's promise here. Selena and Cece would both be interesting characters given more space to breathe. George is There. (in my opinion, he's given far too much 'screen time') The worldbuilding is quick and efficient, and I really would've loved to explore Cece's relationship with Rosie before and after Rossignol's party.

This is a novella, so there's not a lot of time to really explore. Antonia Rachel Ward is more drawn to depicting the erotic scenes, down to an almost mechanical detail. Given it's length, I can't say this would be a title that would do well on the shelves. However, I can see it working on ebook platforms like Hoopla.

This novella was everything I wanted it to be: an atmospheric, erotic exploration of a Parisian folk tale. I found the length of the novella to be perfect and it was a wonderful, short, concise story. The gothic, supernatural horror elements were well executed. The setting was very well done - I felt like I was inside a literary version of Moulin Rouge.

Because it's a folk tale retelling, I found the flatness of the characters to be appropriate for the type of storytelling. I do think some of the more erotic scenes were rushed, but again, I think it is okay given the context. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!