This book was a wonderfully immersive story. Love when I get to learn about a different world's folklore. Such a different tale about growing up and becoming who your going to be.

In the Italian city of Lucerìa, Catholic saints have their nocturnal counterparts, the Night Saints. Strange and dangerous, yet not always malevolent (Serapide, the Night version of Saint Barbara, once helped the city fend off an invasion), they are spoken of in the same hushed reverence as the fairy folk, the kindly ones. They can offer your heart’s desire, but always at a price.

At eight years old, Oriana Siliceo sneaks out to a fair and comes across an odd stall selling impossible wares, things she dreamt up—and tangles herself in an otherworldly debt to the Nocturnals.

The titular Market, accessed by dream on a certain night of the year; a Parliament of cat-thieves and their boasts; the relics and artefacts of gods and their servants; all of these are a prelude to the real story, set six years later, a classic tale of thwarted desires. Oriana longs to be a smith, no matter what her family or society at large think. But law and custom stand against her. How (or rather where, or when) can they be overruled? In the Night, where nothing is so certain.

An intriguing little book, a quick read with the cadence of a fairy tale or a fable. Oriana’s story is well-suited for a younger audience, with a clear and simple writing style, but there’s also plenty to like here for adult readers. Its literary references range widely from HP Lovecraft to Edmund Burke. Its characters are well-drawn and its themes ring true, sometimes in quite unexpected ways.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

En esta fascinante fantasía gótica ambientada en el siglo XVIII, Oriana lucha contra las limitaciones impuestas por su género en una sociedad patriarcal. Mientras su hermano gemelo es favorecido, ella sueña con heredar la forja de su padre y desafía su destino en un mundo lleno de magia, mitos y criaturas nocturnas.

Giovanni De Feo construye una historia rica en folclore italiano, con un mundo envolvente y una protagonista fuerte e inspiradora. La novela destaca por su atmósfera única y la lucha por el destino propio.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a beautiful, gothic, and magical read. Set in the 18th century, the story follows the talented and tenacious Origins as she struggles against the barriers that it is to be both female and to live in a world not truly your own.
The pacing was good as it had a few slow points but it never felt like it was dragging on. The lore of the Night and Day was so fascinating and made me want to learn more about Italian folklore. I found the book to be emotional.in that it pulled my own personal feelings to.the surface along with the FMC. I was not expecting the ending, and after having sat with it, I find it just as beautiful as the rest of the story.

This is a sweet and haunting tale. A tale of twins searching for a future that one desperately wants and the other has accepted, but only one may have. I found the description to be vibrant and have the comfortable feel of a folk tale all in one.

i do adore when the content of a fantasy book matches the beauty of the cover. it happens so rarely, and it's always a delight when it does.

first off, the prose and worldbuilding are truly lovely. exactly as fantastical and dreamlike as you would expect from a gothic fairytale about shadow markets. the descriptions are lush, filled with myth and magic and marvel (and a talking cat!). i love any stories with amoral god-creatures sending humans on impossible quests, and the nocturnals did not disappoint. the concept might be everywhere, but in "the secret market of the dead," the author makes it completely his own. i also love the visuals of the nocturnals in this—they weren't dressed up pretty faeries, but weird biblical six-eyed demon things from nightmares.

second, i absolutely love the characters. oriana was engaging and vibrant from the first page, and i can't remember the last time i was so invested in a character's journey. her fight to prove her worth, women's worth, to an audience of women, including even her own mother, trying to bury her aspirations, was so inspiring and beautifully executed. donna lena, her mother, was also an amazing, well-rounded character. her experiences in being shut down/harassed by men and her internalizing it and trying to diminish oriana as a way to "protect" her was excellently written. oriano realistically depicts many male children in male-centric families, who have all the privilege and willfully refuse to acknowledge the harm their sisters face.

the plot was intriguing as well. it's sort of alice in wonderland meets hercules. in the first section, oriana meets a nocturnal, accidentally gets on his bad side, and must retrieve his magic hammer from a dreamscape of fairytale creatures and fables. in the second section, she enters into a contest to inherit her father's forge and must complete three trials. i really liked it, but the pacing felt a bit off? the first section felt slightly too long, even though, yes, eight-year-old oriana is an immensely interesting character. it seems more like a background story than something that should have taken that long, and the second section with the trials should have been a little more in-depth. it felt like we barely saw them at all. i also wish we had a little more of the secret market in part two. it's such a captivating part of the story, and i wish it had been explored more. i do love the focus on the townspeople's reactions to oriana challenging for her inheritance, however. i think this is one of the best written explorations of feminism and the role of marriage and family for women in young adult novels that i've read yet.

"The Secret Market of the Dead" by Giovanni De Feo is an original, Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy debut in which a young girl struggles to change her destiny—one denied to her due to her gender.

Set in Lucerìa, an 18th-century town in the Kingdom of Naples, the story follows eight-year-old twins, Oriana and Oriano, along with their parents and baby brother. This is a patriarchal society, and the twins are not treated equally by their parents and peers. Oriano is the favored child, given more freedom. He is popular and loved, so his pranks are met with indulgence. Oriana, on the other hand, is the more studious of the two. She has always dreamed of becoming a smith in her father’s forge, but her mother, and fate, have other plans for her.

The novel is steeped in mysticism, folklore, and tales of the nocturnal realm—a place ruled by seven immortals and fueled by Moira, the power to reshape one’s destiny, though not without a cost. Oriana’s path is forever altered when she encounters Emistuchivio, the Duke of the Under-Earth and Darkness, and other creatures of the Night, forcing her to enter the Secret Market of the Dead to fulfill a task.

Years later, at 14, Oriana’s twin brother is chosen as the first apprentice, destined to inherit the family forge. Unwilling to accept this, Oriana challenges her brother to three trials that will determine the rightful heir. What follows is a captivating tale of struggle, ambition, myths, and dreams.

At its core, this is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a rigid patriarchal society. Oriana is ahead of her time—the first feminist, fighting against the limitations placed on her due to her gender—and I admired her for that. The book also explores themes of family bonds, sibling rivalry, societal constraints, misogyny, and the courage to defy expectations in pursuit of one’s dreams.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The author weaves a world rich with legend and myth, blending logic and the supernatural. The worldbuilding, the night saints, and the interplay between pagan beliefs and Christianity make for a truly unique backdrop. The characters are complex and realistic—Dame Lena, a hardened woman whose ambitions have turned her bitter; clever Oriana, educated in the era’s liberal ideas, which, sadly, did not extend to women; and Oriano, who benefits from a system he does not question.

Despite the title, the story does not revolve around the Secret Market itself—which is a pity, as I would have loved to explore it further. However, the novel beautifully captures a dreamlike world where one can become whatever their heart desires. And there’s a talking cat!

To sum up, I found this to be a refreshing and engaging tale. While I truly enjoyed the story, I felt certain aspects—like the limited focus on the Secret Market—kept it from being a full 5-star read. That said, it was still an excellent book, earning 4 out of 5 stars. While it is suitable for YA readers, adults will also appreciate its depth and themes. The pacing is steady, and the twist at the end genuinely caught me by surprise. Fans of gothic historical fantasy, folklore-infused stories, and strong heroines will find much to love in this book.

Trigger warnings: animal death, mistreatment, and abuse of power.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Between the cover illustration, which caught my eye, and description, I had envisioned something between the Night Circus and Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia troll market for the titular market but this tale does not center on the market, that is a mere detail in the whole story of a young girl's growth and exploration of her fantastical path. I don't know if it was an element specified about the book, but the story is plainly YA; it is enjoyable for an adult audience, but would likely resonate with a younger one as well, perhaps more so. There are themes of sibling rivalry and misogyny but the greater story is of a magical world where dreams can come true but everything has a cost. The main character, Oriana, is a young child at the start and progresses to a teen. With a twin brother who is clearly the golden child, perhaps more a sign of the times ( 18th-century) that they lived than anything else. And thus, she is not destined to inherit her father's business, a forge. But with dreams of being a master artisan, she is more than determined to challenge her brother's claim regardless of where that challenge takes her. Her journey and the characters that she meets along the way made for a rich, vibrant, enjoyable tale with a fitting ending.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Saga Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

This book really leaned more towards YA. A fresh coming of age story that was fast paced with excellent world building.

☆ Fun Factor 3/5
☆ Writing Style 3/5
☆ Characters 3/5
☆ Plot 3/5
☆ Setting 3/5
☆ Feels 3/5
☆ Spiciness 0/5
☆ Gore 1/5

If this were a movie it'd be rated: PG-13

☆FOR FANS OF: historical fiction fairy tales, Italian settings, parallel worlds

Ultimate verdict: ☆☆☆/5

☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Oriana

Review: A very Italian fairy tale

The prose and the young protagonist Oriana leans very Young Adult for me (she's mentioned to be 8 years old when she first appears). I probably would have adored this as a young girl, but I felt like this wasn't "for" me. I'm too old for this story, I'm not its target audience. The dichotomy between the saints of Day and Night is a really interesting premise, and the world beneath Oriana's is extremely interesting.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I want to start by saying, I don't think this is adult fiction. It definitely feels more like YA content and with the age of Oriana, our main character.

Now, on to everything I adored. I ate this book up. Oriana was such a compelling main character. I loved the way the religion was explained, m and the distinction between the Day and Night aspects of the saints. I think the world building was impeccable. Dame Lena's characterization was so interesting because it was truly uncertain whether she did what she did for her gain or for Oriana's. I liked that Oriano served as her foil throughout every stage of her life, as a child, as a scholar, as a smith. I truly found that Lucerìa came to life, as well as the Market of the Dead and the Emistuchivio's forge. I think the themes woven throughout the narrative were well executed and communicated.

I do wish that we had seen more of Oriana's last conversation with Growler, or at least, more exploration of the topic of that conversation. I did like the twist at the end but at the same time, I wish there was more. I wanted to see even more of the under-earth, even more of the Secret Market of the Dead, as they only took up a small part of the story. I really loved the world the de Feo created and I will be keeping an eye out for what he does next.