Within These Wicked Walls
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- Create Date：2021-10-20 09:51:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lauren Blackwood
- ISBN：1250787106
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Summary
What the heart desires， the house destroys。。。
Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。 When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her， Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other， with horrifying manifestations at every turn， and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for。 Death is the most likely outcome if she stays， but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option。 Evil may roam the castle’s halls， but so does a burning desire。
Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi in this Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre。
Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。 When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her， Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other， with horrifying manifestations at every turn， and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for。 Death is the most likely outcome if she stays， but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option。 Evil may roam the castle’s halls， but so does a burning desire。
Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi in this Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre。
Reviews
Liz Griffin
，
Within These Wicked Walls is a standalone Ethiopian historical fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre， where the protagonist， Andromeda， is hired to exorcise a manor house of the Evil Eye。 However， she soon discovers that both the house and its young master， Magnus Rochester， are not what they seem， and the house staff keep disappearing。 Andi is an engaging protagonist with equal parts spunk and humility， a vast improvement on her classic literary archetype。 The prose is engaging and perfectly balances Within These Wicked Walls is a standalone Ethiopian historical fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre， where the protagonist， Andromeda， is hired to exorcise a manor house of the Evil Eye。 However， she soon discovers that both the house and its young master， Magnus Rochester， are not what they seem， and the house staff keep disappearing。 Andi is an engaging protagonist with equal parts spunk and humility， a vast improvement on her classic literary archetype。 The prose is engaging and perfectly balances deep character moments with necessary worldbuilding。 While Magnus didn’t appeal to me personally as a viable love interest， other readers may find his interactions with Andi to be romantic。•Content warnings: abuse & abandonment， character death， blood 。。。more
Amy Imogene Reads
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Happy Publication Day！4。5 starsFull review to come， but in summary: this was so great！ Excellent atmosphere， loved the fresh take on a very different Jane Eyre retelling。 Loved the magic component， the haunted house， the Ethiopian-meets-gothic vibes… ahhh so good。Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review。
Shannon （It Starts At Midnight）
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You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight 3。5*Within These Wicked Walls has a wonderfully unique premise of a young woman hired to exorcise some evil right out of a rich dude's mansion。 But this will be no easy task， as you might imagine。 I mostly enjoyed this one， so let's break it down！ What I Liked: t ►Magnus cracked me up！ I love when a darker book nails the lighter moments， and this one certainly does！ His banter with Andr You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight 3。5*Within These Wicked Walls has a wonderfully unique premise of a young woman hired to exorcise some evil right out of a rich dude's mansion。 But this will be no easy task， as you might imagine。 I mostly enjoyed this one， so let's break it down！ What I Liked: t ►Magnus cracked me up！ I love when a darker book nails the lighter moments， and this one certainly does！ His banter with Andromeda is top notch， and I really enjoyed reading about their developing relationship。 t ►It is definitely delightfully dark and atmospheric。 The setting of a creepy old mansion obviously hits all the marks， but the author did a fabulous job of making it feel extra rough。 I wouldn't have wanted to spend the night there， frankly！ And without giving too much away， some of the twists were just messed up and I love that！ t ►Adored Andromeda's relationship with her father-figure。 Ohhh， it's complicated and messy and delightful！ I won't say too much， again， because of spoilers， but it was a high point for me for sure。 t ►A great balance of emotions。 Like I said， it is dark at points， and by that virtue， sad at times。 But because the author did a stellar job of injecting the lighter moments throughout， the book didn't feel heavy or depressing， and flowed quite well。 What I Didn't: t ►I just felt fairly apathetic， tbh。 I honestly hate that feeling， because there isn't any explainable reason behind it， I just felt fairly "meh"。 It was fine and interesting and I didn't dread reading it or anything！ I just didn't feel particularly enthralled either？ I also am not sure I completely understood the magic， which may have been a part of said apathy。 t ►I wanted to know where/when we were， but I never did find out。 There is talk of England at one point， and a few other European countries， but it was clear that is not where we are。 Maybe it wasn't totally necessary to the plot for me to know， but I wanted to nonetheless。 I read on Goodreads that it is "Ethiopian-inspired" which is very cool- I see some reviews that say it is set in Ethiopia， but Idk if that is true？ If it explicitly said so， I must have missed it， but since most of it takes place in an old mansion， I guess that mansion could technically be anywhere。 Bottom Line: It's a solid story with enjoyable characters that certainly entertained me， even if it didn't leave a long-lasting impression。 。。。more
Haley Neil
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Perfect book for spooky season！ Bonus: great romance！
Heather
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I was first interested in this book because it was being pitched as an Ethiopian-inspired， Jane Eyre retelling。 It delivers Thornfield in a desertscape and resembles Jane Eyre enough to be familiar， but it isn't strictly a retelling。 At least not as most readers expect。 Most character names are changed and the circumstances that bring Andromeda （Jane Eyre） and Magnus Rochester together are very different。 I think Lauren Blackwood's story is a refreshing twist of a classic story and not an outrig I was first interested in this book because it was being pitched as an Ethiopian-inspired， Jane Eyre retelling。 It delivers Thornfield in a desertscape and resembles Jane Eyre enough to be familiar， but it isn't strictly a retelling。 At least not as most readers expect。 Most character names are changed and the circumstances that bring Andromeda （Jane Eyre） and Magnus Rochester together are very different。 I think Lauren Blackwood's story is a refreshing twist of a classic story and not an outright retelling; and it is so much better for it。 If you want the gothic vibe of Jane Eyre with the added fright of a haunted house give this book a read。Recommended for: young adult & adult readers looking for a fast-paced， horror fixContent warning: violent death， blood/goreI received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amanda Callies
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👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻Who here loves retellings of classic stories？？ 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of classic old stories getting turned on it’s head then you MUST read this book！ It’s a Jane Eyre retelling but set in fantasy world！ How fun does that sound！！ I devoured this book， it was that good！ Lauren Blackwoods debut novel blew me away。 Taking the idea of Jane Eyre and making it into a world where fantasy/supernatural creatures exist was just so brilliant I loved it！ Her wri 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻Who here loves retellings of classic stories？？ 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of classic old stories getting turned on it’s head then you MUST read this book！ It’s a Jane Eyre retelling but set in fantasy world！ How fun does that sound！！ I devoured this book， it was that good！ Lauren Blackwoods debut novel blew me away。 Taking the idea of Jane Eyre and making it into a world where fantasy/supernatural creatures exist was just so brilliant I loved it！ Her writing prose was beautiful and I’m oh so tempted to get the audiobook and listen to it all over again。 Personally， I’d have loved to see more of the romance but that’s just me。 。。。more
Angelo Drakontaidis
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Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel “Within these Wicked Walls” is a haunting and romantic novel of a Andromeda， a novice debtera （essentially an exorcist）， who embarks to free a household of a generational curse。 The events and risks continue to escalate with each chapter。 Blackwood sets an atmospheric and macabre book that will stick with you for a while。 This book is perfect for October with Halloween around the corner。 The characters are memorable。 I’d definitely recommend it to others。 Thank you Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel “Within these Wicked Walls” is a haunting and romantic novel of a Andromeda， a novice debtera （essentially an exorcist）， who embarks to free a household of a generational curse。 The events and risks continue to escalate with each chapter。 Blackwood sets an atmospheric and macabre book that will stick with you for a while。 This book is perfect for October with Halloween around the corner。 The characters are memorable。 I’d definitely recommend it to others。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC。 。。。more
Manon the Malicious
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*3。5 Stars*I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。RTC
Victoria Lanigan
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A perfect October book！ Have you ever heard of a debtera？ I have not but I sure know a lot about it now。 Andromeda is a debtera， which is an exorcist hired to cleanse Houses of the evil eye。。When Magnus， a handsome complicated man offers her the job， even though every previous debtera has quit she is in no position to say no。。There is danger at every turn， but love is there too。 This is a haunted， romance that had me turning the pages quickly。。Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for an arc A perfect October book！ Have you ever heard of a debtera？ I have not but I sure know a lot about it now。 Andromeda is a debtera， which is an exorcist hired to cleanse Houses of the evil eye。。When Magnus， a handsome complicated man offers her the job， even though every previous debtera has quit she is in no position to say no。。There is danger at every turn， but love is there too。 This is a haunted， romance that had me turning the pages quickly。。Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review。。The book is out today！ 。。。more
Kylie
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Thank you to Netgalley for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book was super unique！ Andromeda is an unlicensed debtera desperate for jobs。 She basically exorcises evil spirits out of houses。 She is given a large job no one else wants or can do and realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew。While I did like the characters， none of them really stood out to me。 Andromeda was a great female lead， she grew up in a church learning how to exorcise spirits wit Thank you to Netgalley for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book was super unique！ Andromeda is an unlicensed debtera desperate for jobs。 She basically exorcises evil spirits out of houses。 She is given a large job no one else wants or can do and realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew。While I did like the characters， none of them really stood out to me。 Andromeda was a great female lead， she grew up in a church learning how to exorcise spirits with her mentor who never showed her any affection even though he was basically her father for all intents and purposes。 This really shows through in the romance which was a romance I enjoyed。 It didn't feel forced， it wasn't instantaneous， Andromeda really let her feelings be known， even when she was confused on what those feelings were。 The plot really kept me engaged， I really didn't know if Andromeda was going to be able to cleanse this house or not and break the curse。 It really had me guessing until the last minute。 The atmosphere of being in the house was so fantastic and creepy。 I really felt like I was in that house。 I'm really glad I requested this one， it is perfect for spooky season！ 。。。more
Dana
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"You're a surprisingly slow learner， Andromeda。""Quick learner，" I said， my mind too tired to keep an annoyed bite from peeking through。 "Slow follower。"-------------------------------------Within these Wicked Walls is THE PERFECT read for spooky season。 Andromeda is a debtera， an Ethiopian exorcist， who is desperately trying to earn a patronage so that she can continue working。 She leaves her mentor and life in the town's church to take on an impossible job。 Magnus Rochester's house is cursed b "You're a surprisingly slow learner， Andromeda。""Quick learner，" I said， my mind too tired to keep an annoyed bite from peeking through。 "Slow follower。"-------------------------------------Within these Wicked Walls is THE PERFECT read for spooky season。 Andromeda is a debtera， an Ethiopian exorcist， who is desperately trying to earn a patronage so that she can continue working。 She leaves her mentor and life in the town's church to take on an impossible job。 Magnus Rochester's house is cursed by the Evil Eye which manifests in all sorts of spooky， hair-raising ghosts and demons。 Rooms fill with blood， residents go missing and turn up dead and a terrifying hyena stalks the castle。 In order to banish them she must create an amulet to diffuse each one and clean the house of all evil。 When she realizes that a lot of the curse resides with Magnus， the owner of the home， who she is inexplicably drawn to， things become complicated。The imagery in this novel was so immersive， I love a horror novel where you can see the evil in your own mind。 I loved the description of the making of the amulets and how Andromeda saw the way to banish each baddie in her mind。 I actually wanted more of that。。。 hoping that the print version has some drawings！ The main love story part was my least favorite part， it was a bit too contrived and it turned Andromeda from a shrewd exorcist into a bit of a simpering fool at times。 But I did love the secondary love story （no spoilers！）。 I wanted more backstory for each of the other characters in the house， we got a taste of it but I really wanted more of how they came to be in this strange dwelling。 Andromeda was a great strong female heroine who well balanced her youth， her courage and her vulnerability。This one is perfect for fans of Raybearer or A Song of Wraiths and Ruin。Thanks to Netgalley for a copy。 All opinions above are my own。 。。。more
Ana
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I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 DNF 35%I really wanted to love this book， but I struggled to read it。 I'd force myself to pick it up， but could only read a few more pages before I put it down again。 I think Within These Wicked Walls had a lot of the bare bones of a great story （and not just because it's based on one of my favourite classics， Jane Eyre）。 You've Andromeda， a traumatised orphan who comes to cleanse Rochester's house o I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 DNF 35%I really wanted to love this book， but I struggled to read it。 I'd force myself to pick it up， but could only read a few more pages before I put it down again。 I think Within These Wicked Walls had a lot of the bare bones of a great story （and not just because it's based on one of my favourite classics， Jane Eyre）。 You've Andromeda， a traumatised orphan who comes to cleanse Rochester's house of Manifestations of the Evil Eye。 And those manifestations are creepy。 Rooms filling with blood that make you feel like you're drowning; manifestations in cupboards that look like spiders and whisper all your deepest darkest fears to you。 What I struggled with was the narrative style， the dialogue， and the characters。 Andromeda has a way of telling not showing， but at the same time doesn't really give me any information I really want to know。 When is this set？ Is it set in Ethiopia， or is it set in a fantasy world inspired by Ethiopia？ （One throwaway line suggests that it might be a first world setting。） The dialogue is also quite confusing， especially between Magnus and Andi。 They leave conversations half finished， or jump to some other tangent。 I literally had no idea what they were talking about half the time。 Which brings me to the characters themselves。 Magnus and Andi are all over the place。 One minute she's determined to actually do what she was paid for （getting rid of Manifestations）， next she's having a flirtatious conversation with Magnus， the next she's angry for no particular reason， and then she's having her hair done。 Still， I could accept most of that given Andi's upbringing - being a traumatised and semi-abused orphan who lived in near poverty。 Magnus is the one I couldn't stand。 He's dismissive， manipulative， and haughty one minute， then he's a pitiful， sad， cursed boy who has next to no real friends the next， then he's a charming rake， before turning into a sulking man-child who is offended by nothing at all。 He doesn't even seem worried about the Manifestations and how they affect everyone in his home， not just himself。 He wants Andi to just hang out with him。 If her job was less important （no offence to governesses）， I could forgive his attitude。 But people are disappearing and being traumatised！ He can have all the friends in the world if Andi fixes his house of horrors。 And somehow， despite continually offending each other， the two are instantly attracted， and it makes absolutely no sense。 Magnus may have a personality similar to the original Rochester （although amped up， and with more frequent mood swings）， but Andi is nothing like Jane Eyre， and it means that the dynamic doesn't really work。 They just clash。 Sadly， Within These Wicked Walls was a miss for me。 。。。more
Larissa
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When Andromeda is asked to come exorcise a local castle of the Evil Eye she had no idea what she was taking on。 As a unlicensed debtera Andromeda has been trained by one of the most revered debtera in the land Jember， one of the only debtera who has successfully banished a physical manifestation of the evil eye。 While Andromeda is very talented will she have learned enough to be able to help expel all the evil that lives in the caste？ Its occupants seem to disappear after making eye contact with When Andromeda is asked to come exorcise a local castle of the Evil Eye she had no idea what she was taking on。 As a unlicensed debtera Andromeda has been trained by one of the most revered debtera in the land Jember， one of the only debtera who has successfully banished a physical manifestation of the evil eye。 While Andromeda is very talented will she have learned enough to be able to help expel all the evil that lives in the caste？ Its occupants seem to disappear after making eye contact with the castles quick whited handsome owner Magnus Rocheste。 Mangnus who is haunted by more then ghosts longs to end the curse one way or another。 Will Andromeda be the key that breaks his curse？ Does she have enough talent to take on such a haunted castle？ And will love truly find a way？Overall I liked this book。 I will say it was very predictable。 I knew early on two of the biggest reveals from the book。 However knowing what was going to happen didn't take away from overall enjoyment in reading this book。 I enjoyed both Andromeda and Mangnus' quick whit。 They were very well written and scenes between them flowed really well。 I also loved how Jember was brought more into the story and how his and Andromeda's history was slowly revealed during the book。 I feel like her final acceptance of who he was as a person， his ability to show love， and knowing that what he had given her was all he was truly capable of giving shows a lot of character growth on Andromeda's behalf。 Defiantly a book that I will be recommending to anyone looking for a semi scary book this spooky season。 Thank you St。 Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy。 。。。more
Jessica Moro
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Right off the bat， I think the only thing this shares with Jane Eyre is the name and a creepy mansion。 The premise of it is so interesting though。 Bar the marketing mishap I did enjoy this exorcism story especially for the season。 I really enjoyed the writing style because even though this was a complicated story to follow， the style made it easy to follow and had plenty of wit。 Andi is forced to be find good paying work when her mentor throws her out。 I'm still not sure exactly why but she basi Right off the bat， I think the only thing this shares with Jane Eyre is the name and a creepy mansion。 The premise of it is so interesting though。 Bar the marketing mishap I did enjoy this exorcism story especially for the season。 I really enjoyed the writing style because even though this was a complicated story to follow， the style made it easy to follow and had plenty of wit。 Andi is forced to be find good paying work when her mentor throws her out。 I'm still not sure exactly why but she basically made decision in direct opposition to what his warped intentions were。 She ends up at the home of Magnus Rochester who is in dire need of a cleansing。 Andi is immediately taken in by Magnus' eccentric， jovial， immature spirit。 Magnus is 20 but acts like he's 10 and it adds some levity to the story。 He was forced to Ethiopia even though it's not directly said， and he has a small crew of people that live in fear of vanishing from the curse。 If Andi is supposed to be Jane， an orphan filled with sadness， she is actually quite optimistic but able to lift curses。 I was surprised by her non dreary personality and really enjoyed her journey。 There is a romantic journey in this story and even though I wouldn't have picked him for her， it makes sense。 This is a great Halloween read that isn't too scary and delivers a great plot。 。。。more
Michele
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4 1/2 stars。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It gave an entirely new feeling to the haunted house genre。 I guess in this instance， it's more than just the house that's haunted。 There's so much more to be dealt with than our main character， Andromeda initially anticipates。 To complicate things， Magnus， the owner of the home who is cursed also seems to have feelings for Andi。Within These Wicked Walls definitely doesn't pull any punches。 It's a brutally violent horror tale。 Fortunately， it does blend 4 1/2 stars。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It gave an entirely new feeling to the haunted house genre。 I guess in this instance， it's more than just the house that's haunted。 There's so much more to be dealt with than our main character， Andromeda initially anticipates。 To complicate things， Magnus， the owner of the home who is cursed also seems to have feelings for Andi。Within These Wicked Walls definitely doesn't pull any punches。 It's a brutally violent horror tale。 Fortunately， it does blend in a several romantic storylines for good balance。 It's marketed as a Jane Eyre retelling。 That part is a bit of a stretch for me。 Yet， I was a completely engrossed in this book and found it to be an absolute page turner。 It was a well-done gothic romance with elements of the supernatural that would make even the toughest reader tremble。 Lauren Blackwood wrote a creative novel with a flair for detail。 There was wit， heartbreak， fear， hope， friendship， love and romance。 It was a true gem。Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC。 I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own。AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also had the privilege of listening to and reviewing the audiobook。 It was outstanding。 The narration lent itself to the storyline and really enriched the novel。 I enjoyed everything about it。 In particular， the narrator's accent gave more authenticity to the story。 I highly recommend the audio version。 （5 stars） 。。。more
Teresa
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Thank you to NetGalley， Wednesday Books， St。 Martin's Press， Macmillan Audio， Nneka Okoye （narrator）， and Lauren Blackwood for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。The very start of this book has Jane Eyre vibes， though I found this retelling was far more intriguing than the Bronte novel， and I finished this book in nearly a day。 The narrator， Nneka Okoye， has the perfect voice and accent for the vibes of this book， and Thank you to NetGalley， Wednesday Books， St。 Martin's Press， Macmillan Audio， Nneka Okoye （narrator）， and Lauren Blackwood for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。The very start of this book has Jane Eyre vibes， though I found this retelling was far more intriguing than the Bronte novel， and I finished this book in nearly a day。 The narrator， Nneka Okoye， has the perfect voice and accent for the vibes of this book， and I love the spookier aspect of what is going on in this novel。Andromeda is living on the streets after being kicked out by her mentor。 She was working on her liscense to be a debtera， though did not finish before ending up homeless， but she is still offered a job。 A debtera， in Ethiopian culture， is a clergy or religious figure who performs exorcisms。 Andromeda needs that job more than anything， so despite not having a liscence， she takes it。Upon arrival to a vast castle， Andromeda learns there were at least eleven debtera before her who failed to remove the curse of the Evil Eye from the castle， or rather， the man within the castle who has been cursed: Magnus Rochester， the last name mimicking that of the male lead in Jane Eyre。 Andromeda soon learns this particular Evil Eye might be more than she anticipated。 Even all the talismans she has made in preperation might not work。Magnus， the rich heir seeking help to remove the curse of the Evil Eye， is rude and demanding of his new hire。 If Andromeda is to remain hired。。and stay alive， there are a number of rules she must follow in Magnus' domain。 When this Evil Eye portrays actual manifestations， Andromeda finds she might be in over her head。 How are these so sinister and how are they linked to Magnus？ What has he done to be so awfully cursed？ Andromeda even notices something a bit off about the household staff。 Everything about the situation is beyond abnormal， even for an exorcism。 Despite his curse and his manner， Adnromeda can't abandon Magnus like the previous debteras who gave up on the job。 Not when her feelings start to intervene！A great novel full of exciting moments， tension， and romance。 I loved looking for comparisons to Jane Eyre while also learning about Ethiopian culture。 This is a fast-paced book full of tension and romance， and I also love the fact that it is stand-alone with a rounded ending leaving the reader/listener satisfied。 Highly recommend for young adult readers looking for something familiar， yet fresh and different at the same time。 。。。more
Annarella
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I don't know if it's a retelling of Jane Eyre but I enjoyed it， a good horror/paranormal fiction that kept me hooked。Good world building and character development， a compelling and entertaining plot。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I don't know if it's a retelling of Jane Eyre but I enjoyed it， a good horror/paranormal fiction that kept me hooked。Good world building and character development， a compelling and entertaining plot。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Sara Weather
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#176 The Good I。 I think you can read and enjoy this if:A。 you have read Jane EyreI was obsessed with the choices and themes: how will the author translate （if they do） x theme/element from Jane Eyre？B。 you have not read Jane EyreIt is not such a close reimagining you have to read Jane Eyre to understand it。 Honestly， it is very much its own thing so I can see other Jane Eyre readers not liking how loose it is with the reimagining。C。 you like Jane EyreYou can enjoy the story but also look at the #176 The Good I。 I think you can read and enjoy this if:A。 you have read Jane EyreI was obsessed with the choices and themes: how will the author translate （if they do） x theme/element from Jane Eyre？B。 you have not read Jane EyreIt is not such a close reimagining you have to read Jane Eyre to understand it。 Honestly， it is very much its own thing so I can see other Jane Eyre readers not liking how loose it is with the reimagining。C。 you like Jane EyreYou can enjoy the story but also look at the subtle themes and elements that story reimagined。D。 you do not like Jane EyreIt is it’s own story thus is not a paint by numbers rehash of Jane Eyre。II。 ThemesA。 As a person who read and liked Jane Eyre it was interesting comparing and contrasting the themes between two stories。B。 The treatment of themes never felt heavy or heavy-handed。III。 HorrorA。 It was more House on Haunted Hill than ghost infested which was refreshing。B。 It has actual magic， fantasy， horror， and a unique setting。C。 I think the story being based on Jane Eyre helped it to avoid some pitfalls other Black ya fantasies have fallen into。 At the same time I think that the creativity of the author really did work too because at the end of the day so much of the world is unique and its own。IV。 RomanceIt got on my nerves at times but at a certain point I was like the author has that gothic romance 19th century classic literature emo angst downpack （there is a interesting intersection overall in literature between ya and classic lit angst）。 Thoughts I。 I want to see horror explored beyond the settings and conversations that it feels Black people are pigeonholed to。II。 There are benefits to being a standalone /non-epic fantasy。I think it creates a tighter well constructed story because the story is going to end with one book。 Also， this story is gothic fantasy/horror/romance which are generally not heavy epic fantasy world building subgenres 。III。 I would so much like to see more classics be reimagined in fantasy by Black authors。I want Black authors to take these stories in interesting directions。IV。 An interesting element was England being subtlety represented as an outside culture。V。 This would be a good book to study and be part of a book club。 I won this in a goodreads giveaway by St。 Martin’s Press。 。。。more
Susan
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Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley， Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review。Ok so first off。。。 I think it's misleading that this is being promoted as a retelling of Jane Eyre。 Because it's not。 At all。 HOWEVER as a gothic story of curses and possession set in Ethiopia， it's amazing。Andromeda spent her childhood being trained in the ways of the debtera to become an exorcist。 However， circumstances occurred that caused her to run away before she was Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley， Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review。Ok so first off。。。 I think it's misleading that this is being promoted as a retelling of Jane Eyre。 Because it's not。 At all。 HOWEVER as a gothic story of curses and possession set in Ethiopia， it's amazing。Andromeda spent her childhood being trained in the ways of the debtera to become an exorcist。 However， circumstances occurred that caused her to run away before she was able to be licensed。 On her own without money for food or lodging， she manages to book a job to cleanse a house from the Evil Eye。 Little did she know what she was walking in to。 The young heir Magnus is eclectic， his household staff （what's left of them） aren't exactly welcoming， and there's a young woman who looks a lot like Magnus that doesn't speak and the other servants don't seem to notice her。 Something is definitely not right at this mansion。 Andromeda is feisty and smart， as the banter between her and Magnus grows things of course get more complicated。 The magic system was super interesting， and I really enjoyed the romance between Andromeda and Magnus。 And what's not to like about a house with a murderous librarian spirit that will chuck books at your head？ All in all Lauren Blackwood casts a spell over readers， allowing them to become fully immersed into this story and the world。 This is a great addition to the gothic novel genre and I can see myself revisiting this text down the road。Nneka Okoye does a superb job with the audiobook performance and knows how to further convey the gothic feel while listening to this book。 。。。more
Myria
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Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review。 All opinions are my own。Within These Wicked Walls is a perfect choice for a spooky October read。 This isn't my typical read， but I really enjoyed it。 The descriptions for the hauntings by the Evil Eye were really cool and creepy。 My only complaint about the book is that it seemed as if some of the scenes were a little repetitive。 It didn't completely take away from the story， but it didn't add much Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review。 All opinions are my own。Within These Wicked Walls is a perfect choice for a spooky October read。 This isn't my typical read， but I really enjoyed it。 The descriptions for the hauntings by the Evil Eye were really cool and creepy。 My only complaint about the book is that it seemed as if some of the scenes were a little repetitive。 It didn't completely take away from the story， but it didn't add much either。 I also didn't feel the connection between Andi and Magnus。 Yes， their interactions were sweet， but I didn't feel that click like I would've liked。All in all， I would definitely recommend this to other readers who enjoy some paranormal reading。 。。。more
Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer
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I'm afraid this is a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me。 I was very excited about this one， but I've decided to stop reading at 35%。 It's my first DNF of the year， so choosing to stop is not a decision I do lightly。 I think I was expecting this one to be more creepy or scary， and there were creepy things happening， but it seemed to lack the building tension I wanted。 I also wasn't feeling the romance。 It was a little too insta-love for me。I didn't want to keep reading and end up giving I'm afraid this is a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me。 I was very excited about this one， but I've decided to stop reading at 35%。 It's my first DNF of the year， so choosing to stop is not a decision I do lightly。 I think I was expecting this one to be more creepy or scary， and there were creepy things happening， but it seemed to lack the building tension I wanted。 I also wasn't feeling the romance。 It was a little too insta-love for me。I didn't want to keep reading and end up giving it a lower rating than it deserves simply because I forced myself to finish。 But it's getting some high reviews from my fellow bloggers， so I know there is an audience for it。 It is well-written， so I hope others give it a chance！Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy。 。。。more
Anniek
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"My love may be mad and reckless， [。。。] but it's real and honest。" I absolutely adored the romance in this book。 It's not the kind of romance that's meant to be a good example， because this is not that kind of story。 But it's SO compelling。 And as a whole， this was probably the best Jane Eyre retelling I've read， it was so well crafted and engaging， the author recognizably working with the original text but making it their own， and really adding to it。 "My love may be mad and reckless， [。。。] but it's real and honest。" I absolutely adored the romance in this book。 It's not the kind of romance that's meant to be a good example， because this is not that kind of story。 But it's SO compelling。 And as a whole， this was probably the best Jane Eyre retelling I've read， it was so well crafted and engaging， the author recognizably working with the original text but making it their own， and really adding to it。 。。。more
Joy Whiteside
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I enjoyed this book from the moment that I started reading and could not stop will the last page was read。 It moved along at a great pace， has interesting characters that you will love and a story that keeps you reading and needing more。 This book needs to be on your TBR list， there is no doubt about it。
Molly - Baltimore Bibliophile
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Within These Wicked Walls is pitched as an Ethiopian inspired Jane Eyre retelling。 I'm unfamiliar with the Jane Eyre story， so I can't confirm how closely this story aligns with Jane Eyre， BUT it is an excellent story no matter what。 The story revolves around a haunted house， exorcisms， and an unlikely romance。 Andromeda is a debtera （exorcist） hired by the rich and mysterious hermit Magnus Rochester to cleanse his home of a curse。 A dozen older and more experienced debteras have tried and faile Within These Wicked Walls is pitched as an Ethiopian inspired Jane Eyre retelling。 I'm unfamiliar with the Jane Eyre story， so I can't confirm how closely this story aligns with Jane Eyre， BUT it is an excellent story no matter what。 The story revolves around a haunted house， exorcisms， and an unlikely romance。 Andromeda is a debtera （exorcist） hired by the rich and mysterious hermit Magnus Rochester to cleanse his home of a curse。 A dozen older and more experienced debteras have tried and failed to cleanse the mansion， but Andi is desperate。 Quickly she realizes she has bitten off more than she can chew with the sheer amount of work needed， in addition to the moody and entitled employer who she is strangely attracted to。For a stand alone， this book is plotted and paced really well。 Fantasy stand alones can often run into a pacing problem but I felt this book was well balanced with plot & world-building。 There is not a lot of explanation around the magic system involving exorcising the Evil Eye， but enough is given to have an understanding of what is happening。 There is also a theme of family and second chance love during some background plots。The slow burn romance had some superb tension and banter， but I wasn't completely sold on the whole thing。 Maybe that means I wouldn't love the original Jane Eyre， but it was somehow slow burn but also too fast？ Andi did a complete flip flop at one point for no reason but， hey it happens in romances。**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Emily
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**ARC provided by the publisher for review consideration。 All thoughts are my own**I really *wanted* to like this one， but between the spotty world building and inconsistent characters I finally put it down at about 2/3 in。
Amber
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Full of haunted horrors， gothic intrigue， and unexpected romance， Within These Wicked Walls was a perfectly spooky October read that brought a new eerie take on the classic Jane Eyre story。👻🖤Trained to cleanse houses from restless spirits and manifestations， Andromeda is sent to exorcise a mysterious estate from the evil lurking beneath its walls。👀 Once she begins her work， she discovers a tragic curse brought upon those who live there and is determined to find a way to save them before it’s too Full of haunted horrors， gothic intrigue， and unexpected romance， Within These Wicked Walls was a perfectly spooky October read that brought a new eerie take on the classic Jane Eyre story。👻🖤Trained to cleanse houses from restless spirits and manifestations， Andromeda is sent to exorcise a mysterious estate from the evil lurking beneath its walls。👀 Once she begins her work， she discovers a tragic curse brought upon those who live there and is determined to find a way to save them before it’s too late。😱This story blended the inspiration of Jane Eyre and its gothic elements into an Ethiopian retelling that completely swept me away！😍 I loved how Blackwood subtly wove in nods to the original story while adding in new twists and turns， including a different take on our Jane and Rochester-inspired characters。🤗Andromeda was fierce and strong， and Magnus…sweet， sweet Magnus stole my heart。🥺🥰 He had a light and endearing personality， filled with adorable little quirks that offset the horrors happening around him。 The romance， as well， added a great balance to the dark plot bringing life and humor to the story and making readers feel for the characters and become invested。💕 （Also， the banter was downright ADORABLE！）With strong themes of love and family， Blackwood created a beautiful story with a mix of horror， action， and romance that is sure to give you chills and touch your heart。🥺*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review。*[TW: Slavery/trafficking， physical abuse， blood and gore， depression， abandonment] 。。。more
ShakilaMarie_Reads
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This was a perfect book for this spooky season！Andromeda， a debtera， who was hired to rid Magus’ mansion of the Evil Eye。 This job came at the perfect time as Andi found herself to be homeless and without money after leaving her mentor Jember who years ago took her in and taught her over the years。 She’s now being put to the test to see if she’s able to use her amulets to clean the mansion。 However， she’s not an official certified debtera and this comes after the unsuccessful attempts of many pr This was a perfect book for this spooky season！Andromeda， a debtera， who was hired to rid Magus’ mansion of the Evil Eye。 This job came at the perfect time as Andi found herself to be homeless and without money after leaving her mentor Jember who years ago took her in and taught her over the years。 She’s now being put to the test to see if she’s able to use her amulets to clean the mansion。 However， she’s not an official certified debtera and this comes after the unsuccessful attempts of many previous debtera。In Magnus’ spooky mansion， he has given the order that everyone must stay in their rooms during the “waking hours” when the Evil Eye comes out to prey on the house guests。 If you are caught in the hallways during this time， you may not see the light of the next day。 As Andi ventures to figure out how to get rid of the evil eye， she learns about herself， how new employer and other house guests， her mentor and her past。 I enjoyed the story as little bits are revealed about Andromeda， the house， and the other characters involved。 This book not only includes a great story， we have a little blood abs action throughout as well。 Good story， blood and gore， fighting some killing as well as spooky paranormal beings “𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨” sign me up！ Oh I can’t forget there is also a bit of romance in there too。There was some parts of the book that was a little slow for me， but over all the book is one to read！Thank you so much for the gifted e-arc @netgalley and @stmartinspress 。。。more
fictitiouswanderer
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GUYS。 This book was so good！！ It’s a Ethiopian inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre and it will sweep you off your feet。Andromeda is a debtera and she is offered a job by Magnus to cleanse his house of the Evil Eye。 Desperately needing a job with room and board she accepts without fully understanding the mess she’s about to find herself in。The relationship that builds between Andromeda and Magnus is so sweet and genuine， it’s hard to not fall in love with them。 This book made me swoon， smile， GUYS。 This book was so good！！ It’s a Ethiopian inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre and it will sweep you off your feet。Andromeda is a debtera and she is offered a job by Magnus to cleanse his house of the Evil Eye。 Desperately needing a job with room and board she accepts without fully understanding the mess she’s about to find herself in。The relationship that builds between Andromeda and Magnus is so sweet and genuine， it’s hard to not fall in love with them。 This book made me swoon， smile， and cry。 I liked that it was creepy without being scary and that the main focus was the relationships between characters。 4。5/5 ⭐️ 。。。more
Ashelee Gerald
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I waver on YA。 I was super excited about this one especially after reading （and LOVING） Legendborn and being immersed in the Children of Blood and Bone series - and it's set in Ethiopia？！ I also love a classical retelling with a diverse set of characters。 However， I didn't get too much of that。 I'll give it more stars than what reflects my honest feelings about the book because exorcisms and evil spirits aren't really my jam （yes， as mentioned above I do love Legendborn but I can only take so mu I waver on YA。 I was super excited about this one especially after reading （and LOVING） Legendborn and being immersed in the Children of Blood and Bone series - and it's set in Ethiopia？！ I also love a classical retelling with a diverse set of characters。 However， I didn't get too much of that。 I'll give it more stars than what reflects my honest feelings about the book because exorcisms and evil spirits aren't really my jam （yes， as mentioned above I do love Legendborn but I can only take so much in a year - I'm a squeamish scaredy-cat）。 。。。more
Amanda
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