Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Review: Black Spring by Alison Croggon

Title: Black Spring
Author: Alison Croggon
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Fantasy, Gothic
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Inspired by the gothic classic Wuthering Heights, this stunning new fantasy from the author of the Books of Pellinor is a fiercely romantic tale of betrayal and vengeance.

In a savage land sustained by wizardry and ruled by vendetta, Lina is the enchanting but willful daughter of a village lord. She and her childhood companion, Damek, have grown up privileged and spoiled, and they’re devoted to each other to the point of obsession. But Lina’s violet eyes betray her for a witch, and witches are not tolerated in a brutally patriarchal society. Her rank protects her from persecution, but it cannot protect her from tragedy and heartbreak. An innocent visitor stands witness to the devastation that ensues as destructive longing unleashes Lina’s wrath, and with it her forbidden power. Whether drawn by the romantic, the magical, or the gothic, readers will be irresistibly compelled by the passion of this tragic tale.







I have always been a lover of Wuthering Heights so I thought this would be right up my alley.  The writing style, very formal and journal like, did remind me of the classic and it was well done.  However, the story itself didn't do as much for me as I had hoped.

It starts with a noble, Hammel, traveling to the far and uncivilized north for a change of scenery.  The story sort of begins here with him having a horrible run-in with his landlord.  I was incredibly confused because the characters in the book did not seem anything like the back blurb at this point.  But then we jump back in time quite a ways as the housekeeper tells Hammel the story of Lina and Damek.  This is the majority of the story is told from Anna's perspective, looking back and telling her story.  

Lina and Damek's story is the perfect tragic romance and fits the gothic description very well.  Doomed from the start by so many things.  There was just too much to it though.  The story seemed to drag on too much, the history being told with many rambling sidetracks.  The story is intriguing and wanting to know how it ended kept me going, but at times it was hard to do.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*


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