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Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1)

by Leanna Renee Hieber (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 2,368 ratings · 499 reviews

I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He wa...more

Paperback, 317 pages

Published November 8th 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire (first published November 1st 2011)

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Sep 06, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gaslamp-fantasy, romance, young-adult-fiction

Darker Still is a story that draws its inspiration from a number of great Gothic classics. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray can be found in Darker Still, and yet this story still feels unique in a YA market that is flooded with witches, fairies, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. I love Victorian literature, and this book manages to tackle some fairly significant modern themes in a historic...more Darker Still is a story that draws its inspiration from a number of great Gothic classics. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray can be found in Darker Still, and yet this story still feels unique in a YA market that is flooded with witches, fairies, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. I love Victorian literature, and this book manages to tackle some fairly significant modern themes in a historical paranormal romance by examining them through a Victorian lens.

The story is told in epistolary form through Natalie’s diary entries, letters she receives or writes, and police and newspaper accounts. This type of first person narrative, in which the whole story is told this way, is uncommon in modern literature. It serves a psychological function between the character and the reader that works for teenagers, who are familiar with this structure from their Facebook, Twitter, and blogging accounts. It also makes sense for Natalie; because she doesn’t speak, her communication with other characters naturally happens through her writing, and the reader gets to feel even closer to her than through a straighforward first person narrative.

Natalie Stewart is seventeen years old and knows her prospects are limited. She witnessed her mother's violent death as a small child, and it has left her unable to speak. Her father loves her, but he doesn't know what to do with her, so he ships her off to school with other young people who have a variety of "mental" problems. Even worse, when she comes home, people treat her like she's furniture, and openly pity her father because she's not likely to make a good marriage.

Her life takes a new direction, however, when she hears about a mysterious portrait of a young man who disappeared immediately after the painting was finished. Rumor has it the painting is haunted, and Natalie is intrigued enough to convince her father to let her work in the acquisitions department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he is a curator. The museum can’t afford the asking price of the portrait, however, and the wealthy and somewhat mysterious widow Mrs. Evelyn Northe is persuaded to purchase the art and loan it to the museum.

But Natalie immediately notices there's something strange about the painting: She’s certain the young man, Lord Denbury, moves on the canvas between her glances. Just a few minutes later she sees a young man who looks just like Lord Denbury walk past her and speak to her rudely. Natalie is scared, but intrigued by this mystery.

Because of her friendship with Mrs. Northe she learns that the older woman knows more than she has previously revealed, and Natalie decides to learn everything she can from the enigmatic widow. Natalie begins to spend increasing amounts of time with the painting until she sees a message asking her to touch Lord Denbury’s hand, after which she falls into the painting and meets the real Lord Denbury. Natalie and Jonathon are immediately drawn to each other, and Natalie promises to help Jonathon break the curse and gain his freedom.

But women are suddenly going missing in the poorer Five Points area of New York, only to turn up murdered in grisly fashion, and the description of the assailant matches Lord Denbury. Now Mrs. Northe and Natalie are in a race against time to stop the murders and determine if Jonathon is friend or foe before the curse becomes permanent.

I liked how Hieber explores gender, class, and the question of disability in this novel. Natalie is an intelligent young woman, yet her inability to speak makes her peers see her as broken and of reduced value as a human. Her father’s overprotectiveness makes things even worse by making sure she is sent away to a sheltered environment that stunts her development. Her father loves her, but she makes some potentially life-threatening mistakes because she doesn't know any better, which made me even more upset. Her father is unable to see the capable young woman he has raised. The book’s theme about finding one’s voice is larger than learning to speak one’s thoughts; it’s also about encouraging the young adult audience to challenge what they’ve been taught, and to reexamine social ideas of perfection and self-worth for value and applicability.

Darker Still is a page-turner that will appeal to the teenage audience’s sense of drama and controversy, while possibly also capturing their imagination and desire to read the classics I mentioned at the beginning of my review.

My formal review for this book can be found on: http://doctorfantastiques.com/2011/11... (less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

GrowingUpYA

Oh. My. God. I die!

My heart is (oh God) alight with joy!

Yeah, I know I just said that, but that's exactly how this book made me feel.

Darker Still was delightfully strange and charming. The book absorbed me within its first couple of pages. I was instantly captivated by Natalie Stewart, the book's unique protagonist, who was quick-witted, brave, and absolutely her own person. Let's not forget to mention her role as the novel's hero, sent by destiny, to rescue the "damned-man in distre...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Darker Still
A copy of this book was kindly provided by Sourcebooks Fire Publishing via Netgalley.

For Natalie Stewart destiny is scrawled across the morning paper's headlines. A story and a photo of a painting capture her attention. It is the handsome portrait of a Lord Denbury, who is reported to have committed suicide in England. Rumors swirl thick around the picture, some believe that it is haunted and that the essence of the young man is trapped inside. Our mute heroine, Natalie is immediatel...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-pnr, keeper

With the back blurb giving a sort of mishmash of well known books forced into one YA book, I was happily surprised (and relived) how well Hieber weaved the stories of Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into Darker Still taking well known stories and giving it her own twist on these tales and making it new.

New York City 1882:
Natalie Stewart a smart and clever seventeen year old life has been trouble since after a traumatic accident that killed her mother and left her without the ability t

...more With the back blurb giving a sort of mishmash of well known books forced into one YA book, I was happily surprised (and relived) how well Hieber weaved the stories of Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into Darker Still taking well known stories and giving it her own twist on these tales and making it new.

New York City 1882:
Natalie Stewart a smart and clever seventeen year old life has been trouble since after a traumatic accident that killed her mother and left her without the ability to speak. With nightmares and visions that haunt her dreams nightly. This doesn't stop Natalie from seeking out the world through books and trying to break from her shelter living. Her life changes when she happens across a painting of Jonathon Whitby, Lord Denbury, with his startling blue eyes that seem to see deep into her soul, almost like he's alive...shocking of all, trapped in the painting and it's only up to Natalie to set him free and face her nightmares and the devil that trapped Denbury in the painting.

Natalie is the type of heroine I love, no pity party for this girl. Losing her voice and being mute hasn’t stopped her from living and expanding her world, while sheltered, she takes everything with a grain of salt and while what happens to her is on the border of crazy fantastic she takes the role she’s given and runs with it and still dealing with her building emotions. There was a few instances where I thought she travel down the road of borderline TSTL, she surprises me when going into danger not risking her neck out to far, but being able to protect those in danger.

Much of the story is told from her POV in present/past tense through her dairy and police reports. While it’s nice to think she could write down all these small details even in a time of crisis. I didn’t really buy into the format. While the idea is great and the author still pulled off an amazing tale, I would have liked it better with just her POV. I felt a lot of emotions/ scenes felt a little lacking in punch especially when faced with the demon that locked Denbury in the painting.

Denbury was charming and sweet, the scenes where very he and Natalie are together were at times sweet, hot and sad. Natalie brings the life back into Denbury’s life and the hope all will be well. Denbury becomes the anchor in the storm for Natalie, she’s been afloat and alone forced into silence by the event that killed her mother. It was kinda cute of Denbury taking the role of the princess in distress and Natalie being the knight in shining armor. Denbury doesn’t have to much of a hand in his release, he supports Natalie with calming of her mind and facing down her nightmares that haunt her.

Both Denbury and Natalie have gifts that makes them targets and there’s still those who would love to get their hands on both of them, there’s also those like who Mrs. Evelyn Northe who wants to protect and help them. There was a lot of loose threads left in the end and some hints, but I fell in love with how Hieber made this story that I’ll be looking forward tonext book in this series.(less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Sue rated it 1 of 5 stars

The writing was decent, I loved the era and the setting, I thought the author did it justice but the plot is still poorly done. When you really think about it, we all know books have to have high stakes. There was no real stake for our heroine at all. She got drawn in by the painting, the only reason she helps is because she feels a certain pull to the ridiculously attractive lord and thus must help him (Honestly, what if he was butt ugly? Different situation entirely).

If our MC chose not to ac...more The writing was decent, I loved the era and the setting, I thought the author did it justice but the plot is still poorly done. When you really think about it, we all know books have to have high stakes. There was no real stake for our heroine at all. She got drawn in by the painting, the only reason she helps is because she feels a certain pull to the ridiculously attractive lord and thus must help him (Honestly, what if he was butt ugly? Different situation entirely).

If our MC chose not to act, she could have easily walked away with no consequence. I guess her motivation aside from her attraction to oh-so-gorgeous guy is also because she's lonely as she's a mute. It's nice for her to be involved and feel appreciated.

Although it does become ridiculous how she's the only person able to go into the painting and converse with Jonathan, and it's also too far-fetched that in the painting she can miraculous talk again which helps her in real life.

Also, the book is written in the diary style which puts a distance from the actual conflict. You won't actually be worried for the MC because you know she'll be fine. I mean she can't give us the end if she's dead right? Someone has to write the thing.

There are many accounts of our MC's nightmares, which is probably supposed to be the scariest and most exciting bit. But too bad I found it inane along with the subplot of her mother. I guess we're supposed to worry about the bad guys in this case right? But you'll be surprised how easily the MC manages to deal with the problem and get the body back. (view spoiler)

I found it surprising that there seems to be a sequel. Out of no where we just get one mention how there is a society and therefore there is more danger to be had. I don't think it's really enough for another book.

The main character was somewhat interesting (although I already forgot her name...) but in the end her and Jonathan's romance fell flat. I mean they only like each other because they need each other's help. The only thing attractive about Jonathan is his handsomeness, but he's very one dimensional and the only thing we know about him is how he wants to be a doctor which I assume is supposed to make us like him and show us his compassion and deep-soul. He also comes across as silly/stupid with how he got into the whole mess in the first place. Honestly, I can't buy into it. (view spoiler)

This book is set around the 1880s and propriety was stern then. But once you get our MC into the painting and get some action with the sexy-dude, man these ladies don't have much control after all. What is wrong with our naive heroines turning out to be not so naive?

Disappointing novel after all. Not once was it believable or clever or brave. (less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Cait rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ohhh dear I'm already hooked just by the synopsis alone! My heart already did a bunch of little flip-flops :) This just sounds so....so....good :)

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Oct 30, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aad-2011-philly, books-i-own-print, signed, for-review-read, read-in-2011, favorites

I've had Leanna Renee Hieber's Strangely Beautiful series on my wish list for a long time now so I was very excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of the first book in her new Magic Most Foul series. Darker Still is a fantastic Gothic paranormal story set in Victorian New York and I loved it.

The story is told in the form of diary entries written by our heroine, 17 year old Natalie. Natalie is a beautiful, intelligent young woman but since the trauma of witnessing her mother's death as a ch...more I've had Leanna Renee Hieber's Strangely Beautiful series on my wish list for a long time now so I was very excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of the first book in her new Magic Most Foul series. Darker Still is a fantastic Gothic paranormal story set in Victorian New York and I loved it.

The story is told in the form of diary entries written by our heroine, 17 year old Natalie. Natalie is a beautiful, intelligent young woman but since the trauma of witnessing her mother's death as a child she has been unable to speak. Her father loves her dearly but is unsure how to cope with her and she has spent most of her childhood in an asylum with people suffering from various mental illnesses. She has now come home to live with her father but is treated as an outcast by society because she is unable to speak and is very unlikely to make a suitable marriage because of her disability. Natalie's father works for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and she manages to convince him to get her a job there, afraid that he will send her back to the asylum if she doesn't find something useful to do.

It is at the museum that she first sees the painting of Lord Denbury. She has already heard of the mystery surrounding the painting, the subject disappeared not long after the painting was finished and is presumed dead and there are rumors that the painting itself is haunted but she is just intrigued by the amazing detail in the picture. Famous spiritualist Mrs Northe has her heart set on buying the painting and she quickly takes Natalie under her wing. The more time Natalie spends with the painting the more she starts to believe that there is something suspicious going on, she is positive that Lord Denbury moves when she isn't looking and starts to wonder if she really is insane after all. It doesn't take long before she discovers that something much more sinister is going on though, the real Lord Denbury has been trapped inside the painting but can she find a way to help him escape and who put him there in the first place?

Natalie is a great heroine, she has led a sheltered life but is smart and resourceful and you really get to see her grow throughout the story. She is terrified of the things that she sees and has to face but is equally determined to find a way to help Lord Denbury. It makes a nice change to read a book where it is the heroine who has to rescue the hero rather than the other way around. I also loved the fact that the story is set in Victorian New York, I've read a lot of books from that era set in London and this made a refreshing change. I liked Lord Denbury, he is sweet and passionate but doesn't really have a major role to play in his own rescue. Trapped as he is there is little he can do but stand by and watch as Natalie faces the dangers on his behalf and I'm hoping he will have a more active role in future books in the series.

I don't want to tell you more about the story because I think you need to read the book and discover it for yourself so I'm just going to say that if you like books with a historical setting, strong female characters and a paranormal twist that is different from the usual vampires or werewolves then Darker Still is a must buy. I loved Leanna Renee Hieber's writing style and have purchased her Strangely Beautiful series which I can't wait to start reading. I will also be first in the queue when it comes to picking up the next book in the Magic Most Foul series.(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Pamela Todd rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, paranormal, read-in-2011, romance, ya-mg

Natalie Stewart leads us through the story of Darker Still, a haunting romance with a dark edge. Natalie is different to other girls her age – she isn’t attending parties, dinners and events in the hopes of finding a suitable match. She has just returned home from boarding school at a convent where her abnormality was hidden from society. Natalie is a mute, and has been since witnessing her mother’s death at a very tender age.

But things are about to change for Natalie. When she overhears her fat...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Nancy (Tumbling Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm still trying to decide how I feel about Darker Still, there were things that I liked and things that I didn't. One of the things that I did like was the fact that the story line was very promising, it was fascinating that Lord Denbury was trapped inside the painting and the author did a good job in explaining how the magic of it worked, which I thought would have been very confusing.

There were a few other things in the story that I enjoyed, mainly that it was set in the 1880s. Because I usu...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Premise had a lot of potential in a "take Oscar Wilde, romance novels, and Victoriana--throw it in a blender" type way. But, as with the other Hieber book I've read, I can't get past her really stilted, clunky, nonsensical prose and her highly artificial, superficial courtship plots.

I also had a REAL issue with the way disability is handled in this novel. While the narrative of finding one's voice, despite societal expectations, is a sound one, I thought that Hieber's decision to make her chara...more Premise had a lot of potential in a "take Oscar Wilde, romance novels, and Victoriana--throw it in a blender" type way. But, as with the other Hieber book I've read, I can't get past her really stilted, clunky, nonsensical prose and her highly artificial, superficial courtship plots.

I also had a REAL issue with the way disability is handled in this novel. While the narrative of finding one's voice, despite societal expectations, is a sound one, I thought that Hieber's decision to make her character succeed only when she literally began to have voice was suspect. The decision to stigmatize the heroine's inability to speak, in this way, struck me as alarmingly ableist.

I also cringed whenever Natalie would share her views on other disabled characters, in particular the blind. Why did Natalie seem to have such an issue with the blind actress in her school play? The blind male fencers? The fiancé of her first crush (in this case the woman's blindness was quickly mentioned as something that really annoyed her but the character was never even introduced!). Perhaps Hieber's ableist rhetoric is supposed to illuminate something about Victorian discrimination, but instead it seemed quite rooted in our own present day prejudices and our culture's general unwillingness to accept non-normative bodies in heroic and romantic roles. I would have loved to see a signing heroine who triumphed in her native "tongue"!

A side note, the character of Mrs. Northe was so bland it was at times painful to read. I eagerly waited for her to become evil but it never happened. Part of me felt bad feeling this way because I think more books would benefit from depicting female mentorships. But many times the kinship felt forced, and every time Northe spoke unkindly of her niece (who gets demonized at the last moment in a poorly constructed scene that would have been better left for the sequels), I felt like she had an unexplored entitled, superior, narcissistic dark side that sadly was never delivered on/explored/problematized.

(less)

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Dec 16, 2011 Crystal Starr Light rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, it-s-not-you-it-s-me, historical

A little bit of everything, but just not for me.

Natalie Stewart is a 17 year-old living in New York with her father, a worker at the Museum of Art. They acquire a painting of a young man, Lord Denbury, who died under mysterious circumstances. Natalie, and her mentor, Mrs. Northe, become interested in this painting and investigations prove that this is no ordinary painting.

My feelings about this book are slightly confused. The description--Pride & Prejudice meets Picture of Dorian Grey meets...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Krista, Ambassador of Shimmy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, paranormal, favorites

What a delightful and engaging read! I saw an advertisement for this book in the window at my local bookseller. I was intrigued by the cover and even more drawn in by the description. Since I was at the time finishing up The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I was thrilled with the idea of reading another mystical-picture plotline.

I must admit I was a bit apprehensive when I saw it was intended for 12 and older. Being in my early 30s I figured it would either be too pre-teen angst ridden or...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sucky-romance, the-meh-shelf, oh-well-okay

There are some books that linger with you long after you finish it's last pages, and books that end when the book ends. Darker Still was one of the latter. With all it's talk of mysterious deaths and a lord trapped behind a painting, and a girl with a strange gift to travel between these two worlds, Darker Still didn't stand out. I'm still trying to decide where I stand with this book. It had it's good points and bad points, and did make for a fresh, quick read. It's easily forgettable, filled w...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Renae M. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, paranormal, historical-fiction, magic, gothic, epistolary

What I Liked: The era was an immediate draw for me. I was excited to read anything set in the Empire City around this timeframe, and for the most part, I feel that Hieber did a good job of presenting the period and the social structure of the time.

The “magic” aspect was fairly well done, too. The broad generalizations made me cringe at times, but for those not really aware, it would have served well. At times it did seem like Hieber was copy-pasting from some paganistic textbook, but everything...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Christy (TheReaderBee) added it

Shelves: arcs, read-in-2011, ya-series

I have read many, many raving reviews for Darker Still, so I finally decided to give it a read. The synopsis likens the book to Pride and Prejudice, which just happens to be one of my favorite reads. So I was really glad to finally get started on the book.

The main character in the story is a seventeen year old girl named Natalie Stewart. I found Natalie to be a very interesting character. Not only is she strong willed and ambitious, she’s also mute. I think that just makes her character even str...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The moment i read the summary, i just knew i would love it. I love how it incorporates some of my classical favorites, especially The Picture of Dorian Gray. I was having my usual doubts from time to time, if it was going to be good, but i'm really glad it is. The way the author weaved all this different aspects into one YA paranormal plot and added her own twists was exceptional.

Our main character, Ms. Natalie Stewart is mute, due to trauma of her mother's death when she was young and his fathe...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, physical-library

I have long been in love with Ms. Hieber's work, ever since I got to pet the ARC of her first novel. I have also gotten to meet this wonderful author in person a few times and Ms. Heiber is nothing less than sparkling. Sorry, I just really heart her. Anyway, on with the book.

The Goodreads synopsis says "The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." I read Pride and Prejudice; I have long been in love with the debauched Dorian Gray, and the only co...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Lauren (365 Days of Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars!

There’s something innately magical about historical fantasy, and Darker Still brings it in spades. Its atmosphere is simply regal, and although Natalie’s New York is certainly not the prettiest place in reality, Leanna Renee Heiber makes it seem positively lush. The actual magic involved in Darker Still fits the setting quite like a glove. At first thought, having a painting move—or watch you—might seem nightmarish, but Hieber manages to make it romantic. The incorporation of “magic mo...more 3.5 stars!

There’s something innately magical about historical fantasy, and Darker Still brings it in spades. Its atmosphere is simply regal, and although Natalie’s New York is certainly not the prettiest place in reality, Leanna Renee Heiber makes it seem positively lush. The actual magic involved in Darker Still fits the setting quite like a glove. At first thought, having a painting move—or watch you—might seem nightmarish, but Hieber manages to make it romantic. The incorporation of “magic most foul”, even, seems appealing despite its shadowy origins and rituals. The romance, too, is delicate and charming, but it eventually turns into something incredibly passionate. Darker Still’s setting and style somehow imbues the story—even the horrific moments—with beauty.

In terms of characters, Darker Still does not quite hit the nail on the head. Because Natalie is from a different time period (and thus has a different mindset than today’s teens), it’s difficult to connect with her. She does, however, provide an excellent point of view, and (like most historical fantasy heroines) she defies the rules set for her as a female. Lord Denbury is unfortunately, somewhat of an enigma. He is kind of Natalie when they first meet, and subsequent meetings after that, but there is a point in the story when his upstanding character falters. It’s difficult, after this point, to really find him genuine. There is, however, one truly stellar character in Darker Still, and that is Mrs. Northe. She acts as Natalie’s mother-figure and confidant, and she plays her part excellently. In a majority of YA literature, heroines are reluctant to tell adults what they’re going through for fear of being disbelieved. Mrs. Northe never questions what Natalie tells her, and she does a fantastic job of looking after her.

A large part of Darker Still is the romance between Natalie and Lord Denbury. It is initially very cautious, and it kind of creeps up on you, despite Natalie’s instant infatuation with the painting of Denbury. The way they exchange coy glances and blush at each other’s touch is instantly endearing. Later, though, Natalie and Denbury’s passion is unleashed almost too quickly (especially for the time period); I wanted more of the slow, sensual buildup of tension. After this point, I found myself not truly enjoying the romance aspect of the book.

Despite issues with characters and the romance, Darker Still is still an excellent historical fantasy. The setting and mystery really make the novel captivating and worth reading.(less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Jess marked it as to-read

Shelves: lovely-hair

Because I love reading books about cute guys with their souls trapped in paintings. Because I think guys like girls with pointy shoulder blades. Because she's wearing purple. Because it's Tuesday. And that's why I want to read this book.

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Mar 04, 2013 Christine Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant. More in depth review on my alter-ego's profile:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

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Mar 12, 2013 Charity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved. This. Book. I could not put it down. This book kind of pulls from other books to create its own wonderful story. Dorian Gray (obviously), Poe, Dracula... there was even one bit that screamed, "HARRY POTTER!"

I was initially interested in this book for the "gothic" themes that were stressed on the synopsis and reviews, as I thought it would be a bit of fun. I also love the 1880 time period - it draws me in... It is written in journal format, which I rather liked. It makes the letters and o...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Jaelyn Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre:Gothic Historical
Lexile:830

Book Review: I thought that this book was awesome. Even though the main character couldn't speak because of a trauma as a child, she overcame this boundary and started to speak just to save the one that she loved.

Ploy Summary: Natalie Stewart is a 17 year old girl who cannot speak because of a tragedy as a child. Her dad works for the metropolitan art museum and a new painting of a British lord has arrived. Natalie wants to see the picture so she meets the bidder...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Penda Penn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gothique, not-as-great-as-i-expected, okay

for more, go to:

Okay I never did read the synopsis of this one, one of my classic examples of I-was-drawn-to-the-cover reads. The writing was superb for a diary with detailed dialogues. I'm not a fan of diaries, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the only one I'd managed to finish. Nor have I read plenty of gothics before. I've seen the movie of The Portrait of Dorian Gray but that's it. Plus I'm not really a Wilde fan (ha, pun intended). But this was interesting for me, as I find that I adore things that involve doctors. Muahahaha, no, preferably not the loony and just a dew days shy deranged like Dr. Jekyll, but the loving and good-looking ones like this Lord Denbury that I earlier expected too much from.

Okay so this is basically a mute's (because of trauma and not because of a congenital defect) "retelling" of the events that transpired in what is probably the most definitive (only seconded by the traumatic experience she underwent as a child that gave her her dysfunctional speech) moment in her life, as documented in her diary. Her feelings for a man who was, unfortunately, stuck behind a portrait.

I am a fan of the author's writing style and I, like most people, sometimes forget that this is supposed to be a diary. I read in one comment in Goodreads.com that she felt the reader was just 'told' what the characters felt. Well, in my opinion, that would be the point. A diary isn't supposed to make people feel what you feel, a diary's just the place where you dump everything in, not caring whether someone's going to read it or not. Or else it would nullify the diary's private status. So I think that's what the author wanted to come across. Although this is meant to be a book for others to read, it's a diary and if it isn't written that way, it would defeat the purpose of writing in diary style.

As for something other than the writing, I feel that the romance between lacks something. The characters, Mr. Denbury, in particular was undeveloped. Well we get that Denbury's mesmerizing, kind and the typical gentleman with an enigma of a past but... (trails off) I admit I know borderline nothing about the Victorian era, but are the people (men, in particular) in those days so.. dull? As for Natalie, I'm annoyed at her which I take as a good sign because she isn't Mary Sue to me (yay!)

As for the sequel, I probably won't be reading it. The end of this one seems to be very conclusive to me and reading would further would just kill the three stars that I've decided to give this after a long period of deliberation. This book also deal with a lot of jumbled up spirituality. There are times when it's hard to follow. I'm Christian and the amount of shimmer tapping into different beliefs in this one is too ridiculous for me.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 joyce rated it 1 of 5 stars

so, I totally read this book because of the cover. I'm not ging to say I'm sorry I did that, but I am saying that I'm dissapointed. This book does not live up to it's cover.
I like the herione. She's bookish, dramatic, love's love... and she's mute(well...). I thought she was entertaining and relatable, though a bit... much. I liked getting the story through her, she was a fun character. but I didn't actually like much of the story I got. There was all that mixing of religion which REALLY got on...more

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May 18, 2012 Zachary Hulet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everyone has believed in the concept of spirituality at least once in their lives. Well, even if one is not a believer currently, they will become one after reading "Darker Still". I was drawn to this book originally because I had heard that it was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s groundbreaking novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Having enjoyed Wilde’s novel not even a month before, I was eager for a new twist on the story. By the time I finished this book, I determined that it wasn’t only a unique tw...more Everyone has believed in the concept of spirituality at least once in their lives. Well, even if one is not a believer currently, they will become one after reading "Darker Still". I was drawn to this book originally because I had heard that it was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s groundbreaking novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Having enjoyed Wilde’s novel not even a month before, I was eager for a new twist on the story. By the time I finished this book, I determined that it wasn’t only a unique twist on Wilde’s story, but surpassed it in terms of an engaging story as well.

"Darker Still" follows Natalie Stewart, an eighteen-year old girl who has been mute ever since her mother died years earlier. Over time, she feels extremely drawn to a painting of the handsome Lord Denbury, who supposedly committed suicide. However, Natalie comes to find out that Denbury is still alive and trapped in the painting, having fallen backwards into a plot that is so much bigger than simple magickry. At the core of this captivating tale is a very engaging plot which I would love to elaborate upon, but sadly can’t.

Besides the plot, the characters were what really sold the story in "Darker Still", especially Natalie, Denbury, and Mrs. Northe. For instance, seeing the whole events of the story from Natalie’s point of view was quite fascinating, mainly due to the fact that, being mute, she sees the world and handles interactions differently from the average Jane. Denbury, on the other hand, provides a tender and loving air that exudes strength even when things seem most dark. Additionally, Mrs. Northe serves as an excellent supporting protagonist as her knowledge of most things supernatural makes her the perfect helper to both Natalie and Denbury despite the increasingly dark situation.

Despite how good the plot and characters are, like all great novels, "Darker Still" does have its occasional drawbacks. For example, some of the characters, such as Maggie, are so wooden and unimportant that I feel the novel could have gotten along perfectly well without them. I was also disappointed that Natalie’s father wasn’t fleshed out too much considering the fact that her mother is dead. If the novel could have focused just a little bit more on Natalie’s relationship with her father, I would’ve felt just a bit more emotionally attached. Additionally, I didn’t like how the whole novel is basically a diary kept by Natalie recounting the events because it sometimes it showed a feeling of emotional detachment from Natalie. Not always, but just enough.

Despite these significant shortcomings, "Darker Still" is a very good book. The often disturbingly detailed imagery and prose leaps off of almost every single page. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good, mystery, or even supernatural fiction. "Darker Still" is a novel for everyone.(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Suzanne Kastens rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! Hieber does a great job creating the Victorian setting. The 1800s setting of Manhattan is perfect. The dialogue reflects the time period and i thought that was nice. Natalie is a wonderful character. She may be mute, but she is not dumb. I think people misunderstood Natalie. She was however a little sloppy in the beginning, but becomes more herself around Mrs. Northe. She is not so superficial as Maggie. I enjoyed her wittiness even in her silence. Lord Denbury is a perfect ge...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars

Today I have dark, yet romantic YA paranormal to review. Darker Still is a novel written by Leanna Renee Hieber and published by Sourcebooks.

The Story- Natalie Stewart is a young mute woman living in the late eighteen hundreds. She hasn’t spoken a word since she witnessed her mother’s death as a child, and doctors say there is nothing physically wrong with her, it’s all in her head.

Natalie’s father works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and hires Natalie as an assistant, giving her something...more Today I have dark, yet romantic YA paranormal to review. Darker Still is a novel written by Leanna Renee Hieber and published by Sourcebooks.

The Story- Natalie Stewart is a young mute woman living in the late eighteen hundreds. She hasn’t spoken a word since she witnessed her mother’s death as a child, and doctors say there is nothing physically wrong with her, it’s all in her head.

Natalie’s father works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and hires Natalie as an assistant, giving her something to do in a world where nobody knows what to make of a mute woman. Life changes when Natalie views a portrait up for auction. Lord Denbury, the subject of the painting, stirs amazing feelings of warmth and vitality within Natalie's heart. One of the bidders, Mrs. Northe, a spiritualist, tells Natalie that the painting broadcasts an aura of darkness and that it must be kept from evil hands.

As if in a dream, Natalie must touch the painting, and when she does, she finds herself inside the painting with the soul of handsome Jonathon Denbury. He tells a tale most foul, one of a body stealing demon with murderous intentions.

Completely in love, Natalie decides it is her fate to defeat the demon and save Lord Denbury from his acrylic hell.

My Thoughts- The title, Darker Still, is apt for this novel. The unfolding story of the demon and his dealings with dark magic and murder give the book a seriously “noir” type feeling. The author does a great job creating her villain. We don’t see him very often in the book, but the descriptions that Lord Denbury tells of him make him come alive in the reader's mind.

I love the character of Natalie. A mute girl living in the 1880’s had little chance of a full life. Natalie is a strong character that faces evil with the belief that it must be stopped, no matter the consequences. She goes on a journey of change, battling against her self imposed muteness, and fighting for what she believes.

The story is told in the first person, through a diary of Natalie’s. It is well done, causing the reader to forget that the story actually happened in the past and we are reading Natalie’s tale.

Lord Denbury is Natalie’s love obsession. However, he is not a very dynamic character. I think this is because we only get to see him in one setting, inside the library within the painting. Unfortunately, this left me feeling a little empty about his character and I didn’t really invest in their relationship. Luckily, the story itself is strong and I wanted to see how things ended.

This is a dark and tense read that I recommend for ages 12 and up.

www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com
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Mar 03, 2012 Rea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, romance, young-adult

Full review can be found here.

This idea held a lot of potential and for the most part the story lived up to my expectations. I liked the idea behind it all: it is fairly quickly implied that dark magic was used to imprison the British lord and what ensues is the attempt to unravel the secrets behind the ritual that tore Lord Denbury’s soul from his body. The end result of this was a little disappointing as I was expecting some complicated riddle, all things considered, but after the reveal it ju...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Makaelabaker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Sourcebooks Fire 2011
317 pages
Young Adult
I had noticed Darker Still at my local Barnes and Nobel a couple weeks ago, of course the cover intrigued me, it was shiny, it was beautiful, and it was purple! But it wasn’t until a few weeks later that I actually picked it up. I’m not exactly sure what made me leave it behind that day save for the fact that I was a fool and was on a mission to buy Switched by Amanda Hocking. And I really should kick myself for wasting...more Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Sourcebooks Fire 2011
317 pages
Young Adult
I had noticed Darker Still at my local Barnes and Nobel a couple weeks ago, of course the cover intrigued me, it was shiny, it was beautiful, and it was purple! But it wasn’t until a few weeks later that I actually picked it up. I’m not exactly sure what made me leave it behind that day save for the fact that I was a fool and was on a mission to buy Switched by Amanda Hocking. And I really should kick myself for wasting so much time with an awful book instead of buying Darker Still.
This book is amazing and I will just say that I give it an 8 out of 10 rating, and I will more than likely keep it on my book shelf for many years to come.
Natalie Stewart lives in late 19th century New York in 1880. The story is told from her perspective in a diary that she takes with her everywhere. She becomes captivated with a famous portrait that comes to the city and enthralled by the man on the canvas. But when she notices that the picture mysteriously moves she becomes curious and gets sucked into the painting with the handsome gentleman encased in the paint. Now Natalie must know why he is trapped there and find a way to get him out.
Natalie is independent and strong but is unlike most female characters we see in YA, because she’s mute, which made her quite interesting to read about.
Denbury was such a good guy, very sweet and I felt sincerely sorry for what had happened to him. As a reader I think he is a good role model for young girls as far as how men should behave towards us. He was polite and respectful (mostly) but still sexy and handsome. One thing Liked about this book was that the writing didn’t dwell on the characters looks, it kind of hinted at it and then it moved on, so we didn’t hear over and over that Denbury was beautiful! Which was a relief and surprisingly I didn’t miss it.
I will say that there are a few scenes that got a little steamy, and I was worried just like I would be worried about a best friend making a big mistake with a guy she barely knows. But it didn’t so as far as I thought it would. (Not that I don’t mind sexy time in books but…ya know… its YA.)
One thing I didn’t like about this book was that during the time period that this book takes place in the society was very strict about how affection is shown, kissing was so totally not allowed and whenever the characters would get done kissing they kind of just brushed it off like it was nothing and I just think that two people who live in a society where two unmarried people kissing is taboo, that the characters would have freaked out more.
And even though I liked the cover when I first saw it I don’t really care for it anymore, mainly because again during that time the people were much more modest and shoulder less dresses would not have been allowed, so again it was just not as true to the time period as a time period piece should be.
But all in all I really liked this book, not a lot of people have reviewed it, but i would recommend it to anyone.
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Dec 26, 2011 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s New York City in the 1880s, and seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart is a little bit of an odd girl. No one really knows how to deal with her because of her selective muteness, and as a result, Natalie is left mostly to herself. But when a mysterious painting of the British Lord Denbury arrives and is set to be displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Natalie’s life takes a turn for the more interesting. There’s something so striking, so alluring about this portrait that seems to draw Nat...more It’s New York City in the 1880s, and seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart is a little bit of an odd girl. No one really knows how to deal with her because of her selective muteness, and as a result, Natalie is left mostly to herself. But when a mysterious painting of the British Lord Denbury arrives and is set to be displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Natalie’s life takes a turn for the more interesting. There’s something so striking, so alluring about this portrait that seems to draw Natalie in. But it’s not just the attractive features of Denbury that have Natalie captivated, but the way his eyes seems to follow her about the room and the way details of the painting keep changing. Could it be that there’s something else at work here, something like dark magic? In any case, from the moment Natalie sets her eyes on Lord Denbury, she knows her life will never be the same—and she’s right.

Hieber has created a truly fantastic historical and paranormal tale in Darker Still. The story opens as many other young adult historical novels do, with a young woman concerned with her future prospects. Natalie is a well-to-do young lady who would be a willing participant in society if not for her muteness. Her worries for the sorry state of her future are quickly overshadowed when Lord Denbury appears in her life—because he seems to be trapped in a painting and Natalie is determined to free him. Readers will be swept along into Natalie’s world with each magical or otherwise sinister twist of the plot. In addition to a lovely and captivating story, I have to say that I really enjoyed Hieber’s writing and descriptions. Her tendency for the dramatic and theatrical really helps set the scene and makes the story, along with all of Natalie’s many issues, come to life. In all, I was quite enamored with Darker Still and eagerly await the next installment in the Magic Most Foul series.

Darker Still appeals to fans of Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, and The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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About Leanna Renee Hieber

Author, actress and playwright, Leanna grew up in rural Ohio, graduated with a BFA in Theatre, a focus in the Victorian Era and a scholarship to study in London. She adapted 19th Century literature for the stage and her one-act plays have been produced around the country. She is a 4 time Prism Award winner for excellence in Futuristic, Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance. Her debut novel, The Strangely...more Author, actress and playwright, Leanna grew up in rural Ohio, graduated with a BFA in Theatre, a focus in the Victorian Era and a scholarship to study in London. She adapted 19th Century literature for the stage and her one-act plays have been produced around the country. She is a 4 time Prism Award winner for excellence in Futuristic, Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance. Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in the "Strangely Beautiful" saga of Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels (Barnes & Noble Bestseller) won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book) and is currently in development as a musical theatre production. DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, begins a Gothic paranormal saga set in 1880 New York City, named an INDIE NEXT title; a recommended buy by the American Book Association, a Scholastic book fairs "Highly Recommended" title and is a finalist in the 2012 Daphne du Maurier awards for excellence in Mystery/Romantic Suspense. The sequel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART released to acclaim and in the manner of the Victorians she writes about she is serializing the finale, THE DOUBLE LIFE OF INCORPORATE THINGS, on her blog. Her next Gaslamp Fantasy saga for Tor/Macmillan, THE ETERNA FILES, releases in 2014. A character from THE ETERNA FILES is featured in her short story included in QUEEN VICTORIA'S BOOK OF SPELLS (Tor, 3/13) and all her Victorian-set series feature crossover characters.

Leanna is a proud member of member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the International Thriller Writers. She is a proud co-founder of Lady Jane's Salon Reading Series in New York City. A member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, Leanna works often in television and film. She is playing the role of Deputy Kellion in Auror's Tale web-series. When not writing or on set, she loves a good Goth club, adventuring about her adopted hometown of New York City, where she resides with her real-life hero and their beloved rescued lab rabbit.(less)

More about Leanna Renee Hieber...

Books by Leanna Renee Hieber

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Strangely Beautiful, #1)

The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful, #2)

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart (Magic Most Foul, #2)

The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess (Strangely Beautiful, #3)

A Midwinter Fantasy (Strangely Beautiful, #2.5) (Sylph, #2.5) (The Magic Knot, #3)

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“Coffee first. Schemes later.” — 43 people liked it

“I was in love. With a two-dimensional object. A mute in love with a painting. Lovely. Just lovely.” — 20 people liked it

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