Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino

Feb 19, 2013 Arielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-unusual, horror-and-thriller, written-this-century

3.5 stars

This book had so much potential! If you saw my status updates you'll know how excited I was for it when I started reading it. However, by the third part of the book I had pretty much lost track of what was going on - and almost stopped caring because of this.

The prose was beautiful, lush and descriptive. Overly descriptive. In many ways, it reminded of of Kirsty Eagar's Night Beach, in that the fantasy part of the story made very little sense but yet was beautifully rendered. Boccacino...more 3.5 stars

This book had so much potential! If you saw my status updates you'll know how excited I was for it when I started reading it. However, by the third part of the book I had pretty much lost track of what was going on - and almost stopped caring because of this.

The prose was beautiful, lush and descriptive. Overly descriptive. In many ways, it reminded of of Kirsty Eagar's Night Beach, in that the fantasy part of the story made very little sense but yet was beautifully rendered. Boccacino's Ending was detailed and imaginative, but I kept feeling that he had imagined it so precisely that he assumed we knew exactly how it worked -just as he did - and just had to be shown how it looked.

For example, the creatures in the Ending were described right down to the last tentacle, but I remain in the dark as to what they actually were. I couldn't work out who Mr Whatley was, what Mr Whatley was, why he was sometimes bad and sometimes good and sometimes neither and then there was another bad guy but was he actually the bad guy I don't know and then there were people being blown to bits and ripped apart but that's not unusual or scary just enough to make the main character mildly angry because she has to go on a long quest with Mr Darrow who she loves but oh no she doesn't love and makes a habit of kissing even though his wife is alive but she's actually dead and he loves both of them but then the children are in danger but then they aren't because there's a wedding which all the injured people are attending even though they're sort of dead but they aren't because they don't die but they want to die but not to get blown up and oh god what on earth is happening???

That last paragraph pretty much sums up my feelings towards the last half of the book: it completely lost me. Some books work being nonsensical (Alice in Wonderland; Hitch-hiker's Guide), but even they are somewhat rooted in fact or, at the very least, coherency. That Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling lacks that coherency is hugely disappointing because I honestly adored the first third, and still enjoyed the second. I do love Boccacino's writing style, and perhaps the sporadic nature of the last half is due to his previous work as a poet - I hope that his next fiction attempt makes more sense than this one, because I am not ready to give up on him. I will eagerly read his next novel offering, and in the meantime seek out his poetry to tide me by.

I am determined to like this book, and this author- hence the extra half a star.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

This was one of those "oh I wish there were a 4.5 rating" books!

When I started, I thought it would be Rebecca or Jane Eyre-esque: genteel widowed governess in a remote manor home with a recent widower and his two sons. But shortly into it I realized there was a serious dose of Jonathan Strange here.

We open with the murder of Nanny Prum. A witness swears there's a black man to blame, but the village constable thinks it was the work of a savage beast. One of the daily activities Nanny and the boys...more This was one of those "oh I wish there were a 4.5 rating" books!

When I started, I thought it would be Rebecca or Jane Eyre-esque: genteel widowed governess in a remote manor home with a recent widower and his two sons. But shortly into it I realized there was a serious dose of Jonathan Strange here.

We open with the murder of Nanny Prum. A witness swears there's a black man to blame, but the village constable thinks it was the work of a savage beast. One of the daily activities Nanny and the boys, James and Paul, did was to visit their recently dead mother's grave (they weren't dealing well with the death and somehow talking to her was going to help). Charlotte (aka Mrs. Markham) takes the boys there, too, but one day on their way back they wander into a fog and come out at a mysterious house, Darkling.

Clearly this isn't a normal house, because time passes differently here and Lilly, the boy's mother, is there to great them. Charlotte's a little perplexed and worried about this (who wouldn't be?) but the house itself and their host, Mr. Whately, combine to calm her nerves a little while the boys visit their mother. Of course they return, and Charlotte starts to explore the house: there's the library with books that can lead to other worlds, paintings that do the same, a collection of "deaths" and little wax men/candles to help guide her. What Charlotte would really like to do, however, is take the boys home permanently and continue her late night chats with ~~Henry~~Mr. Darrow, her employer. Darkling is in The Ending, a world of weird, gruesome creatures and one with some sort of civil war brewing. Trying to get the boys home, she loses them to The Ending and returns to Everton to tell Mr. Darrow that his dead wife and living children are in another world? dimension? universe? As any good father would, he agrees to go help her fight for them and they return to The Ending... and too much more would be spoilers.

So, on to the quibbles. The era in which the book is set isn't stated, but it's clearly a previous century. At one point, the author describes Charlotte's composure as "Victorian" which felt just a little too meta - if this wasn't the Victorian Age, it was pretty damn close. The game that Charlotte and Mr. Whately play is confusing: we see her moves (because she tells us what she's doing) but his are unclear. Since he didn't kidnap the boys, that wasn't a move but somehow it seemed as though it might have been. Finally, the politics of The Ending were a mess. Was the strife about death? the humans entering? something more?

However, both the world of Everton and The Ending (nicely balanced names, right?) were well-realized and at times I actually wanted to visit Darkling. Maybe.

ARC provided by publisher.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Sheila rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

This was a strange one. Don't read this book if you:

* Like historical accuracy. This book was set in "the past" (no clue when it was supposed to be), but everyone talked and acted modern.
* Want to read a gothic. There are elements here, certainly, but I would call this a dark fantasy instead.
* Like clear, sensical plots. This was jumbled.
* Like consistent characters with clear motivations (the protagonist in this book makes some bizarre, irrational decisions).
* Don't like horror. I wouldn't call...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gothic, fantasy

Charlotte Markham, the newly hired governess to young James and Paul Darrow, finds herself taking on additional responsibilities when Nanny Prum is discovered murdered in the nearby forest. The children’s mother has recently passed away and their father has little time for them.

Charlotte, now both governess and nanny, spends much of her time with the boys. As a break in the monotony of their lessons Charlotte has them describe their previous night’s dreams in a drawing. Paul claims to have visit...more Charlotte Markham, the newly hired governess to young James and Paul Darrow, finds herself taking on additional responsibilities when Nanny Prum is discovered murdered in the nearby forest. The children’s mother has recently passed away and their father has little time for them.

Charlotte, now both governess and nanny, spends much of her time with the boys. As a break in the monotony of their lessons Charlotte has them describe their previous night’s dreams in a drawing. Paul claims to have visited his mother’s new home and draws a map detailing its location in a nearby woods. Charlotte takes the children on a walk following the directions on the map and along the way they cross over to The Ending, a mystical place in another world where they are greeted by Lily, the boys’ mother, looking very much alive.

Lily has made a sinister bargain with the owner of The House of Darkling where she now resides. The boys are not to tell anyone they have seen her, it’s part of the deal she made, and that is all she will say. She begs Charlotte to bring the children back for another visit. Charlotte suspects that some of the evil that has been plaguing the local town is connected to The Ending, but agrees to return anyway for the sake of the children. Charlotte soon becomes caught up in her own deadly game with the master of Darkling. As she begins to put her plan in place, the true horror of Darkling is revealed.

Part Victorian Gothic and part dark fantasy, this is a wonderfully creepy tale told from Charlotte’s point of view. With beautiful writing and lyrical prose we are introduced to an amazing land populated by a cast of unusual and sometimes ghastly creatures in an alternate world called The Ending, a place where time doesn’t exist, and where no one can die.

The story was richly detailed with well-developed characters and just enough world building to set the tone, bringing out the macabre aura of The Ending. Lily would read bedtime fairy tales to the children from a book called Laura Parker Wolfe’s Tales of The Ending, creepy stories within the story. I loved the atmosphere the author created, the descriptions of the alien residents of Darkling, noises in the night, objects that came to life, moving walls that open and close at will, strange paintings that become animated and a most unusual library.

Initially the story has a Jane Eyre feel to it but soon becomes more magical as we spend time in The Ending, with the tale turning darker as it progresses. Even though it does have some moments of horror, there is enough mystery, charm and even weirdness to appeal to a wide range of readers. An enjoyable book which I heartily recommend. I am looking forward to future work from Michael Boccacino.
Posted on my blog: http://t.co/rLiiksFl (less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: formulaic, hand-that-rocks-the-cradle, heroine-amazing, heroine-unusually-attractive, historicals, i-wanted-so-much-more, mood-dark-and-twisted, mood-evocative, place-as-character, place-uk, places-fictional-places, sense-of-place, secret-identities, skeletons-in-the-closet, so-bad-it-hurts, victoriana

Here's the thing: if this is a Victorian-ish inspired alterna-reality, then this book rocks. However, if it is meant to be a Victorian historical, with supernatural elements à la Henry James, then this book is kind of a big fail. From the start, the setting of the story is fuzzy: I just assumed it was Victorian, from the cover design and the ghostly mystery, but there's nothing specific in the text to place it there, and so my reading -- and review -- might be totally off.

Reminiscent of DuMaurie...more Here's the thing: if this is a Victorian-ish inspired alterna-reality, then this book rocks. However, if it is meant to be a Victorian historical, with supernatural elements à la Henry James, then this book is kind of a big fail. From the start, the setting of the story is fuzzy: I just assumed it was Victorian, from the cover design and the ghostly mystery, but there's nothing specific in the text to place it there, and so my reading -- and review -- might be totally off.

Reminiscent of DuMaurier's Rebecca at the start -- from the similar-sounding first lines, to the heroine's dreams of houses burning, and the heavy emphasis on the estate of Everton -- this novel lacks the chilly tension and creepy mystery that makes Rebecca so fun. Boccacino seems fairly enamored of Charlotte Markham, his governess-narrator, and Mr. Darrow, master of Everton, but Boccacino doesn't offer the reader enough time to grow enamored of them as well, and so the inappropriate romance feels foisted and odd.

The heroine is a widow; her employer a widower. Both lost their spouses about a year ago or so, both attest to the deep and abiding love they have for their deceased spouses, and yet, Boccacino inserts a romance novel-ish frisson of desire. "At times our sessions together would only end when the sun threatened to appear over the horizon; at others they would continue on until...an accidental touch of one hand against the other charged the space between us with something unspoken and unacknowledged." (p16) For the rest of the novel, Charlotte has a breathless eagerness to be cleaved to Mr. Darrow with a few weak protestations that she doesn't want to appear to be a seductress.

Rather than have a Jane Eyre-ish desire for the governess and master to end up together, I found myself telling a friend that Charlotte's interest in Darrow and her musings on life at Everton reminded me a bit of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle -- early on in the story, she's quick to imagine herself the mistress of the house simply because she cares for the master's children. Were Charlotte our anti-heroine, this build up would be deliciously wrong, but it's clear Charlotte is meant to be sympathetic, beautiful, and good.

I could harp on my problems with Charlotte, but I won't (and I did so in my Goodreads status updates), so I'll offer a few comments on the rest of the book. Boccacino creates a Victoriana playground for his characters to inhabit: the village of Blackfield is quaint, quirky, picturesque, and without class strata; the dream world of Darkling is a phantasmagoria-ish place of evil knickknacks, shifting landscapes, and tentacled overlords. When I could let go of my aggravation at the historically inaccurate behavior of our heroine, I really enjoyed the world-building, and the creepy atmosphere of the story.

So, needless to say, I've got complicated feelings about this book. Despite my complaints, however, I am eagerly anticipating Boccacino's next novel (not sure if one is in the works, but if there is...). If his character development matches his world-building, then we'll be in for a treat.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Sherie Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up at random after reading the back cover at the library. I had high hopes and really enjoyed it. I admit I wasn't as big of a fan of the last third of the book though. I agree with some other reviewers that it was a bit jumbled. I can't decide if that was the author's intention or not. There was a lot of contrast between the Victorian world and the Ending that was very jarring including the extreme violence surrounding the heroine. This was not particularly to my taste, espec...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Daniel Cann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book’s front cover states it is “A Victorian Gothic Tale” and therefore cannot be accused of false advertising. It certainly delivers on this point.

For all its inventiveness, disturbing imagery and atmosphere, I did find it hard to connect with the main characters.

Charlotte Markham is a gutsy and strong protagonist, yet despite all the tragedy in her life, and the turmoil and danger surrounding her during the events of the novel, she seems remarkably calm and stoic. I wanted more emotion an...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Maryellen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, so much to say about this book, beginning with my disclosure. Michael Boccacino is a cousin to my husband and we're a close Italian family. I've known Michael since he was an infant. So, when it's your time to read this novel, please do me a favor and start with the section called: P.S. Insights, Interviews & More..." That's how I started this novel and was completely caught off guard to learn that despite the fact I knew he was writing a novel, that I had no idea how much of the story...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

“Charlotte Markham and The House of Darkling” is a disturbingly gothic tale, set in semi-Victorian times. Charlotte Markham has always noticed the ‘man in black’ – he was there when her mother died, her father died, and her husband died. After Charlotte’s husband passed away, she was hired to be the governess for the Darrow boys, James and Paul. Their mother had died and their father had become remote, so they only had Charlotte and Nanny Prum to guide them. When Nanny Prum is found brutally mur...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Ryan G rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have never thought about reading a slightly lighter Lovecraftian tale told within the confines of a Victorian Gothic novel. It's not something that I even considered before, but now that I've read it, I'm slightly confused as to the reason why nobody thought of doing this before. Now when I say Victorian and Gothic, I'm still speaking of terms of being slightly lighter. None of the thematic elements really dominate the structure of the novel. Instead it's like the author used them as the basic...more I have never thought about reading a slightly lighter Lovecraftian tale told within the confines of a Victorian Gothic novel. It's not something that I even considered before, but now that I've read it, I'm slightly confused as to the reason why nobody thought of doing this before. Now when I say Victorian and Gothic, I'm still speaking of terms of being slightly lighter. None of the thematic elements really dominate the structure of the novel. Instead it's like the author used them as the basic outline of the structure, then filled those lines in with something else. What that something else is, I'm still not sure I have a word for it.

Now despite my apparent confusion, I'm here to tell you that I actually really enjoyed this one. Sadly, I can't really tell you the reason though. There are sometimes, no matter how much you think about or analyze something, you can't really explain your reaction to it. I know I liked it. I know I enjoyed getting to know The Ending and those that dwelled inside. I know I loved the way those denizens were structured after some of Lovecraft's well know Elder Beings. I even liked the civil war the author forced them to fight. I never thought of the Elder Beings as being political or of having schisms amongst themselves. I also thought of them as monstrous beings bent on ending the world as we know it. The author took the world of Lovecraft and made it more human, something I didn't think I would like until I read it.

I think the only thing that would have made this book stronger, at least for me, is that I would have liked to see the "romantic" elements be a bit stronger. I guess I can't really enjoy a good Gothic novel without there being a strong romantic element. The main "romance" was between Charlotte and Mr. Darrow. It was never a relationship I ever bought into or liked, and it always felt as if it existed in her head more than anything else. It was a bit too forced for my taste, and because of the direction the book took, it was doomed before it left the ground. Similarly the minor romantic liaisons never felt all that explored and the one I liked the most was barely touched upon. One one of their trips to Darkling, the oldest Darrow boy is introduced to a young man who belongs to a race of creatures that inhabit the world. The particular family takes a human visage, and the two hit it off. It's obvious from the get go that there is something between them from the start. Of all the relationships, it was the only one that developed a real sense of affection, though it was only shown a few times towards the end.

I was going to ramble on about the causes behind the civil war, the landscape that Mr. Darrow and Charlotte traveled through on their last foray into the world, and the way Death is introduced; but I won't. All these elements are interconnected and I think it best that a reader discover them on their own. I was even going to touch upon the idea of a parent striking the deal that Lily Darrow made in order to see her children once again. But her character and her motivations are, once again, best left to the reader to explore themselves. What I will say is that whether you end up enjoying the book or not, Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling will be more than worth the time.(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This was such an interesting and complex book, and I'm still not entirely sure what I feel about it, except for a sense of general elation and excitement. I discovered it via the Facebook ads (first time I've ever found anything of worth via Facebook ads!) and read the free second chapter on Michael Boccacino's page, and decided it was worth giving the book a try from that. It poses as a Gothic novel, and it is; but it twists and turns into something entirely different by the end of the book. It...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can I rate it 3.75? It's not quite four stars for me but that's due to my own preferences and not the author's writing style. I'm not a huge fan of Gothic fiction, although I LOVED Night Circus. In order to impress me, Gothic fiction must be incredibly good AND (this is where I failed) the story has to grab me completely.

My rating increased dramatically when I read the back of the book (not the ending, mind you) with Michael Boccacino's reasons for writing the book. He didn't really know it, ini...more Can I rate it 3.75? It's not quite four stars for me but that's due to my own preferences and not the author's writing style. I'm not a huge fan of Gothic fiction, although I LOVED Night Circus. In order to impress me, Gothic fiction must be incredibly good AND (this is where I failed) the story has to grab me completely.

My rating increased dramatically when I read the back of the book (not the ending, mind you) with Michael Boccacino's reasons for writing the book. He didn't really know it, initially, but he was trying to make sense of and deal with the death of his mother years before. Once I was able to reframe the book in this perspective, I appreciated it much more.

What I didn't love was the dark feeling in Darkling which, duh, it has to be dark. It's not dark, visually, just a heaviness about it that reeks of death and doom. For the creatures in The Ending are doomed to to immortality, regardless of the state. They are a miserable bunch and highly disturbing. This is what nightmares are made of. I was also unclear what, exactly, the creatures were. If they were not humans that had died, what were they?

Back to the impressiveness of the book - and it is impressive, regardless of the subject matter and the confusing nature of being. Starting with the easy parts, the humor is, at times, dark but also truly entertaining. It is funny. When describing a certain character and including the irritating habit of her haughtiness or whatever else, the author also includes how the other characters respond to the character flaw. Acting one way but feeling another and it is so very true to human nature but quite faux pas to point it out, it made me laugh. It is meant to be funny and slightly satirical but only as much as the reader wonders if s/he may be guilty of the same behavior.

Once in the House of Darkling (and the land nearby), I was continually amazed at the imaginative creatures, structures, plants, animals, and whatnot. First Charlotte and the boys enter the house and the house changes as they walk through. The detailed weirdness can not be ignored and is admired. Better yet, the creatures that show up at the dinner party and their behavior was both incredibly imaginative and disturbing. Adding the reaction to the host's and the chef's additional menu item via James and Charlotte only added to my enjoyment. And revulsion.

Bottom line is that Michael Boccacino is an amazingly talented writer. He painted pictures with words that my own limited imagination could never conjure. I am in awe of his mind and his ability to convey through the written word what he sees when he closes his eyes. And, I must admit, deeply disturbed.

The impressiveness wins out, though.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-literature, dark-fantasy-horror-fiction, fantasy-adventure-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

This is not your Disney water color fairy tale, but something much darker along the lines of the Grimm fairy tales when you open the cover of Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino. You are immediately taken back to the Victorian age and the writing is unremarkable and polished as the writer takes you back to a sinister event, the piercing scream of a women in the dark of night. Charlotte Markham has awakened from a bizarre dream with her dead parents and a Christmas ba...more This is not your Disney water color fairy tale, but something much darker along the lines of the Grimm fairy tales when you open the cover of Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino. You are immediately taken back to the Victorian age and the writing is unremarkable and polished as the writer takes you back to a sinister event, the piercing scream of a women in the dark of night. Charlotte Markham has awakened from a bizarre dream with her dead parents and a Christmas ball, not knowing if the scream she has heard is real or not. As she begins investigating the house at night, she is called downstairs by the staff and learns that Nanny Prum has been violently murdered in the forest. When they question the Constable Brickner's findings he truly believes no man is capable of this act and resolves the answer to an animal killing her. However, Charlotte's friend Suzanna witnessed a man in black hovering over the body and believes he is the one who committed the murder.

It seems that Charlotte has a bit of history with the man in black who appears whenever death has been near, first with her father, then with her late husband Jonathan and now the sighting of him near Nanny Prum's body. Hired as a governess to work for Mr. Darrow, who has also lost his wife, Lily, Charlotte now assumes the role of carrying for the young children, Paul and James since Nanny Prum's death. Charlotte is warned by the housekeeper, Mrs. Norman that she tried to warn Nanny Prum of her fate and now warns her that she must be watchful and keep her eyes open as well, but offers no explanation as to why. It seems that death is watching over the house of Everton and with it keeping those inside bound to a half life, one between the living and mourning over the loss of those who have died.

One afternoon during a worrisome day of teaching, Charlotte invites to boys to take to drawing or writing prose about one of their dreams which provides her an insight she never truly imagined before. James, the youngest, draws a picture of the Spider Queen whom he tells Charlotte, lives under his bed eating goblins that would seek to torment him. When she inquires that that should be a good thing, he replies, that she gets mad at him. When she pushes even further, he tells her that he is gathering parts of her silver strands of web to save his mother.

Paul, the oldest, explains that his drawing is of a map showing the forest at the edge of their property. Beyond that lies an orchard and a house with he believes his mother waits for them. Charlotte realizes that both of these boys are still dealing with the death of their mother in remarkably different ways and when challenged by James to follow the map, she doesn't see any harm in showing them that dreams don't bring back the dead. Until as they begin to follow the map beyond the forest, where a misty fog lies that blocks out the sun, an orchard and The House of Darkling await them all.

I received Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. This is a dark fictional book where the worlds of life and death literally lay buried in the fog and where the middle ground between the two world lies ripe for a war for human souls. I love the writing style of Michael Boccacino who has used his own experiences with the death of his mother and the way he dealt with the grief as his inspiration for the writing of this novel. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and can't wait to read more books from him in the near future. (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm ashamed to admit that as an avid reader I have yet to read a stitch of Lovecraft, therefore I can't draw a comparison as have many other reviewers. What I can say is that I loved the author's ability to vividly paint a story with word craft.

A surreal story of death and those left behind, Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling takes place in some country estate in the somewhen English village of Blackfield. Governess Charlotte Markham tries to discover the mystery behind the murder of t...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

POSTED ORIGINALLY: Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling
by Michael Boccacino
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks: An Imprint of Harper Collins
Original edition (July 24, 2012)
File Size: 5 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Original edition (July 24, 2012)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Disclosure: E-Galley provided by writer without expectation. No remuneration was exchanged and, except as noted, all opinions herein are my...more POSTED ORIGINALLY: Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling
by Michael Boccacino
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks: An Imprint of Harper Collins
Original edition (July 24, 2012)
File Size: 5 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Original edition (July 24, 2012)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Disclosure: E-Galley provided by writer without expectation. No remuneration was exchanged and, except as noted, all opinions herein are my own.

When the nanny to the young Darrow boys is found murdered on the outskirts of Blackfield, Charlotte Markham, the recently hired governess, steps in to take over their care. During an outing in the forest, they find themselves crossing over into The Ending, the place for the Things That Cannot Die, where Lily Darrow, the late mistress of Everton, has been waiting. She invites them into the ominous House of Darkling, a wondrous, dangerous place filled with enchantment, mystery and strange creatures that appear to be, but are not quite, human.

However, everything comes with a price, and as Charlotte begins to understand the unspeakable bargain Mrs. Darrow has made for a second chance at motherhood, she uncovers a connection to the sinister occurrences in Blackfield and enters into a deadly game with the master of Darkling, one whose outcome will determine not just the fate of the Darrows, but of the world itself.

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a Victorian gothic tale about family ties, the realm beyond the living, and the price you pay to save those you love. michaelboccacino.com

JANE EYRE meets THE NIGHT CIRCUS meets ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Edward Gorey with a little Tim Burton thrown in for good measure. Seriously, this story was a surprise from quite early in the book. It starts off gloomy and very Gothic with an air of despair as befits a tragic governess. There are immediate questions and dire warnings. Of course, the Nanny has been murdered and wild animals are suspected because she's been torn apart; that would make for a very short book. The book is much more than a murder mystery, I asked Michael about that:

I think it's much more of a dark adult fairytale than anything else. There are Gothic trappings, certainly, but I think there's a fable-like quality that runs much more deeply (and consistently) through the narrative. I am a massive, incredible nerd about all things related to Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton, and Steven Moffat. I think each of them tell very complex, adult stories using familiar, nostalgic narrative devices, and it gives everything they write this sense of timelessness and melancholy... which I love.

From talking with Michael at a BEA event I knew the story would head down a spooky, spiderweb laden and dark trail filled with misty bogs and such. I was totally unprepared for the unconventional and wholly original mythology lurking on the other side of the mist separating two worlds. I asked Michael about the fables that serve as children's bed time stories. I asked him if he wrote them and he said he did. They're pretty remarkable.

While the world here is not rule driven, Michael certainly creates a fantasy unlike anything I have ever read. The voice he gives his heroine, Charlotte, is undeniably female. This is a goal rarely met by male authors. In fact, the only other writer I know who is consistently able to pull it off is Chris Bohjalian.

Because it was not what I expected I found myself wondering about Charlotte's sanity; I think that she would be worried about her sanity as well. Perhaps this is a dream? Michael says it is a real experience for the characters, but that there is plenty of allegory.

There are really three books in Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling: one is the everyday life of an upper class British family of the Victorian period. The second is the story of another plane of existence filled with myth and mist "The Ending." The human world and the The Ending are And then there are the fables. The story becomes a bit nebulous as the lines between life, death and the other side start to shift. There are things that go bump in the night, and the day as well.

Here is a brief excerpt from one of Michael's favorite scenes. Charlotte is walking with her young charges as they explore a map they dreamed of.

"...Dreams are my favorite things in the world. Sometimes they even come true, but sometimes we must learn when to wake up.”
Paul ignored me and pointed excitedly at something up ahead. “There!”
The path ended at a small fallow creek, but began again on the other side to disappear around a dark, massive cage of roots at the base of an ancient oak tree. Whatever lay beyond the magnificent tree was obscured in a thick, roiling patch of fog. James wrenched himself free from my hand and leapt over the creek, bounding into the mist before I was able to stop him.
“James!”
I quickly hoisted my dress up to my waist and jumped over the brook, glancing back at Paul to wave him on. Together we chased his brother into the mist.
The air around us grew heavy with a dampness that remained even as the fog subsided, and we found ourselves in the middle of a vast orchard. While it had been daylight mere moments before, the moon now hung low in the sky, larger than I had ever seen. It was so vast and oppressive I felt that if I were to reach toward the sky I might be able to push the orb back where it belonged, high above on the black velvet mantle of the night.
“It’s nighttime here.” Paul was behind me, hugging himself against the cool air.
“Perhaps I misjudged the time,…”
Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, page 54

The characters are somewhat who you would expect them to be , if life went on as expected, that is. But, when challenged, their true personalities, and strengths, come out, and they're anything but what you would expect.

I am confident in recommending this story to you. I've really never read anything quite like this dark and unique tale. It's a mystical and mysterious journey through a dream of life that haunts the dead and undying. (less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, fantasy

Another ARC courtesy of ALA. Rather more Emily Dickinson and Neil Gaiman than the Charlotte Bronte and Henry James than I was expecting, but still fun. I loved the creepy, fantastical universe parts that were set in the country of The Ending, but the parts set in the "real" world not so much. It felt ever so much less real than the parts set in The Ending. There wasn't a strong sense of place (that was the most un-English English countryside I have ever read, and there were times that I wondered...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Jennifer Hufford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The author describes the novel on his web site with the comment, "Think of it as 2 cups Jane Eyre, 6 oz of Lovecraft, and a tbsp of Tim Burton", which I think is a perfect description. Also throw a bit of The Turn of the Screw and the movie, The Others, into the mix. Charlotte Markham has been a governess to James and Peter Darrow at the Everton estate for the past nine months when their Nanny Prum is violently and mysteriously murdered in the forest one night. Charlotte takes over as nanny to t...more The author describes the novel on his web site with the comment, "Think of it as 2 cups Jane Eyre, 6 oz of Lovecraft, and a tbsp of Tim Burton", which I think is a perfect description. Also throw a bit of The Turn of the Screw and the movie, The Others, into the mix. Charlotte Markham has been a governess to James and Peter Darrow at the Everton estate for the past nine months when their Nanny Prum is violently and mysteriously murdered in the forest one night. Charlotte takes over as nanny to the boys. The widowed Mr. Darrow keeps to himself, but over late night talks in his study, he and Charlotte form a bond that promises to be more than friendship someday. Mr. Darrow lost his wife, Lily, the previous year, as did Charlotte her husband Jonathan. One day Charlotte takes the boys on a walk through the forest when they encounter a misty orchard with strange fruits. On the other side of the orchard they’re met by Lily Darrow and the enchanted House of Darkling, both of which exist in the place for the Things That Cannot Die. The master of the House of Darkling, Mr. Whatley, is an ominous figure. Charlotte and the boys return several times to Darkling to visit Lily, who asks that they keep her presence a secret from Mr. Darrow, but over time it becomes clear that Mr. Whatley has marked Charlotte to take part in a dangerous, mystifying game with dire consequences for the loser. At stake – the Darrow family, Charlotte herself, the nearby town of Blackfield (where Charlotte’s friend Susannah has had nightmarish encounters with a shadowy figure)… and possibly the world itself. I can’t say more without giving away too much, and the delight of this book is the unexpected twists and the author’s surprisingly vivid imagination. The images are vivid, unforgettable, gruesome in many cases… I could see Tim Burton having a lot of fun with this. I rarely read fantasy novels but I took a chance on this one and I’m very happy I did. I look forward to Boccacino’s next book. (less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Silver James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books-read

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling: A Novel has received a great many reviews--most of them mixed and strong. People loved it or didn't. I am one of those rare readers who falls in the middle. Reading this book is like day-dreaming on a hot sultry day--the brain and imagination just floats along filled with prose. Only this is like dreaming in words instead of images. The prose is provocative, the story fantastical. But it unfolds in a dream-like state with no real sense of urgency. I'm...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Sharon Thomson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Described as a ‘Victorian Gothic Tale’ this is the story of Charlotte Markham who after the death of her husband becomes governess to young Paul and James Darrow. Lily Darrow, their mother, had died the previous year and their father doesn’t spend much time with them, preferring to mourn in private.

The boys’ nanny, Nanny Prum, is viciously murdered, resulting in Charlotte caring for the boys full-time. One day in class she asks the boys to draw what they dream about. One of the boys draws a map...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary

It is easy to get swept away by the heady mix of Gothic, supernatural and otherworldly matters, but at its heart, Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a novel about death, grieving and the ties the dead continue to exert over us. Charlotte, bereft of her husband from a fire, and still consumed by the death of her parents, becomes a nanny for two children who have lost their mother, and befriends the father, whose sorrow has isolated him from his children. A difficult situation at bes...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Kara Rae Garland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somehow three stars doesn't seem like enough, but four seems slightly too many. I enjoyed this book very much, but felt that it started out far too slow and continued in that manner for far too long. There wasn't enough phantasmagoria (for me) in the middle and the stakes didn't seem quite high enough in the end. So there was some energy lacking for me there. I wasn't as excited as I want to be at those points in a book.

I didn't feel that I got an honest, intimate view of the characters; their i...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Lee Razer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Charlotte Markham becomes a governess to a couple of boys whose mother has recently died. As it turns out, they can all go visit her in the strange "The Ending", a place of non-human immortal creatures, one of whom, a certain Mr. Whatley, has taken the mother's soul as a sort of live-in curiousity and governess to his own daughter. Mr. Whatley has also been involved, it turns out, in killing Charlotte's parents and husband and manipulating her into this position. He goads her into agreeing to pl...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book from a Goodreads giveaway. The very beginning was very interesting, setting the mystery of the black shadow man who seemed to appear around Charlotte's loved ones as they died, including Nanny Prum. The scenes set in the real world were very dull compared to the mystery of the chapters that took place at Darkling, especially because very few events in the real world helped her solve the mystery. With the exception of the village ball and Susannah's fits, those chapters seemed to...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-ghosts

1/1 - I'm enjoying the story except for the irritating anachronisms - I seriously doubt they knew what a 'bar' was in the 19th centuryish era this is supposed to be, maybe taproom, tavern or saloon, but not bar. There is also nothing to tell us where this is set, US or UK - I mean it could be anywhere from New Hampshire to Edinburgh (there's no evidence of accents, but then considering the lack of other details I wouldn't have really expected to see an "aye" or a "nae"). To be continued...

2/1 -...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is an interesting story buried in here, it's just too bad that all the problems with character, plot, and setting get in the way. It seemed to me that if the book had taken more of a fantasy direction, that could have made the whole product fit together better. It would have also avoided the painfully non-authentic-seeming "Victorian" atmosphere of the book. I agree with some of the other readers that the characters' decisions were often unexpected and didn't seem to make sense - they seem...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-fiction

This was a strange and wonderful gothic horror story with perhaps the most elaborate after/inbetween life that I have ever encountered. Charlotte Markham, a recent widow, becomes the nanny for the two sons of a recently widowed gentleman. During an outing in the forest, they cross over into "The Ending," an afterlife of sorts where creatures who have died but have not yet officially crossed over into Death reside in the House of Darkling. There Charlotte and the boys meet the boys' mother, Lily....more

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Dec 08, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be very interesting, especially as I forgot shortly after I'd stopped reading that it was written by a man (not that men are bad writers or anything--some of my favourite writers are men), but I think I forgot this fact because Charlotte's voice was captured so well. I also liked that though there was a hint of romance which fit the somewhat gothic setting and harkened back to Jane Eyre and other similar stories, the romance was by no means the center point of the story and...more I found this book to be very interesting, especially as I forgot shortly after I'd stopped reading that it was written by a man (not that men are bad writers or anything--some of my favourite writers are men), but I think I forgot this fact because Charlotte's voice was captured so well. I also liked that though there was a hint of romance which fit the somewhat gothic setting and harkened back to Jane Eyre and other similar stories, the romance was by no means the center point of the story and at times Charlotte herself seemed to question whether her feelings were real or genuine or just a product of wishful thinking and the expectations given to her through novels about governesses and masters of the house falling in love and getting married. My favourite line relating to this scene where Charlotte is remarking on Henry's finer points, one of which involves him being well-off. I just loved her inclusion of his financial wealth as a selling point to their relationship because I knew that a lot of more modern and romantically inclined readers might dislike its inclusion, and yet it fits with the culture of the time in which the book is set. People always go on and on about the romance and "epic love" between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, but few seem to notice (other than English scholars who are forced to) that Elizabeth seems to find Mr. Darcy more and more attractive after she's seen just how well-off he is and even that she makes a joke about falling in love with him after she'd seen Pemberly, but I've come to believe that was only half a joke on her part and that money did play a hand, even if only in a small way, with her growing to love Mr. Darcy. Anyway, rant aside, I liked that Charlotte wasn't just some heroine from a romance novel but was a real person who had concerns about things like money and financial stability and how marrying a man with means would be beneficial to her.
I also really liked Darkling. It was an odd and interesting place that I wanted to explore more in detail. The characters there were strange and fascinating as was all the political intrigue. I especially liked the finale and the appearance of Death; he was just so amiable and droll and even a little sarcastic. I would be very interested in more stories featuring Darkling and even Death's visits there (hint hint).(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Jamie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, suspense

I think the larger part of my problem with this book was that it was not the "Victorian Gothic" I was expecting (based on its Goodreads description). The author began as a poet (this is his first novel) so prose was absolutely beautiful--so unique and lovely that I would pause in reading sometimes to just enjoy the clever similes and the precision of his words.

But the best way I can describe the story itself is, imagine if Tim Burton made a movie about politics in the afterlife. Yes. There was a...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Allison Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies

Charlotte Markham is the widowed governess at Everton, home of the handsome widower Mr. Darrow and his two sons. When Nanny Prum is murdered, Charlotte takes on a greater role in the boys' lives. She reluctantly agrees to take the children through the fog to the mysterious House of Darkling, where their dead mother reads them strange bedtime stories and a host of mysterious creatures is revealed.

Charlotte is not simply a pawn in this game; she reasons out whether it's better for the children to...more Charlotte Markham is the widowed governess at Everton, home of the handsome widower Mr. Darrow and his two sons. When Nanny Prum is murdered, Charlotte takes on a greater role in the boys' lives. She reluctantly agrees to take the children through the fog to the mysterious House of Darkling, where their dead mother reads them strange bedtime stories and a host of mysterious creatures is revealed.

Charlotte is not simply a pawn in this game; she reasons out whether it's better for the children to see their mother or not, and she considers the complex reasons for her fascination with the House of Darkling. After all, she has lost family members, too; if Mrs. Darrow can reappear, why not Charlotte's parents or husband? The more she learns about this strange place, the more wary she becomes, until she finds herself in a contest of wills with the master of the House of Darkling, and if she is not equal to the challenge, more innocent humans will die.

Boccacino invokes a delightfully chilling air of Victorian Gothic creepiness throughout the novel, but what I enjoyed most was that he constantly surprised me. This is an homage to Victorian horror, but it is not constrained by those conventions; rather, Boccacino gives his boundless imagination free rein. The creatures we meet in The Ending, the land where the House of Darkling is situated, are extraordinary. For example: "It was about the same size and shape as a grapefruit, but before he could get a good look at it, he glanced up at me, clearly frightened, sensing that something was wrong. The fruit quivered, and with a wet, tearing sound it began to unroll from the inside out, the air laced with the scent of peaches as the thing in his hands untwisted its arms and legs from the pulpy interior of its body and wrenched its head free from it's shell. A baby's face blinked at us with pale blue eyes as Paul dropped it on the ground with a look of utter terror, backing away, his gaze transfixed on the thing as it fell onto its back, protected by what was formerly the leathery skin of the fruit." You don't see that every day, even in horror novels.

Charlotte herself is not a meek Victorian governess. That she is a widow sets her apart from the usual virginal girls in that role. Beyond that, she is conscious of her longing for Mr. Darrow and its impact on her decisions. Her formidable nature is hinted at in her discipline of two unruly boys: "'It's nothing to me if you want to kill one another,' I told them. 'I imagine that it would be much easier to care for one child as opposed to two. But I daresay your father would be furious with whichever one of you murders the other. If violence and murder are the methods you choose to use when dealing with family, then we can only surmise the tactics you might use when dealing with your peers would be that much worse. We would be forced to lock you away in the attic for the good of the village. I don't believe that such an existence would be a very pleasant one, but then it's not up to me to make your decisions for you.'" Her humor and assertiveness translate surprisingly well to a life-or-death struggle with otherworldly beings. I would have liked to have seen more of Charlotte's inner thoughts with regard to her dead husband and to Mr. Darrow. Her inclinations aren't very clearly drawn out; one moment, she wonders if her husband could come back from the dead, and the next she is daydreaming about the next Mrs. Darrow. It's a bit of a muddle, but the creepy atmosphere, snappy dialogue, and surprising otherworldly elements more than make up for this deficiency.
Highly recommended to any reader who enjoys creative horror or Victorian gothic settings.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley courtesy of the publisher.(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Good Stuff

The prose is so hauntingly beautiful
Story so elequently puts into words the feelings I have had over the loss of my parents -- the part about dreaming of the dead brought tears to my eyes
Dark and gothic story full of old english manors, governess, death and the paranormal -- dark and spooky, perfect for a cold December night
The author is truly gifted at setting the mood and landscape. When you put down the story you feel disjointed about being back in reality.
Unique world inhab...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13622814-charlotte-markham-and-the-house-of-darkling?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340737667l/13622814.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13622814-charlotte-markham-and-the-house-of-darkling?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino[/url]

Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling

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