Bestow the Darkness

by Amanda Hocking

The New York Times Bestselling author of the Trylle Saga and Freeks returns with her first novel written for adults. BESTOW THE DARKNESS is a brooding gothic romance set in the rugged forest of 1890s Michigan.

Emiliath lives in a cloistered religious sect with her sisters and brothers, as she has for over twenty-one years. Her life is stable and quiet, but she has begun to feel a longing for something more. When tragedy hits close to home, she connects with a handsome stranger from the city, Trent.

But her quiet life is far more sinister than it seems, and Trent has his own secrets. On top of that, a hungry beast is lurking in the forest, and it might be the end of everything Emiliath has ever known.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Adult Fiction, Romance

395 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2021

About the author

AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Several of her books have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Her zombie series, The Hollows, has been adapted into a graphic novel by Dynamite. She has published over twenty novels, including The Kanin Chronicles, the Watersong quartet, My Blood Approves series, the Valkyrie duology, and Freeks .
For more info about her and her books, here are some other places to check out and ways to contact her:

Website: www.hockingbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: Amanda Hocking
Patreon: Amanda Hocking
Instagram: @amanda_hocking
BlueSky: AmandaHocking.bsky.social
Threads: @amanda_hocking
YouTube: aehocking
Facebook: Amanda Hocking Fans
Etsy: Hocking Books by Amanda
TikTok: @amanda_hocking
Goodreads: Amanda Hocking
Spotify : Amanda Hocking

Reviews

[Kai (CuriousCompass) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“An unseen narrator is telling the story of a sad girl in a long black veil, covered in blood and dirt, but it isn’t me. It can’t be me.”

5/5 stars! BESTOW THE DARKNESS is Amanda Hocking’s best book yet, & I enjoyed it so much more than I expected! I decided to break this review into brief sections, so before we get into it, I provide you this nifty bullet-point Table of Contents guide in an effort to semi-organize my thoughts on this puppy:


-Best Book Yet
-Dark Content
-Game Is Rigged
-Sweet Romance
-Cloistered/Paranoid
-Entitlement
-Taking Advantage
-Personal Courage
-VERY STEAMY!!!
-Inspirations
-Dawning Dread
-Slow Burn…
-Ultimate Payoff
-Bittersweet
-Closing Thoughts…


Before we dive into it, I’d like to note that there'll be minimal spoilers included in this review. I went into this book mostly blind since the official blurb is intentionally vague, & I honestly recommend you do too, so that in mind I’m going to do my best to leave out major spoilers, although I’m going to spoil a few minor details & vibes. In this review I do give away a wee bit more about the romance than I'd like, but I can't avoid talking about it. Bearing that in mind I would leave it up to you whether you’d like to pause here & go read the book before coming back to discuss, or if you’re okay with being slightly spoiled, we can just get to the good stuff.

BEST BOOK YET

Yes, as I mentioned in my intro, this is Amanda Hocking’s best book yet. All of her strengths are on display here and none of her weaknesses; she’s tackling heavier topics than she normally does. I mentioned in my review of her previous novel ‘Between The Blade and The Heart’ (book 1 in her Valkyrie Duology) that at times it often felt she was sacrificing personal connection and emotion in her work in favor of generic style. But I’m more than happy to report that Bestow The Darkness doesn’t fall prey to this tendency. Instead she manages to serve style, atmosphere, and emotion, all while finally capturing a thread of the personal and evoking something with Emiliath and her story that was lacking in a couple of previous works. It's nice to see that spark return, and one hopes it means this work was as fun for Hocking to write as it was for her fans to read.

Bestow The Darkness is dense. It is complicated. Amanda Hocking’s previous books have certainly dealt with dark or sensitive topics, but often they can feel air-brushed over in favor of the A-plot, or a seeming desire not to ruffle any feathers by lingering too long over the issues at hand. Dark topics are not avoided, but they aren’t entirely unpacked, either. Harmful behavior and atrocities are acknowledged, and condemned, but not often looked directly in the eye. It’s a restrained approach that has honestly worked out pretty well for her, so it’s no big wonder that Bestow The Darkness’s departure from that safe, tried-and-true formula comes as a shock to the system of a hardcore fan like me. And a welcome one, I assure you.

Bestow the Darkness is an unflinching look at things like religious abuse and corruption, church cover-ups, and all the darkness that comes with the territory, and this time Hocking refuses to look away from all the most horrific parts of it…or let you look away, either. It’s a genuinely surprising move coming from her. It’s gutsy. And you can tell that it's personal. And it certainly pays off.

Overall, the refusal to ‘airbrush’ issues she normally would in order to focus on the more commercial aspects of her work has led to a naturally stronger narrative that feels like a sign that not only is Hocking improving, but also reveals that these are issues, topics, and emotions that she not only feels invested in, but has thought over and mused about long enough to expertly weave an intricate, beautiful, and horrifying, complex narrative that feels true to life and that I think anybody who has ever dealt with religious restriction or shaming in their life will find resonates with them in some way.

DARK CONTENT

Then Ead growls in anger, and he starts whipping us in quick succession, no longer pausing so we can ask forgiveness. He’s furiously lashing out, until we can’t take it and scream out in pain. He’s gasping for breath, while we lay hunched over, whimpering and bleeding. My back is aflame, feeling as if the skin is burning and pealing back from my bones.

Naturally with all the darkness floating around, there’s a certain amount of warning one might want going in. I was actually quite surprised how far Hocking was willing to take the narrative, and although certain scenes contain graphic imagery and downright disgusting happenings, I’d say overall not a lick of it felt like it was included for pure shock value and all of it was dealt maturely and compassionately. Hocking is nothing if not thoughtful and none of these felt included in an exploitative way. This is horror done right; the sense of dread doesn’t have to rely on cheap shock because the premise is scary enough, but we’ll get into the scary of it all in a bit.

I’d simply like to include this here so readers who are more sensitive have the knowledge and warning to brace themselves. I would have liked some form of warning for certain content in the book, so I’m going to briefly leave a list of trigger warnings here before moving on: sexual violation/virginity inspection, heavy gore, cannibalism, animal death, torture (whipping, beatings).

GAME IS RIGGED

“There is no need for shame or apologies for the pain you feel or the tears you shed.”

Overall the scariest thing about Bestow The Darkness is that it’s a story we all know so well: in life, the game is often rigged against the little guy, and many of us come into the world facing seemingly insurmountable odds, powerful institutions who profit from exploiting us and, in many cases, our religious faith, or who use their own religious faith to levy power against the world. The reality of life is that little people are often powerless in the face of organizations, religions, political movements, and circumstances beyond the scope of their understanding, and there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it - we’ve got to play on an uneven field and hope we win even though we know the odds are stacked against us.

One of the most frightening things to face as an adult, and one thing the pandemic has ultimately showed us, is that sometimes, in fact most of the time, horrifyingly enough, our fears are absolutely founded in rational concerns and are based around very real threats. There very much are forces outside our control which shape and govern our lives leaving us little ability to fight back and every reason to adapt a cynical outlook, a disposition that can lead to a nihilist outlook, or leave you open to religious mania and manipulation.

The scariest part of Bestow The Darkness is that it’s happening to all of us at all times.

SWEET ROMANCE

Yet there is absolutely levity and healing to be found even in the face of dark forces gathering. The romance in this book is maybe the best Hocking has ever written. It’s so sweet and gentle and affirming. It’s healing. The moments of escape Emiliath finds in it are crucial to her journey and ultimate heel-turn.

He listens to me and he hears me, no matter how small I make my voice, or how hard I try to hide myself. I’d been shrinking, withering away in my veils and my shame, and he saw me, and I blossomed under the warmth of his gaze.

I was ultimately in awe of the romance. It was my favourite part of this book. I’m sorry to be so vague about it, but I think it’s one of the parts that’s best to discover yourself. I will say…IT’S QUEER. We love to see it! Tender, passionate, and steamy, but so so so sweet. Just all around respectful, thoughtful, and a perfect contrast to the absolute horror-show that is Emiliath’s daily life.

CLOISTERED/PARANOID

“You can always trust that I’ll do everything to ensure my children are safe,” she says, and only she could make a promise of safety sound so threatening.

Life is pretty hard when your mom is Lady Dimitrescu and you’re stuck living on a creepy island where your main job is keeping a freezer packed with raw meat. Emiliath and the other ‘siders’ are rarely allowed out of the abbey grounds, are forced to constantly ‘confess’ and expected to snitch on one another. In a place so shut-off where paranoia laces every interaction even with your closest friends, it’s easy to mine the fear factor to the extreme. I was constantly certain this place couldn’t become more menacing, and then proven wrong at every turn.

Emiliath questions who to trust, and what to trust them with, constantly reappraising those around her. It’s a game you’re forced to pay along with her as you follow her on her journey, and a reminder that even something as beautiful or empowering as faith can be corrupted into something that warps you, your friends, and every relationship you have. Seeing people betray everything they hold close and justifying it as ‘the right thing to do’ never ceases to be horrifying.

I stare into her pale, anxious eyes, and I try to find the words to reach her. But how can I? The same situation that made me fear for our safety, she saw as evidence of our complete safety with the lord.

ENTITLEMENT

“You’re the devil,” Ozias croaks…
“Close enough, I suppose,” she says and laughs again.

Hocking mentions in her author note that part of the inspiration of this tale was a need for catharsis at the current state of the world and particularly mentions how ‘the old are willing to use the young’ and truly at the heart of this tale is a greed/gluttony morality tale. A condemnation of mindless, heedless consumerism despite the cost that others, never you, must pay.

Within the fellowship of a religious movement, snake-oil salesman, cons, false prophets, predators, sadists, and more can and easily do view young congregants and wards of the church or state as their prey and their property. They feel entitled to young peoples’ worship, piousness, their very bodies. They take everything, they even take their names. To them, it’s always a game.

“Her name wasn’t Henrietta. It was Waabigwan, but Mother Magdaliana said that she couldn’t be buried under a sinner’s tongue. My father called my sister Daanis before we brought her here.”

“What were you called?” I ask her. She shakes her head.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m Thomasin now.” She stands and brushes the grass and leaves from her dress. “But I have work to do, and I am certain you do, too. We’ve had enough time.” … She offers me a sad smile. “Thank you for sitting with me.”

TAKING ADVANTAGE

Of course in an environment like this it’s no wonder Emiliath isn’t used to unconditional love. Her entire perception of the world has been taught to her through the lens that she is a commodity, property, a servant, a castaway orphan from a whore mother who didn’t want her, etc. She’s been conditioned to believe all she is good for is to give, and that she should be lucky to do so, no matter what she’s asked to give.

“I never prayed for a love like yours,” I say. “I couldn’t. I’d never imagine someone like you existed.”

“Someone like me?” he asks with a rueful smile.

“You have a capacity for love and patience that I have never known,” I tell him…

Emiliath has never been loved without restraint, and once she experiences it, she can’t go back.

PERSONAL COURAGE

“You are saying if we can’t save everyone, why even bother trying?” Ozias asks. “But that’s not the choice I see. We can either save some of us, or we can save none of us. I choose some of us. I choose life. I choose you. But you must choose yourself. I can’t force you to save yourself.”

Ultimately the only thing that can finally drive you to stand up is personal courage, and sometimes the courage of those around you is necessarily before you find your own. But I found it a nice touch here that the characters found their hope together; Emiliath and her peers went on their journeys together and spurred each other on. At the end of the day community, personal identity, freedom, & the passion to fight for it were the values needed to give the good guys a leg up in a world corrupted against them long before they were born.

VERY STEAMY!!!

“You are light. You are the sun and moon and all the stars. You are everything that shimmers in the world.”

The romance is SUPER STEAMY. There are multiple sex scenes. None of them are too detailed, in fact I think there’s a perfect blend of details and vagueness to make it work. I found it very well-done and it never took up too much of the narrative, always feeling like a genuine bonding and/or learning experience for the characters.

I already mentioned not wanting to spoil the romance much, but it’s hard to discuss exactly why I loved it so much without doing so a bit. I already said it’s queer, so I might as well come clean that Bestow contains an M/M/F poly romance.

The love story we’re presented with feels so surprisingly natural and developed, even though it’s so much to build in such a short time. Emiliath’s romance with Trent and Ozias is pure yet sensual, encouraging and interesting. The three of them are genuinely so sweet, and Trent is such an integral part of their growth and their healing process. He’s tender and understanding with them, and watching each of them come around to him in their own unique way was so fulfilling. My stomach dipped several times during the romance scenes because the attraction was so powerful yet so sweet and considerate. Swoon-worthy for sure.

INSPIRATIONS

I was getting major Crimson Peak and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes from this novel, along with a certain degree of American Horror Story. It definitely has some gothic tropes I adore, from mysterious, vicious beasts on the prowl, to unhinged, disheveled women having psychotic fits, to creepy nuns and religious rituals, a large creepy old abbey, and more! Eat your heart out, Tim Burton.

DAWNING DREAD

The real star of the show is a pervading sense of absolute dread and uncertainty. These kids are NOT SAFE with Ead & Magdaliana, and that knowledge is only reinforced scene by scene as their mood swings leave you feeling as unsafe and unsure as the children, teens, and young adults in their care and employ. Each scene amped up the tension considerably until I couldn’t even put the book down.

SLOW BURN…

From the sexy-yet-heartwarming romance that will make you believe in love again, to the slowly building horror elements that have you grinding your teeth or feeling queasy, everything in the novel builds at such a slow but steady pace, it’s so rich and detailed. Every kiss, every touch of rebellion, every scrap of knowledge or action, all of it feels built up to and earned.

ULTIMATE PAYOFF

The ending goes BALLS TO THE WALLS CRAZY. After a novel full of restraint, we get a climax that rightfully lets go and unleashes a whole heap of insanity our way, and it’s all the better for it. It’s very reminiscent of Mary Elizabeth Winstead coming face to face with a giant alien ship at the end of 1o Cloverfield Lane; each story beat piles on tension, danger, and revelations. It’s all tied up a neat, perfect, gory, blood-drenched bow. Nothing put into this novel was wasted, it all contributed to the payoff and it was worth every minute of the experience.

BITTERSWEET

…the world will eat us all, the good and wicked alike.

Ultimately, it’s a bittersweet story with a bittersweet ending. Some can’t be saved, and even if the evil is ultimately defeated, places and institutions like this leave scars and bodies behind, and stories many will never know. With the recent discovery of a mass grave of First Nations children who were Residential School victims here in Canada, with more mass graves and bodies expected to be found in the future, this novel and some of its themes couldn’t be more topical or more necessary right now:

In North America, Canada’s Residential School programs and history of white supremacy and colonization is under renewed scrutiny, and the ‘Troubled Teen Industry’ as a whole is coming under fire, as it rightfully should. Celebrities like Bhad Bhabie, Paris Hilton, and more have spoken up about the abuse they faced at schools and programs for ‘troubled’ teens, and the author David Sedaris has written in the past about what his late younger sister suffered as a ‘reform’ school she was sent to. Unfortunately we do live in a world where young people are often locked up and tortured, murdered, isolated, sexually abused, and more, under the guise of reforming, protecting, or shielding them. This history is now being dragged out into the light to be seen for what it is, and in this novel there’s a lot of indignation towards these practices, which seem to repeat every couple of generations, leaving entire generations broken in their wake.

Here’s a group of orphans of all races and backgrounds contending with a legacy of violence, shame, weaponized religion and more. It’s scary how when you strip away the genre elements, what you have is still all too real in the form of abuses of power and preying on the most vulnerable that happen every day.

Weaponized organized religion, abuse of power, and outright colonization/racism, and misogyny, will always be evils we have to face, tools of the oppressor, but there is, possibly, a light at the end of the tunnel?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I could not be more impressed with Bestow The Darkness and hope that Hocking fans and new readers alike will give it a chance. Truly a new favourite, and the perfect catharsis for the times we live in. It offered a flash of hope in what’s been feeling like a dark world. Perfect to break me out of my reading slump.

5/5. All the stars, all the great first impressions, etc. This is truly my new favourite Amanda Hocking novel, and I’m so impressed she’s managed to add such an absolute gem and powerhouse of a novel to her bibliography.

[Keifer Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying this book is so dark and delicious and just different than anything I’ve read in a while! The day this book was surprise released, I was having a conversation with a good friend that I had no idea what I wanted to read next. I felt like I was bored with all of the genres on my tbr list, but when I saw the blurb for this book on Instagram and, being a fan of Hocking’s novels in the past, I bought the ebook immediately and dove in!

This book was everything I needed it to be and more! Hocking really went there with her adult debut! This book was so deliciously dark and the gothic elements were strong throughout the whole book. The horror element was also very, VERY present! I don’t scare easily, but one thing that freaks me out is a good old fashioned religious CULT!

I always end my reviews with a “If you liked ______, you will probably like this book.” but I hav to confess, I haven’t read many gothic romance/horror novels, so I will instead attempt to tell you what it felt *kinda* like based on things in my interest arsenal: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray but if she had co-written it with V.C. Andrews after they had both finished a binge-watch of The Handmaids Tale.

[Paranormal_Madness · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Liked:
-Setting. The story takes place in a very unique setting, not only time wise by being in the 1800's, but by taking place in an abbey. It feels very Handmaiden's Tale-like, and it fits with the darker romance. The town outside of their world could have been fleshed out more, as well as some of the townspeople that the characters get to interact with.
-Characters. The cast of characters doesn't feel very diverse, but they do have distinctive personalities despite living in circumstances that nearly demand conforming. The main character, Emiliath, was very head-strong at times and she was a good friend, and her interactions with the world around her did draw me right in and keep me entertained. I also really liked Ozias and Thomisin, but I didn't care for Trent. I appreciated his uniqueness in a sea of unbridled alpha male testosterone, but he didn't interest me in any way.
-Plot. The story was interesting, but it could have moved a little faster at the beginning. It kind of felt like the plot only really comes in the last 1/3 of the book. There isn't much spookiness or "gothic" feeling to it outside of the general setting, which I won't spoil. There is a feeling of darkness throughout the story, but not enough to call it a "gothic romance".

What I Disliked:
-Writing. I know the author stated they were super excited to get it out and published it as soon as possible, but this book was filled from start to finish with errors and typos. There were several per chapter, and many pages had at least one mistake. I understand being excited, but people are still paying for this work, and I hope she'll take the time to edit it and update it, as it's not very professional right now. The writing style itself felt a little stiff and wasn't very detailed at times, and to be quite honest, the "steamy" parts weren't very well written. It felt very PG-13.

Overall, the book was good. The writing could have been better, and the editing definitely needs a lot of work, but the story is interesting and the characters are even more so. Definitely more unique than many books that have been published, but not the greatest thing I've ever read. 4.0

[Kinsi]

This book was terrible. It deserves zero stars. I had higher hopes, since I've really enjoyed other books by Amanda Hocking. But this one sucked big time. Wish I never read it.

[Darcie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interested in a satanic cult full of cannibals? Then this is for you. This was such a strange book and it was riddled with grammatical errors so does it really count as a book?

[Tina M Cripps · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed with this one. The amount of missed words and grammatical errors were amazing to me! I have come to expect better than that from Amanda Hocking books. Maybe since it was self published it didn’t have the same care in proofing and editing??? The story was ok and sometimes frightening and gruesome. I will stick to the more fantasy YA novels of hers that I have come to love.

[PJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I will always be an Amanda Hocking stan. Her writing has matured over the years and I can feel it within the prose. Things aren’t spelt out obviously through most of the book. She trusts her readers will pick up on things without shoving them in our faces, knowing when to hold back exposition and when to straight up tell us things.

That being said the MC was annoying. I’m sorry. She’s in a cult that’s supposed to be so scary but then she breaks so many rules and it just didn’t feel like the threat of the abbey or her desire to protect herself or others was fully realized. I needed more time with her being fully indoctrinated in and more time for her to slowly realize that the only life she knew was bad.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Bestow the Darkness' by Amanda Hocking. This was the first book I read by Amanda Hocking and she did NOT disappoint.

Our protagonist is Emiliath, a young woman becoming disillusioned by her world within the walls of the L'etoile du Matin Abbey. She and her adoptive brothers and sisters live their lives in devotion to the Lord under the tutelage of Father (Ead) David and Mother Magdaliana.

We soon realize the totalitarian Mother and Father thrive off of feeding the young charges lies and stoking their fear so that beyond those blazing walls of the Abbey, they only see darkness.

This is a powerful story that delves into American and Anglican practices, the extinguishing of culture and individualism, and how those in power wield faith as a weapon to demean and shame the marginalized into docility.

I also don't want to leave out the poly and LGBTQIA representation! We love to see it. Hocking's characters are compelling and I was deeply invested in their journey.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bestow the darkness was a powerful gothic story which had me flying through the pages to see what was going to happen next.
It was interesting to read through Emiailth’s eyes. She grew from a meek abused girl to a brave young woman, who stuck by her friends until the very end, even when some of them didn’t necessarily deserve her loyalty.
Overall this was a confronting but extremely captivating read.

[Nikki Minty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Disturbing and not for the faint hearted, but utterly brilliant!
Right from the first chapter I was completely sucked in.
I find the cult concept fascinating. It’s terrifying how we humans can be so easily brainwashed by manipulators, especially if we are taught certain beliefs as children.
I also loved the romance throughout. It came with a bit of a surprise, which I enjoyed.

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging Story Overall

I really enjoyed the story and the overall plot was very interesting and complicated, but some things fell a little flat for me.

First, Emiliath felt like a very well rounded character. She was interesting and an enjoyable narrator.

Second, the description of The Abbey was very well done. I had a perfect image of what the place looked like in my imagination. Mother Magdaliana and Ead David were also great characters. I found it interesting how the Ead was more round than flat as well.

I had a lot of trouble reading because of the grammatical errors. This book was not edited. If it was, I think it would have been stronger. As it is, it feels like I read a rough draft of a novel rather than a complete novel. A place that could have really used more editing was the ending. It was too rushed and way too easy for the characters.

Another plot point that I felt was too rushed and too easy was with Trent and Ozias. Both of these characters held room to make the story more complicated, but that did not happen. Trent was a rather flat character and finding out he was a cambien did not feel as dramatic as it should have. Ozias was more rounded, but he did not put up Amy fight when it came to Trent, which I think was strange because of his background.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a lot of fun when I ignored the possibilities and the grammatical issues.

[Sasha Haggerty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book and was left highly disappointed. It feels as though the book was thrown together rather quickly. It would benefit from revisions and re-writes. There are so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes throughout. The writing itself doesn’t seem to fit the time period whatsoever. Both these issues make it hard to get lost in the book. It’s distracting. The plot itself has potential, but the execution lacked for me. I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as a gothic romance. It felt more like a YA love triangle, twilight but with demons. I expected more from an author of over 25 novels, especially with a New York Times bestseller.

[Kaitlyn Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this book, as I do with every Amanda Hocking book. She writes so passionately and I can never put them down. This story is disturbing, it’s powerful, it’s gothic romance in its truest form. The characters are AMAZING and so easy to connect with and feel for. The twists and turns are plentiful and it’s a dark book with a perfectly written romance. I loved it :’). There are typos, but it’s easy to get past them with the strength of the story. Not to mention how quickly she wrote this. It’s awesome.

[celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I've read a lot of Amanda Hocking books & was very surprised by this one. I thought all her books were generally for 12-18yrs old but definitely not this one! I love the creatures she creates in her books & this one doesn't disappoint. This is definitely an adult book with some sex scenes. I had to recheck the book to make sure this really was an Amanda Hocking book. Interesting, open minded ending.

[Meghan Fremouw · Rating 2 out of 5]

So hard to read due to countless grammatical errors. I don't think this book was ever edited or proofread. So not like Amanda's other work at all. I've been a huge fan of hers for years and years and this book was just not at all her best work. Storyline was difficult and at times drawn out and all over the place. Stick with the YA fantasy Amanda...I'm still a big fan but not of this book!

[Taylor Tavares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, magical, intense drama

I absolutely love a book that leaves you with deep feelings! Love the darkness and evil behind the writing. Really loving this writing style from Amanda.

[Tine Dossche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I LOVE all Amanda Hoking books, but this one was a little violent and full of Gore. It was a little too much for me at times, and yes maybe I should expect that from a dark fantasy book.
Anyway the story was pretty good and I don't regret Buying and reading it.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books Amanda has written!! definitely worth picking up!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books Amanda has written! i loved the dark theme!

[K.A. Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of grammar errors in this one. The whole story line was off-putting, the characters d I don't seem real.
Not a good read whatsoever.

[Alwaysbored · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist was raised in a cult, she is aware of it, she is aware of all the weird and disturbing things that are going on from the very start. It's the reader that discovers them. Although maybe discover is not the right word, since she never hides it, and is explicit from the start, you just think she's speaking in metaphors because she is religious on the Christian side, and Christians use the same metaphors.
She is strong and understand by herself that what's going on is wrong, but stays for her family. The struggle between what she wants, and her responsibilities is a constant through the book, and while it can be annoying at times, it makes her character realistic and gives depth to the story.
As the title says, it's a romance. We have two love interests, that are not what you would expect from a gothic romance. They are both kind and good and not the bad boy that will actually save you. They don't hate each other, on the contrary they admire each other, and there is no competition between the two of them. They are the support in the journey to freedom of the protagonist.
I read this book in two days and would totally recommend if you like some horror elements in your romance