gothic Archives - The Y Logs

Yzabel / August 4, 2017

Review: Bizenghast Collectors Edition 1

Bizenghast Collectors Edition V.1 by M. Alice LeGrow

My rating: [rating=3]

Blurb:

When a young girl moves to the forgotten town of Bizenghast, she uncovers a terrifying collection of lost souls that leads her to the brink of insanity. One thing that becomes painfully clear: The residences of Bizenghast are just dying to come home. Marty Legrow has crafted an unforgettable Gothic drama that will leave readers haunted long after the last page is turned.

Review:

[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.]

I’ve had this comic book on my shelf to read and review for quite some time, I just didn’t get to it until now. (I’ve known about it for quite, quite some time, back when the author posted on deviantART, and when I saw it on NetGalley, well, it reminded me that at some point, many years ago, I used to check on the related art from time to time.) It gathers the first chapters of the Bizenghast series, and I’d say it’s more an introduction for now, but still giving the reader to see enough.

A strange girl who isn’t getting over her parents’ death and whose health seems to suffer in consequence; a boy who seems to be her only friend, in the small remote town where she lives with her aunt who doesn’t know what to do with her; and a contract signed in a mysterious castle with a strange arachnoid-slash-humanoid being, with the goal of freeing spirits who couldn’t find solace in death, following a trail of riddles. I am not sure yet where this is leading, but in themselves, the first ‘tasks’ involved sufficiently creepy elements to keep me hooked.

The art is sometimes confusing and inconsistent, though, potentially because it’s a work that started years ago, and one can see the author’s style changed over the years. Still, it’s worth a read.

Yzabel / June 14, 2017

Review: The Girl from Rawblood

The Girl from Rawblood: A Novel by Catriona Ward

My rating: [rating=2]

Blurb:

For generations the Villarcas have died mysteriously, and young. Now Iris and her father will finally understand why. . .

At the turn of England’s century, as the wind whistles in the lonely halls of Rawblood, young Iris Villarca is the last of her family’s line. They are haunted, through the generations, by “her,” a curse passed down through ancient blood that marks each Villarca for certain heartbreak, and death.

Iris forsakes her promise to her father, to remain alone, safe from the world. She dares to fall in love, and the consequences of her choice are immediate and terrifying. As the world falls apart around her, she must take a final journey back to Rawblood where it all began and where it must all end…

Review:

[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]

I did like the narrative weaving back and forth between past and present, shedding more light on characters that came before Iris and Tom, as well as the atmosphere of Rawblood, both stifling and inviting to nostalgia. I had more trouble keeping interested in the story itself, though: the characters weren’t particularly engaging, so I never cared much about them. I never really felt the connection between Iris and Tom, and therefore its role in the ‘immediate and terrifying’ consequences mentioned in the blurb didn’t have much of an impact

The present tense narration tended to throw me out of the story from time to time, which didn’t help; I’m not sure why, I’m not too keen on that tense when it comes to historical fiction (and/or when several narrators are involved, as it’s often difficult to tell who’s telling the story, and it was the case here at times).

The reveal towards the end made sense in a way, yet seemed to me like it fell a little abruptly, and wasn’t completely… justified. Revenge? But why, considering ‘her’ identity, why would she inflict that on the Villarcas? Accident, couldn’t help it? Hm, not really convinced here. Quite a few things were unclear, and not in a way that contributed to a mysterious / gothic atmosphere.

Conclusion: I may have liked it more, if not for the style and the characters.

View all my reviews

Yzabel / October 10, 2013

Review: Bellman & Black

Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune—until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

Review:

(I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I found this story to be reminiscent of 19th century novels, and in some parts, I think it succeeds in keeping up with that kind of atmosphere. Although we’re never told when exactly it is set, hints scattered here and there give enough information to piece a general period together, and even if this sense of being out of time can be annoying to some, to me it was part of what made the novel’s charm. Overall, it takes us from a rural approach to commercial ventures, gradually moving into more modern views, until that one universal need everybody goes through in the end.

The main character’s family and history were fleshed out enough for me to get attached to them, which in turn made what happened predictable, yet still touching. Maybe I would’ve liked to see more about the women, though, to really get how important they were to Bellman. The writing also does justice to the theme, and was often enthralling.

A large part of my interest in this story was how Bellman was basically given a second chance (through another character) but sadly never really understood what it was, and led himself astray, all the while thinking he was doing the right thing. This made his character all the more tragic and troubling, because his mistake was at once selfish and a very human one.

However (and even though in the end, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying this novel), I think the blurb of B&B is somewhat misleading. For instance, I was expecting the mysterious Black to appear sooner, to be more present, maybe—technically, he is, but I feel that it’s not what I was promised, in a way. This could unfortunately detract from other readers’ enjoyment. Same with some potential plot points that seemed to start (Lizzie, among others) that felt like they were going to become important… yet they didn’t. Those would’ve been worth more attention.

Yzabel / July 7, 2013

Review: The Necromancer’s Apprentice

The Necromancer’s Apprentice by R.M. Prioleau

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Jasmine Na’Darod lived a simple life with her parents and older sister on the family’s farm. She never strayed far from home until the ill-fated Blood Moon arose, basking the country of Caristan with a terrible, sickening drought.

When her mother falls ill, Jasmine and her family are forced to leave home in desperate search of a cure. During their journey, a series of tragic events will change Jasmine’s life forever.

With her former life shrouded and forgotten, Jasmine embraces a new path granted by an unlikely stranger, who, ironically, practices the Art of death and undeath.

As Jasmine is drawn to this enigma of a man, she soon realizes there is more to him than what she initially perceived — his true motives are beyond anything she could ever imagine…

Review:

A story I enjoyed in general, but I think it would’ve deserved to be a little longer, in order to develop the characters some more, as well as give more details about Jasmine’s apprenticeship per se.

The main problem I had with this story was Jasmine’s passiveness towards what happened around her. Her shutting off all emotions made her too bland, like a blank slate on which it’d be easy to write. Had she had a little more passion in her, it might have allowed for more development, for explanations about how she came to accept her new life—the latter was an abrupt change, after all, with a lot of disturbing events happening, and she went through those like a breeze. There was an abrupt shift in the middle of the book, that I wasn’t sure I really grasped: one moment, she was all resentful towards Dagg, then in the next chapter she talked about him as her beloved Master. This, in my opinion, would have needed more “showing” instead of “telling”, for readers to really feel how she went from one side to the other. I would also have liked to see more of the Master’s teachings.

On the other hand, I quite enjoyed the second part, and the themes explored through this novella. Necromancy is a fascinating subject in itself, because of the questions it raises. The narrative is often fraught with ambiguity: permeated with a dark, corrupted magic that demands “experiments” to be performed, yet hauntingly beautiful in many ways. Some descriptions may need editing, because they were just a tad too flowery and bordering on purple prose. But some others were strong and to the point, albeit in a gruesome way. Although we’re not shown much of the world in which the story unfolds, it’s alright, because we don’t actually need to know: the secluded cave and marshes are good things, providing readers with a definite focus on the characters. This is why I wished we could see more development on that side, for the setting itself is perfect in that regard.

I still don’t know whether I should give this book 2 or 3 stars. However, for now, I’m going to settle on 3 all the same: there’s definitely potential in this story.

Yzabel / June 30, 2013

Review: This Dark Endeavour

This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Review:

2.5 stars. I’d deem this story “okay”. It wasn’t bad, but I expected more of it, and it didn’t leave me with a sense of completion, although I wish it had. There are lots of good ideas in this book, that didn’t work for me, the way they were exploited, and it’s really too bad.

Lots of potential, indeed. For instance, the beginning that hints at a darker side in the two brothers’ relationships. Or the love triangle that could’ve become something really interesting, something that could have seriously thwarted Victor’s motivations. Unfortunately, I think the author didn’t go deep enough with those—perhaps because really going through with them to the end would’ve been too dark for a YA audience? I don’t know. Things felt a little weird in that regard, as if in style and themes, the book was aiming at the older part of the intended audience, yet didn’t dare to go there in the end, and remained a little too “light”, for the sake of the younger ones.

The love triangle also fell flat in general, in my opinion, and more childish than the dark and tragic affair it could’ve been (or than what I expected from the blurb on the back cover). Victor’s love would’ve had more impact for me if it had been there from the beginning, and not apparently triggered at the moment he learnt Konrad loved the girl too. Elizabeth was a character I enjoyed, showing a lot of pluck and decision-making. This may be the reason why I also disliked the way Konrad treated her, as if he was only looking at her, and not “seeing” her for who she was. In itself, this could’ve added to the tragedy of that relationship, but felt a little wobbly instead. This said, to be fair, I’m not too attracted by love triangles in general, so I’m pretty picky about those anyway.

Finally, I would’ve liked the ending to be just a tad less abrupt. It was a necessary ending—it couldn’t have been otherwise—but it came a little too quickly. I guess I would’ve liked some kind of explanation, even a non-scientific one, as to how exactly the tables turned so fast.

What I appreciated, though, was how “This Dark Endeavour” paved the way for Shelley’s story, and could likely bring more people to read that one—which really deserves to be read no matter what. Maybe this is the reason why I couldn’t be so enthralled with the book: because I already know the original masterpiece, and because for me, the stories don’t play on the same level. Nevertheless, this novel could be a good introduction to its predecessor for younger readers.