Ursula Vernon

I understand why people like this book. I do, it just isn't to my taste, which is a shame because if some different decisions were made in the narrative, I have a feeling I would have been a huge fan. I am not a fan of the "innocent" heroine, and sometimes I could really take or leave the main two characters. This book is also super low stakes, but low stakes doesn't have to mean lacking in drama. It is also low angst and funny sometimes, which is what I think people appreciate more. The plot is basically some legal drama over who owns someone's inheritance. They are constantly traveling between the same two towns. I disagree with the ending. I really do think that a curse should've been broken at the end or something. The worldbuilding was nice (although I probably would have understood it more if I had read the other books). I really liked how the queer representation was both good, casual and well-integrated into the world. There is no point where we are justifying the existence of Zale to any of the characters or the reader.… (more)

After a dig opportunity is put on hold, Sam, an archaeoentomologist, goes to stay with her mother for a while. Sam’s brother has mentioned that their mom seems off, and it doesn’t take long for Sam to see what he means: their usually free-spirited mother has repainted her once-brightly-colored home all in shades of ecru, and their grandmother’s weird old racist paintings are back up on the walls. She also doesn’t seem to want to hear anything at all critical about said grandmother, and in fact gets noticeably nervous at such talk. The house used to be Grand Mae’s, and it seems to Sam that, years after her dead, the nasty old bag is strangely present again, at least in her mom’s mind. She soon discovers that it may not be all in her mother’s head, though, when strange and scary things start happening to Sam, too.

An interesting twist on the haunted house genre. The plot is interesting and original, but what really makes it a great read for me is that character of Sam herself. She’s very well drawn, very believable, and has a fantastic 1st person voice.… (more)

An entertaining fantasy tale that manages to use typical tropes of this genre in surprinsgly original ways. I really enjoyed worldbuilding and characters... but the story is getting worse the more I think about it :(

My first impression was that this book feels similar to Neil Gaiman's Stardust. It's kind of typical fairy tale, but with modern twist and dark undertones mixed with humor. I'd say it is more suitable for adults than children as it plays with some serious themes (abuse, suicide, children death, rape) but somehow doesn't feel "heavy" overall. The writing is captivating and pleasure to read, it's hard to put this book down... up until the final chapters when tension fizzles out a bit.

I'm impressed with the wordlbuilding in this book. It's very efficient and rich at the same time. It's easy to get sense of this world and be amazed with its wonders as much as the protagonist is. I rarely can say this - but I wish there was more exposition and explaination. The author provides many glimpses (and shadows) of interesting things in the background that I'd like to explore more but these Chekhov's guns never fire.

Characters are interesting as well, they seem archetypical at first but slowly reveal some depth that makes them unique and can surprise fans of this genre. Fun fact: this book almost fails Bechdel test for males - it's a woman's world! :) This gives it a perspective that feels fresh and is a nice change. On the flipside, it becomes predictable when every male is either evil, mad, drunk, untrustworthy, or incompetent. The only one who is not like that, also predictably, ends up in a romantic relationship with the protagonist (which BTW feels completely unnecessary).

The story is a weaker side of this book. If you don't think too much and enjoy the ride it might not be a problem. But once you look back... there are multiple issues. I don't mind that a fairly tale is simple - it's expected. However, it bothers me when there is no deeper meaning, a moral, or lesson learned. Typically, a hero grows as a person and uses obtained wisdom to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. Here, there is no special growth and our hero doesn't do much. The only lesson seems to be - perservere, push forward against the impossible, and find companions who will do all the work for you ;) There were interesting themes and intriguing questions asked in the first half of the book that got abandoned later on. I wish they got more space and reach some conclusion - that would certainly elevate the book.

If you're easily irritated by plotholes, deus ex machina moments, and a passive protagonist that gets carried through the plot and doesn't understand what's going on for most of it then drop one star from my rating.… (more)

While I recognise the name of the short story that this is based on, I don't remember it well enough to have noticed the resonances between the two, so people familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher may have a very different reaction to this story.

While in theory this is a 'what is happening in the decaying gothic mansion' story, with significant horror themes, that isn't the way I experienced it. Instead, because of the focus on sworn soldier Alex Easton, and how they got to be where they are, it felt like a rambling character study with a horror b plot. The horror is very much body horror for me, in a gentle but relentless tease of unpleasantness.

In terms of experiencing the horror -- I could tell that it was a dreadful situation for the protagonists, but I didn't really feel any sense of creeping dread myself. The post-war trauma of Easton, and the American doctor, Denton, seemed to have as much importance as the setting, if not more.… (more)