House of Furies

"Are you a miracle, little Louisa, or are you a curse?"

I was surprised by how much I liked this one. Honestly, I've had bad luck with books lately so I was ready to hate this one. Imagine my surprise when the cover, dark and lonely feeling, matched the insides of the story. It IS dark. It's dark and ugly and definitely shows the evil side of people.

It starts off with a bang - she is living with the devil and she can't leave. And the story goes off from there.

The addition of the lore and creepy drawings intermingled with the array of photos that heads every chapter gave it the perfect creepy feel of the haunted, frightening house of horrors that it was. It took a while for me to guess all the twists and turns and, even then, I did not show more guess them all. If this is a series, I will definitely read more! show less

I love a good horror story. I love stories that incorporate myths and folklore. I especially love stories that explore the fluid definitions of guilt and innocence. Madeleine Roux‘s House of Furies is all three, and I adored every word of it.

I personally would not classify House of Furies as a young adult novel. Even though Louisa is seventeen, her demeanor and attitude are of someone much older and more experienced in the world. Her life experiences are of events that rapidly make adults out of children. Similarly, set in the late 1800s, there was no such thing as a young adult back then. The age at which someone was considered an adult occurred much earlier and often with a brutality most children today will never experience. Ms. show more Roux stays close to this precedent with the harsh realities Louisa faces at her boarding school and later on the road. When she arrives at Coldthistle House, she is not an innocent to the ways of the world. To pitch this as a YA may mislead readers into thinking that Louisa is too young or incapable of dealing with everything she discovers at her new place of employment. She is more than capable of doing so.

Not only is Louisa capable of understanding everything to which she is exposed at Coldthistle House, she is able to wrestle with the fluctuating definitions of guilt and innocence. Living on the streets with no family and no legitimate means of support tends to skew your view of guilt, and Louisa is no different. As she discovers more about Mr. Morningside and his methods of hospitality, she must also wrestle with the idea of judgment. When is it okay to steal, to lie, or to kill, if ever? Should the person who steals out of greed face the same punishment as someone who steals out of need? This is “Dexter” crossed with “Downton Abbey” for the younger crowd…with monsters.

Ms. Roux does an excellent job balancing the different elements of this surprisingly complex novel. There are moments of levity and sweetness to counteract the more terrifying scenes. It is easy to fall in love with Louisa as she tries to hide her vulnerability underneath a brusque exterior. Her longing to belong is palpable, even while her tough talking and frank curiosity create for more than one amusing scene. Louisa is anything but a stereotypical Victorian-era girl, and the story is better for her run-ins against convention.

House of Furies is the first book in a new series, and that will deter some readers from experiencing this delightful, fun, and yet thought-provoking story. However, it does not appear as if this is going to be a series in which each book builds off the other. Based on the ending, one could consider House of Furies a stand-alone novel as there are not many unanswered questions left to carry forward into a second novel. It also remains to be seen how tiresome Louisa becomes in future stories. There is just enough character growth in this one to add interest and depth to the story, but future novels may be less successful without adequate character development. While the first book is so much fun to read, time will tell on whether this is a series to follow.

One cannot talk about the book without discussing the monsters in the book. Ms. Roux does the obvious comparison of monsters and men but she does so in a way that is refreshing and satirical. The creatures Louisa meets, whether human or something other, are some of the more fascinating elements of the story. Ms. Compiet’s illustrations are exquisitely drawn and really do help flesh out the myths come to life. Mr. Morningside is enigmatic but charming, and his guests border on the hilarious in their protestations and machinations.

There is enough darkness to the story to warrant the horror classification, but House of Furies is so much more than that. It is also a bit of a comedy, something of a historical commentary, and a little sociological debate. The characters are a delight, and the question regarding Lee’s stay in Coldthistle House is fast-paced and entertaining with its diversions. While it is not the type of literature that will stand up to continued scrutiny, it is a diverting novel that provides a much-needed escape from our current reality. show less

First published at Booking in Heels.

I loved this premise. A down-on-her-luck orphan finds herself working at a boarding house where all the servants have supernatural gifts, which they use to bring justice (in the form of an untimely end) to their disreputable clientele. I am so here for this, and I really wish I’d picked up House of Furies sooner.

The plot delivers everything it promised. I loved the whole concept of Coldthistle House luring in unsuspecting evil-doers, and how every staff member worked together to achieve their aims. The over-arching plot is Louisa’s discovery of this, and her protestations that surely, surely the nice young boy visiting with his Uncle is innocent?

The book is interspersed with extracts from a sort show more of guide-book to occult creatures, and you quickly realise that all these passages are relevant to people within the house. I loved how the book doesn’t make this immediately obvious to the reader, but it works really well.

It’s dark, actually. It’s technically a horror novel and there is some gore, although it’s not horrific. There’s one scene where we view the aftermath of a violent murder (corpse included), but it’s not graphic and you don’t see it happen. For me, it was just the right level. It was spooky enough to enjoy reading, but the creepy vibes didn’t persist after I had closed the book. House of Furies didn’t lose me any sleep, essentially.

My name is Louisa Rose Ditton. I work and live at Coldthistle House, a house for boarders and wanderers. A house owned by the Devil.

The usual reaction, and my own once upon a time, is to give a gasp of outrage if you are one of the moral persuasion, a guffaw of skepticism if you’re of another. But I assure you—promise you—that it is so. The Devil owns this house and all of his who live and work within it. The walls are his, and the gardens. The food we eat for sustenance and the sweets we have for pleasure—everything belongs to him, and he gives it to us at his leisure.

The blurb sort-of implies that there’s going to be a romantic sub-plot, which I was dubious about. In my opinion, the last thing a YA horror story needs is a cloying romance. However, it’s done with such a light touch here that I felt it actually added to the story; it explains why Louisa felt so strongly about trying to prove Lee’s innocence.

My only criticism would be Louisa herself. She seems so immature that I kept forgetting she was meant to be 17 years old. She’s very sulky and is intent on leaving Coldthistle House, despite fitting in for the first time in her life, and having a warm fed, hot food, and a family that cares about her. It was never really explained why she was so desperate to leave, and it did frustrate me.

When I finished House of Furies, I was actually disappointed that I now had to leave this world. I loved the concept of Coldthistle House, and the characters, and I needed to know what happened next. The ending to this book was honestly perfect – it was quite dark, but with a sliver of hope, and I loved it. But still, I needed more! Imagine my delight to discover this is now a trilogy! I’ve ordered the next book already, of course.

Obviously I really enjoyed this book, and I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting a unique, creepy (but not too scary) Halloween read. show less

Madeleine Roux is one of my favorite writers …but of a different genre ...so I was very anxious...as well as surprised to read something different from her. Louisa’s troubles begin from the time she accepts a gold coin from an old woman and follows her promise of employment at Coldthistle House. The House is full of characters with. “Interesting abilities” that makes...or at least should make... the reader question the thin line here that stretches between what is right and what is wrong. The ending was a little disappointing and it cost it a half star... but I believe it’s because the reader becomes so engrossed in the characters...especially funny, cunning Louisa that you just imagine a different ending. If you like gothic show more stories...you’ll love this one. show less

This is one of the best YA horror novels I've ever read (it rivals the Christopher Pike novels of my childhood). Roux's writing sets her apart from her contemporaries. Her writing style is exquisite, her characters are well-developed, and the plot/story was chilling. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

North England, 1810. Louisa Ditton has just escaped from a terribly abusive boarding school. To avoid starving, she spends her days swindling money from unsuspecting customers at the market. One day, she receives an offer she can't refuse...a job at the Coldthistle boardinghouse. She soon discovers that the boarders at Coldthistle don't go there to stay, they go there to die.

Madeleine Roux is a master of horror fiction. This book is not a quick read, but only because the story is so detailed and descriptive. I also recommend Roux's Asylum series if you like this one.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the House of Furies trilogy. I borrowed this from the library.

Story (3/5): Louisa takes a job as a maid at the strange Coldthistle house. It’s rumored that those who have committed evil acts are drawn to Coldthistle house to meet their end. I really enjoyed the start of this story, it held a lot of promise. However, midway through the book just got really boring. It wasn't even creepy or scary...it was just flat out boring and nothing much happened. There ended up not being much of a story or plot at all.

Characters (3/5): While Louisa does have some spunk, I was never really all that engaged or into her as a character. Mr. Morningside had potential to be another intriguing character but show more aside from his initial mysterious presence he really lacked depth. I felt the same way about all the side characters. They are all intriguing characters with interesting little quirks but they are never filled out well.

Setting (3/5): This is set in a generic historical Victorian type of setting in rural England. The setting was fine but wasn’t really the focus of the book. I did enjoy the creepy Coldthistle house but wish it had been described in more depth and given more personality.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): The writing is beautifully done and I really loved how beautifully this book is put together; beautiful colors and nice thick pages. There are some creepy drawings throughout and I enjoyed the short asides about creepy demonic creatures. Sadly these small sections ended up being the highlight of the book for me because they were way more interesting than the main story.

Summary (3/5): Overall even though this is beautifully written and had some neat artistic aspects to the way the book was assembled, I won't be continuing the series. The story was just way too boring and didn't have much of a plot. I really wanted to love this but was left feeling pretty underwhelmed. show less