Pages: 449
Published: 22nd August 2023
Genre: Mystery/Gothic Fantasy
A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.
Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games – all with their destinies hanging in the balance.
Where there is Death, there has to be Life. After an opening to the trilogy that brought us a Gothic mystery, romance, and no shortage of angst, this slower paced sequel goes deeper into its world with no less intrigue. It is written with a red-hot intensity that sears through the pages while the timeless atmosphere evokes many emotions, providing a buttress for a plot that occasionally flits between hit and miss.
A lot of the staples that made Belladonna such an engrossing read are here to grab our attention once more. We have another murder mystery to get our teeth into as the Hawthornes are embroiled in another family drama, whereas Signa and Death continue to pine after each other with unsatiable desire. However, a key player is added to the mix along with being introduced to a major new setting, but most notably of all this book contains a second narrative as Blythe’s story is told to compliment that of Signa.
When you consider the way that the plot develops, it was absolutely the right decision by the author to give us Blyth’s third person point of view. Her close yet fragile relationship with Signa is tested to breaking point in the first half of the story during some extremely powerful scenes, and the two characters eventually go their separate ways. To have the insight into Blythe’s thoughts and insecurities is valuable for the reader, lending so much more weight to how things play out between them.
The plot definitely has its high points and without doubt is forever fascinating, but ironically a lot of it is dictated to by Fate – the character, not the phenomenon. Fate seems to pull most of the strings, holding all the cards as Signa and Blythe play his game and try to outsmart him. The issue is that several of Fate’s actions feel like simply a means to advance the story and as a result, these occasionally seem contrived. It is not always clear how much Fate knows, or what his true motives are.
Fate’s arrival also sets the scene for a love triangle, and it is one which goes far beyond the norm. Signa is caught in the middle, knowing what she wants but also overwhelmed at finding out more about herself and what powers she is capable of, a situation made even more complex by Blythe’s interventions. It might grow tiresome for some, but there are some great moments here and for any lovers of romantic tension, there is plenty to enjoy.
If all of this is not enough to fit in, we also have the mystery of who really committed the murder for which Elijah is being framed. Sometimes this gets a little buried underneath the other goings on, but it is still fascinating and wrings out some touching moments, while it certainly keeps us guessing. There are hints and red herrings with some characters seemingly standing a lot to gain by being the killer, only for the truth to be well hidden in plain sight.
In addition, some of the threads from the first book are revisited to good effect. There remained a niggling sense that the way certain things were resolved were a bit convenient, so it was good to see that the author not only left the door ajar on some of those things, but also examined the consequences of what happened – especially in relation to the fate of Signa’s now departed cousin Percy.
The character development of Signa is one of the most impressive aspects this time. We already know her as a likeable and spirited protagonist with very good intentions, yet equally very capable of darkness where necessary. Her conscience is so strong and the way she feels torn over hiding her powers from Blythe in the first half of the story is heartbreaking, in part because of how tangible the writing makes those emotions appear.
Later on and we again see a different side to her; as illustrated in a truly beautiful scene with the restless spirit of a boy and his mother. It is hard not to be just a tiny bit teary-eyed here, but in general the interactions Signa has with the spirits and their many unique personalities, adds a greater sense of fun and more importantly takes the world building to a new level.
After being in her sickbed throughout almost the entire previous novel, we get the chance to know Blythe a lot better here and that is also wonderful. She has a bit of a mischievous streak but just like Signa she is inquisitive and puts the people she loves first. As we gradually see, she is also not one to be underestimated and the fact she is open-minded about many of the mysteries too, adds to her charm.
The introduction of Fate creates all sorts of possibilities, as some of his powers appear so omnipotent that there are plenty of times where the reader has to wonder how much of what is going on is under his control. While exciting, it has to be said that this does cause some confusion. As for the character himself, he is crafty yet surprisingly thin-skinned, letting his pursuit of Signa and highly-charged indifference towards Blythe cloud his thoughts somewhat.
There is no mistaking his sibling rivalry with Death either, and that does lead some petty but admittedly amusing moments. As for the extensive supporting cast, Byron is acting suspiciously as ever and there is an ever-present hint of sneakiness that lingers around Charlotte, who for all of her formality and etiquette has some designs of her own.
An evocative atmosphere permeates through this book and a lot of that is down to the richness of the settings, which receive more care and attention from the author than they did in Belladonna. We see it early on with the breathtaking description of Fate’s castle when Signa and Byron arrive there for the first time, and then we get a much different vibe altogether for Foxglove when Signa moves there. It is coastal yet made to feel wild and dark on top of the eeriness provided by the spirits that lurk within.
Another standout feature is the writing, which burns with a ferocity that makes you absolutely cling to every word in spite of the slower pacing. This is especially true in the first half where the feelings that Signa and Blythe are experiencing about each other are so brilliantly realised and every piece of dialogue is spot-on. It truly hits you in the feels and it takes remarkable skill to come up with the right words time after time during such intense scenes.
Overall, this is a book that delivers on just about all the technical aspects. The writing is at times mesmerising and the characters and settings are both very well developed. On the other side of the coin, parts of the plot – specifically around Fate’s role in it – struggle to stand up to scrutiny and coupled with a dramatic but unsatisfactory final twist, that knocks it down a touch. Still, there is no denying that Adalyn Grace is a serious talent.
I loved certain elements of this more than Belladonna, truly entranced as I was by some of the writing. There were issues though with the plot and the pacing, which means a similar rating.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Stephen Reads Books 