412 ratings | 104 reviews | avg rating:4.07

Madeleine’s Year In Books

Madeleine’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Madeleine’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Madeleine’s 2025 Year in Books

Madeleine D'Este’s Followers (40)

Madeleine’s Bookshelves

to-read (48)
currently-reading (4)
read (440)
did-not-finish (0)
alternative-history (1)
books-on-writing (1)
cosy (8)
crime (29)
fantasy (8)
gothic (11)
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Madeleine’s Friends (22)

Beverley Lee

325 books | 277 friends

Jessica

108,985 books | 2,374 friends

Pete

1,438 books | 102 friends

Emily Wrayburn

1,749 books | 152 friends

Shane

597 books | 9 friends

Jenny Glover

419 books | 24 friends

Stef Gemmill

112 books | 3 friends

Sara Edwards

346 books | 45 friends

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Madeleine D'Este

Goodreads Author

Born

in Australia

Website

http://www.madeleinedeste.com

Genre

Paranormal, Mystery, Fantasy

Influences

Michael Robotham, CJ Sansom, LM Montgomery, Ben Aaronovitch, Kim Newma ...more

Member Since

June 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/madeleine_deste

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Growing up in Tasmania, Madeleine now lives in inner city Melbourne surrounded by books. After studying law (and never practising) and travelling the world, Madeleine now lives a double life, immersed in the corporate world by day and writing female-led speculative fiction or podcasting by night.

When not writing, Madeleine enjoys podcasts, knitting, forteana, indie films, kettle bells and coffee as 'black as midnight on a moonless night'. ...more

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Combine Editions
Madeleine D'Este’s books

Average rating: 3.93 · 251 ratings · 90 reviews · 15 distinct works • Similar authors

	Evangeline and the Alchemist 3.50 avg rating — 76 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Black Soil White Bread: Superstition. Suspicion. Secrets 4.04 avg rating — 26 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Evangeline and the Bunyip (The Antics of Evangeline #2) 3.88 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Antics of Evangeline: Collection 1: Mystery and Mayhem in steampunk Melbourne really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 19 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Evangeline and the Spiritualist (The Antics of Evangeline, #3) 4.19 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bloodwood 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Radcliffe 4.25 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2023 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Flower and The Serpent 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Evangeline and the Mysterious Lights 4.36 avg rating — 11 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Women of Wasps and War 3.50 avg rating — 10 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Madeleine D'Este…

209 posts
Madeleine D'Este's Blog

Black Soil White Bread nominated for Best Horror Novel 2025

Good news, everybody!

Black Soil White Bread has been shortlisted for an Australasian Shadow Award for Best Horror Novel! The Shadow Awards are organised by the Australasian Horror Writers Association.

I’m super stoked and humbled about the nomination. And while it’s such a cliche, it’s just an honour to be nominated.

This is my second Shadow Award nomination, I was lucky enough to be nominated in 20

Series by Madeleine D'Este

The Antics of Evangeline (4 books)
by

Madeleine D'Este (Goodreads Author)

3.77 avg rating — 148 ratings

Madeleine is Currently Reading

Madeleine D'Este is currently reading

The Nesting

by C.J. Cooke (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 19, 2022 09:55PM

Madeleine D'Este is currently reading

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)

by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, fantasy

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Jul 01, 2020 09:08PM

Madeleine D'Este is currently reading

The Owl Service

by Alan Garner

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 16, 2020 01:13PM

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Madeleine’s Recent Updates

Madeleine D'Este wrote a new blog post Black Soil White Bread nominated for Best Horror Novel 2025 Good news, everybody!Black Soil White Bread has been shortlisted for an Australasian Shadow Award for Best Horror Novel! The Shadow Awards are organis Read more of this blog post »
Mar 29, 2026 04:06AM · 1 like · like
Madeleine D'Este finished reading King Sorrow by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fantasy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 23, 2026 03:41PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of King Sorrow by Joe Hill. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — King Sorrow by Joe Hill <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book it was amazing Bad Art Mother by Edwina Preston	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Interesting and moving story about poetry, painting, obsession, family and gender politics set in mid 20th century Melbourne. Based on real artists and real events, it is about rebellion, disappointment and good versus bad art.
Feb 19, 2026 05:59PM · like · see review
Madeleine D'Este rated a book it was amazing The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Loved this on so many levels. Just read it
Feb 12, 2026 05:18PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book really liked it Murder in Norfolk (Detective Anna McArthur #1) by Sadie Norman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 29, 2026 12:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Murder in Norfolk by Sadie Norman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Murder in Norfolk by Sadie Norman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book liked it Edge of Collapse (Edge of Collapse, #1) by Kyla Stone (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Books that end on a cliffhanger should come with a warning. It was great until then.
Jan 20, 2026 11:36PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book it was amazing Black Bayou (The Dark Legacy #1) by Sara Clancy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 15, 2026 02:20AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Bayou by Sara Clancy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Bayou by Sara Clancy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book liked it The Legacy He Left Behind: A psychological mystery of Buried Truths and Family Promises (The Legacy Series Book 1) by Thomas Vale	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 13, 2026 01:35AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Legacy He Left Behind by Thomas Vale. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Legacy He Left Behind by Thomas Vale <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book really liked it The Retreat by Mark Edwards (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 12, 2026 02:19AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Retreat by Mark Edwards. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Retreat by Mark Edwards <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Madeleine D'Este rated a book really liked it Vanishing in the Haight (Colleen Hayes, #1) by Max Tomlinson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 04, 2026 01:41AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Vanishing in the Haight by Max Tomlinson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Vanishing in the Haight by Max Tomlinson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Madeleine's books…

Quotes by Madeleine D'Este (?)

“There are many unknowns in this world. We are only now embarking on great scientific discoveries. We may call it magic now, but I am sure in time, we will understand the true science behind everything.”
― Madeleine D'Este, Evangeline and the Alchemist

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Ultimate Popsugar...: A steampunk novel	213	2234	Dec 29, 2017 02:26PM
Aussie Readers: Autumn Challenge - 1st March-31st May 2020	212	242	Jun 02, 2020 08:43PM
Aussie Readers: Annual Aussie Author Challenge 2020	316	322	Jan 01, 2021 04:55PM
Aussie Readers: Annual A-Z Characters 2020	288	249	Jan 06, 2021 09:21PM
Game Night: Sally’s doing more than 26 in 26	2	20	Jan 07, 2026 10:32AM
Turn of a Page: Sally906's Golden Girls	144	21	Apr 19, 2026 09:20AM
Aussie Readers: Autumn 2026 Challenge - 1/3/26 - 31/5/26	126	102	Apr 19, 2026 01:58PM
Aussie Readers: Annual Aussie Authors Only Challenge - Book Bingo - 1/1/26-31/12/26	110	175	14 hours, 54 min ago
Turn of a Page: Sally906's Candy Land Journey	47	7	14 hours, 23 min ago

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Madeleine’s Quotes

“I think of myself as a bad writer with big ideas, but I'd rather be that than a big writer with bad ideas.”
― Michael Moorcock, Elric: The Stealer of Souls

tags: best-sellers, fantasy-genre, ideas, inspiration, popularity, self-deprication

216 likes

“I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.”
― Octavia E. Butler

tags: science-fiction, writing

97 likes

“Difficulty is what wakes up the genius”
― Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

179 likes

“Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

tags: resistance, self-sabotage

43 likes

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.”
― Octavia Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories