The Crimson Diary

by C.S.C. Shows

Myths, magic, and...Marilyn?

A strange magic.

A beloved woman dies, and the crimson diary appears. Over and over again throughout time. What mysterious magic do its pages hold? Its glowing red cover should serve as a warning. The peculiar red iridescence is ignored when so much good fortune befalls those who open it and read its words.

And it chooses her.

An overlooked librarian.

When shy librarian Kacey Wiltson finds an ancient red diary on a shelf, she doesn’t hesitate to open it and read its entries. Stories of influential women throughout history unfold, and her own life transforms in ways she couldn't have imagined. Soon, Kacey becomes the newest object of America’s affection as her fame soars with her association with a dashing director and a starring role in a highly anticipated movie about King Arthur and Guinevere. Everywhere Kacey turns, people shower her with adoration, or even cross the line into obsession, and she knows it’s the book’s influence. All the newfound attention is exhilarating.

But at what cost?

A ruthless seer.

Sibyl has tirelessly pursued the crimson diary through the ages, witnessing the havoc it wreaks upon countless women’s lives and playing her part in ensuring the demise of each Keeper. Sibyl has her own special powers and lifetimes of experience and wisdom. Yet, the diary keeps evading her, and it’s cost her everything time and again. She won’t stop until the precious enchanted book is back in her hands where it belongs.

Come hell or high water.

With intriguing suspense, bewitching characters, and a unique conception of myths and magic in the modern world, The Crimson Diary is a spellbinding contemporary fantasy thriller about the cost of magic and fame and about the redemptive power of love.

Genres: Fantasy

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fantasy girlie, but The Crimson Diary was absolutely fascinating. It was also very much a thriller, which I think helped me embrace and enjoy the story. The presence of magic, the rise to fame, new love, and obsession.. there is a lot going on, and it's quite the ride!

I loved the dual timelines and how the story spoke from the perspective of two of the books' most critical characters. I also thought it was a nice touch how many of the characters referenced were real women throughout history.

I would definitely read more from this author.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Book remind me kind of a freaky Friday kind of aspect. We have a librarian who basically is forgotten by all those she interacts with . When she finds a mysterious book her whole world is turned upside down and things that would never happen to her like being a model or in a movie are happening left and right. The time jumps as we learn the back story of one of the characters were a bit boring and i found myself wanting to quickly get back to Kacey and see what else was gonna happen while she had this book.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was enthralled from the beginning and could not put it down. I think this might be my favourite book I've read this year, and I've read over 140 so far. It is a must-read.

[Bookworming Adventures of ANW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I needed a book about magic, mythology, and historical figures…But CSC Shows sure did.

The Crimson Diary offers a refreshing take on contemporary fantasy. Cyrena’s unique storytelling style and original plot kept me hooked from beginning to end.

The story is told from the perspective of our two FMCs, Kasey and Sybil, and span different timelines which adds an additional layer of depth and complexity to this interesting world. I particularly enjoyed the diary entries from various historical females, which provided a fascinating glimpse into the past. The book’s exploration of magic, fame, new love, and obsession is both thrilling and thought-provoking.

The last 30% of The Crimson Diary is a ride and had me on the edge of my seat, glued to the pages. There were definitely a few WTF and OMG moments, and I totally lived for it.

While some parts felt a bit rushed, the overall story is well-paced and engaging. The characters are sweet and loveable, and the cozy, feel-good ending is satisfying. If you're looking for a magical adventure with a touch of romance and history, The Crimson Diary is a must-read…just be careful what you wish for…

[Kata]

DNF after 26%.

The blurb sounded interesting, but unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the main character, Kacey, and couldn’t really get into the story.

I didn’t personally like how the FMC’s appearance had to change to a “perfect figure” before she became famous and before anyone was really interested in her. I, of course, can’t say how her changed appearance affected her or her relationships later in the book, but at the beginning, I found it off-putting.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crimson Diary was a fun, quick and very entertaining read. I really enjoyed this book full of magic, Greek gods, likable characters, and an original plot.

The book is engaging, and an easy read, so I was able to read it in a day. It kept my interest and I was turning pages quickly to see what was going to happen next.

Overall, a good fantasy read, I would recommend to anyone who likes relatively clean fantasy with a slow burn romance and enjoys a fun read!

I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dawn Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read , when I first started this book it reminded me of one of my favorite movies when I was younger. This was such a a magical tale . I started this book in the afternoon and finished it in one sitting I could not put this down . Is there anything better than magic , battles , love , lost and a fairy tale ending nope I think not and this book had it all . The story of Kasey and her journey had so many twists and turns I would definitely love more from the story but if this is a standalone book it ends great

[Jelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one. I loved the idea of the storyline. I felt that there was some meandering in the storytelling that detracted from the story itself. I needed more time with Kacey and Justin. More time with Sybil in the now - less of her in the past. Because dome of the story was sped up to accommodate for telling of past events, I was left longing for depth and felt that events were fairly unbelievable. I think if some events were edited, and others were meatier, this would have gone from a good book to a great one.

[Odette Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely Magical.
We started off quite slow but then wow we hit the ground running, I had my suspensions about Justin and I'm so glad I was right, I wanted to scream and shout at Kacey sometimes but it all added to the experience, I quickly found myself falling in love with this book. It's an amazing read, and I would highly recommend it.

This book was given to me as an ARC for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nathalie Olofsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt like an easy and sweet ride. Nothing crazy really happened and it might not be action pact but instead filled with nice and sweet dialog. There is a lot of talking in this book and the short chapters make it easy to read several chapters in one go. I do wish sometimes that the dialogs where a little longer so you could connect with the characters better. Same with the plot. Some part felt a little rushed through.
But even when the story wasn't an epic tale with a lot of twist and turn, it still was a good story with sweet and lovable characters.

[Cat B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable, interesting page turner this was. I loved that we got some insight into previous owners of the diary and how they were affected by it. I can't say that there were alot of exciting action filled pages, that is not what keeps you turning those pages, but there was a excellent read and a quiet moral of the story ... be careful what you wish for.
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shellseeker100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crimson Diary has something for fans of fantasy, history, mythology, romance and just a darn good story that weaves all these elements together! As the mysterious diary passes from the hands of one character to another, you will be unable to stop reading until you find out what happens to Kacey and Sibyl, as well as all the other women whose lives were affected by the diary. Who will win? You have to read this story to find out!

[Katie Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blend of modern life and ancient history and a touch of magic. This had an unique premise that questions the importance and cost of beauty spanning through some of the most powerful figures in history.
The characters and story were well written, it had a nice pace. I could have done with more about the book itself and how/why it was made, it was explained I just wanted a bit more detail.
I would recommend reading

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book followed a lot of rabbit trails but not to the fullest opportunity in my opinion. I saw what the book was going for and trying to do which is an interesting take but I felt like so much could have gone further and told more.

The layout of the story was a bit different as chapters were separated that really didn't need to be.

All in all, this is a good tale but I think this is just the beginning .

[Stefanie Silvestri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though fantasy isn't my usual genre, I found myself really enjoying this book. The story was engaging and moved at a good pace, making it easy to stay interested and have a good time reading it. And I loved the book referenced historical women. I wanted to love Justin, but something told me not too

[Micki-D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book from the start of it I was so interested in it. What an original plot!! Such a good read I highly recommend this book, it’s my favourite read of this year 🖤

This book is a magical thriller, You get magic, love, obsession, Greek gods it is engaging, well written and paced nicely.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It doesn’t take long to hook you in with everything going on. The author mixes historical women and stories and blends them seamlessly into the story while adding magic and adventure. It also shines a light on what game and the quest for power will do to a person. It was such a fun read and a satisfying ending!

[Sarah Lewin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing, a quirky main character who likes flying under the radar while wishing she was a star. We can all relate to her and the trouble she finds herself in. Five out of five for characters and original storyline!

[Alexis Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved everything about this book it had so much suspense and unexpected twists and turns and I loved the different times and the whole gist of it all. It was Interesting to learn about all the previous women and what happened to them and overall this was an enjoyable read for me

[Sierra Hoppie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!
One of my favorite things in a book is dual timelines!
Librarian is forgotten about by people she met. It’s mythology and magic and so much more
Thank you for letting me read!

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was intense and edge of the seat interesting.

[Kyle Bramlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

CSC knocks it out of the park with The Crimson Diary. With a touch of historical fiction covering real women of history, this fantasy will keep you engaged, and not wanting to sit it down!

[Karen Weir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. Fantasy with a twist of thriller. Kept me hooked and wondering what would come next. Full of twists and turns. Character and story development was great. Well worth a read.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was difficult at times to follow. You almost needed a diagram of all the characters.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it’s definitely one of my favorites so far this year. It started a little slow, but when it picked up I almost couldn’t put it down. It was that good.
It’s so well written and i really loved the water imagery.
Also loved the references to the historical women and stories.
I’m truly amazed and everyone should read this!

[Gemma Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining, easy to read book that I breezed through in my lunch breaks! Although it is a fantasy it has elements of mystery and is somewhat of a thriller, with romance thrown in to boot! A fast paced story line with twists that keep you hooked on every page, and a fascinating new twist on characters and stories we all know and love, both real and mythical! Would thoroughly recommend this to anyone wanting a little bit of magic with a cosy, feel good ending!

[Kylie Misiti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crimson Diary was an interesting fantasy read, not like anything I have read before. Such a cute premise with built in life lessons. Both Kacey and Sybil were well developed characters with relatable back stories. I really enjoyed the time jumps back and forth too - although sometimes I did find myself confused LOL however, I really think it was essential for the story. I loved the Marilyn Monroe tie in, I have always been fascinated with her so this was cool (kinda sad too)! Worth checking out for sure!

[Julianna L · Rating 5 out of 5]

CSC Shows does an excellent work in combining the present and the past in an exciting romance novel with lots of twists. It was interesting to learn of great historical women and the influence of the Diary on their lives. Highly recommend!