Begotten: A Gothic Novel

by Kate Cherrell

In this neo-Victorian novel set in the fictional county of Duncain, spiritualism impacts an Anglo-Irish family. Following the death of her father, Alice Crofton returns to her family’s crumbling house, believing she will settle the estate and leave. But nothing in Duncain ever truly leaves. In her absence, spiritualism has gripped the rural county and charismatic mediums have encroached into the household, setting their sights on Alice’s family - and her inheritance. Alice tries to hold on to her family and her sanity as hysteria and hauntings take over all she once knew. Written in gothic and ghost story traditions, Begotten’s dark - and sometimes humorous - narrative raises questions about the trustworthiness of one’s senses and the very nature of ghosts.

Genres: Gothic

248 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a classically gothic novel, neo-Victorian and set in an imaginary county in Northern Ireland, Duncain. The setting is a crumbling old mansion (when isn’t it?), which has overgrown gardens, crumbling masonry, a generally neglected air. It is damp and wet. The weather and the house. All the tropes are lined up. There are seances and a creepy and sinister housekeeper. Alice Croften is the protagonist. She has left home and got married, living in London with her husband Algernon. She returns to the ancestral home following the death of her father, alone.
There ensues a rambling series of gothic events. Plenty of tropes around insanity, Alice’s mother appears to have severe mental health problems. The housekeeper is aggressive and unpleasant. Alice’s younger sister Elsie pops up periodically and mysteriously. The place appears to be haunted and as you would expect from an old house there are bumps, creaks and noises. A couple of other people appear every now and then and hold seances. Alice herself appears to have a combination of petulance and passivity. The whole is atmospheric and claustrophobic.
There is a good deal of manipulation occurring. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic and soon it becomes clear we are heading towards one of two endings. Either Alice has imagined the husband and life in London and has never left home, or she is being manipulated for some nefarious purpose.
The problem here is that the plot rambles for most of the book before sharpening up for the last fifty pages. Most of it didn’t engage me and I think you can over use the tropes, it was all a bit much: Alice was irritating and far too passive.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Kate and greatly enjoyed it. Begotten is a richly detailed, chilling debut steeped in gothic tradition. Kate Cherrell brings her intimate knowledge of the murky past of spiritualism to haunt her narrator on a tormentous descent into madness.

[Hannah Zunic · Rating 2 out of 5]

The following is an abridged version of my review. The full length version can be found on my site www.readinghasruinedmylife.com

Thank you to Collective Ink and Roundfire Books for sending me a copy of Begotten. They aren't paying me for my review, they just sent me the book for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I had to describe Begotten in one word, it would be atmospheric. If a piece of Gothic lit doesn’t make me feel like I’m in the world of the novel then it’s not a good piece of Gothic literature in my opinion. Kate Cherrell soars in her descriptions and details. I felt the claustrophobia Alice experiences during her stay in Duncain. I could feel the dirt and grime of the manor beneath my palms. The cold of the old home was seeping into my bones. I have to applaud Kate Cherrell for the atmosphere she created.

Sadly the atmosphere is one of the few things I enjoyed about this read. Begotten is a slow burn, but it’s not one that works. Nothing really happens for nearly 100 pages, and the book is only 222 pages long, by the way. As a big portion of this book relies on Alice being gaslit by those around her, that needs to occur early on. It needs to be happening from the get-go. But it doesn’t. Nothing in the first one hundred pages of this book makes me believe Alice is being gaslit. Alice’s family and Mrs. Curry are rude, cold, and distant towards her, but they’re just being mean, they aren’t doing anything that would truly make Alice question her sanity.

I do have to say, I liked the ending. Sort of. My interest was piqued by the last fifty pages. Everything was dialed up to eleven. I did slightly question if Alice was making things up. But, and this is a big but, at the start of the book, there is a throwaway line which essentially tells readers to believe Alice as a reliable narrator even though the story desperately wants her to be an unreliable narrator. This one line causes the whole story to collapse. The idea is for readers to slowly think Alice has a mental illness, but I cannot believe that for one moment. So yeah, I kinda liked the ending because everything was turned up to eleven and the villains were properly gaslighting Alice, but it doesn't work because I as a reader know the truth.

Sure, the atmosphere is great. The vibes are immaculate in the most disgusting way. But they can’t save the book. The faults I found in this read derail the story. I wish it wasn’t like this, but sadly it is. This piece of Gothic literature failed me.

Thank you once again to Roundfire Books and Collective Ink for sending me a copy of Begotten. Thank you, thank you!
Again, the full length version of my review can be found at www.readinghasruinedmylife.com. I post new reviews on the site every Wednesday at noon EST.

[ClaireJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a creepy gothic novel set in the Victorian period. The author is a renowned paranormal historian and television personality, Dr Kate Cherrell so I knew I would be in good hands for a good ghost tale.

I do love a haunted house story, especially when it involves seances and the hype around spiritualism in the Victorian times and this certainly was an unsettling and atmospheric one.

I must admit that the flow of the story was quite stilted at times and felt disjointed which left me a bit confused in parts and uncertain what was going on, which is a shame as it has a brilliant premise and there are some absolutely hauntingly beautifully written sentences that really created an eerie and immersive reading experience. It just at times lost its way. The descriptions of the decay in the house, the strange noises and the odd housekeeper and unsettling dreams all blurred with reality. It kept me engaged as I wanted to work out what was going on.

There are some intriguing themes explored such as mental illness, sexism and dysfunctional families. I really just wish this story had a more of a definitive plot with more action as it was so off in the pacing. It felt like it needed a bit of a push to get going.

Begotten is a dark gothic style story that is like a hallucinatory experience, leaving you unsure of what was real or not. If you like a fever dream of a horror then this will be the book for you.

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m usually careful about deciding what to read. I’m at an age when there’s more life behind me than there is ahead, and I value my reading time. I also try to be open to new things. I enjoy a good gothic novel. This was an okay gothic novel. It wasn’t really to my taste, I’ll admit, and I don’t think it’s giving away too much to say that an unreliable narrator isn’t always easy to pull off.

Alice Crofton returns home to Dunain in Ireland after her father’s death. She left her husband in London while she travels there to take care of business. She’s to inherit the estate. We soon meet her unsympathetic mother, her strangely between-age sister, and coarse housekeeper. Strange things are afoot and she begins to expect spiritualists are behind it. Things, however, are not as they seem.

For me, the story really didn’t pull me in. There are others, I’m sure, who will find the opposite to be true. As I note elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), it is a gothic novel. It has some nice gothic flourishes. It’s also a bit over the top. For my taste, at least.

[Yesenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step into a world of Victorian magic and mystery! This story takes you back to the 1800s, blending the supernatural with fascinating details of the era. Prepare to be captivated by eerie and sometimes disturbing descriptions that create a gothic setting filled with historical intrigue. The narrative delves into thought-provoking themes like mental health, gender bias, and dysfunctional relationships. While these themes are intriguing, they also leave a lingering sense of longing for a more straightforward plot and a faster pace. But don’t worry, a touch of dark humor adds depth and keeps the story engaging. It’s a quick read that’s perfect for a cozy weekend getaway.

[Ro SiBergson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out thinking this had all the ingredients of a good story. The writing had a Dickensian flavour which I love and I was thoroughly absorbed. Unfortunately this book descended into utter tedium in which, for at least 150 pages, nothing really happened. I became so angry and frustrated with the ineptitude of Alice and how she allowed everything to happen to her that the ending was just more of the same. As for the ghosts, as it seemed likely she was being poisoned throughout her time at Duncain, they seemed more ‘of gravy than of grave’. I’m afraid it’s not for me.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a long time to read this since I'm so busy nowadays, despite it being a very short book. Idk if that was why I didn't feel motivated to read it, but on the other hand I felt like not much happened in the story. There's a good gothic atmosphere for sure, and the ending was good, for a minute I wasn't sure what was the truth or not.

[Desiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping to like this book. I love a good gothic haunted house story. Unfortunately, I was left confused. I usually don’t mind an ambiguous ending but this book is so disjointed that I’m not sure what was going on at all.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always like to support new authors, especially when books are advertised as being in a ‘world of rich gothic splendor’, but unfortunately this just fell flat.

This was a DNF at chapter 12.

[jane.stejsky · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF what a load of boredom 😩