House of Death and Shadow

by Olivia Gold

In a world ravaged by war and devoid of wonder, Darci faces a mysterious shadow and the possibility more exists than meets the eye near her home. When she begins to communicate with a stranger through writings on a wall, her curiosity leads her into the woods–forbidden and avoided by anyone who wants to live a long life. Evil and darkness lurk in the trees and Darci might just be trapped by whatever this monster is. Until a man she's never seen before, shrouded in shadows, appears to rescue her and just as quickly disappears. 


 

As nightmares haunt her sleep and a foreboding sense of someone coming for her occupies her days, she does the only thing she can think to do. Seek out this stranger and find the answers she needs. In doing so, she finds another world full of magic and beauty that is both foreign and oddly familiar. Magic itself seems to know her, and her time in this world awakens something buried deep inside and connects her to this unknown rescuer. 


 

The power within her is far greater than she could have ever imagined. Will it awaken a monster or a hero? Who will survive the aftermath–herself or everyone else? What if the villain isn't who she thought it was? 


 

 


 

Genres: Fantasy

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

Hi! I'm Olivia, and I have had a deep love of reading and all things books pretty much my entire life. I grew up on fantasy and magic, and the fact that I get to write stories full of those things boggles my mind. I hope to continue to grow as a writer and reader every year. I love a variety of genres and consume a diverse range of books. I was born and raised in Kentucky, and I spend a lot of my time outside with my family, enjoying our garden and nature. My horses, cats, and dog also hold a dear place in my heart. Thank you to every person who takes a chance on my book. I hope you like it, and even if you didn't, I'm still grateful you tried it out!

Happy Reading!

Reviews

[Rikke's Reading Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start this review with the language and writing style, because it was so beautiful, atmospheric and I feel it’s almost a character of the story itself. Oliva’s use of short sentences in strategically placed scenes, makes it really hammer home what’s going on. It feels almost staccato, and emphasises the feelings.

It’s a dual POV, first person narrative, which brings an intimacy to the story and due to it being dual POV we also get limited knowledge from each perspective but as readers we can use that to piece together what is happening before the characters realise. It's quite an interesting experience, and I think she does this masterfully.

Which leads to, how the story unfolds is really important and a huge part of why I love this book. It slowly evolves, from being set in an old run down daughtry house following a lonely woman, to….well I’m going to leave you to discover that! Because that is where the magic really lies.
The characters themselves - Darci, Adrian and Marcus - all go through a change together but also separately. I can’t say more because it would ruin the story, but I really enjoyed seeing how the tapestry was being weaved.

A huge theme in this book is grief, how some people experience it as almost numbing, a sense of loneliness and not belong. The feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward. It is beautiful as much as it is painful. I feel for Darci, her loss, her grief, and the trauma it’s clearly created within her.

I am blown away by this book, and I’m absolutely going to continue this series!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready for the next book to see how this new fantasy world plays out! This book kept me wanting to read more and ignore real life, just so I could see what was going to happen to Darci and get some answers to her past. Love the characters, especially Marcus, and the unexpected ending blew my mind! Didn’t see that coming!

[Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was a little spooky and creepy at times and I just loved that element in this book. It gave me One dark Window vibes but still very unique. I absolutely loved the fact that there's very little to no romance in here. There's like a wink of potential romance but the focus here is the mystery and journey of our FMC and trying to piece together all the puzzle pieces and I just absolutely adored everything about it. The writing is also stunning. Absolutely beautifully written and I can't wait to read more from Olivia Gold.

[freya · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was fun, something a bit different to what i have read before which was refreshing. i found that there were several issues with missing words and grammar that was incorrect which affected the story slightly and some of the writing i found was slightly basic to me. other than that, i am excited to read the next book and find out the truth of who darci really is and how she is connected to the world and adrian.

[Kelsey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!! I found this book in a local bookstore and found out it was by a local author! I read the back and knew I would love it. Not to mention that the cover is stunning! 💜

The story is so unique and well written. Multiple worlds, gods, mystery, and potential for romance. What more do you need?!
I absolutely can’t wait to read the second book!

[Jessica Torsak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic first book. It brings in magic, traveling between worlds, and creatures. The characters are dynamic and the writing makes you want to root for them. There's a huge twist at the end that makes it hard to wait for the next book in the series!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

ohhh this is a rare treat of a book! the cover is so unassuming and doesn't even hint at the darkness and despair of this world and the fmc. zero romance and I am absolutely fine with it because I was hooked wondering wtf the entire time. awesome read!

[Jazmin Jordan-Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a different take on fantasy and I am here for it! I loved the portrayal of magic. I loved the power and discovery and portals and multiple worlds and the lore.

[Olivia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your average fantasy book. It defies certain tropes in a really intriguing way. Unexpectedly, yet really fun! I enjoyed it.

[Timothy Robare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it absolutely awesome. At first I was unsure, but as the story and world (worlds) unfolded, I fell in love with it. The characters grew on me and the complexity of the world/worlds was so well done. The second half of the novel was just fantastic and I think it is going to be a great series