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Ladies Occult Society #2
A Ghostly Request
Miss Elizabeth Knight’s occult studies are thrown into chaos when her younger sister is finally allowed to come out into society. There are gowns and bonnets and shoes to purchase. However, all is not joyful at the rectory, for Isabella’s condition worsens daily. The Ladies Occult Society decides to summon a healing specialist to help.
Distance and familial obligations slow the process, as Elizabeth travels to Mary’s for the coming out ball. Once there, she must face the difficult past with Mary, fight new battles, and work with Mrs. Egerton to summon another ghostly companion.
Oh, and a young man is moving to Bryden, which is sure to ruin everything.
Distance and familial obligations slow the process, as Elizabeth travels to Mary’s for the coming out ball. Once there, she must face the difficult past with Mary, fight new battles, and work with Mrs. Egerton to summon another ghostly companion.
Oh, and a young man is moving to Bryden, which is sure to ruin everything.
264 pages, ebook
First published July 31, 2020
3 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 2, 2020
If I could physically go into this book and strangle someone, it would be Elizabeth's dumb shit father. And if I still had the strength, maybe I'd add in her dumb shit sister Mary as well.
Now that that's off my chest, this book was brilliant. I love the female friendships, whether with real people or spirits, and the letters between the Ladies Occult Society are absolutely my favourite. I can't wait for those ladies to get back together!
There was a lot of descriptions on dressmaking this time around, and I actually loved that? It was so interesting to read about, and didn't feel too infodumpy at all.
Another brilliant addition to a lovely series.
Now that that's off my chest, this book was brilliant. I love the female friendships, whether with real people or spirits, and the letters between the Ladies Occult Society are absolutely my favourite. I can't wait for those ladies to get back together!
There was a lot of descriptions on dressmaking this time around, and I actually loved that? It was so interesting to read about, and didn't feel too infodumpy at all.
Another brilliant addition to a lovely series.
February 12, 2021
I hadn’t really read any regency fantasy before last year when I loved A Magical Inheritance, it was witty and delightful to read, I loved the geeking out over books, the fantasy of manners style, and the great characters. So of course I preordered the sequel as soon as I could, and then hoarded it for when I really needed a pick me up, like any good book dragon does. And when I finally needed it, it fully delivered a quick, engaging, and comforting read.
A Ghostly Request was just as much fun as the first book, we got to know the Knight family a lot better, some of them better than I would’ve liked – looking at you Mr. Knight, you utter asshole. It’s even more slice of life than the first book, with very much time spent focussing on sewing and modifying clothes for a ball and managing home economics. I don’t think anyone will be picking this up unless they’ve enjoyed the first book, so this probably doesn’t need saying, but just in case, to be clear: nothing happens. Well not nothing, nothing, but there’s nothing in the action sense of normal fantasy books. They really do just catalog books, sew and shop, summon ghosts and deal with annoying and/or horrible family members. It’s so much fun, and so relaxing to read.
There’s so much sewing going on, always in period movies you see women sitting and sewing, but I never quite grasped before just how much there was to do. From modifying dresses to fit the latest fashions to making shirts for the household men and adding ribbons to just about everything. It’s really pushed to start mending and upcycling some of my own stuff. I also sew as a hobby and was really into all of that.
Another thing I had never realized was that letters were basically e-mails. I always thought letters were these sort of once in a while things, but the ladies chatted almost daily. They talking about everything and helped each other with their magical research, reaching out to women across the country who might help. In this book, even though Elizabeth is stuck at the rectory and her friends are elsewhere they’re always in touch.
There’s a lot going on in the family’s life, Elizabeth’s step-mother is with child and it’s not going well, only one of her sister is allowed to have her coming out into society and that creates a flurry of jealous sibling drama, her father is being insufferable and obstinate all over the place. The main character is constantly torn this way and that, all the while trying to help her family however she can, even using the occult. There’s a new ghostly guest as well, and the two ladies know each other and not get along well, so great, just seeing them interact. There’s a lot of chaos through the book and of course, it all comes crashing down at one point. I felt really bad for Elizabeth who just wanted a little time to herself to study her magic books.
In short, it’s a fun whirlwind of a book, delving deeper into Elizabeth’s family life, with less of a focus on the supernatural, but when the ghost friends show up they’re great.
A Ghostly Request was just as much fun as the first book, we got to know the Knight family a lot better, some of them better than I would’ve liked – looking at you Mr. Knight, you utter asshole. It’s even more slice of life than the first book, with very much time spent focussing on sewing and modifying clothes for a ball and managing home economics. I don’t think anyone will be picking this up unless they’ve enjoyed the first book, so this probably doesn’t need saying, but just in case, to be clear: nothing happens. Well not nothing, nothing, but there’s nothing in the action sense of normal fantasy books. They really do just catalog books, sew and shop, summon ghosts and deal with annoying and/or horrible family members. It’s so much fun, and so relaxing to read.
There’s so much sewing going on, always in period movies you see women sitting and sewing, but I never quite grasped before just how much there was to do. From modifying dresses to fit the latest fashions to making shirts for the household men and adding ribbons to just about everything. It’s really pushed to start mending and upcycling some of my own stuff. I also sew as a hobby and was really into all of that.
Another thing I had never realized was that letters were basically e-mails. I always thought letters were these sort of once in a while things, but the ladies chatted almost daily. They talking about everything and helped each other with their magical research, reaching out to women across the country who might help. In this book, even though Elizabeth is stuck at the rectory and her friends are elsewhere they’re always in touch.
There’s a lot going on in the family’s life, Elizabeth’s step-mother is with child and it’s not going well, only one of her sister is allowed to have her coming out into society and that creates a flurry of jealous sibling drama, her father is being insufferable and obstinate all over the place. The main character is constantly torn this way and that, all the while trying to help her family however she can, even using the occult. There’s a new ghostly guest as well, and the two ladies know each other and not get along well, so great, just seeing them interact. There’s a lot of chaos through the book and of course, it all comes crashing down at one point. I felt really bad for Elizabeth who just wanted a little time to herself to study her magic books.
In short, it’s a fun whirlwind of a book, delving deeper into Elizabeth’s family life, with less of a focus on the supernatural, but when the ghost friends show up they’re great.
September 7, 2020
A Ghostly Request is the second book in the Ladies Occult Society series. I found the book, once again, to be absolutely delightful and exactly what I wanted. I sank into this and devoured it in a day. If book 3 were out, I'd probably be reading it right now.
In this installment of the story, our protagonist, Elizabeth, is back at Bryden Rectory dealing with her cheapskate father, stepmother Isabella who is having a difficult pregnancy, and a herd of younger sisters (Cassandra, Theodosia, and Georgiana) who she is pretty much raising. Chaos seems to reign at the Rectory, with the girls at each others' throats, Isabella doing her best under difficult circumstances, and an incredibly insensitive and infuriating Mr. Knight lobbing grenades from time to time.
Elizabeth's occult studies keep getting sidelined by the domestic mayhem. Most of the story focuses on a relatively short period of time when a decision is made to let Theodosia come out to Society and the new wardrobe this entails - and how to accomplish this on a very modest budget of 12 pounds. We also finally have Elizabeth and Mary together in person, as Elizabeth and Theo travel to Mary's estate where she will host a ball, which is a real treat if you want to hate another character! On the bright side, Mary's husband turns out to be a much better character than I anticipated.
The ghostly Mrs. Edgerton continues to be part of the story, with much needed acerbic commentary. We do eventually meet a new ghost, Miss Gibbs, who I hope we get to see more of in the next book. The epistolary novel theme continues, as there is much correspondence between the ladies of the Occult Society peppered throughout the story. I did miss Aunt Cass not really being much of a part of this novel.
Lastly, I will agree with some of the other comments - there's quite a bit about clothing and dressmaking and shopping for fabric and trim and the costs associated with that in this book (instead of selling a book collection as in Book 1 of the series). I liked it, but I could see it not working for everyone. Once again, if you like Austen/Pride and Prejudice and Fantasy of Manners in general, you will probably love this book. Highly recommended!
In this installment of the story, our protagonist, Elizabeth, is back at Bryden Rectory dealing with her cheapskate father, stepmother Isabella who is having a difficult pregnancy, and a herd of younger sisters (Cassandra, Theodosia, and Georgiana) who she is pretty much raising. Chaos seems to reign at the Rectory, with the girls at each others' throats, Isabella doing her best under difficult circumstances, and an incredibly insensitive and infuriating Mr. Knight lobbing grenades from time to time.
Elizabeth's occult studies keep getting sidelined by the domestic mayhem. Most of the story focuses on a relatively short period of time when a decision is made to let Theodosia come out to Society and the new wardrobe this entails - and how to accomplish this on a very modest budget of 12 pounds. We also finally have Elizabeth and Mary together in person, as Elizabeth and Theo travel to Mary's estate where she will host a ball, which is a real treat if you want to hate another character! On the bright side, Mary's husband turns out to be a much better character than I anticipated.
The ghostly Mrs. Edgerton continues to be part of the story, with much needed acerbic commentary. We do eventually meet a new ghost, Miss Gibbs, who I hope we get to see more of in the next book. The epistolary novel theme continues, as there is much correspondence between the ladies of the Occult Society peppered throughout the story. I did miss Aunt Cass not really being much of a part of this novel.
Lastly, I will agree with some of the other comments - there's quite a bit about clothing and dressmaking and shopping for fabric and trim and the costs associated with that in this book (instead of selling a book collection as in Book 1 of the series). I liked it, but I could see it not working for everyone. Once again, if you like Austen/Pride and Prejudice and Fantasy of Manners in general, you will probably love this book. Highly recommended!
Read
June 17, 2020Quiet story; tons of proofreading errors; not as much paranormal as I wanted, and waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much on fabric, fashion, and their costs. I did like the story, really, but I didn't love it. But, I'll be here for the next book.
June 15, 2020
More dress making than occult research.
I binged the first volume in a day, I did the same with this one. And I enjoyed every minute...
As I had this on pre-order I received this on Saturday, finished the same day, and left it a day before reviewing.
Similar to my review of the first book. While I enjoyed it, I felt the book ended just as the story began. In one respect this means I'm frustrated. But it's well written enough that can't wait for the next part.
I would earn that there is a lot of historical dress making in the book. I'm going this will be a lot pint later on... But as I find costuming, tailoring & period dress making videos relaxing... I quite enjoyed this part the story anyway.
I binged the first volume in a day, I did the same with this one. And I enjoyed every minute...
As I had this on pre-order I received this on Saturday, finished the same day, and left it a day before reviewing.
Similar to my review of the first book. While I enjoyed it, I felt the book ended just as the story began. In one respect this means I'm frustrated. But it's well written enough that can't wait for the next part.
I would earn that there is a lot of historical dress making in the book. I'm going this will be a lot pint later on... But as I find costuming, tailoring & period dress making videos relaxing... I quite enjoyed this part the story anyway.
June 15, 2020
So I really loved this, which you can tell by the fact I devoured this book in less than twenty-four hours. In this second book, we return to the refectory where Eliza tries to continue her studies and deal with the demands of her family half of whom are terrible. I missed the other members of the Ladies Occult Society, but luckily we get their letters and a new member. And of course, we have Mrs Egerton who I'd compare favourably to Granny Weatherwax. Super excited to read the next book in the series.
June 15, 2020
Elizabeth's continued adventures dealing with her awful father, rambunctious family, and a new ghost. I'm discovering that I like this manners stuff mostly because I'm living for the moments when it all flies away and Elizabeth rebels and stands up for herself and others. I'm also waiting on Mr. Knight to die in a most horrific way.
August 10, 2023
Being in the countryside does not mean bucolic quiet. There's plenty of family drama among the stresses of genteel poverty in Regency England. Elizabeth tries to strike a balance between her studies and her family as her father chisels away at her inheritance from book one. I continue to hate Elizabeth's father, but have some small--itsy-bitsy--sympathy now for her sister Mary.
July 8, 2020
This book perfectly fit my current modes, which has been re-watching various versions of Little Women, Emma, North and South, and Pride and Prejudice. I've had a super hard time getting into books / reading since the Pandemic, so this was an extremely exciting read for me, as I didn't get bored and put it down indefinitely. Thank you Krista D. Ball for giving me TWO books this year that I actually made it through (the other is Spirit Caller).
This is a big-ol' 5 stars from me. Understandably, this book will not be for everyone. There's basically no plot, no real conflict, no big-baddie, no fighting scenes, no dueling, no super villain, not a lot of "classic fantasy" in this one. What there is, is: LACE, LACE LAAACCCEEEE!!! And RIBBON! Lace and ribbon. And dresses, lots and lots and lot AND LOTS of dress making.
Do you like the parts in Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth and Jane go to the country balls? Do you wish that was an entire book? Do you wish you knew more about coming out into society? Or how much ribbon, sweets, and meat cost in Georgian England? Then read this book.
This book not only prompted me to completely fall down a Wiki rabbit hole of how pre-decimal money worked in England, but also had me googling a variety of things, from "what is a pelisse" to "how much does a horse eat" and "what is a donkey cart." Fun times!
Onto the actual review: we have the Knight Sisters: Elizabeth, Mary, Cassandra, Theodosia and Georgiana. Theo is going to come out into society, and Mary will throw her a ball at her home, in honor of Theo's introduction to society. Elizabeth, oldest, and unmarried, is tasked with helping Theo spend her 12 Pound allowance for dresses, gloves, shoes, etc. Elizabeth is also in charge of helping her ailing pregnant step-mother, keeping the peace between her three youngest sisters, organizing the servants and the ball, helping with Mary's children, and any other task that her father and brother throw at her. Because she's unmarried, and a woman, her life is largely dictated her to by her father.
The whole book centers around the preparation for one ball -Theo's coming out ball- with subplots of Isabel (step-mother of the Knight girls) going through a horrible pregnancy, and also furthering the Lady's Occult Society via letter writing. The women have to write letters, because Elizabeth is out in the country, and the rest of the ladies are in London. We only get to see Aunt Cass, etc., through letter writing, unfortunately. But we do get a country ball in this one, which, like, hell ya. We also get Mrs. Egerton's spicy attitude, and utter disregard for most men. Hilarious!!
We see more of her Father, Mr. Knight, be a complete idiot in the most subtle way possible. Something I appreciate about Krista's characterization, is a slow (SLOOWWW) build up to really hating a character. There's no one-reason or one particular thing that Mr. Knight does that made me go, "oh what a villain!!" But by the end of the book I couldn't help think, "If this fool says one more goddamn thing..." It was so honest and nettlesome, I couldn't believe it. Like actually spending time with horrible extended family, and by day-3 you realizing that if you don't leave, you're going to fucking burst open. That's Mr. Knight. Also, that's the magic of the author's writing. Brilliant!
I can't wait for the conclusion. Or for more books in this world. Or for anything else that keeps this story line going. In-world tie-ins? Whatever, I'll read it all.
This is a big-ol' 5 stars from me. Understandably, this book will not be for everyone. There's basically no plot, no real conflict, no big-baddie, no fighting scenes, no dueling, no super villain, not a lot of "classic fantasy" in this one. What there is, is: LACE, LACE LAAACCCEEEE!!! And RIBBON! Lace and ribbon. And dresses, lots and lots and lot AND LOTS of dress making.
Do you like the parts in Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth and Jane go to the country balls? Do you wish that was an entire book? Do you wish you knew more about coming out into society? Or how much ribbon, sweets, and meat cost in Georgian England? Then read this book.
This book not only prompted me to completely fall down a Wiki rabbit hole of how pre-decimal money worked in England, but also had me googling a variety of things, from "what is a pelisse" to "how much does a horse eat" and "what is a donkey cart." Fun times!
Onto the actual review: we have the Knight Sisters: Elizabeth, Mary, Cassandra, Theodosia and Georgiana. Theo is going to come out into society, and Mary will throw her a ball at her home, in honor of Theo's introduction to society. Elizabeth, oldest, and unmarried, is tasked with helping Theo spend her 12 Pound allowance for dresses, gloves, shoes, etc. Elizabeth is also in charge of helping her ailing pregnant step-mother, keeping the peace between her three youngest sisters, organizing the servants and the ball, helping with Mary's children, and any other task that her father and brother throw at her. Because she's unmarried, and a woman, her life is largely dictated her to by her father.
The whole book centers around the preparation for one ball -Theo's coming out ball- with subplots of Isabel (step-mother of the Knight girls) going through a horrible pregnancy, and also furthering the Lady's Occult Society via letter writing. The women have to write letters, because Elizabeth is out in the country, and the rest of the ladies are in London. We only get to see Aunt Cass, etc., through letter writing, unfortunately. But we do get a country ball in this one, which, like, hell ya. We also get Mrs. Egerton's spicy attitude, and utter disregard for most men. Hilarious!!
We see more of her Father, Mr. Knight, be a complete idiot in the most subtle way possible. Something I appreciate about Krista's characterization, is a slow (SLOOWWW) build up to really hating a character. There's no one-reason or one particular thing that Mr. Knight does that made me go, "oh what a villain!!" But by the end of the book I couldn't help think, "If this fool says one more goddamn thing..." It was so honest and nettlesome, I couldn't believe it. Like actually spending time with horrible extended family, and by day-3 you realizing that if you don't leave, you're going to fucking burst open. That's Mr. Knight. Also, that's the magic of the author's writing. Brilliant!
I can't wait for the conclusion. Or for more books in this world. Or for anything else that keeps this story line going. In-world tie-ins? Whatever, I'll read it all.
Read
October 5, 2020I haven’t added a rating yet bc I need to think about it. I’d like to give it a 3.5, but that’s not an option.
Pros:
1) amazing family dynamics. I feel passionately about these characters to the point of wanting to escape into the book and exfiltrate poor Elizabeth and Isabella ASAP
2) loved the details about how much things cost, how money was stretched and dresses rejuvenated with salvaged fabric and new ribbons
3) loved the explanation of the carriage and the crimp that puts on a family’s finances.
4) I gobbled this up in less than a day, bc it was exactly the sort of book I needed to read right now (Date line: US, 3-4 Oct 2020: look it up all ye readers who come across this review in the After Times.)
5) so many Jane Austen references. It was lots of fun to spot them as I read.
Cons:
1) there were typos in my edition but to be fair when I mentioned on Twitter I was going to finally read it, the author warned me to download the corrected edition and I didn’t so that’s on me
2) I missed the other women in the Occult Society. I missed the chemistry between those characters and Elizabeth, and the balance that mutual respect gave to the horror show that is E’s father, sister Mary, and general, if not entirely malicious, chaos from her younger sisters. The letters were not enough to balance that out.
In short, I liked Book 1 better but remained thoroughly invested in these characters and plan to preorder Book 3.
Recommended for folks who like to blend their Jane Austen with the occult. Seriously, there are tons of Jane Austen references buried in here and it’s fun to find them all. :)
Pros:
1) amazing family dynamics. I feel passionately about these characters to the point of wanting to escape into the book and exfiltrate poor Elizabeth and Isabella ASAP
2) loved the details about how much things cost, how money was stretched and dresses rejuvenated with salvaged fabric and new ribbons
3) loved the explanation of the carriage and the crimp that puts on a family’s finances.
4) I gobbled this up in less than a day, bc it was exactly the sort of book I needed to read right now (Date line: US, 3-4 Oct 2020: look it up all ye readers who come across this review in the After Times.)
5) so many Jane Austen references. It was lots of fun to spot them as I read.
Cons:
1) there were typos in my edition but to be fair when I mentioned on Twitter I was going to finally read it, the author warned me to download the corrected edition and I didn’t so that’s on me
2) I missed the other women in the Occult Society. I missed the chemistry between those characters and Elizabeth, and the balance that mutual respect gave to the horror show that is E’s father, sister Mary, and general, if not entirely malicious, chaos from her younger sisters. The letters were not enough to balance that out.
In short, I liked Book 1 better but remained thoroughly invested in these characters and plan to preorder Book 3.
Recommended for folks who like to blend their Jane Austen with the occult. Seriously, there are tons of Jane Austen references buried in here and it’s fun to find them all. :)
March 12, 2022
While perhaps not as strong as A Magical Inheritance, I rather liked A Ghostly Request. My rating again is between three and four stars, but there were some interesting discoveries and confrontations, so I rounded up. Mrs. Egerton remains a delight, Elizabeth's maturity and competence inspiring (though I don't know that I could do what she does without snapping), and the world feels quite real, magic aside. I'm glad the series is ongoing. and I look forward to seeing what happens.
July 9, 2022
Biggest Pet Peeve - Spelling Errors
I liked the Ladies Occult Society. It’s light, novel (to me) and I’d like to see where the author takes it. But get a flipping editor. Both books are full of spelling and grammar mistakes. It’s distracting and sloppy and simply should not exist in a “published work.” Three stars for clean text. Other than that, the premise is good. After two books though, I’m anxious to see Elizabeth change her stars. Sell the book, leave your father’s house and give the fledging society and yourself a home.
I liked the Ladies Occult Society. It’s light, novel (to me) and I’d like to see where the author takes it. But get a flipping editor. Both books are full of spelling and grammar mistakes. It’s distracting and sloppy and simply should not exist in a “published work.” Three stars for clean text. Other than that, the premise is good. After two books though, I’m anxious to see Elizabeth change her stars. Sell the book, leave your father’s house and give the fledging society and yourself a home.
June 18, 2020
I read this book in almost one sitting. The pace is leisurely and full of details about dresses and costumes. It made me want to make another regency costume. It has confirmed my opinion that Mr. Knight should be run over by the carriage he wants so much, post haste. But Elizabeth continues to be a delight and I just want to read more about her and her society of ladies. It feels like a good, if temporary, balm to the chaos that is 2020. The next book can't come soon enough.
July 22, 2020
Wanting more
I really enjoyed this book and truly hope that this is not the end. I was sad and rather upset at the ending for the addition to such an fascinating series. Please do tell me you're not going to just drop us in the middle of what I see as just the beginning of this series. The characters are so loveable and their story needs told. Please do continue.
I really enjoyed this book and truly hope that this is not the end. I was sad and rather upset at the ending for the addition to such an fascinating series. Please do tell me you're not going to just drop us in the middle of what I see as just the beginning of this series. The characters are so loveable and their story needs told. Please do continue.
September 3, 2020
This has cranked up to 3.5 stars. We have a glimmering of action and plot development. Not much happens beyond the domestic but I found it much more involving as Elizabeth becomes less of a goody goody and more of a character. We still don’t have much occult going on but there is a slight development and I foresee a romance in about 3 books time!
November 14, 2021
Left me hoping for more occult
I enjoyed the first book in the series, as it explores the occult and the characters of the women joining the society - and the hilarious ghosts of said society.
Book 2 left me wanting more. Focusing far more heavily on the family dynamics, the nasty father figure and sister - and only a small part on the occult. A really small part, at that.
Here’s hoping for more ghosts, spells, learning and exploration in book 3
I enjoyed the first book in the series, as it explores the occult and the characters of the women joining the society - and the hilarious ghosts of said society.
Book 2 left me wanting more. Focusing far more heavily on the family dynamics, the nasty father figure and sister - and only a small part on the occult. A really small part, at that.
Here’s hoping for more ghosts, spells, learning and exploration in book 3
March 17, 2025
mixed feelings. it's a little boring? but different from other boring books? not much happens? but i guess that's how life was back then? i wish there was more focus on the "occult" part rather than the day-to-day life part.
and having finished the book, i still don't know what the "ghostly request" was.
and having finished the book, i still don't know what the "ghostly request" was.
September 6, 2021
Love this series! Quite a charming Regency historical novel. I am usually not a fan of Regency Romances…but, this is far less romance than occult and I quite like it. Disappointed there is no third book. I hope the author does write another one.
March 27, 2024
The part I cannot get over is how real the interactions are in the normal world. The petty bickering, the gentle humor, the reading aloud of letters. This is more jane austen than many a regency. But yeah, theres ghosts. Thank heaven for mrs edgerton!
March 22, 2021
Very little magic, lots of horrible relatives.
April 15, 2022
2.5 stars
As with the first book, far too much time is spent on every day minutia but I still find the characters interesting.
As with the first book, far too much time is spent on every day minutia but I still find the characters interesting.
May 20, 2024
Men made me very angry.
June 20, 2024
Another great read! I really enjoyed reading about how a young lady enters society in 1810. The dresses, hair, and the many accessories. Great book again Krista! Onto the next book now!
July 1, 2020
The fights are all family squabbles with essentially no violence, but somehow they're some of the most tense I've read in ages.
You really ought to read book 1 first, but this series is worth a read if you're in to fantasy of manners (or if you want to dip your toes into it).
You really ought to read book 1 first, but this series is worth a read if you're in to fantasy of manners (or if you want to dip your toes into it).
June 20, 2020
This is a decent Regency book with a some number of flaws. I overall enjoyed it and would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fantasy
Most notably, one of the Knight sisters is only a name on a page. She barely has any speaking lines and is only mentioned in passing for most of the book. Her name could have been removed from the book and almost nothing would have changed.
The Ladies Occult Society feels like an afterthought, they don’t have much purpose in this book other than to provide interludes between the goings on in Bryden.
There is an entire letter that is a repetitive info dump of information we already previously received.
There was something mentioned about Mr Knight expecting Elizabeth to pay for the new curate out of her inheritance but that was never resolved and I was shocked because of the emphasis put on income and money.
The pacing was very off. So much time was spent on the minutiae of preparing for one of the girls to have her coming out ball that the actual ball was anti climactic and the book ended so abruptly I had to make sure I wasn’t missing pages.
The plot barely advances or shows character growth other than Elizabeth standing up to Mary finally. I was surprised that Elizabeth included Mary’s husband in her shouting because he had stood up for her upon her arrival to Ashbrook.
Oh and Gretna Green is spelled as Greta Green. Twice.
Most notably, one of the Knight sisters is only a name on a page. She barely has any speaking lines and is only mentioned in passing for most of the book. Her name could have been removed from the book and almost nothing would have changed.
The Ladies Occult Society feels like an afterthought, they don’t have much purpose in this book other than to provide interludes between the goings on in Bryden.
There is an entire letter that is a repetitive info dump of information we already previously received.
There was something mentioned about Mr Knight expecting Elizabeth to pay for the new curate out of her inheritance but that was never resolved and I was shocked because of the emphasis put on income and money.
The pacing was very off. So much time was spent on the minutiae of preparing for one of the girls to have her coming out ball that the actual ball was anti climactic and the book ended so abruptly I had to make sure I wasn’t missing pages.
The plot barely advances or shows character growth other than Elizabeth standing up to Mary finally. I was surprised that Elizabeth included Mary’s husband in her shouting because he had stood up for her upon her arrival to Ashbrook.
Oh and Gretna Green is spelled as Greta Green. Twice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2024
Absolutely wonderful, this is why I read! Elizabeth is trying to study the occult - she needs to summon a ghost and learn about healing magic. But she also has to, as per usual, sort out her entire family's problems - her stepmother Isabella is pregnant, her sister Thea is screaming for them to have a ball and come out into society and her father and sister are still scheming to prey upon her newfound finances.
I loved this so much. This has lots of everyday domestic details which I wish I could find more of in historical books - making clothes, mending clothes, making decisions about food (lovely descriptions of food) and actual everyday life running a home. This also has:
- Very realistic female relationships (absolutely adore Elizabeth's relationship with her stepmother Isabella, who's younger than her)
- Study of herbology and kitchen magic
- Lots of letters where underlined passages are meant to be secret (I didn't know this was a thing! I love learning new details about my favourite eras)
- A ball!
- Maybe a romance? Very exciting stuff
I can't wait for the next book coming out in March, this is such a gem of a series and felt like it was written just for me!
I loved this so much. This has lots of everyday domestic details which I wish I could find more of in historical books - making clothes, mending clothes, making decisions about food (lovely descriptions of food) and actual everyday life running a home. This also has:
- Very realistic female relationships (absolutely adore Elizabeth's relationship with her stepmother Isabella, who's younger than her)
- Study of herbology and kitchen magic
- Lots of letters where underlined passages are meant to be secret (I didn't know this was a thing! I love learning new details about my favourite eras)
- A ball!
- Maybe a romance? Very exciting stuff
I can't wait for the next book coming out in March, this is such a gem of a series and felt like it was written just for me!
November 7, 2022
I really liked the characters and enjoyed the dressmaking descriptions as much as the author. Like in the first book, there isn't a whole lot of "action" and the magic isn't part of some big plot and more of a personal thing, almost like a hobby. I didn't mind that at all, in fact, I enjoyed how quiet the book felt, plus I can identify with all the family drama going on. However, I am only giving it four stars instead of five because it could really, really use a proofreader. The many errors really took away from the overall quality, which is a shame.
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