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Augustine
DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING in this epic series starter by debut author, Emerson Laine.
Now available on KindleUnlimited
In a small village in the south of England, two sisters try to resurrect an ancient evil, but when one sister betrays the other to save the life of an innocent child, everything goes horribly wrong.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, grieving the loss of her recently deceased mother and desperate to escape her ex-fiancé, Raewyn Winters relocates to Cranston Myre for some much-needed tranquility, only to discover that having an entire forest on your doorstep is less than idyllic, especially one shrouded in fear and suspicion. Then she meets John, the mysterious and handsome gardener from the Gothic mansion on the hill, who just happens to have the same unusual birthmark as Rae, and suddenly Rae’s quiet life spirals out of control as she is dragged into a dark and sinister world beyond anything she could ever have imagined.
Now available on KindleUnlimited
In a small village in the south of England, two sisters try to resurrect an ancient evil, but when one sister betrays the other to save the life of an innocent child, everything goes horribly wrong.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, grieving the loss of her recently deceased mother and desperate to escape her ex-fiancé, Raewyn Winters relocates to Cranston Myre for some much-needed tranquility, only to discover that having an entire forest on your doorstep is less than idyllic, especially one shrouded in fear and suspicion. Then she meets John, the mysterious and handsome gardener from the Gothic mansion on the hill, who just happens to have the same unusual birthmark as Rae, and suddenly Rae’s quiet life spirals out of control as she is dragged into a dark and sinister world beyond anything she could ever have imagined.
416 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2020
10 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 13, 2021
CW:
3.5 Stars
Well this was a slow burn that ends in a whirlwind of dark magic and betrayal.
It took a while for me to get into this story as there was a lot of character introduction and scene setting for the first half. I understand why this was necessary as a lot of the plot was driven forward through evolving relationships. As people's powers were revealed and alliances tested I was drawn in and ended up reading the second half in one sitting. The plot itself was incredibly engaging. I did however, have quite a few moments where I wanted a pen and paper to chart the connections between the characters. I think this was because it was a huge cast and therefore the story became quite complex with all their motivations and backstories woven into the main plot. The action sequences towards the end were tense and very well written. I normally don't like a lot of explaining/telling in my stories but I was quite relieved to have them in this novel as I think they were necessary to understand what was happening. Overall, this was an enjoyable dark fantasy novel. Thank you to Emerson for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
Well this was a slow burn that ends in a whirlwind of dark magic and betrayal.
It took a while for me to get into this story as there was a lot of character introduction and scene setting for the first half. I understand why this was necessary as a lot of the plot was driven forward through evolving relationships. As people's powers were revealed and alliances tested I was drawn in and ended up reading the second half in one sitting. The plot itself was incredibly engaging. I did however, have quite a few moments where I wanted a pen and paper to chart the connections between the characters. I think this was because it was a huge cast and therefore the story became quite complex with all their motivations and backstories woven into the main plot. The action sequences towards the end were tense and very well written. I normally don't like a lot of explaining/telling in my stories but I was quite relieved to have them in this novel as I think they were necessary to understand what was happening. Overall, this was an enjoyable dark fantasy novel. Thank you to Emerson for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2021
This book wasn't my usual genre but I gave it a go and was glad I did. Was a well written book by a first time author that had me gripped from the start to finish with a well constructed plot. I actually finished the book in a weekend which speaks volumes for how gripping it was . I look forward to the follow up book to see where Rae evolves to.
June 7, 2022
Bought this book on a whim, and I'm glad I did. I loved every minute of this, a little bit of witchcraft and twist and turns.
February 14, 2021
So yes, I've stepped into the world of witches and spellbinding rituals, dreams of others pasts and visions of warriors...and I may be converted if "Augustine" is anything to go by.
For those of you that know me, you know that I am deeply infatuated with all things horror and spookiness and squeals and squirms but witchcraft has never been a genre to do it for me...well step up Emerson Laine!
Not only did I really like this book, I felt like I was fully immersed in it! From the beautiful descriptions of the English countryside towns and dense forest to the cleverly portrayed characters, even to the witchcraft scenes, this is a novel that I actually kept coming back to again and again as soon as I put it down.
Raewyn Winters' life has been turned upside down with the death of her adoptive mother but on the same vain she thinks that a change of scenery will do her good, which is when she relocates to Cranston Myre. But this idyllic change is not what it cracked up to be and when she realises it's her late mother who put her in this quandary, Raewyen realises she must get to the bottom of things to save herself.
A fun, immersive and chilling read. 4.5 Stars.
For those of you that know me, you know that I am deeply infatuated with all things horror and spookiness and squeals and squirms but witchcraft has never been a genre to do it for me...well step up Emerson Laine!
Not only did I really like this book, I felt like I was fully immersed in it! From the beautiful descriptions of the English countryside towns and dense forest to the cleverly portrayed characters, even to the witchcraft scenes, this is a novel that I actually kept coming back to again and again as soon as I put it down.
Raewyn Winters' life has been turned upside down with the death of her adoptive mother but on the same vain she thinks that a change of scenery will do her good, which is when she relocates to Cranston Myre. But this idyllic change is not what it cracked up to be and when she realises it's her late mother who put her in this quandary, Raewyen realises she must get to the bottom of things to save herself.
A fun, immersive and chilling read. 4.5 Stars.
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June 9, 2022*This book was assigned to me for phase 1 of SPFBO 8*
*mild spoilers below*
*TW - attempted rape*
Augustine was not what I expected. With quite, gothic undertones akin to Jane Eyre as the setting, the reader is immediately drawn into the quaintness. I liked it straight away. There is a small town nestled in the English countryside with shops, a mansion with secrets, and locals who are a bit strange. The main character, Rae, is bequeathed a cottage when her adoptive mother passes away. She knows nothing about it, but is desperate for a change in her life, especially to get away from her ex-fiance. Initially, I wasn't sure I was going to like Rae all that much. There are hints that she was physically violent to her ex, and that's the reason she was running away. She is appalled by whatever she did, confused, and lost. But as the story progressed I warmed up to her, as it became apparent that whatever she did, she didn't mean to, and doesn't know the source of this magic she has somehow come into.
Upon moving to the cottage, she immediately begins to hear stories of the forest that borders her cottage, and the mansion that is not too far away - recently renovated, open to the public, and run by an enigmatic woman named Emma who has an obsession over her ex-boyfriend, John. The forest is apparently "haunted" as is the mansion, and there have been a string of disappearances over the years.
The writing was to my style - well edited, crisp, and flowed nicely from exposition, to dialogue, to prose about the setting and culture of the small town. I had a hard time understanding how this was classified as fantasy - it had more of a supernatural bent, what with the hauntings, secrets, mysteries, dark magic with witches, and the general feel of the story. There were splashes of fantasy - and science fiction for that matter - but I would say it is a supernatural/gothic/horror book. However, since there were tiny hints of fantasy, I can see why it was entered into the SPFBO competition, probably to see if it would land with fantasy readers. I happen to like horror/supernatural books - so mostly, I liked this book.
There were a few things that were a bit problematic, but didn't necessarily detract from my overall enjoyment. There are a lot of characters, first of all, that have ulterior motives. Like, literally all of them. Every single character has a twist - some sort of secret - to the point that I was getting annoyed by all the "shocking" revelations. They eventually weren't shocking, because there were so many. It all came together in the end, and the climax was a bit disorienting as I tried to figure out who was who, what they wanted, and why they were making decisions in a seeming haphazard type of way. Poor Rae is the only one in the dark, so the reader is experiencing it as she does. Since it was disorienting for her, it was disorienting for me, and I had a hard time keeping track of it all.
Second, I don't mind attempted rape scenes if it progresses the story line in some way. This one seemed unnecessary. I feel like the goal that was in mind could have been accomplished another way - of course, this is preference, so it might not bother other readers.
Lastly, I lost the gothic feel at the end of the book. It seemed to jump quite startlingly into more of a fantasy/supernatural mash, and since I really liked the setting already, I felt the loss. I feel the transition could have been more seamless - either add those elements in a more obvious way throughout the story, or just lose those elements altogether and keep it as a more haunting/horror novel.
All that to say, I enjoyed this book, especially the writing style and the creepy vibes. Laine has a way with words, especially setting the stage for plots and character development. Fans of more traditional gothic stories who don't mind fantasy thrown in at the end, who like lots of dark twists and secrets, will like this one.
*This review originally published on Booknest.eu*
*mild spoilers below*
*TW - attempted rape*
Augustine was not what I expected. With quite, gothic undertones akin to Jane Eyre as the setting, the reader is immediately drawn into the quaintness. I liked it straight away. There is a small town nestled in the English countryside with shops, a mansion with secrets, and locals who are a bit strange. The main character, Rae, is bequeathed a cottage when her adoptive mother passes away. She knows nothing about it, but is desperate for a change in her life, especially to get away from her ex-fiance. Initially, I wasn't sure I was going to like Rae all that much. There are hints that she was physically violent to her ex, and that's the reason she was running away. She is appalled by whatever she did, confused, and lost. But as the story progressed I warmed up to her, as it became apparent that whatever she did, she didn't mean to, and doesn't know the source of this magic she has somehow come into.
Upon moving to the cottage, she immediately begins to hear stories of the forest that borders her cottage, and the mansion that is not too far away - recently renovated, open to the public, and run by an enigmatic woman named Emma who has an obsession over her ex-boyfriend, John. The forest is apparently "haunted" as is the mansion, and there have been a string of disappearances over the years.
The writing was to my style - well edited, crisp, and flowed nicely from exposition, to dialogue, to prose about the setting and culture of the small town. I had a hard time understanding how this was classified as fantasy - it had more of a supernatural bent, what with the hauntings, secrets, mysteries, dark magic with witches, and the general feel of the story. There were splashes of fantasy - and science fiction for that matter - but I would say it is a supernatural/gothic/horror book. However, since there were tiny hints of fantasy, I can see why it was entered into the SPFBO competition, probably to see if it would land with fantasy readers. I happen to like horror/supernatural books - so mostly, I liked this book.
There were a few things that were a bit problematic, but didn't necessarily detract from my overall enjoyment. There are a lot of characters, first of all, that have ulterior motives. Like, literally all of them. Every single character has a twist - some sort of secret - to the point that I was getting annoyed by all the "shocking" revelations. They eventually weren't shocking, because there were so many. It all came together in the end, and the climax was a bit disorienting as I tried to figure out who was who, what they wanted, and why they were making decisions in a seeming haphazard type of way. Poor Rae is the only one in the dark, so the reader is experiencing it as she does. Since it was disorienting for her, it was disorienting for me, and I had a hard time keeping track of it all.
Second, I don't mind attempted rape scenes if it progresses the story line in some way. This one seemed unnecessary. I feel like the goal that was in mind could have been accomplished another way - of course, this is preference, so it might not bother other readers.
Lastly, I lost the gothic feel at the end of the book. It seemed to jump quite startlingly into more of a fantasy/supernatural mash, and since I really liked the setting already, I felt the loss. I feel the transition could have been more seamless - either add those elements in a more obvious way throughout the story, or just lose those elements altogether and keep it as a more haunting/horror novel.
All that to say, I enjoyed this book, especially the writing style and the creepy vibes. Laine has a way with words, especially setting the stage for plots and character development. Fans of more traditional gothic stories who don't mind fantasy thrown in at the end, who like lots of dark twists and secrets, will like this one.
*This review originally published on Booknest.eu*
July 19, 2025
A dark gothic fantasy steeped in ancient lore, long-forgotten gods, and deadly power plays. At the center of it all stands a woman, one who has only ever sought peace in her quiet cottage, tucked away in a quaint English village. But destiny always finds those who try to flee. And Raewyn could never outrun her past… not even the part she never knew.
An eerie atmosphere. A dreamscape of shadows and darkness. A story cloaked in mysteries and secrets. That is what Augustine gifts you, and oh, what a glorious gift it is. Pour yourself a cup of tea (and perhaps spike it with something stronger) and step into the world of hidden truths, ancient magic, betrayals, and a destiny written in blood.
Join Raewyn and enter the world of the Knights of Aster, a world where nothing is as it seems. Where friends may be friends, or they might be foes. Where love is a fleeting dream chased across lifetimes. And where the cost of everything is far more than you ever bargained for.
I found myself glued to the pages, terrified by the story's prospects, elated by the possibility of hope and redemption, and drawn to the mystery of it all. I know you will feel the same way if given the chance to experience Emerson's book. The story has just begun, and I'm waiting with bated breath to see where the shadows lead next.
An eerie atmosphere. A dreamscape of shadows and darkness. A story cloaked in mysteries and secrets. That is what Augustine gifts you, and oh, what a glorious gift it is. Pour yourself a cup of tea (and perhaps spike it with something stronger) and step into the world of hidden truths, ancient magic, betrayals, and a destiny written in blood.
Join Raewyn and enter the world of the Knights of Aster, a world where nothing is as it seems. Where friends may be friends, or they might be foes. Where love is a fleeting dream chased across lifetimes. And where the cost of everything is far more than you ever bargained for.
I found myself glued to the pages, terrified by the story's prospects, elated by the possibility of hope and redemption, and drawn to the mystery of it all. I know you will feel the same way if given the chance to experience Emerson's book. The story has just begun, and I'm waiting with bated breath to see where the shadows lead next.
November 9, 2020
Emerson Laine is a new writer on the scene. If you like dark fantasy to do with reincarnation, witchcraft, other worlds of the past,time travel, then you will really enjoy this first novel about The Knights of Aster,
To me her writing is well on the similar genre of Barbara Erskine books.
I have now read this first book twice and each time I find d it more enthralling, it draws you I to the story so it's like watching it u fold in your mind. She really is a writer to watch for in the future and I for one cannot wait for book number two to be published.
To me her writing is well on the similar genre of Barbara Erskine books.
I have now read this first book twice and each time I find d it more enthralling, it draws you I to the story so it's like watching it u fold in your mind. She really is a writer to watch for in the future and I for one cannot wait for book number two to be published.
March 7, 2021
Atmospheric
Such an amazing read!!!
I was hooked from the prologue. The storyline was fast paced and well written. The characters were well drawn and the scenes, nail-biting.
I must warn fellow readers, DON'T start this book unless you have no imminent plans. My mistake was starting this book while on my lunch break at work. Then I was forced to put it down. Not good.
Now, where is book two?.........
Well worth a read.
Such an amazing read!!!
I was hooked from the prologue. The storyline was fast paced and well written. The characters were well drawn and the scenes, nail-biting.
I must warn fellow readers, DON'T start this book unless you have no imminent plans. My mistake was starting this book while on my lunch break at work. Then I was forced to put it down. Not good.
Now, where is book two?.........
Well worth a read.
June 27, 2025
What a great gothic, witchy ride!!! This book delivered a spellbinding story that had all the dark, gothic vibes a fan of this type of genre would enjoy. A restored manor, a cast of quirky villagers, and main characters that go through a journey of discovery, fear, and ritual terror are the themes of this book. I look forward to reading future books in this series.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
November 10, 2020
I haven't enjoyed a book so much in ages. Great characters and a yarn that carries you along until the surprising ending. So well written by a first novel author, that I will definitely be looking out for the name Emerson Laine in the future.
November 14, 2020
I have never read such a gripping & immersive book and i am quite an avid reader! This book had me hooked from the first few pages, a must have for any fan of supernatural, fantasy! A truly brilliant book that you won’t want to put down. I’m already looking forward to book 2!.
February 24, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this gripping fantasy thriller filled with a cast of intriguing characters and a twisty plot that grew in momentum in the second half, right until the last page. Eagerly awaiting the second instalment.
July 19, 2025
Although it's not necessarily my type of book I really enjoyed reading it. It's well written and nothing is as it seems. At its core is about power, darkness, deception and twists of behaviour and reality .
November 11, 2020
Fantastic read that equals Barbara Erskine, a gripping storyline that will give you sleepless nights because you won't want to put it down.
November 16, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed and eagerly awaiting the second part, had all the things I love, mystery - supernatural and some good plot twists!
December 7, 2021
Read through kindle unlimited
May 7, 2022
I enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading the sequel, but I was disappointed with the number of grammatical errors.
July 25, 2022
I really enjoyed reading Augustine. I read it in one week - it was beautifully written, gripping, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
August 18, 2022
Ridiculous book! I got so tired of trying to figure out who was who’s mom or Aunt, I lost interest in the story. Dumbest book ever.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews