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Dark Goddess Chronicles #2
Gingerdread
Hell is a Bakery
Jordan hadn’t wished his stepmother, Eva, dead. A little something involving spiders would have served vengeance quite nicely. Still, he hadn’t exactly grieved when they said she’d died in the fire. A protective big brother will only forgive so many sins against his sister.
Even if Eva had been alive, though, what business would she have begging for his help now—a year later? And how insane was he to even consider offering help, much less seek out where her voice was coming from on such a miserable dark night?
As heir presumptive to the barony and a soon-to-be knight in training, Jordan refuses to let fear stop him from seeking answers to impossible questions.
But when the questions keep piling up, each darker and more dreadful than the last, only one thing becomes crystal clear: he’ll never look at an oven the same way again.
Jordan hadn’t wished his stepmother, Eva, dead. A little something involving spiders would have served vengeance quite nicely. Still, he hadn’t exactly grieved when they said she’d died in the fire. A protective big brother will only forgive so many sins against his sister.
Even if Eva had been alive, though, what business would she have begging for his help now—a year later? And how insane was he to even consider offering help, much less seek out where her voice was coming from on such a miserable dark night?
As heir presumptive to the barony and a soon-to-be knight in training, Jordan refuses to let fear stop him from seeking answers to impossible questions.
But when the questions keep piling up, each darker and more dreadful than the last, only one thing becomes crystal clear: he’ll never look at an oven the same way again.
106 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 7, 2021
This was an okay read. To start I was sort of into it. Almost half the book really. A story about a boy who hears the cries of his dead stepmother in the old Manor house coupled with the smell of gingerbread. There’s a lot to love here, but I felt the story was a bit slow. It didn’t explain enough and the one moment it did explain slowed the story down.
The opening sequence is good but I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out if it was a dream or actually happening. Something about the way it’s worded didn’t immediately lend itself to believing it might not be a dream or a memory. It was, however eerie, dark and evoked all the right emotions.
The bravery side plot seemed a bit much, lots of talk about what Jordan had learned about bravery, how bravery was really this and not that, and so on. Almost like instead of trying to tell the story, the story was a lesson on bravery in some parts through the mind of a child.
There was a delightfully descriptive second visit to the manor but Jordan’s reaction to the scene even after seeing a hand desperately trying to leave the door stalled me, just like he stalled. The scene itself was well crafted but the way he reacted took the scare out of it because, ultimately, he wasn’t involved.
Then two whole years pass. This was the oddest thing because as it is a supernatural story my first thought was so nothing happened? He just sealed off the door to that world and moved on? Which is fine but... short. I guess if it were modern times, he’d probably be in therapy be told it was all a dream and not have to encounter his fear until he was in his 20’s. 2 years was an odd gap, almost like the story should’ve started with him already at that age and the opening sequence should’ve been a dream that had taunted him for two years thus keeping the momentum going. After so many good things, waiting two years without any real mention of supernatural happenings over that time to then go to a massacre in one day is odd. Where was the build-up and little snippets of things acknowledged or ignored to lead to such a drastic change in events? Why hasn’t the villain done this before if they have the power? Why now? It isn’t like this day doesn’t come once a year so they’ve had the opportunity at least twice before so what gives?
That aside the ending did start to lose me a bit. There’s this big monologue Jordan has about making decisions and coming to conclusions and assumptions that took up way too much page time. All of that was answered the minute he jumped out a window and ended up miles away from his own home. It felt more like a lesson for the readers again like the courage stuff. The villain saying they were cleaning up Jordan’s mess was never fully explained. Are they framing him for something? Had it already been done and now Jordan had no chance but to be on the run? We do find out what had happened in Jordan’s absence but no answer to why the villain would say Jordan specifically caused a lot of trouble.
The doorway stuff was fun. Loads of fun, but at the end, between the horseshoes over doors and Jordan’s proclamation how can we know for sure it had worked? Was it his command or the horseshoes that messed with the doorway magic? All the servants returned back to normal so one could assume it was his proclamation, but then it’s made clear the horseshoes over the doors are blocking magic so which is it?
Not knowing what trouble Jordan had created that needed cleaning, and if the doorway magic had been undone by Jordan's words or the steel, and even a clear understanding of the under realm made it hard to get into this book. Was the villain always magical, and again, if so, what was so special about this day that made the evil come in full force? There is one suggestion but, all things considered, knowing how self-involved the villain is, I can’t see them caring about something like that otherwise they would’ve attacked ages ago.
This is why the ending was so odd for me. There is a priestess in the book, I don’t remember seeing her at all through the ending massacre. Yet somehow she’s magically there nursing Jordan in the end and telling him that his nemesis will be fine and well. So no one remembers anything at all? Who are they blaming it all on cause someone had to kill all the people? And if they can’t remember, this goes back to the villain saying they were cleaning up Jordan’s mess, what mess was there if no one would’ve remembered anyway? How was anything to even be blamed on him if, come the end, no one can remember anything? Unless, of course, the evil can also place memories into the minds of people. But that’s an assumption.
This is a dark, eerie and sometimes fun read. Descriptive enough for you to clearly visualise what’s going on even in the gory bloody and disgusting parts. But, when trying to piece all the information together, I found it difficult to make sense beyond the clever writing. Even hell its self was described well but I can’t remember much because I was expecting some big epiphany there but the main characters entered, found the person they needed, and left. So I was there wondering what the significance of gingerbread was and how it was finally going to pay off but, it didn’t.
This was a short read, but because of the exposition in some spots, and my brain's need to connect the dots it took me a while to get through this at only about 84 pages. All in all, it was a fun read. A bit slow in the middle with an ending full of good action and a villain readers will enjoy. I’d def recommend it for someone looking for a short, dark, and twisted tale. But even with all that going for it I found myself needing more clarity during most of the moments, especially the ending. Most of my why’s weren’t answered so, unfortunately, I left this read with a more confusing/unresolved feeling than fulfilled.
The opening sequence is good but I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out if it was a dream or actually happening. Something about the way it’s worded didn’t immediately lend itself to believing it might not be a dream or a memory. It was, however eerie, dark and evoked all the right emotions.
The bravery side plot seemed a bit much, lots of talk about what Jordan had learned about bravery, how bravery was really this and not that, and so on. Almost like instead of trying to tell the story, the story was a lesson on bravery in some parts through the mind of a child.
There was a delightfully descriptive second visit to the manor but Jordan’s reaction to the scene even after seeing a hand desperately trying to leave the door stalled me, just like he stalled. The scene itself was well crafted but the way he reacted took the scare out of it because, ultimately, he wasn’t involved.
Then two whole years pass. This was the oddest thing because as it is a supernatural story my first thought was so nothing happened? He just sealed off the door to that world and moved on? Which is fine but... short. I guess if it were modern times, he’d probably be in therapy be told it was all a dream and not have to encounter his fear until he was in his 20’s. 2 years was an odd gap, almost like the story should’ve started with him already at that age and the opening sequence should’ve been a dream that had taunted him for two years thus keeping the momentum going. After so many good things, waiting two years without any real mention of supernatural happenings over that time to then go to a massacre in one day is odd. Where was the build-up and little snippets of things acknowledged or ignored to lead to such a drastic change in events? Why hasn’t the villain done this before if they have the power? Why now? It isn’t like this day doesn’t come once a year so they’ve had the opportunity at least twice before so what gives?
That aside the ending did start to lose me a bit. There’s this big monologue Jordan has about making decisions and coming to conclusions and assumptions that took up way too much page time. All of that was answered the minute he jumped out a window and ended up miles away from his own home. It felt more like a lesson for the readers again like the courage stuff. The villain saying they were cleaning up Jordan’s mess was never fully explained. Are they framing him for something? Had it already been done and now Jordan had no chance but to be on the run? We do find out what had happened in Jordan’s absence but no answer to why the villain would say Jordan specifically caused a lot of trouble.
The doorway stuff was fun. Loads of fun, but at the end, between the horseshoes over doors and Jordan’s proclamation how can we know for sure it had worked? Was it his command or the horseshoes that messed with the doorway magic? All the servants returned back to normal so one could assume it was his proclamation, but then it’s made clear the horseshoes over the doors are blocking magic so which is it?
Not knowing what trouble Jordan had created that needed cleaning, and if the doorway magic had been undone by Jordan's words or the steel, and even a clear understanding of the under realm made it hard to get into this book. Was the villain always magical, and again, if so, what was so special about this day that made the evil come in full force? There is one suggestion but, all things considered, knowing how self-involved the villain is, I can’t see them caring about something like that otherwise they would’ve attacked ages ago.
This is why the ending was so odd for me. There is a priestess in the book, I don’t remember seeing her at all through the ending massacre. Yet somehow she’s magically there nursing Jordan in the end and telling him that his nemesis will be fine and well. So no one remembers anything at all? Who are they blaming it all on cause someone had to kill all the people? And if they can’t remember, this goes back to the villain saying they were cleaning up Jordan’s mess, what mess was there if no one would’ve remembered anyway? How was anything to even be blamed on him if, come the end, no one can remember anything? Unless, of course, the evil can also place memories into the minds of people. But that’s an assumption.
This is a dark, eerie and sometimes fun read. Descriptive enough for you to clearly visualise what’s going on even in the gory bloody and disgusting parts. But, when trying to piece all the information together, I found it difficult to make sense beyond the clever writing. Even hell its self was described well but I can’t remember much because I was expecting some big epiphany there but the main characters entered, found the person they needed, and left. So I was there wondering what the significance of gingerbread was and how it was finally going to pay off but, it didn’t.
This was a short read, but because of the exposition in some spots, and my brain's need to connect the dots it took me a while to get through this at only about 84 pages. All in all, it was a fun read. A bit slow in the middle with an ending full of good action and a villain readers will enjoy. I’d def recommend it for someone looking for a short, dark, and twisted tale. But even with all that going for it I found myself needing more clarity during most of the moments, especially the ending. Most of my why’s weren’t answered so, unfortunately, I left this read with a more confusing/unresolved feeling than fulfilled.
April 17, 2021
It is a deliciously twisted story.
I received a review copy of Gingerdread. Knowing both authors in real life, I expected it to be a smart read and it is. It is also humorous in a way that made me want to share the story with my 12-year-old grandchild.
The authors adeptly use juxtapositions in this tale. Old/new, good/evil, wealth/poverty, paganism/Christianity, light/dark and others. Set in medieval Europe, at a time when only the landowners could afford the spices to bake gingerbread in their own ovens, a peasant might only have them at manor gatherings. The major events in this story take place around just such an event, the Winter Solstice, a pagan holiday. Oh, it was not lost on me that the spice ginger, used in these dark cookies with white icing, came from Crusaders returning from the Middle East. The very ones who would start up the inquisition to root out the heretics, code word for old religion worshipers.
Caveat. I am not a regular fantasy reader, and I rarely read horror, as I admit it is my least favorite genre. However, the mix of these two styles works wonders in this novelette. On a personal note, horror for me is having a blood relative in whom you respected and looked up to your entire life - who is supposed to love you and stand behind you - betray you on the grounds of piety. I suppose I am getting too heavy for the book’s intentions, so I will stop right here.
The smell of cookies baking brings most of us back to a place of comfort and safety. That this aroma becomes associated in this story with chaos, cruelty, and death pays homage to The Brothers Grimm fairytales.
We meet protagonist Jordan and antagonist Jane on the grounds of Hollygrove manors, yes plural, the old one destroyed by fire laying in ruins, and the nearby replacement. They are the sole heirs of the Lord of the manor. They share a father but have different mothers. We learn right away that Jordan has lost three moms (biological, and two steps).
All events unfold through Jordan’s POV. I first thought the name ‘Jordan’ was too modern, but found that it was a very popular name in The Middle Ages. Popular then, popular now.
Jordan is on the threshold of puberty when he meets the daughter of the manor next door, Venah Montacute. Her name, in the Urban Dictionary, means ‘hot new girl’. That gave me a chuckle.
The timeless themes the authors touch on include sibling rivalry, jealousy, friendship, loyalty, grudges, forgiveness, and immaturity.
The chapters are short, readable. After each one, I wanted to know more about this family. I think you will enjoy it too.
I received a review copy of Gingerdread. Knowing both authors in real life, I expected it to be a smart read and it is. It is also humorous in a way that made me want to share the story with my 12-year-old grandchild.
The authors adeptly use juxtapositions in this tale. Old/new, good/evil, wealth/poverty, paganism/Christianity, light/dark and others. Set in medieval Europe, at a time when only the landowners could afford the spices to bake gingerbread in their own ovens, a peasant might only have them at manor gatherings. The major events in this story take place around just such an event, the Winter Solstice, a pagan holiday. Oh, it was not lost on me that the spice ginger, used in these dark cookies with white icing, came from Crusaders returning from the Middle East. The very ones who would start up the inquisition to root out the heretics, code word for old religion worshipers.
Caveat. I am not a regular fantasy reader, and I rarely read horror, as I admit it is my least favorite genre. However, the mix of these two styles works wonders in this novelette. On a personal note, horror for me is having a blood relative in whom you respected and looked up to your entire life - who is supposed to love you and stand behind you - betray you on the grounds of piety. I suppose I am getting too heavy for the book’s intentions, so I will stop right here.
The smell of cookies baking brings most of us back to a place of comfort and safety. That this aroma becomes associated in this story with chaos, cruelty, and death pays homage to The Brothers Grimm fairytales.
We meet protagonist Jordan and antagonist Jane on the grounds of Hollygrove manors, yes plural, the old one destroyed by fire laying in ruins, and the nearby replacement. They are the sole heirs of the Lord of the manor. They share a father but have different mothers. We learn right away that Jordan has lost three moms (biological, and two steps).
All events unfold through Jordan’s POV. I first thought the name ‘Jordan’ was too modern, but found that it was a very popular name in The Middle Ages. Popular then, popular now.
Jordan is on the threshold of puberty when he meets the daughter of the manor next door, Venah Montacute. Her name, in the Urban Dictionary, means ‘hot new girl’. That gave me a chuckle.
The timeless themes the authors touch on include sibling rivalry, jealousy, friendship, loyalty, grudges, forgiveness, and immaturity.
The chapters are short, readable. After each one, I wanted to know more about this family. I think you will enjoy it too.
April 19, 2021
Gingerdread... What a fabulous name for a fairy tale/horror story!
I am not a regular reader of horror- but fantasy, dark fantasy, and fairy tales are my happy place. Lucky for me the Wilsons have once again skated the razor edge. Gingerdread is a wonderfully atmospheric tale, heavy on the dark and creepy, but it never plunges too far over the line for my tastes.
Tightly plotted, Gingerdread MOVES. From the opening paragraphs to the closing lines, this entry into the Dark Goddess Chronicles is packed full of action. (Hint: don't stand still for too long!)
I loved how we got a glimpse into Jordan's brain as he faced each new challenge. Jordan's methodical thinking processes were a fun foil (for the reader, not for poor Jordan) for the chaos of the world around him.
An excellent entry into the Dark Goddess Chronicles. I look forward to the next installment in this universe. Now if only I could stop shuddering when I smell gingerbread...
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
I am not a regular reader of horror- but fantasy, dark fantasy, and fairy tales are my happy place. Lucky for me the Wilsons have once again skated the razor edge. Gingerdread is a wonderfully atmospheric tale, heavy on the dark and creepy, but it never plunges too far over the line for my tastes.
Tightly plotted, Gingerdread MOVES. From the opening paragraphs to the closing lines, this entry into the Dark Goddess Chronicles is packed full of action. (Hint: don't stand still for too long!)
I loved how we got a glimpse into Jordan's brain as he faced each new challenge. Jordan's methodical thinking processes were a fun foil (for the reader, not for poor Jordan) for the chaos of the world around him.
An excellent entry into the Dark Goddess Chronicles. I look forward to the next installment in this universe. Now if only I could stop shuddering when I smell gingerbread...
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
August 3, 2021
Just like Lethal Red Riding Hood, Gingerdread was very well written. The twisted fairy tale was dark and cleverly executed.
I can't really rate it higher though because I was a bit disappointed when I read it. To be honest, I expected a sequel to the first volume and kept searching for a connection. I was confused and couldn't really get into the story.
This was advertised as the second volume to the Dark Goddess trilogy, but it would be more accurate to say that it is a stand alone set in the same world.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I can't really rate it higher though because I was a bit disappointed when I read it. To be honest, I expected a sequel to the first volume and kept searching for a connection. I was confused and couldn't really get into the story.
This was advertised as the second volume to the Dark Goddess trilogy, but it would be more accurate to say that it is a stand alone set in the same world.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 5, 2022
Gingerdread is the second installment in the series. At a little over a hundred pages, it's really a novella, and it's an excellent one. It retells the story of the gingerbread man via Jordan, a boy who is haunted by the ghost of the stepmother he killed. This short book is incredibly impactful. It is true fantasy horror, and if I'm being honest, it scared the crap out of me! The juxtaposition of the slow haunting of the ghost, the psychological trauma Jordan is facing, and the wafting smell of gingerbread creates an atmosphere of dread that will stay with me for a long time. Definitely my favorite of the three books!
Read
April 16, 2021My first thought was: How will gingerbread fit in this story? Definitely not the classic story, The Gingerbread Boy, but a fantasy story with lots of descriptive language which engages all the senses. Many crisis points throughout the story cause the reader to wonder what can possibly happen next. A complete story on its own with plenty of potential for future stories to make a series around these characters. Ready for more... Received a free copy for review purposes.
July 28, 2021
If you like dark, twisted horror and suspense as much as I do, you can't go wrong with this book! After the first few pages, I knew this was a book I wasn’t going to be able to put down, until I got to The End. This is how you do a second-in-series and keep someone hooked!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
January 15, 2022
Little Red Riding Hood with a bloody chilling dark twist! I really wasn't expecting this book to be as dark as it was but I loved it! Keely was a great main character! She has everything we look for in a fantasy character but she also has her faults so it's really easy to like her! Really all of the characters are well written! I liked how the author blended the fairytale with some fantasy and horror! Overall a really great read! Happy reading everyone!
June 2, 2021
Gingerdread! That title tells you it’s going to be something very different, and it certainly is! It’s a fascinating story with many twists, turns, and unexpected events going on.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2021
I received a free ARC copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love this twist on yet another collection of fairy tales. Much like book 1, this one not only tackles one but many stories. I actually like this one a bit more than the first despite the shorter length.
Atmosphere is amazing. The story creates a very macabre and threatening environment that I both love to explore and am petrified to be in. It’s a lovely balance. You’re left with a sense of confusion that only a beautifully crafted unreliable narrator can create.
Even if book 1 wasn’t your thing, if you have any love of horror and suspense, add this to your list.
I love this twist on yet another collection of fairy tales. Much like book 1, this one not only tackles one but many stories. I actually like this one a bit more than the first despite the shorter length.
Atmosphere is amazing. The story creates a very macabre and threatening environment that I both love to explore and am petrified to be in. It’s a lovely balance. You’re left with a sense of confusion that only a beautifully crafted unreliable narrator can create.
Even if book 1 wasn’t your thing, if you have any love of horror and suspense, add this to your list.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews