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A Dark Inheritance
Felix Ashe is sure of only one thing. In thirty days, on his eighteenth birthday, he will die. He might be the only one convinced of this, but the gruesome deaths of his three brothers before him seem to point to only one thing: a curse, one doomed to stop anyone inheriting his family's incredible fortune.
Felix doesn't care about money, or himself, particularly. It's hard to have a stake in the future when you know you haven't got one. But he does care about his little brother Nick, very much. And when an opportunity to break the curse appears to present itself, it's impossible not to heed its dark call.
Soon long-buried secrets will take Felix to the darkest underbelly of Jazz-Age New York, to the far-flung wilds of the Yorkshire moors and back again. And bound to everything is a deadly secret society who will either be Felix's downfall . . . or his one chance at redemption.
Felix doesn't care about money, or himself, particularly. It's hard to have a stake in the future when you know you haven't got one. But he does care about his little brother Nick, very much. And when an opportunity to break the curse appears to present itself, it's impossible not to heed its dark call.
Soon long-buried secrets will take Felix to the darkest underbelly of Jazz-Age New York, to the far-flung wilds of the Yorkshire moors and back again. And bound to everything is a deadly secret society who will either be Felix's downfall . . . or his one chance at redemption.
390 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
121 people are currently reading
3239 people want to read
About the author
H.F. Askwith
2 books50 followersH.F. Askwith is a British writer of dark fantastical fiction, and A Dark Inheritance is her first novel. She gained a Distinction in her Masters in Creative Writing, and in addition to her writing, H.F. Askwith has a love of puzzles, escape rooms and cyphers, which in turn has influenced her work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
April 16, 2023
Great concept, but I didn't get on with the writing. I wished there had been more sense of time and place, more atmosphere and more complex characters.
September 17, 2023
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Une phrase qui donne envie n’est-ce pas ? Eh bien comme je suis une personne très influençable, j’ai tout de suite voulu lire ce livre.
On va suivre Felix, 4e enfant d’une fratrie de 5 frères. Ses 3 frères aînés sont mort le jour de leur 18e anniversaire et Felix est certain qu’il va connaître le même sort. Il est prêt à tout pour briser cette malédiction et sa quête le mènera tout droit vers une mystérieuse société secrète dans les tréfonds de New York.
J’ai vraiment apprécié le côté enquête du livre malgré le fait que j’ai anticipé pas mal de plot twist. J’ai également beaucoup aimé le côté magie couplé avec une ambiance dark academia.
Les personnages sont assez attachants mais manquent de profondeur. Le personnage principal est très bien développé mais j’aurais aimé en savoir plus sur les autres personnages.
Il y a une petite romance toute mignonne. J’ai cru un instant à un triangle amoureux mais fausse alerte (j’étais un peu déçue j’aime bien les triangles amoureux).
C’est vraiment un bon one-shot sans prise de tête, qui se lit très vite. Je vous le conseille si vous avez apprécié Anatomy et Inheritance games !
Une phrase qui donne envie n’est-ce pas ? Eh bien comme je suis une personne très influençable, j’ai tout de suite voulu lire ce livre.
On va suivre Felix, 4e enfant d’une fratrie de 5 frères. Ses 3 frères aînés sont mort le jour de leur 18e anniversaire et Felix est certain qu’il va connaître le même sort. Il est prêt à tout pour briser cette malédiction et sa quête le mènera tout droit vers une mystérieuse société secrète dans les tréfonds de New York.
J’ai vraiment apprécié le côté enquête du livre malgré le fait que j’ai anticipé pas mal de plot twist. J’ai également beaucoup aimé le côté magie couplé avec une ambiance dark academia.
Les personnages sont assez attachants mais manquent de profondeur. Le personnage principal est très bien développé mais j’aurais aimé en savoir plus sur les autres personnages.
Il y a une petite romance toute mignonne. J’ai cru un instant à un triangle amoureux mais fausse alerte (j’étais un peu déçue j’aime bien les triangles amoureux).
C’est vraiment un bon one-shot sans prise de tête, qui se lit très vite. Je vous le conseille si vous avez apprécié Anatomy et Inheritance games !
January 16, 2023
I enjoyed this book! The setting was well described, however I felt that there needed to be more emphasis of things unique to the time period. You wouldn’t be able to tell that it was set in the 1920s if it wasn’t for the dates in the book. That being said, I liked how the constant reminders of the date helped to build up the anticipation and tension as it approached Felix’s birthday. I liked the characters however I wasn’t rooting for them as much as I usually do in books like this; I didn’t really feel connected to them. The cover is very well done, it is very intriguing and eye catching, it says enough about the book without saying too much. As for the mystery itself, it was well developed and written, however the end felt a bit rushed. Overall, it was a good read, however it didn’t stand out to me due to my disconnect with the characters.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin for the review copy of this book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin for the review copy of this book.
June 18, 2023
'A Dark Inheritance' was a disappointing read. Narrated by the protagonist, Felix Ashe, the premise of the book is that he will die in thirty days - on his eighteenth birthday (ironically, I am writing this on my eighteenth birthday). He knows this because the same happened to his three other brothers. So, he seeks to find a way to undo this curse to protect both himself and his younger brother, Nick.
The novel was advertised as gothic-horror and fantasy, yet I found 'A Dark Inheritance' to meet neither of the genres. Yes, there was magic, yes, there was a curse, but I found that the amalgamation of elements did not cohere at all.
While the premise of the book was intriguing, the execution of the book, in my opinion, failed completely. The plot was very juvenile, as was the prose. I found it easy to predict what was going to happen due to the formulaic nature of the book. Because of this, I was bored for the entirety of the novel. In moments where the author probably hoped the reader would be surprised, or shocked, I just felt a cold indifference, and this was also due to the poor characterisation.
The protagonist Felix was utterly forgettable. As were the other side characters, Violet and Lois. I did not care about them at all; I found their motivations weak and that they lacked development. From the start and end of the book, nothing had really changed; they remained as flat as they were at the start of 'A Dark Inheritance'. I have read shorter books than this that succeed far more in plot and characterisation.
Magic plays a central part to the novel, what the author refers to as 'Death Magic'. To me, the magic is awfully simplistic with no real explanation as to how it worked. It seems that the author had somewhat of an idea for magic but completely failed in developing it in order to match its relevance in the plot.
To conclude, 'A Dark Inheritance' was not #DarkAcademia (as referred to as in the Goodreads synopsis) nor a good book.
★
The novel was advertised as gothic-horror and fantasy, yet I found 'A Dark Inheritance' to meet neither of the genres. Yes, there was magic, yes, there was a curse, but I found that the amalgamation of elements did not cohere at all.
While the premise of the book was intriguing, the execution of the book, in my opinion, failed completely. The plot was very juvenile, as was the prose. I found it easy to predict what was going to happen due to the formulaic nature of the book. Because of this, I was bored for the entirety of the novel. In moments where the author probably hoped the reader would be surprised, or shocked, I just felt a cold indifference, and this was also due to the poor characterisation.
The protagonist Felix was utterly forgettable. As were the other side characters, Violet and Lois. I did not care about them at all; I found their motivations weak and that they lacked development. From the start and end of the book, nothing had really changed; they remained as flat as they were at the start of 'A Dark Inheritance'. I have read shorter books than this that succeed far more in plot and characterisation.
Magic plays a central part to the novel, what the author refers to as 'Death Magic'. To me, the magic is awfully simplistic with no real explanation as to how it worked. It seems that the author had somewhat of an idea for magic but completely failed in developing it in order to match its relevance in the plot.
To conclude, 'A Dark Inheritance' was not #DarkAcademia (as referred to as in the Goodreads synopsis) nor a good book.
★
January 8, 2023
3.5. I quite liked this, and the story line was great, I just felt like perhaps more character establishment and detail would have made this a better read.
January 30, 2023
Un roman intéressant et original que j’ai dévoré. C’était assez sombre, mais bien mené même si j’ai trouvé la fin un peu rapide et simple. Une belle découverte malgré tout !
January 6, 2023
*EDIT* I'm dropping this from 3 stars to 2.5 stars because I just remembered that all of the action in the finale of the book is JUST GLOSSED OVER??? You get to the point where a plan to escape/solve the mystery would be starting to take place and then it's just done with ZERO page time taken up with it??? THEY JUST DRIVE OFF???
---
A Dark Inheritance follows Felix as he navigates a curse that has killed three of his brothers on their 18th birthdays and now threatens him. He uncovers his father's involvement in death magic and a secret society that intends to harness death magic.
This book is fine, I think some will really enjoy it. It's relatively fast-paced and did not feel bogged down anywhere, and the writing is fine. However for me it was a bit bland and lacking in something that would have made it a truly gripping read. The characters, descriptions and everything were just a bit flat.
There were also a couple of times when I was confused by the characters reactions to things - although I appreciated the depiction of Felix's panic disorder, it was much more of a focus of the earlier part of the book and as it went on and the plot got more complex, it seemed pushed to the sidelines and forgotten about. It also seemed like his motivations were muddled, there were a lot of times towards the end when he thought about his lack of choice and his imminent death but barely remembered that his purpose was also to save his brother's life as well.
Overall this was an okay read, but if it had been longer or slower paced I would have DNF'd it.
Content warnings:
Anxiety disorder & panic attacks (on page, graphic description), death of a sibling (on page, graphic description), death of a parent (on page, graphic description), violent death (on page, graphic description), grief, death by car accident (on page, graphic description), injury detail (on page, graphic description), mentions of war/death
Not gonna lie this book needs proper content warnings - the author's note mentions depictions of extreme anxiety but doesn't mention any other graphic content. For a YA book the publisher needs to do better.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for this e-arc received in exchange for an honest review.
---
A Dark Inheritance follows Felix as he navigates a curse that has killed three of his brothers on their 18th birthdays and now threatens him. He uncovers his father's involvement in death magic and a secret society that intends to harness death magic.
This book is fine, I think some will really enjoy it. It's relatively fast-paced and did not feel bogged down anywhere, and the writing is fine. However for me it was a bit bland and lacking in something that would have made it a truly gripping read. The characters, descriptions and everything were just a bit flat.
There were also a couple of times when I was confused by the characters reactions to things - although I appreciated the depiction of Felix's panic disorder, it was much more of a focus of the earlier part of the book and as it went on and the plot got more complex, it seemed pushed to the sidelines and forgotten about. It also seemed like his motivations were muddled, there were a lot of times towards the end when he thought about his lack of choice and his imminent death but barely remembered that his purpose was also to save his brother's life as well.
Overall this was an okay read, but if it had been longer or slower paced I would have DNF'd it.
Content warnings:
Anxiety disorder & panic attacks (on page, graphic description), death of a sibling (on page, graphic description), death of a parent (on page, graphic description), violent death (on page, graphic description), grief, death by car accident (on page, graphic description), injury detail (on page, graphic description), mentions of war/death
Not gonna lie this book needs proper content warnings - the author's note mentions depictions of extreme anxiety but doesn't mention any other graphic content. For a YA book the publisher needs to do better.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for this e-arc received in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2023
75% of this book was a horrendous slog, the remaining 25% sped past so quickly it was practically a fever dream.
If you are looking for:
. Dark academia
. A strongly nuanced, dedicated and researched historical mystery set in the jazz period of the 1920s during the prohibition of New York
. A sensitively written piece of speculative fiction on the effects of anxiety and familial trauma
. A well-paced plot
Then this book is most definitely NOT for you. The next time I find a book with 'for Leigh Bardugo or Neil Gaiman fans' I'll turn to Goodreads to find the truth.
If you are looking for:
. Dark academia
. A strongly nuanced, dedicated and researched historical mystery set in the jazz period of the 1920s during the prohibition of New York
. A sensitively written piece of speculative fiction on the effects of anxiety and familial trauma
. A well-paced plot
Then this book is most definitely NOT for you. The next time I find a book with 'for Leigh Bardugo or Neil Gaiman fans' I'll turn to Goodreads to find the truth.
December 22, 2023
I absolutely LOVED this!!!! Filled with suspense and magic and populated with amazing and intriguing characters I couldn’t put it down. This book had everything! I loved the trio of young people and their blossoming friendships, romances and antics and the book had twists and turns that I never saw coming. What a delightful and intense historical fantasy book!
January 1, 2023
‘A Dark Inheritance’ by H. F. Askwith is a problematic debut that apes or emulates (depending on how forgiving the reader is) Agatha Christie’s The Lemesurier Inheritance. I'm not an admirer of authors who piggyback on either the plots or the merits of previous works of distinction, but perhaps other readers will not mind.
The novel pointedly exploits the contextual shorthand of comparisons to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ in place of labour on Askwith’s part as an author. The cover design signals the branding of Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 Gatsby adaptation, and Askwith goes as far as to name two of her characters Scott and Nick. So forcefully calling to mind F. Scott Fitzgerald would suggest a lack of faith in the author on the part of the publisher, invoking ‘The Great Gatsby’ in every promotional outlet that mentions ‘A Dark Inheritance’.
Establishing Gatsby’s backdrop as the setting for this novel naively saves the author from having to invest energy, technique, or effort in her own world-building. Sadly, this shortcut means that the vital ‘honeymoon period’ when the author has the opportunity to make connections with her reader by introducing them to her world – a world made unique by this author’s vision – is also skipped over. This is the period for the author to woo and astonish her reader with her style, her linguistic flourishes; her flair. And none of this happens in ‘A Dark Inheritance’.
In place of this, what I got was a platform for Askwith’s discourse on anxiety as a mental health issue, and a peculiarly didactic discourse at that. To the detriment of the narrative, passages are given over to increasingly wilder descriptions of the protagonist’s symptoms of anxiety, which I found a frustrating obstacle (whatever my own experience of mental illness) to the unfolding of plot. I spent a not insignificant amount of time wondering when the story would start. At times it was like reading non-fiction, since the tone of such passages is quite preachy. There is here the prospect for raising an investigation into the experience of poor mental health in the 1920s as paralleled by contemporary understanding; the chance to engage in sensitive exploration of the issue, but ‘A Dark Inheritance’ comes to read as an arbitrary vehicle for wholly anachronistic preachifying on our modern comprehension of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Askwith seems to assume that her reader will have no individual knowledge or experience of the issue, and so it is very heavy-handedly done.
However, the principal trouble here is that this is just bad writing. Askwith's writing is characterised by a relentless bombardment with mixed similes and strained metaphors, in a caricature of subtler linguistic techniques. Here’s one such jumbled excerpt from the start of the novel (I stopped taking notes when it became clear that the writing was not going to improve):
Utimately, though, my biggest qualm is that it shouldn’t be the pinnacle of an author’s biography that they received a Distinction in their Creative Writing MA; it need not even be noted. It’s like the GP’s receptionist informing you that your doctor has studied medicine. To my mind, the writing itself should speak of its own calibre. I shouldn’t need to be told that I’ll be impressed by this writing. Again, it’s as though the publisher has little faith in the novel, or – even worse – is dismissive of any judgement that differs. I find it galling for my own reading faculty to be so undermined.
(Excerpt cited from a digital ARC and might differ from the published copy.)
My thanks go to Penguin Random House Children’s UK for an advanced copy via Netgalley.
The novel pointedly exploits the contextual shorthand of comparisons to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ in place of labour on Askwith’s part as an author. The cover design signals the branding of Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 Gatsby adaptation, and Askwith goes as far as to name two of her characters Scott and Nick. So forcefully calling to mind F. Scott Fitzgerald would suggest a lack of faith in the author on the part of the publisher, invoking ‘The Great Gatsby’ in every promotional outlet that mentions ‘A Dark Inheritance’.
Establishing Gatsby’s backdrop as the setting for this novel naively saves the author from having to invest energy, technique, or effort in her own world-building. Sadly, this shortcut means that the vital ‘honeymoon period’ when the author has the opportunity to make connections with her reader by introducing them to her world – a world made unique by this author’s vision – is also skipped over. This is the period for the author to woo and astonish her reader with her style, her linguistic flourishes; her flair. And none of this happens in ‘A Dark Inheritance’.
In place of this, what I got was a platform for Askwith’s discourse on anxiety as a mental health issue, and a peculiarly didactic discourse at that. To the detriment of the narrative, passages are given over to increasingly wilder descriptions of the protagonist’s symptoms of anxiety, which I found a frustrating obstacle (whatever my own experience of mental illness) to the unfolding of plot. I spent a not insignificant amount of time wondering when the story would start. At times it was like reading non-fiction, since the tone of such passages is quite preachy. There is here the prospect for raising an investigation into the experience of poor mental health in the 1920s as paralleled by contemporary understanding; the chance to engage in sensitive exploration of the issue, but ‘A Dark Inheritance’ comes to read as an arbitrary vehicle for wholly anachronistic preachifying on our modern comprehension of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Askwith seems to assume that her reader will have no individual knowledge or experience of the issue, and so it is very heavy-handedly done.
However, the principal trouble here is that this is just bad writing. Askwith's writing is characterised by a relentless bombardment with mixed similes and strained metaphors, in a caricature of subtler linguistic techniques. Here’s one such jumbled excerpt from the start of the novel (I stopped taking notes when it became clear that the writing was not going to improve):
‘When I regained consciousness, I had been placed in the sunroom, a parlour at the back of the house with large glass panes looking out on to the riotous colour of a wildflower garden. Two large mirrors hung at angles reflected the garden view and encouraged the light to flutter around like a caged bird. Mother crouched in front of me, flapping like a moth. In her panic, her dress had been hitched up above her knees, the gunmetal satin puddling. She brought her face very close to mine, studying my eyes like a particularly eager lepidopterist inspecting a butterfly that might vanish. [...] My throat was dry and my head was thumping and there was thick crusted blood around my nose and on the side of my head. The intricate beading on the chaise longue dug into me. I pulled myself into a sitting position and my stomach swirled. Just past mother, my tutor Geoffrey stood, coming into focus like a photograph. As if he could read my mind, he reached for a glass of water and held it to my lips. I gulped greedily, as though I’d been lost in a desert.’Some of the turns of phrase are bizarre, and at times Askwith is heartlessly abrupt and insensitive toward her characters. Often, it seems like the author has forgotten what age her narrator is – 17 or 70? The first-person narrative did not serve this novel well as a style choice.
Utimately, though, my biggest qualm is that it shouldn’t be the pinnacle of an author’s biography that they received a Distinction in their Creative Writing MA; it need not even be noted. It’s like the GP’s receptionist informing you that your doctor has studied medicine. To my mind, the writing itself should speak of its own calibre. I shouldn’t need to be told that I’ll be impressed by this writing. Again, it’s as though the publisher has little faith in the novel, or – even worse – is dismissive of any judgement that differs. I find it galling for my own reading faculty to be so undermined.
(Excerpt cited from a digital ARC and might differ from the published copy.)
My thanks go to Penguin Random House Children’s UK for an advanced copy via Netgalley.
March 17, 2023
The overall premise of this novel was interesting, and I really do think H. F. Askwith had good intentions - but it was lacklustre.
Characters were introduced and added little more than an additional name to remember, some kind of helping push the story when the plot couldn't move on its own (Pearl, Joy, Wade, Geoffrey, Lachlan, the therapist that I can't even remember the name of). Ideas were mentioned to then be tossed aside when something else seemed more shiny. The depiction of anxiety was alright, but felt more like a cliche plot device when it suited the author rather than a genuine trait being shown in the main character. Like a funky pair of mittens.
And I have to say it before I explode. You did not have to have a nearly two sentence long description of a chair in a cabin on a boat that we spend barely a fraction of the book in. I don't care about the gold swirls, I'm sorry.
Also... Imperium Mortis. You'll get very, VERY sick of hearing that name so soon you'll wonder why you picked up the book to start with. I remember now... 'In thirty days, I will die' and here's a (not surprising) spoiler, he does not die (sometimes you'll wish he did). But the clockwork theme does, when it suits the scene obvs.
Death Magic was an intriguing idea that was stunted by a secondary villain in the cult-like institution. And turned almost cartoonish. The entire ending was rushed, after a build up that felt so long that I had to put this book down and finish two others. I only got through it because an author deserves a chance.
Last nitpicky detail - do you think the author was inspired by Great Gatsby at all?
Overall, not bad, not good. It looks pretty on the shelf though. Always a plus.
Characters were introduced and added little more than an additional name to remember, some kind of helping push the story when the plot couldn't move on its own (Pearl, Joy, Wade, Geoffrey, Lachlan, the therapist that I can't even remember the name of). Ideas were mentioned to then be tossed aside when something else seemed more shiny. The depiction of anxiety was alright, but felt more like a cliche plot device when it suited the author rather than a genuine trait being shown in the main character. Like a funky pair of mittens.
And I have to say it before I explode. You did not have to have a nearly two sentence long description of a chair in a cabin on a boat that we spend barely a fraction of the book in. I don't care about the gold swirls, I'm sorry.
Also... Imperium Mortis. You'll get very, VERY sick of hearing that name so soon you'll wonder why you picked up the book to start with. I remember now... 'In thirty days, I will die' and here's a (not surprising) spoiler, he does not die (sometimes you'll wish he did). But the clockwork theme does, when it suits the scene obvs.
Death Magic was an intriguing idea that was stunted by a secondary villain in the cult-like institution. And turned almost cartoonish. The entire ending was rushed, after a build up that felt so long that I had to put this book down and finish two others. I only got through it because an author deserves a chance.
Last nitpicky detail - do you think the author was inspired by Great Gatsby at all?
Overall, not bad, not good. It looks pretty on the shelf though. Always a plus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2023
I enjoyed this book, I loved the concept and the plot but I do feel it was just a little too long! I had me enthralled for the first two quarters and by the time I'd got to the third I was beginning to not care (that and the "shocks" were quite predictable)
I did like the period setting and I did find that added nicely to the plot!
I'd recommend it, but it wouldn't be one of those books I say my friends MUST read.
I did like the period setting and I did find that added nicely to the plot!
I'd recommend it, but it wouldn't be one of those books I say my friends MUST read.
March 24, 2023
An okay read but not mind blowing. I thought the idea was interesting but could have been executed better. Nothing terrible to say about it and wasn’t a chore to finish or anything, but characters/plot/writing were all a bit flat, and the ending felt rushed
December 28, 2024
4,5 🌟
Loved the most of it but there were a few things that didn’t feel right/ j sometimes didn’t like the writing/wording. But it did have a few very nice/good quotes. And also it picked up the theme of having no time/fear of time running out and of fate and inevitable doom again and again and I absolutely love it. And the quotes about that.
Loved the most of it but there were a few things that didn’t feel right/ j sometimes didn’t like the writing/wording. But it did have a few very nice/good quotes. And also it picked up the theme of having no time/fear of time running out and of fate and inevitable doom again and again and I absolutely love it. And the quotes about that.
April 10, 2024
2.75 ⭐️
i have SO much to say about this book. This is the first book by H. F. Askwith i have ever read, and their writing in this had so much potential. The storyline is like nothing i have ever read before.
Felix Ashe, a child of 5 boys is basically sentenced to death at 18. His three older brothers all died gruesome deaths on their 18th birthday and Felix believes that it is some kind of curse on his family. Felix’s 18th birthday is coming up soon and he is convinced he can save himself and his younger brother nick from this curse.
There’s an entire dark society, death magic system and different levels of villains etc etc. The storyline is great, it’s why i picked it up in the first place, the blurb hypes it up so much, the cover, the title, everything i love.
The story itself is lacking.
1. The characters feel very bland. Felix was advertised to suffer from extreme anxiety but i don’t really feel that in this book. It’s so glossed over that i forgot he even had anxiety. Lois was just a boring character, i genuinely couldn’t even name one of her traits. Ada, the supposed villain, also didn’t even get the time to flesh out her character. She was BARELY hyped up as a villain and when she came into the story she just was lacking personality.
2. The time period? The books set in the 1920s but i wouldn’t have guessed that at all. It barely uses any nods to the 1920s and the only real hint at that era is that each part says the date, time and year.
3. The entire book dragged out until the last 40 pages and then they squished the entire storyline into those 40 pages. I actually was intrigued in the last part but there was so much going that i was overwhelmed. The main climax of the story was in the end and it was just brushed off? Felix basically moved on with his life and forgot all about what happened which was INSANE. Considering what he’d discovered and witnessed.
Overall, this book had a lot of potential and i think with some more editing and reviewing it could’ve been something really good. It felt like a base outline for a really good book, like a first draft that with a few edits would have been a 5 ⭐️
i have SO much to say about this book. This is the first book by H. F. Askwith i have ever read, and their writing in this had so much potential. The storyline is like nothing i have ever read before.
Felix Ashe, a child of 5 boys is basically sentenced to death at 18. His three older brothers all died gruesome deaths on their 18th birthday and Felix believes that it is some kind of curse on his family. Felix’s 18th birthday is coming up soon and he is convinced he can save himself and his younger brother nick from this curse.
There’s an entire dark society, death magic system and different levels of villains etc etc. The storyline is great, it’s why i picked it up in the first place, the blurb hypes it up so much, the cover, the title, everything i love.
The story itself is lacking.
1. The characters feel very bland. Felix was advertised to suffer from extreme anxiety but i don’t really feel that in this book. It’s so glossed over that i forgot he even had anxiety. Lois was just a boring character, i genuinely couldn’t even name one of her traits. Ada, the supposed villain, also didn’t even get the time to flesh out her character. She was BARELY hyped up as a villain and when she came into the story she just was lacking personality.
2. The time period? The books set in the 1920s but i wouldn’t have guessed that at all. It barely uses any nods to the 1920s and the only real hint at that era is that each part says the date, time and year.
3. The entire book dragged out until the last 40 pages and then they squished the entire storyline into those 40 pages. I actually was intrigued in the last part but there was so much going that i was overwhelmed. The main climax of the story was in the end and it was just brushed off? Felix basically moved on with his life and forgot all about what happened which was INSANE. Considering what he’d discovered and witnessed.
Overall, this book had a lot of potential and i think with some more editing and reviewing it could’ve been something really good. It felt like a base outline for a really good book, like a first draft that with a few edits would have been a 5 ⭐️
March 19, 2025
When I bought this book, I didn't have the highest expectations, just thought I’d could be interesting. I wasn't particularly eager to start it, and always went for another book when I had to choose.
However, then I took it with me on vacation, just one book this time, So I didn’t have another choice, and just a few pages in I found myself hooked and so invested in this book I asked myself why I didn’t read it earlier!!!
Everything from the setting to the plot the mystery and the characters is just fantastic and great. Love the writing style it had me exited and wanting to know more on every page.
I felt a connection with Felix, the protagonist, and appreciated the portrayal of his caring and loving relationship with his mother and brother. Good, Cute sibling relationships, caring-loving I would do everything for you Brother/Sister always gets me. I Just LOVE it!!!
Another big plus for me is that it has quit a lot of nice lines and quotes that are just great. I marked so many paragraphs in this book.
My favorite quote is “We underestimate our ability to cope if the terrible something does come to pass.“ In one of the last chapters. This quote just really stuck with me because ( I know this isn’t the theme of the Book but It just made me think of that ) for me it's like a one sentence description of what it feels like to life with chronic illness because there’s always the underlining fear that your life can change/ get worse anytime, there are so many things you fear/ hope never happen because you think you cant handle them but then they do happen and you have no choice but to adapt and keep going and just life with it now. Even now moths after reading this book I still think about this quote, this book will have a special place in my mind and heart forever.
Reread 2025
Still Love it as much as I did the first Time.
However, then I took it with me on vacation, just one book this time, So I didn’t have another choice, and just a few pages in I found myself hooked and so invested in this book I asked myself why I didn’t read it earlier!!!
Everything from the setting to the plot the mystery and the characters is just fantastic and great. Love the writing style it had me exited and wanting to know more on every page.
I felt a connection with Felix, the protagonist, and appreciated the portrayal of his caring and loving relationship with his mother and brother. Good, Cute sibling relationships, caring-loving I would do everything for you Brother/Sister always gets me. I Just LOVE it!!!
Another big plus for me is that it has quit a lot of nice lines and quotes that are just great. I marked so many paragraphs in this book.
My favorite quote is “We underestimate our ability to cope if the terrible something does come to pass.“ In one of the last chapters. This quote just really stuck with me because ( I know this isn’t the theme of the Book but It just made me think of that ) for me it's like a one sentence description of what it feels like to life with chronic illness because there’s always the underlining fear that your life can change/ get worse anytime, there are so many things you fear/ hope never happen because you think you cant handle them but then they do happen and you have no choice but to adapt and keep going and just life with it now. Even now moths after reading this book I still think about this quote, this book will have a special place in my mind and heart forever.
Reread 2025
Still Love it as much as I did the first Time.
January 31, 2023
Started off really good .. then when a bit weird for me . Dnf sorry :(
March 28, 2024
This was an interesting read, for anyone into thriller/fantasy, or if you’ve watched the fall of the house of usher - you’ll enjoy it!
dnf
February 16, 2025DNF 30% practicing self-care this year by not finishing books I don't like, this one's like an unseasoned chicken with rice
April 27, 2024
For fans of books with a darker tone, A Dark Inheritance tackles themes like the cost of greed, morality and living with anxiety. Set in the 1920, an unlikely trio come together to try to uncover a murky organisation that deals in death magic because the protagonist Felix will die on his eighteenth birthday because of a curse on his family.
The concept was strong, you felt for the characters and the structure of the countdown kept the story moving. I liked that the story wasn’t static, the plot kept moving and so did the characters! I did get a little lost in places or tripped up by phrases/explanations or descriptions. This could be because I was reading an ARC or it could be a me thing. For some reason, i could not get my head around the fact that once, he had 4 brothers but 3 died (no spoilers as this is in the blurb) and that this meant only he and his youngest brother survived. I think I needed it to say he was one of 5 or something. Maybe it’s discalculia but I got really confused! It is good to see a clear representation of anxiety although I felt at times there was a focus on explaining it to the reader when using the first person to really feel the symptoms was more effective. Also, people rarely actually faint from a panic attack but the book did well to show other characters understanding the severity of anxiety by witnessing first hand the impact on the character. More than anything I liked the hope and conscious actions the character took to overcome their anxiety.
I really like the feel of this book and the genre blending of historical fiction, magical realism and dark academia gave it a little twist of something different. I enjoyed the character dynamics more than I expected to and found the first third of the book particularly pacey and exciting. I really wasn’t sure where we were going with the story and that was fun. Overall, I’d happily read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept was strong, you felt for the characters and the structure of the countdown kept the story moving. I liked that the story wasn’t static, the plot kept moving and so did the characters! I did get a little lost in places or tripped up by phrases/explanations or descriptions. This could be because I was reading an ARC or it could be a me thing. For some reason, i could not get my head around the fact that once, he had 4 brothers but 3 died (no spoilers as this is in the blurb) and that this meant only he and his youngest brother survived. I think I needed it to say he was one of 5 or something. Maybe it’s discalculia but I got really confused! It is good to see a clear representation of anxiety although I felt at times there was a focus on explaining it to the reader when using the first person to really feel the symptoms was more effective. Also, people rarely actually faint from a panic attack but the book did well to show other characters understanding the severity of anxiety by witnessing first hand the impact on the character. More than anything I liked the hope and conscious actions the character took to overcome their anxiety.
I really like the feel of this book and the genre blending of historical fiction, magical realism and dark academia gave it a little twist of something different. I enjoyed the character dynamics more than I expected to and found the first third of the book particularly pacey and exciting. I really wasn’t sure where we were going with the story and that was fun. Overall, I’d happily read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2023
I don’t know what to rate this yet, I am going to think about it first, as I have just finished this book- but I am gonna be honest, I truly enjoyed this- a lot- and I am glad to have been able to read this :)
*edit*: I ended up rating this book 4 stars- as you can see- this was a great book and I had a lot of fun reading it!
*edit*: I ended up rating this book 4 stars- as you can see- this was a great book and I had a lot of fun reading it!
July 11, 2025
Final destination but make it dark academia
April 17, 2023
The blurb and the story idea made me want to read it. But it turned out to be just very confusing and having a complet lost of interest.
None of the plot twists were surprising as I kinda guessed them already, they weren't very interesting, and there's a lot of easy takes on the storyline. At the page 213 (in french version), I told myself "okay so now the book is done" because the author gave a 'plot twist' that would be a very logical explanation on how Felix's "curse" could be ended, in fact it should have already been ended on page 213 (out of 403 so basically middle of the book). HOWEVER, the author continued her book without taking that logic into account, without Felix even asking himself a single time "wait I'm safe then?" - and then giving out perhaps a reason why not. But nope. It was extremely frustrating to see Felix and the girls laking a lot of intelligence here, and to see the author giving a very valid explanation on how the curse could be ended but she decided to go over it and make it more complicated and confusing. So no, sorry, but that won't work for me.
I also got attached to non of the characters, and the relationship between Felix and Lois felt bland. Also the whole secret society and mad scientist thing felt close to caricatural.
It was way to predictable. I would have prefered a better use of the magic, and not going everywhere and just adding stuff on stuff (also perhaps, idk, remembering the curses' negative outcome when you first mention it? lol).
None of the plot twists were surprising as I kinda guessed them already, they weren't very interesting, and there's a lot of easy takes on the storyline. At the page 213 (in french version), I told myself "okay so now the book is done" because the author gave a 'plot twist' that would be a very logical explanation on how Felix's "curse" could be ended, in fact it should have already been ended on page 213 (out of 403 so basically middle of the book). HOWEVER, the author continued her book without taking that logic into account, without Felix even asking himself a single time "wait I'm safe then?" - and then giving out perhaps a reason why not. But nope. It was extremely frustrating to see Felix and the girls laking a lot of intelligence here, and to see the author giving a very valid explanation on how the curse could be ended but she decided to go over it and make it more complicated and confusing. So no, sorry, but that won't work for me.
I also got attached to non of the characters, and the relationship between Felix and Lois felt bland. Also the whole secret society and mad scientist thing felt close to caricatural.
It was way to predictable. I would have prefered a better use of the magic, and not going everywhere and just adding stuff on stuff (also perhaps, idk, remembering the curses' negative outcome when you first mention it? lol).
February 6, 2023
This took me a while to get into but once I was in the thick of things the plot progressed fairly quickly. It was fast paced and was based on a really interesting concept. I am obsessed with the idea of dark magic and necromancy and this particular spin was quite fascinating to read. I will say though, that it becomes quite evident quite quickly that the target audience of this was for younger readers. As a result, it was a lot less dark and bloody than I would’ve wanted and shies away from the deeper, more mature concepts. I loved the time period that this was set in, you could definitely feel the Great Gatsby vibes of the Roaring 20s, and the world was described in quite a lush, detailed manner. But whilst the plot excelled, sadly the characters didn’t match up. They were a little two dimensional and underdeveloped in my opinion and they definitely did not stand out to me at all. It was quite hard to stay invested in any of them and I was far more excited about the turns in plot.
January 29, 2023
I wouldn’t usually leave a review for a book, good or bad, but I was really disappointed with this. It could have been a really interesting story but all the focus was on the wrong parts. The characters were thin, their motivations and reactions were wildly inconsistent, and key scenes were way too hurried, particularly the climax of the story. The main character also seemed to be able to regulate his formerly crippling anxiety after only one therapy session, which feels cheap and disrespectful to people suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.
May 10, 2023
No just no, not a fan at all. The books tried to much in sick little time.
June 29, 2024
it had a good premise, but in my opinion it wasn't carried out as well as it could have been, and i wish the characters had been more developed
February 28, 2023
Au vu de son résumé, j’ai su que ce roman allait me plaire du début à sa toute fin. Ce fut un véritable page turner, une lecture haletante et une course contre la montre pour notre héros qui n’a plus que trente jours à vivre.
Le récit nous introduit dans une vaste demeure dans les années 1920. Félix a vu ses frères aînés mourir le jour de leur dix-huitième anniversaire et il en a vite conclu que sa famille était maudite. Et il n’a pas tort. En contrepartie de sa fortune acquise de manière miraculeuse, leur père ne pouvait avoir aucun successeur provenant de sa lignée. Tous ses fils sont donc voués à mourir avant leur majorité.
Son père, justement, qui était parti à la guerre, revient, blessé et brisé puis… il meurt de manière tragique et anormale. Félix comprend qu’il se passe quelque chose et décide de percer ce mystère entourant la malédiction et ainsi il espère pouvoir survivre à son prochain anniversaire.
Entre rebondissements, et révélations, Félix nous embarque avec lui dans un voyage à travers le temps. C’est aussi une véritable course contre la montre qui se joue. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée un seul instant avec ce roman ! On fait un voyage dans le temps dans ce qu’on appelait autrefois les « Années folles ». Félix y est accompagné de Lois, sa meilleure amie, mais également de la mystérieuse Violet. Tous trois partent à la recherche de réponses concernant une magie noire et sombre qui serait capable de faire ressusciter les morts.
J’ai apprécié la plume simple, mais néanmoins efficace de H.F. Askwith. J’ai été totalement embarquée dans son histoire. Félix est un héros que j’ai apprécié suivre. J’ai eu également de l’empathie pour ce jeune homme qui a vécu pas mal d’années sombres. Je me suis aussi mise à la place de sa mère qui est devenue une coquille vide au fur et à mesure qu’elle voyait ses enfants mourir. C’est quelque chose d’atroce. Même si l’auteur n’en parle pas durant des heures (ce qui est normal) on sent que les choix du père ont été plus que déterminant à détruire leur famille, et ce, bien avant même que les frères aînés de Félix ne naissent.
Durant ma lecture, j’ai apprécié les décors qui sont bien décrits ainsi que l’ambiance, et qui m’ont permis de vivre l’histoire avec plaisir. On peut dire que A dark inheritance est un récit captivant, dure et sombre malgré un côté aussi plus léger de par les aventures que vont vivre les personnages.
J’ai trouvé la fin douce-amère et si le roman se suffit à lui-même, une suite pourrait être bienvenue.
Dans l’ensemble ce fut un bon divertissement que je vous recommande si vous aimez les histoires mélangeant le surnaturel et les enquêtes.
Le récit nous introduit dans une vaste demeure dans les années 1920. Félix a vu ses frères aînés mourir le jour de leur dix-huitième anniversaire et il en a vite conclu que sa famille était maudite. Et il n’a pas tort. En contrepartie de sa fortune acquise de manière miraculeuse, leur père ne pouvait avoir aucun successeur provenant de sa lignée. Tous ses fils sont donc voués à mourir avant leur majorité.
Son père, justement, qui était parti à la guerre, revient, blessé et brisé puis… il meurt de manière tragique et anormale. Félix comprend qu’il se passe quelque chose et décide de percer ce mystère entourant la malédiction et ainsi il espère pouvoir survivre à son prochain anniversaire.
Entre rebondissements, et révélations, Félix nous embarque avec lui dans un voyage à travers le temps. C’est aussi une véritable course contre la montre qui se joue. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée un seul instant avec ce roman ! On fait un voyage dans le temps dans ce qu’on appelait autrefois les « Années folles ». Félix y est accompagné de Lois, sa meilleure amie, mais également de la mystérieuse Violet. Tous trois partent à la recherche de réponses concernant une magie noire et sombre qui serait capable de faire ressusciter les morts.
J’ai apprécié la plume simple, mais néanmoins efficace de H.F. Askwith. J’ai été totalement embarquée dans son histoire. Félix est un héros que j’ai apprécié suivre. J’ai eu également de l’empathie pour ce jeune homme qui a vécu pas mal d’années sombres. Je me suis aussi mise à la place de sa mère qui est devenue une coquille vide au fur et à mesure qu’elle voyait ses enfants mourir. C’est quelque chose d’atroce. Même si l’auteur n’en parle pas durant des heures (ce qui est normal) on sent que les choix du père ont été plus que déterminant à détruire leur famille, et ce, bien avant même que les frères aînés de Félix ne naissent.
Durant ma lecture, j’ai apprécié les décors qui sont bien décrits ainsi que l’ambiance, et qui m’ont permis de vivre l’histoire avec plaisir. On peut dire que A dark inheritance est un récit captivant, dure et sombre malgré un côté aussi plus léger de par les aventures que vont vivre les personnages.
J’ai trouvé la fin douce-amère et si le roman se suffit à lui-même, une suite pourrait être bienvenue.
Dans l’ensemble ce fut un bon divertissement que je vous recommande si vous aimez les histoires mélangeant le surnaturel et les enquêtes.
January 15, 2023
Felix has grown up wealthy, but such wealth seems to have a high cost. Felix had 3 older brothers, all which died in tragic accidents on their 18th birthdays, and Felix is convinced he will be next, and this also doesn't bode well for his younger brother if his worries are correct.
Does the inheritance of the new wealth his father came into hold the key to this mystery... Felix is determined to find out and uncovers darker secrets than he could have imagined.
The author warns at the start of this book that anxiety is a prevalent theme and in the context of the book, this all stems from the fear Felix has regarding his impending death and is explored more as the journey takes its own twists and turns.
I loved the setting of the book (likened to Great Gatsby) and the mystery (in the theme of the Inheritance Games). Slightly felt the conclusion of the book was wrapped up a little quick compared to the build up, but still really enjoyed the journey and the story!
Does the inheritance of the new wealth his father came into hold the key to this mystery... Felix is determined to find out and uncovers darker secrets than he could have imagined.
The author warns at the start of this book that anxiety is a prevalent theme and in the context of the book, this all stems from the fear Felix has regarding his impending death and is explored more as the journey takes its own twists and turns.
I loved the setting of the book (likened to Great Gatsby) and the mystery (in the theme of the Inheritance Games). Slightly felt the conclusion of the book was wrapped up a little quick compared to the build up, but still really enjoyed the journey and the story!
September 21, 2023
3.5* - Although this book is blurbed as “gothic-horror”, I’d describe it more as “grimly cosy”. I really enjoyed the historical setting of New York following WW1, especially as I hadn’t expected the war to play such a significant role, and most of the book felt fast-paced and easy to read. The second half did seem to drag a little, however, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the magical aspect, but I think that may be down to it’s lack of believability - I just wasn’t wholly convinced by it.
If you’re looking for a drawn-out dark academia that will have you absorbed in its own unique magic system from beginning to end, I wouldn’t recommend this book. But, if like me, you’re just looking for an urban-fantastical read that doesn’t require much thought or effort, I’d say give it a go.
(CW: detailed descriptions of anxiety/anxiety attacks, as well as body horror and gruesome depictions of death)
If you’re looking for a drawn-out dark academia that will have you absorbed in its own unique magic system from beginning to end, I wouldn’t recommend this book. But, if like me, you’re just looking for an urban-fantastical read that doesn’t require much thought or effort, I’d say give it a go.
(CW: detailed descriptions of anxiety/anxiety attacks, as well as body horror and gruesome depictions of death)
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