I really didn't like this book. It was so sexist. It also seemed like rapism was normalised. Also, it didn't make a lot of sense.

I couldn't finish the book. I tried but I just didn't like anything about it.
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*** Received ARC copy of book from NetGally.com , .Alexandrea Weis, Lucas Astor and Vesuvian Books. ****
L.

Damned: A Magnus Blackwell Novel sits among titles on NetGalley under the horror genre, but after force-feeding myself more than half of the book, I finally give up. I really, really wanted to like this book and I was excited to start reading it. Old houses, malignant spirits, all of that is most definitely my cup of tea. Pointless sex scenes, wish-washy spirits, and overly repeated points on the other hand are not.

I browsed past this title many times on NetGalley, mostly because I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. The title and the synopsis were interesting enough, but the cover constantly discouraged me. In the end, while repeating to myself that age-old motto of “don’t judge a book by its cover,” I requested it. And, in rare fashion, found that it is exactly what it looks like on the inside.

Slow plots are nothing new to me. I’ve read some books that crawled. In most of them, by time you hit the halfway point something major has happened or there is a clear building of suspense, fear, etc. With Damned, that is not the case at all. Aside from one major change in the plot, which is rather anti-climatic and heart-breaking for someone like myself (I won’t say more than that because I don’t believe in spoilers), the book centers mostly around sex. By chapters ten-twelve, I read three sex scenes that aren’t even remotely arousing. In fact, it was a fourth scene of this nature that turned me away from finishing it.

Perhaps it is a mistake that this book is listed as horror on NetGalley. This genre label is not attached to it via Goodreads, after all. In fact, those tags are mystery, supernatural, ghosts. Generally I don’t review a book if it turns out it’s outside my genre, but here’s the thing: those are also part of what I read, and if that is where I found it, my opinion would remain the same.

DAMNED by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor is the continuing story of Magnus Blackwell, a Victorian era gentleman whose spirit has been cursed to his beloved Altmover Manor in Maine. The new owners, Lexie Arden and her fiancé Will Bennett are determined to renovate Altmover Manor to its’ original glory but the building’s fabled history of hauntings and ghosts becomes the focus of our heroine when two spirits from the past battle for Lexie’s attention and help. Enter Magnus Blackwell, the former owner of Altmover Manor, and the ghost who will mentor our heroine through a world of the supernatural, voodoo priestesses and curses, magic, murder, power and revenge.

NOTE: Although listed as book one in the series, DAMNED is technically book two. For background and history about Magnus Blackwell pick up a copy of BLACKWELL (Magnus Blackwell .5) before venturing into the territory of the DAMNED.

DAMNED is a story of the paranormal; an intriguing thriller where the ghost of Magnus Blackwell is caught between the past and present; cursed to serve time for the sins of the past. Lexie Arden has the ability to see and speak with the spirits but there is more to our heroine than a reluctant medium-she’s a woman whose growing powers are seen as a threat to those in charge. From Boston to New Orleans Lexie, along with her ghostly companion, will go in search of a mysterious dragon cane that will change our heroine’s life forever.

Fans of Alexandrea Weis will recognize the author’s love of New Orleans, ghosts and the power of voodoo from many of her previous story lines including the Corde Noire Series, The Ghosts of Rue Domaine, and The Satyr’s Curse Series. DAMNED will explore the cult religion of voodoo-the power, the magic, the belief system and the rituals-all meant to pull the reader into a fantasy tale of ghosts caught in the ether between the ’then and now’, and the one woman whose gift of talking to the spirits is only the beginning of a magical journey. The world building is phenomenal; the sights and sounds of New Orleans are palpable; the mystery of the restless spirits continues to unfold.

Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor’s DAMNED is a fantastic journey; a well –written, dark and spirited story that will captivate the imagination with its’ passionate characters and vivid imagery.

Copy supplied for review

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BM (Sandy Sch) posted

4.5 ghostly stars

Well I’ll be Damned, see what I did there? Okay not funny and nor is this story. But it is powerful, gripping, exceptionally well written, and one hell of a page turner.

This story truly is a ghost story. It’s told from three point-of-views, Lexie’s, her husband’s Will, and the ghost of Magnus Blackwell. Now as strange as that sounds, it totally worked.

If you don’t believe in the gift of seeing, and even if you do, in the words of our heroine, keep an open mind. Those familiar with Marie Laveau will enjoy the references to her, I got a kick out of them.

Magnus is a man/ghost you’ll love to hate and hate to love. He stole the show for me. Lexie is equally likable and well developed. Will is probably the weakest character, but that could be due to him being more of a bit player for lengthy parts of the story.

There’s some grit which didn’t overly bother me. And some heat, although some of that gave me pause for reasons I’ll let readers discover for themselves.

If you enjoy lengthy novels, with plenty to keep you on the edge of your seat, I urge you to give this one ago.

Copy received via NetGalley

Damned starts out as a ghost story that evolves into a voodoo story, taking us from an old house in Maine to the streets of New Orleans. Lexie, the main female character, moves to Altmover Manor with her fiance, Will. The two being cleaning up and fixing the old manor house and stir up some spirit activity. The spirit activity leads to strange events, to include Lexie being inexplicably connected to Magnus, the former owner of the manor house with a sordid past and Magnus taking over Will's body during his sexual encounters with Lexie. This part was a bit disturbing since Magnus was into some very unconventional sexual practices. Also, Lexie's reaction when she found out it was Magnus in control during these very intimate moments was a bit low key. This made her character a bit unbelievable. I understood that she had encounters with spirits as a child, but none of them went to the level that Magnus did during these scenes. She just nonchalantly shrugged it off and went on trusting Magnus. Again, had a hard time wrapping my head around this. I actually liked the writing style and concept behind the story, but felt the character development could use a little work.

Hold on to your seats because you're in for one helluva ride! Pulls you in with a phenomenal plot and a great cast. This is paranormal at its finest. The haunted house theme and Lexi's abilities really keep the pages turning. Lexie and her fiancée Will purchase an old house with lots of history, and things get going from there. The spirit of Magnus Blackwell has unfinished business and refuses to leave Lexie alone. The adventure continues in New Orleans own French Quarter where Lexie is drawn to the world of voodoo. You'll love to hate Magnus and won't be able to put this down.

The detailing of this book makes it the perfect escapism read. The appearance of a Maine Coon cat is a mystery. I don't know if it gets any better than this, but I'm anxiously awaiting the next book. Paranormal fans are in for a treat.

Reviewed by Janet of the GothicMoms Review Team

Lexie and Will move into Altmover Manor and immediately strange things start to happen to Lexie. Dragon head decorations, which are all over the home, start to move. The chandelier swings when there is no breeze. There is a cat that only Lexie seems to ever see, roaming the house. They are met by the caretaker, Remi, who immediately give Lexie a bad feeling. While Lexie starts to go through the items left in the attic, Remi and Wil begin working on the other areas of the house. While alone in the attic Lexie finds pictures of the manor from years gone by. She also finds a voodoo doll which Remi believes probably came from a trip Mr. Blackwell took to New Orleans before his death. While in the attic she also begins to see the ghost of the Magnus Blackwell and his killer Jacob O'Connor. She soon learns that Magnus needs her to find his cane, but she has no idea where to look. This leads Lexie into the neighboring towns to gain information to help learn more about the house, Magnus, Jacob, and the others who lived and died in Altmover Manor. The time spent in the manor is cut short and Lexie heads to New Orleans to continue on the hunt for the cane and what it means for those who follow the voodoo religion. This book takes you from Maine to Boston and then to New Orleans and it keeps you guessing as to whom Lexie can and should trust. Her relationship with Magnus is complicated and at times their verbal interaction is witty. I really enjoyed this book and have no problem giving it a solid 4 star rating.