I love books that make me want learn more, and WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS did just that. The novel has a unique magic system that is based upon actual practices within Ethopia to combat the Evil Eye, something that I found fascinating. At times, the book was downright creepy, and the gothic atmosphere was on point. Blackwood has a way of wordsmithing, creating prose that is simultaneously beautiful and descriptive. I felt that Andromeda was an incredibly strong heroine, and her relationships with Jember and Saba elevated the story to the next level for me.

"The house was holding victims hostage, but I had a feeling there weren't going to be any happy reunions after the Evil Eye was cleansed."

That being said, I felt that additional world-building would have been incredibly beneficial to the story. As a fantasy standalone, the novel is relatively short (336 pages), meaning that there was room for more without bogging the writing down or causing it to be too long. I found myself needing re-read a few paragraphs/pages to ensure that I understood it correctly, and additional lead-up or description may have helped. Furthermore, I felt that Andromeda and Magnus had an "instant" romance. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan, and in this case, I think that the book may have been better without it. There was no tension (although there was definitely some banter!), and because it developed so quickly, it almost seemed unbelievable.

*Extended review with spoilers (hidden, of course) available on Goodreads.

As one of my most-anticipated books of the year, I was disappointed that I didn't love this one more. The concept is incredibly fresh/unique, but I there were a few things that fell flat for me. Overall, WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS is a solid debut, and I cannot wait to read Blackwood's future work. Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Andromeda has been kicked out of her home and must find work. As a debtera, she’s tasked with removing the Evil Eye from people and their houses. But it might prove too much when she comes across a particularly tough case at the Rochester house.

What an interesting, insta-love novel that has magical elements of curses and a touch of romance. I haven’t read Jane Eyre, it’s never sounded up my ally, so perhaps I’m reading this from an entirely different approach. I see everyone talking about Andi and Magnus in reviews, but I’ve always had a sweet spot for those that don’t draw the reader. Rocky and toxic as it was, I saw the soft side of Jember and was moved as his character developed later in the book. I enjoyed reading this one. It was a well-told, unique storyline. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this Arc!

I really loved this book and I feel like I just zoomed thru it so quickly bc it was such an enjoyable and creepy read!

Andi, also known as Andromeda, travels through the desert to arrive at a castle that has been seriously effected by the evil eye. This is why Andi is here! She has been hired to basically cleanse this site of any and all evil manifestations.

I started feeling creeped out as soon as she entered the castle. The description of these manifestations mixed with other characters odd behavior would have been enough to send me running in the opposite direction, lol. I'm glad Andi stuck with it though, especially when she meets the owner of this estate. Magnus Rochester is an eccentric young man that is trying to find his way through this world now that his father is gone and he is left with these responsibilities. I couldn't help but instantly love his character and adored the romance that is sprinkled throughout this scary read!

I definitely recommend this! It's a perfect read for October!

This is a stunningly written remix of Jane Eyre, with some fascinating twists on the now-archetypal elements of that story. I loved our main character Andromeda, and I loved the supernatural elements explored throughout the book (though I would've liked even more information about them, and about the backstory of certain older characters). I was hoping for a slightly different twist on the romance element of Bronte's original, though, which is why it wasn't a full 5-star read for me. Overall, though, the atmosphere was excellent, the gothic and gory parts were immaculately done, and I'll definitely be reading more from Lauren Blackwood whenever she publishes future books.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre that follows Andromeda who is a debtera, an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire.

I really enjoyed the gothic and horror elements of this book. I also really liked the development of all the characters and how they interacted with one another. I do think the pacing was a bit off and there were some relationships that I wanted to see more of. However this was a really quick read perfect for fall.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian inspired retelling of Jane Eyre. Andromeda is a debtera--an exorcist that banishes traces of the Evil Eye. Andi has been struggling with her career since she is unlicensed and her mentor turned her out. But when Magnus Rochester reaches out to plea for her help, she reluctantly accepts. Once Andi arrives, she finds out that Magnus is hiding much more than he's let on and the Andi is his last hope of having the curse removed.

This was a fantastic retelling of Jane Eyre. I loved both the similarities and differences from the original. The addition of the gothic element was so well done, even if the evil is just an obscure "evil". Andi was such an easy character to root for, not to mention we share the same name! I wasn't completely sold on the romance at first, but both Andi and Magnus grew on me. The little bit of drama with the betrothal was meh to me tho.

While I did really enjoy this, and got lots of spooky vibes from this story, let's talk about the disabled character. Andi's adopted father deals with chronic pain and has a peg leg due to his work as a debtera. I can't speak about how good the disability rep is since that's not my lived experience, but something that really bothered me was the fact that the disabled character is also an abuser. I just... like why? {MILD SPOILERS BELOW}

Throughout most of the story we are led to believe that Andi is a slave to her father when in fact the opposite is true. He rescued her from her bio parents selling her to a brothel. But that doesn't diminish the fact that he emotionally and physically abused Andi while training her. It's not super clear how many times he hit her, but he did and she was definitely scared/traumatized from it. Plus it's all meant to be justified at the end because he was "toughening her up". And like that's just so wrong. Really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't when the one disabled character is also an abuser. *throws hands up bc I don't know what else to say*

Rep: Ethiopian female MC, Ethiopian male love interest, Ethiopian male side character with a peg leg and chronic pain, Ethiopian supporting cast.

CWs: Abandonment, blood, child abuse, death/death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, gaslighting, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, slavery, violence.

Everything about this book is amazing! It's creepy and romantic and it has a lot of really interesting elements and the premise is amazing.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was really good! I loved the way Lauren set up the world and developed the plot. The way it was worded was incredible. It gave you such a scenic picture with a gothic background pulls you right in, as if you were there with them. It's so hard to want to stop reading as the characters and scene are so compelling, but there are times when your blood is chilled as Andromeda does her best to exercise the demons in the manor.

While this story is beautifully crafted and gives you such a different vibe from a lot of the YA fantasy/paranormal with this unique idea, it seems to be more character focused. I don't think this detracted from the story as a whole by any means, but just something to note. I think in general this book is beautifully haunting and draws you in from start to finish.

If you're looking for a spooky, well- crafted read to give you feels and a compelling tale, this is definitely a book for you!

“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗻- 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱. 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀.”

Have I mentioned that I’ve been loving YA horror? Maybe? Well, here’s another one to add to your list.

𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗦 is an Ethiopian-inspired YA gothic horror/fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre. It is phenomenal!

This book immediately kicks off when our MC, Andromeda, takes a job at a mansion that no other person would be willing to step foot into. There’s rules in this house, and one of them is to lock the door to your room at 10pm. You are NOT to wander the halls, and with good reason.

The Wakening starts when the clock chimes 10, creating shadows up the walls and strange creaking noises. Some hallways snow, and some bleed. These are the Manifestions.

Also, did I mention there’s a haunted library? I loved that part.

The magic system was so interesting to me. And I loved Andromeda and Magnus. I loved the romance.

My only complaint is that the world outside of this manor was left to your imagination. There wasn’t a lot of detail but at the time, it worked for me because I was so invested with broody Magnus and Andromeda.

If this sounds like your thing, add it to Goodreads because it releases 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟵𝗧𝗛. I plan on grabbing a copy.

Who doesn’t love haunted mansions, magic. romance and an exorcist?!

5⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for my ARC! I really enjoyed reading this!

3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I read "Within These Wicked Walls" as a start to spooky season, and it did not disappoint! Although it's not really close enough to "Jane Eyre" to call it a reimagining, it IS a fun little jolt of fright and banter. Andromeda is able to cleanse houses of spirits and curses, so when she's called to Magnus's Rochester's home, she thinks she'll have an easy time of it. But what's waiting in the house is more complex than she was prepared for - and the same goes for the owner of the home.

I really liked the system of magic that Andie uses, and thought that this novel did a great job of setting up what was expected of her as she settled in to her new home. I could have used a little more worldbuilding, but I suppose part of the point was getting Andie inside that claustrophobic house and keeping her there. I did like Magnus Rochester, but was a little disappointed in the Insta-Love which was in full force here. I could have bought these characters as romantic partners, but the entire romance was rushed, as were the stakes in it.

Still, I very much recommend this book for younger readers as the scares are pretty mild, and for anyone who wants a fun, cozy fantasy that's on the spooky side.

Okay, first things first- I loved it. I loved this little gem of a modern retelling of Jane Eyre with some cultural *spice* - not sexual spice, just... flavor. Might Lauren Blackwood be an upcoming favorite of mine? With this one being a 5 star for me- I'd say so. This book had the right amount of spooky, tension, mystery, to keep me interested from the first chapter. I loved the character growth that every character in this book had, and I was smitten myself with the modern Rochester here. Andromeda is smart, witty, and I loved her as well. Resiliency is a big theme in this book, and it came across very well. I adored this and will highly recommend it to anyone- especially those who like twists on classics, or just want a mystery.

This book shock me so bad but I’m a good way. In the beginning it wasn’t so into the story but everything change so drastically. The protagonist Andromeda it’s a debtera - basically an exorcist who get hire to clean house that have an evil evil but she doesn’t have a lot of experience. And she was a strong female protagonist.


I’m telling you that I came for the spooky vibes but I stay for the unexpected romance. As soon as I met Magnus it was love at first sight. He’s caring, witty, a sad boi and so sarcastic and I’m top of that he’s load lol it’s a jackpot…..

The thing that I hate it was how Jember was with Andromeda, I get that he wasn’t exactly father material but he was borderline abusive to Andi. He was redeemed at the end of the book. And when he told her that she was his daughter, it made me cry so much.

I did love this book and I give it 4.5 stars.

This one was interesting. It reminded me of my favorite series Chronicles of Amicae. Magic, monsters, and amulets. This book had a religious aspect to it, where the church had debteras to cleanse the evil away. This was a good read and quick too.

An innovative and delightfully intricate retelling of Jane Eyre, WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS holds enough familiarity for classic fans while offering an abundance of originality to stand on its own.

Instead of misty moors, you get wavering desert sands. Instead of a governess, the heroine Andromeda is tasked with exorcising dark spirits. The Ethiopian inspired culture and folklore wrap these classic pieces in a vibrant new light. Pair that with the eerie light horror that permeates each page, this book is sure to keep readers up late and wanting more.

I'm not sure what I was getting into at the time, but damn this one knocked me out! I love a good classic retelling and this was amazing.

Within These Wicked Walls tells the story of Andi, a debtera who is hired to cleanse a rich kid's mansion of the Evil Eye. While there she falls in love with said rich kid.

This book started off good. I was interested, and it had so much promise, but as soon as the mains, Andi and Magnus, "fell in love", I was done. "Fell in love" is in quotes because what was that really? He suddenly professes his love for her, and she's like "heck yes". There's no build up. What's more is their scenes together after his declaration of "love" are so cheesy. He calls her these terribly awful nicknames like "sunshine" and "flower", so excuse me while I barf. They had ZERO chemistry. Then there's the ghost story aspect of it. In the beginning it was spooky, atmospheric, but then it all fizzled. To be honest, I wasn't invested in any of these characters and quickly lost interest in their stories.

I was a bit confused because it's supposed to be YA, but Andi is 19, not quite within YA age, more NA, but the story itself reads like a MG and neither YA nor NA.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Absolutely adored this!

From the characters, to the romance, to the writing, to the creepiness - this book really had it all. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading a fantasy book as much as I did with this one. The author did a great job of making all the characters feel fleshed out, the setting eerie, the stakes high, the romance sweet, and the horror of the mansion come to life all within a standalone novel. Plus the father/daughter moments between Andi and Jember....LOVED IT! I'm so impressed and will 100% be looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

If I read this physically rather than on my phone, I definitely wouldn't have taken 4 months to get through it. I say that because the writing was beautiful, and I absolutely loved the romance. The relationships between the characters were hands down my favorite parts of the book. Loved that this was a Jane Eyre retelling, and I can't wait to see what else this author writes!

"It's not about surviving, it's about living."

First I would like to thank NetGalley for sending me this Earc in exchange for an honest review!✨

This book started off really strong. Our main character, Andi, is a debtera. She clears Evil Eye manifestations from people and their homes. She has been assigned to Magnus and his mansion of a house to cleanse.
Andi has a massive scar on her face but when it was revealed why I was disappointed that there wasn't more to the story. It wasn't multi-deep and was just very matter of factly.
In the early-reader's Kindle edition I found a handful of spelling and grammatical errors.

Characters:

The characters were interesting and everyone seemed like they had multiple layers to them.
I liked that there were not really bland characters. However their interactions I found most strange. I honestly wasn't rooting for the romance that had developed. I found it odd, forced, and the man in the relationship just rubbed me the wrong way when he stated "I don't like to see my investments wasted" - this reminded me too much of Arobynn (IYKYK). Also he just lied to much and Andi was often too forgiving.
With that being said, there was a lot of times that Andi was down right rude and the fawning over characters two lines later. I felt like I had whiplash the entire time reading this story. There were many times were I was cringing at conversations that were had amongst the characters. These were 18+ characters who literally act like 5yos.
There were times where I felt the main character was mentally weak. She has a lot of character development to go through.

Plot/Pace:

I am not a really Thriller reader. But this was nice change of genre for me. There were sometimes where I just could take the descriptions seriously of what the manifestations or demons/spirits/ghosts looked like without thinking I am watching scooby doo. There was always something going on within the story and I never really felt like it dragged. I would have loved more on Jember's story.

Overall, I found it to be a good story and is perfect for spooky season. Congrats to the author on this debut novel!!✨