[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on 3/30/22]

I devoured this book in one sitting and basically lived my best life on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Within These Wicked Walls has characters you will both love and hate (sometimes at the same time!) with their own motivations and histories, succinctly developed worldbuilding to sweep you away, and the horrors of bleeding walls to add a sense of dread and danger.

"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."

Within These Wicked Walls is fast-paced with high-stakes action that is fairly consistent throughout the course of the book, which is unlike typical books in the Gothic genre. Because of the nature of the Evil Eye and Andromeda being hired to exorcise it, the horrors of the house are up front and center and there isn't much time spent building a general feeling of unease. The fast pace, tight plotting, and character banter make this a fantastic read for horror readers who typically find Gothic pacing cumbersome.

"For a moment, our souls spoke to each other a single truth, shutting out all the anger and shame. In that moment we both wanted each other, deeply and honestly."

The relationship that develops between Magnus and Andromeda gave me all of the yearning feelings. Both of them long for a connection and both slowly warm up to one another as their working relationship progresses. Their chemistry is palpable and I loved the quick-witted barbs they throw at each other. The romance is sweet and I found myself smiling during their encounters more than once.

"I turned to see blood leaking down the walls from the ceiling."

Overall, I am incredibly impressed by Blackwood's debut novel! She took Jane Eyre and made it her own with an Ethiopian-inspired world (and turned up the horror!), and cannot wait to read what she write next. This is a fantastic read for Spooky Season or any time of year when you want a little bit of romance and a little bit of horror. I read along with the audiobook and 10/10 would recommend!

Content warnings: blood, body horror, death, physical and emotional abuse

eARC provided by Wednesday Books by Netgalley for my honest review. This has not affected my opinion nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subjet to change upon final publication.

This story was way more romantic than I thought it would be. I choose this book solely due to the cover so when I started I had no clue of the content. Although the storyline is not my usual I enjoyed the story regardless. The story was pretty face-paced and action-packed. So around all that Lauren was able to add a romance between Addy and Magnus. They were connected pretty quickly and although Magnus knew Addy is tough and is way less truthful, I good enjoyed it all I'm all

The character is not described within the book as ethnically ambiguous as the cover presents. The cover seems white-washed, which is very unfortunate. I liked the reimaging aspect of this and even the world built, but the moment the romance started, everything went downhill.

I really liked this one! I thought that it was a really good level of creepy, but not too much. I really liked the main character, and I liked the different parts of the house. The ending was really good. Overall really enjoyed it and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This has been one of the most captivating e-books I have read in a while. Each character was fleshed out really well and the atmosphere was a perfect blend of fantasy and reality. I will definitely continue to pick up books by this author.

DNF 37%. This book was unfortunately didn’t captivate my full attention. The storyline itself was interesting but the characters were not well fleshed out in my opinion. I had a hard time with the main character specifically, she wasn’t very interesting and felt a bit flat.

Loved this book. It definitely had Jane Eyer vibes but with a modern, supernatural twists. Really enjoyed the ride.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.***

WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS was a great book! I loved so much about it: the gothic atmosphere, the Jane Eyre vibes, the haunted house, the influences of Ethiopian mythology. I really adored Andromeda as a main character and her general sass had me cracking up as she enters the household of the eccentric Magnus Rochester to excise an evil spirit from it. She was a character who had such a depth of emotion to her and held her own against crazy odds and I couldn't help but love her. The magic system of debterras and amulets was super interesting to learn about. Blackwood's writing is sublime and really shined during the books darker elements and complexities. It kept me enraptured the entire time, There were definitely moments I did not love the relationship between Andi and Magnus because it felt toxic to me, so that is why this book is rated a 4 as opposed to a 5 because, while I enjoyed reading this immensely, that didn't sit right with me. But even the romance between Andi and Magnus seems to even out by the end of the book. I just couldn't get past those moments. But all in all, this book is a unique and enthralling fantasy debut from Lauren Blackwood, and I deeply enjoyed being immersed in this world and this story.

WHAT A BOOK! God, how much we need such retellings, such stories that bend the canon and establish a new one!
Lauren Blackwood's writing was so strong, emotional and appropriately atmospheric--I loved every second of this book! Nevertheless, I did feel that there were some pacing issues in this one.

The beginning was amazing, the middle was a bit slow and the ending managed to resolve all the issues but it still lacked the 'OMG' trait found in the beginning. Still, though I cannot NOT rate this one as a 5-star book. Andromeda and Magnus will forever stay in my heart and I'll follow the author around for more info on her new releases! Thanks for sending me an ARC for this one!

A fantasy-imagining of Jane Eyre? Sign me up!

This book has intrigued me ever since I read the blurb and oh boy, it does not disappoint. This gothic tale is compelling and it's so atmospheric. I can vividly imagine the beautifully haunting surroundings and characters. Definitely one of the best YA books in 2021.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the world of Ethiopian mythology. The romance wasn’t great for me.

Within These Wicked Walls is a beautiful story of Andromeda, a young debtera tasked with cleaning the Evil Eye from the house of Magnus, a young heir who hired her despite her lack of certification. This book is full of action, secrets, romance, and difficult relationships. Many readers will appreciate the witty rhetoric, the eccentric main characters, and the honest and difficult conversations throughout the book. It is the perfect mix of comedy and drama.

I liked the spooky stuff very, very much. There was a cool, creepy system to learn about. I did not find the romance at all compelling.

ooooh... i didn't like this one. i honestly forgot that i read it. i can't remember if i finished it or not? i know it got towards the end tho so maybe i did? there was just something off. i thought it was gonna be creepy and scary, crimson peak-esque but all we got was some insta-love and a love interest who was blah and not that great. i had so much hope for this but it fell flat for me, i'll be interested to check out the author's future work to see if that will work better for me,

Revamped take on Jane Eyre with a protagonist that exorcises houses of the Evil Eye. There was just enough Jane Eyre vibes to make you relate to the original, but enough original content that Blackwood nailed the perfect balance between old and new. The magic system was interesting, characters were compelling, and the story was paced just perfectly. It's no wonder this book became and instant best seller and a Reese's Book Club pick.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review."

3.5/5 Stars:

I’ve got to say I enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls a lot more than I thought I would! I kept getting twinges of a Jane Eyre retelling and yet the plot, characters, and writing were completely unique which really made it it’s own story. I was sucked in by the plot within the first 30% of the novel and stayed for the banter and relationships.

I appreciated the use of real world elements such as the “evil eye” and exorcism of spirits as the basis for the story and loved Andromeda’s journey.

One thing I HAVE to mention is the fact that WTWW exists in a country where colonization never happened and while this doesn’t affect the plot too much it truly affects the experience as a reader when imagining this world. We sadly exist in a world where colonization is very real and so many times we assume whiteness of characters unless otherwise stated. But in Blackwood’s world it’s the opposite where all characters are assumed to be BIPOC unless otherwise stated which was something that was long overdue to myself as a reader of color!

Overall I loved Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood and would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a quick read with no long term commitment (it’s a stand-alone novel.)

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and Lauren Blackwood for the copy of Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review.

Full review available on https://reviewbetweenthelines.wordpress.com/

*discloser: I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley*

This is the perfect spooky season read! Andi, a kind and ferocious debtara (like an exorcist) is hired to clean Thornfield Hall from the Evil Eye. Along the way she starts falling for Magnus Rochester, her hot and slightly strange employer. This book has an awesome amulet based magic system, a creepy murder house, father/daughter relationships, an angry librarian ghost, dorky romance, and more. It's a Jane Eyre retelling that touches on the creepiest parts of Jane Eyre without overdoing the references. I've read a lot of YA books that pretend to be dark but subsequently let me down but this one really is dark without being melodramatic about it. Would definitely recommend reading snuggled up on Halloween!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52858788-within-these-wicked-walls?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=d55oC1DJWR&rank=1

☆☆☆,75 /5
(english review below)

Une lecture que j’ai plutôt bien apprécié, mélangeant des éléments de la culture Éthiopienne, de l’inspiration de l’histoire de Jane Eyre, ainsi que le genre de l’horreur et de la romance (bien que celle-ci m’ait peu convaincue).
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Ce que le coeur désire, la maison le détruit...

Andromède est une Debtera -un exorciste engagé pour nettoyer les foyers du mauvais œil. Lorsqu'un beau jeune héritier nommé Magnus Rochester cherche à l'embaucher, Andromède se rend vite compte que ce n’est pas une affaire comme les autres, avec des manifestations horribles à chaque tournant, et que Magnus cache bien plus que ce qu’elle pensait. La mort est l'issue la plus probable si elle reste, mais laisser Magnus vivre seul sa malédiction n'est pas une option. Le mal peut errer dans les salles du château, mais un désir ardent aussi.
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Dans cette histoire, nous suivons Andromède qui est une exorciste de métier et qui remplit les missions pour lesquelles on l’engage. J’ai trouvé plutôt original le fait que l’on parle d’exorcisme et surtout de la manière dont l’a fait l’autrice. Il y a une réelle histoire, un point d’origine à l’exorcisme existant dans l’univers de ce roman. J’ai été intriguée par le métier, mais également la personnalité d’Andromède. C’est une survivante dans le monde. Elle est débrouillarde et agréablement optimiste. J’ai beaucoup aimé sa spontanéité, notamment dans ses échanges avec Magnus Rochester, notre deuxième protagoniste.
Je n’ai pas tant été convaincue par la romance présente dans le texte. Magnus n’est pas un personnage auquel je me suis attachée et je pense que cela a joué dans mon appréciation de sa relation avec Andromède durant l’intrigue.
Le style d’écriture est plutôt simple, peut-être trop et j’ai senti un débalancement dans le rythme du récit. Les événements allaient trop vite pour ma part. Pour autant, l’autrice instaure une ambiance assez frissonnante et captivante. Elle donne envie de tourner chaque page et de dévorer chaque mot. Chose que j’ai faite malgré ma semaine chargée… Pour vous dire que le roman était entraînant. Je n’ai pas voulu le lâcher avant la fin !

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ENGLISH REVIEW

A read that I quite enjoyed, mixing elements of Ethiopian culture, inspiration from Jane Eyre's story, as well as the genre of horror and romance (although this one unconvinced).
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What the heart desires, the house destroys...

Andromeda 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.
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In this story, we follow Andromeda who is an exorcist and who fulfills the missions for which she’s hired. I found the fact that we are talking about exorcism and especially the way in which the author did it rather original. There’s a real story, a point of origin to the exorcism existing in the universe of this book. I was intrigued by the job, but also the personality of Andromeda. She’s a survivor. She’s resourceful and pleasantly optimistic. I really liked her spontaneity, especially in her exchanges with Magnus Rochester, our second protagonist.
I wasn’t so convinced by the romance present in the text. Magnus is not a character I grew attached to and I think that played into my appreciation of his relationship with Andromeda during the plot.
The writing style is rather simple, maybe too much and I felt an imbalance in the pace. Events were moving too fast for me. However, the author creates a rather thrilling and captivating atmosphere. It makes you want to turn every page and devour every word. Something I did despite my busy week… To tell you that the story was catchy. I didn't want to let go until the end!

I didn't care for the relationship in this book. I don't understand why they wanted to be together, they had chemistry but the relationship happened way too quickly and there was no reason for it. Other than that, the book was quick and entertaining.