I can't remember a time when I hadn't read Jane Eyre and adored it. I've reread it about once a year for most of my life, and I love reading retellings, spin-offs, and reinterpretations of it. Within These Wicked Walls is one of the more inventive, yet still absolutely recognizable, Jane Eyre retellings I've encountered so far. I loved the way author Lauren Blackwood incorporated elements and plot points from the original into her setting and story (some small, like a nod to the fortune-telling scene), while still creating something more original and fresh.

On its own merits, though, Within These Wicked Walls wasn't really everything I wanted it to be. I liked the premise and setting a lot, and I did enjoy protagonist Andromeda and her fierce survivalism blended with a stubborn optimism. What I didn't like included Magnus, who was an unappealing and slightly confusing replacement for Mr. Rochester, meaning I was left cold by the romance - unfortunately, a pretty significant element of the book. I felt that the book also suffered from an unwillingness to let anyone be truly unlikable, which may have contributed to some of my issues with the love story. Furthermore, the pacing was a bit off, with the story kind of veering back and forth between different tonalities - bantery YA romance, eerie gothic horror, fast-paced action adventure? The different vibes didn't really mesh well for me, unfortunately. Of them, I particularly enjoyed the gothic fantasy side of things, which I do think is well done. With a better balance of these different modes, stronger characterization for Magnus and therefore a more engaging romance, I think I would have loved it, but as it is, this is one I'd recommend under specific circumstances but not wholeheartedly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is only very loosely a Jane Eyre adaptation, focusing much more on the fantasy/exorcism elements. Blackwood did a great job with those elements, as well as the overall world-building, however the romance and plot leave something to be desired. The slow-burn romance elements of Jane Eyre were left behind for a much faster paced YA romance, but also Magnus wasn't an appealing character to read, making the book difficult to get through. Overall, despite the general lack of Jane Eyre inspiration, the book left the same less than pleasant taste in my mouth in terms of relationship dynamics, implying that we should stop using it as a source material.

Within These Wicked Walls was everything I'd want from a fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre: atmospheric? check. soul-tied romance with claws? check. deeply unsettling? check.

I love, love, loved the debtera and the foundations of the cultural esoterica. I haven't read too many Ethiopian inspired stories, so it was beautiful to be invited into that world and be able to experience it through Andromeda's eyes and heart. Andromeda is an incredibly strong young woman who still holds all of her hurt on her sleeve, she was built for survival and that is what keeps pushing her forward every day.

Magnus was interesting, and brooding, and charming, and needy, and self-deprecating but totally full of himself at the same time - essentially everything you'd expect from a gothic love interest. I thought the application of the Evil Eye and how it affected everything it comes in contact with was super interesting. The characters in the story knew how to draw emotions from you and get you intrinsically linked to their experiences.

This story made me chuckle, it made me cry, it made me check behind my door and it made me wonder. An absolutely beautiful debut and I will definitely be checking out Lauren Blackwood's stories from now on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review, however I ended up purchasing the published copy on release date and read purely from that one along with an audiobook on loan from my library.

Andromeda, Andi, is a debtera, an exorcist. When Magnus Rochester hires her, Andi is expecting a normal job, something she has done before, but she quickly realizes that is not going to be the case. she had never dealt with something like this before and must test her limits to cleanse the place of the force.

At first, I was intrigued by this book. Blackwood started out with such a beautiful captivating and mysterious atmosphere. I was thoroughly confused, but I loved it and was eager to see where it was going. Then, I continued to be confused and things went downhill for me.

For what started off feeling like it was going to have a very promising atmosphere and world, I feel like it really got pushed to the side. Now, I will be the first to admit that lately, I've had a very slow brain. This could partially be down to me not processing things well. But, I don't feel like the world was fully crafted the magic anything. It seemed like one second this was how it worked but the next that was no longer true.

The horror scenes were disappointing for me. I feel like they really could have been great, but they fell flat. It was missing that spark that really could have pushed it more into the horror zone for me instead of just a fantasy novel.

The romance in here is what I really feel like took over this novel. Andi and Magnus' relationship became the forefront. It really went into instalove territory and then never got to the point where I felt like maybe there was some chemistry there. I could not vibe with the romance which sucks since that's what this book felt like more than anything.

I did listen to the audio of this which may be part of my issues as I really didn't vibe with the audio at all. I think it did contribute to some of the flat feelings I had as it was just there. There was no excitement in the more intense scenes. It felt just as flat as the story.

Overall, I feel like a lot of this book feel flat. Unfortunately nothing really stood out to me that's going to leave any sort of mark on my memory.

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

Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. After learning it was a Jane Eyre retelling, I was truly afraid that I wasn't going to enjoy this book at all. I've never read Jane Eyre so I have no clue what it was about. I went into this book only knowing it was an Ethiopian inspired fantasy and I came out really loving it.
The gothic feeling that you get throughout this book was great and kept me deep into the story.
Andromeda meets Magnus who ends up being her love interest. It ended up being really sweet but I wasn't for them at first.
The entire story you think that her adopted father is the villian because the way he treats her through out the book but, even though he is really physically abusive to her, it's nothing compared to what her birth parents did to her.

If it weren’t in the description that this is supposed to be a retelling of Jane Eyre, I wouldn’t have known, even with the last name being Rochester. Other than the name and the gothic setting, and one other thing that I won’t say because it’s a (small) spoiler, there is nothing else in this book at all like Jane Eyre. Once I let go of the entire books worth of inconsistencies with the story it was supposedly meant to be retelling, the book was actually very enjoyable. It should’ve just been marketed as it’s own thing, so that’s what I’ll rate it on. I like the characters, the story, and the setting. And the banter between Magnus Andromeda was adorable. I would definitely recommend this book.

This book was a good read! I was excited for a new Jane Eyre retelling that was entertaining and for younger readers. What I loved most about the book was the fact that it featured characters of color, and that some parts were inspired by African culture. I really liked the overall concept for this book, but I am not sure of how well it was executed.

I really liked the fantastical aspect of the story, but I really wish that there was more of it. I felt like there was too much focus on the romance in the story, but the romance did not feel genuine, and felt like it moved too fast. There were generally quite a few issues with the story's pacing, and some parts of the book let me feeling confused about what was going on.

Overall, I do not feel like this book was a waste of time, but I don't think I would read it again or recommend it to a friend.

Within These Wicked Walls was an interesting read with a new world of Ethiopian mythology and a retelling of Jane Eyre. While I loved the setting and potential of the evil eye magic in this story - the romance and world building fell flat for me.

“Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre” is a perfect description of this book. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood is a fantastic, often times dark fantasy that I did not want to sit down. Following a young woman trying to make a name for herself, the story unfolds in the cursed mansion of handsome Mr. Rochester.

The story begins with Andromeda, a debtera (exorcist), being hired to cleanse a house of the Evil Eye. I really like Andromeda. At a young age, she was sold to a house of ill-repute by her parents and bought by a highly skilled, highly bitter debtera. Her life hasn’t been kind. The old man was cruel, but he made a point to make sure Andromeda could care for herself. She is brave, empathetic, and determined. What she isn’t prepared for is to fall in love.

Magnus Rochester is the wealthy, handsome owner of a cursed mansion. Every night the walls of the house come alive with evil spirits, killing servants and haunting Rochester every moment. He is like a child at times, naive and joyful. But at others, he is haunted by the things he has seen and heard in his house.

I’m not familiar with Ethiopian culture so I had to do a fair amount of looking things up, but that was my own curious nature. The author does a fabulous job of explaining through the characters what some of the words I was unfamiliar with meant. The blending of this culture is done seamlessly with the classic Jane Eyre. I loved being able to link one of my favorites to this story. The haunting nature and gothic tones from the classic work well with the story Blackwood weaves.

Overall, I really enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls. Both it’s haunting nature and gothic-style romance added a bit of mystery and suspense to the story. I loved the paranormal elements of the Evil Eye and how the curse brought the two characters together. If you are a fan of fantasy retellings, you are in for a treat. I highly recommend this one!

I really, really wanted to love this book! It was originally marketing as an Ethiopian-inspired Jane Eyre retelling, which had me so excited to get my hands on the ARC. That being said, after reading the first few chapters, this book has sat on my DNF (Did Not Finish) shelf for months.

The atmosphere of the novel was appropriately creepy and brooding from the start, which made for an excellent October read. However, I just didn't get invested enough in the characters or plot to stick around to finish the book. I've been trying to think what exactly about the book failed to hook me. Overall, neither the mystery behind the haunting nor the characters themselves succeeded in hooking me into the story.

The main character seemed like a strong and resilient young woman--I hope she vanquishes the darkness behind the curse of the house. Unfortunautely, I don't think I'll bear witness to her victory or failure.

I would still recommend this book to YA readers who enjoy horror novels. The multicultural aspect of the book and the strong lead character also make this a valuable addition to any library YA shelf.

As for myself, I don't think I'll be returning to finish this one.

I admit part of what appealed to me was this marketed as a Jane Eyre retelling, but honestly the connection to the former is really flimsy. That said, I still loved the book. I liked Andromeda and Magnus. She was a complex heroine with trust issues, and he had his own complicated history with his parents and family background. I do wish the setting might have been flushed out more, but the pacing was quick, and I enjoyed the characters. It was a good YA story, and I would recommend it to teens and adults alike.

Loved this book! I liked how the author rebooted a traditional Victorian gothic to a POC heroine. It gave a unique twist to both the original story and to the fantasy overlay. Would definitely recommend.

This book is a bit out of my comfort zone - as I typically do not read fantasy or horror; however, I still enjoyed it! I loved the main characters and relationship; and the spooky setting had me sit there and say, "wait, what?" several times during the reading process.

However, with that, I really did enjoy the mystical and religious elements, the writing style, and the character development. Overall, while the genre is out of my comfort zone, I would read another book by this author!

As a side note, I don't think this book should have been marketed as a Jane Eyre retelling; it seems there is very, very little that was inspired by the original plot.

Within These Wicked Walls is a standalone Ethiopian historical fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre, where the protagonist, Andromeda, is hired to exorcise a manor house of the Evil Eye. However, she soon discovers that both the house and its young master, Magnus Rochester, are not what they seem, and the house staff keep disappearing. Andi is an engaging protagonist with equal parts spunk and humility, a vast improvement on her classic literary archetype. The prose is engaging and perfectly balances deep character moments with necessary worldbuilding. While Magnus didn’t appeal to me personally as a viable love interest, other readers may find his interactions with Andi to be romantic.

I have not read Jane Eyre (yet!) so I can't comment on how close of a retelling Within These Wicked Walls was. However, it did make for an spooky, atmospheric read, filled with curses, exorcism, and evil. Within These Wicked Walls is primarily a horror story, but there is a strong romance element to balance it out - while I wish it had taken a bit longer to develop, the banter was excellent. I can't wait to read whatever Lauren Blackwood writes next!

DNF @ 40%

This is a case of "It's not you, it's me" type of book DNF-ing scenario.

Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian-inspired gothic horror retelling of Jane Eyre. This premise alone was more than enough to capture my interest as Jane Eyre is one of my most loved classic novels. I also don't read a ton of horror fiction (as I am a scared-y cat when it comes to anything horror), so this was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, but the Jane Eyre retelling was just too hard to ignore.

Aside from the minor details that stemmed from the original story, there wasn't a whole lot of Jane Eyre-esque stuff into this novel. And the horror themes I expected (considering this is just YA) did not really shocked or scared me at all. Everything just felt one note to me, and I was just really having a hard time connecting to the main characters and their weird and very childish antics.

However, the magic system and mix of fantasy and contemporary world-building in this book had a lot of potential that I could have appreciated even more if it was explored better. Even though this one did not work out for me, I'm sure there are other readers that may appreciate this book more than I did.

I would still like to thank St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for sending me an e-ARC copy of this book

I will read any and every book that bills itself as a Jane Eyre retelling and I really enjoyed this one. Atmospheric and dreamy, truly horrific at times, and populated by fantastic characters (Magnus!). Highly recommended.

DNF @ 20%

Was really intrigued by the premise, but couldn't really get into the vibe of the story or the characters. The magic seemed cool though! I think the issue I had with this book was purely personal, starting to realize books set solely in a house aren't really my things :(

I'm always here for a Jane Eyre based romance and was happy to read this one. This is of course an Ethopian based retelling but I still think the author did a good job. Will be happy to read more books by the author. Highly recommend.

I didn't realize that this was going to be a Jane Eyre retelling, and you should have seen my excitement when I figured it out! I enjoyed the setting, the romance, and the characters - I knew what was going to happen, of course, but that didn't impede any excitement. Kudos to Blackwood for an interesting spin of a much-loved classic!