If you like adaptations of classic novels and want to try one that is unique, check out “Within These Wicked Walls” by Lauren Blackwood. The book is an adaptation of Jane Eyre and there is a Mr. Rochester, but the story is set in Ethiopia. The Jane character is named Andromeda and she is a debtera (exorcist, artisan, healer, spiritualist) who has been hired to cleanse the castle owned Magnus Rochester; a task that ten previous debtera failed to complete. Magnus has been cursed by the Evil Eye and the curse affects the castle as well -- the walls bleed at times, the castle is chronically cold (out of place in the Ethiopian desert), and there are strange creatures in the house, the most terrifying and dangerous of which is the hyena.

Andromeda gets rid of the manifestations by crafting amulets particular to the manifestation. However, while cleansing some parts of the castle is not particularly difficult, defeating the Evil Eye is a much greater challenge than anything she has ever experienced or witnessed. It was delightful reading about her using a welding pen to carve a silver disk to match the pattern in her mind specific to the manifestation she was cleansing. The interactions between Andromeda and Magnus (Mr. Rochester) are quite enjoyable, as are those involving Saba (whose role I will leave the reader to discover) and Jember (Andromeda's mentor/father figure). Andromeda has had a rough and challenging upbringing that has left her with a fierceness and determination, but yet she also has an optimism that belies her circumstances (and annoys Jember). The manifestations are almost all nameless entities, but one of the more powerful, challenging, and amusing manifestations is "The Librarian." Among her activities is throwing books at people and leaving books open to specific passages -- including on one occasion a passage from "Jane Eyre." "Within These Wicked Walls" was a fun and interesting read; I would definitely recommend it.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

4.5 stars. I loved this Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre. It has gore, romance, rooms filled with blood, books that attack, everything you could ask for.

Andromeda is desperate to make a living after having been kicked out of her home by the abusive man that raised her. She is a debtera, someone who cleanses homes from the Evil Eye. She takes on an impossible job that no one else has dared to touch. When she meets her handsome new employer, she slowly learns that her task is much harder than she imagined and that her boss is hiding more than he let on.

I loved Andromeda’s character. She’s tough, funny, and very determined. Magnus was great too, slow to recognize how spoiled he is, but ready to charm Andi’s socks off. Their relationship was very insta-lovey, which is probably my only critique of this novel. Otherwise, I loved it!

I also liked that the reader is eased into the story, rather than provided with lots of info-dumping and world-building. The world-building is there, but it’s gradual.

I will read anything else that Lauren Blackwood decides to write!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this amazing digital ARC.

This was a delight to read! I picked it up and could not put it down until I finished! The fantasy aspects with the amulets were so interesting and I loved the moments between Jember and Andromeda! However, most of the characters felt very one-dimensional and honestly fell very flat for me. I enjoyed the Andromeda and Magnus moments because I'm a sucker for cute romance, but it felt very insta-love which is not great. In the end, it's fun, quick read that'll pick you right out of a reading slump!

Our main characters name is Andromeda, Andi for short and she is a new practicing debtera. A debtera is a exorcist and she has left her childhood home to find a patronage so she wont have to have a license in the future to work more exorcism jobs. She gets to the home of a white man who is heir to a chocolate empire. She meets the head house keeper and the rest of the staff and she learns the rules. She has to abide by a 10PM curfew which she immediately breaks the first night and regrets it instantly.

I ended up giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it was very creepy and so atmospheric. I felt transported to this hell hole and the characters felt so real. I was annoyed by the constant back and forth between Magnus and Andi with should they be together or not. I wish there were more of the country setting included. It briefly mentions that Ethiopia allowed slavery and that basically it. It doesn't mention town names or history. The word colonizer is used towards Magnus.

A reimagining of Jane Eyre with magic and a sassy heroine?? I was hooked with the blurb - unfortunately I don't feel that it delivered quite up to what I expected... It was probably a mistake for me to attempt to read a retelling of a classic that I love, but it seemed like there would be enough differences that I would be able to accept the framework without feeling like I was looking for a retelling (hello Pride, Prejudice and Zombies).

Unfortunately, something about this one just didn't resonate with me. I felt like there wasn't enough explanation of the magic and the amulets and world- building, and it rushed into the relationship between the characters and the creepy bits too quickly. Overall the whole thing felt rushed and didn't develop as I wanted it to... Still, it's an excellent concept and I give Blackwood tremendous props for audacious creativity!

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a quick, compelling read, you will likely enjoy this book. There isn't a whole lot of complexity to it and it's fairly predictable, but it's still engaging enough to make you want to keep reading.

Andromeda is a debtera, or an exorcist, who is trained to eliminate manifestations from houses. She is hired by Magnus Rochester to expel the Evil Eye that has been plaguing his house since his father was in charge. Andromeda is the eleventh debtera that he has hired. There are several rules that everyone in the house is required to follow, including staying in your room after 10 p.m. and not making eye contact with Mr. Rochester unless you are wearing an amulet. As Andromeda moves into the house to begin cleansing the manifestations, she realizes that she has encountered something far more sinister than she is used to and that she is in over her head.

What I liked:
-- I liked that it was a retelling of Jane Eyre, or a loose one. For me, I enjoyed noting the similarities between the novels and the creative liberties the author took.
-- I liked the concept of the manifestations and The Evil Eye. While a little predictable, instead of a mad woman in the attic, there is a hyena that comes out at night and preys on any individual who has made eye contact with Mr. Rochester. I don't want to spoil the only real twist in the book, but I liked the role of the hyena.

What I didn't like:
-- The romance. It was a little insta-lovey, and it just didn't feel genuine or real. It felt very childish. Andromeda was either complaining about their relationship or pining over it. It took up more of the story than I thought it should have.
-- The plot was not very complex. The story is very plot driven, but there just wasn't a lot of subplots to track.
-- Every other relationship felt basic and not completely fleshed out. I felt like the author could have done so much more with the relationships between Jember and Andromeda and Jember and Saba. I didn't feel anything towards any of the characters because their back stories and relationships just seemed so surface to me.

Overall, an easy and quick read, but not one of my favorites.

I really loved the concept behind this book - and would have loved some more information on the magic, amulets,etc. Overall, this was an easy read which was nice. I wanted to love this book - but it felt choppy and disjointed. I felt like scenes were missing or just didn’t make sense at all. As for the relationship between the main characters, it made absolutely no sense to me. I just truly did not believe their relationship at all and couldn’t believe it would develop like that.

What made me interested in this book was a unique take on an old story. An Ethiopian inspired retelling of Jane Eyre where our heroine is a debtera, an exorcist, on her last chance of survival after her guardian kicks her out of the house before her training is complete. Her only hope to maintain a career as a debtera without proper certification is obtain patronage to prove that she is skilled in her job. Andromeda takes a job to cleanse a house for the quirky Magnus Rochester that ten previous debtera have not been able to complete.

Let’s start with the plot, while I do not feel as if there was much Jane Eyre inspiration past the creepy mansion, I found the story very unique. There were some creepy moments that had me on the edge of my seat, specifically that first experience with the Manifestations in the mansion. I wish there were more moments like this throughout the book because that was when the story shined. While I thought the story was interesting, I wish there was slightly more explanation for the different aspects of this world, and more of a lead up to the reveal of the Evil Eye in the middle of the book.

Even though I did wish for some more explanations, I felt that the magic system was very well-developed and had a clear purpose. I also really enjoyed the different characters in the book, and how the author decided to take them out of the stereotypical gender roles. My favorite parts were the interactions between Andromeda and her adoptive father and seeing the growth between the two as the story progressed. If you are looking for a unique book with an interesting plot line and enjoyable characters, this book is for you.

This was a solid story that I am excited for people to experience.

I would have liked the writing and world building to be a bit tighter but omg idc i loved the setting and the magic system. It was so fascinating and original and unlike anything I have read before

I have not read Jane Eyre but I read a summary of i.t. before starting WTWK so I could see the comparisons and derivations whilst reading the WTWK. The world-building and concept of debteras was super intriguing, as well as how they're connected to the main character Andromeda. Andromeda is our protagonist who is an exorcist or a debtera, and is on her way to exorcise the Evil Eye off the home of Magnus Rochester. Magnus was a very compelling character -- at times I found him overbearing and immature, but there were many moments between him and Andromeda that I truly enjoyed. As well as the character of Saba who is an endearing side character. I wish the climax hadn't been as fast, but I think it ends well for a standalone. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Within These Wicked Walls turned out to be a love story I didn’t expect. It had so many twists and turns but it all tied together perfectly for me. The cover is what drew me in initially, but I was pulled all the way in by the end of the first page. There were some moments where the characters were insufferable, but that was the point, and I loved them even more in the end for their quirks. If you’re a reader who likes a little fantasy with their love, this is an amazing read. #WithinTheseWickedWalls

I've never read Jane Eyre and now this is two books in less than six months that's either a retelling or inspired by? This is lovely and Gothic with a wonderful Ethiopia-inspired setting and I want to read this again already. Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is debut novel brings a different fantastical element to the table: the idea of the debtera, a person who cleanses the sins from a house. The debtera who is the main character in this book has many emotional issues to overcome as she cleanses the home of a young, wealthy chocolatier under the influence of the Evil Eye. This is a solid first effort.

Fun YA retelling of Jane Eyre. Ideal for teens and young readers who like romance. Personally I did not like this book , but that is the me and not the book,

Within These Wicked Walls has left me speechless. I finished it last week and I still cannot formulate words to articulate how amazing this book was. The character arcs and the setting felt so real and like people I've known my entire life. The writing was top notch and honestly I'm surprised more aren't talking about this epic book.

This was a fast-paced, creepy book that I enjoyed quite a lot.
The thing with this book that harms it, for me, was the insta-love. The worst part of that is that Magnus and Andromeda have amazing chemistry. Their romance just felt like it happened all of a sudden after some witty banter. The physical chemistry is almost non-existence, and it felt like it came completely out of the blue. The romance issue alone affected the reading for me. This took a star away, despite how much I wanted to love the book. If insta-love is your thing, you may really and truly enjoy this.
There is a healthy level of resolution to this tale, that left me feeling satisfied and pleased. This really was a fantastic book, and I am very glad I got to read it.
Full review October 25th, 2021.

Andromeda has been trained by her mentor Jember to be a debtera, an exorcist who cleanses households of the Evil Eye. When she turns 19, Jember abruptly ends her training forcing her to live on the streets with no way to earn her debtera license. Without a license, she must find a Patron, preferably one who is rich and well-connected. She is hired by a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester who is cursed by the Evil Eye. Andi gradually begins “cleansing” the house of the manifestations but the servants continue to disappear. Andi begins to fall in love with Magnus and feels desperate to rid him of the curse. She devises a plan but there are many risks and not everyone will make it out alive. This was a great story and a bit spooky at times. The characters were well developed and I liked that a few of them were given a chance to redeem themselves. I did feel that there were a few things that were not explained well enough. The actual curse itself is only briefly discussed and I don't really understand why it was created in the first place. I would have preferred some more background into the relationship of Magnus' parents and a bit more background for Jember. I especially liked the character of Saba and the bond she shares with the other characters. Andi is a likable character and you can't help but root for her to succeed. This story is a loosely-based retelling of Jane Eyre. It has a gothic, horror aspect to it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Veeeeeery slow beginning, but some really beautiful prose throughout. I think it would be fun to do in a jigsaw sort of lesson where we comb through excerpts for 1) language use and 2) where the inspiration was drawn, after reading Jane Eyre to have as a companion piece. Would be fun to look at this, Wide Sargasso Sea, and Jane Eyre in a higher level high school class (juniors/seniors) and see how these books talk to each other.

Firstly I have to say a huge shout out to Saba. What a character!

To be completely honest I'm a little saddened I didn't love this book, I liked it and really liked it in some places but it fell short in a few places for total immersive enjoyment.

The biggest shortcoming for me was the relationship between Andi and Magnus, I didn't 'feel' the instalove (but then I don't like instalove). To be totally honest Magnus was written in some areas as world wise and old beyond his years, then acted like a petulant child who'd had his toys taken away in other areas. But his spoiled brattiness was also sometimes fun. Andi was too 'god fearing' for my tastes, but then that is exactly that, my preference to not want to read it. It was like she was saying it's okay to love someone who'll emotionally abuse you and with her mentor Jember to physically abuse you. Toxic to the core and absolutely not okay. But she's also resilient, she has two sides, strong yet unsure.

But this story does have substance, it has sticky glue that holds you firm and oh again re Saba, loved that woman! Couldn't stand Peggy, but I love characters I dislike and Jember, well, read the book, he's a right marmite character that grows on you! Same goes for Kelela.

The gothic horror, was very well done, a house that bleeds, a house that's going to swallow you whole, chilling manifestions that keep you behind locked doors after 10pm, another area where it's gripping and keeps you gripped.

All in all a solid 3.5 star rating, bordering on 4 in a lot of areas, hence happy to say a 4 star read, well worth it even if you're not fans of Jane Eyre, which I am not :)

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the Jane Eyre retelling it was giving. Loved the Ethiopian-inspired fantasy world building. Loved the diversity and representation it carried, overall a pretty amazing read! 4.5/5!!