#HerricksEnd by @t.m.blanchet reminded me of The House in the Cerulean Sea at the story's heart - and a complete opposite in terms of aesthetics. Does anyone else here play Fallen London? I do, and bits and pieces of the underground dreary and whimsical setting reminded me of it.

This is Ollie's story- who starts as a somewhat indifferent bystander to the hurt of those around him- but aren't we all, to a degree? Ollie takes a brave step and interveans, pays for his oversights and has a change of heart- which leads to adventure, a found family and peace with both his past and his future. This is a fantastical story with so much heart, and even though the book reads well as a standalone, I can't wait to see where this series will lead- I just want more page time with the characters!

Reading Herrick's End truly felt like a wonderful adventure. I was immediately drawn in by the first chapter - totally intrigued and needed to know what happened next. I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book brought me back out of it, When I say I couldn't put it down, I really mean it. Sometimes there are those characters that you just want to reach out and hug and say "everything will be okay" to, and Ollie was one of those characters for me.

What I loved about this book:
- The world building. I am so intrigued by the world of the Neath, and I really hope more is explored in the next books of the series.
- The characters. They are so dynamic and I was invested in their story.

What didn't work for me:
- The details. There were some plot points that were not addressed in the story, which left me a bit confused at times.
- The fat phobia. Yes, this was part of the character and perhaps does not correspond with the viewpoints of the author, but it still did not sit right with me. While I understand that self-esteem and confidence issues are an important aspect of Ollie as a character, t felt entirely too much at times.

Am I invested in this series and curious to see what happens yes? Definitely.

When Ollie’s friend and crush goes missing, he’s determined to find her. Unfortunately, for him, it takes him on a journey to a world he never new existed. Along the way, he quickly learns that one can turn their abusers over to a very long hell in a world created by witches. It’s hell for abusers, but the rest of the place is a sanctuary for survivors. As an outsider, Ollie needs to listen and do his best to blend in, but he’s determined to do the exact opposite and learns a lot more than expected.

I think that this book has an interesting concept, but it’s one that I would’ve liked a lot better if it was told from a different perspective. We follow Ollie, who is supposed to be this great and nice person. The only thing he’s guilty of is standing by and doing nothing when he sees the signs of abuse on other people. It’s clear we’re supposed to be rooting for Ollie all book long, but I disliked him early on. He’s got a savior’s complex, doesn’t listen, and thinks he knows a lot more than he does. Ollie is the classic “nice” guy and he irked me all book long. This book turned out to not be a book for me, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be others who enjoy it.

I think the concept of Herrick’s end and its dual purpose as a sanctuary for survivors while being a total hellscape for abusers is very interesting. I wonder how this book would’ve gone if we followed the three witches who created it or any one of the many who have sought sanctuary. We briefly met Ollie’s crush, Nell, and it would’ve been interesting to follow the story from her perspective as well.

Instead, the story is pulled in several directions making it seem like a YA fantasy that then turned into a dark adult fantasy with a lot of blood and violence. There’s also magic because there’s three witches we see twice. All that’s clear is that Ollie is a savior that was foretold by a character we don’t really know much about. I’m left with far more questions than answers because the plot wasn’t resolved, but the idea of following Ollie for another book is far from appealing so I’m going to pass on finding out.

All in all, I won’t be continuing this series, but I do think that the overall concept is an interesting one. It just didn’t work out for me, but that’s okay. Every book has its audience, and it just turned out I’m not the audience for this series. There is also lot of talk about abuse, violence, and eating disorders in addition to the violence that takes place in the book, so if any of these are a trigger for you, this will be a pass for you.

Ollie is a 19 year old young man struggling with his weight and sense of identity. When his friend, Nell goes missing from their weight loss support group, he worries that his worst suspicions about her relationship were correct. Coming from a family with DV himself, Ollie is determined to do anything to save Nell like he wish he could've saved his mom.

The standout aspect to Herrick's End to me was the protagonist. Ollie is a young adult seriously struggling with his weight. He walks into a room and makes note of if he is the biggest person in the room. I found his character refreshing as it is typically women who feel the societal pressure to be thin. But Ollie really feels as though if he were smaller, his whole life would be better. Ollie is very idealistic in this and other ways. He's naïve but likable in his earnestness. I will say, however, that he reads a bit younger than 19 because of this.

The story was unique and easy enough to follow but I was not strongly compelled by any aspect. The first half of the novel drags a bit, I had to read chapters spread out to get through it. I found myself appreciating the twists but not emotionally connecting to the story overall.

DNF'd at 25%

I really thought that I would like this book, the cover is really pretty and the premise is really interesting, but I struggled majorly to get into this book and just the thought of needing to pick it up to continue reading is enough to make me dread reading in general.

The imagery and details are really great and I love the character of Laszlo, but I do not think this book is the perfect fit for me - at least not right now! Who knows maybe I will pick it up a few months from now and like it a lot more?

From what I read (7 chapters), the story is really interesting but a little hard to connect to at least in my opinion. It is fantasy, but it all seems bit far fetched all at once and by the 5th chapter, when the plot really begins, I was a bit lost and overwhelmed with the details and what was going on.

From what I read, I would rate 2 stars. But like I said, this book is not a right fit for me right now, but it may be someone else's dearest new fantasy discovery!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!

Ollie, stymied by his low self esteem, is bumbling through life, until his friend goes missing. Fearing for her safety, he makes a choice to look for her - and gets drawn into a dark and bizarre underground world, The Neath.

This is an incredibly unique book, unlike anything I've ever read. I went into it fairly blind and I definitely couldn't have predicted the turns it took.

A lot of it is really quite dark. There are themes of family and domestic abuse throughout. The whole underground world the majority of the book is set in is dark in terms of lack of light and in mood. There is a prison that features heavily that is a wretched and hopeless place full of violence and despair. Although not graphic in any way, it's certainly not a light-hearted read.

It certainly is very inventive though, with lots of unique ideas and plot twists, and a rather exciting prison break plot line towards the end.

I struggled to really feel the chemistry in the romance plot line. I also found Ollie's self-directed fatphobia a little too much at times, although I did appreciate how that came together in the end.

I've seen a few reviews complaining about how "young" Ollie reads and to me this just highlights the current trend in YA to write ostensibly teenage characters that act like they're 27 and appeal to an adult audience. I was absolutely a lot like Ollie at 19. I'm also confused by people saying it reads like "middle grade" - apparently plot based adventure without constant sexual tension is only for 12 year olds. Sarcasm.

It's honestly a strange little story and it won't be for everyone, but I think I did actually quite enjoy it. I'm glad I made up my own mind on this one rather than ruling it out on the basis of reviews.

I did not finish this book.
The set-up in the prologue is cracking, but I was immediately put off by the opening of the first chapter - the protagonist feeling superior for being the fattest person in the room while also being ashamed of his own fatness. Then the context becomes clear: they’re literally in a weight loss club. Cue the usual. I have a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy for diet culture nonsense in books, and this hit my limit almost immediately. I put it down rather than waste my energy or mental health for the sake of a more thorough review

This book feels like Lewis Carroll and VE Schwab birthed a book baby and this was the outcome. It’s dark yet whimsical and leaves a certain sense of unease when reading.

I expected a rather traditional YA story when I started this book. Instead I was surprised to find an over weight male lead character and a very delicate and deep discussion into domestic abuse. This book gives a lot of insight to the families and wives and husbands who have suffered under the tyrannical rule of an abuser or oppressor.

I appreciated the narrative the author was trying to give about the different routes people pursue in order to escape the people who mean their harm in any capacity. Ollie, our main character, had an abusive father and he meets Nell who had a boyfriend who lets just say is less than loving. It shows the differences between a parent versus a child versus a relationship that abuse can happen and it’s possible to extricate yourself in those situations. So in that regard this book has a great overlying message and it has a great atmosphere for a book to be set.

However…. And it’s a big however: this book needed to decide what it was. It felt like a YA story, which is fine that’s what this book is. But YA is a very broad category and ranges from 14-18 in most cases. This book read to me like it was on the younger end of the spectrum (Percy Jackson) vs on the other end (Six of Crows). I think this story could have benefited from having a younger main character.

I think Ollie felt young to me. Granted he’s 18 but he still has that precious child like innocence and the drive to save every damsel in distress he can find. I love that for his character and he was a delight to read about because the boy is always thinking about pasta and pastries. Like, same man same. But… I think I would have preferred him being younger. Going after Nell to save her had they both been in a foster home situation and she was scared to return to her abusive household and Nell decides to take things in her own hands. I think that would have been really powerful and shown the love between friends.

Following that I would have loved a more found family approach to Tera and Ollie’s relationship. I wish he would have bonded more with her housemates and gone for a more wholesome approach to the future. I wanted more of a bonding scene with all of them and him finding the love he has been missing since his mothers untimely death. That would have been a compelling and forceful ending that I think needs to be more present in YA stories in general.

I want to start and say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this eARC.

Unfortunately, I don't this book was for me. I didn't vibe with any of the characters. I felt some of the relationships were forced as well as the interactions. The story transition didn't flow for me and I found myself a little lost at times and asking why? I wanted a lot more world-building as there we so many things that were just not explained. Like how they go back and forth and who controls these tickets and why the place was created and sustained and how it came to be.

I felt I had too many answered questions leaving me disinterested and bored halfway through.

Got an arc of this book from NetGalley - thank you!
I'll try to be as spoilerless as possible.

This book was not what I expected from the description; the first part was a bit challenging to get through, because the main character gets abused before you can begin to care about him. But later it gets better, it's a continuous heist and you get to discover secrets of the fantasy setting - which is quite original and I appreciated it a lot.
My biggest remark is about the pitch, it doesn't really prepare to what is in the book. The main character has a food disorder and it's not a secondary aspect, and neither are the domestic abuse and his grief about the death of his mother.

Overall it's not a bad book, provided that you are not especially sensitive to the topics listed above.

It’s been a while since I’ve truly enjoyed a YA fantasy book, but this was lovely! The premise is new and the author puts a unique spin on this trope. The pacing and tension was great - it was a rollercoaster from start to finish and I m so excited for the sequel.

In this YA fantasy novel you follow Ollie, a man struggling with his image and weight, who finds himself thrust into ‘The Neath’ to save his friend, Nelly, who is a survivor of domestic violence (which is a key topic in the book). Overall I enjoyed this novel and the writing style throughout. Also I adore the cover, I mean look at it!

About the book itself I thought the world building was well thought and out nicely developed as were all the characters, including the side character which doesn’t always happen. It’s a unique story that intrigued me from the beginning. I found myself really getting into the story, however it took me a while. I thought that the first half of the book was quite slow paced but after that I really enjoyed the plot and found myself unable to put it down.

Keynotes: secret society, upside-down world, brave characters and prisoners.

Upside down! Have you heard about this term? Maybe you are recollecting, right? Ok, let me give you a real name where we all love this show called "Stranger Things." Exactly, you would get doubt if this story is that similar? Nope! Not at all but just a teeny tiny bit. It doesn't have monsters but human deeds have been shown to some extent.

I'd say I did enjoy reading this story. It has so many layers that you wouldn't know until you make sense of it.

It is a story of bravery, sacrifice, friendship, love, faith, fight for right, human deeds, and resolution. It showed the mirror of human nature and the amendment of karma but it is not to be controlled by humans, it is dealt with by the supreme.

Brief: Ollie is a fat guy who is trying to fit in the society by shrinking by taking a diet that always seems to another level to him. He yearns for a girlfriend to love someone and to be loved; Hopefully, he thinks Nell could be the one if not now might be in the future. All of sudden Nell is not seen in a group where they all come to gather weekend stories about how they are dealing with diets, stress, societal norms, and the daily routine of life maintaining healthy eating habits. He didn't know he has come for nothing landing up in an upside-down world that no one can imagine.

The curious plot setting has risen at a level that keeps me turning pages in excitement to know what's next. It has a good bind of conflict and decision-making policy left on characters to decide where they want to turn the story. Talking about narrative, I felt a Lil bit boring in the middle but it picked up good speed later. Locations, scenery, characters, conflict, and resolution have better played and shown in the story. The written Language style is good and sometimes readers may expect bumper in some chapters or a slow pace as well. Overall, it was a good and enjoyable story.

This book is recommendable to those who just want to enjoy the unseen world without any magic and to instill hope in being selfless even in the darkness of the dark. If you are someone who is truly devoted to magic then you might not enjoy it, so pick this book thoughtfully.

Herrick's End follows Ollie as his investigation into the disseverance of his friend Nell.Ollie suspects Nell’s disappearance is linked to domestic violence, and the topic is discussed in detail throughout the book.

As he searches for Nell, Ollie is dragged into the fantastical underworld of Boston and Herrick’s End. Once you settle into the plot, the novel sweeps you away into a fast paced rollercoaster ride which is spectacularly paced and twisted away from all of my expectations.

Ollie was an instantly loveable protagonist. A fat man, trying to loose weight, uncomfortable in his body and the space he occupies in the world. He is the ultimate unlikely hero and I think would be very hard to find someone who couldn’t root for him. I would have liked it if his extremely negative self talk was addressed more completely as the book went on and it is something I will be keeping an eye out for in the later books.

It should definitely be noted that there are strong content warnings for this book, including
- negative self talk about weight
- dieting and fatphobia
- internalised fatphobia
- Death of a parent from cancer
- domestic abuse
- incarceration
- graphic violence

Overall Herrick’s end is a fast paced compelling start to the series, and after the epilogue I’m excited to see where the sequel goes.

This was a very interesting premise. The world was very unique and the themes were intriguing. I would have liked to see a bit more character development in the beginning so that I understood Ollie's choice a bit more. That part felt a bit rushed to me. Overall, a promising start to the series!

4/5 ✨!! I was not expecting to LOVE this! But I did, and I cannot wait for the second instalment to this trilogy! Any fans of YA and magic realism, I think this one is going to be a hit when it is published. (May 10th). Ollie is such a relatable protagonist, I connected with him and found myself very fond of him, he’s the underdog you cheer for!! He really grows as a person throughout this story, at the start he is a painfully self conscious, overweight, insecure loner. By the end of the book he is confident and brave, he takes control of his destiny and finds true friends. The story begins with him trying to find a girl he likes from afar. The last time he saw her at their slimming group she was skittish - with a black eye and bruises. His gut instinct makes him check on her well-being, but his search for her leads him into a whole new world entirely, a world of vengeance and justice, hope and hopelessness, a world of contradictions and opposites and one which touches on some dark topics (TW: Domestic abuse). I LOVED the smooth world building, it was not too overly intricate but just perfectly enough to paint a vivid picture in your head and I was so immersed that by 50% through I couldn’t put it down! All of the characters were engaging, and Ollies little creature friend ‘Meatball’ stole my heart , excessive teeth and grim appetite and all! I even enjoyed the surprise love story that was weaving through and growing in prominence too - and I normally roll my eyes and suppress the ick at any kind of love story! 😅 I’m so excited about this trilogy!

I’d give Herrick’s End 2-3 stars. First of all, the book was not what I expected from the cover, blurbs, and new-adult fantasy tag.

Even though the main character Ollie is supposed to be 19, it read very young not only in the dialogue and writing style but also the plot line of his crushes on Nell and Tera. I get that he has never had a girlfriend before so it’s the first-love first-kiss kind of puppy love but I would have liked Ollie to sound more mature in his narrative voice. Additionally, Ollie’s character just didn’t have a lot of depth. His whole character in the first 70% of the book is that he’s fat, insecure, and he likes food. And we keep getting references back to how he misses food, what food he sees in the Neath, etc.

The other thing I was thrown off by is how light the whole thing feels despite the dark cover and new adult tag. Tone wise this is a slightly humorous young adult/middle grade dark fantasy. So yes our setting is the underworld, and there is some serious discussion about domestic abuse, but you know from the beginning that no one is going to be seriously hurt, and though the power of friendship and teamwork, Ollie will save the day and get the girl. There is some slight reference to Ollie being sexually attracted to Tera but nothing more spicy than that and a few kisses.

I do think there are people that will like this if they are into clean young adult/middle grade fantasy.

Brilliantly written, that kept me hooked from the first page. At times I just couldn’t read quick enough to find out what was going to happen next.

"You did nothing. You were nothing. And so, you shall remain here, until the end of your days. As nothing." As the first book in a new YA series, this book will leave you desperate for the next installment

Original Review posted to Goodreads.

Wow, I found myself immersed in this story! This book is the first in The Neath series and it was an absolute adventure! I love all the characters so much! I connected with all of them and really felt like I knew them all! I love the magical fantasy this story brings to the table. The world-building is spectacular! When I think of a great dark fantasy, I will always think of this book! I will read this over and over again! I recommend this book for YA Readers and lovers of dark fantasy and high-ish fantasy. It is a rather long read, but I devoured the pages!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Fox Press for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!