The story is really good, however I feel it could have been made better, it seemed a little rushed and all over the place at times. I also expected it to be a little darker then it actually was. The twist was good with it being her auntie however it’s a quick read.

Rating: 1 Star.

Let me just say this book pissed me off. I wanted to DNF it so many times but kept going because I was SURE that no way is the writer, who is a woman, was just gonna let this book keep going in the misogynistic tone that it kept going in but nope. It in fact didn't get better it got worse.

By the end of the book there was some hope that the tides were gonna turn but sigh, it was a disappointing mess. The funny part is that it is clear the writer intended this book to be a girlboss story with women reclaiming their bodies from the clutches of a misogynistic society but that flopped hard and the writer only ended up feeding into that misogynistic mindset even more.

Oh and there was A LOT, and I mean every few pages, scenes of lesbian sex, kissing, etc which were only ever done for male pleasure. Also scenes of a certain important character thinking of wlw kissing as demonic. I really hope no one classifies this book as LGBT. Canonically bi characters were there but as I said, for male pleasure.

If you told me this was written by a 1500's male writer who frequents brothels and illegally sells erotic novels for the violently misogynistic male society I would believe it.

Apart from all that, I do not understand why George even needed a POV? Also there were so many inconsistencies within the book including plot holes and a lot of things were just not explained and vague in the worst possible way which just gave off laziness.

The only good thing about the book was Selena.

I will not recommend this for anyone, don't even hateread it out of curiosity it is just not worth your time wasted.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

On the run from a life of prostitution and poverty, exotic dancer Cece Dulac agrees to become the main attraction at an erotic séance hosted by an enigmatic mesmerist, Monsieur Rossignol. As the séance descends into depravity, Cece falls prey to Rossignol’s hypnotic power and becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit.

George Dashwood, an aspiring artist, witnesses the séance and fears for Cece. He seeks her out and she seduces him, but she is no longer herself. The spirit controlling her forces her to commit increasingly depraved acts. When the spirit’s desire for revenge escalates to murder, George and Cece must find a way to break Rossignol’s spell before Cece’s soul is condemned forever.

I expected something completely different. The story is well written, but I don't think it will be to everyone's taste. Personally I didn't like the mix of paranormal and erotica.

But if you like ghost stories and want something spicy, this one might interest you. There are several scenes that are a bit gory, but I've read much nastier stuff in other kinds of books. Likewise, the mix of blood and sex is a constant, in case you're not comfortable with the mix of gratuitous violence and character titillation.

Other things that can make you dislike the story are the treatment of women and, in my case, the solution to all the problems with love, which came about in a day and a half and with hardly any conversation.

Even if the story wasn't for me, I don't think it was badly written or badly developed. It is 100 pages long, if it catches your attention give it a chance, you might end up loving it.

Spiritualism meets 19th century Parisian theatre of seduction ala Moulin Rouge.

Cecelia a rising starlet in a Parisian theatre falls victim to rich man's scheme to bring back his lost love through scène. The new British man in town falls in love enraptured by Cecelia, is he the key to freeing her from the clutches of this Spiritualist conundrum or is he just a cad like all the other men? Find out in the dark and twisted novella.

Reading this is not for the faint of heart as it does tackle some dark themes including suicide, murder, occult, sex work, and possession.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed the story for something that I usually don't read.

It covers dark topics and put you well into the ambiance.

It was a quick read as it is a novella and I think the length of the book is perfect. If it were longer it wouldn't have been as impacting.

The horror was light, which fits my taste as I'm not much of a fan of being scared. It was just spooky enough.

I also adore the cover!

Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for the ARC!
This novella, holy wow so much in so little pages! A true erotic horror story. That was captivating, gory, creepy, and psychotic and I loved it.

I think the first thing that must be said about this book is how stunningly beautiful that cover is. Artist Danielle Batsheva did an amazing job creating the portrait of main character Cecile Dulac in a way which reminds me of an illustration in an old book of fairy stories, a theater poster, and a stained-glass window all at once.

This is a short story - just over one hundred pages - with a striking impact. George Dashwood has just arrived in Paris at the turn-of-the-century (that's last century, not this one) to further his artistic ambitions by studying painting and crafting a masterpiece or two of his own. On the night of his arrival, however, his friend Bastian waylays those plans by taking him to a show at the Palais Theatre, and introducing him to its star attraction: Cecile Dulac.

Things quickly get weird and wild as the rich and beautiful people of Paris take part in strange and erotic seances, and George, gentleman that he is, falls immediately in love with Cecile and determines to save her from this strange and dangerous life she's fallen into. Possession, murder, and endless debauchery follow as Cecile weakens under the sway of the unscrupulous man who has hypnotized her. In the end, will George's love and willpower be strong enough to save her... and himself?

This book reminded me very much of the setting of The Phantom of the Opera, only much more erotic and with a hint of the supernatural. There are dancing girls and garter belts, masquerade balls and gilded furniture aplenty. This is, in a way, a bit of a fairy tale, a quick story with archetypal characters and a lesson to be learned in the end - though I'll leave it to you to discover that lesson for yourself.

A fast read (it took me an hour an a half from start to finish) but so well-written that you won't feel cheated on the story, this one will appeal to those who love fractured fairy tales, period pieces, and hints of mesmerism and feminist vengeance.

It was so long ago that I requested this book, I kinda forgot what it was about - hence I did not expect it to be so very spicy. When at first you might seem a bit taken aback by the language used by the male characters, the moment it switches to Cece you notice it is actually her who is in control, and that this is indeed written by a female writer.
It is a novella, so everything is concluded very quickly, but the story still led me into a wonderful world and made me anticipate what was going to happen next. The atmosphere in the book was very gothic and - at moments - absolutely terrifying. I loved it.

DNF

I’m so sorry but I tried and I tried but I just could not get into this book.


NOTE: I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks NetGalley & Brigids Gate Press!)

I'm a bit torn with this book. On one hand, Ward is a fantastic writer; for that reason alone, I will continue reading their work. On the other hand, the characters are too underdeveloped (as is their love) to be believable enough for my investment. There were also some weak explanations that left me wondering how so-and-so was even hypnotized in this or that moment. Ultimately, this novella seems like it should have been a novel. The story is there, as is the writing, but the characters definitely needed more time to interact and more development for me to feel a separation of names throughout the story.

This book was a weird mixture of romance horror and dark twisted stories I didn’t drive us but I also feel like it promises a lot in the bibliography but the story kind of felt a little flat in comparison. I didn’t like this book was very short so I could easily read it in one sitting but I felt that it just didn’t draw me an enough I was pushing myself to read and finish the last of this book.

This quick read was an unexpected tale of mysterious spirits and withcraft mixed with a story of seeking freedom for female prostitutes who believe they are stuck and have no free will.
George, a 19 year olf English man is first introduced on his journey go Paris where he hopes to pursue his passion of painting.
Celie is introduced as a dancer and performer who is also a sex worker. It becomes obvious she has done sex work for money since she was a young teen and once her family died, she left her small village in pursuit of bigger and better things - or so she thought.
I think the title of the short story - Marionette - is a clever way of showing Celie as being a puppet manipulated into performing and doing what she is told by her puppet master.
After a mystery performance that leaves her acting strangely and whirlwind tale takes place leading to quick love, murder and a determination in George to free Celie from a spiritual trap.
Apart from the dubious consent, which is something that I don't oppose in books (you read and enjoy what you please) but is something I do not read too often, the story was interesting. I think the content warnings should have been at the start of the book as they're kind of pointless at the end - it is too late by that point to avoid the triggers.
The cover of this book is gorgeous and I can admit that is what drew me in initially.
It was a very quick read at 118 pages and it did not feel rushed at all which is something I notice in other short stories and novellas. The imagery and descriptions were written wonderfully and I enjoyed this a lot.
Thanks so much!

Marionette was an interesting read, if nothing else. It was a very quick, super short read as it is a novella and the premise was there, however the story could have been executed better. Also, while there is sex, it doesn't come through as an erotica. love the idea of human possession through an object belonging to that spirit. I also love that the spirit was a scorned wife & lover set of retribution.
If this had been a longer book aith more information then I might have enjoyed it more.
Ultimately, this book wasn't for me.

I want to thank #Netgalley for letting me read an eArc of #Marionette in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Holy cow! So not even close to what I was expecting. Never have I read a book besides one that sex had such an impact on how things turned out. If you don’t like girl on girl or explicit sex scenes this is not the book for you.
I was able to read pretty fast but have to admit I blushed horribly many times.

Marionette is the story of performance girls who are betwitched by a spirit which makes them do whatever the puppermaster says. This is part erotic fantasy and part horror as things go wrong. An interesting and quick read.

CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS!!

Very quick read and even quicker if you're a fan of horror and smut! I did think this was a graphic novel at first based on the cover, but I was surprised to find that it was not the case. Anyways, you will finish this book in one sitting, but it is imperative that you check your trigger warnings first. Some of the situations definitely gave me some icky feelings, but I finished the book in order to provide this review. I did, however, like the setting (who doesn't like Paris? Moulin Rouge, anyone?), the way the story set-up, and the writing style of the author.

TW's include: Dubious Consent, Mutilation, Suicide References, Violence.

Thank you so much to Brigids Gate Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.

There are content warnings posted in the back of this novella that I will share at the end of my review. This novella actually starts out quite strong. It definitely feels like more work was put into the first 40% of this compared to the rest. The prologue, even though it was just a few paragraphs, is a perfect opener, and really gives us a taste of the vibes the rest of the novella will bring. There is no dilly dallying, and we jump right into (or onto) the meat of the story.

Unfortunately, I just wasn't into the plotline. It didn't feel original, or compelling. I had no reason to care about any of these characters, which I know can be difficult to achieve in a shorter story. The plot moved at the speed of light, with everything happening within just a few days. I bet the main character had whiplash with how quickly everything occured; what an interesting first impression of Paris !

One of the content warnings is dubious consent, but most of the spicy scenes just flat out have no consent at all. With the ages of the female characters also being quite dubious, the whole thing feels quite icky. All the men expect for the MC, George, seemed to be older men. George is 19, and the main female character, Cecile, comments that he is older than her, so it's possible she isn't even an adult yet. There is also mention of sex work being performed by a child, which had me do a double take.

Overall, this novella had a promising premise, but just included too many things that I personally dislike. I'm never going to be into love at first sight, and I prefer knowing that the characters are adults. There is quite a delicious revenge scene, which really shows off the horror aspect of this novella, but that alone cannot redeem it for me.

CW: References to suicide, violence, mutilation, sex scenes of dubious consent

Marionette Review!

Thank you Brigids Gate Press and Net Galley for this gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review! Marionette comes out August 16, 2022

This was a short and sweet horror/erotic novella. I was very intrigued by the synopsis and I love books in this time period. Marionette was a 3/5 ⭐️ for me. I knew going into this novella that is was going to be unlike anything I’ve ever read. I adored the paranormal aspect of it and the gothic themes. I definitely think this one needed to be longer. I feel like I didn’t get much information about each character, we just jumped right into a fast story. The ending was also so quick! The romance was also extremely unbelievable. I’m sorry, but I love you after 1 day? There were some eyerolls. 😂

Synopsis: Cece is one of the most loved exotic dancers in town. To switch up her act, she decides to be the main attraction at a séance. She thought it was all just acting, but soon she realizes that she is possessed by a malevolent spirit. This spirit is out for revenge.

Trigger warnings-

-Violence

-Mutilation

-Suicide references

-Incredibly dubious consent



Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review



Things I liked

-The setting- historical Paris, filled with debauchery, whimsy, and just enough paranormal to keep things interesting

-The concept- the idea of seances, blended with a little bit of spiciness and a healthy dose of female revenge



Things I wasn’t sure about

-The characters- I genuinely didn’t care about any of them. The main romance was instant and one sided, and I think the book was too short (about 100 pages) to give any of them a real sense of depth

-The ending- it seems like it just happened? It left me kind of wondering WTF I had just read, not in an intriguing way, just in that it was underwhelming and didn’t make a lot of sense



Overall thoughts

-Marionette was fine. I read it in two sittings and enjoyed myself. I still think that it was just slightly forgettable, which is a shame since the premise was really intriguing. I think that it could have benefitted from being a full-length novel to allow the characters to be more developed and the plot to make more sense. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it without prompting, but if you are looking for something quick and kind of disturbing, it’s probably worth the read

I wish this book was longer so the characters and plot line could be more developed, which I thought was a little lacking.

It was quick and easy to read but the characters needed more personality !