Cover Image: Memento Mori

Memento Mori

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Member Reviews

⭐⭐⭐

“Memento Mori” by Rosie Cranie-Higgs is a psychological horror and suspense novel that takes place in the snowy and stark Swiss Alps. The book skillfully combines Scandinavian folklore and dark fairy tales to create a creepy and atmospheric atmosphere. Set in the terrifying world of Whiteland, the story follows Kira McFadden as she is dragged back into this strange realm. As she tries to find her missing friends and family, Kira must navigate the seductive creatures and unravel their riddles. With the world of Urnäsch on the brink of collapse, Kira and her ally Freya, a huldra monster turned human, must outmaneuver witches and ghosts to save their loved ones.

Unfortunately, “Memento Mori” was a DNF (Did Not Finish) for me. When I signed up to review this book, I don’t recall seeing a note about it being the third book in the series, although I may have missed it. The writing itself is well-crafted and the story is original and atmospheric, which are all excellent qualities. However, I felt too lost while reading the first 50% of the book to fully appreciate the story. Therefore, I am putting it aside for now and may revisit it after reading the first two books in the series.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

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This is the third book in the Whiteland series and the first I have read by this author. I was initially attracted by the mention of Scandinavian folklore, horror and suspense. It didn’t turn out to be my sort of read and that might have been that it seemed a little too fantasyish for my taste. Despite this I felt the author did a fantastic job of creating an atmospheric setting then weaving it all together with very descriptive phrases eg feels each eyeball as they are cast down, bone-cold terror writhes, like snakes trapped behind her ribs.
Although it wasn’t for me I am sure there will be many readers who will enjoy this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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I sadly did not get a chance to read this one but the cover still gives me chills. I do hope I find this on the shelf because I do really want to read this book. Ill be keeping my eye out for this one.

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I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series when I grabbed it. But it was good! I am going to go back and read the first two. It was well written and I enjoyed going on the journey with the characters into Whiteland.

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Memento Mori is the third installment/ finale of the Whiteland trilogy. This picks up with Kira and Freya returning to Whiteland to search for her missing friends and family. She will encounter beings from Scandinavian mythology and be faced with a multitude of challenges as she navigates this frigid land. This is very much a horror fairy tale for adults and each book in the series got better and better.

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There is a full, lush, and complete world in here, and I think invested readers will love that. I didn't realize this was part 3 in a series and often felt lost in the unfamiliar monsters and magic. Still, for those looking for a deep, atmospheric journey, this series has a lot to offer in that regard.

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This book was a great read. I was drawn in by both the title and the cover and it really did not disappoint! Great characters, amazing setting, all in all an amazing book!

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advancer readers copy of this book.

I enjoyed the incorporation of Scandinavian folklore and the overall atmosphere of this book was so creepy! I loved how dark it was and Rosie Cranie-Higgs writing had a very nice flow to it. It made it very easy to read.

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When I clicked on this book, I did not realize that it was a 3rd in a series. Usually this would not be a bad thing, most writers clue you in on what happened before, but alas, this one did not.

I have to say it was written well and it read smoothly. I could figure out most of what was happening but there were times I was lost.

In the end, I have to say please read the previous books.

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I really liked the concept of this book, but the writing did not engage me as much as I would've liked. I think with a bit more polishing I could see this being a really popular book but for me it fell a bit flat. I didn't end up finishing this book as I couldn't get into the world and the writing. I had a hard time with all the descriptions of activity/body language- it felt stilted and unnatural. Also, I do not recommend reading this if you haven't read the others in the series as it can be very confusing to just jump in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

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The third instalment in the Whiteland series Memento Mori tells the story of Kira McFadden who has to travel back to Whiteland and find her sister.

The unique mix of Scandinavian folklore and dark psychological twists and turns is so interesting and just draws you into the world of Whiteland. Memento Mori keeps you on the edge of your seat, from creepy monsters whilst also following an emotional journey that Kira goes on. This is really interesting and spooky, however it can not be read as a stand-alone and you need to know parts of the previous books to read this.

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Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I got about a quarter into it and still had pretty much no clue what was going on. I did find it interesting, but my confusion made it hard to enjoy. Most likely that's because I have not read the previous books in the series. I knew that before I started but thought maybe like other series I could jump in at any point and still enjoy it. I really pushed myself to get as far as I did and still just couldn't get into it.

I feel like I would have really enjoyed it if I had a better understanding of the characters and events that had already taken place. I was intrigued by it and would like to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I would highly recommend other interested readers do that as well. Otherwise, it's really tough read.

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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I requested Memento Mori without knowing a single thing about it, solely based on the vibes alone. That being said, this is the third book in a trilogy, and despite not reading the first two, I was able to pick up the story very quickly. There is a lot of reference to previous events, so much so that I can’t imagine someone who had read the first two books in the series would enjoy the amount of re-hashing old plot points. It’s a very creepy and imaginative story, but I think it could have used a lot of editing.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I was super confused reading this book. It wasn’t bad at all but it seems you need to read the others in the series first to really understand this one.
I can’t fault the book because I didn’t read the other books in the series.

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I didn’t know it was part of a series so I have very confused and wasn’t able to get into it. Maybe I’ll pick the first couple and come back to this.

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Sadly I couldn't read this book. I just notice it was in the middle of a series that I had not read before. This is my fault and I am so sorry!

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Whispers, Chlause, and Kyo…..Oh My…..

Book Information

Memento Mori was written by Rosie Cranie-Higgs. It will be published on April 18, 2023 and is 374 pages. This is the 3rd book in a series. Thanks to BHC Press for providing me with an advance reader copy for review.

Summary

Kira McFadden is all alone in a strange land. She is back in the Whiteland, a realm separate and apart from our own. She has one driving intention, find her missing friends and family. She travels with Freya, who was once a monster but is now human and trying to help. They travel from place to place—are attacked, solve riddles, deal with monsters, ghosts, witches…all the while searching for Kira’s loved ones and trying to figure out how to not only find them but to get them home.

My Thoughts

I think this is a well-written book. I say think because the prose was good, descriptions were excellent, atmosphere was all encompassing and characters were complex……but in the end, I was lost 75% of the time.

This is part 3 of a series. In my experience, you can generally pick up a series midway through and jump in. While you may not get every reference or fully track with some subtle character motivation, you can still enjoy the book. In this case, I would not recommend jumping into book 3. There is zero background provided. Zero redundancy. There is an entire world that has been created (incredibly imaginative and beautifully described) that new readers will have no understanding of. What is a Whisper, Chlause, or Kyo? What’s a Huldra? How about Urnäsch? Some of these I figured out eventually---some I never really did. To add to this, everyone Kira is searching for has different names so new readers have twice as many characters to understand and internalize.

The writing is very good and the world is fantastic. I just wish there was a bit of background provided for those that haven’t read the previous two books. I really wanted to enjoy it more.

Recommendation

If you read the previous two books in the series and enjoyed them, read this one--its probably fantastic. If not, don’t start here, start with book one.

Rating

3 Confused Stars

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First of all, I’m grateful to NetGalley for the ARC of Rosie Cranie-Higgs’ new book, ‘Memento Mori.’ This is the third volume in her Whiteland Novels series, and should be read in the right order: it’s the finale of the series. I believe, however, that if you can take it, it can also be read first, so that it whets your appetite for the other books in the series. A lot of it rests on Scandinavian folklore, so it’s a sort of folk horror; the relationships and the characters, though, are unusually well-drawn for that genre: there’s an intriguing mix of flaws and virtues, growth and stagnation, all immersed in a wonderful setting, revolving around a fantastic plot. ‘Memento Mori’ is, once again, about Kira McFadden, but this time she has along Freya, a huldra monster turned human. They travel back to Whiteland to find Kira’s sister, and things get really complicated from there. There’s a couple of twists, one of which I didn’t care for, but the book kept me going. I enjoyed it, overall, and would recommend it to anyone who likes great plotlines, interesting characters, and satisfying series endings.

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I loved the chemistry between Kira and Callum. The world of whiteland was so interesting. Definitely recommend.

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I did not realise that this was the third book in a series so my review is not going to be the best one for an opinion in that respect. I enjoyed this enough to go back and read the preceding two books. The world building and twists of imagination were immersive. Loved the Scandinavian folklore too.

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