A creepy tale of a pervasive fog that takes over a seaside town every night and the light needed to safely traverse it. I was hooked by the beginning, a creepy fog and a woman haunted by her father's death while working his former job? Excellent stuff. The clues for what is really going are hinted at well in the text and I think I figured out most of what was going about halfway through. Unfortunately, that's also where it started to fall off for me. I had to push myself through the last half of the book, resorting to skimming my way through the last few chapters before the last chapter. I greatly enjoyed the premise and the characters but the pacing was off for me. Either way, a fairly decent read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so atmospheric and just the right amount of spooky. I found the plot to move at a pace I liked where it didn't feel rushed but also didn't drag.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher North Star Editions/Flux for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: suicide, sexual assault, grief, death, misogyny, horror, violence

In 19th century Connecticut, in the tiny whaling village of Warbler, the job of a lamplighter is important to stop the terrifying fog from luring people to their deaths. This role has been taken by Temperance ever since the suicide of her father, but it isn’t a role traditionally held by women and the doubtful town knows it. Warbler is famous for its lucky shipheads despite the risk of deadly, nightly fog in the unlit areas. Struggling to support her traumatised mother and bright, vibrant sister Pru, Tempe takes the role of lamplighter seriously and is proud of her work. However, after a girl goes missing when two of her lamps go out, Tempe is disturbed to find that her sister has grown infatuated with a dangerous man- the same one who carves the protective shipheads, Gideon, who Tempe has her own experiences with. Increasingly blamed as more people vanish, Tempe has to fight against the village authorities as they try to remove her from her job. With her own family ignoring her warnings, Tempe discovers the hidden truths around Warbler, including ones about her father's death and the danger of the dark surrounding them but will she face them or continue to look away?

This is such a powerfully atmospheric debut, mixing ominous horror and tension with a powerful story about one woman’s determination to keep the lights burning in her tiny town. I enjoyed how Tempe dealt with the misogyny she experiences, even to some extent from the man she loves and how she knows her value despite what everyone makes out. The theme of mental health runs throughout this entire book- from the first line even, where Tempe remembers the death of her father- and leads to her doubting her own sanity once people start going missing. The entire book is set around Warbler and the way that the fog is used as something to be scared of is so well written, the scenes of Tempe lighting the lamps while surrounded by it were incredibly creepy. The writing is deeply descriptive and that adds to the atmosphere of fear and panic that runs throughout the entire book, even as the story builds up slowly and gradually- I know some people won’t enjoy this pacing but I did, it made every interaction so much sharper and significant. This is a brilliant debut, using so many Gothic tropes in a way that feels original and different, and I’m so glad that I read it.

Following her father's death, Tempe inherits his position as her town's Lamplighter. Her job is to keep the lamppost's lit so guide the townsfolk through the mysterious fog that plagues the land at night. However, as girls start to go missing, suspicion falls on her and her livelihood is threatened.

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell is a darkly atmospheric and dread-inducing coastal gothic.

At first glance, the premise sounded stellar and like something that would be right up my alley. A small, 1800s whaling seaport with creepy fog? Sign me up!

However, as I was reading, I found myself continuously frustrated at Tempe as a main character. For the first half the novel, she's incredibly impassive. She doesn't go searching for the first girl that went missing--like shouldn't she feel guilty and partly responsible? Then for the second half, she proceeds to make a series of baffling rash choices, making for a rushed and unsatisfying ending.

It's a shame because there's some cool concepts and moments of body horror buried in this book.

Some spoilers in this review. I really wish this book would have focused more on the horror aspect and not so much the mystery. The fog and origin of whatever the F Gideon is were very interesting. Tempe was not a great character. She lacked faith in people, was a poor communicator, and thought entirely too much of her own worth. She also strung Josiah along and which was abhorrent. Mother was a useless and Katniss Everdeen's mother in The Hunger Games. And the job of a lamplighter sounds incredibly boring. I also think Bell killed off too many characters--leave readers with a little hope! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

Although the book is relatively short compared to what I usually read, it drags on forever.
The book is tagged as horror. I made it until just after the halfway point and I didn't feel scared or tense once. . Unfortunately,
I find Tempe rather annoying and sometimes I can't understand her train of thoughts.
I have to say that I found the setting of the foggy port city very cool. I also enjoyed accompanying Tempe while lighting the lantern. But somehow I expected something different from the story. More horror, more atmosphere.

Thanks Netgalley for providing the eARC.

2 Stars ~

Temperance took over the job of Lamplighter after her dad was found to have hung himself on one of the lamps after one of his job runs. Although this had happened in the past, more and more girls were going missing into the fog never to be seen again. One night, Temperance heard a scream, but didn't see anything so she ignored it, to find out the next day that a young girl had gone missing yet again.

Temperance was warned not to trust Gideon by her dad years ago, and she has an eerily bad feeling about him, but can't seem to get anyone to believe her.

Look, I think this is more of a me issue than the book itself. But I was just uninterested to the point I didn't care whether I finished it or not but, I persevered.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

For how short this book is, it sure does pack a punch! The atmosphere was so rich and had the perfect creepy vibes - I also loved our main character Tempe! This book was an emotional sucker punch but I loved it. Highly recommend!

The Lamplighter is getting added to my recent stack of stories that offer insanely beautiful atmosphere and little else...

Perhaps that is being to harsh but with the world and atmosphere being so incredibly evocative it was an immense letdown when I really got into the story and found the characters to be impulsive and annoying. Temperance was a hard character to connect with on any level and I felt like banging my head against the wall as we followed her journey. The supporting cast, while slightly less annoying, felt dull and one dimensional for my liking. The actual story offered some excitement, paired with the atmospheric elements, this book was a firm three star for me.

This book was a very slow burn and cozy read. The atmosphere was great and I could see myself in this small coastal town specially each night, walking through the empty streets as the fog creeped in.

If you read this book expecting horror you might be a bit disappointed. The book felt like Bridgerton meets Supernatural.

We follow Temperance, the first woman to become a lamplighter. She has taken over her dad’s job and the town doubts that she is fit for the job. So she will try and prove them wrong.

Temperance is also worried about keeping her mom and sister safe as well as to earn enough money to bring food to the table.

Things get worse when a girl goes missing. She is not the first person to disappear in this town and she will not be the last.

Despite the book being more about social status, relationships, trust and female empowerment, the ending was quite unique and does merge horror with fantasy.

If you like slow paced, gothic, atmospheric stories in a historic setting, this might be a treat for you.

A haunting tale of a girl attempting to fill her father's shoes as the village "lamplighter" - the person who lights all the village lights at dusk to try to keep the sinister fog at bay so people can make their way home safely. When something terrible befalls her father, Temperance "Tempe" inherits the position since she is the only one her father taught to do the job. Some in the village doubt whether a teenage girl can take over such a responsibility, but Tempe is determined to succeed and care for her mother and her younger sister, Prudence "Pru." But when people start to vanish in the fog, Tempe becomes convinced that something sinister is going on in her little village. When she fails to report a lamp that went out the night a girl went missing, the town debates whether to remove her, making her efforts all for naught.

To make matters worse, Pru has been corresponding with a secret admirer who turns out to be the town's sinister figurehead carver, Gideon. One of the last things her father told Tempe was to stay away from Gideon, and this cryptic warning makes Tempe reluctant to allow her sister to see him. But Pru butts heads with her older sister, insisting that Gideon is a good and kind person who loves her. Trying to keep her sister from falling into Gideon's hands, Tempe tries to investigate the town's disappearances at the same time, but her discoveries only seem to confirm the town opinion that she's crazy. Can Tempe save Pru and stop whatever threatens her town, or will all her efforts come to nothing, swallowed by the fog?

This book was well-written and incredibly imaginative. I think that people who enjoy claustrophobic and psychological horror with a dash of historical fiction thrown in will really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it was a bit too dark for me and I didn't enjoy the ending. It doesn't mean this is a 'bad book' by any means - Crystal J. Bell is a clearly talented author, and I'll be watching for her next work eagerly in the future. This particular book just wasn't for me. 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley, North Star Editions, and Flux for the free advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

2.5 stars.

I'm not sure how to go about reviewing this book, because the experience of reading it was such a confusing one for me. This is a YA/NA horror novel that thrives on writing that is atmospheric and gothic in nature. It follows the story of a young woman who has inherited her late-father's job as the lamplighter for her town. She begins to notice that there is a pattern surrounding the disappearances of several people (both locals and visitors alike) and finds herself in the crosshairs of a dangerous force when she tries to uncover the truth.

I had to give this book such a low rating because by the time we past the halfway point, I was no longer enjoying myself. I felt like I was being subject to watching terrible things happen over and over again with no end in sight. By the time I got to the ending, I had no idea what message or moral I was supposed to take away from this story. I felt lost and, honestly, kind of betrayed, like an unspoken agreement between author and reader had been breached somehow.

It's clear that a lot of people enjoyed this book by the plethora of 5-star ratings. It's just unfortunate that I was not one of them.

This very much felt like a Doctor Who episode and I'm a big Doctor Who fan!
The only thing I felt was off was the pacing of the story, felt dragged out at times and didn't hold my attention the entire time. Which is a shame.

However for those who want a bittersweet open ending and a book that gives off Doctor who vibes this is it!

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, Flux, and Crystal J. Bell for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Lamplighter tells the story of a girl named Temperance. She lives in a small whaling village that is known for its ship figureheads, and every night it is crept upon by fog. After her father dies, she takes over his role as a lamplighter. One day, while she is on duty, a young girl disappears, and it puts her life and position as a lamplighter at risk.

Once again, I think I have finally found my favorite book. Here is why:

The very first sentence really hooked me, and I knew that I would like this book. It gives you an eerie and haunting feeling. And if we talk about the writing style of this book, it is definitely my cup of tea.
The world-building is pretty good. I like that the author portrays the village in the 19th century, and the fog makes it mysterious and haunting.

The main character, Tempe, is a 19yo girl. After her father dies, her mother becomes very quiet, and it forces her to become the head of the family. Besides her mother, she has a 16yo sister, Pru. If you read a lot of YA books, you might know how YA characters can be.

As the first daughter, she is kind of stubborn, doesn't trust people easily, doesn't express her feelings well to her family but truly loves and is protective of them. She is determined to fix every problem herself but sometimes when she makes a mistake, she always falls into the same pattern again. It sounds really frustrating and gets on your nerves a lot, right? I know many people hate YA books because of this kind of character.

There is character development for Tempe, but it's rather thin. You can see that her mindset from when we first meet her and as the story progresses is quite different. I can sense that she is trying hard to overcome her immaturity.

This story certainly emotionally draining, as there are always problems that arise, making the character seem miserable. But strangely, it also gives me a beautiful pain (??? God, it sounds psycho, lol) experience, and it's good for the story because it builds up the emotion until it reaches a peak and then, at one moment, it explodes, and it truly breaks my heart.

For me, I do like the ending. I won't say much about it because I hope you have reading experience what I did. So, let me know your thoughts after you read the book.

This is a gothic historical gaslamp fantasy novel that transports readers to the eerie whaling village of Warbler. Fog shrouds the streets and only the lamplighter can keep the townsfolk safe. Temperance steps into the role of lamplighter after the tragic death of her father. Despite proving her competence, she faces resistance from a society unwilling to trust a woman with the responsibility of providing safety and protection.

As her position becomes increasingly precarious, Tempe's quest for answers leads her to unsettling truths about the village's figureheads and her own father's mysterious death. Her warnings about a lurking monster fall on deaf ears, even among her family. Tempe is thrust into a harrowing journey where she must choose between self-preservation and speaking out, risking her safety and that of her sister to bring light to the darkness of the town.

Bell masterfully crafts an atmosphere of quiet, creeping dread that permeates every page and made me so anxious. The gothic elements are reminiscent of Victorian-era folklore, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers lurking in the dark. The novel's tension is palpable, making it a gripping read that is anxiety-inducing and yet utterly unputdownable.

Temperance is a compelling protagonist whose struggle for independence in an unfair world resonated deeply with me. Her fear and uncertainty, juxtaposed with her determination, add layers of complexity to her. I also love her relationships with those around her, even if they all frustrated me when they didn't listen to her.

The Lamplighter is a heart-wrenching tale that combines the chilling elements of gothic fiction with the timeless struggles of a young woman seeking her place in a society that constantly undermines her. It stands as a modern classic in the genre, evoking the same sense of eerie enchantment found in the works of literary giants. I highly recommend this for fans of gothic fiction and those who appreciate stories that leave a lasting impact.

Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flux, and the author, Crystal J. Bell, for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy of The Lamplighter.

Wow, I just dug into this one. I enjoyed it--for the most part, and that is why I'm having the hardest time rating it. The creepy port atmosphere, the concept of the Lamplighters, and even Temperance was an incredibly sympathetic, relatable character.

Her determination and desire to etch out a life for herself and family, in a community that undervalues and mistrusts her no less, is impressive. It is also heartbreaking. The spiraling anxiety she felt trying to retain her position amidst tragedy, care for her sister, and plan her future was intense and suffocating--Bell does a great job exploring the consequences of taking on too much, of isolating oneself from others. Of fixating on past mistakes and carrying it all alone. I also maybe suspected some hints she has adhd, so the inclusivity there is really nice; though I might be reading too much into that.

On the other hand, she was also an incredibly infuriating character. Her refusal to tell anyone the truth consistently ended up hurting others (and herself) more than she helped. This is especially frustrating as it all begins to lean into the "miscommunication trope" in effort to build suspense and panic.

As for the ending, I won't go too in-depth in order to avoid spoilers, so I'll only point out that, for me personally, a book can be as dark, terrifying, triggering it wants to be, so long as it ends well. There has to be hope somewhere, right?

All in all, this was an atmospheric, chilling story that pulls many elements from folklore (my favorite), and gothic seaport life.

First, I want to say thank you for NetGalley & North Star Editions for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued with the premise of this book, and was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with the result. It felt like every character in this book was two dimensional, even Tempe, who tried very hard not to be. The pacing was so slow, I struggled to stay involved. I think I’d forgive more of the story line choices for review sake if I felt like the characters had more depth and the story itself had more to it.

Also- spoiler- but the ending? Like.. what? I’m all for tragic endings when they’re done well but this didn’t hit the mark. The truly disgusting (tw: SA, abuse) bad guy WINS? And wins the SISTER TOO? (Minus the very last line of the book but like.. then what.) The whole book fought against this kind of dominating evil but then it ended up lording over the character anyway. It’s just a bummer.

This may be for a particular kind of audience, but unfortunately that wasn’t me.

I’ll be down for reading more gothic books if they’re like this. I liked Temperance, thankfully, almost from the get-go. When you have a small cast (or rather the focus is mostly on a group of people) and the story is in a first person POV; it’s important (at least for me) to connect easily and early on with the main character/s. Family is a big part of Temperance’s life, her personality. Why she does what she does.

There’s also Temperance’s job, which is taking over as the town’s Lamplighter after her father passed away. The job has to be done as there are dangers in the fog. For the first bit I did want the dangers to be revealed or at least for us to understand what’s really in there. But as we carried on I preferred that we were in the dark much like the town and Temperance through most of the book. That way we learned through her and shared her experiences. It’s also characteristic of a gothic novel, I believe. Even though I’m not so clued up on the genre, I know some things. Like when there’s monsters, you won’t typically see them, if at all, for most of the story. It’s about how the creatures makes the characters feel, what roles they play in the story, even what themes and morals the characters possess because of the antagonists.

Temperance isn’t necessarily a quiet character but she’s in a time and community where women are meant to be seen, not heard, perfect wives or planning to be perfect wives. She was out there with a job and giving opinions, trying to have her say – which of course, no one wanted to listen to her. Which means she had to go it alone and discover what was happening herself. I liked the subplot of her sister potentially marrying someone in the town but he’s not a good person though Temperance is the only one to see that. It added some more mystery to the book and also added to her personality as you can see she cares a lot for her sister.

I really liked the creatures and everything surrounding them. I could’ve done with a lot more focus on them than anything else. Of course I understand why they were pushed into the background but a bigger focus on them would’ve been great.

A stroke of historical, gothic, and horror brilliance.

The whaling village of Warbler, famous for its figureheads and people disappearing in the fog. It’s the job of the lamplighter to ensure the latter doesn’t happen by bringing light to the dark; lighting the lamps. The job now belongs to Temperance ever since her father was found hanging from one of the lampposts. While good at her job, the town are wary of her being in such an important position because she is a woman. But maybe the people of Warbler should be wary of the evil that lurks in the fog.

This book had me hooked. From the first page I was transported to 19th century New England. I was there amongst the thick fog and the churning tides. The entire book was so atmospheric, that I could read it anywhere and in my mind I was still in the town of Warbler, walking down the cobbled streets.

I had to put the book down at one point – I was so shocked. It took me a good 10 minutes to get over it enough to carry on reading. THAT is the kind of emotion I want to feel when reading a book.

The story was paced excellently. Then ending was set up so well by the lead up and it paid off brilliantly. As the story progressed, as desperate as Tempe got to uncover the truth, I got just as desperate to read on and discover it with her. I got Tempe’s sense of urgency, heartbreak, frustrations, love. Her character and how she was described was written so very well.

This story had many different elements to it and throughout the book there’s feminist plot lines. Small digs at or about women from men, and even some women, and I’ll admit every time Tempe was doubted or silenced or overlooked because she was a woman, it sent a primal rage through me as much as it did Tempe. If only they had listened to her… A sign of the times from the 19th century that also resonates with women today.

This is one of the best YA books I’ve read so far this year. Definitely add this one to your TBR pile!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Netgalley, and Crystal for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Crystal J. Bell's The Lamplighter is a labor of love. Every sentence is so well-crafted it felt as if the author had put her entire soul into this book.

The Lamplighter is an uncanny historical fiction set in the nineteenth-century whaling village of Warbler. Bell paints a vivid picture of Warbler - a whaling village. Thanks to her evocative descriptions, it felt as if I, myself, was at Warbler seeing the ships docked at harbor, setting the lamps alight at night as the Lamplighter, and extinguishing them at dawn.

Yet, I, like Temperance (the female main character), could never shake the feeling of an ominous foreboding. Bell provides a graphic description of the unsettling fog and the menace lurking within. People have disappeared in the fog that grips Warbler every night, a daily reminder for Temperance as she undertakes the perilous duty of a Lamplighter.

It's as if the fog itself is a character.

"Fog, a living, breathing creature in the dying light of the setting sun, will soon roll out of the woods, creep down the streets, pour onto the wharf, and smother Warbler Seaport entirely. Buildings, ships, and streets will become mere suggestions. And the villagers themselves? Wraiths forever adrift in the murk."

Bell extends the same dexterity to the characters peopling her book, resulting in them being three-dimensional and flawed. However, in a village like Warbler with its history of unexplained disappearances, these flaws could easily prove fatal. This uncertainty kept me on my toes as I flipped through the pages to find out when, or if, the menace would stop.

Additionally, Bell deftly portrays the wounds left by her father’s suicide on Temperance and her family. How it fractures her family and those left behind have no choice but to pick up the pieces and keep on leading their lives.

"Da sang always, but Mother would only ever sing with him. She said a butterfly couldn’t fly without its wings. Da was her wings. Perhaps that was the reason she gave up after he killed himself."

While the rich prose lends the book its character, in my humble opinion, these atmospheric descriptions obstructed the flow of the book. Every action, every breath, was sometimes minutely described, which slowed down the narrative. I understand the author wanted to establish an unnerving and dark atmosphere. She successfully does so. I just wish once that was established, she could have created more free-flowing action scenes at the end.

However, that being said, I honestly didn’t see the twist coming at the end. It took me by surprise. I would recommend The Lamplighter to people looking for slow-burn, spooky historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary digital copy. It doesn't affect my opinion of the book.