Carmella Lowkis’ “Spitting Gold” is a mesmerizing blend of magical realism and poignant storytelling that captures the essence of transformation, both literal and metaphorical. Set against a richly detailed backdrop we follow sisters Sylvie and Charlotte as they navigate mid 19th-century Paris and the art of fooling their wealthy neighbors with their communications with the spiritual world.

This enchanting debut is really about these sisters.

Lowkis’ writing is nothing short of enchanting. Her prose is lyrical, weaving a tapestry that pulls readers into a world where magic is both a gift and a curse. The author’s ability to blend the mundane with the fantastical is reminiscent of classic fairy tales, yet she imbues the narrative with contemporary relevance.

Lowkis’ exploration of themes such as the exploitation of talent, the cost of fame, and the search for authenticity is thought-provoking. The novel poses important questions about the value of art and the sacrifices artists must make, all while maintaining an engaging and immersive narrative.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. At times, the pacing can be uneven, with certain sections feeling rushed while others linger longer than necessary. Additionally, some plot twists, though surprising, stretch the bounds of plausibility even within the story’s magical framework.

Despite these minor shortcomings, “Spitting Gold” is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of fantasy and literary fiction alike. Carmella Lowkis has crafted a novel that is both a feast for the imagination and a meditation on the human condition. “Spitting Gold” is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and a reminder that true magic lies within.

Overall, “Spitting Gold” is a luminous debut that heralds Carmella Lowkis as a writer to watch. Her ability to spin a tale that is as rich in substance as it is in style makes this novel a must-read for anyone who believes in the alchemy of words.

3.75 ⭐️

This book had so many elements that I absolutely loved—it was gothic, sapphic, mysterious, centred around con artist sisters—and I was prepared for this to be an easy 5 star read, but something felt like it was missing.

In general, the story was incredible; I liked that the author was able to surprise me with the direction the story went in, while still keeping the narrative believable, but I think we really needed more fleshed out relationships—especially the one between Charlotte and Sylvie. We were slowly introduced to more of their past and dynamic as the story progressed, but it just wasn’t enough information to make every interaction between them feel believable.

The relationship between Charlotte and Florence, however, was everything I could’ve hoped for (the yearning!!!), and I’m glad we got to see the full progression of it without too many time jumps.

I almost wish that the entire story had been told from Charlotte’s point of view (or even a regular dual POV) instead of the first half being told from Sylvie’s, but I understand why the author chose to shift the perspective like this; the first half of the story wouldn’t have had the same spooky, gothic vibe without it and the big reveal wouldn’t have been as impactful. I think I just wasn’t able to connect with Sylvie’s character as readily because she wasn’t as fleshed out as Charlotte, so this made the first half of the book feel quite slow.

Ultimately, this was an enjoyable read that I can see myself coming back to in the future.

Historical fiction surrounding the Victorian obsession with mediums is probably one of my favorite genres. And it sounds odd but I loved the first half of the book which is narrated by the elder sister, Sylvie, while finding the second half narrated by Charlotte slow and uninteresting. I didn't care for the "twist" and explanation for the haunting at all, I'd become really excited and invested in the set up for a real haunting provided in the first half. Amazingly by the end of the book I pretty much hated every single character in this book as it turns out they are all selfish and horrible. My experience reading this book was such a mixed bag, but I mostly enjoyed it despite being bitterly disappointed by the ending.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis is a dual first person-POV historical novel set in 1866 France. When Sylvie’s estranged sister, Charlotte, shows up at Sylvie's door for one last con, it threatens to spend the life among the nobility Sylvie has made for herself. Charlotte has secrets of her own and is willing to do what it takes to be free.

Lowkis integrates ‘The Fairies’ by Charles Perrault into the story by making reference to how the story decides who is the good sister and who is the bad one via unfair choices. Sylvie and Charlotte are not given equal choices or even equal shots at happiness despite being sisters born and raised in the same house. Sylvie draws the affections of a lawyer from the noble class and is given a chance to escape her difficult life whereas Charlotte is Sapphic and there weren't a ton of options for Queer people back then. Because Sophie left, Charlotte is left behind to care for their verbally abusive father. They worked together as children, acting as spiritualists, and yet their lives turned out so very different because of the choices they were given.

Between the two POVs, I preferred Charlotte's to Sylvie's. The two are both very similar and yet so incredibly different in terms of outlook and what they were are willing to do. Both appear selfish until the layers are peeled back and we see the unselfishness in some of their decisions. Charlotte's affections for Florence were a big tipping point for me. There's yearning but there's also devotion and a need to help someone who has run out of options to get justice. Charlotte is willing to cross a lot of lines to get that justice.

Another thing I liked was the integration of spiritualists and spirits without outright stating whether spirits are real or not. Charlotte and Sylvie have their tricks, but their mother implied that her family had some soft of gift with the paranormal. I like it when books that are not speculative leave open those possibilities because there are things that we do not know in this world and it helps more firmly set the scene in a time period where belief in the paranormal was more prevalent.

I would recommend this to readers of historical fantasy who want a Sapphic side plot, fans of historical fairy tale retellings and reimaginings, and those looking for a book that deals with the spiritualist movement in Europe during the 1800s.

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis was an equally tense, surprising and spiritist con in 18th century Paris. Sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte are estranged but find their way back together to “help” this deranged family find their long-lost treasure hopefully without finding themselves in prison. Tension abounds as the sisters con the family while they are being conned themselves. Long needed revenge for old wrongs must be taken. I enjoyed this historical fantasy and appreciated the story very well told.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis

4 Stars- Pub. Date: 5-14-24

i liked the beginning of this book, but the choice to have two perspectives that ultimately spend all but 50 pages telling the same story twice lost me.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This is a gothic mystery set in 19th century Paris that centers around two sisters--fraudulent spirit mediums--who reunite for one last con. The novel is split into two parts, each featuring a sister's POV. I enjoyed Part 1 the most, as it had some humor, introduced the relationship of the two sisters, and incorporated some supernatural elements. Part 2 covered the forbidden sapphic romance, some elements of the con, and the big reveal of the mystery. Overall I really enjoyed it, and think it's a great fit for classic mystery lovers with a unique spin.

A gothic mystery that turns you on it’s head half way thru. The 2nd half is a whole separate POV. There was mystery and murder. There was a bit of romance, no spice. Fun story and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next and where the story would go!

I went into this story thinking that it was about one thing when it ended up being about something else. I think because of this, I didn't like it as much as I would have if I hadn't had a preconceived idea.

The story is really about betrayal and families. I thought it was well written but I didn't find myself really liking most of the characters.

Two sister and a world of secrets between them. This book is broken into 2 parts. Part 1 will give you Sylvie's POV and will bring in the mystery, seances, and the richer society. Part 2 is Charlotte's POV and will give you a little more history of the two sisters and the world from another POV.

Although I did like the mystery, it seemed to pretty well evaporate after half way. I wasn't sure why the title was Spitting Gold when that part of the story is really a side part and not the main plot. I found Charlotte's characters to be pretty disappointing. Interesting read but not the kind of read I thought it would be.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book is told from two different points of view. The first half of the book is told from Sylvie's position, the older sister and the second half of the book is told from the younger sisters point of view. They are no longer close but work together one more time to cheat a family out of money by acting as a medium so they can connect with the deceased. A good entertaining story!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity

World building was great

*gfited ARC* This wasn’t my favorite. Was having a great time at the beginning! Lost me with the POV change. We switched to the other sister’s perspective and retold the entire story from her eyes. But all of the info we were presented with from her perspective we had already learned or was implied already. I don’t think the POV change and retelling was necessary. There was no new information there and I just started skimming reading the same thing over again. The ending was fine, but I guessed it pretty early.

3.75 stars* - I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley! I’m going to try and not give too many details of the story, in order to not spoil anything, but read the book description before my review if you haven’t!

To my actual review now: I was sucked into this novel from the start of the Prologue, which is a rarity for me. The book was sectioned into two Parts narrated by the two main sisters of the story. The first part being narrated by Sylvie, part two by Charlotte. I was actually a fan of each sister having their own parts to tell their side of things without it being a back and forth narrator. It made it less confusing. It also was a very plot heavy book, but I loved it because every event needed to happen for the finality of the book to make sense.

Part one, or Sylvie’s viewpoint, started really well and I loved all the atmospheric verbiage used. However, by the middle I felt like I was beginning to lose interest. It seemed the descriptions and sentences went in excess and were long-winded. I think that aspect lost my interest quite a bit. But don’t get me wrong the writing was still beautiful, if that makes sense. It was the last few pages of part one that brought me back into the story.

Part two was narrated from Charlotte’s point of view and I just could not help but root for her. She was the more relatable sister of the two. The author wrote her in a way that showed she was a flawed individual, but a good one regardless of that fact. Part two had me hooked throughout the rest of the book in the same way the beginning of the novel did.

The revelations at the conclusion of the book were absolutely heartbreaking, yet answered any questions I had left of what had gone on with the de Jacquinots family, especially regarding Florence and her grandfather. All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I just think it could have been far more concise in places that would make sure the reader doesn’t lose interest.

Great pacing and great development for the characters. I was heavily invested in the plot and descriptive settings.

This book was an interesting mix of supernatural and mystery. The plot revolves around two sisters trying to help a third woman with a possible haunting. The story switches from one sister’s point of view to the second sister’s point of view in the middle of the book. I found both points of view to be interesting and the two plots came together perfectly in the end. Overall it was a good read but at times I struggled to stay interested in the plot.

This book surprised me! For some reason I thought this was going to have a fairy tale element to it but that could just be me not reading the title properly (it's "spitting" not "spinning" lol). It's definitely got spooky haunted house vibes and the point of view change midway through the book was a genius move. Just be sure to pay attention to the dates, as the story goes back in time a bit. That ending had my jaw on the floor and my eyes bugged out of their sockets. Say WHAT now!!??

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for this copy of the book in exchange for my review.

This gothic tale follows two estranged sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte, who come together for one last con to try and help Charlie pay for their ill father's medical bills. I loved each sister, though it was a bit of a slow read as we saw various events recounted from their POVs. And while I had a good feeling where the ending was going, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This book was so much fun! Anytime that’s a fan of Sarah Penners The Lost Apothecary and London Seance Society should read Spitting Gold. They all have similar eerie, gothic vibes.

Spitting Gold follows sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte, who are retired fraud mediums. They come together after being estranged for years for one final con.

I saw where this book was going from the beginning but I still absolutely loved the ride. I love that we got to read things from Sylvies and Charlottes POVs. The ending could’ve been better but it was a super fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!