Member Reviews
I really wanted to love this book but it just kind of fell a little short for me. I loved the Gothic house and the ulterior motive but I felt like the story was missing something. I will reread and it give it another chance because I truly want to love this book!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was right up my alley! Dark, gothic, and richly written, Sfetsos gave me a creepy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm excited to try out some of her other works.
This book humbled me felt like a dream the whole time I was reading it I’m absolutely blown away with how this book was written and how much I loved it just absolutely amazing
Boy, oh boy, was this a brilliant story!
Gothic tales are a little guilty pleasure, and when I saw the cover for this, I immediately thought this was for me, and it didn't disappoint me.
Beginning with typical, a family member dies and needs to sort out the estate in a creepy gothic house by the sea. I was concerned that Wing of Sorrow would be another haunted house story, but I was surprised.
I was impressed by the depth given to the characters interwoven through the story; there may not be many characters, but writing emotionally realistic characters, not many writers can do well, and those that do generally are in much longer stories.
While I don't remember the book mentioning the setting in terms of geographical location, the cheeky little Australian references made me smile.
DarkLit press doesn't miss. Thank you for providing an ARC on Netgalley; I'm looking forward to seeing what comes from Yolanda Sfetsos and will be going to try some of their stories that are already available.
3.5 stars rounded to 4. Yolanda Sfetsos' 'Wings of Sorrow' has a gorgeous cover, perfectly made for this anxiety-inducing horror story about a couple getting embroiled in the wife's creepy family secrets. Although the book's synopsis seems to highlight the story's gothic atmosphere and the intricate legacy haunting the wife's family, what drew me in was the amazing pace with which the tale turns into body horror, even if the transformations' explanation falls indeed on a past curse and a haunted house. The story unfolds really fast (the aunt's ghost appears almost immediately, major revelations happen quite quickly), so I for one didn't really feel the gothic vibes all that strongly. That said, the story harbors a major mystery and everything revolves around it: the idea that some people should not fall in love, should not get married, should not share their life with another human being, unless they are fully cognizant of the cost of such a decision. This is emphasized repeatedly, to the point that, when we are finally told why this should be so in the case of the wife (who went ahead and did get find love and did get married), the issue itself has become rather secondary. The emphasis is now on the cost itself, the story's opening into myth, dark fantasy, and the body horror I mentioned above. The ending fits the story perfectly. In fact, the book might have been a novel, involving far more twists and developing in a far slower pace. Sfetsos decided, however, to speed things up, often telling us what we should know instead of putting us through the grinder till we realize what's going on on our own. I'm not sure this really works very well, since I appreciate riddling out things myself more than just being told what's happening. Still, the story will satisfy all kinds of horror fans and does not disappoint.
I’m a sucker for a dark, gothic style book so I flew through this one. Super strong opening that dragged a little towards the end, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. 4.5 stars, rounded up!
Thank you to Yolanda Sfetsos, DarkLit Press, and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Wings of Sorrow is a world well-told, with dark corners of storytelling and chilling descriptions. A book well worth visiting for readers looking for the thrilling and metaphysical.
i did finish this book but it was just a mid book, the writing is very great, but the story was a little boring to me 3/5 stars
The ideal blend of a wonderful gothic with its focus on inheritance, dark family legacies, a multigenerational curse, a house and tower that forces your stay, and the inseparableness of a nest and a cage. For fans of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and THE CRANE HUSBAND, Stetsos's book of sacrifice and torment will sure to haunt your mind.
First of all, this cover is spectacular! I also am a sucker for an inherited house trope. I absolutely loved the ending—though it made me sad, I totally get it. This is definitely gothic horror, not romance! Very spooky, a solid 4 star read.
I will say that I kept getting images of Moira Rose in the crow costume during various points in the story, which was of no fault of the author's but mine alone for loving Schitt's Creek.
i need an inherited haunted house to explore with my newly-married-to partner.
im going to start this review by saying that the author does a really good job of encompassing a gothic horror setting, it was alluring and so FRESH. it was very easy to visualise and follow along, and despite being such a short novel (novella?) it was eventful and kept the reader on their toes. i really like bird feathers.
the cover is incredibly detailed and illustrated in a way that matches the vibe of the book!!
the thing that bothered me the most is that this author is australian...but uses the american way of spelling, which really threw me off because i was picturing a house on a cliff in australia. also wanted to know more details on the "curse" and how thera is able to see her auntie's ghost? it was very confusing at first lol
"If only she wasnt married to a man who saw the magical and romantic side of anything creepy. What she called disturbing he saw as charming" THEY ARE LITERALLY SO PERFECT TOGETHER. (wish we saw more of their interactions, but i know the main genre isnt romance)
the epilogue and ending was PERFECT and i will be thinking about it for the rest of my life. it was perfectly illustrated and so satisfying knowing that (spoilers!!)
thank you NetGalley and DarkLit Press for allowing me to experience this!!
Thera and Hector are newlyweds who have decided to go to Thera’s recently deceased aunt’s home to sort and clean out the house for only a week. Thera is uncomfortable and becomes more worried about returning to the house. Why? Upon arrival the house is strange and worrisome. There are paintings that move and deep scratches in doors. Ravens and crows are gathering on top of the creepy-looking house. As Thera’s sees her aunt’s spirit, who gives her a statement that tells her to remember. What does Thera need to remember? Hector is able to get ideas to write that short story and is confident it will finally give him his chance to become a writer. Thera is happy for him but can’t stop wondering what her aunt tells her that she came back as it is her destiny. She had no choice but to return home. What is Thera’s destiny?
The author has written a creepy horror story. There is much more going on in the story than I thought initially. It was secretive about Thera’s role until the ending. I did enjoy reading it except that the ending made me wonder if the author was going to write a sequel to it. I actually would like to think so but I don’t think it has to. I would like to have something resolved that wasn’t.
The cover design for this book is awesome. It pulled me in, and I couldn’t wait to read this book. When I opened the eBook on my phone, I was taken aback by the unprofessional appearance. The background is black, and the text is white and justified to the right.
Most people will be turned away by a book that presents itself as amateur. I'm not sure if the writer did this to bring discomfort to the audience/enhance the unease while reading horror, but all it did was frustrate me, and I considered quitting multiple times. I committed to reading and reviewing this title, so I bypassed the issue by having my phone read the book to me… but that only got me halfway through the book before I DNF. I felt like a meta gamer a quarter of the way through because the plot line and character's actions were predictable. After so much of that, I stopped reading.
There are so many pop culture references, that I am curious if there will be copyright issues. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t care for it. It felt lazy to constantly reference other things instead of showing them to the audience. One or two in a discussion is fine, but it became overwhelming.
This book is listed as a horror, so I thought the writing would have a physical impact, such as chills or have me “on edge,” but I never transported from being told a story to being submerged in it.
Writing a book is a tremendous feat, and I applaud this writer for completing it. I think this story could be great with more development and leaving more things for the audience to question. The pieces came together too quickly, and instead of stringing me along with leading questions, I got bored.
Clearly, some people did not feel the same way, so read it and see for yourself—maybe this story was just not for me. From the premise, I wanted to love it, but I didn’t.
Review will be on Amazon once released.
What a beautifully macabre cover! It matches the high production values of the book, if that makes sense. Perfect for fans of Darcy Coates. Think of this as like a Blumhouse movie of a novel. It's creepy, executed professionally but plays it a little safe down the middle of the road. I think if the characters were developed more, and felt more real I'd have enjoyed it more.
The premise and cover of this book were very intriguing, but the writing quality/style and storyline didn’t grab me, and I was compelled to DNF after 30 pages. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title, DarkLit Press!
I really like the premise of this book, I'm a huge fan of gothic horror!
I really enjoyed the first half and the ending was interesting!
In my opinion I feel like it needed more description to really perfect the atmosphere of this creepy mansion. I also think it needed a bit more mystery or to be resolved sooner because it felt like it started dragging once the reader was exposed to what was happening and the main character was being too stubborn to listen. (This is just my preference in books.)
Overall it was an enjoyable read and the cover is beautiful!
3 ⭐️
Solid read, beautiful writing, gothic, mythical, old horror books vibes, interesting story.
The first half of the book totally gripped me, I couldn’t get away, but further it felt slightly dragged.
The cover is majestic, I’ve set it as my wallpaper!
Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley, I enjoyed this reading experience.
#wingsofsorrow #NetGalley
Title: Wings of Sorrow
Author: Yolanda Sfetsos
Publisher: DarkLit Press
Paperback/Hardback: ARC Kindle eBook
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Horror/Gothic Horror
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much to DarkLit Press for offering this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This was such a beautifully written Gothic Horror novel with a clever, smoking gun of a plot twist. The author puts a new spin on an age old myth, breathing new life into one of the most ancient of beings. It took me a couple chapters to get into the book, but once I got hooked I read it in one sitting! I absolutely love the cover art of the book as well.
I found the gore/horror parts of the book to be mild, so I definitely feel comfortable recommending it to those that are a bit more leery of gore.
This was overall a great read and I highly recommend picking up a copy! Pub Date Jul 19 2024
If you enjoyed "The Twisted ones" by T. Kingfisher, "Locke & Key" by Joe Hill, "Wylding Hall" by Elizabeth Hand or "The Beauty" by Aliya Whiteley, then you will certainly enjoy reading "Wings of Sorrow" by Yolanda Sfetsos.
"Wings of Sorrow" pays tribute to the classics of the Gothic novel by reusing some of its best-known tropes, from the deadly presence of birds, to sleepwalking, tableaux vivants and forbidden rooms. The constant nods to the classics of goth counterculture (Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton) and gothic literature make for enjoyable reading.
Thera and her husband Hector return from their honeymoon to tidy up late Aunt Anthea's house, a mysterious place Thera knows she once lived in, even though she has no recollection. The more the days go by, the more she loses her footing, and her husband, a teacher but above all a writer, feels an irresistible attraction to the house. As the story unfolds, the house closes in on its occupants like a wolf's trap, a metaphor for the curse of the Karras women, of which Thera seems to be the latest victim.
"Wings of Sorrow" is all about atmosphere. It's not for the twists and turns, of which there are not many, that you should immerse yourself in this book, but rather for its atmosphere, which I would have liked to discover even more, and of which the sumptuous cover, somewhere between nightmare and hallucination, gives us a foretaste. Perhaps the novel would have deserved to be longer, to give us the full benefit of the mysteries of this "House on the Edge of the World", as well as the protagonist's hallucinatory quest. I'm left wanting more on a number of aspects that are skimmed over, despite their prominent place in the story: the myth that runs through the heart of the plot (and whose interpretation given by Anthea is far from traditional), the female curse and feminist rage, the fear of repeating family mistakes, the supernatural hold that manifests itself as sexual frenzy.
The ending is very satisfying!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and DarkLit Books publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an genuine review.
3,5/5
Firstly I would like to thank Yolanda Sfetsos , DarkLit Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of ' Wings of Sorrow ' to read and review .
I was initially drawn to this book by its beautiful and dark gothic cover . The imagery was both breath-taking and intriguing . Upon reading the synopsis I instantly knew that this would be a short novella that would appeal to me .
Due for publication in July , the story follows the main character Thera who inherits a house after the death of her estranged Aunt.
Newly married , herself and her husband move back to the long forgotten home of her childhood to tie up all loose ends and clear the house of her aunt's possessions. As blocked memories start to return , Thera finds herself in a living nightmare as an ancient family secret comes to light that might tear the newlyweds apart before they even get the chance to start their lives together.
I was captivated with the tale right from the first paragraph. The author set the scene perfectly creating the vision of a dilapidated house on a cliffs edge in isolation . From the first few pages I already had the sense of dread that goes hand in hand with all of the classic gothic supernatural stories and it became apparent to me that Yolanda Sfetsos must have a passion for such vintage books and films.
Although short , the novella is impactful and is brimming with atmosphere . It is very reminiscent of old folklore and is a very unique read.
Generational curses are always fascinating and I love the fact that the author has also written a prequel which is available as a free download to everybody which apparently tells the story of Thera's parents - whom we don't find out much about within the main book.
I have already downloaded the free of charge copy as I'm eager to find out more about the family connections.
I recommend this novella to anybody looking to read a short , haunting and memorable tale.
#WingsofSorrow #NetGalley