I enjoyed this book. I felt like a took a bit for me to fully connect with and appreciate the world and the characters. But by about half through I was more fully invested. The world was dark and gritty, the love interest was mysterious, and the villain was extra dislikable which made this all the more fun. And in the end the sisterly bonds between the group of Marionettes was the icing of this story!

Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods was an interesting read.

This book focuses on a ballet troupe in the city of New Kora. The girls who make up the dance troupe are legendary and dance beautifully every night. And while we are introduced to all the girls, the main fmc is Emberlyn, the show's star. As we learn more about her, we find out that the theatre isn't exactly what everyone sees on the outside. See, Emberlyn had always wanted to become a ballerina before she became a Marionette, but now that she is living in a nightmare, she isn't sure she wants to do it anymore.

What we find out is that the girls have been bound by a curse by the show's leader, Malcolm. They are essentially controlled by him and the magic strings that he has within them which allows him to move them around like marionette dolls. He is their puppeteer during the show but he can also control them away from the show so the girls live in fear of what he will do as he drinks a lot and doesn't control his anger. The other thing that has been happening is that the curse has been slowly eating away at the girls and they are eventually destined to turn to dust and Emberlyn wants to escape it all.

When the troupe travels to the city of Parlizia to perform, Emberlyn knows that this might be her only chance to save herself and the other girls and when she meets a shadow of a boy who happens to have a connection to her, she is determined to work harder to find a way for them to all escape Malcom's clutches.

This was an interesting story with some interesting characters. Malcolm was a kind of evil that you just wish the worst thing ever would happen to him because he actually never thought he was doing anything wrong. He actually believed by making these girls famous that he was doing them a favor, no matter what he did to them. The romance part with Etienne was ok - I actually think they could have just been friends and ended up with the same result, I thought the friendships between the girls and how they all considered themselves sisters was great knowing that they were all they had to rely on. Overall, this was a solid book and I found myself turning the pages to see what was going to happen to everyone. If you're looking for a new YA that has some magic and a unique story, consider picking this one up.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m really torn on how to review this one. Overall the concept was beautiful and the ending was satisfying, but there were just so many missteps and missed opportunities along the way… I almost DNFed this one as the exposition just got tedious at times. A thirty second conversation could take pages as the narration drifted off into feelings and memories. There was a lot of what felt like rehashing established feelings quite often. And there were so many chances to make the plot so much richer, with the unreadable book or the room of old marionettes or the lost memories of Florisa or… (trying not to give spoilers here sorry). Anyways just a lot of dropped threads that never got picked back up. But again, the ending was satisfying so… how does one rate a book that ended well but struggled leading up to it?

E.V. Woods delivers a darkly imaginative tale in Girls of Dark Divine, a gothic fantasy steeped in magic, tragedy, and the eerie allure of cursed ballet. Set in the hauntingly glamorous world of New Kora’s legendary theatre, the story follows Emberlyn—a determined and compassionate dancer—who dares to challenge the cruel fate imposed on her and her fellow performers.

The concept is captivating: dancers cursed to perform like marionettes under the control of a sinister master, their every movement dictated until they turn to dust. The blend of elegant stagecraft and body horror gives the book a striking visual appeal, and Woods’ lyrical prose adds to the theatrical atmosphere. Emberlyn’s journey is one of courage and sacrifice, and her bond with the mysterious shadow-boy offers a thread of hope and romance amid the looming darkness.

Readers who enjoy emotionally driven fantasy with a fairytale edge and gothic undertones will find much to appreciate here.

Girls of Dark Divine is an eerie, bittersweet read about beauty, autonomy, and the cost of freedom. It doesn’t quite reach its full potential, but its haunting imagery and heartfelt themes still leave a graceful impression.

Gothic tale of naïve young dancers given their heart’s desire – with strings attached.

Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods is a mesmerizing gothic tale of what happens when some naïve and ambitious young dancers are lured into unknowingly trading their lives for their heart’s desire to dance as a member of the renowned Manrow’s Marionettes. The story follows lead dancer, Emberlyn, and her sister dancers, revealing the truth behind the success of the magical troupe.

The dancers of Manrow’s Marionettes are exquisitely beautiful, flawless visions as they perform the magical choreography of Malcolm Manrow, giving the audience the illusion of full-sized, lifelike dolls. What the audience doesn’t realize is that, despite being living, breathing women, their amazing “stringed” performances are real, the result of a curse and controlled by Puppetmaster Malcolm Manrow himself.

Emberlyn, the lead and longest tenured of the Marionettes, has always been looked up to by her fellow dancers for guidance and protection. However, by the time of the opening in the novel, she is burnt out and exhausted by the unimaginable truth of her life, stretched to the breaking point by her horrific existence. She is ready to attempt an escape, with or without her best friend in the troupe, Aleida, even though Malcolm has made it clear that dancers can never leave. Her planned escape is one of survival rather than an abandonment of her sisters. I felt she was long past being selfish and heartless or any noble sentiments whatsoever by this time. Malcolm is a cruel predator and master, especially after he’s been drinking. He exercises control through fear and violence, and is devoid of any redeeming qualities.

The workings of the curse are original and horrifying, and details are kept hazy and mysterious through most of the story, increasing the gothic feel of the work all the more. I was captivated by the unique addition of the shadow, which initially only appeared during Marionette performances, to lift and twirl Emberlyn across the stage. His mysterious existence was a highlight for me, and I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the story.

With its atmospheric settings, many sympathetic characters, and a frighteningly imaginative plot, I recommend GIRLS OF DARK DIVINE to readers of gothic young adult mysteries, thrillers, and tales of horror.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

This book was dark and twisted—but I loved it. The dancers, or marionettes as they’re called in the story, are portrayed as beautifully broken dolls. They have no control over their lives; they’re abused, manipulated, and trapped in silence, unable to expose their abuser. It was powerful, heartbreaking, and incredibly hard to read at times.

There is a romance arc, but it doesn’t take over the story, which I really appreciated. It offered a much-needed respite from the heavier, darker themes without undermining the emotional weight of the narrative.

Please be cautious and mind the trigger warnings—they’re absolutely necessary for this one.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but just know that this book takes you on a ride that will tear your heart to pieces.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, and E. V. Woods for the ARC of this unforgettable book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods is a third person YA fantasy horror. The travelling ballet troupe, The Marionettes, are the most famous in the realm with unparalleled skills. Their leader Malcolm, however, is hiding a dark secret from the rest of the world as he drives his dancers to the brink of death and then infects them with a magic that lets them perform perfectly but also allows him to control them. Emberlyn has had enough and she will do whatever it takes to escape his clutches.

This is very much about abuse and how sometimes attractive people with stellar reputations are actually monsters beyond closed doors. This is driven further by the fact that the dancers are supposed to assist in the turning of new members, showing everyone just how helpless they are against him. The girls are incapable of leaving as Malcolm will use his magic to punish them and then when he gets rid of them, he tells their families that the girl ran off with a boyfriend or got pregnant, relying on social norms to protect him.

Emberlyn is a very active character who is unable to move around as much as she wants to. I see a lot of conversations around active vs passive MCs and how characters have to make choices in order to be active even if they fail and that is certainly the case here. Many of the same things will happen whether Emberlyn does anything or not, but she is actively trying to find ways to rebel. She is not sitting on her hands letting things just happen to her.

Sometimes Emberlyn dances on stage with a shadow, with no understanding where it came from or whose shadow it might really be if it belongs to a person. She can still sometimes feel the shadow’s touch on her skin long after the dance is over and it's fairly clear that she misses having a connection with someone besides her sisters in the troupe. She meets Étienne, a young man who works in one of the biggest theaters in the realm but she only ever sees him inside. The two slowly circle around each other as Étienne seems to know more than he lets on and he's drawn to Emberlyn for reasons he can't explain

Content warning for abusive relationships

I would recommend this to fans of horror fantasy looking for something with a ballet twist and readers of YA who want a darker fantasy

This was a good YA romantasy with gothic elements. I can see this being really great for YA readers. It has a strong villain, with very obvious distain for his female captives. And a sisters friendship that is strong and lovely, not a competitive one. And of course a love interest that makes sense in this tale. I'm not big on romances, and the romance is more in depth in the second half of the book. It is sweet, and not spicy. The hugs, the support, the care, It just makes sense in this YA book.

The tale is about a troupe of dancers, that have their "master" puppeteer. He controls the dancers with some dark magic, that eventually drains the girls dead. And he needs to replace them. Is it really being captive, if you get your wish - being the greatest dancer in the greatest troup in the country? It is, if you lose the passion for dance.

It is a dark tale, full of pain and suffering. A lot of contemplating of what is the right thing to do, choices that need to be made, not just for oneself but for others as well. But it is a tale that is definitely suited more for younger readers. They'll love the swooning and the friendship, the sacrifices and the fight to survive.
3.5 Rounded up.

I had a really hard time connecting to this one. I felt as though the pacing was really off and it took me over 50% of the book to be even somewhat interested, but even then, I never really cared about what happened to the characters, because it felt like NOTHING was ever actually happening! If the book moved a little faster or if there were more plot points or if Emberlyn followed through on more of her decisions/thoughts, I feel like we had potential for this book to be amazing. I liked how there were nods to what could have been the Phantom of the Opera. And the whole spell to make them marionettes was super cool- more on that, early on, would have drawn me in from the beginning. Unfortunately though, this did just feel as though it was an early draft and could have use some more edits for me to enjoy it

Girls of Dark Divine is a solid gothic fantasy debut from @E. V. Woods. I struggled a bit in the beginning of the book, but once it hit about 30%, I was fully invested. Woods’ writing is lovely, completely immersing you in the world of New Kora. Her characters leap off the page, and that’s not just a ballet pun 😂 they’re beautifully written. Emberlyn’s struggle to find a way to break the curse on her and her fellow Marionettes is compelling and heartbreaking.

Thank you NetGalley and Toppling Stack Tours for the eARC!

Overall, this book has a great plot. I did enjoy how everything unfolded and the character dynamics. It was an interesting premise and it was pretty well executed.

However, the first 2/3 of this book dragged on forever. I was bored and unengaged for the majority of it. But the ending really saved it for me, I did love the ending.

If you love a good slow burn plot, this is definitely for you.

Girls of Dark Divine E. V. Woods is a stunning gothic fantasy about love and control that will never let you go.
The vivid imagery, absorbing narrative and masterful storytelling this story sucked me in almost immediately and held me captive.
A very rich and superb story that will grab you from the very first page.

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

#GirlsofDarkDivine by #E.V.Woods sucks you in from the very first page.

With rich settings and well rounded characters it is so easy to picture this beautiful troupe of girls who gracefully pirouette across the stage, entrancing everyone. So many wish they could be part of these beautiful ethereal women. Not all things are as simple as that though. Sometimes with something beautiful comes something monstrous. A curse binds the girls to Malcom the shows mastermind. They are at his mercy and with the curse he can make them move and dance across the stage like puppets on a string.

Emberlyn who becomes the shows star realizes what is happening and with the help of a handsome boy made of shadows she believes that she can free the girls from the curse.


This amazing book takes you on a visual journey that just blows your mind. I truly hope you pick up this fabulous book!

Thank you #Netgalley for the chance to read #GirlsofDarkDivine by E.V.Woods

Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods completely hooked from the start. The mix of dark magic, secrets, and fierce female friendships made it such an addictive read. I loved how the story kept me guessing while still digging deep into the characters' emotions and struggles.

congratulations to Emberlyn for being the most insufferable character of 2025 🥳🎊 i thought that her reason for breaking the curse would be to free her and her dance sisters and end their suffering once and for all. WRONG. Emberlyn doesn’t seem to care about the other girls, including the girl that is supposed to be her “best friend”. i (somehow) made it to the 50% mark before giving up because the plot was so slow. i believe that i should get an award for even making it halfway.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: This was decent and I finished it, so that says something. Although I will admit by the end I was skimming portions of the book because it was fairly predictable and not much actually happened here.

We follow the lead dancer Emberlyn throughout the story, she is one of the Marionettes trapped and controlled by the Puppet Master, Malcolm. She is determined to escape his curse with or without her Marionette sisters.

This is beautifully written, and the darkly magical settings really come alive. You can almost taste and feel the items in this book. It has serious Phantom of the Opera vibes, which is cool. However, it is very slow. There isn't much that actually happens in this book.

This is a simple and predictable story. The descriptions were beautiful and magical; there are some very sweet interactions between Emberlyn and the shadow. I liked the setting and the idea of the curse.

However, I struggled with how the curse was described...was this the only magic in this world? I never got a good feel for this world; was it a modern world, a historical world? I also struggled with how the curse was resolved. This seemed contrived and felt a bit grasping to me.

The other Marionettes definitely felt like background characters; they didn't have much depth and were given token stereotypical personalities (caring one, difficult one, perky one). I also thought it was strange how Grace was set up to be a more major character and just dropped partway through the story. I did like that there is a focus on sisterhood and young women who are helping each other to survive.

As I said, I finished it. This was a quick and easy read. However, I was skimming a lot towards the end and was a bit disappointed when it wrapped up how I thought it would. If you are looking for a fairly simple dark, glittering YA read, this is a decent one. There isn't a lot of depth here or really any unexpected twists. This is a very forgettable read, and I doubt I will ever think about it again or even remember that I read it in a few months.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay. I loved the dark, glittering description throughout the story and thought the idea of the curse was intriguing. However, the story is predictable, and the way things wrapped up felt forced and contrived. There really wasn't any world-building, and the side characters are paper thin. This was an easy enough read, but I found myself skimming towards the end...it was just such a simple story. I probably won't seek out more books by Woods, but if you are looking for a dark, glittering YA read this is a decent one.

4 stars! Great debut novel from the author. Loved the strength emberlyn portrayed throughout the book.

What a hauntingly dark and beautiful gothic fantasy.

The concept of this book reeled me in but the gorgeous writing and gothic fantasy elements made me stay. The concept itself is unlike anything I’ve read before. I mean cursed marionette dolls?? Sign me up. But the writing is so lush and mystic and does such a beautiful job at conveying the light and dark themes in the story.

I appreciated how feisty of a main character Emberlyn was. I adored the sisterly bond between the dancers and the way Emberlyn loved them like all fire. As the oldest sibling in my family I connected with Ember in a way that made me appreciate how brave and resilient she was. She was willing to go to any length to save her sisters and it made that connection to her as a character deeper.

My favorite thing about this book though was the gothic fantasy elements. Everything from the curse, the marionettes, the theater setting, everything had me hooked right from the beginning and I didn’t want to put it down.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the themes, writing and characters. This would be the perfect book to read on a cloudy October night with a candle lit and a hot drink. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoyed A Treachery of Swans by A.B Poranek as they both have similar dark, theatrical vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

It has a lot of potential but it didn't deliver on all fronts. The biggest issue is the bloated storytelling. Many of these Gothic stories have seeds of absolutely darkly fantastic plots however they become dragged down by details and narration that broke my interest because it just kept going.

Intrigued by this dark, disturbing figure of a man, Malcolm, who has a troupe of girls who are his ballerinas that he controls like marionets because of a spell. The girls often don't last long because of this curse and our main character, Eberlyn, has had enough and wants to end Malcolm and end the control before it goes any further. Thus an opportunity presents itself to help the girls with a new performance but also a boy, Etienne, enters the picture as well. Will this all be enough to end the curse and end the control?

It's a mix of [author:R.M. Romero|15996026] and every dark fantasy series with a cryptic title and it has the opportunity to be unique but it didn't execute fully for me as a reader. The setting though has the hallmarks of disturbing control which I loved. Again, because the story itself it curious and fresh while the writing needed tightening.

This gothic novel is amazing. With hints of Faust and Phantom of the Opera, the story of Ember and her fellow dancers is absolutely engaging. Ember remembers nothing about her life before joining the Marionettes, but she knows the life she is living is a trap. As she searches for freedom and a way to free herself from her curse, you learn about the relationships with the other dancers, whom she calls sisters. There is a bit of romance, which is surface level and sweet, nothing too exciting, but it does make for a bittersweet ending that I personally loved.