DNF - 30%

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me. The beginning was wonderfully weird and intriguing, but dragged on with a slow pace and not much happening. I set this book down several times and every time I picked it back up, I just couldn't get into it. This isn't the book for me and I hope it finds its target audience

Thank you S&S/Saga Press for the ARC!

This felt like a modern day fairytale, but like the original Grimm ones. I loved how the story wove in the land of the dead and their mystical nature. I love the descriptions of these characters, particularly the cat, it made the book feel immersive. The FMC in this story was so relatable, her frustrations and passions were really well described. My favorite thing, though, is that this book doesn't really have a happy ending, but a satisfactory one. No other ending would have made sense, and I loved that the reader is felt with the same feeling of confusion as the FMC.

The Secret Market of The Dead was such an intriguing story, very unlike any I have read! The resilience and determination from the main character was inspiring. The Night Market itself felt just like the edge of a dream before you fully wake up, mysterious and just out of reach. I would say the story is very character development focused, and builts as you read it. Overall I really enjoyed it!

In 18th-century Lucerìa, where Day and Night share a fragile border, seven immortals rule through Moira—a power that can rewrite destiny. Oriana dreams of forging her future in her father’s smithy, but one forbidden step into the Night’s Secret Market of the Dead shows her that every choice has a price.
Years later, denied her birthright, Oriana challenges her twin in a brutal contest for the forge. With family and town against her, she must decide if claiming her destiny means embracing the dangerous pull of Night—where nothing is given freely.

This book somehow felt both short and long at the same time. De Feo’s prose was absolutely gorgeous—I was fully transported to 1800s Italy with every detail. But at points, it leaned so heavily into the prose that I found myself skimming, wishing the story itself had more room to breathe.
I loved Oriana’s fight against the oppression of women in her town—it was fierce and compelling—but the ending left me a little underwhelmed. I personally wanted a different turn, more time in the Night, and less time with her family, who treated her horribly without any real resolution.

Beautiful writing, rich atmosphere, and a powerful heroine—I just wish the payoff had matched the build.
Thank you to NetGalley & Saga Press for the ARC.
3 stars!

The Secret Market of the Dead is a gothic tale that blends Italian folklore, dark whimsy, and a sense of the uncanny into a unique reading experience. The story follows Oriana who stumbles into a mysterious night market where souls, secrets, and forbidden bargains are traded under the cover of darkness. Every encounter carries both wonder and menace, reminding us that nothing comes without a cost.

“A destiny denied is twice a destiny.”

What stood out to me most was the atmosphere. this book truly feels like folklore come alive. It reads like a dark fairytale passed down through generations, while also carrying a flair reminiscent of Big Fish, but Iike its dark goth Italian cousin.

The plot is full of unexpected turns, I caught myself gasping at several reveals. While the pacing occasionally felt uneven, the originality of the story and the strength of the writing more than compensated. The cast of characters is very unique, with Oriana and her mother in particular standing out through the different stages of identity and agency explored in their arcs. And at the heart of it all, the “nocturnals”, added a layer of tension by being crafted to be both alluring and unsettling.

Overall, The Secret Market of the Dead was an atmospheric and memorable read. It may not be for everyone: it’s gothic, it’s odd, and heavily on vibe and folklore. But for readers who enjoy whimsical horror, folklore fantasy, or atmospheric gothic tales, this is a book worth picking up.

Thank you to SagaPress and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Magical. Whimsical. Intriguing. Compelling. I have so many good things to say about this book!
I love the juxtaposition of this story, and how the magic and otherworldliness exists in a way that feels *so* close by. The Parliament of Cats was indeed one of my favorite details, and overall I just felt absolutely enamored and joy filled to be along for this ride. This was such a pleasure to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga press for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!

The secret market of the dead follows a young girl, Oriana, who only dreams of becoming the heir to her father’s forge. After years of expectation and practice, her father chooses her twin brother. Oriana can’t accept this and challenges her brother in attempt to take ownership of the forge. Being a woman, the odds are stacked against her. Will Oriana be able to conquer the day or will she have to call upon the night and the secret market of the dead to accomplish our goals?

First of all the cover of this book is gorgeous. That alone made me pick up this book. But what made me love this book was the fantastical Gothic atmosphere. This book is beautifully written, and I love the overarching tale within the story. I love the strong FMC and I appreciate that she is attempting to break social norms. Although the characters are fairly young throughout this story, it is written in a way that gives too much maturity to these young characters. I know often times we see it in reverse where we have older characters, acting immature, but it’s almost like these characters are too old for the age that they are supposed to be representing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book 4/5 stars!

Summary: In this Italian-inspired gothic historical tale, Oriana trespasses into the Secret Market of the Dead when she is just 8 years old. She ends up making a deal with a dark entity and going on a quest to find a mysterious item. As she ages, she is constantly suppressed for being a girl and must eventually vie against her twin brother in trials to prove she is more worthy of being the heir to her family’s forge. She realizes she must again embrace the mysterious Night Market.

Review: This was an interesting premise, but the plot seemed to fall short for me. I don’t know if it was the characters or lack of enough action, but I struggled through some parts. Overall, it was a good story and unique in its own way. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

To begin, thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC.

This book has an amazing and intriguing premise. However, it is difficult to start out with a character who is so young - Oriana is only 8 years old at the beginning of the novel. As a character, she doesn't inspire a great deal of interest for me and I struggled to connect with her and her condition. I did like her struggles in life to deal with societal restraints, difficulties with her sibling and a strange folkloric world around her. I wished we had seen more of the Secret Market, as it didn't feature in the book as much as I had hoped. The lore, when given, was fascinating and eerie.

As for a rating, I would give this book 3 stars. It didn't quite meet expectations and the character was difficult to relate to, but the author had moments of beautiful descriptions and vivid imagery that makes them someone to watch in the future.

I went into this one not rally knowing what it was about and wanting it purely based on the cover. I was not disappointed and actually had a lot of fun with this book. The gothic historical atmosphere was really fun. I loved the underlying story about women trying to find their footing in the career world. I love that there is a comparison to Pans Lambrynth because that is one of my favorite films. This book was very strange but in a good way. It feels like there is a lot of lore that went into this story. The setting being in gothic Italy felt perfect The day vs night was such an interesting take and it was fun being able to see the different version of the worlds.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a really beautiful gothic historical fantasy about a young girl, Oriana, fighting to keep her fathers forget - the problem is she's doing it in a trial against her twin brother. In order for her to win she needs to barter with mythical creatures, only each time she makes a wish? A price must be paid.

The folklore and tales of the nocturnal realm are truly beautiful,. I enjoyed this book greatly and found it to be really refreshing and just very whimsical in nature.

My complaints are more along the line of problems with the book not having anything to do with the title? And the YA nature of the book. Would sure be a great one for YA readers as the story is really a fun one to read.

The Secret Market of the Dead is a gothic historical fantasy telling of a young girl fighting to keep her father's smith/forge in a trial against her twin brother. To win, she makes a bargain with the mythical creatures and beasts of the tall tales who roam the nocturnal realm. She realizes though, every wish comes with a price.

The premise of the book seemed promising. However, there were several parts of the book that it was hard to overlook. One plot hole was how the FMC seemed like two different characters; who she was in the first half seemed completely different than the second half. How we even got there was also confusing. There was just a huge time gap that was left unexplained, and the character development seemed out of place. Also, her interaction with her twin brother, his personality and name change was a bit jarring as well. The mother's character deserved a bit more time to develop as well. Yeah, it definitely seemed she was the jaded and greedy type.

This novel reminded me a bit of Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune. That may be a wild reach, but something about the two reminded me of each other. Unfortunately, both did not do it for me. I could see how some readers would like this book. Hopefully the fully edited and published version was more cohesive and developed.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll always love a fantasy that transports you to a real place, lets you travel to and experience it, while weaving through magic and fantasy. A dark and enthralling tale.

I wanted so badly to love this book. The writing was beautiful and engaging, unfortunately the plot did not resonate with me. At halfway through the book I still was not invested in the story. Despite this book not being for me, I know there are others out there who would enjoy it. I would also love to give some of Giovanni's other books a try given how much I enjoyed his writing style.

💀THE SECRET MARKET OF THE DEAD💀 by @taccuiniselvaggi was an interesting historical fantasy rooted in Italian history and folklore. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @sagapressbooks for the e-ARC.

🌕🌕🌕

"If you don't do what I ask I will spin a tale around your name until no one remembers you."

In Lucheria, Italy during the 18th century, a set of twins, boy and girl, are in competition to see who will inherit the forge at their father's smithy. As she is unfavored due to her gender, sister Oriana challenges her brother to a series of trials, the winner being the rightful inheritor. As Oriana turns to the patron saints of Lucheria to secure her fortune, she will stop at almost nothing to beat her brother Oriano. She soon learns about the Secret Market of the Dead where souls in purgatory vie to buy their way into the afterworld. Tasked with a quest in the market, Oriana goes deeper into the thick of folklore and darkness lurking at the corners of the city. But at what cost?

This story was richly engulfed in Italian lore and history and I basically want Oriana to be my new bestie. I loved the themes of female rage and audacity, the cost of hubris, everything in life has a consequence, and respect the creatures of the night. There were so many parallel themes exploring gender roles, inheritance and the politics of the day. And the ending left me satisfied!

Firstly - thank you to netgalley and sagapress for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF at 56% - I really tried to finish this book as I don’t like to DNF, but I tried to pick this back up on 5 different occasions and I just couldn’t get into it. I already had a hard time get through the first half. It was just kind of all over the place for me and the overall intonation/rhythm of the words as I read just was not flowing well nor was I grasping anything except for the Parliament of Cats. There was a lot going on in this book and it honestly felt like my ADHD had ADD.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I love a really good fantasy read and I’ve never read anything by this author, I was so pleased! This was SO GOOD, our author delivered a stunning dark fairytale- like story that will take you on quite the adventure page after page. The writing was very vivid and beautiful, the backdrop to this was Italy which was perfect and the characters were very well written, strong characters and I enjoyed every single one of them. If you love a good gothic style fairytale with a strong storyline and characters then you need to immediately pick this one up

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Dark, Twisty, Eerie, Gothic Vibe, Fast Paced, Strong Characters

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press

Sadly this one is going to be a DNF for me. I’ve tried several times to get into this book and just cannot get past the way the main character’s family treats her. This is my own personal issue and not any fault of the author.

What I did manage to read was very beautifully written and I would be interested to see more from this author.

While I don’t think it’s fair to give a low star rating to a book that has something that doesn’t work for me personally, I’ll be giving it a middle of the road rating.

Did not finish. It was an interesting premise and I was intrigued, but the writing style was not my favorite and didn't hold my attention.

SPOILER about what happens to an animal - scroll down to skip!!!
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I need to include this because it's critical to my opinion of the book. about the fate of an animal: the pet cat is killed in a fairly brutal way in Part 2. I'm a baby about animal death, so that took what could have been one of my favorite books of all-time and knocked it down several pegs. Enough horrible things had happened to both that cat and the main character. Even worse, there's no retribution, not even any real grieving, and definitely no resolution to the way he dies. Pointless heartstring pulling. Not many people will feel as strongly about this as I do and that's probably for the best.
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The Secret Market of the Dead has a strong, deeply intoxicating atmosphere. I'm not exaggerating to say I was drawn in on the very first page. I love world. I love the magic, dark and mysterious, that runs through every scene. Even the mundane moments lend to the potency of the otherworldly ones.

I've seen this compared to some of Hayao Miyazaki's work and I agree completely. Especially his darker movies. I recently watched The Boy and the Heron and this had a similar tone. Unsettling magic that you want more of. Weird fantasy you'll only ever half understand. That kind of thing.

There's a comic (and movie) called Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. That feels like a very apt comparison. There's charm, there's whimsy in the folklore of it, but overall it's not a happy book.

Very little good happens to the main character, Oriana. From the beginning, she's treated unfairly, faces bullying and abuse, and fights hard only to be kicked down over and over. Personally, the ending didn't justify the amount of suffering we watch her go through. So I'm left feeling like I've read a tragedy. Perhaps that's fitting for a book that feels so thoroughly mythological.

Up until a certain event and the conclusion of this book, it was tracking to be one of my absolute favorites. The Little Prince has been my absolute favorite book most of my life and this started to compare. Both bury heavy themes in their fantastical scenarios. Some of the journeys within Secret Market reminded me of The Phantom Tollbooth, another childhood favorite.

Part 1 had be absolutely enraptured. Only strong, cheesy words describe how much I loved the beginning of this. Eventually the constant hardships of it wore on me and I started to resent the constant sexism as a plot device -- something that caught me near the beginning, when the the author describes the mother's beauty as fading "at her age" of 26 -- but so desperately wanted to see the story overcome. It didn't.

Maybe the issue is me. I'm pretty sensitive to sad stories. Even just sad events in stories. But I can usually be at least somewhat objective if the ending makes the journey worth it. That just isn't the case for this. I wanted more. More depth, more vindication, more growth. The last third feels abrupt and lacks the emotional resolution(s) that the story needs.

I want to say so much more about what the end lacked but I also don't want to spoil anything major. I think this is a beautiful book. I found the writing intentional, precise, and downright magical at times. The author takes the most surreal, dreamlike imagery and makes it feel tangible. I'm don't have much of a visual brain, but these descriptions immersed me so deeply in the story.

I recommend it if the premise draws you in, you can handle a bit of up and down in the pacing, and you're not an emotional sap like me (or you like your books to hurt a bit). I'm just disappointed that I didn't love it through and through. Still, I look forward to more from this author.

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Thank you to Saga Press, Giovanni De Feo, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.