The Secret Market of the Dead - it sounds so cool and up our alley.
Unfortunately, this book was not for us. At least not all of it.

The good:
We really enjoyed learning about the Nocturnals and The Secret Market of the Dead. So many interesting creatures and worldbuilding. We wish we had gotten more of it. The whimsical horror kept us reading. Some of the character relationships were great and we really felt the weight of them.

The not-so-good:
To keep it short, most of what didn't work for us were the character work and telling more than showing. The character work felt uneven - sometimes we get a lot of insight into a character and other times their motivations were glossed over. At times the characters actions and impact seemed in conflict with how the character was set up. Several of the characters felt flat in part because we were told what the characters were doing / their motivations rather than being shown.

There's a lot of potential for this to have been a great book. It probably would work better as a play or an animated movie.
We'll have a more extensive review of the book in an upcoming episode.

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 ⭐️ The Secret Market of the Dead is a gothic historical fantasy that feels a touch like a gothic version of Spirited Away mixed with a dark historical fairytale. The world building and writing were so atmospheric, I was immediately pulled back in time and into this world that De Feo has created and I absolutely loved the world. The character work was good, I really enjoyed most of the characters and felt really connected to Oriana. The only thing is that she's 8 and 14 in this book and to be honest, she did not feel 8 years old at all. I don't mean that in a bad way, I just think she could have been aged up because I'm not sure any 8 year old that acts the way she does. So I had no trouble connecting with her just because I never actually considered her to be that young.

It was really interesting to see the family dynamics between Oriana and her twin, Oriono, along with her mother and father. I like that this book explores the complexities of the parent-child relationship and how that comes into play with societal norms, expectations, and legacy. I loved the shadow market, secret society of cats, and dream realm. I found it to be so fun to read about, while also giving a very eerie, gothic fairytale feel to the story, especially with the gods sending Oriana on a seemingly impossible quest.

I do feel like this wrapped up a little too quickly so I was left wanting in terms of the ending. I really wish the end was drawn out more just since it felt like it wrapped up so many big plot points in a short amount of time.

Overall, I had a good time with this book and I love anything that gives me a good gothic atmosphere. I'm so glad I got the chance to read this book!

The Secret Market of the Dead is a dark fantasy that reminds me of Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and the fairy market of Hellboy: The Golden Army. 

The story may follow a child but its themes are dark and twisted. Monsterous creatures, vicious curses, and malicious magic line every page. Giovanni De Feo's writing creates a vivid picture of the world around our central characters.

That being said, we jump right into the story with very little understanding of the magic system or a direct understanding of the way things function within that beautiful world with so much happening all at once. It was a jarring experience to see various creatures and magic so early in the story, within the first few pages, with terminology being thrown out yet no understanding of what any of those terms mean or how much weight to put behind the meaning of those terms. 

While it was a fun gothic tale there were points throughout the book where I considered putting it down or found myself having to reread passages to understand if I'd missed something. While I'll look out for more from this author, I didn't connect with the story as much as I'd hoped.

'Never judge a book by its cover' ... damn the cover lured me in and the story absolutely held me captive. You've gotta read this if you love good world building and plot twists...

If you are a big cat lover, this book might not be for you because there are several scenes with violence against cats. Just a slight warning.

This book reminds me so much of Pan's Labyrinth. You have a young girl trying to escape the confines of her life by escaping into fantasy. There are authoritative regimes in place that prevent the young girl from living the life she wants. And you have a fantasy realm that allows our main character to not only escape the harsh reality she lives in but provides her with tools to survive/overcome obstacles. I will say the ending of this book is far more optimistic, then the ending of Pan's Labyrinth and the authoritative regime is really just the patriarchy and strict gender roles. Also, both this book and Pan's Labyrinth has some terrifying fantastical creatures.

Oriana is 8 when we start the novel and ends at about the age 15. We really follow her journey as she copes with the harsh difference between the expectations for her and those for her twin brother. Oriana starts a naive character and for a while she never questions that she will be able to inherit her family's smithy with her twin. As we watch her grow, we realize as she realizes that she is expected to fulfill a more feminine role. Her struggle with not wanting that role and her defiance is what made me like this book. She truly wants to be her own person and be allowed to create while also receiving credit for her creations.

My biggest issue is that I felt like Oriana looked down on what is considered to be feminine pursuits. There's a point where she is arguing that she just wants to create with her hands, but she is rather pointed about not knowing how to embroider or other feminine pursuits common to that time. She often makes no point to engage in any topic or pursuit other than smithing or scholarly pursuits. It just kind of felt like she was "not like other girls". I also thought the inclusion of a younger sibling was pointless. Tato served no purpose to the plot and was in military school for almost the whole novel. I felt like if there were to be a younger sibling then some sort of relationship should have been established.

If you're a fan of fantasy escapism, I think you'd like this book.

I was so excited about this one, especially because I am Italian and love a good story set in Italy. Unfortunately, this was not for me. The pacing was off, the child’s POV in an adult book was kind of hard to wrap my head around, and it felt like the author was just name-dropping characters with overly complicated names (I speak Italian) just because, without fleshing out the characters. I just wasn’t sucked in enough to feel invested or to keep reading.

I kept on waiting to be sucked into this magical and seductive world of historical Italy and ghostly/menacing fae markets and underworlds. Unfortunately, I couldn't get myself to like or care for any of the characters. There's a detached, cold, and borderline wicked way to them that is reminiscent of fae or fae-touched humans, which I can understand. However, starting from a point of such detachment with the characters made it hard for me to root for them. Is there even a protagonist to the story?

I think that fans of Laini Taylor, Holly Black, Francesca Lia Block, and Madeleine Miller will enjoy the textured scrumptiousness of descriptions of this world, while being more willing than me to overlook the lack of emotional connection with any of the characters.

Gothic Fantasy - hello, hi. I love you.
This book has so many of my favorite things in one that I just couldn't put it down.

There is rich world building that takes me back to 18th century Italy. The inclusion of local myths embedded with the fantasy elements was wonderful. The author's writing is a joy to read and the pace is engaging. I never felt like I was reading but rather immersed in the world.

Oriana is a wonderful character, full of charm and wit. I enjoyed her fight to prove her worth in a male-dominated society. She has that grit that won't let anyone push her down for long. I felt her story and her growth. I love her interactions with other characters.

Again, this story has so many things I love about reading and storytelling. If these aspects sound great to you, you'll absolutely enjoy this book!

Thanks to Saga Press for the eARC of this book! #sagasayscrew

I read this book in one sitting. I loved the world, the characters, and the ending. I wish it was longer or there was another book in this world, as I can't get enough.

I really tried my hardest to finish this book, but I’m at 35% right now and I am so confused as to what’s going on. I just can’t get into it and can’t understand it.

This book is weird in the best kind of way. The Secret Market of the Dead feels like wandering into a dusty alley at midnight and finding a strange little shop that only appears once every hundred years. It’s eerie, clever, and full of bizarre charm.

De Feo has a wild imagination. The world is packed with odd details, haunting images, and a sense of magic that’s more unsettling than whimsical. The market itself is a great concept, and there are moments that are delightfully creepy and oddly beautiful.

That said, the plot sometimes gets a bit tangled in its own mystery. Characters come and go without much explanation, and it’s not always clear what’s driving the story forward. I didn’t always feel connected to the characters, but I was definitely curious to see what strange corner the book would turn into next.

If you like your fiction a little spooky, a little surreal, and a little offbeat, this is worth checking out. Just don’t expect every question to get an answer. And maybe keep a coin in your pocket… just in case.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

The Secret Market of the Dead is available July 8, 2025.

The secret Market of the Dead was a unique and thought provoking read. I felt like the themes of female independence and women’s equality were presented and explored well. I also enjoyed the atmosphere that the author sculpted, helping set a beautifully gothic stage for this original story. Unfortunately the pacing was a bit disjointed throughout, which was a bit jarring to read. I also didn’t really enjoy the main character, so it was difficult for me to fully enjoy the story.

I'm not the right reader for this book.

I didn't expect our MC to be only 8 years old. Sometimes a child's POV works great, but here I couldn't connect at all. A big part of my problem was that Oriana's character wasn't consistently age appropriate. Sometimes she behaved and spoke like a child, while other times she behaved and spoke like an older teenager. This kept taking me out of the story.

Experiencing everything from a child's perspective was too limiting. I think the book would have benefited from a second POV.

Pacing is SLOW.

And the writing style just didn't work for me.

DNF at 35%

The lush world building by De Feo is stunning in its scope. The story begins with the twins, Oriano and Oriana who live in an 18th century town in the kingdom of Naples, Italy and are steeped in the local folklore. The narrative offers gorgeous prose and immersive description setting up an intriguing mystical stage for the plot to blossom.

At its heart the book holds a coming of age story offering it from a place of feminine empowerment and the pursuit of dreams. Oriana is eight when we first encounter her and when she first enters the dreamlike Night, a fiefdom governed by seven immortals. Later when she is fourteen she faces her twin to decide the true heir of their father’s forge. Through a series of trials the twins fiercely compete and Oriana realizes she must seek out the perilous nocturnal realm once again to fulfill her quest and destiny.

The world is very cinematic bringing to mind something that might be built by Guillermo del Toro or Miayazki and like a tumble down a rabbit hole it echoes in memory long after the last page is turned.

A beautiful and gothic story!

We follow Oriana who is a very young girl who has all odds set against her from the beginning. We soon learn she dreams to be the rightful heir to her father's smithing but as we come to find out society and her family deem this dream impossible as women are expected in other roles instead of smithing. As we venture deeper into the Night Market and come to figure out the truth behind the market Giovanni pulls us through a series of challenges as Oriana learns how to navigates society's expectations and try to beat her twin brother to see who is truly the rightful heir to become the smith.

I truly loved seeing Oriana's growth and seeing her strive to achieve her dreams while the world conspires against her. Truly left me warm hearted <3

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.

This book is a richly imagined gothic fantasy that blends myth, history, and feminist defiance into a darkly lyrical coming-of-age tale. Set in 18th-century Lucerìa, a patriarchal town in the Kingdom of Naples, the story follows Oriana, a clever, determined girl navigating injustice, supernatural forces, and a family that never quite sees her for who she is.

From childhood, Oriana is held to different standards than her twin brother Oriano. While he’s adored for his charm and mischief, Oriana's dreams of following in their father’s footsteps as a smith are met with resistance especially from her own mother, whose emotional cruelty shapes much of Oriana’s early life. The novel’s depiction of a rigid society, and the simmering misogyny within it, sets the stage for Oriana’s slow-burning rebellion.

The story takes a fantastical turn when Oriana is drawn into the otherworldly realm of the Night, where she meets immortal beings and makes a fateful bargain in the eerie, enchanting Secret Market of the Dead. Though the title suggests this market will be central, it’s only a small part of the tale, a bit of a missed opportunity, given how tantalizingly strange and magical it is.

Years later, when Oriano is chosen to inherit the family forge, Oriana challenges him to three mythic trials. These contests become the heart of the book, a test not just of skill, but of identity, pride, and destiny. Oriana’s journey is complex: at times admirable in its boldness, at others frustrating in her pride and coldness toward allies. She grows, but unevenly, and her emotional arc doesn’t always feel fully earned.

Still, the novel shines in its atmosphere and ambition. The worldbuilding is spectacular interweaving pagan folklore, Christian myth, and original creations like the night saints and the power of Moira, which allows people to rewrite fate at great cost. The prose is elegant, the pacing steady, and the twist at the end genuinely surprised me.

Despite some character inconsistencies and my wish for more time spent in the Secret Market itself, The Secret Market of the Dead is a compelling read. YA readers will appreciate the magical trials and themes of sibling rivalry, while adult readers will find layers of commentary on gender, tradition, and autonomy. Also, there’s a talking cat enough said.

If you're looking for a very lyrical book, with some dark themes and an immersive setting, this is a good one. I think the pacing suffered a bit in parts, the prose sometimes took away from the story progressing.

A punchy, propulsive read that wastes no time. The voice is direct, fast-paced, and engaging, with a style that feels contemporary and sharp. It explores modern life—its chaos, contradictions, and absurdities—through flawed but fascinating characters. While the plot moves quickly, there are moments of surprising insight and emotional resonance. The humor helps balance heavier themes, making it accessible without being shallow. This is the kind of book that feels deceptively simple at first but reveals more complexity the longer you sit with it. Great for readers who like energy, edge, and emotional undercurrents.

In the 18th-century Italian town of Luceria, Oriana, a headstrong and independent young woman, lives with her twin brother, Oriano. One day, Oriana stumbles upon the Secret Market of the Dead and finds herself in debt to a mysterious figure known as the Duke. Determined to take control of her life, Oriana embarks on a journey into this magical and strange world. In the real world, she must compete with her brother for the inheritance of their father’s smithy.

I highly recommend this book to fantasy readers. The world-building is elaborate and imaginative, you will feel transported to a dreamlike realm. This book made me pause frequently to reflect on the strange world of the market and the lovely, descriptive narrative.

Thank you Saga Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm so disappointed. I really wanted to love The Secret Market of the Dead, but unfortunately the pacing and writing style just weren't for me.