Thanks Netgalley and the Bea for giving me access to an advance copy of Blackwicket in return for an honest review.

We follow the story of Blackwicket house, and its inhabitants the Blackwicket women and the curses within. This house is alive, it’s creepy AF and I wasn’t ready for how much I was going to be spooked out by it. This is a gothic romance with horror and suspense and would be a perfect read this spooky season.
LOVED the tension, Bea is the queen of tension, and she did well. I loved the cat and mouse beginning with our two main characters and how we saw their relationship change as the book progressed and secrets were revealed!
Be patient with this one, you’ll have questions at the start but all is answered by the end!

- Dark gothic romance
- Bit of cat and mouse
- Magical organised crime
- Tension
- Painfully slow burn 😏
- Haunted house
- Secrets

3.5 stars

✨✨✨Gothic Atmosphere On Point✨✨✨

I really loved the gothic atmosphere in Blackwicket! This is a slower paced, but unique gothic/fantasy/mystery novel. The magic system is very unique in this one and I really enjoyed that, but it was a little confusing at times. I also really enjoyed the MC Eleanora and I think she was written and fleshed out very well.

I will say this one is pretty slow paced, but if you like an atmospheric gothic book with gorgeous, flowy, and descriptive writing then you will like this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released September 9, 2025.

2.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

I really wanted to love this. Blackwicket had such great potential but fell short for me with the complexity of the world building and limited explanation of the magic systems.

One thing I will say is that Bea is consistently able to paint an eerie and haunting atmosphere; this is evident if you’ve read the Cruel Dark and Lover, which I personally loved. She excels in creating an environment that viscerally unsettles and immerses you at the same time. I can’t fault her lyrical writing as it was beautiful, I just wish it was accompanied with the success of a cohesive plot.

Even after finishing the book, I can confidentially say I have absolutely no idea how the Drudges and curse eating works. There felt like simultaneously so much information and yet not enough to grasp the concept. As the story began to conclude I found myself with more questions than answers, especially with the introduction of new worlds? I barely grasped the original.

Whilst unique in its premise, it wasn’t fully explained and felt like there were critical gaps missing which needed further explanation. This made me disengage with the book frequently and struggle to want to continue.

The author is an excellent writer and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of her books as she writes beautifully. Perhaps this book was just not a fit for me personally, which is a shame as I love gothic fantasy and had high hopes based on the synopsis.

This was such a dark, creepy, deliciously gothic read — and I loved every second of it. I’m really hoping there’s follow ups to this!
The magic system is super unique (curse-eating?? yes please) and I really liked how it physically affects the main character, Eleanor. She’s on the run from an inspector who’s supposed to bring her in to ‘Authority’ for using her magic, which is illegal by the way, and there’s major tension between them — in that slow-burn, “this is definitely going to ruin me” kind of way.
When Ellie returns to Blackwicket House after the death of her sister, things really ramp up. The house is basically a haunted character in itself — full of curses, lingering spirits, and a terrifying ghoul-like presence she calls “Auntie.” It’s so creepy but easy to follow, and the vibes are immaculate. And guess who turns up, yes the MMC shows up and refuses to leave.
The drudge? Nightmare fuel.
Victor Harrow? The man that you are. A broken soul just wanting to be loved and understood. He really gives protective, possessive and complicated energy which makes him such a wonderful character to read about.
Ellie’s journey from angry and lost to powerful and sure of herself was so satisfying, she wants to stand up for what’s right in the end and she’s not letting anyone stop her. Oh and the twists?? I did not see a single one coming. And they just kept coming.
Highly recommend if you’re into dark fantasy with haunted house vibes, forbidden magic, and a heroine coming into her own. Bea Northwick’s writing was so beautifully dark and I promise you, you will think about this book for years to come!

I LOVE me a gothic fantasy so this book had me hooked from the start. And the FMC is just beautifully written with twist and turns all throughout the book. 4.5 ⭐️ from me

Blackwicket by Bea Northwick is a gothic fantasy about Eleanora Blackwicket, who returns to her family’s abandoned cliff-side estate after her sister’s death after years trying to keep her curse-eater identity hidden. While settling her late sister’s affairs, she’s drawn into a dangerous power struggle between a black-market magic syndicate and a relentless Authority inspector, each determined to shape the future of magic on their own terms.

I absolutely loved the Northwick’s debut novel, The Cruel Dark, and was desperate to read Blackwicket as soon as I saw her announcement about her next book.

Overall I enjoyed Blackwicket. The characters and world-building were unique and interesting. The gothic atmosphere mixed with the intrigue and revelations made it a gripping read. I did struggle a bit with understanding the magic system, however some of this appeared to be purposeful as the main character was an unreliable narrator as she did not have the full knowledge either. Similar her debut novel The Cruel Dark, Northwick does a skillfuljob at unveiling more details about the world as we get further into the story. Readers get bits and pieces of the world and magic system as the main character learns more. This might be confusing or frustrating for some readers that like the full story in a more concrete manner.

Thank you to the NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me a complimentary advanced reader copy of the ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and based off of this draft; the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is September 9, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Bea Northwick for sharing this arc read with me.
Blackwicket by Bea Northwick reeled me in with its lush cocktail of noir intrigue and gothic decadence, a story dripping in atmosphere and tinged with something deliciously sinister.
Eleanora is gloriously morally grey, lured back home by guilt and ensnared in the dark mysteries woven through its walls. And Victor Harrow? Positively tasty as the monstrous FMC. I will never look at blackberries or pianos the same way again.

Blackwicket spoke to my soul. I loved every minute of this dark, twisted, gothic atmosphere. Eleanora has returned to Blackwicket after her sister's death to manage the estate. But it's more than just bookkeeping, as Blackwicket is full to the brim with curses, and Eleanora and her family are Curse Eaters. The very fabric of their being is tested constantly, and when Inspector Harrow arrives, everyone becomes more complicated.

Through a series of mind bending events, Eleanora finds herself contending with complicated family history and an even more complicated situation with the inspector as they seem to be drawn to one another. This was such a well designed and executed story, and I absolutely cannot wait for what comes next!

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read Blackwicket by Bea Northwick in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Blackwicket is a gothic romantasy that delivered exactly the kind of atmosphere I love — dark, mysterious, and dripping with intrigue. 🖤 I especially enjoyed the sentient, old, creepy house 🏚️ with its own secrets and lurking monsters 👁️🕷️. It was the kind of setting that felt like a character in its own right.

The first half of the book was a solid 5⭐ for me — beautifully paced, brimming with tension, and full of that eerie, “something’s not right” feeling. The second half dipped closer to 3⭐, not because I didn’t enjoy the plot reveals (I did), but because some of the momentum felt lost, and the spice scenes 🌶️ weren’t really my thing. A few lingering questions also went unanswered, which left me a little unsatisfied.

Would I recommend it?
Yes ✅. If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric, gothic romantasy with mystery, monsters, and a house that feels alive 🕯️🌑, Blackwicket is worth stepping into.

#Blackwicket #NetGalley

Blackwicket opens with a wonderfully eerie premise; a cursed family home perched on the cliffs above a magical coastal town, a protagonist with a dangerous past, and two opposing forces closing in. Bea Northwick’s writing style is atmospheric and elegant, and there’s a vintage, almost gothic charm woven through certain scenes that I really enjoyed. The setting of Nightglass and more specifically Dark Hall, had so much potential and the concept of curse-eating was intriguing.

However, I struggled to fully connect with the story. The magic system left me a little lost which distracted me a lot from losing myself within the pages; terms like drudge and curses were used, but I wasn’t entirely sure how they fitted together, or what rules governed the world. The world-building overall felt a little sparse, and the abrupt start gave me very little grounding before the plot took off. I think a prequel or more introductory chapters could have helped provide that missing context.

In terms of character dynamics, the chemistry between Eleanora and Victor felt sudden, almost as if key emotional beats were skipped. The shift from enemies to lovers was so quick it jarred me, and moments like the piano scene came without enough build-up to really land.

That said, I can see Blackwicket appealing to readers who enjoy dark fantasy with a gothic twist, morally grey characters, and an undercurrent of mystery. While the world itself didn’t feel fully fleshed out for me, the writing style and atmosphere were strong enough that I’d be interested to see what Bea Northwick creates in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[ARC REVIEW]

Blackwicket has had me enthralled from the beginning. The characters are full of mystery and had me guessing what each one might have been up to.

It has small town vibes; where everyone knows everyone, and all their business.

The Brom gave me 20's mafia vibes and The Authority being their arch nemesis.

I don't want to give too much away, but i have devoured this book very quickly, which is always a great sign. I have struggled to put it down.

I personally would put it in the low fantasy category, due to being magic in a real world type setting. I felt it more dark romance, gothic romance, with elements of paranormal and thriller. This shouldn't deter anyone from giving it a go though!

Blackwicket, is beautifully written. The world building is flawless and I could see the town so vividly on my mind. The tension between Victor and Eleanora was well presented. I really love enemy to lovers tropes. I would of liked a bit more slow burn I think. I like to be annoyed a tiny bit more at characters stalling. But the balance of plot and romance was perfect.

This is my first read from this author and I'm keen to read her previous works!

This was a wonderful read. So I've obviously pre-ordered my trophy for the shelf!

Thank you to Bea Northwick & Netgalley for allowing me to read, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a dark and atmospheric read that really pulled me in with its unique magic system and spooky vibes. The writing was rich and immersive, full of tension and mystery. It started slow because of detailed world building, but things picked up later. The romance was complicated and added a nice emotional layer. The main characters felt real and flawed, which I liked. Sometimes the magic system was a bit confusing and could have been clearer, but it felt fresh and different from usual fantasy. The mix of secrets, curses, and eerie settings made it a compelling story. I’m curious to see what comes next from this world. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting and the combination of a fantasy romance with mystery. The reason I took some stars off is the magic system which was not well explained which made it difficult to follow/enjoy the story as it progressed. It led to quite some frustration, especially near the end.

I will keep an eye on the author because the general ideal is right down my alley!

Many thanks to #netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

*Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc*

Where do I begin? What an incredible ride this book was! It was so refreshingly unique and I loved it!
The whole vibe of this vibe is very dark and gothic and the writing style is amazing! The author has a great skill for keeping the readers attention, I couldn't put this book down!
Although the magic system was hard to understand, even with the Authors incredible attention to detail, it was still hard to imagine how the magic worked. But the plot and the tension was so addicting I'm able to look past that.
Eleanora is a very strong FMC and is full of feminine rage which I am here for! She doesn't allow anyone to stand in the way of her getting answers for what happened to her sister, even if a very enticing inspector is very suspicious of her....
Now onto my favourite aspect of the book; the romance. I am obsessed with Eleanora and Victor, what a couple! The tension, the enemies to lovers, fighting their attraction for eachother, what more could you want! I am a sucker for a MMC who is cold towards others but is soft for the FMC.
The author did a great job of balancing plot and romance and also building suspense and tension, I had trust issues with everyone Eleanora came in contact with and that just goes to show how well written this book is!
Overall I had such a great time reading Blackwicket and loved every second.
I hope there's a book 2! I need more!!

I enjoyed this read more than I expected! I felt in some ways I could relate to Eleanora and some of her familial relationships, which I wasn’t expecting when going into this book. I enjoyed how Bea Northwick writes her characters with so many complex pieces that make up who they are. But also how she makes sure that who they are doesn’t define who they become. The world within Blackwicket, although bleak at times, was still a very enjoyable read with a real tenderness to it. I think after reading this I’ll happily read anything else she’s written/writes. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I loved The Cruel Dark so I was thrilled to receive an ARC for Blackwicket from NetGalley and couldn’t wait to read this!

Blackwicket starts out a little slow just FYI. Elenora is a curse eater who basically ran from her heritage and has been hiding out for a few years until her father shows up to tell her that her sister has died and she must return to Blackwicket house.

There’s a lot of explanation and character building to start with so the story progresses a lot slower than the cruel dark which is fine for more fantasy elements.

Once she returns home, she’s greeted by Victor, an inspector for the authority and thus begins what I’d say is the actual story. There’s a beautiful gothic atmosphere, a slowish enemy to lovers (ish) romance, and a thrilling mystery that follows.

Things I loved:

Bea’s writing and atmosphere are wonderful. The romance, and story were amazing. Blackwicket house was spooky and fun! The plot twists at the end, superb! Loved the main characters!

Things that didn’t quite make it a five star:

The magic system was kind of hard to understand. I still had a lot of questions about the magic (and magical beings?) at the end of this book. It was tough to imagine or really understand even as the story progressed. Show, don’t tell, is great and all, but sometimes there are things that just need to be explained.
The slow pace was also a bit boring at times and I wish this time would have been spent explaining more about the magic lol

Overall, yes I would recommend it and I had a lot of fun reading Blackwicket and look forward to the next book!

I really enjoyed this author's writing style. It was very pretty and flowed elegantly. Very gothic and moody. The story was one you could sink into.

3.5 ☆ / 4 🌶 (explicit open door) / first person single pov

This was a beautiful and atmospheric read with unique and strange magic, a delicious enemies-to-lovers romance, slowish pacing, and a vintage setting.

But it was also quite confusing. While the magic system was intriguing, it was barely explained, which is why I gave the book such rating. The author created an interesting world, but forgot to explain how everything exactly worked. Since it's not a standalone, some things might be explained in future installments, but I wish at least a few key elements (like the Dark Hall and Dark Hall children, for example) had been made clearer, because confusion around them disconnected me from the narrative at times.

I immensely enjoyed Drudge, curses and curse eating. The curse eating was so dark, twisted and disgusting, I absolutely loved it.

I also really enjoyed the romance. The wolf-and-rabbit dynamic between Victor Harrow (the wolf) and Eleanora (the rabbit) was delicious, I ate it up and left no crumbs. I adored Victor, he's easily one of my favorite MMCs. And the spice was definitely spicing.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, even if I liked The Cruel Dark more. If more books are released in this Dark Hall series (I'm assuming that's the name, based on the book's NetGalley page), I'll check them out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Right from the first page, I was pulled into the dark, atmospheric magic and mystery of this world. The gothic noir vibes added an element to the story that I haven't read before and, when combined with the dark horror of the magic and events of this book, made for a really unique and enthralling reading experience.

The story deals with themes of death, grief, and family estrangement in a careful way, and explores how these can add both darkness and hope to a character's journey.

A perfect book if you're looking for an autumnal, spooky read with beautiful writing, interesting characters, and gothic setting.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Bea Northwick and Northwick Books for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

“I’m a Blackwicket [...] Trouble and I know each other well.”

4.5 stars rounded up! What a crazy story this is!

Blackwicket is the first book in a new series by Bea Northwick. It is a mixture of dark gothic fantasy romance with elements of horror and noir. Set in an alternative world where magic exists, the setting was giving me roaring 20’s vibes.

“What we can do, most people forgot how to. It hurts them too much to remember.”

However, in this world, the recent world war has led to an almost dystopian society where many people have magic but it is secret, shameful, and can get them into a lot of trouble if used wrongly. There is The Authority that seeks out those who use magic and without permission with their biggest crime faction being The Brom. The Brom reminded me of the quintessential 20’s gangs, seeking to make profit in their dark speakeasies by selling not only drinks and dancing but a perverse form of magic.

“Eleanora Blackwicket had never been asked to do anything harder than say goodbye and run.”

Eleanora Blackwicket, who has a unique magic of curse eating, is forced to return home to Blackwicket Hall and the town of Nightglass after the death of her sister. She swore she would never return after her mother’s death. However, on her return she finds herself pulled into a much more twisted and nefarious world that has grown while she was gone. One that is using her as a pawn in a way she is only beginning to understand. But Ellie is not one to stand by and let it happen.

“Blackwickets always come home.”

There is a lot of worldbuilding in this book and Northwick does not info dump. She throws you in with an imperfect narrator who only has a rudimentary understanding of the world and has been hiding from the reality of it since childhood. The reader must go on this journey with Ellie and learn with her. It was at times a bit frustrating because I didn’t get a grasp on what a Drudge was, or how a curse became a Drudge, or how curses were magics gone wrong, until the very end of the book. However, the entire time I was completely mystified. I was sucked in and wanted to know everything. (Don’t worry reader, it becomes clear near the end). I honestly think this is a book that when I reread it, and I will, I will find much more I missed on first read.

“There’s something moving in this town,” he said. “Something I’ve never felt before."

Beyond the world building we also have a romance between Ellie and Victor. A very dark and broody character who holds many secrets. There is also an intricate net of strong side characters. Northwick throws the reader into the tangled web, leaving Ellie to try and figure out who she can trust. And while this starts slow and atmospheric it builds to a chaotic, horrific climax with portals to other worlds and monsters waiting for any opportunity to pounce! It was wild. I mean, the body horror in this alone was so fascinating! This was not at all what I was expecting, especially because at the start I thought we were just getting a gothic murder mystery in a small town. Oh man, was I wrong. I am very excited to see where this goes!

“You’ve become a vice of mine, and I’m finding it hard to let go.”

Thank you NetGalley and Bea Northwick for this ARC!