Genre: Gothic Literature

An #AudiobookMonth Audiobook Blog Tour | “The Wonkiest Witch: (Book One: the Wonky Inn, series)” by Jeannie Wycherley, narrated by Kim Bretton

Posted Friday, 14 June, 2019 by jorielov (Narrator) Kim Bretton, Jeannie Wycherley, Self Published, The Wonkiest Witch, Wonky Inn series 10 Comments

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “The Wonkiest Witch” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working with Jeannie Wycherley on this blog tour in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

What inspired me to listen to this audiobook:

There are moments where I recognise that I read more dramatic stories than I do humourous ones. Typically though, I have sought out Speculative stories about witchy plots that tend to run the gambit of being more humourous than serious; I was hoping this might be of those kinds of stories, as I seriously do need a good punch of humour in my readerly life!

I also knew when I would listening to this, Audiobook Month would be underway and I wanted something a bit light & fun to listen too in order to get into the stories I had slated to listen to throughout June. I was recovering from those migraines of May and knew a fun-hearted comedy might just do the trick to give me a proper re-entry into listening to audiobooks and finding my traction within them.

The last time a witch gave me a tickle of joy to listen was when I was listening to the witchy adventures as conceived by Terry Maggert! I was hoping this particular series would not just re-instill the joy I had with Halfway Witchy but perhaps give me a Cosy series I could re-visit and re-appreciate throughout the installments as I came to meet them.

The Wonkiest Witch
Subtitle: Wonky Inn, Book 1
by Jeannie Wycherley
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
Narrator: Kim Bretton

Alfhild Daemonne has inherited an inn.
And a dead body.

Estranged from her witch mother, and having committed to little in her 30 years, Alf surprises herself when she decides to start a new life. She heads deep into the English countryside, intent on making a success of the once popular inn. However, discovering the murder throws her a curve ball. Especially when she suspects dark magick.

Additionally, a less than warm welcome from several locals persuades her that a variety of folk - of both the mortal and magickal persuasions - have it in for her. The dilapidated inn presents a huge challenge for Alf. Uncertain who to trust, she considers calling time on the venture.

Should she pack her bags and head back to London?

Don’t be daft.

Alf’s magickal powers may be as wonky as the inn, but she’s dead set on finding the murderer. Once a witch, always a witch - and this one is fighting back.

A clean and cozy witch mystery. Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in this fantastic new witch mystery series, from the author of the award-winning novel, Crone.

Genres: Cosy Mystery, Paranormal Suspense, Paranormal Urban Fantasy

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B07R95BKYM

Also by this author: The Ghosts of Wonky Inn

Published by Self Published

on 3rd May, 2019

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 4 hours and 20 minutes (unabridged)

This is a self-published audiobook.

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

The Wonky Inn series:

The Wonkiest Witch (book one)

The Ghosts of Wonky Inn (book two)

Weird Wedding at Wonky Inn (book three)

Fearful Fortunes & Terrible Tarot (book four)

The Mystery of the Marsh Malaise (book five)

The Mysterious Mr Wylie (book six)

The Great Witchy Cake-Off (book seven)

The Witch Who Killed Christmas (book eight)

Converse via: #WonkiestWitch + #AudioReads, #Audiobook

OR #loveaudiobooks, #Paranormal #CosyCrime

About Jeannie Wycherley

Genre-hopping introvert and word witch living somewhere between the forest and the sea in East Devon, UK.

Jeannie finds inspiration everywhere: in myths, stories and songs, while people watching, a word here, a look there. However, her main inspiration comes from the landscape. Devon has it all - a rocky coastline, pebble and sandy beaches, narrow winding lanes and picture perfect cottages, steep cliffs and an abundance of forest.

A good day for Jeannie means a blustery wind, racing waves and salty rain. She lives with her husband and two dogs, makes a lot of soup, plays too many computer games and loves watching movies.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Posted Friday, 14 June, 2019 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Fantasy Fiction, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Witches and Warlocks

#EnterTheFantastic with #WyrdAndWonder as #JorieReads | Book Review of “Lost on the Water” by D.G. Driver

Posted Monday, 27 May, 2019 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder, D.G. Driver, Fire & Ice Young Adult Books, Lost on the Water, Melange Books LLC 4 Comments

Acquired Book By: Earlier this Spring, I participated in an event uniting book bloggers and Indie Authors called #ReviewPit. One of the authors I discovered during this event was D.G. Driver – her s/o about the novel on Twitter was most enticing (see also tweet) but it was the premise which captured me the most – the fact this was a haunted ghost story and was within the realm of a #YAFantasy arc was something I wanted to read the most!

I was seeking stories during #ReviewPit which caught my eye for their uniqueness but also what was quite lovely is how most of the stories which intrigued me to read were actually within the realms of Fantasy! I found this wicked interesting and it is why I was thankful during #WyrdAndWonder Year 2 I could continue to celebrate my love of Indie Authors & Indie Publishers and Press!

I received a complimentary copy of “Lost on the Water” direct from the author D.G. Driver in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Finding an entry of #YAFantasy during #ReviewPit:

When I first learnt of the #bookishTwitter event #ReviewPit, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect – I keep a watchful eye on twitterverse events where writers are seeking betareaders or where authors are seeking publication (ie. #PitchWars, etc) as I generally find #newtomeauthors this way and I do like to champion the writers who are on their path towards becoming published as this is something I can personally relate to as I’m a writer whose currently moonlighting as a book blogger and joyful tweeter! It is lovely to reach out into the Indie community on Twitter and continue to seek out the stories I desire to be reading. Ever since I first started blogging here at Jorie Loves A Story, I’ve had an eye out for Indie Press, Publishers and the writers who are seeking alternative publication – either through the Indie side of publishing directly through established publishers and press; or through Small Trade publishers or taking the full-Indie route into Self-Publishing or Hybrid publishing options.

This is what made #ReviewPit such a keen event for me – I decided to just jump into it and see what I would find. It is run similar to other events where you get a pitch about a story and you are given a clue of a nod towards its genre of interest. I quite literally had such a wicked joy just scrolling through all the lovelies being offered, I wasn’t entirely sure how many would be available to receive as print editions for review but I decided to give myself the chance to just seek out the authors first and request which ones were available lateron.

Lost on the Water appealled to me on different levels of interest as I felt this could become a beautiful coming-of age story-line with a backdrop which involved a speculative tale of involving either a singular ghost or different kinds of ghosts therein.

Lost on the Water
Subtitle: A Ghost Story
by D.G. Driver
Source: #ReviewPit Author, Direct from Author

One girl's daring adventure turns into a long frightful night lost on the water.

Forced to leave the California beach behind to spend the summer with her grandma in rural Tennessee, Dannie is certain this will be the most boring summer of her life. Things start looking up when a group of local kids, mistaking her short hair and boyish figure, invite her on their 'no girls allowed' overnight kayaking trip. Obviously, her grandma refuses to let her go. But Dannie suspects the real reason is that the woman is afraid of the lake, only she won't tell Dannie why.

Longing for freedom and adventure, Dannie finds an old rowboat hidden behind the shed and sneaks off on her own to catch up to her new friends. It seems like a simple solution ... until everything goes wrong.

Dannie soon discovers this lake is more than just vast. It's full of danger, family secrets, and ghosts.

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Story, LGBTQIA Fiction, Paranormal Suspense, Thriller, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1680466553

Published by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books

on 21st June, 2018

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 208

Published by: Fire and Ice YA Books (@FireIceYABooks)
an imprint of Melange Books LLC

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #LostOnTheWater + #DGDriver as well as #YAFantasy #GhostStory and #YALit
alternatives #iReadYA, #ParanormalFantasy or #Paranormal #Fantasy

About D.G. Driver

D. G. Driver is an optimist at heart, and that's why she likes to write about young people making an impact on the world. You'll find among her books a teen environmental activist, a young girl teaching people about autism acceptance and to stop bullying people with special needs, a princess who wants to be more than a prize for a prince, a boy who wins a girl's heart by being genuine and chivalrous, and a girl who bravely searches for a friend lost along the shore of a dark lake.

She is a multi-award winning author of books for teens and tweens, but you'll find some romance and horror stories in some anthologies, too.

Like Dannie from Lost on the Water, Driver grew up in Southern California, but now she is landlocked near Nashville, TN. When Driver isn't writing, she's a teacher at an inclusive early childhood development program. She might also take a break from writing once in a while to strut the stage in a local theater production. You're guaranteed to find her belting out Broadway show tunes anytime she's driving.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#BeatTheBacklist 2019
#WyrdAndWonder

Posted Monday, 27 May, 2019 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Haunting & Ethereal, Indie Author, Parapsychological Suspense, Supernatural Fiction, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Urban Fantasy, Urban Life, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance

A Paranormal Suspense #Audiobook Spotlight during #WyrdAndWonder | “The Haunting of Hillwood Farm” by Kathryn Knight, narrated by Kristin James

Posted Tuesday, 21 May, 2019 by jorielov (Narrator) Kristin James, Kathryn Knight, Self Published, The Haunting of Hill House 2 Comments

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “The Haunting of Hillwood Farm” via Audiobookworm Promotion who is working with Sara Pascoe on this blog tour in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

What inspired me to listen to this audiobook:

I love watching Paranormal Suspense stories on television whilst I also have a healthy appetite for them in fiction. Series like “Ghost Whisperer” have such a layered effect of bridging the paranormal into our contemporary & modern world with a healthy effect of keeping the unseen world spilt & splintered from our view in the foreground of the stories.

It is a curious thought to recognise that not everything can be readily explained – that there are things which can seek to do harm which go unseen from most who never are aware of anything amiss. And, this story felt like it was walking between those concepts – as it is a ghost story with an unforeseen foe and you have to determine as you listen to the story – was this a benign presence or one who had malicious intentions?

I wanted to seek out the paranormal during #WyrdAndWonder – as during this 2nd Year, although I’m predominately focusing on traditional Fantasy, there are aspects within Fantasy such as Magical Realism, Paranormal Suspense & Witchy story-lines which hug closer to Fantasy than they do other sub-niches of Speculative Fiction. Therefore, as I sought out my reading list for the month, I decided to cast a bit of a wider net this year and see which of the stories I was going to pursue would become the reads I could not put down.

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm
by Kathryn Knight
Narrator: Kristin James

After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted - the ability to communicate with ghosts. But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm. She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear - the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist. While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.

Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits. He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose - he can watch out for his grandmother. He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her. His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie - the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.

As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her. Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.

Genres: Ghost Story, Gothic Literature, Paranormal Suspense

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B07QMZNFCZ

Published by Self Published

on 15th April, 2019

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 5 hours and 18 minutes (unabridged)

This is a self-published audiobook.

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #TheHauntingOfHillwoodFarm + #AudioReads, #Audiobook

OR #Paranormal, #ParanormalSuspense and #WyrdAndWonder

About Kathryn Knight

Kathryn Knight spends a great deal of time in her fictional world, where mundane chores don’t exist and daily life involves steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and spooky suspense.

Kathryn writes contemporary romance spiked with mysterious hauntings as well as YA paranormal romance filled with forbidden love. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks.

When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time catching up on those mundane chores, driving kids around, and teaching fitness classes. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing

Posted Tuesday, 21 May, 2019 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Indie Author, Mediums & Clairvoyants, Mental Health, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy

#EnterTheFantastic as #JorieReads this #WyrdAndWonder | Book Review of “Tiger Lily” by Wende Dikec with a small extract from this YA Paranormal Romantic Urban Fantasy!

Posted Wednesday, 15 May, 2019 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder, Abigail Drake, Dark Blossoms series, Inkspell Publishing, Tiger Lily, Wende Dikec 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I crossed paths with this Speculative Fiction author in the twitterverse, as we would regularly converse about various literary and bookish topics. Quite randomly, truly, and then, I remember she offered me to read this novel of hers which I was excited about at the time. I can’t remember exactly what took me away from reading it closer to when it arrived as this is part of my backlogue of reviews – where a few years ago I simply lost traction with my review requests and had to put them on a backburner. Last year, during #WyrdAndWonder, this was one of the books I was meaning to read and showcase – however, due to health reasons I had to push it forward til our 2nd Year.

I received a complimentary copy of “Tiger Lily” direct from the author Wende Dikec (now known as Abigail Drake) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

What first drew my attention
into wanting to read “TIger Lily”:

I know. YA can be really dark and gritty now, can’t it? I don’t write that way. Someone called my book “Legally Blonde meets The Sixth Sense”. It’s actually more of a funny book than a scary book. – Wende Dikec / Abigail Drake response to my initial enquiry

Before I agreed to accept Tiger Lily for review, I wanted to enquire about what I would find inside the book itself as I have had a propensity for being particularly particular about the kind of Young Adult and/or Middle Grade stories I accept for review consideration. I’ve been burnt a few too many times in the past – to where either the undertone ran too dark for me or the overall gist of the novel was delving into deeper and darker waters than the ones I would prefer to tread upon.

My biggest concern for this YA novel was what set it apart from the pack, how did it tackle the Speculative aspects of its story-line and was it a gritty book or was it simply a light-hearted paranormally inclined YA story which anchoured itself well into the niche I call #SpecFic?

When I receive this response from the author, I knew I would alright picking up the story and seeing where it would take me. One of my favourite kinds of paranormal stories are GHOST STORIES – this is a parallel interest of mine, as they’re not just in PNR (ie. Paranormal Romance) narratives or in Urban Fantasy niches of interest (which happens to be my preferred sub-genre) – they can become inclusive to Cosy Horror, Gothic Literature and other genres of note including Historical Suspense or Psychological Suspense narratives wherein you can parlay a ghost story into the background of nearly any story you wish to direct the reader’s attention. The truth in the pudding for me is how the writer handles the discourse from there and augments our perspective not just strictly on the ghost themselves but on the overall world-building therein.

When she assured me there wasn’t any strong language, that the story itself was rather tame and innocent – appealling to readers between 13-16 years (but would benefit a broader audience outside that range), I knew I had found the right story to be reading.

Of course, her greatest compliment to me is when she said “feels like a Jorie story”.

For #WyrdAndWonder Year 2 – it felt rather fitting I would be reading Tiger Lily as this isn’t the only ghost story I’ll be showcasing this May! Ironically or not, a few other ‘ghosts’ snuck into my TBR for the event and I couldn’t be more delighted! I definitely have wanted to dig inside this novel ever since it first reached me in [2016] and I am very thankful I could finally put my heart round it to see what was awaiting me as the years shifted forward.

Tiger Lily
by Abigail Drake
Source: Direct from Author

Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen.
She was wrong.

Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl, named Zoe, can see the ghosts, too.

Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger.

But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go.

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Story, Paranormal Urban Fantasy, YA Paranormal Romance, YA Paranormal Suspense, YA Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781939590770

Published by Inkspell Publishing

on 28th January, 2016

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 200

Published by: Inkspell Publishing

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

The author included a small extract for my readers:

Mr. Wan raised one bushy gray eyebrow and peered at me over his spectacles. “Do you have a problem now, with ghosts?” he asked quietly, not that Miss Lin or her customer could have heard him. She’d moved onto complaining loudly about cauliflower now.

My mouth dropped open in shock. “How did you know?”

Mr. Wan sighed, and put the brush into the bottle of polish, swishing it back and forth as if trying to think about how to answer. “Once, when I was a young boy in my village in China, the same thing happened. A girl died, and then came back to life. We were all so happy, until we realized that she hadn’t come back alone.”

“What do you mean?” My fingers were still extended over the soft white towel that separated us on the table. I couldn’t move. I could hardly breathe.

Mr. Wan grabbed my left hand and went back to work, talking as he painted. “When you cross over the barrier between life and death, things sometimes follow you back. They might be ghosts, or they might be something else. Either way it is a problem for you.”

About Abigail Drake

National award winning author Abigail Drake (previously known as Wende Dikec writes Young Adult Speculative Fiction with romantic and humorous elements. An avid traveller who spent many years abroad, she now lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband, three sons, a puppy named Capone, and a very well used espresso machine.

NOTE: The following links for this author are a combination of what I had previously for "Wende Dikec" and what I found recently for "Abigail Drake" as she has changed the name she's using as a writer. I have the previously released version of "Tiger Lily" which I read for this review as it was part of my backlogue. The Book Site takes you to the NEW listing for "Tiger Lily" via GoodReads.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Posted Wednesday, 15 May, 2019 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Indie Author, Mediums & Clairvoyants, Near-Death Experience, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Urban Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “Once Upon A River” by Diane Setterfield a rather hauntingly gothic tale set against a historical era where lanterns & candlelight were commonplace as much as a river who could either bless or curse a man

Posted Tuesday, 11 December, 2018 by jorielov Atria Books, Diane Setterfield, Once Upon A River, Simon & Schuster 4 Comments

Acquired Book By: Over the Summer of [2018] I was approached about this Winter blog tour celebrating the new release by Ms Setterfield. The interesting bit is that this is an author I am familiar in name only as I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading one of her novels – as I will explain in a moment. When I read the premise and read a bit about the author’s style of narrative, it felt like the kind of story I would love to be reading. It is hard to imagine I knew about this book originally in August and had to wait til December to start talking about it! I was going to mention it sooner but decided to wait for the blog tour instead.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of “Once Upon A River” direct from the publisher Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

The reason reading ‘Once Upon A River’ appealled to me:

What can I say? I’m memorised by this premise!! I know of the author – I picked up a copy of Bellman & Black last year but haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading it. She’s been on my #mustread list for a few years, as I’ve heard about her writing style and the eloquent way she pulls words together and illuminates her stories through the book bloggers I visit who have read her stories.

It is a rather curious plot – not just for the reasons behind why the identity of the girl remains hidden from both the characters in the story as much as the reader but the circumstances themselves.

This story has stirred my imagination! It reminds me of another story I read earlier in the year “House on the Forgotten Coast” by Ruth Coe Chambers – as when I read this one “Once Upon A River” stays with you long after you conclude the story – due to the themes and insights it explores, I felt, ooh I love stories like those! And, that brings back fond memories of ‘House on the Forgotten Coast’!!

As you can see, I went into reading ‘Once Upon A River’ as a new reader into Setterfield’s style of narrative whilst I had the joy of knowing ‘of her stories’ even if I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of joy ‘reading her stories’. It felt like the kind of story you wait to read and discover and then, feel wonderfully blessed for having been selected to read it ahead of publication!

I do enjoy haunting tales – where there is an element of the fantastical & the historical breaching into the background of the narrative itself. Where you are never quite certain as you move through its world – what is real, what is imagined & what is wondrously otherworldly?

Once Upon A River
by Diane Setterfield
Source: Direct from Publisher
Narrator: Juliet Stevenson

From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “eerie and fascinating” ( USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a richly imagined, powerful new novel about how we explain the world to ourselves, ourselves to others, and the meaning of our lives in a universe that remains impenetrably mysterious.

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, Historical-Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Mythological Fantasy

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780743298070

ASIN: B07FKSTRCJ

Published by Atria Books

on 4th December, 2018

Format: Paperback ARC

Length: 16 hours and 27 minutes (unabridged)

Pages: 480

Published By: Atria Books (@AtriaBooks)
{imprint of} Simon & Schuster (@simonschuster)

Converse via: #OnceUponARiver
Available Formats: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audiobook & Ebook

I, admit, I did listen to the audiobook sampler ahead of reading #OnceUponARiver – however, I discontinued listening to it, as instead of being an extract at the beginning of the story, I found myself on page eight (of the ARC) – thereby, I felt a bit in the dark about the placement of the extract and elected to read this at the beginning, as it was a rather ghoulish place to begin the sampler,…

About Diane Setterfield

Diane Setterfield is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale, and a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature, particularly the works of Andre Gide. She lives in Oxford, England.

Photo Credit: Susie Barker

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing | Book Website

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Tuesday, 11 December, 2018 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, Content Note, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Folklore, Folklore and Mythology, Historical Fiction, Horror-Lite, Literary Fiction, Modern British Author, Simon & Schuster