Overall Take:
This is a beautiful blend of historical fiction and horror that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Buy a copy, plus the cover is gorgeous.
Star Rating:
5 Stars
Genre:
Historical Fiction, Horror
Synopsis:
Amara is the daughter of the village Capuwa, demon priest. The village once loved him, but since the British’s attempt to colonize the island, things have taken a turn. Now they only rarely call on him.
Someone is attacking men in the jungle, but instead of turning to Amara’s father, they are accusing him.
As Amara works to clear her father’s name, she finds herself haunted by dreams that are predicting the dark forces on the island. She also can’t seem to shake the feeling that this is all tied to the night she was ill.
Thoughts:
I love horror and I love historical fiction. So, I was very excited to dive into this one. I was captivated from the get-go. The prologue sucked me in, and I was on the edge of my seat. This book did have strong gothic vibes, and the pacing to match, so it was on the slow side. The book was very interesting, but the middle was a little tough as the pacing was so slow. The middle wasn’t so slow that I wanted to give up, I just found my mind drifting a little at times and I was able to put the book down. Towards the end of the book the pacing really picked up and I was flying through the pages. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I loved it so much! This story was so complex and beautifully done, and I really enjoyed it.
The story was very creepy and kept me guessing. I loved the different historical elements that were interwoven throughout the book. The folklore and supernatural elements really shined and were forefront and center as well. I love learning about different cultural folklore, so this was rather interesting to me. This was such a fun way to learn.
I found the characters to be well thought out and developed. I really felt for Amara and my heart ached for her. The way her own mother treated her was so sad, even though as the story went on I did understand why her mom did this, I didn’t agree with it.
The author thanked someone at the end for helping her get certain historical elements correct, and I think that research really shined throughout the story. I always love it when authors put effort into getting their historical fiction works historically accurate.
If you are looking for a unique and suspenseful horror / historical fiction novel, then check this one out.
Do be aware that this book does strongly focus on violence against women, and has some gory moments, this could be unsettling to some.
Thanks for my copy to:
Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date:
February 20, 2024
Author:
Amanda Jayatissa
Page Length:
384 pages
Publisher:
Berkley Publishing
Link to buy
Affiliate link
