It's been 4 years since the bloody mori roja began, a plague that has wiped out entire towns, except in King Stuart's palace, where nobles, princesses, and servants have spent all this time locked up.
Princess Imogen of Goslind is the king's favorite daughter but lives a false life, in reality, she is not Imogen but Seraphina, a Jewish girl kidnapped to take the place of the princess, always alert in case someone discovers her secret, she wants to leave the castle and look for her family.
Nico Mott was infected and survived, he is immune and now lives as a servant in Lord Crane's manor, one day a girl appears, she was abroad and was not exposed to the plague, she is an immaculate. Crane discovers King Stuart's palace, and he sends Nico to investigate, he says he wants to help them but in reality, has dark plans.
It’s mysterious, dark, creepy, and has gothic vibes, perfect for the spooky season, it's Dual POV, I enjoy both voices, Seraphina's chapters have an air of claustrophobia and decadence, she is witty and spunky. Nico was a sweetheart, smart and brave.
There is romance but it's not the central theme, it's more of a mystery at the beginning and action towards the end, the characters are busy solving clues and staying alive. At first, both have secrets and don't trust each other, but to achieve their goal, they have to reveal themselves and work as a team.
The author's prose feels like a dark fairytale, I enjoy the suspense and how the story is built little by little, along with the characters we discover the villain and how to beat them. The beginning is slow, atmospheric, and suspenseful, it has you hooked, the last quarter is where the action starts, there are twists and turns, fights, blood, and violence. It’s a dark world, where the greatest enemy is no longer the plague, but the nightmares creatures that were born from it.
It’s a fantasy world, inspired by a Poe short story, the world feels medieval but has one element of our world, Jewish people, the author is Jewish and wanted to expose how they were treated during the black plague and other pandemics.
Read it if you want:
Gothic aesthetic
Hidden identity
Haunted Castles
Poe retelling (The Masque of the Red Death)
Just a little of Romance
YA fantasy stand-alone
Princess Imogen of Goslind is the king's favorite daughter but lives a false life, in reality, she is not Imogen but Seraphina, a Jewish girl kidnapped to take the place of the princess, always alert in case someone discovers her secret, she wants to leave the castle and look for her family.
Nico Mott was infected and survived, he is immune and now lives as a servant in Lord Crane's manor, one day a girl appears, she was abroad and was not exposed to the plague, she is an immaculate. Crane discovers King Stuart's palace, and he sends Nico to investigate, he says he wants to help them but in reality, has dark plans.
It’s mysterious, dark, creepy, and has gothic vibes, perfect for the spooky season, it's Dual POV, I enjoy both voices, Seraphina's chapters have an air of claustrophobia and decadence, she is witty and spunky. Nico was a sweetheart, smart and brave.
There is romance but it's not the central theme, it's more of a mystery at the beginning and action towards the end, the characters are busy solving clues and staying alive. At first, both have secrets and don't trust each other, but to achieve their goal, they have to reveal themselves and work as a team.
The author's prose feels like a dark fairytale, I enjoy the suspense and how the story is built little by little, along with the characters we discover the villain and how to beat them. The beginning is slow, atmospheric, and suspenseful, it has you hooked, the last quarter is where the action starts, there are twists and turns, fights, blood, and violence. It’s a dark world, where the greatest enemy is no longer the plague, but the nightmares creatures that were born from it.
It’s a fantasy world, inspired by a Poe short story, the world feels medieval but has one element of our world, Jewish people, the author is Jewish and wanted to expose how they were treated during the black plague and other pandemics.
Read it if you want:
Gothic aesthetic
Hidden identity
Haunted Castles
Poe retelling (The Masque of the Red Death)
Just a little of Romance
YA fantasy stand-alone