“And then… disaster. In the shape – as so often in men’s recounting of history – a woman.”
The Darkling Bride is a glorious romp through Irish myth and legend, and I really couldn’t put it down. It’s not my usual cup o’ tea, so to speak, but I am so glad that I requested a review copy and had that request granted! I have no doubt it will be the best Adult fiction title I read this year. Who wouldn’t be sucked in by a generations-old myth come to life in an ancient castle in the middle of nowhere Ireland? Especially when you throw in a heavy dose of family secrets and covered-up scandals, and then sprinkle in a dash (or two) of slow burning Victorian romance?
Like I said, it’ll hook you.
“And that’s what crimes were: stories. Of lust and love and anger and hate, of boredom and alcohol and principle.”
I am a sucker for a bookworm, and Carragh was no exception to that rule. I found her to be an engaging protagonist and I couldn’t blame her at all for taking a job at a supposedly haunted castle in order to try to hunt down a long lost manuscript by her favorite author (formerly a resident and victim of a terrible scandal that prevented him from ever finishing the book he was writing while there). I would have done the same. And, of course, she gets quite a bit more than she bargained for because Deeprath Castle has secrets woven into its’ very bones, secrets that are begging to be uncovered. But there is someone out there who will do anything to stop those secrets from seeing the light of day.
There is quite a bit of mystery here, but it’s not as scary as I was afraid it would be, something I’m grateful for as I like to be able to sleep at not. Instead, the mystery is more unnerving than terrifying, I appreciated that.
I also really liked the use of magical realism (I won’t go into it because I don’t want to spoil anything) and I was absolutely shocked by some of the discoveries made along the way to this book’s conclusion. And not just the ones pertaining to The Infamous Gallagher Family, either. Carragh’s got some interesting nuggets hidden away as well.
Overall, excellently executed mystery, in a lush setting, and abounding in gorgeous prose.
Rating: 5/5 stars