Of Swords and Soulmates

"The Cruel Dark" - I went to a ghostly manor and all I got was...

• Mari • Season 2 • Episode 44

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A crumbling manor, a lost past, and a love that refuses to stay buried—this one had us arguing, laughing, and rethinking what makes a gothic romance actually work. We dive into The Cruel Dark’s 1928 setting, the eerie allure of overgrown gardens and empty halls, and a professor whose grief and magnetism complicate everything. Along the way, we unpack whether the story leans supernatural or psychological, how poison lore (hello, datura) shapes both plot and metaphor, and why some twists satisfy while others feel like the floor just vanished under your feet.

We split on pacing and predictability, which made for a lively roundtable. Some of us wanted more breadcrumb trails toward the culprit; others loved being blindsided. We talk craft—how to seed a reveal without yelling it—and romance—how amnesia flips power dynamics and turns a brooding guardian into a man learning to love a partner who’s no longer the same. The companion novella gets a shout for deepening character stakes without breaking the original book’s perspective.

If you’re into modern gothic romance with clear trigger cues and strong vibes, we’ve got you covered with read‑alikes: Jane Eyre, Crimson Peak, Mexican Gothic, What Moves the Dead, and more. We also preview Romanticy Con, the authors on our must‑meet list, and the nerdy gear hacks we’re packing to survive long signing lines with style. Press play for atmosphere, argument, and a pile of recommendations that’ll keep your TBR haunted in the best way.

Enjoyed the conversation? Tap follow, rate the show, and share this episode with a friend who loves crumbling mansions and messy hearts. Your reviews help other romantasy readers find us—tell us where you landed on the twist!

Links from the News Segment and Show

  • Sequel to Shield of Sparrows has been announced
  • Between by L L Starling audiobook now available on audiobook
  • New special edition of Quicksilver from Lilac Library
  • Juliette Cross’s sequel to her Wraith King releases October 2025
  • Leigh Bardugo releasing a new Six of Crows story - A Darker Shore
  • Sebastian Nothwell’s Oak King Holly King available on audiobook
  • An Outstretched Hand: A Tarot Spread of Queer Stories - anthology with several notable author

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Intro:

Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants. The hosts make no claims to be literary experts, and their opinions are exactly that. Opinions. All creative works discussed or refused are the intellectual property of the creators of said stories, and is being used under the fair use doctrine.

Mari:

Hello and welcome to Of Swords as Soulmates, a podcast where we read, watch, and discuss romanticy stories. I'm one of your hosts, Mari, and with me I have Kelly.

Kelly:

Hey everyone, it's Kelly. We also have Ashley.

Ashley:

Hey guys, it's Ashley. We also have Jonathan.

Jonathan:

Ooh, was that spooky enough? It's JP. How's everybody doing today? Is this this is this is the Halloween edition?

Mari:

This is. This is the spooky episode. So today we're going to be discussing The Cruel Dark by Bia. I should I probably should have looked up how to say her name. It's B-E-A by Bia. We're going to say Northwick. But first, as always, some news. So starting off, there is this the sequel to Shield of Sparrows has been announced. It will be coming out April 27th of next year. And it's going to be called Rites of the Starling. They haven't released the cover image yet, but the name and the date is out. And if it seems like from what the author's saying, it's going to be like the first book where if you like pre-order it or buy it early, they're going to have special edges and everything. And then after those are sold out, they're sold out. Um no pressure, guys. Yeah. Has has has anybody read that but me?

Ashley:

I was just going to say no, but I feel like you really enjoyed that one, right?

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I I think it was fun. It wasn't like the best thing I've ever read, but it really, like, I still think about it. And I'm like, well, what's going to happen to this and how are they going to resolve this? And it's been a few months and I've read a good many books in between. So to me, that's good enough that it's still stuck in my head that I am I'm intrigued. So I'm, yeah, I will definitely be reading the sequel. And probably as soon as they show like the special order one or whatever with the special edges, sprayed edges, whatever it is, I'll probably order that one. Because the first one I got was a fancy one with sprayed edges. And I think that was just because I found it in a bookstore. Like I think it was like I was at maybe visiting my parents in Barnes, and there was a Barnes and O books. We don't have one here. And I think that's where I saw it. It's a fun read. Maybe we can read it for the podcast before that April of next year, and maybe in March or something of next year. And then if you guys like it, you'll have you won't have to wait long for the sequel.

Ashley:

Like the way you think. I think I bought it and I might have told you about it, but I maybe I bought it just because I'd seen a video on like TikTok or something, and I I did buy it without knowing anything about it. And so now it is on my shelf somewhere.

Mari:

I think it's supposed to be three books total, so it's not like it's gonna be a huge and law involved series. Like I think it's just three books.

Ashley:

Um looks like there's an audio, Jonathan.

Jonathan:

Oh yeah, it says audio coming.

Intro:

Yeah.

Ashley:

Well, I meant for Shield of Sparrows.

Jonathan:

Oh, okay.

Mari:

Yeah, so there's already one for yeah, for Shield of Sparrows. So maybe we can do that towards the beginning of next year. How do you guys feel about that?

Jonathan:

Oh, that's fun. I'm I've tried I follow blindly in the stuff. Is that the first one, Ashley?

Mari:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

Oh, well then you gotta get this second one that get the match set.

Mari:

Yeah, this one is the spray trick's. Yeah, it's pretty. The first one is pretty for sure. Kelly, you down to read that next year?

Jonathan:

Sure.

Mari:

Cool. It's a thick one, Kelly.

Ashley:

I know those are your feet.

Mari:

This is why I'm saying it ahead of time. We'll have plenty of time to read.

Ashley:

She a thick girl.

Mari:

It's yeah.

Jonathan:

Big letters, big letters, though.

Ashley:

It is. It actually is a larger part of the game.

Mari:

Yeah, I think it went pretty fast. Like, I don't remember it dragging on any parts. You know what I mean? Like some of these, whether it's a thick book or not, sometimes books drag a little bit. I don't remember it dragging. I thought it was a pretty fast read for the size it was.

Ashley:

It's like high praise from you.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. Because like there's it's not necessarily a bad thing. Like, there's plenty of books I've liked that still have parts that drag. But I thought this one was like it didn't have any any down spots. So all right. Next bit of news is the book Between by LL Starling. The audiobook for that book is now available on Libby and on all the audiobook platforms. So it was available last year as an audiobook. I bought it last year, I read it last year. It it it was like my entire fall read last year because it was I listened to it as an audiobook last year. It was 32 hours. Oh it was the longest book I read last year. I was gonna say SJM or what? Yeah, it was, it was, it was, yeah, but it was very, very good. And it's basically two books in one. It's not heavy. It's like a it has a fairy tale, like a light fairy tale vibe about it, kind of like a compass to the villain, that kind of a vibe. So it's not, it's not, it doesn't have a lot of heavy, heaviness to it. Um and it basically has a regular town and then like a a bridge or a gate or whatever into like a fairyland kind of town. And the first half of the book is told from one character's perspective, and then the second half of the book is told from another character's perspective. Um so it it all it basically is like two books in one. But I think I started reading it like in August last year and finished it in November. So it was my entire fall read, but I wasn't like rushing to get through it because I was enjoying just being in that world for a little bit every day. But anyways, it's now available like on Libby and stuff and in all the all the audiobook platforms. I would recommend it if anyone wants like a a fall light comedic. Um it's got a little bit of I'm trying to remember if I don't think it has any spice actually, but it's got a little bit of like glimpses and kisses, so it's got a little bit of romance, but it's not it doesn't even take that very seriously. Like it's very um irreverent, is the word I would use. It's very irreverent.

Ashley:

My library has not jumped on the LL Starling train yet. So I will keep looking.

Mari:

I think I think because I'm on the author's Facebook group where she's like active or whatever, and I think she has finished writing the sequel, but it's not available. There's no like date or anything where it's gonna be out. But I know that there is gonna be a sequel, and I believe she's finished writing it. Um there is a a special, a new special edition of Quicksilver that's by Lilac Library. Lilac Library does they do full like books, book special editions, but also do like the fancy covers. Like if you guys remember on the picture we had for when we did Fourth Wing, those black and metal covers I had on the on the picture, those were Lilac Library dust covers. Um, they have dust covers for a lot of major books, but this is like a whole book, and it's got like special contact by content by Callie Hart, and it's got like the edges are have an image, it's got interior pictures on both sides at the end pages, it's got a whole like picture on the cover, and then it's got a whole dust cover situation. Um, it's 46 bucks, it's available for purchase now, and it ships February of next year. Dang.

Jonathan:

It looks delightful, absolutely.

Ashley:

It looks really pretty pretty, yeah.

Jonathan:

Yeah.

Ashley:

It's very, from what I remember, representative of the story. Like this, this has nailed it for sure.

Mari:

That more than any version I've seen of as far as pictures and all, I I agree. Like they did a really good job with it.

Jonathan:

I don't even think that's a bad price tag picture. I think it's a good, I think it's a good price pack.

Ashley:

I mean, I think you're getting a lot of quality for that price. Yeah.

Mari:

And like I said, I've never ordered a book from them, but I've ordered several dust covers, like slip jackets or whatever, from them. And they've all been very high quality. They've come, you know, shipped well, where they're not bent or anything, and and on time when when they said it would come. And it's good quality, like the slip covers. Um, I've got the fourth wing, iron flame, dust covers, and I believe they're the same people that I got my throwing of glass slip covers from too.

Ashley:

I do wish they would make this into a dust cover. Same because I I know that Callie Hart's super excited, you know, for the new versions that are dropping. Yeah. Um and we love her, right? Like we love Callie. Yeah. But this is stunning, and I would I would pay money for a slipcover.

Mari:

Right. And to me, slipcovers like the way that you satisfy lots of people. Yeah. Um, I don't know if you guys have seen, and I I guess I should probably should have linked it here, but there was like just this little snippet of like a video thing I saw. I don't know when this was recorded, but Callie Hart was sitting with someone in an interview, and it was like it, it was almost like a panel like con setting. There were people in an audience, and the the the image was of her and the person that was interviewing her. And the snippet that I saw was her talking about the slip covers or the the the image on the front, not the slip covers, I'm sorry, the image on the front of the original Quicksilver, and how people hated it, hated to the point where they would like message her about it. They would feel necessary to comment, say that they hated it, that it was just the worst thing ever, that it was AI, that just all sorts of things, which is why she changed it. And I mean, there's still people that were unhappy about that, but it was just like authors should have the right to portray their world and their covers of their slides, you know, of their books, whatever, however they want. If you don't like it, then you get a slip cover for it.

Ashley:

And not for nothing, but she was self-publishing under that cover. So, like, you know, time, resources, money, all that stuff is limited.

Mari:

I think, and I'm not sure because I I didn't delve into it further, but the way she made it sound, I think she's the one who made the image. She is. I'm just like, so not only are you telling the author you made a bad choice, you're telling the artist you suck.

Ashley:

Yeah. Like, man. I think that was probably the hardest part for her. That's horrible. Yeah, I actually liked the original cover too. I thought it was, you know, impactful. I was, you know, like it's not that it's it's not what this is, like Lilac Library. Like, there's no competing against that. But like I wasn't upset by it. I've seen like, you know, merch and stuff on the socials with those symbols, and it's, you know, you know exactly what it is. Right. I think that's really what that struck me. Like from then on, I knew, you know, what the story was. Like anytime I saw that image, I was gonna trace it back to this book.

Mari:

Yeah.

Ashley:

So I think that's why the new covers were let down for me personally, because I I did enjoy the original, but like I understand that when you move over to like major publishing that changes are gonna happen, you know?

Mari:

Yeah. And I'm like, if you don't like it, get a slip cover. Like, there's there's plenty out there. Right, you know, right? Make your own, whatever. If it's that big of a deal, you know, if it's really gonna affect the way you enjoy the inside of the book, there are ways to change that.

Ashley:

Sure.

Mari:

So all right. Next little bit of news I have is that Juliet Cross announced her sequel to The Wraith King. Um, it's coming out very shortly, like in a few days after this episode airs. It's coming out October 28th. It's gonna be called The Beast Lord. The image is really cool. It's just like the Wraith King had that really highly illustrated, really cool cover. This one has a very like artistic illustrated cover, too. Oh, pretty. Yeah, right. Dang.

Jonathan:

Which one?

Mari:

The Beast Lord is the one I'm talking about, but they're both very pretty.

Jonathan:

Which one is pretty?

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. I I'm not gonna lie, I bought the Wraith King hardcover, like unseen, because I was like, oh, it's Juliet Cross, and it's really pretty.

Ashley:

So I do have the right having not bought it at the book con last year.

Jonathan:

Maybe either this year.

Ashley:

Um I don't know that she does it in that same cover anymore.

Jonathan:

Yeah, I like her co I like I think I like her cozier stuff. Um like quite honestly, I have a hard time seeing her in two different ways.

Mari:

Changes your mind. You know, different authors have different voices for different types of books. It's like T. Kingfisher is another one that does this. So I'm not a fan of T. Kingfisher's horror, but I love T. Kingfisher's romance and fairy tale retellings. But I'm not a fan of her horror. Same thing with Juliet Cross. Like, I love her like whatever Staya Spell is. Her like modern, paranormal, cozy romance, whatever that is, those books, I love those. Like, I reread Wolfgone Wild again last month.

Jonathan:

I saw I saw that on Goodreads. I was like, oh, she's I was like, wait, she uh she just does a reread. I got it.

Mari:

Because we went to New Orleans, and I'm like, what's gonna make me feel like I'm all headed to New Orleans? Well, I'm gonna listen to this on the plane, and that's what it I listened to on the plane.

Jonathan:

Um you gone into her new stuff yet?

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. I I am not as big of a fan of her like darker romance fantasy, which is what Wraith King is, it's a darker vibe, just like oh, what was the other one called? Phoenix Rising?

Jonathan:

Firebird. Is that uh Firebird?

Mari:

Firebird. Firebird had that kind of darkness to it too, that I don't like it as much. I don't like her voice in in that as much. Um, but I'm also not as much of a fan of that type of like dark romance, isn't it's very particular niches of dark romance that I like. So it's just not really true.

Jonathan:

I might try to give Firebird a read before it over in the next week. Oh, so much to do unless you're gonna be able to do that.

Mari:

I know the trigger warnings.

Jonathan:

Maybe I'll give Firebird a rest then, because I I can't.

Mari:

Firebird's kind of a big one. And it's it's also heavy because it's based off of ancient Rome. So, you know, there's a lot of heavy topics in in ancient Rome. So yeah, I'm I'm trying my goal. So, listeners, so you can have a little peek behind the curtain. Today is the 18th of October, and this this episode airs just before Romanticy Con. So we're trying real hard to get as much read as we can of the people who will be at Romanticy Con. I know I've got like three or four books I'm gonna try and finish from people who are gonna be there. Not that I'm gonna finish them, but I'm gonna try.

Jonathan:

So I've been pretty good about like trying to like as soon as I'm done reading to label them and put them in in the cart and then to take them up with me. But yeah, there's a few that I I'm just now understanding how T VRs get out of control.

Ashley:

Yes. It all makes sense.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. Next bit of news is Leah Bardugo. She's releasing a new Six of Crows story. It's a short story, it's called A Darker Shore, and it takes place after Crooked Kingdom. So it's gonna release June 30th, 2026. I will probably buy this and read this and enjoy it because I that's that series on Netflix and then afterwards going reading it is what like got me back into reading after the pandemic. Like it sparned this TBR monster I have now. I especially the the Six of Crows storyline. Like, I love their storyline. I would I hate that the show got canceled before more of their story got told. Yeah. But I am excited about this. I think I think it'd be good to to see a little bit more of of what's gonna be happening uh with them. And I might do a reread before before it gets there. Ash, you've read the Grisha Virge stuff, right?

Ashley:

I started. I did not finish. It did not I remember you always saying that you liked the si the Six of Crows. Yeah um part of it better, and I don't think I think I started book two.

Mari:

You're not quite there.

Ashley:

No, yeah, like it just it was not grabbing me. Yeah. But I think I have I definitely have book one and two. I don't know if I have book three. I really wanted to because I think that was when you and I really started getting into the weeds of the books that we were reading. You were so excited about it. And I think Jonathan and I had started watching the series, we might have finished, you know, season one. But like to your point, it didn't finish, right? Like they stopped it. Yeah. And so I was like, what's the point?

Mari:

Yeah.

Intro:

Yeah.

Mari:

Kelly, how you you read some of them, right? Or did you read all of them?

Kelly:

I only read a couple.

Mari:

Okay.

Kelly:

Mostly the ones with the crows.

Intro:

Yeah.

Mari:

Those are the, in my opinion, the better ones. Um I don't know. I they they yeah, they called me more. They were very well-written personalities. They were like very fully fledged. Nobody was truly good or truly bad. They felt like fully formed people.

Ashley:

Yeah. I remember you raving about them. Yeah.

Mari:

So I'm excited about that. Even though I think it's I think it's a very short story. Like I think it's like 60 pages or something. There's not a whole lot to it, but still excited. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Last little bit of news I have is our friend Sebastian Nothwell has been super busy. So he, the Oak King Holly King book that we read is available in audiobook now. Um, the audiobook is performed by Gary Furlong, and he's also contributed to a fantasy anthology that's coming out next month, November 11th, 2025. It's called An Outstretched Hand, a Tarot Tarot Spread of Queer Stories. So it's going to be a story, a story by him, by R.K. Ashwick, Luna Day, Tess Carletta, Carolina Cruz, and Noah Hawthorne. Um I I have an arc of it, but I haven't started reading it yet. But the synopsis of the different stories sound pretty cool. So it's like a little bit of a dark, like spooky vibe. Not necessarily like scary. It's not horror, but I think they're gonna have a little bit of a of a of a spooky kind of vibe to them. Okay. So yeah, I'm I'm curious to see how those go. I finally read something else by him. I read Mr. Warren's Profession, which is his like historical romance. Um, and it was really good. I really enjoyed it.

Ashley:

Um I did enjoy his tone like the books.

Mari:

Yeah. Like it felt like it was written in in that era, but it also didn't feel like convoluted or hard to read.

Ashley:

Authentic.

Mari:

Yeah, right. Yeah. So yeah, that was that was good. Anyone else have any news tidbits?

Intro:

No.

Ashley:

I don't.

Mari:

I don't think so.

Jonathan:

I I don't.

Mari:

Okay. So why we chose this book? We wanted to read a book for Halloween for spooky month, and we wanted to read another book by an author that was going to be at Romantic Con if possible. So there's a lot of authors at Romantic Con this year that I did not know anything about. And also we wanted to make sure we get one that was like spooky and one that was available on audiobook and that we could all have access to. So I went on the Fabled Fantasy Discord and I was like, hey guys, looking for a spooky read. And this is the one of the ones that they recommended. So we decided to read it. It was new to all of us. And so I'm gonna read a little bit about it, and then we can get into details. This book was published October 31st, 2023, so Halloween. Millicent Foxborough is haunted, not by ghosts, but by the anguish of her past and the uncertainty of her future. After all, even in the progressive year of 1928, most people would balk at hiring a woman who'd spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia. So when an uncommon assistantship to a reclusive professor of mythology falls into her lap with an ungodly salary attached, her desperation for stability overrides her cautious nature. To Millie's dismay, the widowed professor Caleb Hughes and his estate, Willowfield, are more than she bargained for. The once magnificent home, known for its sprawling gardens and dazzling parties, is falling to pieces after the death of the professor's fragile wife. What's more, the staff has been reduced to the only three people not frightened away by rumors of ghosts, leaving the halls empty and languishing in bitter memories. The professor himself is a grim, intense man with unclear expectations, unpredictable moods, and hungry eyes that ignite Millie's own dormant passions. The closer she finds herself drawn to Professor Hughes and his strange world of flowers and folklore, the more the house closes in, threatening to reveal her secrets. But the professor is keeping secrets of his own, and the most dangerous of all is hers to discover. So I will say this before we get into any discussion. I'm pretty sure as we get into discussion, there will be mention of mental health issues and or mention of miscarriage. So if that is something that is a trigger situation for anyone, you may want to skip this or maybe look at the trigger warnings and decide if it's for you or not before you go on. That being said, somebody other than Ash or I who went first multiple times, what did you guys think?

Jonathan:

Kelly, you want to rock paper scissors me for it?

Mari:

You want to sort of I think you've been volatile, Jonathan. Dang.

Jonathan:

Um okay, so medium to okay on my end. I thought the story started out real well. And then as it progressed, I started to kind of like piece some stuff together in my head. But then I'm not gonna lie, I think the author did something that I'm not always super keen on, and that they just kind of invented an ending out of thin air for me. And there were like there was nothing I would could look back on to like tie things together, and I don't like when people do that. So it felt rushed for you. And with that said, like I know we're inventing a story. Like I'm not, I don't expect I'm not like a I didn't read like, hey, this is true events. No, that I know this is an invention of somebody's or somebody's creative work, but I feel like out of out of when you have a story out of ingredients that you've introduced throughout a story, then you have you can build an ending. And I don't think that fully occurred for me or like it didn't bring you along for the ending. Yeah, it just they were just yeah, they were just like, ha, gotcha. And I was like, Well you got everybody because this you weren't even we nobody was like, yeah, it's yeah, they the the the per the person responsible existed, yeah. But like there was you gave no hints throughout the book. Like, come on. Like some murder, like murder she wrote has a ton of hints, right? But like there should be, I felt like there should have been g give us a little bit more to chase is all. That's all otherwise I I enjoyed it. Yeah, I could I could as I was reading it, I could envision the the characters' faces in my mind. Like I just I could I could relate to it and and just think like like who's the who's the guy who played on Drew Carey, but like the the the goofy sidekick but with the dark hair, like that guy. I forget I don't even know what other roles that guy played in.

Ashley:

Yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about.

Jonathan:

He's a swell dude. I saw him a bunch.

Mari:

Okay.

Jonathan:

Yeah. How about you, Kelly?

Kelly:

What were your thoughts, Kelly? I didn't care for this book that much. I think that the pacing wasn't very good. The romance pacing was off. It felt didn't feel right. I think the characters, while interesting, were fairly predictable. I think the big plot twist was very predictable. It's not the first time that kind of plot twist has been done in literature or film. So kind of expected, wasn't really surprised. I don't know.

Ashley:

I just it wasn't for you.

Kelly:

It wasn't for me. I felt this was more like trying to be a suspense book. Like the author set out to the author set out to write a book that had parallels to Crimson Peaks or something similar, but just couldn't bring it together.

Ashley:

Should you want to go next or should I? Yeah, no, I'll go next. I like the book. I don't maybe I'm the silly one. I like the book. I didn't think it was I didn't feel too predictable. I I didn't see that one big plot twist that happened. Jonathan said he did, so then I felt silly. But I don't know. I think I don't go looking for the patterns, right? For me, this is supposed to be entertainment. I want to feel blind going in. And I thought it was, you know, it did a really good job, you know, explaining and and vis giving that visual of this wild estate, you know, wild being like massive and haunted and mythical and the gardens, right? And and all the things that are in there and what they represent. I I thought for a short book it did a really good job. It didn't feel like a novella, right? Like it was bigger than a novella, but it was smaller than a novel. And I think it did, it definitely felt wrapped up, you know, with a a really crisp bow at the end, but I wasn't mad at it. I got my closure. I feel good about it. I liked it.

Mari:

Okay. I I very much enjoyed this. I read well, I listened to it. This is one that I listened to. So we were doing a lot of driving back and forth, so I opted to listen to it. And I wasn't crazy about some of the voices, but the story itself for like maybe three quarters of it, I thought it was gonna be a Jane Eyre retelling. That's what it felt like. Like I didn't think that going in, but once we started listening to everything, I'm like, oh, this is Jane Eyre in the 1920s. Has anyone has anyone else read Jane Eyre? Or do you know the storyline to Jane Eyre? Mm-mm. Yeah. So you know, was that yes or no? I'm sorry. That was a no for no okay. So it's like it's a classic book. It's like Charlotte Bronte, like 180-year-old book. So spoilers for this 180-year-old book. Um, but like let me say this. I don't know if you ever plan to read this. Do you mind if I talk about spoilers? No, please. Okay. Um, so basically, and Jonathan, you you're okay with it too?

Jonathan:

Yeah, I'm cool with it.

Mari:

Okay, so Jane Eyre is a really good book, but it's also a gothic romantic romance book. It is in Jane Eyre, you have a woman who comes from like not a lot of means, and she is contracted to this isolated big mansion out in, I don't know, the moors, and there's this surly, moody, dark professor type, Mr. Rushester. Um, and Jane Eyre and him end up having this this flame like there is here, and to the point where well she she keeps hearing things in the house, she's not allowed on the third floor, there's very little help there. The staff is very cold to her. Like it is absolutely this book. I'm like, is this just a Jane Eyre retelling? Yeah. And I'm like, oh my god, is this is this what's happening? So in in Jane Eyre, she gets engaged to Mr. Rochester, and then all how breaks loose because it turns out that Mr. Rochester's first wife wasn't really dead. She was locked up in the attic because she had gone mad. Oh shit. Um Yeah. So I thought that that was fully where this is going. I'm like, oh my god, don't go on the third floor. She's seeing this ghost, but it's not really ghost, but it's the prior wife that nobody talks about. You know what I mean? I was like, this is exactly this book. And I think Bea Northwick tricked me. She's like, anyone who's read Jane Eyre, she was like, this is gonna be Jane Eyre. Like, you I didn't tell you it was gonna be Jane Eyre, but you know, you and I know this is Jane Eyre. And then it wasn't. And then it wasn't. And I was like, wait, what? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed this a lot because I was like, oh, I know what's happening. I know what's gonna happen here. And then it I did not. And then you didn't. And then you didn't. I in fact did not know what was happening. So there were some parts that were predictable, which I'm okay with. I don't have to be like fully blown away by plot twists to enjoy a story. I thought it was really interesting. And I I don't know anything, I'm not a mental health profession professional. So but I thought it was really interesting the idea of like she kind of had to find herself again to have to get get all these memories. Like it was like she was haunting herself, which is very like tragic and yeah, gothic and haunting and just yeah, really interesting. I feel like there were plenty of breadcrumbs for the the datura for the poison because it was mentioned pretty early on. And it's even the flower on the cover of the book. But I did not think that the Gardner situation was in any way hinted at. So I agree, that part came out of like left field for me. But I enjoyed this to the point that I then read the novella that comes after this, the companion novella, which is very short, but it's basically the events told from Mr. Hughes' viewpoint. It's called Lover. And oh my god, this book like is haunting my brain. Yeah, because think about it. Imagine we're all married here. Look to your spouse. Imagine that your spouse died tragically in your house. And it's been a year, you're broken, you are just trying to exist in life, trying to get past this horrible trauma in your life, and then you get a call that wait, they didn't actually die, but they're not gonna know you. And we have to try and do all this to get them to like get better, and you have to like treat your spouse like a stranger. Right. Like Jonathan would never it it just got me. Like, I know it's a crazy concept, it's a wild concept, but it just it was just like the the the novella really fleshed out the book, but I don't think that she could have written his viewpoint into the original book and and not messed up the story. So I think it had to be a separate story, yeah. Um but it really rounded out their whole story and also his viewpoint as they are getting to like as she is finding herself, he realizes that she's not she's still not the same woman he married because she's like found her own power. Millie has like she comes into herself, she is more saving herself and has more confidence in herself and can take care of herself. Um, more so where when they were first dating, he was always her knight in shining armor. He was always the one protecting her, saving her. And through everything that she went through, when they do finally get together again for their second chance, she is a different person. And, you know, all of us here have been with our spouses for a while, whether we were married or not, we've been with each other for a while, and we all know that that person sitting in that room across from you is not the same person that you married, and and you're not the same person they married. Like life changes you, and you have all these versions of yourself that you go through at different stages of your life. Um, and it's kind of like in a weird, twisted goth romance way, it was like a second chance romance, the story was, among everything else that it was. I enjoyed it. Like the only reason I did not give it five stars is because I'm not sure that this is something I would reread. Because now that I know everything that happened, I don't know. And maybe come this time next year I'll feel like rereading it and I may change it to five stars. But for now, it's a very strong four-star, like very high read for me. Um, I just don't know that it's one I'm gonna reread over and over. And you guys know that's my qualifier for like a five-star read. It's one something that I reread over and over.

Ashley:

I feel like it's a four and a half though, because you went and chased down the novella.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. It's a high, yeah, very high. Yes. A high four. Yeah. I enjoyed it. It was it was it was uh good for this time of year. It was had some of that dark twistedness where you don't know is it magical, is it haunted, what's going on here? Um, yeah, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot. I yeah, I will probably I I think Bia has one more book. She's only written, I think, three. So it's this one, the novella that goes with it, and then a book called Black Wicket. So I will probably read that one too. Because I'm I'm kind of liking her voice and her style.

Ashley:

So yeah, I think I'm not super great about going back and like reading more from an author I enjoyed. I think it's like my form of ADHD. Like I love it, I love it, I love it, but I don't always remember to go back and look for more. There's so many good stuff out there. Yeah. I'm definitely distracted. But I think, you know, if I if I was scrolling, right, like Doom Scrolling through Kindle Unlimited as one does, I I would pause, you know, when I see her name now moving forward, and I'll be, you know, I'll be like, oh, that was good before. This is probably worth, you know, looking into. Right. Um, but I I did. I I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot twists, whether they were predictable or not. I definitely saw that she was being poisoned. I thought it was Felicity, though.

Mari:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

I thought it was Felicity. Like because there's contact throughout the book.

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

The the brother's only there a couple times. Just like, whoop, hey, oh, I'm here. What's up?

Mari:

I think it was Felicity, but I think the brother was like bullying her into doing it until she finally got like guilty and decided to come clean. Right.

Jonathan:

Yeah. It was almost like they were like, hey, this is too predictable. How do you throw a curveball in at the end?

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

And then maybe the brother was just an edit later. Like, let's go. I said that ending and add them in.

Ashley:

It makes it just as good. Like, I was pleased. I was glad that it wasn't Felicity.

Intro:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

It's it's it's a much more mature and less comical overboard. The movie style.

Mari:

It definitely has some overboard elements for sure.

Ashley:

I don't know how I feel about that one.

Jonathan:

Hey, Overboard's a kissing movie.

Ashley:

It is.

Jonathan:

Have it on good authority.

Ashley:

I don't disagree with that. I need to think about this being it about it being connected to the book though. What do you think, Kelly?

Kelly:

I mean, it shares a lot of the same elements, but I mean the whole amnesia thing in this type of setting is pretty overdone. There's tons of stories that use it.

Mari:

Who's done it the best? I have oh, I have something. I I think 51st dates.

Kelly:

Oh, that was good. That was great.

Jonathan:

That was good job, Kelly. That's a kissing book.

Mari:

That is a kissing book. I'm trying to figure out if this is gonna be a spoiler or not.

Kelly:

Or I mean, even better, probably the Muppets Take Manhattan.

Ashley:

We don't watch the Muppets in my house.

Kelly:

You can't do weapons.

Mari:

I do. Muppets Take Manhattan was good. I think for me, the best the book that did the amnesia situation the best was Project Hail Mary. Main character wakes up and can't remember anything, and they're in a ship in space. That's the beginning of the book.

Ashley:

A ship in space? Yeah. Ashley writes down notes.

Mari:

I there's a movie coming out. Don't look at anything about the movie. Don't watch the trailer. Read the book first. The book is an experience. It was so good. Like so good.

Ashley:

No time.

Mari:

Because you're figuring it out like the main character is. And and it's done very well. It's not done in a heavy-handed or in a tropey way. Yes. I would absolutely recommend this. But you don't want to find out too much because you don't you want to have preconceived notions. I would say absolutely read it.

Intro:

Okay.

Ashley:

Did you write it down, husband?

Jonathan:

No, I was busy looking at the synopsis for a while you were sleeping.

Mari:

Distracted. All right. So while you guys do well, let's say it's so I I guess we all agree it's a kissing book.

Jonathan:

Wait, what? Yeah. This one?

Mari:

Yeah. Yeah.

Jonathan:

I'll give it, I'll give it a yeah.

Mari:

What do you think, Kelly?

Jonathan:

Yeah, it's a kissing book.

Mari:

I agree. Like it's none of this would have happened without the romance. Like, yeah, 100%. That wouldn't have been worthwhile. But while you you look up the while you were sleeping situation, I will say I have some recommendations. If anyone liked this book, I would recommend Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Like I know it's like a 180-year-old book, and we may have all been forced to read books in school that we didn't like. But if you like this this book, or if you sounds like you might like this book, then I would give Jane Eyre a try. There's also several movie adaptations of it if you don't want to read it, but you would probably enjoy Jane Eyre if you enjoyed this book. Um also Crimson Peak, which is a movie that Guillermo del Toro did, which is so beautifully visually done. It's so well done that they then did a book adaptation of the movie, and the book feels like an original gothic romance book. Um the book was written by the book adaptation of the movie is written by Nancy Holder. Would absolutely recommend. North Anchor Abbey by Jane Austen. Would absolutely recommend. One of the main characters is obsessed with gothic romances. Phantasma by Kaylee Smith. You read that one, wasn't it? Yeah. Right? I would say the similar vibes. Yeah. So Phantasma for sure. And there's a sequel which I've not read yet. Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno Garcia, which is very much like this kind of vibe, but also a little bit of a Edgar Allan Poe Fall of the House of Usher retelling mixed in. Along those lines, What Moves the Dead by T. King Fisher is kind of another Fall of the House of Usher retelling, which also has similar vibes to this. Phantom of the Opera, the book by Christian LaRoe. Not that long. Absolutely has these vibes. She wrote The Vampires of El Norte that we read recently. Um The Yellow Wallpaper. It's a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Highly recommend if you like this book. It's a haunting short story. It's a very good short story. And The Haunting of Heatherhurst Hall by Sebastian Nothwell. So you got a whole list of gothic romance stories. If this is the vibe that you're you're falling into, would highly recommend. Yeah.

Ashley:

That was a spicy one.

Mari:

Yeah. Jonathan, did you find your answers?

Jonathan:

I went down a whole different rabbit hole.

Mari:

We'll never know now.

Jonathan:

So I'm so sorry. I got distracted this weekend. Big time. Yeah. I think this. I might I've had a whole conversation in my head in the last 30 seconds, just so you know. And nobody else was there.

Ashley:

Well, tighten up, bro. We're on here right now.

Jonathan:

My bad.

Ashley:

Focus, focus. Lock it in.

Mari:

Um, anything else anybody wants to say about the book?

Ashley:

Um. Although I would not like to live in a mansion estate like that. No.

Jonathan:

It's too much, too much maintenance.

Ashley:

Love stuff.

Mari:

Yeah. Like those old houses needed all that stuff for a reason. Like it had to have so much maintenance and upkeep. It was like its own little ecosystem. You know, and when they start to fall apart, like they fall apart. Like Crimson Peak is like that. It's this beautiful, gorgeous house in England, and it is falling apart, you know? Which is, you know, happened to a lot of places. Like a lot of these old houses or mansions or like, you know, historical places. If there was nobody or no money into or no ability to keep them up, they just fall apart.

Ashley:

I also would not like a house that talks back. No thanks.

Mari:

Yeah. Yeah. So do you guys think that there was any supernatural elements in this book? Or do you think it was I think it was all the drug, all the datura. It was hallucinations, is my is what I feel out of it.

Jonathan:

Well, is it can a drug, can a drug be considered supernatural?

Mari:

No. It's natural. Like by definition, it was a flower. It was of nature.

Jonathan:

Yeah.

Ashley:

Jonathan read this book like two weeks ago.

Jonathan:

Yeah. I read it when I read it as it was assigned.

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

And then I had a way.

Mari:

You gave us a little bit too much time for this homework. I had to like- I think I just finished it yesterday and then I finished the follow-up little novella today. So it's fresh for me. And then I was like, wait, is this Datura really exist? It does. And it really is like that bad where like touching it can can do stuff to your skin, smelling it can be poisonous. Um, like it's it's not good. It's really pretty. It's also goes by the name the Devil's Trumpet. It's a very pretty looking plant.

Ashley:

Oh, so that name I recognize. Yeah. Interesting. Mm-hmm. I definitely like when they do their homework and they make, you know, those parts really authentic.

Mari:

So it's funny. Hemlock and silver that T. Kingfisher recently released is the it's like the story of Snow White, but told from the viewpoint of this woman who's like, she reach researches poisons to find antidotes. So the Snow White's father comes to her to like get her to save Snow White. So T. Kingfisher was at Drancon and did like a panel, and she was talking about like she had to do all this research on poisons because this her main character was a poisoner. Like that was her bread and butter. She knew, like that was her obsession, that was what she did. That was her you know vocation. And so she had to get stuff right, and she had to know all this stuff, and she had to like do all this research, and she was like turned to her husband, and she's like, You cannot possibly die while I'm researching this. So the next I will be suspect number one.

Ashley:

Right. For the next 36 months, you are the pinnacle of health, dear. That's funny.

Mari:

Oh, yeah, yeah. But I'd say that this author definitely also did her research on poisons and stuff, at least as far as I did. I didn't do deep research, but I was like, oh, okay. Detour is a real thing. Devil's trumpet. Oh, I've seen what that flower looks like. Oh, this is what's on the cover. Okay. This all checks out. Legit. Yeah. All right. Anything else we want to say about the book or anything else before we wrap it up?

Jonathan:

Um come and if you're it if you're listening to this on Thursday, the was it the 23rd?

Ashley:

Um I don't know what day it is anymore.

Jonathan:

Yeah. If you're listening to this on then and you wake up in the Orlando area on the 24th or the 25th, swing by RomancyCon will be meandering around.

Ashley:

With a ticket, though.

Jonathan:

Yeah, oh yeah, you should bring a ticket. That's the best way to get in.

Ashley:

Yeah. They're particular about that these days. Yeah. But yeah. And if you're gonna be at the con, like find us. Um we should get name tags, you guys.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah. Well, we'll have little bookmarks to give away if if if you'd like one. And I have the book cart that I'm gonna have is like tan, and it's got a big, huge sticker that is our logo on it. It is bigger than my head. So look for that and you'll find us.

Jonathan:

Absolutely.

Mari:

Minus Kelly. Kelly won't be there this this year, but you'll see the three of us there. So come by, say hi. You know, we won't bite.

Jonathan:

Unstee. Unless you ask nice.

Intro:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

Yeah. I have, yeah, I mean, like, there's if if you see a guy, uh like the odds that it's me.

Mari:

It's gonna be you or it's gonna be the one male author that's set to be there, right? Yeah. You or same jail brody?

Jonathan:

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I hope I put his book in our crate.

Mari:

Um The dating dismemberment of Yeah, I do like that one.

Jonathan:

It's uh when I hand some of these, I hope they're not offended because I'm gonna give them like like twisted and tattered books and be like, hey, I read your shit hard.

Mari:

I mean, I think I think as long as you tell them that, I think they would be honored. I I would assume.

Jonathan:

Um you know? And they can I'll probably bring stuff. I don't know if I want them to sign on the cover or not on the cover. I don't know. I have to figure that out.

Ashley:

You should figure that out quick. We're almost out of time, dear.

Jonathan:

And if yeah, well, I'm so excited. I'm so let me tell you, I'm so I asked him earlier.

Ashley:

I did not get this wealth of of emotion, just so you know.

Jonathan:

I'm so proud of the pockets that I've considered. Spoiler. Oh, I cannot wait to meet some of these authors and offer them a bit of apparel equity.

Ashley:

Yeah. Apparel equity. Did you show Mari what you made? Yeah, you sent the picture. Oh, he did? Okay.

Mari:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jonathan:

Yeah, they came out real well.

Mari:

So who are you guys looking forward to seeing, to meeting there?

Jonathan:

Take a deep breath.

Mari:

Anna Nicole Nair.

Jonathan:

That's the one?

Ashley:

That's she's pretty good. Yeah.

Jonathan:

Cool.

Ashley:

That's pretty high up there. I just finished book three, Accomplice to the Villain. And I am delighted, by the way. I I love the narrator. I don't think I I'm gonna have trouble reading those books one day because I've been listening to all the audios, and it's such a unique like voice that she has. Like the way that she speaks, it's all it's almost like a robot, but not because you hear the emotion. I don't know how a better way to explain that or nicer way, but I love it. I was like scrambling today because I had 30 minutes left in the audiobook, and and my time with Libby was expiring in like 15. The panic I had, but they gave me another hour after I returned it. Thank you, Libby. Yeah, but that was so it was such a good book. I giggled so much. You get a whole different POV, a whole new one, and it was so delightful. You have to read it, guys.

Mari:

Yeah, I've not I've not gotten to that one yet. Yeah, that was so good. Jonathan?

Jonathan:

I'm looking forward to A. L. Brody, uh uh April L. Moon, Hannah Nicole Mayor, of course, Sarah Beth Durst, Juliette Cross. I like I just like seeing her. Anyone else that they have on? Rebecca F. Kennedy is on my list. And then I'm interested also, I want to be introduced to an author and their work that I haven't been introduced to yet. So to the unknown author out there, I'm gonna meet you. We're gonna meet, we're gonna meet as meeting people.

Ashley:

I met someone last year and bought the book. I have not finished the book, but it's in my it's in my closet, which also secondaries as like my reading space, but Jonathan doesn't let me go be by myself, so that's a separate conversation for a different day. But hear you all the time. It's like a gender-bent Robin Hood story. And when I tell you I think about this book all the time, I think about it all, I just haven't had time to literally sit down and read a physical book since Onyx Storm. Like I'm not even gonna lie to you guys. I might just buy it on Kindle so that I have the easy access to it in my phone to read it while I'm, you know, staying up until 2 a.m. accidentally.

Mari:

I would know anything about that.

Ashley:

Yeah, no, nothing, right? And I can't remember her name off the top of my head, but she was a delight to talk to. She signed everything, she has like a whole little phrase that goes with the story. And I think about I think about that book a lot. I need to finish it. So, in the vein of the unknown authors, like there were a lot of books that I bought last year without knowing who or what they were about, and they've all been superb, even if I haven't finished them. Like I I think about them.

Mari:

Yeah. I am looking forward to meeting Sarah Beth Durst. I've got a ticketed thing to meet her. I'm looking forward to Rebecca F. Kennedy. That's gonna be probably the first one I go to. That's gonna be my stop number one. I need to figure out which of her books that I have I'm going to get her to sign. Or maybe just bring them all and see what happens. Um so she's those two are probably the big, big ones. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with Juliet Cross because, you know, still loving her books. I don't think I'm gonna get to talk to Hannah Colmara because I didn't get one of her tickets, so I don't know I'm gonna be able to see her, but I'm excited that you guys are. And Bay Northwake, if nothing else, to ask how to pronounce her first name. But also tell her how much I enjoyed her book. Now that I've read it, I I will probably, if she has it there for sale, I'll probably get it from her and get her to sign it. I think those are the big ones. Oh, and I'm looking forward to talking to Grace Draven again. She wrote Radiance that we read last year. Um, but I've now read two more of her books, and I'm really enjoying it. So I'll be bringing that for her to sign. Paige Lavoie's gonna be there, but we met at another call. Yeah, I'm excited to hear about her newest project, which she's teasing. She's teased publicly now, so we can talk about it. She's writing some sort of like a swamp creature. It's like a new series. So she's done with Mothman in some sort of like a swamp situation. I'm excited.

Jonathan:

Swamp situation. Yeah. There was a ticketed author that we read recently. I can't remember what which one. I think you have you got a ticket, Mari and Kelly.

Mari:

The only ticket I have is for Sarah Beth Durst. That's the only author tickets I was able to get in the kerfuffle of all that.

Jonathan:

Who did we get close to but miss out on, Ashley?

Ashley:

I have to go back. I'm pulling it up now. I don't remember off the top of my head full schedule.

Jonathan:

Um I'm gonna go look at my Goodreads just in case.

Ashley:

So we did not get Adeline Grace, Kaylee Smith, maybe it was Kaylee Smith.

Jonathan:

Kaylee Smith was probably the one else. Kaylee Smith was Phantasma.

Ashley:

Yeah.

Jonathan:

Oh, wait, who did I want to?

Ashley:

So her, we've we've well, I met Cali. Well, I talked to Kaylee last year. I don't think I've got anything or like got anything signed by her. But I remember like band girling slightly.

Mari:

Yeah, I remember we talked. We both talked to her because I think I got the book because we talked about it. Oh, maybe.

Ashley:

Adeline Grace. Alex Aster. You like Alex Aster because you read what's it called?

Intro:

What's it called?

Jonathan:

Oh, did I oh, yeah, that's probably why. I'm looking at the books that I've read and I'm like, oh yeah, that's oh, oh, I gotta make sure that goes in there too.

Ashley:

Alex Aster, gosh, I'm blanking and he's not helping.

Jonathan:

Yeah, no, because I'm looking at it.

Mari:

I'm excited also to meet while you guys look that up.

Jonathan:

Uh Lightlark.

Mari:

Lightlark, sorry. Thank you.

Jonathan:

My bad.

Mari:

Um, JD Evans, who wrote of Rain and Ruin, that I am almost done reading. It had been on my list for for a while. And I'm enjoying that. I'm definitely not gonna finish. It's like a multi-book series. I'm definitely not gonna finish it before the the con, but I'm enjoying the book one that I will have done by then. J.D. Evans, Rain and Ruin. It's like a desert Arabic setting political, romanticy situation with magic. Yeah, it's intriguing. So I'm looking forward to meeting them because I've actually talked to them before on on Reddit. And so it'll be interesting to talk to them some more. Yeah, this and of course, like you guys said, all the new authors to us that we haven't met yet, that we haven't been exposed to yet. It'll be interesting to, you know, meet them and other people. We may meet vendors and and whatnot there. So I'm so excited for the vendors.

Ashley:

Yeah. I love stuff. A lot. I love stuff. Last year, I think I was slightly disappointed because I was hoping for more stuff, and I think we're gonna get it this year. Because I was looking through the vendor list like a month ago, and I was super excited, like of all the knickknacks and the jewelry. I'm really excited for jewelry, guys. I hope there's jewelry, like earrings, rings, bracelets. Oh, I want the stuff.

Jonathan:

If you're a vendor listening, I hope you brought it in.

Ashley:

I hope you're putting the stuff, guys.

Mari:

Yeah, I think it'll be it'll be cool to see. See what all everybody has.

Ashley:

I got a rolly cart this year. I'm ready and a tote bag. Oh, yeah.

Jonathan:

I just put the I put two, I put two zip, I put an empty zippered pack in there for you. The empty zipper pack.

Ashley:

They're expensive.

Jonathan:

I know. But I put another, I put another, I took Mari's advice for like a little zipper pouch. For the little things? Yeah, so I put two in there, Ash. One is for one holds the pockets. I wanted to keep them separate.

Mari:

Oh, I will tell you one other bit of advice for the Rolly Cart that I just found out and I just got. And you guys may have access to this because you have little kids in your life. The little add-on cup holders that you can clip on baby strollers. You stop it right now, that's genius. Yes. So I got one. I got one and I have now on the inside of my cart, so I can put my drink down inside the cart and it not go anywhere.

Ashley:

What did you look up? Is it just like a stroller accessory? Oh, you're so smart. Accessories.

Mari:

I can send you the link. I did not come up with this. It was on a Discord group, but I don't remember if it was the Fabled Fantasy Discord or the Monster Rotica book con Discord. But somebody there came up with it. I'm like, that's genius. I will absolutely be doing that so I don't have to carry my drink andor potentially spill it everywhere.

Jonathan:

Yeah. I love it.

Mari:

Yeah. All right. So ready to wrap this up? Yeah. We can do this all night. Yes, we can. All right. So thanks for listening to Of Swords and Soulmates. Before we go, make sure to check out the show notes, rate, review, and subscribe to us on your podcast app of choice. It helps others to find us and lets us know what you're enjoying and want more of. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Goodreads at Of Swords and Soulmates. Check us out on our website of Swordsandsoulmates.com. If you'd like to offer a suggestion for a future episode, book, or topic, feel free to reach out to us on DMs of any of those options. If you want to read along with us as we prep for a new episode and get chapter by chapter interaction, join us on our Fable app Book Club by searching for the Of Swords and Soulmates Book Club on there. And last but not least, we hope you'll join us in two weeks for our next episode when we will be talking about our 2025 Romanticy Con experience. Bye.

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Mari

Host
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Ashley

Co-host
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Jonathan

Co-host
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Kelly

Co-host

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