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A review by fleurhoplof
Wings of Sorrow by Yolanda Sfetsos
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If you enjoyed "The Twisted ones" by T. Kingfisher, "Locke & Key" by Joe Hill, "Wylding Hall" by Elizabeth Hand or "The Beauty" by Aliya Whiteley, then you will certainly enjoy reading "Wings of Sorrow" by Yolanda Sfetsos.
"Wings of Sorrow" pays tribute to the classics of the Gothic novel by reusing some of its best-known tropes, from the deadly presence of birds, to sleepwalking, tableaux vivants and forbidden rooms. The constant nods to the classics of goth counterculture (Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton) and gothic literature make for enjoyable reading.
Thera and her husband Hector return from their honeymoon to tidy up late Aunt Anthea's house, a mysterious place Thera knows she once lived in, even though she has no recollection. The more the days go by, the more she loses her footing, and her husband, a teacher but above all a writer, feels an irresistible attraction to the house. As the story unfolds, the house closes in on its occupants like a wolf's trap, a metaphor for the curse of the Karras women, of which Thera seems to be the latest victim.
"Wings of Sorrow" is all about atmosphere. It's not for the twists and turns, of which there are not many, that you should immerse yourself in this book, but rather for its atmosphere, which I would have liked to discover even more, and of which the sumptuous cover, somewhere between nightmare and hallucination, gives us a foretaste. Perhaps the novel would have deserved to be longer, to give us the full benefit of the mysteries of this "House on the Edge of the World", as well as the protagonist's hallucinatory quest. I'm left wanting more on a number of aspects that are skimmed over, despite their prominent place in the story: the myth that runs through the heart of the plot (and whose interpretation given by Anthea is far from traditional), the female curse and feminist rage, the fear of repeating family mistakes, the supernatural hold that manifests itself as sexual frenzy.
The ending is very satisfying!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and DarkLit Books publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an genuine review.
3,5/5
"Wings of Sorrow" pays tribute to the classics of the Gothic novel by reusing some of its best-known tropes, from the deadly presence of birds, to sleepwalking, tableaux vivants and forbidden rooms. The constant nods to the classics of goth counterculture (Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton) and gothic literature make for enjoyable reading.
Thera and her husband Hector return from their honeymoon to tidy up late Aunt Anthea's house, a mysterious place Thera knows she once lived in, even though she has no recollection. The more the days go by, the more she loses her footing, and her husband, a teacher but above all a writer, feels an irresistible attraction to the house. As the story unfolds, the house closes in on its occupants like a wolf's trap, a metaphor for the curse of the Karras women, of which Thera seems to be the latest victim.
"Wings of Sorrow" is all about atmosphere. It's not for the twists and turns, of which there are not many, that you should immerse yourself in this book, but rather for its atmosphere, which I would have liked to discover even more, and of which the sumptuous cover, somewhere between nightmare and hallucination, gives us a foretaste. Perhaps the novel would have deserved to be longer, to give us the full benefit of the mysteries of this "House on the Edge of the World", as well as the protagonist's hallucinatory quest. I'm left wanting more on a number of aspects that are skimmed over, despite their prominent place in the story: the myth that runs through the heart of the plot (and whose interpretation given by Anthea is far from traditional), the female curse and feminist rage, the fear of repeating family mistakes, the supernatural hold that manifests itself as sexual frenzy.
The ending is very satisfying!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and DarkLit Books publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an genuine review.
3,5/5