Happy Monday book friends! I made my Blogtober schedule and completely forgot to factor in reviews… Good thing that I was too lazy to write the post that was actually meant for today, because now I get to talk about Lovely, Dark and Deep!
At the very beginning of my blogging journey, I was approached by author Claudia Cain to read and review her book Silver and Bone, which I loved. I actually loved it so much I bought the second book immediately and read that, too. So yes, I was excited to read Lovely, Dark and Deep, which is the start of a whole new series. It’s perfect for this time of year, since it involves all kinds of witchery, magic and mystery!
Lovely, Dark and Deep
By Claudia Cain
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Published 5 November 2021
Mystery | Withcraft | Magic
It’s a beautiful day in autumn, and a little girl has gone missing…
She’s not the first.
Hannah Hendricks is the fourth child to disappear from the small town of Fallow Creek in the past two months. Search parties comb the woods and vigils are held, yet there is no trace of the missing children, as if they have vanished off the face of the earth.
Cassandra Reilly is certain there is magic involved, but few people trust the word of a witch, and fewer still want her help. As an outsider to the rest of the town, it seems there is little she can do – until Hannah’s parents arrive on her doorstep, begging for magical aid.
Cass is tired of doing nothing, but agreeing to help is more dangerous than she knows. Something evil is at work in Fallow Creek, and if she isn’t careful, she’ll lead it back to her own door…
My thoughts
Just like with Silver and Bone, I was immediately immersed in the story. The writing is very atmospheric, and the setting is perfect. There are quite some spooky moments that make this the perfect book to read this fall. The story is mostly told from Cassandra’s perspective, who has led a very secluded life in the town of Fallow Creek. The town’s inhabitants aren’t too fond of witchcraft, so they tend to stay away. But, Cassandra’s aunt also doesn’t allow her family to attempt to get along with the townspeople. This resulted in a very awkward MC. It’s actually quite funny to read; Cassandra has no clue how to talk to people. Anyway, I liked her character because she was adamant that she should do what she feels is the right thing.
I also really liked how the magic worked. It’s kind of similar to what you’re used to if you’ve read Serpent & Dove in that each spell has a price. But, instead of that price always being paid by the witch, it’s sometimes paid by those she helps. Kind of like paying for a service.
lovely, dark and deep
I felt like there was plenty of action and mystery in the story, and like I said, I could hardly put it down. It’s not a long book, so you can easily read it in a day. I do like that it’s going to be a series. I am particularly intrigued by a certain Fae character that shows up. However, I also feel like the side characters can use some more page-time and development. Cass’s brother has some POV chapters, but not a lot. While I don’t dislike single-POV books, the danger is that the side characters can feel less present, even though in this case they certainly helped solve Fallow Creek’s latest mystery. We’ll see what happens with them in the next book!
In short, this was a very enjoyable start of a series I’m sure I’m going to love. Lovely, Dark and Deep is certainly different from Cain’s other work in terms of setting and character-types, but I think this is going to be a great series. Definitely think about picking it up this November when it comes out!
Find more reviews in my archives! And find more Blogtober here!
