Monday, June 12, 2023

Review: Behind Closed Doors (The Worlds Behind Book 2) W.R. Gingell

About the Book
When is a curse not a curse? How does a house become a prison? Why is a reformed murderer the only hope for a far-too-easily injured boy?

Athelas has always been opposed to having a small, possibly-cursed Australian boy in the kitchen. When that small boy disappears, however, and Athelas’ housekeeper Camellia strongly encourages him to do something about it, he finds himself wavering.

YeoWoo wants nothing to do with the disappearing Harrow, cursed or otherwise. Caught up with her own investigation and preparations for revenge, she would prefer her housemates to remain unseen and unheard. Entirely absent is even better.

But Athelas and YeoWoo have something in common: they both tread warily when it comes to their housekeeper, who runs the house with a tea-scented, magic-laced rod of iron. Camellia holds the key to Athelas’ pretensions of reformation being accepted—and blames him for Harrow’s disappearance. And she is determined to save Harrow, no matter what it takes.

Life as a reformed murderer would be so much easier if the process didn’t include so much…reformation.

Available in Kindle Unlimited at time of posting

MY THOUGHTS

I didn't think it was possible, but this was even better than the first book. After that cliffhanger ending, I couldn't wait to dive into this one. Just as I've come to expect from Gingell's stories, it was a fun, weird, twisty, fast-paced ride that I couldn't read quickly enough.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm gonna try to be careful here. I will say that I loved that we got to see more of some favorite characters from the City Between series. And I liked learning more about Athelas' past, heartbreaking though it was. And I loved watching him try to be a better person. He's still the same twisty fae we all love, but he's working towards redemption, and I'm loving it. Camellia has to be one of the most intriguing characters ever. I need to know more of her story!

I can't say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, but just a warning, this isn't a standalone. It's closely tied to the City Between series, so it'd be best to start there.

FIVE STARS

2 comments:

  1. I love a character who's working towards redemption!

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    Replies
    1. Me too, Lark! A redemption story is always a favorite. :D

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