Within These Wicked Walls is both chilling and romantic, bringing together two people as they battle off a cursed house.

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I picked up Within These Wicked Walls because it was marketed as an “Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre.” While I loved the story, it was perfectly creepy, and I failed to see the retelling aspect of the story.

Storytelling

Within These Wicked Walls follows Andromeda, a debtra and an exorcist. She has taken the job at the Rochester house to expel a powerful haunting that strikes at any time.

She has to unravel the house’s mystery and why it has been cursed. And what’s really interesting is she has to go through the house one room at a time, expelling the evil eye whenever it appears.

The curse is connected to a family secret, which in some ways does make this similar to Jane Eyre. Even though that is part of the book’s marketing, I’m not upset that it wasn’t more similar.

Usually, I am because when you tell me something is supposed to be a retelling, I expect more similarities than this book provides. However, the way the story takes hold, the way it develops this haunting aspect, the magic system, and the character dynamics make the story have its own weight. Calling this a Jane Eyre-inspired story does the overall narrative a disservice.

Blackwood has crafted an eerie story, one with vivid hauntings. Every scene where the curse manifests takes hold of the reader, even some of the sweeter moments, like the snowball fights in the cursed hallway. Because even though it’s a beautiful scene between Andromeda and Magnus, you don’t forget that something is lurking around the corner.

And the romance between the two is remarkable. Andromeda feels unloved. Unloved by her parents, who sold her, and her mentor, who constantly pushes her to her limits, she has difficulty believing that Magnus loves her.

It’s heart-wrenching to see the way he lifts her up and tells her she is more than he deserves, remarking on her skill and mind. Magnus lifts her up and pushes her to believe in herself. He repeatedly puts his life at risk for her, making their dynamic swoon-worthy.

Final Thoughts

Within These Wicked Walls was a little hard to follow at times. Still, I loved the haunting atmosphere, the eeriness, the magic system, and the dynamic between Andromeda and Magnus. Blackwood knows how to craft a story to suck you on.