Hey everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the Creative Blog Tour for The Secret of
Dartwood Manor by N.A. Triptow, hosted by MTMC Tours! Enter a world of myth
and magic through this contemporary fantasy reimagining of Jane Austen’s beloved
classic, Sense and Sensibility.
MY RATING-
Series: The Witchling Trilogy #1
Publisher: Wishing Well Publishing
Publication Date: January 18th, 2021
Genres: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
If you're someone who likes their fantasy with a dash of mystery, or if you are a major murder mystery and thriller reader and are looking to change things up with a little bit of magic, this read is just for you!
Personally, I really enjoyed reading this boom. It was just what I wanted as a break from reading all the heavy fantasy novels.
This book is light, fun, magical, and has a dark fairytale-like vibe to it, which lost makes it feel like a story to be told by the campfires. It's also a classic retelling of the Jane Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility, but it doesn't lean too heavily on its story. As matter of fact, I think it's just the internal conflict between the sister and the family backstory and the big mansion that is taken from the story, but the rest is very much the author's own creative spin and imagination.
As for the plot and the characters, I won't say much, because if I'm telling you I liked it I must have definitely loved the characters. The third sister really got on my nerves for some reason, but it was fine.
When it comes to the plot, I was actually able to guess the plot twist a little early on, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because that just means the author did the foreshadowing really well. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it.
And it does end on a pretty steep cliffhanger, so I am very excited for the next book.
SCROLL DOWN FOR AN EXCLUSIVE Q/A WITH THE AUTHOR!
1) If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you
pick?
Nicole- I think it would be fun to see a prequel about the villains’ pasts. It’s always fun to try to understand what motivates a person and what makes them who they are.
Knowing that can certainly humanize a villain even if it doesn’t actually make them technically good. It shows that they’re a person whose choices led them down a particular path. Plus, the villains in this story really have some crazy backstories.
Whether I’ll eventually write that or not remains to be seen, but it certainly is a
compelling idea.
2) What is your kryptonite as a writer?
Nicole- My kryptonite is time. There are just not enough hours in the day.
3) How did you come up with the title for your book?
Nicole- I had a working title that I was using during the writing process, but the final title
became clear after the book was finished. I kept jotting down various ideas that
didn’t seem quite right and suddenly The Secret of Dartwood Manor came to me,
and I knew that was it.
4) Last question! What are you currently reading?
Nicole- I’m reading the seventh book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon
Messenger. It’s a middle-grade fantasy series about a modern-day, telepathic,
teenage girl who finds herself suddenly in a world of elves and has to solve the
mystery of who she is and why she was left among humans. It’s action-packed and
full of unexpected plot twists.
Let's Chat!
Alright, that was it for today. Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you liked it. Let me any of your thoughts in the comments. What are some of your favorite fantasy retellings? Have you added this book to your TBR yet?
Until then,
I hope you have a great rest of your day,
Bye!