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  • Within These Wicked Walls

  • A Novel
  • By: Lauren Blackwood
  • Narrated by: Nneka Okoye
  • Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (40 ratings)
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Within These Wicked Walls cover art

Within These Wicked Walls

By: Lauren Blackwood
Narrated by: Nneka Okoye
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Summary

* Reese's Book Club Fall 2021 YA Pick *

"Lauren Blackwood’s can’t-miss debut is a magical, Ethiopian-inspired remix of Jane Eyre." (Harper's Bazaar)

What the heart desires, the house destroys....

Andromeda is a debtera — an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. She would be hired, that is, if her mentor hadn’t thrown her out before she could earn her license. Now her only hope of steady work is to find a Patron — a rich, well-connected individual who will vouch for her abilities.

When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, she takes the job without question. Never mind that he’s rude and demanding and eccentric, that the contract comes with a number of outlandish rules… and that almost a dozen debtera had quit before her. If Andromeda wants to earn a living, she has no choice.

But she quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, the reason every debtera before her quit. But leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option because — heaven help her — she’s fallen for him.

Stunningly romantic, Lauren Blackwood's heartstopping debut, Within These Wicked Walls, ushers in an exciting new fantasy voice.

"An intricate magic system, a grimly humorous Black heroine, AND a heart-thumping romance? This book leaves nothing wanting." (Jordan Ifueko, New York Times best-selling author of Raybearer)

©2021 Lauren Blackwood (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

* REESE'S BOOK CLUB FALL 2021 YA PICK *

* A NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 KIDS' INDIE NEXT PICK *

ESSENCE, "19 Black Children's Books To Share With The Little Ones In Your Life"

BUZZFEED, "26 New Science Fiction And Fantasy Books To Read This Fall" and "18 Epic Fantasy Books Starring Magical Black Leads"

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, "Hot New Books with Hollywood Appeal"

CULTURESS, "21 exciting YA book releases we can’t wait to read in Fall 2021"

BOOKISH, "20 YA Books by Black Authors for Your 2021 TBR"

BOOK RIOT, "20 Must-Read 2021 Young Adult Fantasy Releases"

SHE READS, "Most Anticipated YA Books of Fall 2021"

GOODREADS, "The Most Anticipated YA Books of October" and "The 36 Most Anticipated Upcoming YA Novels"

POP SUGAR, "The 55 Best New Books of October" and "11 New YA Books You Won't Want to Miss This October"

DEN OF GEEK, "Top New Fantasy Books in October 2021"

BUSTLE, "The Most Anticipated Books Of October 2021" and "9 Must-Read New Books Out This Week"

EPIC READS, "24 Books to Read After You Watch ‘Fear Street’"

"Lauren Blackwood’s can’t-miss debut is a magical, Ethiopian-inspired remix of Jane Eyre." - HARPER'S BAZAAR

"[A] creepy, immersive, romantic and thrilling retelling." - MS. MAGAZINE

"A fast-paced and heart-wrenching tale...Perfect for lovers of light horror, romance, and suspense, Within These Wicked Walls will be a surefire pick for the coming autumn nights." - BOOKLIST (starred review)

What listeners say about Within These Wicked Walls

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Flat characters and plot

Maybe if it hadn’t been sold as a reimagining of Jane Eyre I wouldn’t be so disappointed. Unfortunately it bears no resemblance to the original whatsoever, and Blackwood’s Rochester is one of the most infantile, insufferable MCs I have come across in a long time. The love between the two main characters makes no sense whatsoever. Okoye is a good narrator, except she makes hardly any effort to differentiate between characters so sometimes it’s hard to follow who says what.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story but narrator not so much

When describing story narrator was very flat apart from dialogues, dialogues were brilliant. But rest of the story lacks emotion

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good storyline but a bit flat in narration.

I loved the story. But felt the narration fell flat and mono tone. Feel this would make a great TV series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Terrifying story on the quest to true love.

Wonderful performance to invoke the imagination. Terrifying at parts but on the quest for true love which kept me hanging on until the end.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

suited for tweens not adults

I was enticed to buy this book because it is a Reece Witherspoon Bookclub selection. As I listened and became increasingly bored and annoyed by the predictable and over sentimental love story arc, I realised I am about 30yrs too old for this read. At 45 I don't find the "he loves me, he loves me not" whiplash emotions of tweens intriguing. The rest of the story which could have been interesting was overshadowed by the love story typical to a 16yr old girl's fantasy world. I eventually lost patience, got bored and stopped listening.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply amazing

Fantastic book! Couldn’t put it away and finished within 2 days. Brilliantly read by Nneka with such animation to feel the tension, fear, passion and each character came to life.
Enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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a great listen

I loved the narration, very engaging. I really enjoyed it! I think the story was well done and the romance believable.

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