Blog Tour Spotlight: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

It's time for another blog tour, and this time I'm spotlighting Christina Henry's latest release, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, which is available now! I am just about to dive into this one myself and I could not be more excited--nobody writes some spooky tales better than Henry, and I'm sure it's going to be a great time. I'm already hearing some fantastic things about this one. Below, you'll find some more information about the book to get you hooked.
 Happy reading and thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
Author:  Christine Henry
Pub. Date: November 4, 2025
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Pages: 320
Find it: Amazon | Bookshop.org

SYNOPSIS:

"A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christina Henry is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include GOOD GIRLS DON'T DIE, HORSEMAN, NEAR THE BONE, THE GHOST TREE, LOOKING GLASS, THE GIRL IN RED, THE MERMAID, LOST BOY, RED QUEEN, ALICE, and the seven book urban fantasy BLACK WINGS series. Her short stories have been featured in the anthologies ELEMENTAL FORCES, CURSED, TWICE CURSED, GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE and KICKING IT. She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
(from Goodreads)

Find Phoenicia Rogerson online: Author Website

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry, Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson, & Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey

        

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
Publication: November 4th, 2025
Berkley
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry."

In all honestly, some aspects of this premise feel a bit... 'been there, done that,' but Christine Henry is a fantastic author and I feel like in her hands, this story will be anything but that and I can't wait to check it out!

Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson
Publication: November 11th, 2025
Hanover Square Press
Hardcover. 480 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From the award-winning author of Herc, an enrapturing feminist tale that brilliantly reimagines the story of Aphrodite and how she transformed herself from a lowly outsider to the darling goddess of love, for readers of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint.

Aphrodite saw the gods on Mount Olympus and decided she wanted a piece of what they had. Only problem is, she’s not a goddess, just a lowly being who's supposed to remain in a distant cave, keeping the threads of Fate woven neatly. But Aphrodite’s never let anyone tell her what to do…

Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, she convinces everyone she’s the goddess of love and that her rightful place is among the Olympians, who lord it over everyone else at the top of the world, but under the stifling rule of Zeus. For the first time, she has the best of everything, as well as friends, peers, even loved ones. Only, being a goddess isn’t quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she’s had enough…"

This is my obligatory 'here's another Greek myth retelling' head's up--and although part of me is tired of them, as usual, the Classics part of me can't get enough. 

Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey
Publication: November 18th, 2025
Orbit
Paperback. 464 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Sometimes the fate of entire worlds can be decided by a woman with nothing to lose, and the smartest gun in the multiverse in her hand . . .

This is the story of Bess - or Dog-Bitch Bess as she came to be known. It's the story of the gun she carried, whose name was Wakeful Slim. It's the story of the dead man who carried that gun before her and left a piece of himself inside it. And it's the tale of how she turned from teacher, to renegade, and ultimately to hero.

This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war - one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.

This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it - knew for sure how badly she'd been used - she had no option but to do something about it. From one of genre fiction's most original and revolutionary voices comes a space opera adventure like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . ."

M.R. Carey is a little bit of a wild card these days for me, but I'm definitely curious enough about this premise to want to check this one out.

Blog Tour: Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry

Today I'm excited to share with you all my blog tour stop for Christine Henry's latest release, Good Girls Don't Die. I have been absolutely loving this book and I think anyone who enjoys a twisty, suspensfeul thriller will as well. This is a unique story that has really kept me excited to turn each page because I really feel like I have no idea what exactly is going to happen next. Below, you'll find some information about the book, some early praise, and a brief excerpt to get you excited. Thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: GOOD GIRLS DON'T DIE
Author:  Christina Henry
Pub. Date: November 14th, 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336
Find it: Bookshop.org | Amazon |  

SYNOPSIS:

“A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

Celia wakes up in a house that’s supposed to be hers. There’s a little girl who claims to be her daughter and a man who claims to be her husband, but Celia knows this family—and this life—is not hers…

Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip—but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. No one else believes Allie, but she is sure that something about this trip is very, very wrong…

Maggie just wants to be home with her daughter, but she’s in a dangerous situation and she doesn’t know who put her there or why. She’ll have to fight with everything she has to survive…

Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This captivating novel will keep readers guessing until the very end."

Excerpt:  

         Allie realized she should never have agreed to this trip. Once Cam and Madison backed out on their deal and showed up with the Wonder Twins in tow, she should have said she felt sick, had to study for a test, anything to stay back in the dorm for the week- end. But she’d felt boxed in by Cam and Madison’s pleading faces, by the mocking way Brad had looked at her as she hesitated before picking up her backpack and climbing into the car.

         He’d looked like he could read her mind, could see right through to her reluctance (and, if she was honest with herself, anger), like he was daring her to come anyway.

         Allie knew it was stupid, knew it was childish, but she could never back down from a dare.

Besides, she was the reason for this weekend in the first place. If she had decided to stay back at school, she’d never hear the end of it.
         They’d all shown up in Brad’s car—a BMW, of course, which Allie was sure his parents had bought for him. Cam and Madison had moved off campus that semester, and Cam was supposed to be driving her old Toyota. It was going to be Allie and Cam and Madison, the Three Musketeers back together again, off to a beach cottage that Cam’s parents’ friends owned and said they could use for the weekend.
         Instead, there was Brad, driving his stupid rich boy car and watching her with those eyes that told Allie never to be caught alone with him. Cam and Madison had yelled from the backseat, and Allie had swallowed her annoyance and climbed in, crammed in the middle seat because “you’re the smallest and legroom doesn’t matter for you.”
         Cam and Madison had whooped and shouted, slapping a paper “Birthday Girl” crown on her head and dropping a package of Hostess Cupcakes in her lap.
         “Let’s get this twenty-first-birthday party started!” Cam had shouted, her arm around Allie’s shoulders.
         Allie had smiled, the way she was supposed to, but she didn’t miss the look Brad had given her in the mirror. Something sneaky, something snakey, something that didn’t bode well at all for the weekend.
         They’d driven away from the campus, and almost immediately Steve had handed a thermos to Madison, shaking it meaningfully.
         “A little juice for the party,” he’d said.
         Madison had immediately opened it and guzzled a bunch, and then passed it to Allie, who didn’t want to drink alcohol at ten in the morning, and especially did not want to drink some mystery cocktail prepared by Steve. But everyone had been watching her and waiting, so she’d taken a sip and made herself not wrinkle her nose, because whatever was in there tasted like gasoline. Cam had shouted, “Yeah, girl!” and grabbed the thermos, downing a fair amount herself.
         They’d passed the bottle back and forth, Allie taking only small sips, but Cam and Madison hadn’t seemed to notice. Despite limiting her intake, Allie had still dropped off to sleep in the back- seat, only waking when they had pulled up in front of the cabin.
         “Where the hell are we?” she’d asked, sitting up straight.
         Cam and Madison were out cold on either side of her. Whatever Steve had put in that bottle had packed a punch.
         “This is not the beach.”
         “‘This is not the beach,’” Brad had said, his voice high and mocking. “I see why your GPA is so high. Nothing gets by you, Brockman.”
         Cam had stirred beside her, then sat up and looked out the window. “Are we there yet?”
         “Well, we’re somewhere,” Allie had said, trying to draw on her patience. She’d had no idea where Brad had driven them, and since he was the only one in the vicinity with a car, she needed to convince him to stop fucking around and take them to the cottage.
         “Is this the woods?” Cam had said. “A cabin in the woods?”
         “Just like the movie!” Madison had squealed, jumping out and slamming the door behind her. Steve had followed, chasing her around the clearing in front of the cabin’s porch.
         “Everyone died in that movie,” Allie had muttered. “Like, actually everyone.”

Excerpted from Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry Copyright © 2023 by Christina Henry. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

Early Praise:  

 

“A thriller so deliciously original you’ll want to devour it whole. Breakneck pacing, compelling characters, and clever meta threads elevate the tension and pull toward a stunning conclusion. An electrifying read.” – Rachel Harrison, National bestselling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth

“Henry comes out swinging in this clever, twisty thriller, and it’s a knockout! Full of mystery, horror, and women who’ve had enough, Good Girls Don’t Die is Christina Henry at her best. TikTok take note…you’re going to love this one!”—Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows

“Henry has a lot of fun playing with genre here, but at its heart, this book is pure thriller… fast-paced and accessible.” – Publishers Weekly

“In this very satisfying thriller, three women wake up in strange versions of classic story set-ups…can this please be turned into a Black Mirror episode?” – CrimeReads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christina Henry is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include Horseman, Near the Bone, The Ghost Tree, Looking Glass, The Girl in Red, The Mermaid, Lost Boy, Alice, Red Queen, and the seven-book urban fantasy Black Wings series. She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on, and watching movies with samurai, zombies, and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son. Learn more online at www.christinahenry.net.

Author photo by Kathryn McCallum Osgood (2015)

Review: Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry

     

Horseman by Christina Henry
Berkley Books (US)/Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: September 28th, 2021
Paperback. 320 pages.

About Horseman:

"Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking. 

Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?"

Horseman is a deeply mysterious and atmospheric novel set in the classic town of Sleepy Hollow and following the grandchild of Brom and Katrina, Ben. This is billed as a Sleepy Hollow retelling, but just in order to set your expectation accurately, I’d classify this more as a sequel of sorts to Sleepy Hollow, since the story doesn’t really play with the ore-established Sleepy Hollow plot, but rather takes everything and continues on with it’s own unique story and interaction with the original Sleepy Hollow story. 

Horseman follows Ben as he struggles with learning more about both himself and his family as the legend of the Horseman of Sleepy Hollow seems to be rising back to popularity once again after a few vicious attacks occur in the town. Ben is told different and conflicting things about the Horseman and the town’s past and is left to question whether the stories he’s heard or real or not, how his family has played a role in those stories, and who he can trust to tell him the truth.

This story is, of course, set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, and it has a very isolated sort of atmosphere where inhabitants seem pretty cut off from the rest of the world. In fact, there are brief mentions about the fact that other parts of the worlds are different from Sleepy Hollow and it hasn’t really managed to keep up with any new trends or fashions, etc. It’s sort of stuck in this limbo with no real improvements or advancements. Christina Henry created a very successful atmosphere of mystery, intrigue, and isolation that I think worked really well with the Sleepy Hollow vibe and in creating a story that feels immersive. A great atmosphere is something I can always safely expect from Christina Henry. I can't say too much about the Horseman himself, but I loved how Henry played with the idea of the Horseman itself and sort of created different versions that terrorized the town and a specific character or two in very distinct and different ways, both tangible and non-tangible. 

Ben was a captivating character follow, largely due to Henry’s thoughtful character development and insight into Ben’s own introspection that really brought him to life and let me, the reader, really get to know him and attempt to understand his struggles. Henry does an excellent job of conveying his many conflicts, including those with his grandmother who doesn’t understand or approve of his identity and behavior; his struggle to fit in or find a place within the town; his struggles with understanding what’s going on with the Horseman and trying to figure out what stories are true and what aren’t; and, finally, with his own personal identity struggles as he slowly discovers his own independence and truly learns who he is in an even deeper way than he already has. Ben wants very badly to be like his larger-than-life and commanding grandfather and is often compared to his father, so identity played a large role in this book and it was a theme that I think Henry handled exceptionally beautifully. 

I will admit that this is not one of my favorite Christina Henry books (but honestly, I’m not sure if anything could be Alice or Lost Boy for me), but it is definitely a great one that I really enjoyed that I think anyone who likes an mysterious and atmospheric, character-focused story will also enjoy. I would absolutely recommend Horseman, and I personally had a great time reading it. And, as always, I am eagerly awaiting Christina Henry's next story, whatever it may be. Overall, I've given Horseman four stars!

*I received a copy of Horseman courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Indiebound 

Review: Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Near the Bone by Christina Henry
Berkley Books
Publication Date: April 13th, 2021
Paperback. 336 pages.

About Near the Bone:

"A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry.

 

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

 

There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws.

 

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry."

Before jumping into the review, I'd like to add a quick content warning that Near the Bone has some explicit depictions of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. I won't be getting into any explicit details in my review, but just a head's up! 

I've loved all of Christina Henry's books up until last year's The Ghost Tree, which didn't quite hit the right note for me (although it was still a solid story!), so I was exceptionally pleased by how much I ended up enjoying this one! Near the Bone is a spine-tingling story that quite literally made it difficult for me to stop reading whenever I picked this book up. There's a very addictive quality to this story that makes it hard to look away from the action, even though a lot of the action is very difficult to take in and experience. 

Mattie lives alone in the mountains with only her abusive and despicable husband, William, for company--only, they're not quite as alone as they may think. There appears to be a monster living on the mountain with them that they discover after Mattie finds a mutilated fox, as well as a few other indicators when Mattie and her husband begin exploring to try to find the monstrous creature. Not only is there horror in the fact that Martha is stuck living with her abusive husband, but there's also a more conventional horror in the fact that there is what appears to be an actual monster lurking in the mountains where Martha and her husband live, and these two horror elements working together served to make this book a truly horrifying book to read. I found it particular interesting in exploring what seemed more horrific--the abuse or the truly terrifying and violent monster, and I think this opens up a door for some great conversations around abuse in general that are important. 

 

I really appreciated and enjoyed how Henry chose to portray Mattie's personality and the various thoughts and 'versions' of herself that fought in her hand. Without giving anything away, I loved seeing Mattie slowly begin to fight with her thoughts that have been influenced and molded by her abusive husband more and more and began to develop her own thoughts and deductions about things that her husband may have 'trained' her not to think or worry about.  Her fortitude was something that I didn't expect to be quite so meaningful to me, and I think Mattie will be a character that a lot of people will connect with on a variety of levels.

I'm not going to mention any plot points or characters other than Mattie and her husband so as not to give anything specific away, even though it's difficult not to mention some aspects related to these that I really enjoyed. The publisher also requested that reviewers not put up reviews until at least the day of the book's release (today!), so I want to respect what seems to be a desire to not have any spoilers. Suffice to say, Henry expands this story in a number of major and minor ways that adds a lot of depth and discussion to this book, and I think this is what really strengthens the themes and experience of the reading experience. 

 

The atmosphere and prose of Near the Bone is easily one of the best parts about it outside of characters, and this was not a surprise at all to me from Christina Henry. The way she is able to craft scenes ranging from fast and intense to get your heart racing to scenes that are slower and filled to the brim with foreboding is so deft and well-executed. I felt deeply unsettled and personally nervous for Mattie and some of the other characters in ways that felt as though I was in danger myself. It was definitely with baited breath that I turned (or tapped) the pages on more than a few occasions.

The only sort of "negative" that I have--and really, I don't think of it as too much of a negative in this case--is that I found some of the twists slightly predictable and a few of the plot points weren't quite as surprising as they could have been. That being said, it wasn't as if I could predict everything in the book, and I had a lot of fun slowly uncovering some of the secrets that lurked within this story. The ending was also extremely abrupt, and although I don't mind when endings feel somewhat open, I still have quite a few unanswered questions that continue to bother me at times. I'm not upset about the ending by any means, but I just feel ever so slightly unsatisfied. Still, I personally wouldn't let these minor critiques turn you away from this story!

Overall, I've given Near the Bone four stars! If you enjoy your horror mixed with some more serious elements and plenty of twists and turns, then definitely give this one a shot.

 *I received a copy of Near the Bone courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* 

 

Buy the book: Amazon | IndieBound

Can't-Wait Wednesday: First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara & Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
Publication: April 6th, 2021

Tor Books

Hardcover. 304 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"The Fellowship raised Lark to kill monsters.

His partner betrayed them to the Feds.

But Lark knows his magic is real, and he'll do anything to complete his quest.

 

K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical.

 

Lark spent the first twenty-four years, nine months, and three days of his life training for a righteous quest: to rid the world of monsters. Alongside his partner Kane, he wore the cage and endured the scourge in order to develop his innate magic. 

 

He never thought that when Kane left, he'd next see him in the company of FBI agents and a SWAT team. He never dreamed that the leader of the Fellowship of the Anointed would be brought up on charges of abuse and assault.He never expected the government would tell him that the monsters aren't real--that there is no magic, and all the pain was for nothing.

 

Lark isn't ready to give up. He is determined to fulfill his quest, to defeat the monsters he was promised. Along the way he will grapple with the past, confront love, and discover his long-buried truth."

I loved Szpara's debut Docile, so I am really curious to check out something else from him. I already have an eARC of this from NetGalley and I can't wait to dive in! I really have no idea what to expect based on this synopsis, but I am really looking forward to finding out.

and...

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Publication: April 12th, 2021

Berkley Books

Paperback. 336 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry.

 

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

 

There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws.

 

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry."

I love Christina Henry, so this is a must-read for me. I also already have an eARC from NetGalley and I am especially excited for this new horror! I love a spooky setting near the woods, so I have high hopes.

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Review: Looking Glass by Christina Henry

Looking Glass (The Chronicles of Alice) by Christina Henry

(Left: US edition; Right: UK edition)

Ace

Publication Date: April 21st, 2020

Paperback. 304 pages

About Looking Glass:

"In four new novellas, Christina Henry returns to the universe she created for Alice and Red Queen, where magic runs more freely than anyone suspects, but so do secrets and blood. 

Lovely Creature 

In the New City lives a girl called Elizabeth, a girl who has a secret: she can do magic. But someone knows Elizabeth's secret--someone who has a secret of his own. That secret is a butterfly that lives in a jar, a butterfly made by a girl called Alice. 

Girl in Amber 

Alice and Hatcher are just looking for a place to rest. Alice has been dreaming of a cottage by a lake and a field of wildflowers, but while walking blind in a snowstorm they stumble into a castle that seems empty and abandoned...at least until nightfall. 

When I First Came to Town 

Hatcher wasn't always Hatcher. Once, he was a boy called Nicholas, and Nicholas fancied himself the best fighter in the Old City. No matter who fought him he always won. Then his boss tells him he's going to battle the fearsome Grinder, a man who never leaves his opponents alive. 

The Mercy Seat 

Alice has a secret--a secret that not even Hatcher knows yet, but pretty soon she won't be able to keep it from him."

It's taken me a little longer than I'd hoped, but I finally got around to reading Christina Henry's most recent addition The Chronicles of Alice, a set of four novellas centered around some of our favorite characters (and a slightly newer one). The Chronicles of Alice is one of my favorite series (duologies?)--it's almost hard for me to describe just how much I love Alice, Hatcher, Henry's prose, and the stunning, brutal world created by Henry. I was thrilled to have some new stories set in this world to dive into, and I was not disappointed in the slightest by these stories.

Up first is Lovely Creature, which follows Alice's sister, Elizabeth, who lives back in the New City with her and Alice's parents. In this story, Elizabeth finds that many unexplained references to an "Alice" and her similarly rather unexplained magical abilities have a stronger connection than she could have realized. This story wasn't one I expected from this collection, but it's one that I'm really glad Henry decided to write and include. I loved getting a chance to look back at life after Alice her family and to see how life continued on for her family. I also enjoyed watching Elizabeth make her own discoveries and, as a reader, uncovering some of the connections that reach back to both Alice  and Red Queen. 

Next is Girl in Amber, which features our favorite couple Alice and Hatcher--though after the introduction, it is mainly Alice we follow. I have mixed feelings about this story. I mostly loved it and the mysterious, unpredictable house that Alice entered into, but at the same time I found the plot slightly random and I didn't fully understand why certain elements were chosen to be a part of the story. There almost feels like a subtle sci-fi slant that I found both interesting and perplexing. Nonetheless, I loved the theme of this story and how Henry decided to execute. The atmosphere was also excellently crafted and I had a hard time pulling myself away from this particular story.

Third is When I First Came to Town, which is essentially a short prequel of sorts all about Hatcher's backstory as a fighter before he was captured and met Alice. This story was really a delight to get a chance to read, as Hatcher is easily one of my favorite characters in fiction and I had been curious to get a glimpse of what his background was really like. It was heartbreaking to read about some of the things he saw and experienced and I think it also really helped to convey to the reader how his personality developed in the way that it did. Some seems natural, and some seems created. 

Lastly is The Mercy Seat, which is another that I found ever-so-slightly odd, but  overall enjoyable and that was a truly beautiful way to end this story. There are two main threads in this story, one of which focuses on the present in which Hatcher and Alice are on their way to find a new place to live, and the second that focuses on a rather momentous life change for the pair. The former story had some classic airs of mystery around an unknown town and its unpredictable inhabitants that gave them familiar vibes similar to some scenes in Red Queen, but this time there were some rather different things going on that Alice and Hatcher found themselves embroiled in. The other thread is one that I won't mention, but that I will say brings me a lot of joy and curiosity to see how it will all play out.

I think one of the things that I have loved about The Chronicles of Alice and that these stories captured particularly well is how much growth both Alice and Hatcher have exhibited. Alice has grown from someone who is mostly unsure of herself and the world around her to someone who, although will always have her struggles of that nature, has begun to see herself as someone capable and worthwhile, and I absolutely loved that. Hatcher, similarly, has discovered that many of the things he sees as weaknesses or negative are in fact strengths in their own ways and things that aren't necessarily "bad" at all, they are simply who he is, and there's nothing wrong with that. Alice has similar discoveries about herself that I loved.

Overall, I've given Looking Glass a total of five stars. I really loved this return to the world of Alice created by Christina Henry, as not only was it a joy to revisit these characters, but it was also a worthwhile extra look into the character development, lives, world-building, and magic of The Chronicles of Alice. I would love to see more in this world, but I assume this is the final installment from Christina Henry (still, I'll keep my hopes awake!). If you haven't read any of these books yet, I'd highly recommend them! If you have, but haven't read Looking Glass yet, I would encourage you to, as I do think that they offer some very worthwhile extras for this world. 

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