A Magic Dark and Bright (ARC Review)

The Asylum Saga: A Magic Dark and Bright | Jenny Adams Perinovic

Published by: Bookish Girl Press, April 28th 2015

Genre: YA, Gothic, Paranormal, Ghosts

Pages: 368

Format: Ebook

Source: Author

She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died. 

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return. 

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

Oh man, this book is good. Crazy, mind-blowingly good.

I knew from page one that I was going to like A Magic Dark and Bright. It had that tense atmosphere that just makes a gothic novel. The combination of suspense, mystery, and contemporary magic hooked me right away. Parts of the book had me on edge, parts had me desperate for answers, and the romance that built between Amelia and Charlie added the perfect amount of light to balance it all.

I loved the characters, fell for them instantly. I hated the villain (and, trying not to spoil anything, it is SO obvious who the sketchy bad guy is.) I even liked one of the parentals, which never happens in this genre for me. A Magic Dark and Bright has everything I love: a string of unexplained murders; a lush setting; a creepy old house rife with secrets; interwoven history; and romance to die for. 

This book is Beautiful Creatures meets Anna Dressed In Blood meets something you've never read before. A perfect gothic mystery. Highly recommend.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

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Reading round up (66)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

16th February

I finished A Magic Dark and Bright (19% read) and THAT ENDING!!! How cruel you are, Jenny Adams Perinovic! I need the next book right now.

I also started The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes which was kind of a wildcard pick for me. I love the cover, was interested in the blurb (although put off by it being a contemporary and my general non-enjoyment of those...) but it could have gone either way. Happily, the survival element of the story is PREVALENT and it's AWESOME. I love this, how the MC has been silenced by a reputation she didn't earn, the exploration of male and female voices and which are heard or ignored, and also the fact it's set in a Wild Mountain Landscape. Uber cool. I read 58% in one sitting.

17th February

I finished The Distance Between Lost and Found and it was harrowing and left a hollow feeling in me. 

I started Suspicion by Alexandra Monir (81 pages) but I'm not sure what to think yet. I like the aristocracy thing but not sure about the MC, whose voice has changed like 3 times I swear.

Because I reckon Suspicion will be a slow read for me, I also started Nightbird by Alice Hoffman (33%), which is odd and maybe boring (I can't tell) but may turn out fairly good. As someone who enjoys middle grade, I haven't enjoyed the past 3 I've read. Which is fair upsetting.

18th February

I finished Nightbird (67%), which was pretty sweet if slow the whole way through. Didn't reeeeeeeeally like it, but didn't hate it either.

19th February

I read 22 pages of Suspicion. The more insults that are thrown at England and the English, the less patience and enthusiasm I have with this. Thought it'd be Amazing but so far it's kind of Alright. 

I had hoped to cut Suspicion with Bound By Prophecy by Melissa Wright, my first Saruuh explores NA read, but I read the entire thing in one sitting (252 pages). Oops. It is SO GOOD. My first NA novel and it blew me away. Crazy, insane, wildly good urban fantasy with characters that I adore!!

20th February

Abandoning Suspicion for now because it's not holding my attention or interest and I'm low on patience. However, I am ADDICTED to the Descendants series. I read Shifting Fate by Melissa Wright. All 214 pages of it. What an exciting, romantic, thrilling series!!!!

21st February

I read 80% of Reign of Shadows, the last in the Descendants series. So far I can't stand Callan but that's to be expected. What's his deal with trying to 'help' Brianna. More like trying to own her.

22nd February

Finished Reign of Shadows (20%) and it was a great ending to the series!! Even if the end of the book did feel a little rushed and I kept expecting more conflict.

I also started Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow (read 82 pages) and it's really interesting!! The MC is a guy of colour and it's set in Devon and Cornwall which is uber cool.

Books finished this week: 6
Books DNF'd this week: 1

A Vision for the Future | Melissa Wright

King of Ash and Bone | Melissa Wright

Shifting Fates | Melissa Wright

Reign of Shadows | Melissa Wright

Sooooooo I adored Bound By Prophecy and went and downloaded everything I could get my hands on by Melissa Wright. I plan to read Frey and buy the rest of the series if I love it ASAP!! I can't wait to start Shifting Fate and Reign of Shadows, and the other two sound suitably exciting!!

A Magic Dark and Bright (scheduled for 25th April)

The Distance Between Lost and Found
Nightbird (scheduled for TOMORROW)
Bound by Prophecy (scheduled for March 7th)
Shifting Fate (scheduled for March 10th)
Reign of Shadows (scheduled for March 12th)