celinenyx
Written on Jan 21, 2019
Trigger warnings: self-harm, absent parents, death of parents, gore, suicide
"An atmospheric, blood-drenched dark fantasy for a cold and stormy night." Kirkus Reviews
From the author of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender comes a haunting tale of magic and murder.
When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbors. Instead, guilt and fear led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch” out of her home. So Rona invoked the privileges of a witch; she cursed them. But such a spell always comes with a terrible price, and in punishing the island's residents, Rona also bound her family ever tighter to them.
Fast-forward to the present day and all Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life. And she has reason to hope that she may have escaped the thorny side-effects of the family matriach's curse. But then a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price. The author – Nor’s own mother – seems capable of performing magic that should be far beyond her capabilities. And such magic always requires a sacrifice.
A storm is coming. It's coming for Nor.
- ISBN10 1406373508
- ISBN13 9781406373509
- Publish Date 6 September 2018 (first published 13 March 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Walker Books Ltd
- Format Paperback
- Pages 288
- Language English
Reviews
Trigger warnings: self-harm, absent parents, death of parents, gore, suicide
leahrosereads
Written on Oct 21, 2018
I know, I know - that one is a darling of the community, and look, I liked it and gave it 4 stars. But for me, it lacked to really combine the history and Ava's tale together fluidly. I felt there were a lot of gaps, and I kinda wish Ava Lavender explored less of the family bonds and stuck more with Ava's story. I think it would have been more compelling.
This one did what I wished Ava Lavender had done. The writing is still so fucking beautiful, and the setting is so fucking atmospheric that those alone really brought the story to life. However, these characters are definitely superior. You can tell that Leslye has grown as a writer and brought a new found experience to this tale. It was so captivating!
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Ms. Walton because I can only see her work becoming more bewitching the more she writes.
Jo
Written on Oct 5, 2018
Trigger Warning: This book features discussion of child abuse, self-harm, and graphic violence.
Having loved The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, I was very excited to read Leslye Walton's second novel. However, I'm sorry to say The Price Guide to the Occult was a huge let down.
Nor is the eighth in a line of women descended from Rona Blackburn, a witch who landed on Anathema island generations ago. Rona cursed the inhabitants of the island when the lust of one of the original eight colonisers is put down to witchcraft, leading the eight, full of fear and suspicion, to burn her house down, hoping to kill her. Rona escaped, and in anger, cursed the island, and, unwittingly, tied her descendants to the island. Since then, instead of having all of Rona's gifts - or burdens - each Blackburn woman would have only one, and each different. So when Nor's abusive absentee mother, Fern, publishes a catalogue, The Price Guide to the Occult, claiming to perform any spell for customers at a price, they know something is up. Fern can't wield that kind of magic, not naturally. It's black magic that comes at a price, one you can't pay for in money. With the popularity of her book, and the magic Fern is undoubtedly performing, Fern gains a cult following; people eager to please the charming and enigmatic witch. But Nor, knowing her mother's lust for power, knows that nothing good can come from this, and with the sea life leaving the oceans around the island, and the flora becoming excessively thorny and hostile, the island knows danger is coming.
I love me a witchy story, but I also absolutely adored Ava Lavender, and it was my love for that book that had me wanting to read this one. Walton's first book was kind of literary, with beautiful, lush writing and gorgeous imagery, with incredible atmosphere, and wonderful magical realism. It was just completely captivating! And I was expecting more of the same with Price Guide. However, it was so different that it felt like it was written by someone else completely.
The Price Guide to the Occult had all the elements of a great story; the strange disappearance of the whales and other sea life from the waters surrounding the island, how the plants grew busy and thorny, encroaching on trails and harming anyone who walks past them, and strangling trees. The way a mysterious fog descends on the island. Even Nor with her burden to hear the thoughts and feelings of animals and plants, and what we find out because of it. Plus a witch who's lust for power leads her to performing unspeakable acts. This book should be incredible. But it fell so flat.
Price Guide is at once too fast and too slow. Months skip by at the turning of a page, so something big that just happened is suddenly months in the past. And yet we get no real answers for a long time. Why is the sea life leaving? And the plants becoming so violent? As I've said, months go by really quickly, but practically no-one is questions the weird behaviour of plants, or the empty ocean, or the surrounding fog? I mean, Nor's grandmother, Judd - a giantess of a woman who is strong, blunt and grouchy - who is bringing Nor up, is a witch, too, and granted, there are things Nor is keeping from her (for reasons I never really understood), but surely she would notice. Judd never really got on well with Fern, so she's angry at her for the book, and thinks it's terrible that she's performing black magic... and yet does nothing? Knowing what the price likely is? And doesn't at all question the weird happenings on the island? Not only is it not realistic, it also just makes the story feel quite slow, for lack of answers, even though it's a pretty short book at 278 pages.
And Price Guide should have been creepy, and exceptionally dark. Nor starts having dreams where she's able to see what her mother is up to, and, mate, it's terrifying. Except, it's not. I don't want to spoil the story, but this book is violent. And yet, I felt at such a distance from it all, it just didn't affect me. The tone and atmosphere was all wrong. I didn't really feel anything throughout reading the book. I should have been appalled, I should have felt scared of Fern, but I just didn't. She felt two dimensional to me, and almost a caricature of a villain.
And I think part of that is down to motivation and the question of how? when it comes to worldbuilding. Why was Fern doing what she was doing? Because she wants all the power. But why did she want all the power? Well... just because. There was no inkling as to what she planned to do with her power once she had what she wanted, or any real reason behind it. It just wasn't developed enough. And then there's the question of how. And also why. How did any of the witches perform their magic? Yes, they have their individual burdens, but how did they use them, how do they make them work? We're not told. And when it comes to Fern's black magic, how does Fern doing terrible things allow her to use power she doesn't actually have - and why? And that ending, the final confrontation, what was happening? Literally, what was actually going on that led to what happened? "Magic was happening" is not a good enough answer. I don't understand the magic or how it works or why, things just happen because people have power, and there's no real explanation. But also, that ending, however it happened, was far too easy. What happened to Fern in the lead up to the confrontation, and why? And what was going on with Nor? And how did that ending happen, and how did it happen so easily when we've already seen certain things?
The only good thing going for the story was the diversity. Both Fern and Judd are queer; they've both had relationships with men and women, and Nor is currently being raised by Judd and Apothia, Judd's partner. Apothia's surname is Wu, so she's East Asian, and has cheongsams in her dance studio, making me think she may be Chinese. Savvy, Nor's best friend, has brown skin. Madge, Fern's former partner and Nor's employer at occult shop The Witching Hour, I think may be Japanese, her surname being Shimizu - but this isn't clarified one way or the other.
Price Guide had no answers, no atmosphere, no real depth. With the way the story ended, it looks like there is going to be a sequel, but I won't be reading it. This was such a huge let down, and I'm so very disappointed.
Thank you to Walker Books for the proof.
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Apr 8, 2018
[b:The Price Guide to the Occult|35879387|The Price Guide to the Occult|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516995207s/35879387.jpg|57396159] introduces the reader to Rona Blackburn - a powerful witch who comes to the island in its founding days and wishes to be left in peace. Unfortunately, frightened people make rash, irrational decisions. When the eight "founding fathers" of the island fail to kill Rona, she sets a curse upon her kin and theirs, breaking apart the magical gift that is their legacy and assuring none of the Blackburn women will know true love.
Fast forward to the present, and there is Nor. Nor is the eighth generation of descendants from Rona. She possesses one magical gift and lives with her grandmother and her partner. Life on the island is simple and quiet, and Nor does her very best to fly under the radar. If only her mother would do the same....
While I wasn't wholly excited about Nor, her supporting cast is filled with colorful, amazing characters. From Madge, we get that terrifying, devoted edge of a brainwashed cult follower mostly reformed. Judd is powerful and firm. Nor and Savvy's friendship is incredible and true to life of a proper female friendship. Savvy was one of my favorite characters - she reminded me to the tee of my color roommate Savannah, right down to the ever-changing hair color. It was uncanny. Even Nor's love interest was layered and interesting. Nothing insta-love about this novel.
All other characters fall to shame at the feet of Fern Blackburn. I haven't read [b:The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|18166936|The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397110326s/18166936.jpg|21445699], but if Fern is representative of Walton's villains... readers beware. Fern is vicious, heartless, and terrifying. [b:The Price Guide to the Occult|35879387|The Price Guide to the Occult|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516995207s/35879387.jpg|57396159] is amazing not for its protagonist, but for its villain. I thoroughly enjoyed her. My only complaint is that we didn't get a better close-up view of this queen of darkness.
From a technical scope, the writing is thrilling and enveloping, the world felt gritty and real, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
And the book itself? Oh my goose, one of the prettiest books in my collection. It's this stunning hardcover - no dust jacket - with stained red page. Three color design. It's simple, beautiful, perfect for the content of the novel... like the pages are bleeding. I love this book design, guys.
If you're a fan of an earthy witch story - like Charmed or [b:Practical Magic|22896|Practical Magic|Alice Hoffman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490354120s/22896.jpg|4030671], or even something akin to Hocus Pocus - you will adore [b:The Price Guide to the Occult|35879387|The Price Guide to the Occult|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516995207s/35879387.jpg|57396159]
Kelly
Written on Apr 5, 2018
Flames consumed Anathema Island as the Blackburn matriarch retaliated against the patriarchal society, men who colonised the small north western island. Accusations of witchcraft coincide with eight generations of Blackburn women, blighted abominations including the estranged Fern Blackburn.
Abandoned by her neglectful and abusive mother, Nor Blackburn is a wonderful young woman, friend and granddaughter, her grandmother and her partner creating a nurturing and environment. Although Nor is supported within a fostering environment, she continues to endure the torment and violence of her mother, comforted upon the harm she inflicts upon her body. Her anxiety is palpable and as the youngest Blackburn daughter, she was a causality of abuse and family violence.
The legacy of each Blackburn child is her ability, each generation fostering aptitudes from their matriarch. The village smouldered as the lineage is condemned to isolation, each Blackburn woman enchanting a lover for three days of passion to produce an heir. Fern Blackburn was consumed by her unwilling suitor, using incantations and her daughter as a blood sacrifice as entrapment. Fern has returned from isolation with The Price Guide to the Occult, monetising the Blackburn legacy, amassing a congregation of loyal disciples and darkness is descending upon Anathema Island.
The mysticism is captivating, predestined to isolation through the legacy of their matriarch. The Blackburn name continues to be a formidable presence throughout the Pacific Northwest Islands. Unfortunately the narrative is incomplete. Characters are introduced without significance to the narration and despite the compelling compensation, the characterisation is rudimentary and the narration becomes monotonous.
Although I enjoyed aspects of the narration, The Price Guide to the Occult is an exasperating novel. Unfortunately not for me.
jeannamichel
Written on Mar 6, 2018
Nor comes from a long line of Blackburns, woman who can do unexplainable things. She lives on a small island with her grandmother. When her mother begins selling a price catalogue of magical spells, it is only a matter of time before she returns to the island to torment her family once again. Nor knows these spells her mother is attempting come with a price, a sacrifice. With newfound power, Nor decides to defeat her mother once and for all, to prevent anyone else getting hurt.
The prologue is absolutely gorgeous! It opens this unique story in such a mysterious way. The introduction easily takes your breath away. Walton explains the island and some backstory before leading readers into the meat of the story. From the prologue, I came to realize two things. (1) The writing was incredibly gorgeous, almost whimsical. Having never read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, I was pleasantly surprised to find such an enchanting story. (2) This is no cute, little witch story—no sitcom-happy Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes. The Price Guide to the Occult is a darker witch story than I’ve ever read before.
It was such an unique story, almost bordering on strange.
Despite being such a short book, it does pack a punch. The book dives deep into the backgrounds of the witches’ family, the Blackburns. Though there is a protagonist, Nor, I didn't feel like we got to know her at all. The focus seemed to be much more on the family as a whole than the feelings of Nor Blackburn. Since there is no warming up to Nor, the sense of community—of witches and friends—are profoundly more evident. This could have been the author’s intent. However, I would have loved to gotten more juice on Nor’s romance with Reed. Since we were given so little by way of feelings, instead we guess emotions through dialogue which leaves most of Walton’s characters rather flat.
The structure of the book is rather disruptive with a lot of dream sequences interrupting the flow of the novel. Also, the passage of time is used so randomly. Walton mentions the time in passing, making readers easily miss it. One minute, it will be three days passed, and the next, five months passed. This creates, not only, confusion to how long it's been but what have the characters been doing in that length of time. Passing so much time in an only 288-page novel does nothing to help the lack of depth in any of the characters.
With such superb writing, Walton’s action is high-strung by the end of the novel. Readers will certainly be on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what the ending will bring. Walton built readers up for the war to begin and when it finally did, it was like a dam breaking. The Price Guide to the Occult leaves the ending rather open. There may be a sequel to come.
Also, there is a trigger warning for self-harm.
Overall, The Price Guide to the Occult started on such a high note but fell flat with lack of depth and character complexity. The writing was incredibly gorgeous, which makes me want to check out her other novel, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender.