Darker Still

by Leanna Renee Hieber

[wyvernfriend]

I did enjoy this story of a girl and her adventures with the occult or paranormal. I call it occult because she does have to deal with the side effects of dark magic and work against it, reminding me of some of the stories of Dion Fortune, among others. The story of someone being trapped in a painting is an obvious homage to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, and this is an interesting variation on the story without being slavish.

Natalie Stewart is not long out of school, a school for deaf mutes, as she is mute since her mother died. There is no physiological reason for her to be mute, but she is. She can communicate using sign language and notes, this book is written as a diary.

When Natalie happens on the painting of Lord Denbury, a supposed suicide, she's attracted to it and is surprised when she discovers that he's alive inside it, while his body commits terrible murders, with someone or something else inhabiting it. This is her journey to rescue her prince and herself.

I loved it, loved the characters and their interaction and wanted a bit more from it. It could have done with a bit more, a little more of a feeling of peril, a bit more growth of the relationship with the characters and a bit more work on Mrs. Northe's part to convince Natalie of her credentials. Still I did enjoy the read and look forward to more by this author.