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Black Spring

door Alison Croggon

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1509180,890 (3.14)6
Lina is enchanting, vibrant but wilful. And her eyes betray her for what she truly is - a witch. With her childhood companion, Damek, she has grown up privileged and spoiled and the pair are devoted to each other to the point of obsession. But times are changing. Vendetta is coming. And tragedy is stalking the halls of the Red House.… (meer)
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1-5 van 8 worden getoond (volgende | toon alle)
The description made this sound so good. I just couldnt get into it, the main character seemed so judgemental. Premise was great, excecution was flawed. ( )
  audraelizabeth | Jun 30, 2020 |
This is a tricky one. I cannot say I enjoyed reading it; as a fantasy retelling of [b:Wuthering Heights|6185|Wuthering Heights|Emily Brontë|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388212715s/6185.jpg|1565818], it's rife with the bleak melodramatic tragedy of the original, with lashings of "this is the North; we do what we want", and a distanced formality in the storytelling that's easier to read than the original, but still not facile or sparkling. On the other hand, the world is fabulous, the Vendetta enthralling (though, apparently and sadly, kind of pointless to the actual story) and the addition of witchery really puts the sexual politics of the plot into starker relief. There are so many of those elements that I loved, it was just sometimes a chore to pick them out of the grey windswept scenery.

In the end, I am left with some of the same feeling that Wuthering Heights inspired: oh God, these people all deserve each other and I cannot be bothered with their strangely stoic hysteria. But it's ameliorated somewhat by the Big Question of this book, wound through its bones and tied into endless iterations of self-perpetuated circumstance, which is: why do these people let themselves live like this?

And in that aspect, it's a profoundly thought-provoking book that will stay with me for a while. ( )
  cupiscent | Aug 3, 2019 |
This was a retelling of Wuthering Heights, with a supernatural twist. While the author can write a good sentence and the setting was very evocative (gloomy and gothic) I was disappointed that the fantasy/supernatural elements (witches, wizards, blood vendettas) were not fully explored and overall did not serve to add any extra life to the classic.

I don't think this would hold a lot of appeal for teens, unless they really enjoyed Wuthering Heights. ( )
  LaneLiterati | Apr 20, 2014 |
I got this book from the Amazon Vine program to review. The synopsis really grabbed me, I love dark historical fantasy. However, this book ended up being a bit of disappointment for me...it is just a bit too slow, sad, and dark.

This story is told from three point of views. The first is Hammel a young nobleman who is going to the North Country for some peace and quiet. While there he runs into Damek and his crazy wife. When Hammel returns to his rental house the maid there, Anna, proceeds to tell him the sad story of Damek, Lina, and young Lina. This is basically a tale of witchcraft, persecution, and of how horrible men can ruin a young girl’s spirit.

Most of the book is told from Anna’s point of view. There is a middle section that is the copy of a journal of Lina’s, so we do get to hear from her some. Then there is an epilogue that is form Hammel’s POV again.

This is a very sad and dark story. There is a lot of violence towards women and a rape scene. Mostly this story explores the powerless position of women in a male-run society. Since Lina is assumed to be a witch because of her violet eyes…there is a very witch hunt type vibe to the story as well.

Lina suffers persecution for her violet eyes from birth. Yet she is showered with gifts and love from her father. It drives Lina to becoming a somewhat troubled youth, she is treasured and hated, spoiled and spurned. As Lina grows her life is destroyed and she in turn destroys the lives of those around her.

A lot of the darkness is driven by Damek. He is a dark young man who gets to know Lina when he is fostered by her fathers. Damek is absolutely entranced by Lina. He pretty much worships her and is driven to do terrible things to secure her love.

The story is very deliberate and unfolds slowly. The main driver is the mystery behind how Damek and young Lina ended up how they did. The whole thing is pretty twisted.

This is not an exciting story. Still I found it strangely engaging. It’s like watching a car wreck...things just get worse and worse for the characters with no relief in sight. You don’t want to read what happens but you just can’t look away.

So...yeah. I would definitely say this is an adult read or at least older young adult. It is a very depressing read and parts of the book are really slow.

I did find some aspects of the world interesting. One concept that drove a lot of the darkness and despair in town was the concept of vendetta. The whole vendetta law was very interesting, but I had a hard time believing that the general populace would actually accept this type of law. I also thought that the idea of wizards being the arbitrators of laws and lore was interesting too.

Overall a somewhat disappointing read but not without some good aspects. This is a very dark and depressing story with characters that are unlikable and a world that is a bit unbelievable in its violence. However, some concepts were interesting like vendetta and the idea of wizards enforcing the law of Lore. The whole story is deliberate, a bit boring at parts, but also somewhat entrancing in its darkness. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this unless you are a huge fan of dark historical fantasy. ( )
1 stem krau0098 | Sep 22, 2013 |
Wuthering Heights is one of those seminal works that can sweep away a reader. Often, the earlier a reader discovers this work, the stronger a hold the story of doomed lovers Catherine and Heathcliff can be.

So it’s no wonder that Alison Croggon was inspired by the Emily Bronte novel in writing Black Spring, about doomed lovers Lina and Damek. They live in a harsh European setting in an inhospitable land, away from the softer, more sophisticated life in the south of their land. Wizards live among them, vendetta is a way of life and these willful children are determined to live as they prefer, society be damned.

Croggon’s novel follows the same narrative as the Bronte novel, from a stranger meeting a deranged Heathcliff, um, Damek, and seeing the ghost of Catherine, um, Lina, to the inevitable ending.

Added to the tale is a touch of paranormal. Lina is a witch, which usually means a death warrant, but she is protected by the king. When her father dies and his estate is given to a rough toadie, the local wizard plays a role. A highly structured vendetta that lasts for years showcases how noble the condemned men who have killed in vengeance are (yes, really) and, in a last-minute poke, is supposed to show why the nobility are above all that.

Croggon excels in creating a highly effective atmosphere of overwrought emotion that is as foundational to her setting as the harsh landscape. She also pays full homage to the novel and characters that inspired her own work.

Black Spring raises the same reservations that Wuthering Heights does. Although Lina despairs of being loved for herself and not coveted as a possession, and the society in which she lives gives women little chance of that happening, the idea that it is only as half of a couple that one truly is alive does not bolster this independent spirit. But for those readers who think Bella’s love of Edward is the height of attainment, Black Spring will fit their interest for more in the same vein. ( )
  Perednia | Sep 9, 2013 |
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Lina is enchanting, vibrant but wilful. And her eyes betray her for what she truly is - a witch. With her childhood companion, Damek, she has grown up privileged and spoiled and the pair are devoted to each other to the point of obsession. But times are changing. Vendetta is coming. And tragedy is stalking the halls of the Red House.

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