I found this a little slow to get into but that’s the only criticism I have for this, because once I got to the end I wished it would slow down and not end at all. The plot was so good and this is so wellwritten well I just couldn't put the book down once I got into it. The world building was really good too and it made you feel it was so very real at times, I thought that the characters were interesting and relatable. Overall, it’s a thoroughly entertaining and fabulous story , there are references to Gatsby that I enjoyed and I definitely recommend this to everyone

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Headlines:
Blood, bodies and darkness
Friendships tested
Heritage

This book threw the reader into Annie's world post WW1, a different version, one with magic but magic that was pretty much outlawed. An inheritance took Annie away from her frugal home on the coast to an island where her father's property and belongings awaited her. This new place was full of decadence, forbidden things and danger.

Annie's character had real growth, she moved from obedient young woman, in the shadow of others to an independant thinker and leader in some respects. That part of her she knew was there, the magic, was allowed time to grow. I liked Annie, Emmeline, Nathan and Isobel. I did not like Bea. The sapphic elements were subtle at times but present and important to the story.

To all intents and purposes, this was a historical fantasy thriller. There were many dark moments, some gore, and some real sinister feels at times. It was easy to get swept up then shrink in tension at the dark scenes.

The plot was really curious in terms of the magic, how it worked, how it controlled and I appreciated that the magic in this world was scary in nature. I think many will appreciate the freshness of this story.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the early review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found Wild and Wicked Things very well written and enjoyed both the characters Annie and Emmeline. There's a lot that happens, which is too spoilery to say.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend to others

3.75 Stars

Synopsis: Annie heads to Crow Island to sort through her late father’s belongings. But Crow Island is full of magic and temptation, and the prohibition has not been kind to magic. Then Annie meets Emmeline, and is drawn into the dangers and temptations of the Island.

CW/TW: Murder/Death/Blood/Self-Harm for magic/Domestic violence/Abuse/Child Abuse/Implied, alluded rape.

Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is Gothic, Gatsby-inspired story of witches and wanting.

Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is an intensely gothic story with prominent Gatsby influences. May’s writing is beautiful, the detail and settings are intensely rich and the prose is vivid and engaging. Overall, the book is slow paced and character driven, reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, relying on clever motifs, imagery and dynamic, complex characters. The narrative and pace is balanced by the multiple POV and dual timelines; our main characters, Annie and Emmeline, are the two main POV’s but we also get short chapters that give us more insight into the story and builds tension and mystery.

The actual plot is centred around the characters. Annie is visiting Crow Island to sort out the home and belonging’s of her late father. She moves into a cottage close to Cross House but the island is far from home. After the war the prohibition meant a strict lockdown on magic, and severe punishments for witches, but Crow Island seems to live and breathe magic and every bone in Annie’s body screams danger. But, when Annie notices her neighbour, Cross House resident, Emmeline she feels unnaturally drawn to her and the dangers around her. I really enjoyed Annie’s story, as she unravels the mystery behind her father and the magic on Crow Island. Annie’s story is a personal one of facing fears and embracing wanting but it is also deeply tied with Emmeline’s story and the dangers of magic and wanting too much.

Emmeline’s story is also very personal but tied to magic. Emmeline is keeping a lot of secrets, her story is imbued with mystery and tension, and all of her secrets slowly unravel over time. I really enjoyed Emmeline’s part of the story, her arc and her connections with the two other Cross House residents. Her story gives us the most insight into magic, and when she meets Annie this leads to even more development and insight into magic, witches and the characters dynamics.

I really enjoyed both characters plots that intersect and engage in interesting, angsty and tension filled ways. May explores themes of power, wanting, freedom, identity, love and failure through the characters and their arcs/plots. Much like Gatsby, this book utilises beautiful imagery, powerful symbols and motifs to foreshadow events and represent themes.

A lot happens in this book and so it is easy to spoil, so I’m going to keep this review shorter than usual but I really appreciated the Gatsby-esque story style and use of figurative language skills that beautifully and cleverly add depth and meaning to the story.

From extravagant parties to blood fuelled magic – this book is a brilliant mix of glamour and darkness – with money buying desires, and deadly debts being made, the magic in this book really stands out. While I wish we had been given a bit more in terms of the magic system (e.g the council and differing types) we do get a lot about the different types of magic and the deadly nature of it. The duality of the good and bad magic can do was interesting with the book leaning into the dark and deadly aspect of magic. From blood magic and incantations to divination and elemental proficiency, the magic is very diverse and multifaceted and I enjoyed seeing how the different witches used their magic and the way it’s represented. Another interesting element was the ‘tether’ – this was an intriguing component in the story that I liked watching get explored.

The characters in this book were all very complex and well written, messy and flawed. The rep includes: lesbian mc’s, and a bisexual side character. Our first mc, Annie is initially a meek woman, not bold nor a risk taker – she is reserved and avoids danger. But as the story unfolds, she develops well showing a fire and confidence that slowly becomes emboldened. Annie is not perfect, she is messy and morally grey but she does deeply care for those she loves. Emmeline seems like Annie’s opposite, she takes risks, is powerful and knows it and has a confidence in herself. But, Emmeline is dangerous and more vulnerable than she reveals, she too feels deeply about those she loves but takes a harsher stance to protect them. The two mc’s have a great dynamic and their complex personalities develop well over the course of the story. Three other characters are prominent; Bea, a selfish and clever women who has drive but isn’t afraid to follow it at the expense of others – she is an old friend of Annie’s. Isobel and Nathan are Cross House residents, Emmeline’s friends and both also have strong personalities. I really loved Isobel and Nathan’s characters – and I liked how we learnt more about them as the book progressed. There are so many morally grey characters in this book that it is so fascinating to watch them tackle the challenges presented to them.

There are also other characters that appear a lot, Arthur and Mr Anderson being two of them. All of the characters are well developed and work well as the driving force of the book. The messy and flawed characters keep you intrigued and their dynamic relationships work well to create tension, angst and other emotional moments.

Overall, Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is intensely dark and imaginative. It has strong Gatsby elements but maintains a unique and magical story with a sharp edge. The complex and dynamic characters drive the slow paced story and keep you invested.

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley from Orbitbooks in exchange for an honest review – thank you!*

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for the ARC to review.

I really struggled to get going with this book but once I started it, I was drawn in to the world. It's such a rich setting and the Gatsby vibes really came through throughout the book while also allowing the book to have its own dark and witchy vibe going on.

I didn't find myself convinced by the romantic relationships in the book, however I did like the way in which coming to terms with ones own sexuality was explored.

Overall, I found the book slow to start with but strong throughout. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read something dark, witchy and historical.

Ohhhh YES. Glorious gatsby meets practical magic, incredible atmosphere, beautiful writing - just stunning!

Annie Mason is summoned to Crow Island to deal with her late father's estate, and in a world where magic is prohibited can she resist the temptation that life on Crow Island presents her with? Or will she fall into a world of magic, danger, and romance?

This book was absolutely everything I was hoping for and more. It was so so beautiful, I cannot stress this enough.
The dynamic of our two main characters was really well crafted. They were rich and complex individuals and none of that was lost in their relationship with one another. Even more than that, we also get to see so much explored in their relationships with the other people in their lives. I really enjoy a book that actually devotes time to developing the cast of characters and not just the main/love interest as it can add so much to the story as well as to the main characters' arcs.
The story was beautifully crafted; we go between Emmeline and Annie's POVs, with a few extras here and there to flesh out the history and backstory which I really liked. The start builds intrigue around both characters and what has brought them to where we see them and we then gradually get to learn more about them, both from their own POVs and as perceived by the other. This contrast between their own perception of themselves vs their perception of each other made the development of their relationship so interesting to watch.
Add to this a super interesting magic system with a well-established historical and political backdrop, all brought together with beautiful atmospheric writing and I was absolutely engrossed. From start to finish.

All of that to say that if you want The Great Gatsby but with lesbian witches (and bonus- The Haunting of Bly Manor vibes are ~real~) you need to read this book immediately, it will not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for my e-arc of this title, recieved in exchange for an honest review.

Crow Island is home to Witches. Or at least, that's what the stories say. Annie Mason just knows it as the place her father abandoned her for, a place she has never wanted to visit, but her father has died and his last request was that Annie come to the Island and sort out his belongings. Hoping that she can also re-connect with her long lost friend, Bea, Annie travels to Crow Island but isn't prepared for how freeing it will feel being there, or how tempting it will be to visit her new neighbour, Emmeline who throws daring and slightly illegal parties. But the longer Annie stays on the Island the more she learns, about her father, Emmeline and herself. Things she could never imagine, things that somehow just feel natural and things that could potentially get her killed.

Wild and Wicked Things is a dark and enticing book filled with magic, temptation, romance and some brilliantly written morally grey characters. Annie is incredibly naive and innocent when she first visits Crow Island. Forever told by her mother to stay away from magic, she is initially wary of drawing the attention of her intriguing new neighbour, but she feels a pull to Emmeline she can't understand. Her character growth in this book is incredible, she goes from being shy as a mouse to incredibly forthright and gains an inner strength she never knew she had. Emmeline is one of those characters that just effortlessly draws you in. Her life hasn't always been filled with glamour and parties, and she would rather it wasn't now, but she has to pay the bills and keep the elite of Crow Island happy. She is feisty & puts up a hard front, but inside she is still a lost little girl longing for somewhere to truly belong.

As as well as Annie and Emmeline we have a fabulous cast of side characters from Isobel and Nathan, Emmeline's house mates and the closest thing she has to a family. Each have their own unique magic, as well as their own tragic backstories, which ensured I was an absolute goner for them both. Bea, however, was the one character I just really struggled to bond with in any way. She came across as entitled, always wanting something more from life, and always blaming somebody else when it didn't work out the way she wanted.

Fans of The Great Gatsby will see nods to the original story. but May puts a sapphic, feminist and magical twist on the story that makes it solely her own. With magic being forbidden after events in the war and a, seemingly, all male council in place to pass judgement, sometimes even death sentences on the magical community, Emmeline's position is a tenuous one at best. She tries to stay out of the councils way, but the more the story progresses, the more we realise how hard that will be. As well as the Great Gatsby, I was incredibly happy to see references to practical magic, one of my all time favourite films. There are a few scenes that fans of the film will appreciate, but she also brings to it the strength of sisterhood, even if in this book they aren't related by blood. In fact the focus on relationships was one of my favourite parts of the book. There is a main romance threaded through, as well as illusions to past romances, but May really shows the strength in family, and not necessarily the one we have by blood. The characters in this book are willing to risk their lives for each other, and this is another reason why I bonded with the characters so easily.

The story does start off incredibly slow, May takes her time introducing all of her players, as well as getting us accustomed to Crow Island and it's own unique set of rules. She also uses this to build a kind of mystery behind all of the characters, how exactly they're linked, what drew them to Crow Island in the first place, how did they end up together. Through diary entries, as well as throwback chapters we get a really deep insight into how magic is used on the Island, who we can trust, and who we can't. Though it's only towards the end of the book that all the pieces truly fall into place. The story and writing lend themselves to a darker tale and May certainly delivers on this part, there is strong use of blood magic, physical and mental abuse, off page rape as well as child abuse, so readers definitely be warned. It's not overly glorified, and does completely fit with the tone of the story, but some parts are incredibly traumatic to read, so be sure to check the authors trigger warnings before reading.

If you enjoy sapphic retellings, dark magic and even darker stories, morally grey characters and atmospheric settings, then look no further. Wild and Wicked things is all of this and more and I can't wait to see what May has in store for us next.

1920s-era, morally grey characters, a well-done (sapphic) romance, a story that tells us that magic is actually bad and dangerous? Honestly, everything was there to make me love this book, and I indeed loved it!

I could say that this book was slow to start, took some time to settle in (about 1/3) with finally good actions. However, I feel like there weren't really plot twists, but actions' importance were growing more and more until the very end, and it's something I like a lot. The atmosphere is dark, there's always issues with blood debt, Annie's father, Bea ; I can't tell anything without spoiling but we do get all the wrong and dangerous side of magic here, we got told how bad it can go, that nothing is all easy. And that's something I loved, it's super rare to find a book where magic isn't all white and fun and bubbly and brings joy ; we get all the bad side of dark magic.

Also, one thing that bothered me was that Annie was super stubborn and pushed a lot of her ideas for someone who knew nothing about magic, and that's the only trait I disliked. A good reminder is that all characters are morally grey, even Beatrice isn't innocent, even Annie ; those who don't like these characters won't like the book. I personally love that, and loved all the characters, may it be our main (Annie & Emmeline), or Nathan, Isobel and Beatrice --- nobody can love Cilla btw (those who read will understand), that's a fact. Anyway! I loved our characters and the romance between Annie and Emmeline, which I think was very well done - I was rooting for them and so wanted them to be together! But it was also great that romance wasn't taking over the plot, even if it had its importance.

I loved the idea of this book. I just didn't mesh with the execution. There were so many wonderful aspects of this but as a whole, it just didn't work for me. I found the writing dull and the characters meh and I just didn't vibe with it at all. I ended up skimming through the latter half of the book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I liked this book and did enjoy it to a certain degree, I sadly didn’t love it. I saw early reviews calling this a sapphic Great Gatsby with witchcraft and simply had to request it! There definitely is that vibe going on here but there’s also a much darker undertone from both the themes it explores and the style of magic used by the witches. If blood magic isn’t for you, probably one to miss! It’s a slow burn of a story and is quite heavy on the descriptive prose. For someone who is a much more character lead reader, I did find myself tiring of the length of chapters in places because of that. The romance was sweet but unfortunately I didn’t care too much for any of the characters so wasn’t overly invested in the end.
I think this book had great potential and I really wanted to love it. There’s nothing *wrong* with the book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations in the end.

This is a really well written book. It has lots of depth too it too. Showing the dark and light side of magic. Which I liked.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for sending over an arc.

Blood is thicker than water. In Wild and Wicked Things, join Annie, Emmeline and Bea as they delve deeper into the world of witchcraft. This book has a lot of feminine power, betrayal and is action-packed.

What I like about this book: When coming to think about witchcraft, I thought it was just another fluffy book, however I was proven wrong. This books shows using magic or witchcraft has a price to pay, and it has a dark side. Magic must be used with caution by the user, and not blinded by love and being desperate.

Recommended for: People who loves to delve into these interesting yet dark world of magic
Overall rating : 5/5 (Chev picks)

Do you like books based in the roaring 20s? About witches? Sapphic romances? Great, because this book has all that!

‘Wild and Wicked Things’ has been described online as a Great Gatsby retelling, which is kinda true but also doesn’t do it justice at the same time. It’s easy to see which characters are based on who (Annie as Nick, Emmeline as Gatsby, Bea as Daisy, and Arthur as Tom) as they have similar characteristics/character arcs at the beginning of this story - but when the drama starts, that all falls away and the book comes into its own.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was so wonderfully dark, the settling was perfect - including the idea of magic prohibition, all the characters were intriguing and at times infuriating (but in a good way where I HAD to keep reading).

The way magic is described - from the magic laced booze, the use of herbs and moon phases, premonitions and senses - felt natural for the setting. If the author had gone for a more wand waving, snap of the fingers style of magic, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the book as much.

I really, REALLY hope this gets a sequel or another instalment in the same universe.

DNF at 10%. Unfortunately this was not mine... I found the pacing too slow and lost interest. I liked the fact that there was magic hidden on this island (somehow) but it took too long to get there.

3***

I enjoyed the setting of this book and the glamour and glitz of a Gatsby party, however I just didn’t care for the characters.

I really enjoyed the witchiness and the magic and what it could induce/cause. However, I think this book is a YA book (which I didn’t realise) and so I might not be the target audience for this one.

When I read about the premise of this book, I thought it would be a great choice. There's lots of potential in the story but unfortunately, it didn't quite do it for me. That's the way it goes sometimes.

I'm sure there will be others who'll love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc.

This was a great book, with sapphic representation and a wonderful witchy world, I adored it. I have a few beautiful copies coming and I can’t wait to post about it all over social media!

A beautiful book inside and out (with the perfect dash of mystery)

I love a good witchy book this didn't disappoint. Very dark magic which I was totally shocked but in a good way . I really loved the gothic feel to this book I found it was very atmospheric like you was in the book with them . . The characters all so well written. And the book very easy to follow . I loved how it had that twist oh gatsby truly wonderful. Only thing for me is the trigger warnings some was bit much for me to take in so I did have to skip those parts . Generally think the book is a great read .

I picked up this book because I am a sucker for The Great Gatsby, and the words “sapphic retelling of The Great Gatsby” was definitely something I couldn’t pass. Too bad it didn’t work for me.

I have to admit that my first struggle with this story was understanding the timeline and the world. I should have probably known that when they were talking about “war” the characters were referring to WW1, considering this is a Gatsby retelling, but for me, it wasn’t so straightforward (and no, sorry, I didn’t read the synopsis, my bad). I had to check other reviews to connect the dots, and I guess the writer didn’t spare much description of the world. Furthermore, I couldn’t grasp the magic system. Does magic exist in this world? Is it widely acknowledged its existence, or does it exist only on this island where the story takes place?

The story was very slow, sometimes there was just a string of pretty words to describe something that was happening, but in the end, I failed to grasp the message they were trying to convey. On top of that, the flashbacks into the past drove me more into confusion. The dialogues contributed to making this story even less engaging and I’m sorry to say I was bored for the majority of the time.

I am sure other readers will love this story. It is probably more of a book that people should pick up during the Halloween period. I also thought the characters were bland, and while I couldn’t relate to any of them, I’m sure other readers will find the overall atmosphere will resonate with them.