I've read The Gilded Wolves a couple (?) of years ago and found it extremely disappointed about it. Well, Wild and wicked things is like The Gilded Wolves but well written and with a solid background to lay its feet upon.

Sapphic witches, gothic vibes, historical set and solid writing.

There are so many realistic little details too, like for example the relationship between Annie and her father. She grieves somehow, but she wasn't close to him so she doesn't drag about it for way too long. that felt quite refreshing somehow.

The pacing wasn't alway brilliant and sometimes it felt dragged but, aside from this main issue, it's a really goof debut and a very exciting story!

In her debut fantasy novel, Francesca May invites us in as she weaves a tale about magic, secrets, and finding oneself…or is that losing oneself?…in love.

Annie’s father has just died. That’s sad, but seeing as she barely knew him, his last request for her, and only her, to visit the island where he lived to clear out his house is odd. Still, it’s a relief. Home is tough, and without her friends – Sam, who was killed in the 2 World War, and Bea, who married a wealthy gentleman and lives on the same island – Annie is restless.

She hopes the trip away will show her that her home is back on the mainland where she came from. She hopes it will settle all those bits of her that resisted the marriage, the children – the attentions of men in general.

She doesn’t expect that Crow Island, imbued with magic in every crumble of soil, will draw her into its web. Or what – and who – she’ll find there.

Magic in this world is widely known, though not everyone really believes in it. But it was used in the war to create super soldiers, leading to a law banning real magic. Faux magic shops sport licenses to sell faux magic, and the real magic hides just beyond; in the glimmer of shadows, and the light of a soft purple lamp.

The book sets up well, drawing the time, the situation, and the first characters, with an air that invites you to settle in, even as the first coils of tension begin. Crow Island becomes a place to yearn for, even as the feeling of doom builds with every page.

The pull between Annie and Emmeline, in both its immediacy and power, brings back the memories of first loves and friends lost to time. But not without also bringing back the heartbreak. The coven of witches draws you in with the feeling of connection, finding your tribe – a feeling queer folk like me know well. It feels like coming home. But, bad news: the home is sliding off a cliff.

Annie’s discomfiture in herself feels genuine, from the heart of the author herself, and the tidal pull towards Emmeline feels as inevitable as it is, at least at first, toxic.

Emmeline herself, as our second narrator, is mysterious, prickly, and confident, but not without her own fears and doubts. In her draw towards Annie she feels the doom approaching. Her nonconformity – in dress and attitude as well as magic use – is a stark reflection of reactions through the ages to those who don’t fit.

WAWT is filled to the brim with poignant and powerful descriptives, May paints pictures with her words, letting us fill in the details as she moves us forwards with confident sweeps of the brush. The relationships between our narrators and each other, the side characters, and even themselves, is constantly on shifting sands, poised to slide and fall this way or that at the slightest touch.

Every time you begin to relax around a character, they do something that tenses you up and makes you question again if you like them. But none of these people are intended to be wholly likeable. If you need that in a book, you need to keep looking. The title here accurately reflects what you get!

If you want darkness, intrigue, witches, sapphic romance, gender non-conformance, and a spring coiled so tightly that when the finale arrives you slump as the tension is suddenly relieved…then this is definitely the book for you.

I cannot reasonably find any issues to relay, other than a simple personal thing of having read too many “but no, I must not like the same gender as myself, angst and woe!” over the years (not to mention writing them myself!). But that’s because I’m an old, grumpy queer who’s read it all over and over again. There’s still a place for those stories though! They’re important because young lesbians are still going through it. But the queer joy that comes in, not to mention the endlessly tightening tension wire, are more than enough to make up for my grumpiness.

4,5 stars
I have heard many many good things about Wild and Wicked Things and so I was very excited to pick it up. It sounded like a book that was right up my alley. It has sapphic witches, gothic vibes, a 1920s setting. I read The Great Gatsby years ago and while I don't remember much of it, I think this is a very well done retelling. Francesca May's writing is incredibly beautiful and draws you into the story and before you know it, you are completely engrossed. Once I picked it up, I simply did not want to put it down. I loved all the characters too. Emmeline and Annie were written so well, and I felt they had such a wonderful character arc, both as individuals but also together. I couldn't really pick a favourite between them even if I was forced to. I loved reading about the side characters as well; Bea being my favourite of everyone we see.

I lowkey did not want this book to end and I hope we get to read more of Emmeline and Annie's adventures someday.

This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. Witches, Gatsby-esque glamour, gothic atmosphere, historical setting? Wonderful, sign me up.

In some ways, the atmosphere and the setting were the absolute best bit of this book. It was so full and well developed, you could tell the author had put a lot of work into it. The magic was really well built, and quite unique in that I've read a lot of fantasy and not come across a magic system quite the same. But I do think it could have been developed a little further - one of the MCs powers felt a bit lost and confusing to me, especially in comparison to the strength of development in the other characters. I wanted to know MORE.

I found the setting a little jarring in points in that this is supposedly an island off the coast of England, but it's very clearly modelled after the islands around New York (again, Gatsbyesque). I could write this off as "well it's magic" a few times, but as someone from England it did leave me wondering a few times why it wasn't just set in the US.

I think the biggest weakness of this book is it's pacing. It felt like it dragged at points, and I wanted things to speed up a little.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It's got a lot of really good points and it was very unique and I would recommend it to someone looking for a book about witches.

"Wild and Wicked Things" by Francesca May is the perfect book about witches and witchcraft. Let me explain. Recently I have read books with witchcraft in which have been too much (for me) in the fantasy genre, and another book that was set at the time of the Witchcraft Trials, that just didn't seem believable. Therefore this book strikes the perfect balance - a great plot, spells, exorcism and a love story.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at 50%.

I think it’s more of a “wrong time” for this read as I’ve been trying to get through it for a week but it’s been a slow experience getting to 50% and each time I jumped back into this book I’d forgotten most of what happened and who the characters are.

I don’t think what I’ve read was in any way bad, but I just couldn’t get through it at this time.

I’m still buying this book with the hopes of re-starting it and having a better experience with it without the deadline of my e-arc expiring.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of Wild and Wicked Things.

I loved the synopsis of this novel and had to read it.
It is a wonderfully dark, intriguing and magical read.
The writing is captivating and descriptive. It's like a darkened witchy version of The Great Gatsby. The characters are all intriguing and flow well together.
The story itself is rather slow paced but it's still a wonderful read.

This book will appear on 2022s best seller lists and books of the year lists. It grabs you by the throat and takes you on one heck of a ride. Almost stayed up all night reading it !

I really loved this dark tale of witchcraft and love set in a post WW1 world where magic has been made illegal.
Annie has been born and brought up in Whitby but has to travel to the mysterious Crow Island to settle her dead father’s estate. Crow Island is everything that Whitby is not and the effects of the war seem to be completely absent. She meets her neighbours and is immediately drawn to Emmeline. She also finds her best friend Bea, who left Whitby without a word a year ago and through her, is drawn into a world of blood magic where any magic worked has a debt. If that debt is not paid, the consequences are fatal.
This is definitely the story of three women, Annie, Emmeline and Bea and the things that women will do to get what they want. Bea has her wealthy husband but the magic is wearing off and the consequences of the unpaid blood debt are becoming more urgent. The characters are brilliantly written. All of them are flawed and make bad decisions which makes them feel real. In the end, they are all just doing what they need to do to survive in the world that they are living in.
I loved the dark gothic atmosphere of this novel. The house is decaying and the presence of the crows is a constant through out the book together with an altered rhyme that has a much more sinister feel than the traditional one for sorrow….
I also loved this slightly alternate historical setting although I would have liked a bit more information on the mysterious council whose presence was often referred to.
This was a great read and I’m grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for my ARC In exchange for my honest review.

I reviewed Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May for LoveReading.co.uk. I have chosen it to feature as a Liz Robinson Puck of the Month on the site.

I really enjoyed Wild Wicked Things by Francesca May.
It was a really atmospheric read and i really loved that it was set in an alternate 1920's.
It definitely gave me Great Gatsby vibes.
I highly recommend this book especially if you love Gothic and Sapphic books!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderfully spooky and atmospheric book with a great sense of time and place; a nice balance of mystery, drama, and emotion; and some memorable flawed characters.

It’s set on an island somewhere off the coast of Britain, in the aftermath of World War One. There’s a touch of alternative history here that’s touched on but never fully delved into: seemingly, magic, both big and small, has long been a fact of life. But some horrific part in the war and was strictly banned, though there are inevitably both rogue practitioners and those who face false accusations. Crow Island has a long history of serious witchcraft, and unlike the mainland, this tradition is largely alive and well, with “fun” magic catering to wealthy tourists and larger, darker magic catering to the even wealthier residents, who are largely protected by their wealth and status. There are obvious prohibition parallels.

The MC, Annie, moves to Crow Island from her home town of Whitby, where she’s been leading a fairly dull, down at heel life. The father who abandoned her as a baby for a life on the island, and who she’s only ever met on a handful of occasions, is recently deceased and has left his impressive house to her. Coincidently, her former best friend, Bea, whom she became estranged from following the death of their mutual friend in the war, also moved there a short time previously, having married a wealthy, glamourous local man, Arthur. The house next door is owned by a group of witches who throw extravagant parties, and their leader, Emmeline (who also gets some POV chapters) becomes an immediate source of fascination and attraction to Annie. There follows lots of murder, mystery, magic and romance, all against a Great Gatsby-esque backdrop of cocktails, fabolous outfits, and general debauchery. Although despite all the glamour, it’s really quite dark in places and pretty intense throughout.

Overall, definitely worth a read. I thought it put a nicely fresh spin on both witch stories and 1920s tales.

Atmospheric and magical, from the offset I was really enchanted by the premise and the writing style of 'Wild and Wicked Things'.

The first third of the book was perhaps the best -- staying closest to the Gatsby inspiration, it was filled with evocative imagery of the glitz, glamour and morally-grey hedonism of the period. It also set up the magic and sapphism of the novel in a way that was enticing and got me hooked and excited to explore the world within the novel. However, I felt sadly this was not followed through. As the book went on it definitely became a slower read and less pointedly written.

There was definitely something missing in the romance side of the novel. I'm not really a romance reader so maybe this is on me, but I found it hard to find the romance between Emmeline and Annie in the book at all? Aside from the original mysteriousness of Emmeline and the magic that bonded them together, there seemed to be very little that actually attracted them to each other. The reason why Emmeline moves on from her (unrequited) love of Bea to entering a relationship with Annie is unclear and ultimately so little seemed to romantically happen between them -- aside from the climax of the plot which then itself is explained in a sort of epilogue. It does seem like the author perhaps is leaving room to explore the relationship more in a sequel but I generally just found it unsatisfying in this novel, despite however much I wanted to love it.

I'm not generally a romance or a fantasy reader so perhaps this just wasn't for me but I definitely felt that there was just some impetus -- some driving force -- missing from the novel that meant it let down an otherwise promising premise. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it and would be fascinated to know where the author goes with it as it opened up a world of magic with so much promise and intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the free e-book in exchange for my honest review :)

This book started so well but unfortunately, the pacing for me was too slow and I spent most of the book bored. However, there were plenty of things that I did like.

The author created an eerie and dark atmosphere that fit the book perfectly and created a sense of dread, making me wonder what was going to happen next. I wasn’t sure who or what I could trust. It added a layer of uncertainly and kept me guessing.

I liked the different perspectives, it was interesting to get two sides to the story. However, I did find it a little confusing at times, especially during the first half of the book.

I loved that the book was set just after World War I, and how the author incorporated magic into the mix. It made for a really interesting concept. Both during, with magic taking out the soldiers, and after, whilst Annie is visiting Crow Island.

The writing was lyrical yet haunting. You could hear the author's voice shining through. They really got inside the characters heads, pulling you into the story, and becoming immersed in the atmosphere.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book and there were plenty of things I did like! Just unfortunately the plot and pacing let me down. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

4.5 stars rounded up

Gothic. Sapphic. 1920s. Witches. 😍

This was a great atmospheric story, written in an evocative writing style, and filled with interesting, flawed characters.

First up is Annie. She's the mousy girl next door who finds herself pulled into a darker world and ends up firmly in over her head - which is a trope I always love. I am not sure if it was intended but I also got slight ace vibes from her (as she doesn't seem to have had any interest in anyone until Emmeline, though that may must just have been intended as she hadn't been willing to accept her own gay feelings prior to that.)

Emmeline, herself, is a much darker and complicated character, which was interesting to explore, and I also still found myself rooting for her, especially in some of her darker - yet understandable - choices.

I wouldn't call their relationship a typical romance but I don't think it is supposed to be. It's based more upon their magical connection & yearning & being pushed together by the horror they experience, and whilst those aspects are well done, I would perhaps have liked to have seen more of them forging an actual connection as people.

The side characters were similarly flawed but interesting. Annie's childhood friend, Bea, was
a character who caused mixed reactions in me. I found myself sympathising with her even whilst she frustrated me, as the choices she made were often selfish & she lashed out at those around her, but I think this leant a certain realism to her character.

However, I loved the found family vibe Emmeline had with Nathan & Isobel, and how the flashbacks to their childhoods/ teen years showed us how that connection was forged.

The world-building was interesting, blending history with this alternative reality where magic exists. I also liked the magic system which drew heavily on the 'magic comes at a price' notion. The only downside of the world-building for me was The Council. These were shadowy figures that are supposedly powerful (or used to be powerful) and we're kind of drip feed information about them, but by the end it felt like I still didn't follow understand their purpose or threat. However, this was just a small detail and overall I think the world was well rendered.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you like all things Sapphic, Gothic, witchy or 1920s.

The premise of this book really interested me and I looked forward to reading it. The world building was creative and the chemistry between the characters in this dark and magical book was palpable. The atmosphere was intriguing, however, I did find it a little slow placed and slightly predictable in places.

I can see how this would be a great book for some but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*



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After the death of her father, Annie travels to Crow Island to sort through his belongings and gets tied up in the real magic of the people who live nearby. I was drawn in by the summery of this book but was a bit disappointed with the execution. I felt a lot of time was wasted on how two characters felt about each other as it didn’t seem to change or help to progress the plot. There were some interesting back stories and I was intrigued by the supporting characters. I would definitely have liked to have read more about them. It was an easy book to read with some mystery that unfolds as the story progresses, although there were some predictable plot points and the ending wasn’t very satisfying. Finally, I am bothered by writing that overuses words or phrases and in this case tether/vinculum are referred to constantly. If they had been used 50% less I don’t think it would have had an adverse effect on the story.

Wild and Wicked Things, Francesca May

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

Well, this was hard to follow at first, but the promises of magic and adventure were there, and I was keen to get to them. Its a strange story though, characters behaving in ways that didn't really fit. Lots of questions but very few answers.

Its a kind of parallel universe where the world has magic but its outlawed. Of course that just drives it underground and makes it attractive to a certain set of society, and that's exactly what Emmeline's family survive on.
I loved the glittery, roaring twenties feel, the descriptions of the clothes, the parties and hedonism that came with them, all supported of course by generous bribes to the right people. What I found difficult was the way Annie just accepted the weird happenings, the selfishness of Bea, her “best friend”, that her father had abandoned her and her mum, yet left her his house. Why didn't she live there and not the cottage? Why did Emmeline let Bea have what she wanted in the first place? Love? It kind of felt a little wrong that she would do that, at such a huge risk. Then to go that to having feelings for Annie in such a short space of time....
I wanted to know more about the magic, the way it worked, I didn't understand why Annie wasn't more curious about her father, especially once she learned more about him. I would have liked to know more about the history of the Delacroix house, how Cilla came to be there, to do what she did and why, the backgrounds of Emmeline, Isobel and Nate.
Its a strange read, I kept reading right through, couldn't put it down, enjoyed the story but I felt that I had so many unanswered questions, and there were things like Annie's reactions to events, Bea's actions, that just didn't feel right. I expected more from the Crow connection, but when they were there it was a gripping part of the events. Its difficult to think about how I feel. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but I had so many places where I was a bit lost about how and why, and times when I felt credulity stretched a bit too far. Ultimately I think its one of those stories that I enjoyed, but wouldn't reread.

Stars: Four, its a beautifully written story, but there were those little niggles I mention that stop it from being a five star read.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Sensual and beautiful. I loved this book! May writes characters so well and the storyline was suitably compelling and gothic.

In an alternate post World War one Britain where everyone knows about but is prohibited from practising magic Annie has been summoned to Crow Island to sort out her late father’s affairs. Annie discovers she knows less about her estranged father than she thought and the secrets she discovers about her unlocks the truth about her. But as she struggles to understand, she becomes embroiled in the drama that surrounds her best friend Bea and the magical attraction she feels towards her mysterious neighbour Emmeline. But will Annie survive the danger consuming her life on Crow Island when the punishment for magic is death?

Review
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased review

This book is beautifully written- I fell in love with lyrical prose, the stories and the lush descriptions of magic and crow island. The world-building is detailed and dare I say realistic if magic did exist and was banned with descriptions of black market magic, bootlegged parties, corruption and how normal people will skirt close to the law.
The book is told from a the point-of view of Emmaline and Annie although Bea is the most intriguing and the person who drives the story forward though her actions and motivations.
Emmaline was the most fascinating- a strong, conflicted, woman who fall madly in love with the wrong woman and finds herself putting her life and the people she cares about in danger when she gives in to this woman’s demands. Emmaline was a realistic character, and I could empathise how she made bad choice after bad alienating her family.
Bea is character I would love to hate ( but secretly cant )- a woman who is unapologetically selfish and toxic to the people around her.
I loved Nathan and Isobel, the rest of Emmaline’s family who also have their own little heartaches and problems but who stand by Emmaline’s side.
There is a lot of romance, drama, and angst but I didn’t find this slowed the story. I am not a huge fan of romance but in this book, it enhanced and was an essential part of the story. But there is plenty of magic and action that satisfied the part of me who generally skips romance.
Content warning
Dubious consent, domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse of children
Perfect for fans
I’m not sure why but this book reminded me of Rebecca. Anyone who loves dark fantasy with witches and strong thread of romance will enjoys this
Summary
4 and half stars- I look forward to reading further books by the author.