I really enjoyed this book and was originally given an Arc copy through Netgalley.

I have since bought my physical copy and also got an ebook version of this book when it was on a day deal of £0.99.

The book was a bit dark so read the trigger warnings at the beginning.

The book was based on a family that have nothing but bad luck with death, first the 3 eldest sons on their 18th birthdays; and you later find out there is a curse on the family where death magic kills off any and all to inherit the family fortune, and then their father after he comes back from the war. Felix then goes into finding out if he can save himself and his younger brother Nick, finding a group Imperium Mortis are behind the curse and the use of death magic that are to blame for all the family deaths. He has 30 days in order to stop the curse save himself and his brother.

Loved the character development and enjoyed the twists and turns of the book. Small chapters helped in reading it faster when I got back into reading this after a reading slump I have been in this year.

A Dark Inheritance is a well plotted intricately layered story that draws you in from the very first sentence. Rich in detail it's a wonderful read full of family, destiny and intrigue that is deeply satisfying.

This story played out well and was really good at times. I think the characters could’ve done with a bit more fleshing out (but I am a big fan of a character). Some great twists too.

I enjoyed the darkness and the escalating sense of foreboding that builds throughout this story but unfortunately I just didn’t feel the urgency the main protagonist was driven by. I also didn’t get a strong sense of the 1920s setting.

An interesting premise, but I wanted to care more for the characters. Quite a quick read, I just wanted a bit more.

Thank you for the arc!

I thought this was a great concept to begin with but unfortunately I did not enjoy the book, it was a bit basic and not as exciting as I expected

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

a page-turning yet ultimately forgettable novel, ‘a dark inheritance’ served its purpose as a young adult thriller in delivering a degree of entertainment and a steady level of unsettlement.

my main issues with this text, aside from its forgettable characters, was that it was too high-concept for its own good. i felt at times that this novel was attempting to fall between too many genres at once; some moments horror, some moments fantasy, some moments action, some moments romance, some moments coming-of-age, some moments science-fiction. the longer the book went on the more it lost its horror dark academia qualities which drew me in, and the more it went down a magical, ‘destroy an organisation’, science-fiction path (which may be some people’s cup of tea! just not what i expected from this text’s first sections)

additionally, many different interweaving plot points and what should have been pivotal were established and introduced but never developed upon. for example, the cursed deaths of felix’s siblings should have been explored more, as they served to establish the foundation of the plot. attempts to humanise hugo leery fell flat for me. i truly could not sympathise with a man attempting to manipulate death by means of murder, necromancy and experimentation. without giving too much away, the reasoning for the third-act time jump felt very forced, ineffective and predictable. because of all of these issues i felt very disconnected to the characters and their experiences.

the text also attempted to delve into lots of heavy topics (such as anxiety, grief, the horrors of war, ethical questions on death, utilitarianism, etc.) yet only managed to make surface-level observations, despite clear good intentions on the part of the author.

what let me down the most was the ending. within a few pages everything had miraculously been resolved, all the endings had been tied up so to speak (more like covered over with masking tape).

i have used the word ‘attempt’ a lot during this review, as i felt this book was just that. an attempt: one with good intentions and solid literary understanding, just poor execution and surface-level analysis of larger themes.

I didn't hate this but I didn't necessarily love it either.

The cover is beautiful and intriguing but it was definitely the synopsis that got me- Our protagonist Felix Ashe has 30 days before his 18th birthday. Then, at the time of his birth, he will die.

The general story was interesting with elements of magic I'd like to have seen explored further though saying that the book felt much too long already.
There was little character development and some 'twists' seemed to come from nowhere with little evidence.
The start was slow but the end was rushed even skipping massive timeframes where plans were hatched and skipping through the action.
The vague and unsatisfying ending leaves the possibility for a sequel but if there is, I won't be reading it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and H.F. Askwith for the arc.

I read the first few hours rather quickly without realising, as someone who sometimes struggles keeping track of multiple characters at the beginning of a story, this book made it easy for me to follow along.

My only criticism would be that all the action was towards the end, the reveal happened so quickly that I didn’t get to fully take it in. There’s a lack of closure, of justice that I wish would have been there.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for giving me access to an e-arc of this book!

I did like this book, but I can neither say I loved it or hated it. It was very much middle ground for me, but I feel most of that could be that it felt like it was directed to more younger readers.

I really like the deeper look into anxiety in this book, and the way that the main characters deals with his ongoing anxiety. The constant thinking about how every situation you are in can go bad and the different twists and turns your brain can take you on when just thinking about what can happen. I also really loved the magic system in this book, that it comes from death and can only be controlled by certain people.

However the rest of the book just felt a little flat. In regards to the time period and the background of the story, there just wasn’t much description and it just felt like it could have been set anywhere except for the brief mention of some dates and places. In contrast to that though, I did like the constant ticking down of the dates to the main characters impending death, it made you feel on edge just waiting to see what ends up happening.

I also felt the characters were a little flat also, I didn’t get as sucked into their story and wanting to know what happened to them as much as I thought I would. You just feel a little disconnected from them.

Overall, I did like this book and I enjoyed myself while reading. It was fast paced and had a really good mystery storyline, and you were waiting for the next turn. The characters and the settings were just a bit two dimensional and didn’t stand out as much as they should have.

I would still definitely recommend to any younger fantasy readers, and will probably read what the author produces next!

Felix is sure that he is destined to die on his 18th birthday. Just like his older brothers did. No amount of wealth can protect him from his fate. He's obviously terrified, but what scares him the most is that one day, his younger brother Nick will face the same destiny. Now, 30 days before his 18th, he starts to learn more about why they have been cursed and finds himself pulled into a dark world he never could have imagined.

A Dark Inheritance has a great story, but one I felt could have been better by directing it at adults rather than younger readers. It quite often feels a bit held back from going too dark when that would have made it a better book. That said, I'll be getting my 11 year old daughter onto it as it's definitely suitable for that age range up. But I did very much enjoy this book. It has a definitely gothic feel but deals with so.e quite modern and relevant themes such as anxiety and panic attacks.

4 stars but could have been a 5 as adult fiction.

I really enjoyed this book! The concept was very different to anything I’d read before. I enjoyed the inclusion of the secret society aspect and the travel to different places. I also loved the time period this book was set in. The only thing I wished was for more depth with the character relationships.

The idea and premise of this book was brilliant but the execution fell flat for me. I liked the characters and their story arcs but the plot development didn't excite me. I wasn't gripped as much as I wanted to be.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story, and was interested to see how the story developed.

A Dark Inheritance is such a beautifully written fantasy thriller. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out A Dark Inheritance today.

It's no wonder that fans of horror will be thrilled with A Dark Inheritance— it reads like a Stephen King novel. Don't miss out on this fast-paced adventure with its exciting plot, immersive characters, and magical setting. It's sure to captivate you from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children's UK for this ARC.

At the risk of sounding narrow-minded, I don't often read books that are told from a male perspective. Mostly this is because of past experiences that have not served the POV well, and my own ability to relate far more to the feminine perspective as a woman. However, the cover and the title and the blurb really drew me to this one, so I decided to give it a shot - I'm so glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and I really, really loved Felix, the main character.

Advertised as a Gothic thriller, it definitely lives up to the expectations that that brings. The premise isn't new at it's heart - a tale of borrowed time, and endeavors to put an end to a seemingly deep, dark family curse that promises to destroy the bloodline. But there was a lot about this that was original, at least when all brought together in one book - secret societies, shady characters, and a bygone time.

The book tackles a lot of topics like grief, loss, mental health (with a focus on anxiety/panic attacks) and friendship, and it does that well. I loved the exploration of Felix's relationship with himself, as well as with his little brother, his mother, the father he lost and gained and lost again, and the friends closest to him. There was a strong character development together with the movement of the plot, and I was really rooting for him.

Beyond that, there were many twists and turns (some more obvious than others), and I wanted to know more and more about the world and the story itself. I do hope there will be more to come in this series, as I want to know what happens next!

I really struggled to get into this, which surprised me. The storyline was good and interesting but the character development didn't quite hit the mark. I just couldn't care enough about Felix.

Enjoyable YA riff on classics from Fitzgerald and Christie, but a bit thin on world building and historical context clues. That said, I did find the characters engaging and it made for a nice easy read.