Belladonna By Adalyn Grace

Hear me out, Adalyn Grace is really channelling Emily Dickinson with this novel. I just KNOW Dickinson would absolutely devour this, if she hadn’t already written it in the form of an epic poem herself. The vibes were immaculate, echoing the style of a mid 19th century gothic novel with its immersive descriptions and heady sense of mystery throughout.

The main character Signa would do Jane Austen proud with her tenacity and innate inability to conform to literally anything. She also reminds me of Alice (in Wonderland), always choosing to wander off and quell her curiosity over attending etiquette lessons. BUT instead of slaying the Jabberwocky, Signa’s getting it on in the shadows with Death.

SPEAKING OF.

Death is a love interest and I’m just obsessed with their chemistry. He nurtures the part of her that is unwilling to fit in with polite society, as much as she believes that’s what she ought to want. At one point, Signa is taking tea with people she doesn’t like, unable to eat or drink anything, lest she accidentally do something uncouth. Signa feels Death enter the room, hearing his voice in her head.

…if you’re hungry, you should eat. Damn the rules.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It doesn’t get much better than a sexy, shadowy Reaper giving you aggressive permission to eat as many scones as you’d like. Peak vibes.

I’d recommend Belladonna to historical fiction and fantasy readers alike, but mostly to my ‘touch her and you die’ besties. If you know, you know. Slap Evermore on and read this on a drizzly autumn day, you will not be disappointed.

A big thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!