Alice's Illusions and Blackwood Manor

Happy Tuesday, fellow readers! Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. Whether you celebrate at home or away, I hope that you have a safe and happy day.

This week, I am thankful to bring you a two for Tuesday! Buckle up for a twisted Alice in Wonderland fantasy book called Alice's Illusions by Maya Black and a page turning horror/mystery called Blackwood Manor by Ashley Bundy.

We'll start with Alice's Illusions. First, the trigger warnings.

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Clean

Triggers:

Bullying

Drug use (Marijuana)

Suicide

Deceased siblings

Ouija board use

Threats of self-harm

Alligations of rape by a parent

Commitment to a psychiatric ward

Underage drinking

Alright! Let's go down the rabbit hole, shall we?

Alice's Illusions will have you questioning everything, and I absolutely love that in a book! It has some heavy themes as you can see. If you are a fan of the dark and twisted with a sprinkle of high-school life you'll enjoy this one.

I enjoy that Alice is a 17 year old high-school teenager, and that she has siblings. It is a neat reimagining. The characters are interesting and the hint of mystery keeps you turning page after page. It is a medium paced read that didn't take me long to finish.

Here is my official review:

A Real World Twisty Alice in Wonderland

This fantasy Alice in Wonderland reimagining is dark, twisty, delightful, and unexpected. Maya Black brings us a 17 year old Alice and makes us question the very fabric of reality. It is clean with only a little light making out. It has some heavy themes so definitely check the trigger warnings that I listed on this one. If you dare to go down this rabbit hole you won't be sorry.

If you too would like a trip to a different kind of wonderland, here is the link:

https://a.co/d/gif5Wqq

On to our second book, Blackwood Manor.

Of course, we'll start with the triggers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶

Triggers:

Child abuse

Ghosts/spirits/haunting

Ouija board use

Injuries due to supernatural causes

Mentions of suicide

Sexual assault

Mentions of past domestic abuse

Racism

Mentions of death/deceased people

Murder

Mentions of rape

Demons/Demonic possession

Mild FF sex scene

As you can see, it has some very heavy themes as horror books often do. If you like haunted old houses, horror, mysteries, and scandals, then you'll love this one like I did.

Ashley did a fantastic job creating these in depth realistic characters. Her descriptions are detailed enough that you can picture each character as well as the manor itself. I could picture every floor and every hall of that haunted old plantation home.

Ashley really takes you on a ride in this one. There were so many threads of mystery to untangle. I can't even imagine how long it took to create such an in-depth story. I may have to read it again just to make sure that I didn't miss anything!

The story does swing from present day back to two of the characters' childhood and occasionally flashes back to the Civil War era. Sometimes, I dislike when books flash back because it can take away from the main plot, however, this was done beautifully. Each flashback unraveled more clues to the mysteries of the manor. I thoroughly enjoyed how it was written.

Here is my official review:

Ghosts, demons, and exs! Oh my!

This horror/thriller is gorgeously done. I love how well it was thought out and how in depth the story is. The character descriptions are superb, and I feel like I could map out every inch of that giant old manor. When I say I lost sleep over this one, I am not exaggerating! I just could not put it down! It is decently fast paced and has mysteries and scandals galore. I absolutely can not rave enough about this one. It was my first book by Ashley Bundy, but it definitely will not be my last!

I can not rave about this one enough! I am a horror fan and this one did not disappoint!

Blackwood Manor was my introduction to Ashley Bundy, and I am officially a fan. I am especially excited that there is a book two!

If you would like to delve into the darkness, you can pick up Blackwood Manor here: https://a.co/d/aDbxYz9

That is it for me for this week, dear readers. I hope that you enjoyed the double book treat. I hope that you join me next week for more literary goodness. Until next time, curl up with a good book.