Brr, it’s cold outside (typical UK!) so what better way to celebrate than by reading something gothic & cosy over Xmas? ❤
What are your fav book features? I made sure to add gold foiling & ribbons inside my little hardcover creations! It doesn’t change the content, but it certainly adds a little happiness to the reading experience I think! 🙂
Showcasing the little horrors artwork for ‘Tales from the Manor’ that correspond with each of the stories in the book. Which are your favourite? 🙂
If you’d like to get your hands on a copy & have it delivered in time for Christmas (either for you or a loved one!) scroll below. The full link can also be found in ‘Tales from the Manor’ tabs!
Nightmares abound… (Violet)
The Doll ~ (Kary)
Night at the Carnival ~ (Tony)
The Crypt ~ (Peter)
Serving of Greenflies ~ (Dinah)
The Grandmaster ~ (Tony)
Paper, hardcover & e-book versions are all available for you to choose from! ❤ If you are based in the UK and would like a signed copy, feel free to send a message over in the ‘contact me’ page.
Christmas is finally around the corner! Are there any festive books on your radar?
They say to write what you want to read and this time I was really yearning for that gothic, historical cosy feeling, with a bit of the uncanny (also to try my hand at writing a psychological horror!) Especially as the cold, dark, winter months are upon us!
I was inspired by more traditional folk tales, as well as some more of the unique eerie, Victorian Literature based around this season! You’ve got your dolls and dream terrors, but also more fantastical, gothic romance.
If you end up picking ‘Tales from the Manor‘ either for yourself or a loved one this Christmas, firstly thank you! and secondly, I hope you enjoy this journey.
Let me know if you’ll be reading ‘Tales from the Manor‘ (I’ll probably be dipping into it during the Xmas week!) & we can do a buddy read together! 🙂
‘For she had seen him before, this voice in the shadows. The night her father died.’
“In Caskets of Ice, the author pulls you in with her detailing and dark mystery of the dream world. Within her dream world, you encounter horrors and fantasy. The characters have to battle the ultimate antagonist, who controls the horrors within their dreams, keeping them contained. The author delivers such a beautiful dark fantasy. The way she paints a picture with her words is inspiring. Such a beautiful read. There are even a few illustrations inside. Can’t wait for the next one!” ~ K.R. Bowman
“Kate’s writing is INSANELY beautiful. You can really tell that she writes poetry. Every sentence is lyrical, with really original similes and metaphors. The entire concept of a dream world was fascinating, and I loved the snippets of darkness we were told, from flesh eating witches to the fact that dreamcatchers are just a gate away for the Dream Devil! Reading this literally feels like you’ve fallen into a deliciously dark dream.” ~ A. Bismillah
“This book was utterly captivating, from the unique storyline to the eloquent use of the English language and the images within the story. I for one am so glad the author decided to illustrate her book because it gave so much more value to the story being told. I loved the uniqueness of the storyline, it is so unlike a lot of other fantasy novels out right now.
Casket of ice follows Dinah, who has spent her life troubled by the dream realm. Her life has been anything but normal, especially since her fathers passing, and mystical talking shadows follow in her wake, until she closes her eyes and the dream world sucks her deep into a vortex which is comes to realised is more real then she first believed. Alden the dream devil will stop at nothing to raise his army of dead, In his ice caskets he keeps his greatest creation. Alden has been invading the dreams of his victims terrifying them, but he encounters something he hasn’t before the sheer determination of Dinah, Alysia, and Orion to stop the dream devil, who will stop at nothing even killing the ones they love.
This book is a must read. You will fall in love with the characters and the storyline.” ~ Caroline Masci
“Wow this is such a lush, dark and beautiful world. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story, but I found it was much more of a horror novel than I expected, which I really enjoyed. I don’t normally like the horror genre, but Dracula is one of my favorites and this has major Dracula vibes. Imagine Dracula meets Inception all set in a fairy tale. I loved the combination of these vibes- definitely a very original and creative world.
The writing in this was gorgeous- dripping with luscious descriptions and metaphors. It was reminiscent of Stephanie Garber’s prose, which I love. I also really appreciated how the writing felt dreamlike- having the scenes and POVs switch around so it felt like being in a dream while reading the story.” ~ J. Aldous
“Where is it that we go when we fall asleep? It is when dreams turn to nightmares, when we hear nothing but the throb of our uncomfortable thoughts to stop ourselves from fearing the darkness.”
Caskets is Ice by Kate W.J. White is a dark fantasy novel where dreams can be the horror of reality. Dinah seemingly has a normal life, full of friends, school, and the typical pitfalls of growing up. However, in her world of sleep, there is a dream devil preying on all that she holds dear – steeped in a past that goes much deeper than Dinah ever imagined.
Things I liked: – White’s lyrical writing. You can tell that Kate is a poet just in her prose: “Faith… It is nothing but the hues of grey between the black and white of clarity.” There were so many lines that were lovely. – The unique concept of the world building and plot. I liked the idea of a dream world that can harm our reality – or even allow us to entirely escape the truths of reality permanently. – The book turned out to be creepier than I had thought initially – I love being surprised as a reader. – While this book is YA, some of the elements of the story felt so elevated and mature, I wasn’t missing anything. I reached for this ebook more than the other books I was reading.” ~ E. Scott McMullen