Fabulous Fantasies: West of Wicked and A Master of Djinn

21 Apr

West of Wicked
by Nikki St. Crowe
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe is the first in The Great and Terrible Land series. The second in the series East of Envy will be out in November. The story is a darker and spicier spin on The Wizard of Oz that should appeal to fans of Wicked. Dorothy was abandoned as a young child at a Kansas farm by a loving couple, but she never quite fit in. Now all grown up she is questioning whether to accept the marriage proposal from a handsome friend, when a tornado takes her to a mysterious, gloomy land. She encounters a gorgeous stranger hung up like a scarecrow and a variety of other familiar and new characters as she journeys to find the Wizard. The story is told from multiple perspective which gives a unique perspective on the world and its inhabitants many of whom including Dorothy are hiding intriguing secrets.

A Master of Djinn
by P. Djeli Clark
A Master of Djinn is a spectacular steampunk adventure set in Egypt in 1912 that had plenty of twists and turns that surprised and enthralled me. So often in the past when I would see Egypt depicted in fantasies, it would focus on archeologists and tomb raiders, this story stars Egyptians themselves which gives an insider view of the action that takes place. This was P. Djeli Clark’s first full length novel, but there are additional prequels in this series you can check out, if you enjoy this story. Fatma el-Sha’arawi works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is surprised (and not particularly overjoyed) when she learns she has been assigned a partner, but she will need all the help she can get when she investigates a secret brotherhood dedicated to a famous historic figure, Al-Jahiz, who had first brought the magical into our realm.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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A Melancholic Gothic Tale: The Haunting of Bly Manor

16 Apr
Title for The Haunting of Bly Manor featuring the show's logo in gold text against a dark red wall hung with several ornate framed portraits of figures in formal attire.

The Haunting of Bly Manor numbed me in the best way a ghost story can. Based on Henry James’s stories, particularly The Turn of the Screw, it’s a slow burn that leaves you broken with grief and longing, haunted by where the ghosts in our lives may linger.

I rewatched it recently, and the haunting still stings. Why? Because the series leans into its Victorian foundation and lets us breathe in the same walls as the characters. It’s cozy but curious, unsettling, and suspicious, and speaks something worth thinking about: that the eerie remnants of lives past are just as confused as we are. Why did they end up where they ended up, and how do they get out, if they even want to? Who’s pulling the strings or turning the key?

From Director Mike Flanagan, The Haunting of Bly Manor is, in my opinion, one of his finest works of psychological horror.

Dani Clayton accepts a position to care for two orphaned children at England’s Bly Manor. She discovers the estate is haunted by both the spirits unknowingly trapped within it and a tragic story that swallowed its once-peaceful walls. Dani grows closer to the manor’s staff and begins to expose the house for what it is: a gothic tragedy.

It’s a ghost story mixed with a love story that meditates on memory and the way the dead pull long after they should. Memories and heartache can be just as spooky as bumps in the night.

We discussed this series at one of the Library’s recent Horror/Thriller book club meeting, and here is what one attendee had to say about it:

“The Haunting of Bly Manor isn’t typical horror. It is a haunting love story wrapped in grief and memory. Dani and Jamie’s relationship gives the series its emotional core, while the Lady of the Lake is genuinely terrifying and lingers in your mind long after the series ends. [The Haunting of Bly Manor] relies more on uncanny imagery like faceless ghosts and a sense of impending doom. I still find myself thinking about the series because of the lasting emotional impact it had on me.

A young girl in pink pajamas sits in a dimly lit attic beside an old wood trunk. She is holding one finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture and looking just off to the side of the camera.

This is a series that’s so powerful that it demands a second and third watch because its emotional core and intrigue is so in tune with the labyrinths of human emotion. I felt my feelings while also being terrified. That’s not easy to do. The relationships built in this series will never leave my mind, and that’s where Bly Manor breaks expectations.

Reserve your DVD or Blu-ray copy in the BCCLS system here.

Comment below your thoughts once you’ve had a watch (or if you already have).

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Written by:
Sean Willey
Information and Digital Services Assistant

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