Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1)

by Leanna Renee Hieber

 Blurb:

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Source: ARC from Netgalley(Thank you  Sourcebooks !)

Links: Amazon,Bookdepository,BN,Flipkart

My Thoughts: I was really looking forward to reading this one.I've always found  Dorian Gray  interesting and I have to say that by the time I finished reading this one I was VERY eager to read  The picture of Dorian Gray(I'm pretty sure it's available for free as it's a classic)


EDIT: it's available for free! YIPPEE!!!

I absolutely loved the letter that was in  the beginning of the novel!

Here it is

Copyright 2011 Leanna Renee Hieber

New York County, Municipal Jurisdiction

Manhattan, July 31, 1880

New York City Police Record: Case File 1306

To whoever should have the misfortune to review this closed—but still unresolved—case, I extend my condolences. I tell you truly that all persons involved have been insufferably odd.

All we know directly of Miss Natalie Stewart, disappeared at age seventeen, is what you will read here in what was left behind as an absurd testimonial.

Herein you shall find pertinent newspaper articles enclosed by Miss Stewart regarding Lord Denbury and his infamous portrait. There are also letters from involved parties.

I am left to conclude that everyone involved is a certifiable lunatic. Should you wish to indulge yourself and read a young lady’s foolish reveries on such highly improbable events, so be it. Should you believe any of it, I hope you have no business with the New York Police Department now or in the future.

Regards,

Sergeant James Patt

(Source:http://www.leannareneehieber.com/darker-still-magic-most-foul/)

This book started off pretty well.I really liked Natalie Stewart,she was just my kinda girl.She was sarcastic and her thoughts made me laugh! I say her thoughts because Natalie is mute.She can't speak and I have to say I really found the fact that the main character had some disability very refreshing! I liked getting a peek into the world of a person who can't speak.


I also liked Mrs.Northe ,she was the mother figure in this book.I loved the fact that there was a supportive adult who actually had a clue what was going on in  the world of the teenager.

It was a little irritating that Natalie became so obsessed with Denbury (a.k.a the guy in the picture) when she knew absolutely NOTHING   about him but I guess I can't blame her if this is the same guy who led quite a few girls to their doom in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Even though the story was pretty interesting and I really liked the main character, I couldn't get completely engrossed in the book.I could put the book down at any moment and had to at times force myself to pick it up.I think it might have something to do with the fact that I thought the male character wasn't well developed in this book.I hardly got to know anything about his personality.
BUT....
If I would have read A picture of Dorian Gray before I had picked up this book maybe I wouldn't have needed to know anything about the main character.

Overall,I would read this one for the lovely female character and the interesting story.

My Rating:                                                       2.5-3/5

Loved the female protagonist

Couldn't decide whether to give this 2.5 or 3 so I've given it a range.