Genre Fiction
![Hester Fox - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B07CTX5RPZ.jpg)
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
"Weaves a spell of darkness that's mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love." -New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley on A Lullaby for Witches
In post–World War I England, a young woman inherits a mysterious library and must untangle its powerful secrets…
With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she's descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.
The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own.
Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey's previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library's mysteries in order to reclaim her own story-before it vanishes forever.
Lush, atmospheric and transporting, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is a skillful reflection on memory and female agency, and a love letter to books from a writer at the height of her power.
In post–World War I England, a young woman inherits a mysterious library and must untangle its powerful secrets…
With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she's descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.
The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own.
Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey's previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library's mysteries in order to reclaim her own story-before it vanishes forever.
Lush, atmospheric and transporting, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is a skillful reflection on memory and female agency, and a love letter to books from a writer at the height of her power.
Editorial Reviews
"Immersive historical detail and a gripping, intricate plot combine to plunge readers headlong into a rags-to-riches tale laced with betrayal and intrigue. This is a treat for bibliophiles." - Publisher's Weekly
"Weaves a spell of darkness that's mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love." -New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley on A Lullaby for Witches
"An atmospheric and heartbreaking tale of loss, dark magic and the power of love, this brilliant book will stay with you long after the last page." -Constance Sayers, author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus on A Lullaby for Witches
"Hester Fox transports readers to the windswept Yorkshire moors in THE LAST HEIR TO BLACKWOOD LIBRARY, delivering a magnificent and poignant tale of family curses, an ancient abbey and the wounds of war. This is every Gothic romance reader's dream come true!" - Rosanna Leo, author of DARKE PASSION
"With her trademark wit and lyricism, Hester Fox weaves a tale that is equal parts compelling and fantastical gothic mystery, swoon-worthy love story, and a genuine exploration of living with grief. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library gripped me from the very first page, keeping me on the edge of my seat and rooting for its independent and clever heroine until the very last. Rife with classic literary references and loving odes to the magic of reading, this story is a true delight for book lovers that is sure to be a new staple of the modern gothic genre!" - Marielle Thompson, author of Where Ivy Dares to Grow
"Combining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre." --ALA Booklist
"Weaves a spell of darkness that's mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love." -New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley on A Lullaby for Witches
"An atmospheric and heartbreaking tale of loss, dark magic and the power of love, this brilliant book will stay with you long after the last page." -Constance Sayers, author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus on A Lullaby for Witches
"Hester Fox transports readers to the windswept Yorkshire moors in THE LAST HEIR TO BLACKWOOD LIBRARY, delivering a magnificent and poignant tale of family curses, an ancient abbey and the wounds of war. This is every Gothic romance reader's dream come true!" - Rosanna Leo, author of DARKE PASSION
"With her trademark wit and lyricism, Hester Fox weaves a tale that is equal parts compelling and fantastical gothic mystery, swoon-worthy love story, and a genuine exploration of living with grief. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library gripped me from the very first page, keeping me on the edge of my seat and rooting for its independent and clever heroine until the very last. Rife with classic literary references and loving odes to the magic of reading, this story is a true delight for book lovers that is sure to be a new staple of the modern gothic genre!" - Marielle Thompson, author of Where Ivy Dares to Grow
"Combining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre." --ALA Booklist
Readers Top Reviews
Lexi Olszewski
Set in London, in 1927, the world is suffering in the aftermath of the Great War, with the poor, dilapidated state of things. Ivy is alone in the world, after both her father and brother died fighting in the war and her mother succumbed to influenza. Grieving the loss of her family, she has all but given up hope for making a life for herself, or for finding someone to love when her generation of men has suffered devastating losses of life, or for finding a job that accepts women now that the men have returned home. She receives news that she is the sole remaining heir, although distantly related, to the Hayworth family, including the old Blackwood Abbey. The atmosphere is my favorite part of this story, with its truly gothic setting. Who doesn’t love a story that features an ancient, sentient library? It’s a cozy kind of spooky, with eerie events that are supernatural. And there are some sinister turns towards the end that I wasn’t expecting. The plot is a little light in the beginning. It has a rather slow start, there isn’t a whole lot going on for the first hundred pages or so. It feels lackadaisical, lacking in momentum to push or pull me forwards. About halfway through things start to pick up and by the climax of events I was invested in the outcome. The memory lapses create an unreliable narrator and I found that an interesting nuance with the plot. I wasn’t immediately taken with Ivy, and I don’t know that I have any specific reason for this. It’s just my personal experience with the story that I didn’t find her to be the most endearing or relatable character. However, I do love her propensity for breaking gender boundaries during a time when female propriety was everything. I like that she also worked to break class boundaries as well, with sharing her books and knowledge with the masses. I also didn’t feel like any of the other characters had any real depth or backstory to them. They all feel very one dimensional, making it difficult to care for them. There is a cute, subtle romance that happens and I like that it is handled delicately with his protectiveness of Ivy. I would’ve really loved for this story to be dual timelines, with half of it told from Matilda’s perspective. I think fleshing out the connections between her and Ivy would have added more depth to the characters. And I also think that this may have bolstered the plot some as well. The prologue is the most intriguing portion within the first act. I think learning more about the events that occurred during the Black Death, how that relates to what happens within the abbey, and experiencing those events occurring as the mysteries are unraveled simultaneously would’ve made this story come to life even more. In theory and conceptually, this book has all the things I should love. But the execution just isn’t compelling enough. I kind of had to for...
ylmpastmidnight
**3.5 STARS** Content Warning: holding someone against their will + The writing is lush and engaging. I could envision Ivy going to Yorkshire to live in this haunted, old abbey. There were moments the story gave me the chills and creeps. It had all the gothic vibes I was expecting from this author. + I like the twist in the story because it was totally unexpected. There is a sentient, evil library – which I thought was pretty cool. I was afraid for Ivy because even I didn’t know what was going on until it was explained, but I could sympathize and feel her confusion and terror when certain things start happening to her. +~ Ivy is an unreliable narrator which is fascinating and frustrating at the same time. By the middle of the book, I was so irritated with her decision making! There is an explanation to her behavior but you have to keep reading. ~ Though this is a quick read, there is so much information withheld from Ivy it was very frustrating. I just was wishing someone would tell her something to help her out. I just kept judging her and saying she was very naive but there is more to the story that I can’t reveal. ~ There were some parts to the story that felt disjointed. The romance didn’t quite work for me, it could have, but the way the story is written – it just didn’t work for me. And after the explanation about the Abbey’s library – everything felt rushed from then on to the end. I wish there were more creepy scenes, and more incidents with the library books! Tropes: sentient library Why you should read it: *you like gothic, historical fantasy *the atmosphere of the Abbey, the library, the writing is engaging *Ivy is an unreliable narrator Why you might not want to read it: *some parts of the story is rushed, romance didn’t work for me My Thoughts: I’m always picking up a Hester Fox book because I know the gothic vibes will be there. I love how her writing captures a setting, in this case, Yorkshire and the Abbey. I love the creepy vibes and wish it were creepier! I enjoyed the twist in the story about the library and wish there were more instances where we got to see the library in action. The romance didn’t work for me and I do think the ending was rushed but I still found it entertaining.
