Within These Wicked Walls

Described as "an Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre," how could I not pick this up? Having now read it, I don't see a lot of resemblance to Jane Eyre beyond it being set in a castle whose owner is named Magnus Rochester, but it IS an interesting piece of worldbuilding. We don't ever see a lot of the wider world, only the small village and the cursed castle in the desert, but through mentions we learn it's somewhere where the residents are predominantly Black, however the staff of the castle are almost exclusively white because, apparently, all the locals know better than to go and work in a cursed castle.

Magnus, the wealthy young man who inherited the castle and his father's fortune, also inherited his father's curse - the "evil eye" has afflicted him, and now nobody can look him in the eye without resulting in him turning into a cursed hyena at night to kill them (the embodiment of the evil eye itself). Our heroine, Andromeda, is what's known as a debtera - or at least an unlicensed one. She accepts the job out of desperation, because without a license, her options are limited; and Magnus chooses her for that reason also, knowing someone unlicensed will be more desperate for the work and can't afford to give up.

The system of curses, the haunted castle, the debtera magic (by crafting amulets), and the evil eye details are all very interesting and well described. Of course, since young Andromeda and young Magnus are thrown together, they inevitably fall for each other; I found this rather less believable as they seemed to go rather quickly from immediate dislike to declarations of love. However. Maybe that's a statement on my old and cynical heart more than anything else; if you like romances full of curses and bloodshed and spookiness then you'll probably enjoy this book. If you don't, then would suggest this is not the book for you, of course!

WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS has ill-advised romance, ghosts, and past abuses in a tangled and emotionally-rich story of haunting and moving on. It asks what we owe to those who tried their best but hurt us anyway.

I like the setting and the worldbuilding, the house and the curse are pretty well described. The characters are the best part, with various blends between relatability and detestability. At several points Andi encounters something that's new to her but well-known to the other characters (and definitely known to the author), and the way they're described is so precise and interesting. I like strange descriptions of things. There's particular moment where she sees, for the first time, a food I know very well but which I had to figure out along with Andi because of how she approached the description. It captures the feeling of figuring out something for the first time and it reinforces the character generally, fitting in with her previously limited realm of exposure. , and I was initially thrown by her description

I know the plot is like this because it's a Jane Eyre retelling, but I'm too demi to click with stories of instant attraction and there didn't seem to be much buildup before Andi was interested in Magnus. This is a quick attraction with interpersonal obstacles discovered after the spark is lit, and even those difficulties lingered just as long as necessary for narrative tension before melting away in an instant. It's a particular flavor of romance and not one that suits me well. It's also an employer/employee situation, with the associated power imbalances intact (but remarked upon, and I appreciate the level of self-awareness). 

There are themes of abuse from a parental figure who is a secondary character, and I think it usually finds a way to make that character understandable without minimizing the abuse. I never got to like him, though. Andi is very much putting up with his current level of abuse because she needs something from him. It is a nuanced take on this dynamic, and I like the level of care involved in the narration. It focuses on the shape of how Jember's brokenness hurt Andi in turn, and there's a gradual process of them coming to terms with who they were to each other and setting a new standard for what they want to be now. It's very well done, and while they balance they strike isn't what I would want for myself, it genuinely seems to work for the two of them.