11 thrilling new YA releases hitting shelves this October
By Lacy Baugher
October 2021 release: Within These Wicked Walls – Lauren Blackwood
Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s classic Jane Eyre, described as Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi. This is enough of a reason for me to immediately want to give this book a try, but your mileage may vary.
The story follows Andromeda who is a debtera, a specific kind of exorcist whose specialty is cleaning households of the Evil Eye. But when she’s hired by the handsome young Magnus Rochester, Andromeda realizes that the house – and Magnus himself – hides secrets that are darker and more frightening than anything she’s been trained to handle.
Unsure how to face an evil power that’s stronger than anything she’s imagined, Andromeda also knows she can’t leave Magnus behind to face this darkness alone. But how she’ll survive the almost certain death that roams the halls – well, that’s anyone’s guess.
The official synopsis is brief but to the point.
"Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire."
WIthin These Wicked Walls is available on October 19.