HALL WAYS REVIEW: Initially drawn to the cover, then intrigued by the premise, by page five I was immersed in the magic of A MADNESS UNMADE: THE DEATHLY INHERITANCE DUOLOGY, BOOK ONE. Though there are elements reminiscent of books by authors like J.K. Rowling, V.E. Schwab, T.J. Klune, Ransom Riggs, plus some Haunted Mansion vibe, none of this story felt copy-cat-ish. Author E.K. Larson-Burnett managed to mix all the best magical morsels together and put her own inventive mark on A MADNESS UNMADE, creating a style all her own.
Laurel was “feeling as though she had been dunked in a goblet of champagne, dizzy and buzzing and alive.”
There are many subplots happening in A MADNESS UNMADE, but the teacher in me noted and enjoyed the underlying message of different people having different learning styles. While main-character Laurel’s first tutor is impatient and intolerant of Laurel’s struggles to learn what she must as Guardian of the Underhallow, when he gives up on her, it’s a gift. Laurel’s second tutor recognizes her challenges and adjusts his lessons accordingly. And she blooms! Seeing Laurel grow in her self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-acceptance is wonderful to watch unfold. The icing on the cake is that she has love and support from a group of caring ghosts!
The undead in A MADNESS UNMADE are, ironically, fully fleshed out characters. Add-in that because of Laurel’s magic, she can experience their touch and fully engage with them makes the storyline even more robust, and unique among most ghost stories. There is a wide cast of ghosts (Revenants), but at start of the book, there’s a helpful section titled, “The Rumbroom Family Ancestry” that helps keep Laurel’s family straight. (Though I think a family tree visual would have been easier for my learning style. Some relationships are unclear, and I wonder about Genevieve, Laurel’s great-great aunt, who’s never mentioned again. Hmmmm.)
“He towered before her, which would have been intimidating if not for his eyebrows lurching up and down with each word like waltzing black worms.”
In A MADNESS UNMADE, Larson-Burnett provides readers excellent world building and explanations about the mechanics of how the Revenant world operates. The writing and language are often humorous, and always delightful with cleverly crafted turns of phrase to immerse readers in the time period and tone of the setting. The illustrations sprinkled throughout the story are a welcome addition, too.
“She could no longer pansy-foot in the penumbral presence of its terror.”
Since this is the first book in a duology, I suspected there would be many questions left unanswered, and I wasn’t wrong. Tension ramps up considerably in the last quarter of the book, and readers are left alongside Laurel to puzzle out a whole lot of mysteries. And with the specter of the League for Revenant Reformation and Dissipators looming about, along with their ever-changing Revenant Accords, it feels like the clock is ticking on how much time is left for Laurel and her house full of ghosts to keep their peaceful existence.
“She was a blister rubbed raw, an exposed nerve in a storm of sharp things.”
*BRACE YOURSELF* I have no complaints about the editing. I read an ARC copy and it was pert near perfect. Anyone who follows my reviews knows it is a rare thing when I don’t find editing issues. My only grievance with A MADNESS UNMADE is that the second book isn’t ready NOW. Meanwhile, I’ll be buying a paperback copy so I can enjoy that cover and maybe revisit Laurel and her ghostly friends while I eagerly anticipate the next installment.
