The Shadow in the Glass

by J.J.A. Harwood

5 out of 5

Synopsis

Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must to decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay it.

A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern.

Review

As a lowly housemaid, Eleanor lives in fear of her employer, Mr Pembroke. One night, when her fears are at their greatest, a mysterious black-eyed woman comes to her aid.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Victorian London, Eleanor has lived in Granborough House for most of her life. She was the daughter of Mrs Pembroke's lady's maid, until Eleanor's mother died. Because of the close friendship, the Pembrokes became Eleanor's guardians.

Mrs Pembroke doted on her, and trained her to be a young lady. But when she passed away, everything fell apart. Mr Pembroke went into debt, dismissed most of the household staff, and relegated Eleanor to being a housemaid.

Three years later, and Eleanor has watched her home fall into disrepair. She has watched her fellow housemaids battered and bruised, as they are forced into sexual relationships with the violent Mr Pembroke. She has watched her friends fall pregnant, and get thrown into the gutter when they can't hide it.

Now that Eleanor is sixteen, and Mr Pembroke's latest victim has gone, he turns his gaze on her.

This is a dark gothic story that is loosely based on Cinderella.

This is most clearly alluded to at the beginning, with an over-worked servant girl and a "fairy godmother" entity; and at the end. The rest of the story is completely original.

It takes a very unforgiving insight into the life of women in Victorian times. They have no freedom, and little wealth of their own. There are very strict rules of decorum, and the maids are under pressure to represent their house in only positive ways. No one cares which gentleman is involved, but a whiff of rumour or pregnancy will see the maids thrown out without reference or chance of honest income ever again.

We follow Eleanor, as she tries to rise above poverty, so she can get away from Mr Pembroke, and hopefully take her friends with her. She had a brief glimpse of what life is like for the upper class, and she would do anything to get it back - not for the pretty dresses, but for the security it would offer her.

Eleanor is always sensible of her position throughout the book, she knows how precarious things are, and knows how even if she became rich, it would still legally belong to her guardian, the vile Mr Pembroke.

The black-eyed woman appears early in the story, summoned by the strength of Eleanor's need. She offers her seven wishes, in return for her soul.

Eleanor agrees, but quickly learns that each wish carries a terrible price.

This was darker than I expected from a "Cinderella retelling", but I really enjoyed it.

It took a while to get into, but once I worked out what type of book this was, I was definitely up for the ride.

The horrible treatment that Eleanor and her friends endured seemed brutally real, and despite Eleanor's best intentions, there were several parts in the book where it felt she had no way out of her situation.

The black-eyed woman was always happy to answer her call; but Eleanor put up a good fight, trying not to use the wishes, unless absolutely necessary.

I thought the author did an excellent job of keeping you guessing about... well, everything.

The wishes don't get granted by magic; they use other people, they use murder and mayhem, but get the required result. Which is only to be expected from a black-eyed woman...

There's just enough evidence to support the demon being real; just as there's evidence that she's not.

The pacing did occasionally dip, mainly when Eleanor was transitioning to a new role. It slowed down, and I did wonder where the story was heading.

Overall, this is a great debut, and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.

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