Feisty young governess Charlotte Markham discovers a dark alternate world called The Ending, the place for things that cannot die, in which the deceased mother of the two boys under her care has been waiting. She invites them into the ominous House of Darkling, a wondrous, dangerous place filled with enchantment, mystery and strange creatures that are not quite human...
Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling
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Review
With Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Boccacino has created a new vision of the Afterlife, at one moment stunningly beautiful and full of wonder, the next, darkly sinister and without pity. A remarkable book. Michael Boccacino is a writer to watch. --Susie Moloney, author of The Dwelling and The Thirteen
Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo! --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin's Code and Dust & Decay
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
"Debut author Boccacino bowls the reader over with his note-perfect rendition of a spooky Victorian atmosphere." --Publishers Weekly
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
[Boccacino] has an eye for the literary device as stories within the story reveal the Darkling's secrets to the reader and characters simultaneously. --The Bookbag
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
If you like Victorian gothic fantasy I think that there is much in this book to enjoy. --Sci-Fi Online
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
"For a debut novel its superb, the overall arc... cracking cast and clear vision, made this a title that I really couldn t put down. Great stuff." --Falcata Times
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a bit of a surprise, get through the first few chapters and the novel improves exponentially becoming an intelligent, thought provoking tale that delights the pallet with a unique style all it's own. --SF Book Reviews
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo! --Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin's Code and Dust & Decay
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
"Debut author Boccacino bowls the reader over with his note-perfect rendition of a spooky Victorian atmosphere." --Publishers Weekly
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
[Boccacino] has an eye for the literary device as stories within the story reveal the Darkling's secrets to the reader and characters simultaneously. --The Bookbag
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
If you like Victorian gothic fantasy I think that there is much in this book to enjoy. --Sci-Fi Online
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
"For a debut novel its superb, the overall arc... cracking cast and clear vision, made this a title that I really couldn t put down. Great stuff." --Falcata Times
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a bit of a surprise, get through the first few chapters and the novel improves exponentially becoming an intelligent, thought provoking tale that delights the pallet with a unique style all it's own. --SF Book Reviews
In Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. A convincing portrait of a woman enveloped in slow-mounting terror, rich in atmosphere and carried by writing that soars above that of most debut novels, this is not one to miss. --Christopher Ransom, internationally bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading
About the Author
Michael Boccacino's poetry has been published in the St. Petersburg Times and his short stories included in college literary magazines. He received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Rollins College, and he currently works as a viral marketer in New York City. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is his first novel.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Let's see, where to being with this book...
Well for starters, I very much enjoyed it. After reading the odd few pages over a couple of days I sat and read the whole thing today.
There were several things I noticed about this book. Firstly, I had no difficulty what-so-ever picturing the characters or the settings in my head. I always love it when a book can play itself out that way without having to strain yourself remembering who this character is and why they are feeling whatever. So it was off to a good start. I was however concerned early on that the book would have a fairly obvious ending, which I'm happy to say for the most part, it didn't.
The two things I found best about this book were 'descriptions' and 'stories'.
The descriptions of the main characters are not extensive, but they provided enough information for me to get a firm grasp of the characters. Once the book progressed and 'The Ending' (place name, not book section) was introduced, I found myself pausing to imagine everything that was introduced, and while the words 'tendrils' and 'appendages' are used quite heavy-handedly for creatures it was fun to imagine what they all looked like. I particularly liked enjoyed the various collections of Mr. Whatley.
By 'stories' I don't mean plot. The plot was great don't get me wrong, but I refer to the stories told within the story. I loved the 'creation myth' fairly tale and I found it and the other stories told to be a great addition to the book, especially where many would have chosen to simply say that a story was read and leave it at that.
If I'm honest I think this probably deserves a 5 star rating based on how much I enjoyed it, however I am going to rate it a 4. The reason for this is irritating. I was concerned from the beginning that the whole thing might rapidly fall into the easy trap of being a romance novel and I applaud the author for using the characters Victorian sense of decency to avoid it. I would love to explain why the ending caused the drop in a star for me but I don't want to spoil it. HOWEVER, I want to make it absolutely clear that the only reason the book dropped a star for me is that, while I have absolutely NO idea how I would like to have seen it end, the book ends slightly differently to how I thought it would. However I would say that almost anybody else who reads this book will not have an issue with it!
(Full disclosure: I received this free from the publisher to review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not altered by this. In this case I would quite happily have paid for it!)
Well for starters, I very much enjoyed it. After reading the odd few pages over a couple of days I sat and read the whole thing today.
There were several things I noticed about this book. Firstly, I had no difficulty what-so-ever picturing the characters or the settings in my head. I always love it when a book can play itself out that way without having to strain yourself remembering who this character is and why they are feeling whatever. So it was off to a good start. I was however concerned early on that the book would have a fairly obvious ending, which I'm happy to say for the most part, it didn't.
The two things I found best about this book were 'descriptions' and 'stories'.
The descriptions of the main characters are not extensive, but they provided enough information for me to get a firm grasp of the characters. Once the book progressed and 'The Ending' (place name, not book section) was introduced, I found myself pausing to imagine everything that was introduced, and while the words 'tendrils' and 'appendages' are used quite heavy-handedly for creatures it was fun to imagine what they all looked like. I particularly liked enjoyed the various collections of Mr. Whatley.
By 'stories' I don't mean plot. The plot was great don't get me wrong, but I refer to the stories told within the story. I loved the 'creation myth' fairly tale and I found it and the other stories told to be a great addition to the book, especially where many would have chosen to simply say that a story was read and leave it at that.
If I'm honest I think this probably deserves a 5 star rating based on how much I enjoyed it, however I am going to rate it a 4. The reason for this is irritating. I was concerned from the beginning that the whole thing might rapidly fall into the easy trap of being a romance novel and I applaud the author for using the characters Victorian sense of decency to avoid it. I would love to explain why the ending caused the drop in a star for me but I don't want to spoil it. HOWEVER, I want to make it absolutely clear that the only reason the book dropped a star for me is that, while I have absolutely NO idea how I would like to have seen it end, the book ends slightly differently to how I thought it would. However I would say that almost anybody else who reads this book will not have an issue with it!
(Full disclosure: I received this free from the publisher to review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not altered by this. In this case I would quite happily have paid for it!)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I love a story that not only takes you on a journey but verbally paints it across the imagination in such descriptive prose that it transports you to the world. That's exactly what Michael does in this title with the use of a dark imagination and a world of almost Lovecraftian proportions.
For a debut novel its superb, the overall arc wonderful planned and when added to a cracking cast alongside an author with a clear vision, made this a title that I really couldn't put down. Great stuff.
For a debut novel its superb, the overall arc wonderful planned and when added to a cracking cast alongside an author with a clear vision, made this a title that I really couldn't put down. Great stuff.
By Rubbah
Format:Paperback
After being haunted by nightmares, Charlotte and her 2 young charges take a walk in the woods and find the House of Darkling; a living cabinet of curiosities, full of the dead returned and eternal monsters... What follows is an amazing gothic horror, in fact- probably one of the most original and exciting books in any genre that I've read all year! I'm trying and failing to avoid hyperbole but it's becasue there is genuinely so much to enjoy in this book.
It's refreshing to read a book that isn't scared to play with expectations and tropes of genre, and Michael Boccacino doesn't disappoint. I especially loved Charlotte- the hardened governess/nanny who is the novel's narrator and protagonist. The setting is pseudo-victorian, the atmosphere is that of a creaky old ghost story and the monsters are full on dimension-bursting Lovecraft. Beyond the great writing and imagery, the story has heart and meaning. I thought that difficult themes of death, grief and moving on are handled really well.
Now to read the online epilogue that I've just found! [...]
It's refreshing to read a book that isn't scared to play with expectations and tropes of genre, and Michael Boccacino doesn't disappoint. I especially loved Charlotte- the hardened governess/nanny who is the novel's narrator and protagonist. The setting is pseudo-victorian, the atmosphere is that of a creaky old ghost story and the monsters are full on dimension-bursting Lovecraft. Beyond the great writing and imagery, the story has heart and meaning. I thought that difficult themes of death, grief and moving on are handled really well.
Now to read the online epilogue that I've just found! [...]
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be misguided by the cover
If you were to judge this book by the cover alone, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was aimed at younger readers, maybe early teens. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Brida
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent Gothic Horror
This book's front cover states it is "A Victorian Gothic Tale" and therefore cannot be accused of false advertising. It certainly delivers on this point. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Daniel Cann
4.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable read
When you begin reading, it is not long before you find yourself making the inevitable comparisons with the Brontë's work - a knee-jerk reaction that may lead you to label the book... Read more
Published 8 months ago by rlp88
3.0 out of 5 stars
Book Geek
This novel starts as any novel in the period/gothic collection should. It is unassuming, simple and easy to follow. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Book Geek Says
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