In foggy Victorian Edinburgh, Alana’s stolen magic falters, pulling her into a deadly web of curses, dark secrets, and Jack the Ripper’s shadow.
My Kick-Ass Back Cover Description:
A dark Victorian fantasy full of secrets, spiritual gifts, and a brush with Jack the Ripper…
In the shadowy streets of 1800s Edinburgh, where superstition and science collide, Alana makes a living passing as a witch, but her real power is far more dangerous. As a Giftsnatcher, she can sense, steal, and transfer the spiritual gifts of others. Alongside her ambitious older sister, Alana caters to a wealthy elite willing to pay dearly for power. But when the enigmatic Lord Tremain hires her to gift his emotionally scarred grandson, Edgar, Alana’s magic fails for the first time.
Desperate for a stronger gift to break through Edgar’s barriers, she finds herself entangled with the brilliant and secretive Dr. Joseph Bell, whose intellect and insight hide a deeper mystery. As a chilling series of events spread from London to Scotland, the whispers of Jack the Ripper grow louder… and somehow, Alana is at the center of it all. Unseen forces draw her into a web of blood magic, ancient curses, illusions, and murder, forcing her to confront the true cost of her power and the terrifying legacy she may carry. As she edges closer to the truth about Edgar, Alana must decide what kind of woman she is… and what she’s willing to become.
Perfect for fans of gothic fantasy, supernatural mystery, and historical thrillers, this Christian Victorian fantasy is ideal for readers who love Libba Bray, Laura Purcell, and Sherlock Holmes… with a dark magical twist.
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The Story Behind the Story
I knew the plot twist for this story before the rest of it came together in my mind. The rest built itself around the original concept, and my desire to explore the idea of a family “curse.” (Are we cursed to follow in the footsteps of those who came before us?) Into my head popped Alana, a young woman with a gift for stealing other people’s magic. Then appeared Dr. Joseph Bell, whom I discovered a few years earlier as the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Reading about him and his wonderful career in medicine, but also as a devout and gentle man, I thought him the perfect moral foil for Alana’s amoral attitude.
Through one another, they unravel mysteries, open pockets in time, travel between spaces, and wrestle with questions about life and death. They debate the nature of good and evil, deal with divination and argue about seances (he is not in favor of them, as they open you up to evil). But I do have one regret. A few years ago, a friend bought and read this novel, and wanted to discuss it with me. I had not reread it in a long time, remembered only fragments of it, and rebuffed her questions. A few weeks later, she died of Covid complications. I regret that I never made the time for her, that I did not reread it so we could have a genuine conversation about life, death, good, evil, and all in-between.
It’s one of my finest gothic tales, an intricate exploration of what it means to be human… and what it means to be a monster not by design, but by choice.
