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Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.” Lou never believed in superstitions or magic--until her teenage aunt Neela is kidnapped to the goblin market. The market is a place Lou has only read about--twisted streets, offerings of sweet fruits and incredible jewels. Everything--from the food and wares, to the goblins themselves--is a haunting temptation for any human who manages to find their way in. Determined to save Neela, Lou learns songs and spells and tricks that will help her navigate this dangerous world and slip past a goblin's defenses--but she only has three days to find Neela before the market disappears and her aunt becomes one of them forever. If she isn't careful, the market might just end up claiming her too.
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0 0**I received a galley of the audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
Tori Bovalino returns with Not Good for Maidens, a dark retelling of the Goblin Market. Readers follow Louisa as she learns that her teenage aunt, Neela, has been taken into the goblin market and has not returned. Louisa, of course, wants nothing more than to retrieve Neela from the market. Louisa, however, has been kept out of the loop by her family and has a lot to learn before she can consider entering the market safely, let alone consider being able to come back out.
I really enjoyed this take on the goblin market; the goblin market is already one of my favorite stories to have retold and Bovalino took the task head on. Bovalino did not shy away from the horrors and the gruesomeness that is appropriate for the market, but anchored the story in strong ties of familial love. This kept the story firmly in fantasy horror rather than delving hard into a more pure horror genre. There was never a lack of hope for Louisa or for her family, and while I think Bovalino achieved this balance of tension skilfully, I also personally wish that Bovalino would have gone even a bit darker with the telling.
The audiobook, which I was provided, was a wonderful vehicle by which to consume the story. Narrator Laura Knight Keating did a beautiful job transitioning between accents of American Louisa and those members of her family raised in York. Keating's contributions in her narration absolutely contributed to the entertainment value of the story and I would have no hesitation to recommend the audiobook for this story.
Overall, I had a really good time with this story and am eager to explore Bovalino's past and future works.
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