Reading Princess: P.C. and Kristin Cast's novelle, Neferet's Curse

I have been burning through the House of Night series this past week. Two full novels and two novellas. So good that I could not put them down!

Ah, books. :)

Anyway, this week's review is for the House of Night novella, Neferet's Curse.

Order your copy from Amazon here.

Here is a snippet from the House of Night website:

The White City, 1893: In turn-of-the-century Chicago, with the World’s Fair bringing bustle and excitement to her home city, sixteen-year-old Emily Wheiler should be reveling in her youthful beauty and the excitement around her. But her whole life changed when her mother died, leaving her to be the Lady of Wheiler House. Her father, a powerful bank president, is at the center of an important social hub for the booming young city, and he needs Emily to do everything her mother would have – to be a good hostess and make sure the mansion runs smoothly.
As Emily uneasily tries to replace her mother, she also longs for more… for love and a life of her own. When a handsome young man notices her at one of her father’s parties, it seems that her hopes may finally be coming true. Until her father forbids her to see him – or any other man – and starts revealing a darkly violent side that even he can’t understand.
At last, afraid for her life and with nowhere to turn, Emily is Marked by a vampyre and brought to the Chicago House of Night, where she begins a magickal new life that should allow the wounds from her past to heal. But as she gains strength, and a powerful new name, she carries a dark need to wreak vengeance on the man she trusted most.
From victim to High Priestess, beautiful young woman to powerful seductress, Neferet’s journey begins in NEFERET’S CURSE…

This novella follows the origin story of the series' villain, Neferet. Neferet has been one of my favorite characters since the series began and I love finding out more and more about her past. She is such a complex character with many trials and personal tragedies that lead into who she is at the series beginning.

I love period writing in the Victorian age and this book does deliver. Set in the late 1800s Chicago, Neferet's Curse outlines the life of Emily, the daughter of socially elite man who just lost his wife. This novel does have some dark and violent themes so I would not suggest it to anyone who has deep problems with the ideas of incest or rape.

I thought that some of the themes would not be fitting for the YA genre but the writing is so very subtle when it comes to these issues and there are no vividly graphic scenes.

In the end, Neferet's Curse was the perfect companion to the HON series and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good villain's origin story.

I give Neferet's Curse 4 out of 5 crowns!

PRINCESS APPROVED!

Read on, interwebbers and be sure to check out the House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristin Cast.

Princess K, out!