Guest post by The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt author Chelsea Iversen
Chelsea Iversen has been reading and writing stories since before she knew what verbs were. She loves tea and trees and travel and reads her runes at every full moon. Chelsea lives in Colorado with her husband, son, and Pepper the dog.
About The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt: A lush, enchanting story of a woman who must use the magic of the fantastical plants that adorn her crumbling estate in Victorian London to thwart the dark plots of the men around her…
Winter, the season that seems to exist just for reading, is coming. And when the weather gets cold, what is it about a book that’s rooted in reality but offers a hint of magic, especially sinister magic? Do we just love a sprinkle of the strange, the ghostly, the otherworldly to keep us warm?
Maybe we love books with fantastical elements because they tap into something that comforts a natural human instinct: our desire to empower the underdog. In low fantasy books or books that are grounded in real-life but lean into the supernatural or magic, no-win situations can play out in favor of those who have the odds stacked against them. We don’t get to see these wins enough in real life, but in grounded magical literature, we get to see power subverted with the help of ghosts or spells or magical flower gardens. Magic and supernatural forces in books do sometimes serve the already powerful, but they also, equally, serve those who would be otherwise powerless. These magical forces are swords for oppressed and innocent characters—who usually must face mighty opponents. So yes, a little magic gives readers a glimpse into alternate realities and unexpected heroes, within worlds that look undoubtedly like our own.
These five new books are ideal for anyone who longs for the warmth of cheering for the little gal while winter weather knocks at the window, but who also craves a little of the weird to keep their heart rate up. These tales examine what happens when uncanny forces come to the aid of those who need it. But don’t be lulled—these books embrace elements of darkness that push them just to the other side of cozy. They’re richly fantastical, but only in the face of grim realities.
So, curl up this winter and let yourself sink into these stories that are a little bit dark, a little bit magical, and a little bit peculiar.
The Third Wife of Faraday House by B.R. Myers
This gothic tale is ideal for those among us who loved Jane Eyre and Rebecca. Emeline is destined to marry a wealthy and mysterious man, and when she joins him at his seaside residence, she discovers a series of ghostly secrets she must unravel. The immersive setting and mood, which manages to be simultaneously eerie and cozy, keeps us rooting for courageous Emeline.
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry
This book has all kinds of peculiarities you never knew you needed: a secret magical university between Oxford and Cambridge, a faerie curse on the battlefields of WWI, a charming magical aristocratic classmate, and a young woman exposed to systemic (magical) toxicity. This story is as complex as it is whimsical, and maintains a mythic, fairy-tale warmth while forcing us to turn the mirror on the ugliness of our own world.
The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
Long winters sometimes require Victorian-era historical fantasy stories with dark twists. Set in a suburb of London, this tale follows a woman who must use her lush, magical garden to escape the sinister plots of the men around her. The unraveling of these plots exposes cruelties and intrigue, gorgeous flowers that respond to emotions, and a heartfelt heroine. Harriet’s story is a satisfyingly peculiar companion for a cold winter afternoon.
In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan
This contemporary gothic story set in remote Scotland follows a woman and her daughter as they inherit a castle with a mysterious history and, well, ghosts. It’s a dark and wistful tale, unspooling the past of a peculiar family and the home they left behind. This book’s haunted histories and somber secrets make it a heartfelt gothic read.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Cordelia is friendless, mistreated, and lonely. When, one day, her evil sorceress mother calls on a squire who she wants to eventually lure into marriage, Cordelia must soon face her formidable mother to free herself and her mother’s next victims. This is a magical, melancholy story that’s not afraid to get heavy but remains, in the end, heartwarmingly satisfying.
