And given that this is an adult novel, you as the reader have to piece together the world and its rules yourself. You’re given some pieces of information here and there, but only in the way that is natural to the characters existing in said world. No conversations about things all parties already know about, no infodumping in the narrative. No holding your hand. All is as it’s supposed to be in a fantasy book.

This book is above all an atmospheric piece; I couldn’t necessarily tell you much about the world or the characters, but the aesthetic is dark and glimmering and Gothic. If you’re looking for a plot-driven or character-driven book, you’re likely to be disappointed, but if you can be satisfied with the feeling that the book gives then you’ll likely enjoy it. The main characters in Annie, Emmeline and Bea were all unlikeable and I wasnt rooting for any of them throughout the book. Each POV chapter, while had a distinct voice just sort of melted into one by the end. An end that JUST WOULDNT COME, even when it was so obvious would could/should have been done to get them out of their self imposed mess. Annie specifically wasn’t my favorite protagonist. I loved that she started out as this naïve, clueless woman, because it was both realistic and something that I don’t see often, but I think a lot of the plot was devoted to what should have been her “development” that for me just wasn’t there. She was supposed to be growing and sort of waking up to the reality of how things are, and I just got a lot of indecision. Other than that, this also dives into some harder to read topics. Like abuse, homophobia, anxiety, and assault to name a few. Each twist, turn, and graphic scene definitely pulled me further into the book. Whether it made me emotional or not, I just wanted more. Cross House, home of the notorious Emmeline Delacroix, is renowned for its raucous parties and flowing of Kazam (an alcohol that may-or-may-not be laced with magic). Warned of this, Annie is nonetheless magnetised, pulling her into a world of illicit magic and forbidden romance.Likewise, Emmeline is a complex woman, tortured by her past and haunted by her future. She’s strong but vulnerable, with a reputation as an Anne Lister-like sort; corrupting young women and ensnaring them into her cult of personality (if, of course, you believe the rumours). Naturally, the truth isn’t quite as clear-cut as that. But I think a lot of that can be contributed to the writing. The story is easy reading and straightforward written with a beautiful language style that really brings a level of magical feelings to the story. I loved the way some things were described bringing a romantic feeling to each phrase. I found myself underlying the beautiful quotes throughout the book and it lends itself well to the way these characters feel. May seamlessly transports readers to the shores of Crow Island, straight into the shoes of Annie and de facto coven leader Emmeline Delacroix. Annie is whisked away by the island’s enchantment, and May’s prose echoes F. Scott Fitzgerald to capture the finery and wild parties of the era. And while Annie originally thinks she’s being bewitched by the coven’s magic or the island, she comes to realize that she is simply following her innermost desires. The supposedly cursed island gives her time and space to come to terms with grief over lost loved ones and her internalized shunning of her sapphic sexuality. Emmeline’s inexplicable and undeniable magnetism is a clever plot complication but also the perfect setup for a passionate, slow-burning queer romance that feels forged in destiny. On Crow Island, people whispered, real magic lurked just below the surface. But Annie Mason never expected her enigmatic new neighbour to be a witch.

I learned from Emmeline that blood magic is the most dangerous and potent type of magic, and she technically shouldn’t have been using it, but I didn’t learn about any of the other kinds of magic? I couldn’t really tell what Nathan or Isobel were doing with their magic or how it worked. It is incredibly difficult for me to say a bad word about a novel so openly queer and magical, but I must admit that Annie and Bea often fell flat for me. Because of the nature of their separate arrivals on Crow Island, we are given very little information about their pasts, which sometimes made it difficult to relate to or root for them. That said, the luscious scenery and deeply imagined magic system of the book made these only minor complaints, and Emmeline and her housemates more than made up for the staleness of their supporting characters. Simply put, this is a ravishing and unforgettable portrayal of witchcraft --- and even more important, the women who practice it --- that is ultimately more than the sum of its parts: a sapphic, gender-queer GREAT GATSBY with an undercurrent of raw, violent magic. What more could you want? Emmeline was also such an interesting character. While she comes off as this super strong leader of the group, there's also a lot of vulnerability to her as well. The author talks about how much anger and hatred Emmeline has from her experiences, but I felt like she was also soft and needed someone like Annie to really bring out her true self.Bea is insecure and desperate, but unlike Daisy, her counterpart in The Great Gatsby , it’s relatively easy to empathise with her. Firstly what I liked. There were some truly creepy moments and the action scenes were exciting and well written. All the elements - Great Gatsby, witchy, dark magic, LGBTQ+ rep - really got me excited, but I just could never get into the read. Yet Crow Island is brimming with temptation, and the most mesmerizing may be her enigmatic new neighbor. I was promised something “bloodthirsty and glittering” which wasn’t quite what I received, but it was very close and definitely enjoyable enough to make up for it.

I don’t understand why. Maybe it was my mental state, maybe I wasn’t in the mood, but I’m almost 74% sure it wasn’t actually the book’s fault that I couldn’t enjoy it. But magic doesn’t interest Annie Mason. Not after it stole her future. She’s on the island only to settle her late father’s estate and, hopefully, reconnect with her long-absent best friend, Beatrice, who fled their dreary lives for a more glamorous one. When she witnesses a confrontation between her best friend Bea and the infamous Emmeline Delacroix at one of Emmeline's extravagantly illicit parties, Annie is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where magic can buy what money cannot; a world where the consequence of a forbidden blood bargain might be death. The romance also was not the best. I was expecting some tension and intrigue and just…attraction? I don’t ship couples very much, but I was waiting to start rooting for Emmeline and Annie, and I never got around to doing that.A gloriously witchy, Great Gatsby meets Practical Magic gothic sapphic fantasy, blending the glamour and decadence of the Jazz age with Francesca May’s haunting prose to create a dark and atmospherically immersive tale of secrets, scandals, blood magic and romance that’s utterly unputdownable! And both of these characters together, their romance, their attraction was so palatable throughout the story. I wouldn't say that there were strong romantic elements to the story, but the way they see each other, the way they felt was so prevalent and really engaging. This is historical fantasy, since it takes place after World War 1, and most things felt very true to the period except that magic and witches were prevalent enough that magic was recently banned. This is a longer book, and at times it was a little slow. I personally would have cut out a few chunks, but the author was very successful in building the past and how this little island steeped in magic felt (as if it had a life of its own). Even magic had different tastes and smells to it which was all wonderfully described. The book is very atmospheric and done well.

The romance left a lot to be desired. I just didn’t ship Annie and Emmeline (I was honestly hoping that Annie and Bea would end up together, even though the endgame pair was obvious from the start of the book). The entire romance plot just felt very heavy-handed, propelled forward by a magic bond that forms between the characters when they first meet, even though there’s no actual chemistry between them. I was mostly in this book for the lesbian historical romance, so the fact that that was the most disappointing aspect of the book is definitely unfortunate. When they do meet, they have an instant connection that neither can understand. In addition to this mysterious magical bond that the two have, Emmeline and Annie find out they also have Bea in common. Bea was Annie’s friend from home who ran away and ended up on Crow Island where Emmeline befriended her and took on a great magical debt to get her married to Arthur, whether Arthur wanted to marry Bea or not. Annie Mason has led a quiet and ordinary life. When her estranged father dies shortly after the end of World War I, she reluctantly travels to Crow Island to take care of his estate. The island also happens to be the very place her former best friend, Bea, resides in a fancy house on the sea with her new husband. Crow Island is famous across the land for its faux magic parlors and fake spells and potions, but Annie soon learns that its inhabitants also practice true, darker-than-imagined magic. When she rents a summer cottage next to the infamous Cross House, where a coven throws lavish parties that feature Prohibited magic, Annie is given an opportunity to find a place—and maybe a person—that actually feels like home. The pacing went at a snail’s pace as well. Not much happens for the first two-thirds of the book, but things did get exciting near the end. But she never expected her enigmatic new neighbour to be a witch. After witnessing a confrontation between her best friend Bea and the infamous Emmeline Delacroix at one of Emmeline’s extravagantly illicit parties, Annie is drawn into a glittering haunted world. A world where magic can buy what money cannot; a world where the consequence of a forbidden blood bargain might be death.Bea, much like Daisy in Gatsby, is an intentionally frustrating character—one who whines and moans and justifies her horrific decisions because Love. Like Daisy, Bea also takes no action on her own to fix her situation but relies on Annie and Emmeline to enable her and fix her mistakes. Those two, however, make all the wrong choices, and things get worse in a Practical Magic-like fashion, building up to a dark and stormy climax near the end. For a book based on magic/witches, the magic system wasnt explained. Sure we understood that it was nature based and rooted in their emotions, desires and their blood, there was no thorough enough explanation as to why they could do these things, why they would want to and why Emmeline knew practically nothing about powers she'd had her whole life. TLDR: While this is a historic fantasy, and has a Gatsby feel, the witch story also reminded me of a more depressing Practical Magic (movie version). If you are a fan of either of those, this book might be for you. As a very character driven reader, I had trouble connecting to this story because of not liking the characters but this author definitely has talent and the book was well written. I very much wanted to like this book. I've been so excited for all The Great Gatsby retellings - especially the gay ones! But this unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. I also was given no information on what kazam was, aside from a magical drink. What did it do aside from get people both high and drunk? Was it just like a different, enchanted form of alcohol?