In a Victorian society fascinated by spiritualists, something wicked sinks its claws in from the other side.
Odessa is a psychic; her mother, the Great Madame Elena, is a fraud. After a séance goes terribly wrong and a woman ends up dead, an evil force slips into the land of the living.
Though Odessa and her mother try to outpace the rumors spreading, they can't escape the danger that has taken residence within Odessa herself. When Odessa is shouldered with the responsibility of the Great Madame Elena’s business, she starts to lose control of the spirit world, and she can’t afford to make another mistake.
Asked to open the door to the other side again, Odessa witnesses a brutal murder that hints at black magic and is faced with a choice: risk her life for freedom from her mother, or go on living a life of servitude. If she goes into a trance again, will she be able to maintain control?
Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
This was such a great opportunity to read a book surrounded by fantasy and occult elements at the time that I did.
It's more of short story, but it didn't feel like it. It was like reading a full novel, with so much action, adventure and misunderstood characters.
The Empath was fast-paced and sad and beautiful and kind of amazing. It puts the reader under a spell, and I can't remember a single time when I felt bored. I honestly couldn't stop reading it until I had finished.
All the eerie, occult and fantasy parts were spot-on. Everything was done perfectly, or almost perfectly.
The only problem I kind of had with it was something I thought I wouldn't see in this story, but that I wasn't surprised to find - romance. I thought the romance as a whole was good, but the way it was handled left something to be desired. It was quite angsty, but I can't really blame anyone for that. I reckon it's something most authors have a problem with, creating realistic situations when there's a cute boy in the room with the female main character. I find authors try to make their conversation quirky and flirthy, even if they don't realise it. It can work, and it can become a really good romance. This one didn't, be it because of the time period it was set in, or because the characters had just met. Now, after all that, I must say, I can't really call this a problem. I was so enthralled by the story and the atmosphere, I didn't even care about the less fortunate part of the deal.
Finally, I think Erica Crouch nailed that ending. It left me there wanting more, and I reckon that, at the end of the day, that is a real win for an author.
Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I will read anything by this author that I can get my hands on.
