EDITOR’S CHOICE
Kiki Howell’s Darkness Calls beautifully weaves mystery, magic, and emotional depth, captivating readers with its rich, atmospheric storytelling.
Kiki Howell’s Darkness Calls is a richly atmospheric tale that blends mystery, familial legacy, and the complexities of magick into a compelling narrative. Set in a quietly enchanted village where the O’Quinn women run an inn, café, and gift shop, the story immediately immerses readers in a world where spells are commonplace and ancestral spirits keep the hearth fire eternally lit.
The novel’s strength lies in its characterisation and the strong sense of place. Alannah, our protagonist, is both grounded and introspective, navigating the eerie shift in energy that follows the sudden appearance of a dead stranger with ritualistic markings. As the ancestral spirits grow hostile and the family’s connection to magick falters, the suspense builds beautifully. The turning point arrives with the arrival of the stranger’s relatives and a long-buried curse that unravels the O’Quinns’ past, forcing them into uneasy alliances.
Howell explores the theme of grey magick with nuance, rejecting the simplistic dichotomy of good versus evil. The story challenges the idea of moral absolutes, delving into personal transformation, inherited trauma, and the shadow self. Alannah’s journey towards self-sovereignty is as emotional as it is mystical, making her a deeply relatable heroine.
The pacing is steady, the prose vivid, and the magical realism elements are woven in with finesse. While some may crave more action, the novel thrives on tension and emotional depth rather than spectacle.
Darkness Calls is a spellbinding read for fans of witchy fiction with a gothic twist, where the lines between light and dark blur in the most intriguing ways.
