Darker Still review

Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul

Leanna Renee Hieber

Have you ever seen a painting so beautiful it looked real?  What if a portrait was “occupied” on cursed?  Would you want to enter into another world if you could? 

Natalie, mute since the death of her mother, is drawn to the portrait of Lord Denbury, a young man dead before his life’s dream could be accomplished.  He is beautiful and many people want this portrait; some for a museum, some for a personal collection and others for perhaps nefarious reasons.  Set in Victorian New York, there are nods to the middle class and spiritualist practices of the time.  Written in diary form it is fairly easy to follow with the story only coming from Natalie’s point of view.  Her sense of propriety was a refreshing change for a YA novel. 

If you like paranormal romance this would be a nice change from vampires, werewolves, and fallen angels.