When I was twelve years old, my English teacher took us to the library and told us to find a book or two that met a few requirements. It had to be something we hadn’t read before, and it had to be something outside of our usual reading habits. Being an RL Stine devotee, I picked up Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I still have a soft spot for Tess, but it was Elizabeth Bennet who stole my heart. Within two years I would be glued to a 12-inch television screen as Colin Firth swam into my soul.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a good story will inspire writers to indulge the wilds of their imaginations with favorite characters and settings. Former GeekMom writer Natania Barron has done that with Pride and Prejudice, taking many of the settings and themes that are so loved and creating a wonderful witchy adventure with a splash of romance. Netherford Hall is being released this week by Solaris Books, under their new imprint Solaris Nova, and I could not wait to get my hands on it.
Described by Barron as a “sapphic Bridgerton with witches,” the fantasy doesn’t stop there, as we are treated to vampires, a glimpse of werewolves, and a hint of the Fae roots at the heart of all magic in this world. Personally I cannot wait for her to explore the Fae origins that are hinted at throughout the book. Netherford Hall is both epic and lighthearted, silly and romantic. It is full of fun and magic, whilst also meeting us in some dark corners, and is a thoroughly wonderful way to pass a summer evening or three. Beginning with the Brightwell sisters in much the same way Austen begins with the Bennet sisters, it is hard not to fall in love with the duo.
Poppy and Viola shared a certain strength of brow, and strength of will, but they were otherwise quite different. Viola was a socialite, a matchmaker. She reveled in connecting people and was almost offensively outgoing. Poppy, with her earthy roundness, was affable when the opportunity allowed, but took to wandering around the countryside when she wasn’t about her studies, preferring to spend time alone whenever possible. This gave her a wild quality that no application of pin or petticoat could alter.
In Netherford Hall, gentlewitch Edith Rookwood returns to her family’s ancestral home in the Kentish countryside, in search of magic, stability, and possibly a wife. Poppy Brightwell is the younger daughter of the Rookwood tenants currently living in Harrow House, who immediately both vexes and enchants the gentlewitch. There are meddling families, family secrets, some awful distant relatives, and two persistent vampires. There are some wonderful Austen-like balls, and conversations, and a broad array of characters to keep you engaged. There is even a modiste, which I feel is necessary after three seasons of Bridgerton, and Barron is particularly skilled at describing costume detail in a sumptuous and engaging manner. There is no simplistic undertaking of relationships in this world. Marriage does not have to be determined by societal obligation, financial need, or even gender. This allows Barron to more fully explore what makes a match, and allows the characters to be completely true to themselves.
For generations, the Rookwoods have ignored their ancestral home and the town of Netherford, making their home and their fortune in London. However a tragic and mysterious accident sends the remaining three Rookwoods, Edith, her majordomo who is also her Uncle Auden, and young nephew Henry back home for respite and recovery. Ancient bonds are reignited, and ancient rules and order are restored as the village rallies to the call of their gentlewitch.
What I truly love about this book, beyond the compelling storyline and the fully fleshed-out characters, is this universe that Barron has created. I am fond of anything that gives a spin on our own reality, especially when the Fae are involved. In Netherford Hall, there is a whole world of history and society that is laid out in front of us that we get a mere taste of in this particular story. With follow ups planned, there seems to be even more world building accomplished here than can be contained in three books. There are two confirmed sequels thankfully already signed up to follow, which are currently titled The Viscount St. Albans and The Game of Hearts. The origin story of the closing of the borders with the Fae alone could be an epic series.
While giving a delightfully queer spin on Pride and Prejudice (the dedication reads, “For every queer heart who wished for their Darcy.”), Barron’s reworking of familiar tropes and characters continued to amaze and delight me right through to the last page. Just to pull one type of character aside, the approach to vampires in this book is highly refreshing, and not at all what I was expecting. Thankfully we are nowhere near the realm of sparkly vampires, but we are given a much richer society and order than they are generally given. Seeing the role that the vampires play in the concluding battle, there is undoubtedly a story to come that will add even more depth (and romance) to their world. Hints are also made to other creatures that may or may not make an appearance, such is the detailed and delightful world to be explored within Netherford Hall.
Vampires have a taste for gold, and hoard it like dragons were once rumored to.
The hierarchy in place between a gentlewitch and her town, between the families and their social order, is reminiscent of the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys, but adds a layer of ancient rule and magic to it that unfolds throughout the course of the narrative. You can feel Barron’s love of old Arthurian legend and such through the narrative structure she gives to the adventures within this book, and through the relationship building she accomplishes between the levels of society. This new social order she has conjured up, is full of detail and delights for even the most world building weary amongst us.
Oath giving was an old, and somewhat dated, method of preserving secrets between witches and vampires—or, on occasion, particularly clever werewolves.
The world created here is vast, and the storylines meticulously woven together, so there is a lot going on in this one novel. If you are familiar with the cadence of Austen or Aaron Sorkin, you will find yourself falling into an easy rhythm with Netherford Hall. The characters will grip your heart and run away with your fancies. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next volumes in this series, and hope that we don’t stop with three.
For anyone who has ever fallen in love with Darcy, dreamed of Rhysand, mooned over Guinevere, or wanted to cavort with Jonathan Strange, this is the romance you are looking for.
Natania Barron is an award-winning fantasy author and former GeekMom writer as well as a founding member. Her publications include her 2011 debut, Pilgrim of the Sky, as well as These Marvelous Beasts, a collection of novellas. In 2020, Barron’s Queen of None was hailed as “a captivating look at the intriguing figures in King Arthur’s golden realm” by Kirkus, and won the Manly Wade Wellman award the following year.
GeekMom received a review copy of this book for review purposes and then I purchased the book trophy because it’s just so pretty and delightful.
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