Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – author Emrys Myrddin’s beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered, dog-eared copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture college. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to design the late author’s house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favorite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

This was my first time reading this author, and I went in with very high expectations because the hype around this gothic fantasy was huge. Sadly, it left me disappointed. It was not what I imagined, and it felt as if many promising ideas never made it fully onto the page.

There were still elements I genuinely loved. The gothic atmosphere is wonderfully crafted, with a haunting seaside mansion, the legacy of a reclusive author told through letters and diary entries, and eerie supernatural touches that create a moody sense of unease. I also enjoyed the dark academia feel. The writing itself is lush and immersive, with vivid descriptions that pull you into the setting. I do not recall any strong language, and there is only a light hint of spice, about one pepper.

The problem is the pacing. The story moves at a crawl, and I often found myself bored or struggling to stay engaged. I never connected with the characters, and even the romance felt forced. I did not sense any real chemistry between Effy and Preston. The world-building also felt thin, and the very long chapters made it even harder to stay invested.

I listened to the audiobook and truly enjoyed the narrator, who is one of my favorites. She delivered a lovely performance, but even her narration could not disguise how slow the plot felt. The book is not very long, yet it seemed to stretch on because I kept losing interest.

In the end, I wanted so much more from this story. I usually love gothic fantasies, but this one did not come close to meeting my expectations. I will not continue the series, but I am open to trying another book from this author in the future.