About the Book:Title: The Longing and the Lack (The Unliving #1)
Author: C.M. Spivey
Publication date: September 19th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Synopsis:
“Gothic curses, deadly love affairs, and vengeful ghosts combine to make this paranormal mystery a compelling page-turner.” — Tina Connolly, Nebula-nominated author of Ironskin
Lucinda Hightower is no stranger to death.
Since she was a child, Lucinda has been haunted by rabid dogs, suicidal crows, and the ghost of a woman in white. All are omens signaling someone’s imminent demise—except Lucinda’s friends and family are still breathing.
The omens follow her to Ireland and the quiet university in her father’s hometown, increasing in strength and frequency once she meets Damien Reed. A handsome third year student, Damien thrusts himself into Lucinda’s life almost immediately and caresses away the unsavory reputation that shadows him.
It’s not until the ghost sinks her nails into Damien that he reveals his secret: the death omens are for him.
They’re the manifestations of a curse that claims the life of the eldest Reed son every generation. Damien’s time is nearly up. If Lucinda is to save him, she must solve the mystery of her family curse, and lay a spirit’s rage to rest.
A dark romance for fans of Diane Setterfield and the TV show Supernatural, The Longing and the Lack is a Gothic story for the modern age.
Author Bio:C.M. Spivey is a speculative fiction writer, author of high fantasy FROM UNDER THE MOUNTAIN and the paranormal series, “The Unliving”. His enduring love of fantasy started young. Now, he explores the rules and ramifications of magic in his own works—and as a trans, panromantic asexual, he’s committed to queering his favorite genres. In his spare time, he plans his next tattoo (there will always be a next tattoo) and watches too much Netflix. Anything left over is devoted to his tireless quest to make America read more. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his darling husband Matt and adorable dog Jay.
Review:
I was pretty surprised at the low ratings on Goodreads for this novel because I enjoyed it a great deal! It was well written and fast-paced, and the perfect weekend/rainy day read. It had the perfect mix of spooky and supernatural elements with a hint of romance. I will say that when I first started reading this novel, I was slightly worried at how the characters were speaking. Every character in this book speaks very formally, and it felt a little unnatural because people don't typically speak like this in real life. However, I quickly got used to this aspect and was able to enjoy the book a lot more afterward. I do think this is where a lot of people may have a hang up though as the characters do come off a bit pretentious. But for me, it really wasn't that big of a deal (plus Lucinda or any of the characters aren't pretentious at all once we get to know them), and I liked the unique aspect it added to the story.
The plot is incredibly original and unique. I loved the curse aspect and the search conducted by Lucinda and Damien. You could feel their desperation to find a way to break the tragic curse that has plagued their families for hundreds of years. I personally loved that Lucinda was bisexual. This is not something you see in many books right now, but is something that really should be incorporated into novels more often. Additionally, other characters around her are revealed to identify on the LGBTQ spectrum...which added diversity to the story and was very welcomed from my view. Lastly, there were many twists and turns that I never saw coming, and further add to the mystery that is occurring. The ending was mind-blowing and incredibly well done. Everything came together in a heart-stopping finale and was exactly how I wanted this book to end!
There was 1 thing that I did have an issue with but it wasn't enough to make me give the book a rating lower than a 3. The biggest problem for me was the fact that we are just dropped into the story. It felt almost like I was reading the second book in the series rather than the first. I felt there needed to be more world-building and more background given before fully delving into the story (or even as the story went along like in flashbacks). For example, there are mentions of other supernatural entities, but it's not elaborated on further besides small sentences. Also, I would have loved to know more about Lucinda's brother and Morgan. I only learned after I was done reading that there are actually 2 books by C.M. Spivey that do give us more of a background. I really wish I would have known this prior to reading (maybe better marketing or something) because I would have definitely checked those out first before starting on The Longing and the Lack. Even though you can 100% read this as a standalone, I think it would be better to read these 2 other books prior to this novel.
Overall, this is a great new start to an interesting series. C.M. Spivey has crafted a fascinating world that I am eager to get back to! I'm excited to see where this series will go and whether or not it will be about another character or a continuation of Lucinda's story. The Longing and the Lack is an intriguing read with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end! Add this one to your TBR now!
The plot is incredibly original and unique. I loved the curse aspect and the search conducted by Lucinda and Damien. You could feel their desperation to find a way to break the tragic curse that has plagued their families for hundreds of years. I personally loved that Lucinda was bisexual. This is not something you see in many books right now, but is something that really should be incorporated into novels more often. Additionally, other characters around her are revealed to identify on the LGBTQ spectrum...which added diversity to the story and was very welcomed from my view. Lastly, there were many twists and turns that I never saw coming, and further add to the mystery that is occurring. The ending was mind-blowing and incredibly well done. Everything came together in a heart-stopping finale and was exactly how I wanted this book to end!
There was 1 thing that I did have an issue with but it wasn't enough to make me give the book a rating lower than a 3. The biggest problem for me was the fact that we are just dropped into the story. It felt almost like I was reading the second book in the series rather than the first. I felt there needed to be more world-building and more background given before fully delving into the story (or even as the story went along like in flashbacks). For example, there are mentions of other supernatural entities, but it's not elaborated on further besides small sentences. Also, I would have loved to know more about Lucinda's brother and Morgan. I only learned after I was done reading that there are actually 2 books by C.M. Spivey that do give us more of a background. I really wish I would have known this prior to reading (maybe better marketing or something) because I would have definitely checked those out first before starting on The Longing and the Lack. Even though you can 100% read this as a standalone, I think it would be better to read these 2 other books prior to this novel.
Overall, this is a great new start to an interesting series. C.M. Spivey has crafted a fascinating world that I am eager to get back to! I'm excited to see where this series will go and whether or not it will be about another character or a continuation of Lucinda's story. The Longing and the Lack is an intriguing read with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end! Add this one to your TBR now!
Happy reading :)
~Cassie
This does sound like a very unique story, and I love the dark/gothic aspect of it! Glad you liked it, Cassie! Lovely review! :)
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