The reason I say this is because there’s just so much going on in this book: non-linear timelines, shifting POVs, shifting of characters at the wheel, shifting of POVs within the same character’s section, and more. And yet, this book has very uneven pacing and I have a feeling that which character you like reading about most will be different for different readers (I liked reading Chloe’s POV the most, but someone else might like reading Kate the most). Usually, uneven pacing is a sign the book is either too long or that it’s too busy giving attention to some sections while not giving enough attention to others. Either way, it’s an editing issue. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Blake (1757-1827) wrote several poems about angels, so this is the first of two appearances he makes in this list. In the above poem, reproduced in full here, Blake uses the angel motif to explore our attitude to life and the regrets we may end up carrying if we choose conflict over love, and choose not to fulfil our ambitions. The poem acts as a nice pendant to Blake’s more famous poem, ‘ A Poison Tree’. A twisting gothic tale of darkness, intrigue, heartbreak and revenge’ Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE

mainly, this bored me. its slow and the writing is dense. but the thing is - this is classic gothic ghost story narration. so its true to the genre and provides a lot of atmosphere. if you like more literary mysteries, then this kind of pacing shouldnt bother you. i just couldnt personally connect with it and it never really captured my attention. This beautifully written modern ghost story is an enchanting place to get lost.”—Danielle Trussoni, TheNew York Times Book ReviewI initially rated this as 4 stars but it's played on my mind a lot since I finished, and I decided I was being parsimonious. Here’s a Victorian poem included in this list because of its historical importance: its message is not one that many modern readers, especially feminists, would have much sympathy with! Patmore’s long Victorian narrative poem (1854; revised 1862) idealises the wife as an ‘angel in the house’, whose purpose is to make her husband happy. Kind of Gothic Lite—exactly what I wanted. It was atmospheric and moody and lush but it wasn’t so dark that it got depressing. I wish I’d saved it for October, because it was delightfully spooky.

Small Angels is a gothic horror that tells the story of love, betrayal, sacrifice and loss through an essence that is otherworldly yet starkly human. Something in the woods is beginning to stir, to creep closer to the sleeping houses. Something that should have been banished long ago. This story of bewitchment and revenge weaves a spell over you, and won’t quite let go’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA SMALL ANGELS updates the classic ghost story for the 21st century: a wedding in a Suffolk village sees the woods begin to stir with an unsеttling magic, and forces a troubled family´s secrets out into the open. Tell it to the trees. This was once high praise in the village below the woods. It was what you might say at the close of a lively tale—told at dusk in late December, with a good fire snapping at the coals.

This book was an unexpected burst of joy for me. It was a perfectly chilling and spooky (yet somehow cozy) fall read. It made me want to light a candle and make something warm to drink while reading it. The poem’s popularity was doubtless bolstered by Queen Victoria’s own close relationship with her husband, Prince Albert, and her long period of mourning for him when he died suddenly in 1861.

green on green for miles. Some nights, it was said, you might find yourself walking amongst trees that had fallen centuries before.

Here’s another angel-poem from Blake, this time exploring the themes of mercy, pity, and peace, and pitting the angel against the Devil himself. Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church in the village where her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to hear unsettling stories about Small Angels—and worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn’t possibly be real. This tattoo is beautifully made by the tattoo artist. The innocence in the face of the angel can be clearly seen and there is a saying that emotions are just felt and cannot be seen by the emotions in the angel’s face can be seen. This illustration of the angel tattoo keeps reminding us about the childhood innocence that every one of us had when we were small, but with time we lost that innocence.