Daughters of Darkness (The Willoughby Chronicles #2) by Meg Hafdahl

Daughters of Darkness (The Willoughby Chronicles #2) by Meg Hafdahl
Publisher/Year: Inklings Publishing, 2019
Format: e-ARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads

Summary

Daphne Forrest and Edwin Monroe forget their past shared trauma by building a life in the big city. But the death of Doris Woodhouse pulls them back into the strangely enigmatic town of Willoughby. Surrounded by the familiar gothic landscape and its dark underbelly of secrets, a mystery unfurls, revealing a catalyst set in motion long ago. One that has caused a unique evil to lurk in the hearts of Willoughby’s citizens. A shocking truth once confronted by protective mother, Doris Woodhouse, and the dashing Holden Small in the winter of 1961.

Daphne and Edwin in the present, and Doris in the past, come to fathom the terrifying reality behind the bucolic edifice of Willoughby. Will Daphne be able to save herself and the town she has grown to love? Or will Willoughby’s evil infect her own heart?

What I thought

One of the coolest things about being a part of the bookstagram/book blogging world is getting the opportunity to work with authors. Obviously I love reading, and I love talking about the books I’ve read, but I can’t actually fathom writing one. It goes without saying that there is nothing more exciting to me than when I get to interact with authors and become part of the process of sharing their book with the world. It’s even more exciting when it’s an author whose work I love, which is why I was thrilled when Meg Hafdahl contacted me about her newest addition to the Willoughby series.

I enjoyed Her Dark Inheritance so much that I couldn’t wait to dive into Daughters of Darkness. And it did not disappoint! Except for the fact that now I’m over here dying for book #3! I don’t want to say too much about the plot, for fear of giving anything away, but it was truly a joy being back in Willoughby with my favorite characters. Daphne has become one of my favorite protagonists in the horror genre, and I’ve enjoyed watching her character grow so much. And Doris! I loved her role in this installment, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. Besides the characters, I also loved the town of Willoughby itself. Hafdahl brings the town to life so much so that it feels like an entity in its own right. And I so appreciate that she doesn’t immediately reveal all of Willoughby’s secrets at once. Not only does that leave me looking forward to the next book, but the unknowing leaves the reader with the most delicious, sinister feel while reading.

Once again, I have nothing but good things to say about Meg Hafdahl and her writing. As the books in the Willoughby Chronicles become darker and more evil rears its ugly head, I’m enjoying these books more and more. Daughters of Darkness proves once again that Meg Hafdahl is a strong addition to the #ladiesofhorrorfiction authors. And that final chapter? It’s killing me–I’m dying for book #3 already!

**Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC copy of this book from the author, Meg Hafdahl, in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinions presented here.

Her Dark Inheritance (The Willoughby Chronicles #1) by Meg Hafdahl

Her Dark Inheritance (The Willoughby Chronicles #1) by Meg Hafdahl
Publisher/Year: Inklings Publishing, 2018
Format: E-book (Nook)
Pages: 316
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads

Synopsis

On the day her mother died, Daphne Forrest learns the devastating truth. She’d never really known the woman who raised her, not even her real name. Fueled to unravel the tragic mystery behind her mother’s secrets, Daphne abandons all she knows, traveling to the bucolic yet sinister town of Willoughby, Minnesota.

Navigating through the memories of her own bloody legacy, Daphne throws herself into the insular and haunting small town of her ancestors. She investigates the murder that led to her mother’s shame aided by charming, yet tortured, local, Edwin Monroe. Edwin has a unique understanding of the darkness in Willoughby, and how the town holds a lurking threat more foreboding than any unsolved murder.

As Daphne gets closer to the truth, Willoughby itself rebels against her. She bears witness to terrifying scenes from the past. Is her mother a murderer? Is that Daphne’s dark inheritance? And is she strong enough to battle an evil more frightening than her own past?

What I thought

I have to give a big shout out here to thank the ever-wonderful Ladies of Horror Fiction for introducing me to Meg Hafdahl’s writing! I was very impressed by Hafdahl’s debut novel, and I’m always glad to add another female horror author to my authors-to-watch list.

From the very first chapter, I had a hard time putting this one down. The writing was descriptive without being overdone, the characters were vivid and diverse, the town of Willoughby came to life, and at the end, I didn’t want the story to finish! I’m glad that this will be a series because I’m looking forward to more from Hafdahl!

My two favorite things about this book were the character of Daphne and the town of Willoughby. I loved watching Daphne’s character develop, and I especially appreciated the fact that she was a flawed character, not cookie-cutter, by any means. The town of Willoughby reminded me of Stephen King’s Derry so, of course, I loved it. I only wish we knew more about Willoughby’s evil background, but maybe that’s for future books.

All that being said, I’m so glad to have read this one–I enjoyed it so much. I don’t know what you call it, but this type of horror is one of my favorites–the kind where you have this sense of dread and unease to the point where you don’t want to stop reading because you have to know how it turns out (thriller, maybe? I dunno). I can’t wait to read more from Meg Hafdahl, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series!