laurenbookwitchbitch's review against another edition
2.0
Read this because it was recommended at an author talk I went to. Picture the Brontë sisters, but add werewolves and gothic horror and you’ve got “My Brothers Keeper.” Revolutionary and terrific for the time it was published, but I find it hard to be enthralled or hooked on the very flourishing language and the mannerisms throughout the story. Even if it’s horror. Very slow and lots of upper-class BRITISH society talk that made me zone in and out of interest.
outsmartyourshelf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Howarth Parsonage, 1846 & the Brontë family - father Patrick & his four remaining children, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, & Anne - are once more all living under one roof. Emily loves to take long walks on the Yorkshire moors with her dog Keeper, & on one such walk she meets a wounded man at a place called Ponden Kirk. Emily goes to fetch help from the nearest farm, but the man has disappeared when they return. This is not the only time that the man's path will cross with the Brontës though & it all leads back to a silly game of their youth when following a dream that Branwell had, he, Emily, & Anne made a blood offering in the fairy cave at Ponden Kirk in a vain attempt to see their dead sister, Maria, again. There were dark forces behind the dream & they haven't finished with Branwell yet, & the rest of the family will be drawn into a supernatural nightmare where the highest price may have to be paid.
The Brontes & werewolves - even before starting it, I knew this would be either a triumph or a disaster. It's definitely going to polarise opinion as it's a required taste, but I loved it. I particularly like the way that the author wove actual events into the supernatural narrative, such as when Branwell paints over himself in the portrait of himself & his three sisters. As for the title for me there are two ways of viewing it - there's the Biblical quote in Genesis when Cain kills Abel & God asks Cain where his brother is, Cain replies "Am I my brother's keeper?". The original sibling rivalry which the Brontës also have as they are led into disaster by their brother. There's also the name of Emily's dog, Keeper, & I'm pleased to say that he features quite a lot in the book.
Branwell comes off the worst here as he comes across as petulant, cowardly, & self-centered & I really didn't like him. The others were as you would expect & I felt the author got Emily's character just right. Read it with no preconceptions & no expectations of what a book featuring the Brontës should be like & you may be pleasantly surprised. I thought it was extremely entertaining. 4.5 stars (rounded up).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus/AdAstra Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
The Brontes & werewolves - even before starting it, I knew this would be either a triumph or a disaster. It's definitely going to polarise opinion as it's a required taste, but I loved it. I particularly like the way that the author wove actual events into the supernatural narrative, such as when Branwell paints over himself in the portrait of himself & his three sisters. As for the title for me there are two ways of viewing it - there's the Biblical quote in Genesis when Cain kills Abel & God asks Cain where his brother is, Cain replies "Am I my brother's keeper?". The original sibling rivalry which the Brontës also have as they are led into disaster by their brother. There's also the name of Emily's dog, Keeper, & I'm pleased to say that he features quite a lot in the book.
Branwell comes off the worst here as he comes across as petulant, cowardly, & self-centered & I really didn't like him. The others were as you would expect & I felt the author got Emily's character just right. Read it with no preconceptions & no expectations of what a book featuring the Brontës should be like & you may be pleasantly surprised. I thought it was extremely entertaining. 4.5 stars (rounded up).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus/AdAstra Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
vee5000's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Read thanks to Pigeonhole. It's not a historical book about the Brontë's like I expected, instead it's more a gothic horror, great for reading in October. Very mystical and lots of folklore. Once I let go of it not being actually about the Brontë's, I enjoyed it.
readingbelowtheclouds's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
liseyp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you to the author, publisher AdAstra, and online book club The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this. This is an honest and voluntary review.
The Brontë family is famed for the three famous writing daughters. But, it’s their lesser known brother Branwell who activates a family curse helping the ghost of an angry god on the path to reuniting with its twin.
At its core this is a decent gothic horror, but it’s diminished by the ‘hook’ of reimagining the lives of the Brontë sisters intertwined with a werewolf/ghost/family curse/cult story.
I’ve read books by each of the Brontë sisters and have a basic knowledge of their lives in terms of publishing under aa pseudonym and dying young. But, unless there are a lot more references to Brontë history/novels that super fans would pick up on I don’t think any of it actually adds anything to the book. At best I found it a distraction as it pulled me out of the story when it did refer to anything about the Brontës.
At worst it made me suspect that the author was trying to tell a deeper story that I was missing, and if it’s a prerequisite to have read or re-read particular novels or biographies before reading a work of fiction than it feels like that’s more a failing of the author than the reader.
bookishreadsandme's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
This is an eerie story that is about the famous Bronte family but twisted to be a tale of occult societies and ancient curses.
It follows Emily Bronte and her brother mostly in a dark story that took me by surprise when I realised it had werewolves in! I must admit I found it quite nuts at times and I think I expected more of a gothic literary fantasy novel after reading the blurb and judging it by its cover. I would in fact describe it more of a supernatural horror.
The writing is fantastic and I do enjoy the idea of curses and ghosts but I think that I just found it a bit too far fetched for me personally at times. I think if you are aware of the idea of werewolves and a supernatural side to it beforehand you are more prepared about what you are about to read. I also think my main problem was mainly down to my love of the Bronte’s. The sisters just didn’t feel like them to me.
The descriptions about the Yorkshire moors and the atmosphere was very captivating. I did enjoy it enough that I wanted to find out what would happen and I found the ending very emotional. If you liked the type of story like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, this will definitely be your thing.
Overall, it was a highly entertaining story that is perfect to read these autumn and winter months.
It follows Emily Bronte and her brother mostly in a dark story that took me by surprise when I realised it had werewolves in! I must admit I found it quite nuts at times and I think I expected more of a gothic literary fantasy novel after reading the blurb and judging it by its cover. I would in fact describe it more of a supernatural horror.
The writing is fantastic and I do enjoy the idea of curses and ghosts but I think that I just found it a bit too far fetched for me personally at times. I think if you are aware of the idea of werewolves and a supernatural side to it beforehand you are more prepared about what you are about to read. I also think my main problem was mainly down to my love of the Bronte’s. The sisters just didn’t feel like them to me.
The descriptions about the Yorkshire moors and the atmosphere was very captivating. I did enjoy it enough that I wanted to find out what would happen and I found the ending very emotional. If you liked the type of story like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, this will definitely be your thing.
Overall, it was a highly entertaining story that is perfect to read these autumn and winter months.
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