The secrets have bloomed . . . beware of the thorns.
Ivy Rune is shocked to receive a position at the Countās forbidden castle, until the Countās charming young heir, Jack reveals her late fatherās connection there. Ivy accepts, determined to finally uncover her fatherās secret life and learn more about her magic.
But the castle holds more secrets than her fatherās last journal. Unspoken rules govern the halls, danger lurks around every corner, and knowing who to trust is impossible. Soon itās clear that her father's secrets are not the only ones hidden in these wallsāothers are keeping secrets too.
When Ivy discovers a friend in grave danger and learns the dark reason behind the Countās Woodworking Tournament, she is desperate to protect her friend and escape. To succeed, Ivy must solve her father's clues and unlock her true potential. But if she fails, Ivy will meet the same mysterious fate that claimed her father.
The secrets have bloomed . . . beware of the thorns.
Ivy Rune is shocked to receive a position at the Countās forbidden castle, until the Countās charming young heir, Jack reveals her late fatherās connection there. Ivy accepts, determined to finally uncover her fatherās secret life and learn more about her magic.
But the castle holds more secrets than her fatherās last journal. Unspoken rules govern the halls, danger lurks around every corner, and knowing who to trust is impossible. Soon itās clear that her father's secrets are not the only ones hidden in these wallsāothers are keeping secrets too.
When Ivy discovers a friend in grave danger and learns the dark reason behind the Countās Woodworking Tournament, she is desperate to protect her friend and escape. To succeed, Ivy must solve her father's clues and unlock her true potential. But if she fails, Ivy will meet the same mysterious fate that claimed her father.
The carriage rolled down the dirt path, stopping by the Countās marble gates.
Jack left his seat next to mine and jumped down to push the heavy gates open. I took a moment to examine him, unobserved. Broad shoulders, blue eyes, and tousled black hair. A stranger who had shown up moments ago and was taking me from Windermere, the only home Iād ever known. My eyes moved to the two sea serpents that stood sentinel on either side of the gate. Their writhing bodies and claws stretched out, ready to maul anyone who passed beneath them and dared to enter the Countās land.
Instead of fear, a lump formed in my throat. The first time Iād seen these serpents, Iād been with York. Now I was going into the castle without him. I felt more alone than ever.
Jack and I had left Windermere without seeing a soul. Iād whispered goodbye to the empty town, wondering if this was really the last time I would see it. Next to me was my bag, containing my fatherās final journal, the wooden cube, and my motherās owl: the objects that had started me down this road; the clues that had opened my eyes to the strange things happening just outside of my small town.
I shivered and pulled my jacket around me. At my feet was my late fatherās leather satchel, packed by Mrs. Taylorāthe woman who had taken me in when Iād had no one, and who I would never see again. When Iād seen it inside the carriage, Iād known it was the only goodbye Iād get. No one was coming to save me.
Everyone in Windermere would be told I had a new life across the sea and that I was happy to go. They would never know I was just down the road inside the Countās castle.Ā
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that not everything was lost. Somehow, York had won the Countās Woodworking Tournament. My best friend had succeeded in getting away from his angry father and would open his own Carving shop. Yorkās future was secure in Windermere. I was the one with no reason left to stay.
I had ruined my chance at my trade, lost my childhood home, and been disqualified from the Countās Woodworking Tournament.
Again, I puzzled over why they wanted me at the castle. Was it really to be a scientistās assistant, as Jack had told me? No one at the castle knew about the items in my bag, or that I had a burgeoning ability to perceive light differently than the average personāI didnāt think.
But I did know that my fatherās clues had led me to this gate, and I had to uncover why.
I had to know why I saw light around certain people from the castle, what that light meant, and how York had transformed his wood to gold in the Tournament.Ā
And I needed to pass between these sea serpents to get my answers.
The carriage shook as Jack climbed back in and whistled at the horses to continue. I held my breath, and we crossed the threshold into the Countās land.
The property was nothing like Iād imagined. Inside the gates, nothing stirred. The woods felt hollow, not bursting with life like the forests around Windermere. It was eerily still. I looked around, seeing nothing but thin trees and silver dew drops clinging to blades of grass. Mist seeped through the trees like cold fingers. I shivered again.
We followed the path as it wound through the forest. The only sound was the wheels rolling over packed dirt. Jack hadnāt spoken much during our journey here, but the silence was not uncomfortable. I guessed he was giving me space to be upset, or to prepare myself for what was ahead of me.
But I didnāt know how to prepare for any of this. All my life I had been told to stay away from the Countās castle, that the Count was a recluse and had no interest in our town beyond the Carving trade. But now I knew that wasnāt true. Things were happening out here.
Somewhere high above, a raven shrieked. I jumped, the hair on my neck rising.
āAlright?ā Jack asked. I could feel that he wanted to laugh, but didnāt.
āItās colder here,ā I remarked, ignoring the part of me that wanted to tell him to turn back. The part that was sure Iād made a big mistake coming here. But I had no choice. I had nowhere else to go. Mr. Mallon, the Countās Regent, would never let me set foot in town again.
āI should warn you, the castle is always cold,ā Jack remarked.
My stomach sank as glimpses of stone grew more frequent through the trees. As we followed the path out of the tree line, the castle loomed in front of us.
It was enormous. Formidable. I felt like an ant, squinting up to the highest points that stretched into the grey sky. It was an ancient fortress made of stone towers, aged balconies, and countless windows. I wondered which window was the Countās.
Chills rolled through me as we passed through the vast, unkept lawn. The path split around a large stone fountain that reminded me of the fountain in Windermereās town square, except this one was dried up and cracked. Two stone knights on horses guarded the entrance by the door, but it looked as though their arms sagged under the weight of their swords.
Just as I wondered if the castle was actually abandoned and everyone Iād seen going into it that fated day with York had all been in my head, a person stepped out of the tall wooden door.
It was a girl dressed in dark clothes similar to Jackās. Her black hair was woven tightly into a braid that laid over one shoulder. She watched us approach, but her thin lips never lifted in greeting. The solemn expression on her small, round face did not waver. She almost looked like a child. However, when we stopped before the door and her grey eyes found mine, I took that thought back immediately. I looked away from the emptiness I saw on her face; it was too unsettling.
Jack turned to me, his warm blue eyes a welcome relief from this girlās cold grey ones. āIām afraid this is where we part. You need to get settled, and I need to take the horses to the stable.ā
The mention of the stables was like a knife to my heart. I already missed my own horse, Loon, and wished she was with us right now. But Jack had promised he would see about bringing her.
Even though Iād just met him, I felt reluctant to leave his side. āYouāre not coming inside too?ā I asked.
His lips lifted. āNot just yet.ā
I stood, not wanting to seem afraid to go inside without him. Jack held my arm steady as I climbed down from the carriage. As soon as my feet touched the ground, uncertainty overwhelmed me. I looked up at him, panicking. Jack handed down my bags and smiled as if he sensed how I felt.
āChin up, Ivy. Iāll see you around.ā
The carriage moved forward, drowning out my attempt at a parting reply. As it pulled away, the strange, silent girl and I stared at each other. I shifted uneasily, wishing I could look anywhere but her.
āName?ā The flatness of her tone matched her blank expression.
āIvy Rune.ā
I searched her face for any indication that she recognized my name, or my fatherās, but her face remained stoic.
I swallowed. āIāve come to work for Dr. Ply.ā
The girl nodded and turned back to the ancient wooden door. Only now I could see it was carved with strange symbols and patterns.
āFollow me.ā She disappeared inside without waiting for a response.
I grabbed my bags and hurried after her into the dark, narrow passage. We continued silently until the hallway opened into a stone courtyard with more dead grass. Every muscle in my body was tense and wary. I tried to brush the unease away, but it clung to me. I wanted to turn around.
āWhatās your name?ā I asked.
āAnna.ā
āAnd what do you do here, Anna?ā
She didnāt respond.
We walked deeper and deeper into the castle, my apprehension and confusion growing with each step. The castle was bigger than it looked, but it felt like a ruin. The air was stiff and heavy. Even though we were the only ones walking through the hallways, I couldnāt shake the feeling that we werenāt alone.
In an unbelievable turn of events, Iād just learned my father had walked under these stone archways himself. Why had he worked here? What had his role been?
What was mine?
It had to be different from whatever his had been, that much I was sure of, because my father had been allowed to live in town, and I was not. I felt another wave of longing for Windermere and York.
As we entered a second silent courtyard, I finally saw another person, but my skin prickled at the wrongness of her.
A woman stood looking out of an arched window at a view hidden by fog.
There was an elegance to her, like she had once been magnificent, but had fallen into ruin like the stone around her. A crumbled velvet shawl hung from her thin shoulders, and the hem of her faded black dress was covered with dust.
She slowly turned in place to watch us pass. Her eyes and lips were lined with years and her hair was high on her head, encased in a black net.
My heart thudded as we passed by, but she did not smile or acknowledge us at all. I avoided her eyes, but not before I noticed one was blue. The other, violet.
I let out a breath when we turned the corner. I didnāt have the courage to turn around and see if she was still watching. I wasnāt even sure if she was real or a ghost, because Anna didnāt slow or acknowledge the woman.Ā
I couldnāt stand the silence pressing in on me any longer.
āHow long have you lived here, Anna?ā
Anna stopped and turned to face me. āThatās personal.ā
I stepped back, surprised. āIt is? Itās a common question to ask someone youāve just met.ā
Her grey eyes studied me. Then she shrugged. āIām not accustomed to conversation anymore. Iāve been here longer than I can remember not being here.ā
āWhat do you do?ā
Anna sighed. āI was in training, but that ended. Now Iām on task.ā
āWhat does āon taskā mean?ā
Anna turned on her heel. āCome. Dr. Ply doesnāt appreciate being kept waiting.ā
My stomach dipped. Dr. Ply, the man my father had secretly worked for, and who I would now work for. We continued on and finally arrived at two doors covered in the same strange carvings and symbols as the front door.
āThis wing is called the Center. The first floor is offices, where you will work. The second is living quarters, where you will stay. You are not allowed anywhere else in the castle without permission or an escort.ā
āIs the castle always this empty?ā Where were the people Iād seen with York that day weād trespassed into the Countās woods? Where were the ones we saw arriving on that damaged ship on the beachāthe short man whoād pulled the wreck to shore with impossible strength; the massive man built thick as a tree trunk? Where were Cora and Carl? Anyone would be a welcome addition to Annaās indifference.
She didnāt respond.
I tried again. āThat woman we passed . . . does she work here too?ā
āStop with all the questions!ā Anna snapped, revealing her frustration before she concealed it. āThey will not make you a single friend here.ā
I bit down a response and followed her quietly, feeling the somberness in the air press into me again. After another flight of stairs, Anna stopped at a door and opened it, gesturing me inside.
āThis is your room.ā
I walked inside, and my stomach dropped.
There were two rows of ten beds, each with a small dresser beside them. The only light came from two small windows on the far back wall, but their thick glass was covered with dust. The old wooden floors and bare walls made the room feel abandoned and cold. A crumbling fireplace sat in the center of the room, but there was no fire. A stack of chopped logs was piled beside it.
āWho else stays in here?ā I asked, taking in the long room.
āJust you. Take your pick of the beds,ā Anna said as if that somehow made this situation better.
I walked to the bed closest to the fireplace and sat down, cringing at the thin and lumpy mattress. The blanket and pillow were even thinner. I stood back up on instinct as if I could leave, but I couldnāt. I was really going to have to stay here. Sleep here. I didnāt know if I could. First, Anna; then the ghost woman; and now this dead, cold room.
I couldnāt live like this.
Panic built, making my shoulders tense. I took a deep breath. I couldnāt lose it in front of this strange, emotionless girl.
āBefore you meet Dr. Ply, he would like you to familiarize yourself with some of his research.ā Anna pointed to a large stack of papers sitting on a dresser.
The pile was nearly the size of my hand. āYou want me to read all of that?ā
āDr. Ply thought an hour would suffice.ā
Without another word, she left the room, leaving me all alone.
How many times have you been able to say that the first book in a series was one of your favorite books for the year, only to turn around and say that its sequel would also be one of your favorites for the same year? For me, this is a firstābut Secrets Ever Green and now Castle Ever Dark are two of my top reads so far in 2024 (and I totally believe that they'll hold their spots to the end of the yearādespite the anticipated books I have on my TBR).
To refresh our memories, Secrets Ever Green leaves off with Ivy Rune's life, presumably, in shambles: she failed her Arborist exam, losing her chances at being a career Arborist and reopening her father's shop; the Count's Woodworking Tournament did not go as well as anyone planned; she had no idea what to do next with the secret research her father left her; and Ivy was literally without a home... That is, until the last possible moment in the book, in an unexpected twist, Ivy was offered a job she could not refuse: as a science assistant at the forbidden Count's Castle.
Knowing that her best friend, York, was in good hands and feeling like she had no other options, Ivy accepted the position willingly, with no idea what to expect.
...Which brings us to Book 2 in the series: Castle Ever Dark, with Ivy riding in a carriage on her way to the castle next to a handsome, mysterious, and certainly elusive heir to the castle, Jack.
With promises of answers about her mother and where she had gone, as well as more clues into her father's true research, the Tree Garden, and what his role at the castle was, Ivy "agreed" to go live at the castle, knowing that it was forever, and knowing that she did not have any choice.
Book 2 does not give us a chance to take a breath, as we go from realizing that Ivy is essentially being taken captive at the end of Secrets Ever Green to Jack opening the castle's gates in the opening line of Castle Ever Darkāand honestly, the book gives us few chances to take a breath after that! Though Castle is still a cozy, magical mystery like its predecessor, the rush for answers, a hopeful reuniting with Loon the horse, hopes for more glimpses at the Tree Garden (and more), and split-second decisions that might take Ivy even further away from the answers she seeks, this book is filled with urgency, action, excitement, passion, and a fair dose of jump thrills in the castle and via the ghost stories that go with it.
Castle Ever Dark is one of those perfect sequels that ties up the last few strings that were intentionally left untied in the first book, creates a whole series of new questions, and uniquely transports us to a new world instead of continuing with the old one. While there are countless echoes back to Windermere, the castle provides such a jarringly and fascinatingly different landscape for the second book, I think we the readers feel just as much whiplash at the transition as Ivy doesāonly it's thrilling and adventurous for us while it's often riddled with questions for her!
I don't want to give away many details, because I want these stories to be personal journeys for the readers who come to them after me, just like they were for meābecause these two journeys, so closely conjoined, were so worth the ride. They are a beautiful blend of magical storytelling, cozy mystery, nature writing, and looking for ourselves and who we want to be in a world where we don't seem to fit in anywhere. I love both of these books so much, and this is honestly one of those series that I wish would continue, sequel after sequel...