Book Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Title: Darker Still
Series: Magic Most Foul #1
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Published on: November 8, 2011
Source: own copy

I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked--bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. Unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still.

My Thoughts:

 Darker Still was a riveting mystery story. It was a mix of paranormal romance that will swirl you over and over again. The story had me wrapped in it's tiny little finger.
Natalie (lovely name) is a 17-yr old girl who is mute not from birth but because of a tragedy when she was still a child (mom's accident). When a highly rumored painting of a certain Lord Denburry arrived in the city, everyone was captivated by it, and Natalie was no exempt. Mysteries and uncanny vibe linger around the painting and the story that lies beneath it.

I certainly did not expect the evil voodoo aspect of the story. I thought there were charms/curse sure, but not the darker side. (I know the title did say "darker still" and that should have clued me in, lol) If I did, I wouldn't have read it. But once I realized that, it was already too late, I was compelled.

I am an extreme fan of stories where the girl/guy has the sole access to the other. It was not instalove between them but you can definitely feel the reverberating electric connection they have. I love the story. I love the connections. I love the setting. New York + 19th century= whaddup? I don't know why I missed this book last year! But I'm happy to have received a copy from Sourcebooks for the blog tour. :))