Am I glad this is not my first Paula Brackston novel. I expect a beautifully flowing story with a large dose of magic from Brackston. I don't know what the shit this was but it definitely wasn't my idea of a good read. I did not appreciate how Laura shitty actions are glossed over with an, "it's ok, bad things AlmOsT happened to you. that's enough punishment". Call my bitter. 🤷 Read literally anything else from Brackston. Just not this one. ( )

Lyrical descriptive writing, a compelling blend of history and mythology, and the unmatched beauty of Wales all combine for a richly atmospheric tale in "Lamp Black, Wolf Grey". Author Paula Brackston has a way with words and a definite talent for spinning bewitching romantic stories. Contemporary life blends with elements from ancient days as a young married couple's move to the Welsh mountains unearths many truths, both old and new. Laura Matthews hopes that a life-changing move will bring about a renewal of her creativity as an artist and bring to life her greatest wish--a child of her own. As she and her husband, Dan, begin to acclimate themselves to their surroundings, an unexpected awareness seeps into Laura's consciousness. With Dan working several hours away, and coming home just on weekends, Laura mostly has her new home to herself--or does she? The land she now claims home was once the realm of Merlin, himself, and his presence is inescapable. As Laura becomes more involved with the history of the area, the past becomes her present, and her involvement with her neighbor, Rhys, adds an unsettling excitement to her existence. Will Laura find all that she has longed for, or are there powerful forces at work with a mysterious agenda all their own?

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3/3 stars
You can find all my reviews here
*Disclaimer: I won this book from Goodreads First Reads, all my opinions are my own.*

Overall I enjoyed the book, though I think I was hoping for more. The story is split between the present day and back when Merlin was young living in the Welsh mountains. For the majority of the book I much preferred the story of Megan to Laura's. This made the story tough to read because I would get into the story then it would switch to the other time period drawing me out of the moment. So up until the last fourth of the book I couldn't maintain my interest.

I can't find much to say about this book but I did tend to enjoy the writing overall. My plan is to try a different Paula Brackston story and hopefully relate to the story more than I did this time. ( )

3/3 stars
You can find all my reviews here
*Disclaimer: I won this book from Goodreads First Reads, all my opinions are my own.*

Overall I enjoyed the book, though I think I was hoping for more. The story is split between the present day and back when Merlin was young living in the Welsh mountains. For the majority of the book I much preferred the story of Megan to Laura's. This made the story tough to read because I would get into the story then it would switch to the other time period drawing me out of the moment. So up until the last fourth of the book I couldn't maintain my interest.

I can't find much to say about this book but I did tend to enjoy the writing overall. My plan is to try a different Paula Brackston story and hopefully relate to the story more than I did this time. ( )

It should come as no surprise that the main character in Lamp Black, Wolf Grey is a painter; Brackston herself is an amazing painter, though she uses words instead of pigments. Her descriptions of the Welsh countryside are even more enchanting through the eyes of Laura Matthews, who sees an amazing array of color denied to most—and even has names for them. I don’t believe I have the sensitivity to identify Naples yellow, alizarin crimson, French Ultramarine, or Rose Madder from other similar colors; but using the language of paint makes me imagine a world of rich, vibrant color that I will probably never experience otherwise.

There are two parallel story lines in Lamp Black, Wolf Grey--that of Laura and Dave Matthews in the modern time and of Megan and Merlin in history. Both Laura and Megan are trapped by their decisions and desires, which put not only themselves in danger, but those they love as well.

I always struggle with picking a genre for Brackston’s books. The two I have read are part historical fiction, part fantasy, part modern woman’s fiction, part ghost story, part romance; but yet not completely any one of these. Whatever you want to call them, they are magical and beautiful and I can’t get enough of them.

Copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Review courtesy of onebooktwo.com | one book, two reviews. ( )