Unbroken Bonds
Circle Of Shadows by Marisa Linton is an entertaining supernatural historical novel that engrossed me from the start.
The action is set in 1904 in Edwardian Britain as we travel between London, Yorkshire and Oxford. We follow a sister in search of the truth. She wants to know who, or what killed her father? And why is it after her sister?
Evie Winstanley is a girl ahead of her time. She is fearless, loyal, brave and true. In a male-dominated patriarchal society, she is not afraid to stand up to both evil, and male bullies.
Marisa Linton draws us into her world from the start. The novel is very atmospheric with its’ dark streets and swirling waters.
We see that all is not as it seems. Characters are not always the same underneath as the image they are projecting.
As the novel progressed and the action ramped up, so did my heart-rate.
This is a tale of darkness where pure hearts and goodness are needed. Life can be a battle against more than we can see, hear and feel.
Circle Of Shadows was an exciting read.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Circle of Shadows
A gripping historical fantasy horror steeped in mystery, romance and the macabre.
It’s 1904, and occult detection is no profession for a woman. That won’t stop Evie Winstanley.
When her father, a collector of occult books, dies in strange circumstances, Evie is determined to investigate. Her only lead: a cryptic mention of the ‘Circle of Shadows.’ From a chilling séance on the lonely Yorkshire moors to the sinister, hedonistic halls of Oxford’s elite, Evie hunts for answers, stalked by whispers of an ancient monster and an ever-shifting, ominous symbol.
But when a young woman’s body surfaces in the Cherwell, bearing that same mark, Evie uncovers a truth far more terrifying than a single murder. Now, Evie isn’t just seeking justice; she’s fighting to save her sister who she fears might be the next victim, in a dark and twisted adventure where gilded boys unleash hell and defiant women must pick up the pieces. Nothing will stop her investigation, not outraging Edwardian notions of female propriety, and certainly not offers of romance.
Blending historical fantasy with Golden Age classic crime, Circle of Shadows is a dark and twisty adventure through an occult Edwardian England where wealthy boys toy with powers they don’t understand, and a lone woman takes a stand against them.
Shoutline: Sherlock Holmes didn’t deal with the supernatural. But Evie Winstanley does.
Purchase Links
Author Bio –
Marisa Linton is both a professor of history, and a prize-winning author of supernatural fiction.
In 2023 Marisa won the Times/Chicken House competition with her eerie young adult fantasy, The Binding Spell. Published by Chicken House, May 2025. She describes it as a mash-up of The Wicker Man and This Country. It’s set in a remote village, where witches and druids still abide in secret.
Marisa’s first adult novel, Circle of Shadows, is a gothic historical fantasy and dark mystery about a determined young woman in Edwardian Britain who becomes an occult detective and fights demons, both fantastical and human. Published by Hodderscape, October 2025, the paperback will be published 24 September 2026. The sequel, Domain of Darkness, will be published in December 2026. It’s been described as ‘Enola Holmes meets Dennis Wheatley’ (Greg Mosse).
Social Media Links –
Instagram: @linton.marisa
Website: https://www.marisalinton.com/
