Wild and Wicked Things

by Francesca May

Overview

"Haunting, immersive, and seething with dark magic."―Alexis Henderson

Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022!

In the 1920s, a lush, decadent gothic tale unfolds as a young woman slips into a glamorous world filled with illicit magic, tantalizing romance, and murder. 

On Crow Island, people whisper that real magic lurks just below the surface.

But magic doesn’t interest Annie Mason. Not after it stole her future. She’s on the island only to settle her late father’s estate and, hopefully, reconnect with her long-absent best friend, Beatrice, who fled their dreary lives for a more glamorous one.

Yet Crow Island is brimming with temptation, and the most mesmerizing may be her enigmatic new neighbor. 

Mysterious and alluring, Emmeline Delacroix is a figure shadowed by rumors of witchcraft. Soon, Annie is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where the boundaries of wickedness are tested, and the cost of illicit magic might be death.

To those who are bright and young; to those who are wild and wicked; welcome to Crow Island. 

Praise for Wild and Wicked Things:

“A deep, sensuous exploration of the bonds between three very different, complex women that readers won't soon forget." —Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author 

"Brimming with romance and gilded with danger, Wild and Wicked Things is a heady, lyrical gem of a book."—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316287159
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	03/29/2022
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	455,171
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Francesca May grew up in the middle of England where she spent her childhood devouring fantasy books and brewing potions in her back garden. She currently lives in Derby with her family, three giant dogs, and two black cats. By day she works as a bookseller at Waterstones. By night she accidentally kills every house plant she touches and writes novels about gothic mansions, witchcraft, and queer love. She also writes psychological thrillers and gothic suspense as Fran Dorricott. You can find her on Twitter @franwritesstuff or her website at www.frandorricott.com

Editorial Reviews

11/22/2021

May (The Final Child, written as Fran Dorricott) delivers a beautiful but somewhat ponderous tale of queer love in a post-WWI England where the existence of magic is acknowledged but not accepted. After the war, Crow Island teems with tourists, among them Annie Mason, brought to the island by the death of a father she never knew. While settling his affairs, she lives in a small cottage next to the grand, infamous Cross House, inhabited by a mysterious trio rumored to serve forbidden magic at their Gatsby-esque soirees. Also on the isle is Annie’s best friend, Bea, who ran away with barely a goodbye a year earlier—and who is now subtly different in chilling ways. Complicating matters is the inexplicable pull Annie feels toward Emmeline, the butch owner of Cross House. She doesn’t understand their kinship, nor does she yet realize that she, Emmeline, and Bea are all inextricably connected. May’s atmospheric prose conjures the world down to its last detail but is less successful at driving the plot forward. It doesn’t help matters that Emmeline and her Cross House roommates are far more captivating than Annie and Bea. Still, fans of historical fantasy will appreciate the lush scene-setting and be drawn in by the women’s complex dynamics. Agent: Diana Beaumont, Marjacq. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 02/01/2022

DEBUT This compelling queer gothic gas-lamp tale of witchcraft, wealth, and war is filled with brooding atmosphere, sensual details, and a sense of creeping dread. The story is set on a magical island off the coast of England, just after a Great War where the trenches were filled with magic instead of mustard gas, and where the craft that both sides relied upon is facing a Prohibition of its own. The witches of Crow Island face a threat to their existence when the blood debt they accepted for their happiness comes due in a storm of murder and madness. One woman wants to escape, while another finds her lost heritage hidden in the island's magic. VERDICT May's debut fantasy novel, a tale of secrets, lies, and mistakenly raising the dead, will keep readers guessing and turning pages to the very end. Highly recommended for lovers of dark, witchy fantasy, especially those seeking read-alikes of Alix Harrow's The Once and Future Witches or Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.—Marlene Harris

Library Journal

"Brimming with romance and gilded with danger, Wild and Wicked Things is a heady, lyrical gem of a book."—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"Haunting, immersive, and seething with dark magic, Wild and Wicked Things cast its spell on me"—Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

"[T]his compelling queer gothic gas-lamp tale of witchcraft, wealth, and war is filled with brooding atmosphere, sensual details, and a sense of creeping dread....[a] tale of secrets, lies, and mistakenly raising the dead, will keep readers guessing and turning pages to the very end. Highly recommended for lovers of dark, witchy fantasy."—Library Journal (starred review)

“Wild and Wicked Things ticked all my boxes. May’s vivid prose carries us off to a world not quite unlike our own and spins the story of one woman coming into her own, another fighting the darkness inside her, and the two of them drawing together to become something more. I couldn’t put it down.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch’s Heart

"Viciously enchanting, with a spell woven onto every page. Francesca May has given us a cast of wild and wicked women who dare to hold a mirror to the darkest, and most tender, parts of our souls. I couldn't get enough!"—Heather Walter, author of Malice

“Entrancing, seductive, and decadently beautiful, Francesca May weaves an intoxicating spell. Here is a deep, sensuous exploration of the bonds between three very different, complex women that readers won't soon forget."—Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author

"A sapphic historical fantasy novel that drips with dark curses and alluring witchcraft. It delivers all the gothic, witchy vibes you could hope for."—CultureFly

"An intoxicating blend of secrets and glamour, romance and scandal, blood magic and dark pasts. If you’ve ever thought the Jazz Age would have been better with witchcraft, this book is for you."—H. G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

"Even after the last page is turned, this intoxicating story lingers like a deep dark wine. Sparkling and deadly, Wild and Wicked Things enchanted me, and if you're feeling dangerous, it will enchant you too."—Lucy Holland, author of Sistersong

"[B]eautiful...May’s atmospheric prose conjures the world down to its last detail." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

06/01/2022

Annie Mason returns to Crow Island to wrap up the affairs of her father just after World War I. She is hoping to reconnect with her friend Beatrice, who left the island for bigger and better things. While there, Annie also meets the enigmatic Emmeline and then is swept up into the magical world of Crow Island. She gets pulled into a mysterious world that makes her question the boundaries of wickedness and may ultimately cost Annie her life. Broken into several smaller books that all cohesively come together, May's debut novel is beautifully written with complex characters. Annie and Beatrice have a fairytale romance that is both believable and necessary for the storytelling. Narrators Marisa Calin, Gemma Dawson, and Ralph Lister add beauty and give life to the mesmerizing world of magic and misdeeds. The audiobook also offers atmospheric musical interludes between each of the chapters. VERDICT Featuring queer romance, this enjoyable tale of magic would be a wonderful addition to any collection.—Elyssa Everling

Library Journal - Audio

Here is an irresistible audio production featuring a world in which magic is both an inescapable and illegal reality. The author’s alternate post-World-War-I England is infused with a beguiling blend of magic and gothic-tinged suspense. After the death of her absentee father, Annie Mason arrives on Crow Island to handle his estate. Narrators Marisa Calin and Gemma Dawson alternate between Annie and witch Emmaline Delacroix, respectively, as an overdue blood-magic debt threatens everyone on the island. Calin’s and Dawson’s keen characterizations draw listeners into the featured characters’ journey, and they create distinctive voices for the supporting cast. Atmospheric instrumentals enhance the narrative whenever legends of the island’s magic are revealed. Ralph Lister contributes solid performances of the key male characters. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile

Here is an irresistible audio production featuring a world in which magic is both an inescapable and illegal reality. The author’s alternate post-World-War-I England is infused with a beguiling blend of magic and gothic-tinged suspense. After the death of her absentee father, Annie Mason arrives on Crow Island to handle his estate. Narrators Marisa Calin and Gemma Dawson alternate between Annie and witch Emmaline Delacroix, respectively, as an overdue blood-magic debt threatens everyone on the island. Calin’s and Dawson’s keen characterizations draw listeners into the featured characters’ journey, and they create distinctive voices for the supporting cast. Atmospheric instrumentals enhance the narrative whenever legends of the island’s magic are revealed. Ralph Lister contributes solid performances of the key male characters. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile