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From just the age of 5, Andromeda was raised by a debtera, a person who cleanses places of the Evil Eye. Or, one could say, an exorcist. He trained Andi to do the same work, and to survive. Life was not easy for her. Now, at age 19, she is an adult and trying to earn a living. Her first job is a big one: she is hired to cleanse a mansion that’s been cursed for a few years. And 10 debteras before her had not succeeded. But Andi needs the money and the recommendation of someone important. Magnus Rochester is just the person who can help her get more work.
There are some complications, however: Magnus is young and handsome, and he is very friendly to Andi. And she can’t help but be drawn to him. But she has a huge job to focus on, and she is sure her scarred and plain face can’t really be appealing to him. Especially with his longtime friend Kelela as a comparison: she’s not just beautiful but comes from a respected family. Andi doesn’t stand a chance.
The job is much more challenging than she could have imagined, though Andi makes good progress. Some Manifestations are reasonably straightforward work to cleanse. And others are simply terrifying. Completely ridding the manor of the Evil Eye will take all she has in her and more, and she’ll have to face her innermost fears and doubts to get the help she needs. But Magnus is worth it.
Within These Wicked Walls is a Jane Eyre retelling with an Ethiopian-inspired setting and a fantasy twist. I found it compelling, though I felt too often that the magic system wasn’t well explained. The story also seemed to swing back and forth between its fantasy/magic element and the romance part, rather than the two being more seamlessly integrated. Even so, a young adult fantasy book worth reading.
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes a few instances of moderate profanity, fewer than 10 uses of mild language, and occasional instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are a couple of scenes of kissing. A character is naked in a couple of scenes. The content that makes the book a moderate is the violence. The main character references fights and injuries she experienced while young, as well as beatings from the person who raised her. The story is about exorcising evil from a home, and there’s a lot of fighting off/getting rid of bad things. There are some scenes with blood.
