Rating: 3.5 Stars

Usual Traits Found in Gothic Novels:
Unrealistic Romance * Returning to a long lost home or castle under tragic circumstances * Supernatural mystery, even though most of the time the supernatural turns out to not be at play * A new family or household to get used to, usually with some kind of animosity * Death threats and dangers * Another character’s death overshadowing the story, usually someone the main character never met

Unrealistic Romance
It’s easy to see within the first chapter that this isn’t your typical Gothic with your typical heroine. For one thing, Charlotte is promiscuous from the start, not living up to the times of modesty. This grows worse to amusing degrees – with her even becoming aroused by bizarre pictures of orgies and paying too much attention to the maid’s bizarre bosom later on. But at the beginning she is shown to have a twisted relationship with her grandmother, and is called home through a normal enough Gothic theme – being summoned by a long lost grandfather who is mourning the death of a beloved one whom she resembles.

There is really little appealing about the man who she falls in love with – his personality seems inconsistent, a bit dry, and he certainly acts toward her like she’s not the matronly one she should be. I also didn’t find enough sympathy over her story of sharing something awful that happened to her before she left her hometown.

Returning to a long lost home or castle under tragic circumstances
Yes, that’s here, big time. Her grandfather calls her home after learning of her existence and a death that spurs him to want to bring the family together. At first Charlotte is reluctant but it doesn’t take much to change her mind, and then a tragedy strikes which sets the tone for the novel as a grim, depressing one.


Supernatural mystery, even though most of the time the supernatural turns out to not be at play
This is here big time, but not until later, and for a pleasant change there actually is something semi-supernatural involved as the villains and motives are uncovered. Weird stuff.

A new family or household to get used to, usually with some kind of animosity
Some of the family members end up redeeming themselves, others stay totally unlikeable. Yech.

Death threats and dangers
Of course these are there, too, some of them a bit silly. Many Gothics have a rape sequence, but this book has an attempted rape and two actual rapes. Pushing the boundaries here.

Another character’s death overshadowing the story, usually someone the main character never met
It fits this role big time as well. It’s used to ignite her going home to the grandfather, being treated differently by the family, her romantic suitor, and even ties in with the ending supernatural elements.

Overall Black Maddie is a fun, decent Gothic novel. It grows a bit tired with its unexciting romance that’s unconvincing, but Charlotte is a likeable character with actual backbone, modern day thinking, and holds her own again obnoxious family members. The ending is a cheesy finale that befits the gothic style. If you’re a big fan of Gothics, you should enjoy it. It’s not the best out there and has weaknesses, but it also embraces traits that make the genre work well.
( )