Review: 'Marionette' by Antonia Rachel Ward

I rediscovered this novella resting on my TBR pile the other day and immediately dove in. As I was quite in the mood for something either erotic or horror, I very much enjoyed it, even if it moved a little too quickly for me. Thanks to Brigids Gate Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in reviewing.

Pub. Date: 10/16/2022
Publisher: Brigids Gate Press, LLC

On the run from a life of prostitution and poverty, exotic dancer Cece Dulac agrees to become the main attraction at an erotic séance hosted by an enigmatic mesmerist, Monsieur Rossignol. As the séance descends into depravity, Cece falls prey to Rossignol’s hypnotic power and becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit.

George Dashwood, an aspiring artist, witnesses the séance and fears for Cece. He seeks her out and she seduces him, but she is no longer herself. The spirit controlling her forces her to commit increasingly depraved acts. When the spirit’s desire for revenge escalates to murder, George and Cece must find a way to break Rossignol’s spell before Cece’s soul is condemned forever.

Marionette is an erotic horror novella inspired by traditional folk tales and set in fin de siècle Paris.

George Dashwood is fresh off the train from England, hoping to fully dedicate himself to his art in Paris. His friend has other ideas, however, and drags him to a theatre where Paris' latest sensation, Cece Dulac, is performing. George is immediately drawn to Cece, while she is focused on surviving and, if possible, thriving. When an exclusive party turns towards the supernatural, however, the stakes are raised and the two have to battle to hold on to their own selves. Marionette moves back and forth between George and Cece's narration, giving us two different perspectives on the story taking place. George is full of idealism and romance, while Cece has already lived quite a bit of life. Add a solid dash of Gothic horror, magic, and explicit eroticism, and you've got quite a tale. Rossignol's name immediately reminded me of the gothic and macabre Grand Guignol theatre, which also staged shocking short plays. The whole atmosphere of the novella is one of heightened emotions and drama. 

Antonia Rachel Ward excels at creating a strong atmosphere in this tale. Whether we're behind the scenes at the theatre, in the catacombs under Paris, or in the grand villas of the rich, it all feels sumptuous. With short tales like these, this is often one of the most important aspects to me and I was glad that it worked so well in Marionette. However, I did find myself wishing that this had been either longer or a full novel. The characterisation moves very quickly, which makes sense, but this meant that I didn't fully connect to the characters. Cece was very interesting, but I wish I could have spent more time in her head before the paranormal aspects took over. I also didn't really like George, with his Romantic disposition and immediate focus on Cece, so his narration didn't really grip me. I did like the themes Ward wove into her story about the plight of women and the restrictions they experience in society, but for me these also could have done with more space. Overall, while I enjoyed Marionette, it didn't really stick with me as a single whole, if that makes sense. Solitary moments and scenes had quite a lot of power and attraction, but the connective tissue kind of let it down for me. I'd be very intrigued to read more by Antonia Rachel Ward, however!

I give this novella...

2 Universes!

The rating may seem kind of harsh, especially as I did enjoy quite a few aspects of Marionette. I simply wanted a little bit more from it than I got, which is both a plus and a negative. I was intrigued and captivated enough to want more depth, but subsequently I felt let down by the fact it wasn't there.