A strange and beautiful story of love and very dark magic. There is something dreamlike about it, as though the whole story could be a nightmare of death and life, sleep and wake. There were moments when Elizabeth and Pierre recalled Madeline and Porphyro in Keats’ The Eve of St Agnes. There is a bitter chill in Larkspur, but it is also painted with jewel-like colours, secrecy and passion.

The magic system – “necrocraeft” – reminded me of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series, and fans of those books may find this interesting.

It’s an unusual read but very compelling, and the reader is left curious about the next instalment, and also to learn more about this fascinating, disturbing world.