Lina is fierce, wilful, and unrelenting when it comes to getting her own way. She is the character around which others are driven to madness, obsession, and death. Selfish, beautiful, and captivating, we see Lina mainly through the eyes of her maid and once milk-sister Anna. Although Oskar Hammel, a curious visitor to the village, is the catalyst that sparks the telling of the story, Anna is the true narrator, and it is through her that we learn of the complex tragedies surrounding both Lina and the household.

Anna herself is an interesting character, not unfamiliar to suffering. Sadly, the story often pivots so tightly around Lina that our glimpses of Anna’s life, and the workings of a village run by the politics of kings and wizards, are over all too soon as she is summoned in one way or another back to Lina’s side.

Despite the efforts that have clearly gone into the world-building aspects of Black Spring, too much space is devoted to lengthy descriptions and explanations in what is essentially quite a short book.It is clear that Croggon has come up with a story that is rich and beautifully complicated, layered with intriguing politics, told by well-crafted characters. The fault of this book isn’t that it’s bad, but that it is far too compact and the balance between description and action has been lost. Ultimately, Black Spring gives readers only a taste of what could have been a gripping and sinister read.