I’ve had a somewhat mixed opinion of S. T. Gibson up til now…

BlThe first book of hers I read was An Education in Malice, and I burned through it. I couldn’t put it down. The darkness and rivalry, the obsession and passion, but most of all the prose – god the prose. But then I read Evocation, and it was so completely and entirely a different book… I managed to read to the end but I skimmed a fair bit of the last sections of the book as I just hadn’t made strong connections with the characters and the writing didn’t hook me the way it had in Education.

So I was coming to Savage Blooms with a sense of trepidation but ultimately hope, and it’s fair to say it’s tipped the balance once more. I want to say I consumed this book but if I’m being honest, I felt, on finishing it, that it had consumed me, utterly.

Now, again, honesty – I still preferred Education, but Savage Blooms is most definitely a firm and sexy stride back in that direction. We have the dramatic Scottish highlands, a brooding and crumbling manor, and seditious whispers of folklore and fae. Enter into this Adam, who is processing his grief for his grandfather’s passing by tracing his past, accompanied by his friend Nicola. Adam’s search sends him across the Atlantic from America to Scotland, to afore-mentioned crumbling manor and a single name: Arabella. He finds the manor is occupied solely by Eileen, Arabella’s granddaughter and clearly something of an eccentric, and her jack-of-all-trades ‘groundsman’ Finley.

While the plot was reasonable enough (I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention family curses and fae, it’s all revealed fairly quickly), I did feel the plot was acting mostly as scaffolding for the spice scenes – of which there are a great number (not a complaint) and are explicit (like the cover isn’t giving us fair enough warning). On the one hand, this is a story of ancient magic and familial ties to the land and that sense of folkloric levels of connection which, being Welsh, I related quite strongly to. On the other, firmer, larger hand, this is a story of desire, of knowing yourself and trusting your partner(s). It was definitely this aspect of the story which kept me racing through the pages: Adam and Eileen are about to take a walk through the grounds? Well obviously I can’t put it down now they’re about to be alone, one more chapter…

I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to Wuthering Heights. I don’t as a rule hold much truck with these kind of comparisons but this is an instance where it’s a clear influence. There’s a real sense of the claustrophobia of being trapped in a role, of a fated doom, forbidden desire. As well as the folkloric references there are also plenty of Gothic influences and that chilling, uneasy haunting atmosphere of Wuthering Heights.

I was so glad to have my opinion of S. T. Gibson reaffirmed. Savage Blooms is a decadent feast of deceit and desire in a gorgeously realised and atmospheric setting. ACOTAR fans don’t get too excited by the mention of fae, this is very much a human story; sensuous and addictive, but most definitely human with all our faults and needs and weaknesses at the forefront. You’ll have to wait until October, but I can guarantee you’ll be satisfied with this perfect autumnal fairytale.

Savage Blooms is due for release from Orbit Books 7th October 2025. You can pre-order your copy from Bookshop.org