Welcome to our first indie review of 2023! First off, I'd like to thank Jessica Drake-Thomas for submitting a review request and gifting me an ARC of her upcoming book, Bad Omens, a gothic poetry book set to release February 17 with Querencia Press.
Genre: Dark Poetry
Category: Spooky Read
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Rating: 3/5 Stars
Pairing: Chocolate blackberry cake + blackberry witch's brew
“I’m a witch, born out of generations of god-fearing people
who bent their heads and their knees.
I am a force of my own design.”
Bad Omens is a poetry collection featuring witchcraft, tarot, nature, and dark deities. As a tarot nerd, I appreciated the references to different cards throughout the collection. Mythology is another big theme, with references to Nordic lore, nods to Celtic mythology, and Greek stories woven in.
It's about age-old feminine struggles, the dark side of organized religion and its followers, life and death, and more. It is empowering, mournful, and angry. From the very first poem, there is a longing for knowledge and magic, dressed up in the dark yet beautiful gothic vibes many of us love.
The author uses a few different styles and many different tones, so there is sure to be a poem or two you will appreciate. I personally liked "Untitled," "Bad Brood," and "The Ash Tree," and there were a handful of other lines that stood out to me. Others, not so much—but that’s perfectly okay and to be expected.
“We who have two natures know—
It’s best to keep our secrets,
to remain unknown.
Yet we still want love."
Weighing in at about 66 pages, Bad Omens is a book you can easily devour in one sitting, or savor over time if you prefer. If you like witchcraft, female empowerment, mythology, horror, gothic Victorian vibes, and/or dark modern poetry, Bad Omens might be your cup of tea.
If you're interested in Bad Omens, you can preorder a copy from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or Querencia Press, or snag one when it releases on February 17. If you get a copy, let us know in the comments below, or strike up a conversation on bookstagram or Twitter! For other works by Jessica Drake-Thomas, keep an eye on her website.
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