I wanted to love this book more than I did. I found it a little slow to get going, but did enjoy the setting and the story - I just wanted things to move a little quicker. But maybe this was just the wrong time for me to read this.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so dar loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have a believable voice. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

It's like The Secret History, they say, then give it to me right now, I say. The comparison never fails to reel me in. Luckily The Cloisters fills the brief. Aspirational but poor academically inclined young person from a humble background? Tick. Ivy covered, secret filled place of learning? Tick. Occult type goings on? Tick. Intense attraction to rich, privileged, magntic others? Oh yes. Death. Tick.

Ann is desperate to escape her small west coast town, her depressed mother and her own grief for her father's recent death. Both parents worked in menial jobs at a small libeal art college and so thanks to them she has a good and heavily subsidised degree, and, thanks to her dad, a facility for and fascination with languages. But despite her excellence, her chosen History of Art field of the early Renaissance is heavily populated and she has failed to find a grad school place, all her hopes hang on an internship in New York, so when she is nearly sent home before she can begin she jumps at the opportunity to work at The Cloisters, a small museum built from reconstructed ruined monasteries and set around shady courtyards. Here she works with brilliant Patrick, privileged golden girl Rachel and intriguing gardener Leo and as she starts to feel more accepted, Ann wonders if at last she's found her place, a glitering career no longer a dream but a possibility. But when tragedy strikes, it's clear she doesn't know any of them at all and Ann has to contemplate how far she will and can go, to keep her dreams alive.

Less of a who dunnit, than a why dunnit, with a background of tarot and poison, this is is a compelling and very readable debut. Recommended.

This book was wonderful - atmospheric and just the right side of spooky for the autumn. I loved all the New York-y details and learning about tarot. My one critique is that I think Ann could have been a bit more fleshed out, but I recognize that is a hazard of the genre.

The protagonist and narrator of this novel is Ann Stilwell, a Renaissance scholar from a provincial college, who arrives in New York City eager to make her mark as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It seems she’s in for a massive disappointment, as the place is no longer available for her. However, she is unexpectedly snapped up by Patrick Roland, the curator of The Cloisters, a museum and garden which incorporates Gothic cloisters dismantled from Europe and rebuilt around herb gardens overlooking the Hudson River. Patrick and his glamorous research assistant Rachel are studying the history of tarot and the use of cards in divination in early Renaissance Italy. It quickly becomes evident that the “research” is not purely academic, but also involves actual dabbling in occultism using antique tarot decks. Ann is quickly drawn into this dark, elite, esoteric world. And like Fox Mulder in X-Files, she might have her own reasons for “wanting to believe”. After a murder at The Cloisters in which she is a potential suspect, Ann must navigate dangerous territory, seeking academic success while trying to save her skin and her reputation.

The Cloisters is an atmospheric read and, although some readers have criticized it as rather slow-moving, I actually found its mix of mystery and “occult thriller” quite gripping. Yes, The Secret History does come to mind, but so do, for instance, some of the “supernatural mystery” novels of Arturo Perez-Reverte. There is also a coming-of-age vibe in this story of a withdrawn student from the “backwaters” trying to make it big in the city. One sometimes needs to suspend disbelief – and, ironically, here I’m not referring to the more supernatural aspects of the novel but more to the triangular relationship which develops between Ann, Rachel and Patricki which, for some reason, did not particularly convince me. Yet this is a small quibble, and The Cloisters was a really enjoyable debut.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-cloisters-by-katy-hays.html

This was a lot better than I expected it to be,. How many of these stories have been written? Lots, some of which are just pale copies of the original Secret History. This has quite a few merits : the atmosphere of the book, strengthened by the setting of the New York Cloisters museum, and the believable and well developed characters. The storyline was a little less convincing, a bit predictable for someone who reads a lot, though there are some interesting twists towards the end. The Tarot cards themselves are a great addition to the story, certainly if you are interested in such things. The book is easy to read and will give fans of the genre a few hours of welcome entertainment.

If a book is given a tagline comparing it to The Secret History then I'm hooked. I cannot resist the possibility that I might be able to get the high that came from my first reading of Donna Tartt's masterpiece. So, i was delighted when I was approved for this, even more so when I started reading it. At last, it seemed, there was something that might compare.

Ann, the protagonist, is similar to Richard in TSH. Both are from humble backgrounds, both go to an elite college, both are taught by professors who are picky and reclusive, both are brilliant scholars, both are seduced by the personality and lifestyle of peers richer and more beautiful than them. Unfortunately the similarity ends there, TSH is full of moral dilemmas and characters being pulled apart by their consciences. Although Ann is given a dilemma we never get the sense of her being truly trouble by it and so it lacks a deeper meaning.

The other problem for me was that it was about Tarot cards. I didn't feel that these were well enough explained in the text and while I understand that this was probably because it would slow down the plot too much (and indeed there was a lot of description in general which did slow down the action) it meant that the reader wasn't really engaged or understood why Ann was so fascinated by them. .

Ann herself comes across as a rather shallow person and really not very nice. We are not given enough background to explain why she is so desperate to get away from her mother. One possible reason is given late on but this is insufficiently explored.

Overall this is a mixed read, Very good at the beginning but tailing off in the middle. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4

Autumn has begun and thus I must engage with books that make me feel as if I'm sitting in a stiff October breeze, the pumpkin-coloured sky setting the mood. This book was a very fine start to that mood. Finishing my dissertation and now pondering further academia helped me to immediately connect with the initial dilemma Ann faces; What can I do now?
The tagline of "Like the Secret History!" sets high expectations, yet I would say that the overall tone of the writing was reminiscent. Stone masonry, poison gardens, and stained glass windows all pile up to really engage the imagination. I felt very engrossed, so much so that the live football match in front of me was inaudible. I was wandering in The Cloisters.
In terms of story, The Cloisters was very interesting, so much so that I had to finish it within one extra reading session. There was a fluid nature to how we unravelled the setting to the characters to the narrative thread and, finally, to the climax. Pacing was good, a little slow in the middle section, but not off-putting simply descriptive, which I love. I immediately enjoyed several of the characters' personifications, though perhaps the least with the main protagonist, Ann. Moments made me wish I knew more about her father and family, same with other members of your cast. They were a tertiary factor I wanted to understand more about!
I perhaps was expecting a little more magic? Though that's not really a complaint, as the way in which the ending came about felt grounded in reality yet influenced by sorcery in mania. I think those final few chapters were so enthralling I forgot where I was.
Conclusively, I enjoyed this book thoroughly! I will most definitely be picking up a physical copy, as I think it will add to the reading experience. A fun start to my burnt orange season!


Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this review.

Very interesting read but just never seemed to go anywhere! I didn’t find the characters very believable

The Cloisters By Katy Hays is a gothic dark academia mystery novel which takes place in the Cloisters gallery in New York. The story follows a graduate, named Ann, who is assigned a summer position within the cloisters, assisting Megan and Patrick in their upcoming exhibition regarding the occult and, specifically, tarot cards.

What I liked about this book is the atmosphere and the character's struggles between what is fate or chance, and our real-world fascination with predicting our futures.

The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and describing The Cloisters. The book also has snippets of historical information regarding tarot cards and renaissance art (from Ann’s POV and dialogue) as the author herself is an academic and has been to the real Cloisters.

However, there are a few points which stop me from giving this book a five-star rating and made me frustrated reading the novel.

1. The pacing is very off in this book. The first 50% of this book is so slow and it’s a real slog to get through. Nothing at all happens before this and I found myself wondering when the actual action was going to kick in.

The author strangely built up a lot of tension and suspense very early on between the characters in the book (more or less once Ann arrives at The Cloisters) which feels out of place when nothing then happens. It left me feeling like something surely was about to go down, just round the corner…any minute now…but never did.

Once the big plot event happens then the suspense and the tension build-up makes sense, but it definitely shouldn’t have been there before that.

2. The main character was a very difficult protagonist to get behind and the main reason being is I could not for the life of me figure out what her character or motivations behind her actions (or inactions) were.

She is very driven and devoted to her studies (that much is very obvious); however, despite how driven she comes across, she is very easily swayed by other characters and is happy to be led by others.

An example her relationship with Megan, who is described as being difficult, ambitious, and cunning. However, despite only knowing her for a short time, Ann goes out of her way to push aside other people's concerns, including people who have known Megan for longer and who try to warn Ann away from Megan for her own good. But she doesn’t listen!

In fact, there are many many chapters where characters say “Don’t get too close to Megan, she’s not what she seems, she’s likely using you for her own game and will throw you away when she gets bored of you“ and Ann practically skips through all the red flags and goes “oh no, not Megan. She’s my best friend, she would never do that!”.

Umm…what?

She seems more than happy to be dragged left and right by Megan and another side character; going along with whatever they want, never really showing us why she’s happy to follow these people around without question like a lost puppy after being offered a treat. It’s almost like she was brainwashed as non of her relationships with the other characters felt natural - I really can’t put why finger on it.

Also, can someone please tell me what degree or qualification Ann actually has?? Is she a historian? A conservationist (given how she casually carried around a one of a kind tarot deck from the fifteenth century in her backpack for a while, I doubt it)? She has skills in translation (she can speak/read 7 languages) but this is very rarely utilised throughout the book.

3. Once the book picks up after the 60% mark we get a lot more action and mystery (hooray!). Sadly, the author has a really bad habit of oversharing details.

Imagine the author was hanging over your shoulder, pointing out every single detail and going “Look how mysterious and untrustworthy this character is, hope they don’t stab us in the back” or “look how shifty this character is about this specific item. That might come up later. Maybe. Who knows”.

And when the plot twist happens they go “Ah ha, where you surprised?! Well if you weren’t, here’s another one straight after that which cancels out the previous plot twist!”

Every time a plot point comes up that, ideally, shouldn’t seem relevant until the end and upon reflection, was meticulously spelt out so every twist and moment of clarity was not in the slightest surprise to the reader.

We often tell writers to show not tell - in this case, it’s almost like she showed too much rather than keeping some things mysterious and subtle.

Apart from the last plot twist at the very end of the book - that was baller and left me reeling.

Overall I would possibly recommend this to people who are looking for a gateway to other dark academia mystery novels but be prepared for slow pacing and a very obvious storyline. If you’re expecting The Da Vinci Code but with occult and tarot, look again.

This book is certainly dark and enigmatic as the cover blurb promised but there was a lot of detail which went straight over my head. The author obviously knows the world of academia and is keen to share her knowledge but , for my part, I was bombarded with too much information and I found myself speed-reading to get to the meat of the story. There are twists and clever turns to keep you hooked and the plot pulls you along nicely right to the end.

I very much enjoyed this book although I wouldn't put it quite on par with The Secret History which was an outstanding story.
Ann, the narrator, comes to New York, hoping to take up a role at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However she finds, rather abruptly that the post is not long available. Fearing she'll have to return home in defeat, she is delighted to be swept up, apparently by chance, by Patrick, curator of The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its collection of medieval and Renaissance art. Ann has things she has left behind and is good at keeping secrets, however, she finds that almost everyone at The Cloisters is a master at secrets and she finds herself at the centre of a power struggle and being pushed into taking sides.
All this is played out alongside the discovery of an ancient pack of tarot cards that seem to push Ann in certain directions and she has to decide if luck or fate is driving her life.
The descriptions of The Cloisters museum, the buildings and the gardens were great and woven into this the appalling stifling heat of a New York summer, and the author has created a great backdrop for the drama to be played out. The character of Patrick is a bit sparse, considering he is one of the main players and Rachel is quite indistinct but this fits her character. Big changes over come Ann during the course of the summer and these could possibly have been more gently and slowly introduced. Leo is an interesting and quirky character. I could have read more about him.
I very much enjoyed the plot, intertwined as it is with real history from the Renaissance and a very realistic setting in the museum. I thought the ending was excellent as well - something that is often a let down with mystery stories. All in all a great story, full of mystery, secrets and lies.
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an arc in return for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this and there were definitely elements of the story that were interesting but I felt like the characters lacked depth, and some of the plot points didn't really make sense to me.

Would definitely have preferred a slower pace and more exploration of the characters.

I really wanted to like this more than I did.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere but I felt the characters needed more development - especially as it sped towards its conclusion. I wish it had spent more time with the characters.

A great story but I needed a little bit more

It always worries me when I see books being compared to The Secret History. In my view nothing is going to come close to Donna Tartt’s classic and so it proved with The Cloisters. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thriller full of interesting information on the Italian Renaissance and the history of Tarot cards. The book is slow to get going and takes a long time for the tension to build. The descriptions of the cloisters and the museum are really wonderful and you can actually feel as if you are there amongst the books, the manuscripts and the exhibits. I enjoyed this part of the book very much. The action and tension certainly picks up as the story develops and an awful lot happens towards the end with many twists and turns.
I can see why The Cloisters has been compared to The Secret History; a small, claustrophobic group of people; an older, enigmatic mentor; the deaths of characters; even the large house in the country beside a lake. It is difficult to read this book and not have Tartt’s book interrupting your thoughts. I think if I hadn’t read The Secret History I would have enjoyed The Cloisters a great deal more as it is a very competent, well-written thriller and I would probably have given it five stars.

After reading what this book was about, it was a must read for me and since finishing it, it’s definitely a must read for all lovers of dark academia. If you’re a fan of that genre, you’ll love this! Even if you don’t, it’s an epic book and I’m sure you’ll love it anyway! I was hooked.

This book was hypnotic. So immersive in how it was written, you felt like you were there in the Cloisters with Ann and Rachel. Reading how the story slowly but deliciously unravelled, I was absolutely enthralled and couldn’t stop reading. It was so hard to put down and so very easy to pick up again!

I can’t pinpoint why this book had such a magical quality about it but it was so enchanting. I was honestly slipping off the edge of my seat and so eager to find out how it was all going to conclude. Seriously this author has so much talent when it comes to writing. It was absolutely effortless! It was a truly brilliant read and so enjoyable from start to finish.

I so enjoyed this book because it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be, disgruntled daughter leaves home, finds herself and goes back. Oh my goodness! It was nothing of the sort.
A real adventure awaited me. I loved the setting of a museum. Especially as it’s name ‘The Cloisters’ conjured images of cool, quiet and solemnity. Everything you imagine of a museum yet it gave no clue of the turmoil boiling beneath the surface.
The characters we encounter all seem to have something unspoken going on and this leads us deeper into their mysterious lives. What really links them all?
As the story draws to its conclusion, be ready for revelations and answers and more than one surprise! An excellent book. Thoroughly recommended.

I enjoyed this book - it is well-written and very atmospheric. It really made me want to work as a museum curator. However, I felt the characters were a bit thin, and difficult to believe in; they never really came alive for me, and as a result, I found it difficult to care about what happened to them. The story is a good one, however, and I found it a good read.

The blurb for this book promised a real treat and I was expecting something exceptional. Sadly for me this story missed the mark of a “thrillingly told tale” nor was it “dark and enigmatic “. Whilst the writing is excellent, and the author definitely knows her subject matter, at times I felt the facts were thrown in in such quantity that it made the flow of the story difficult. It’s rewarding that an author is so obviously passionate, but it did not appeal to me. Normally I lap up anything to do with the occult, tarot, divinity, et al, but sorry, not this time.

I did finish the book, though I did speed read through some of it. The ending was much better than I thought it would be, and had the rest of the book stuck to that format then it might have come nearer to the expectations.

2.5* upped to 3*.

Thank you NetGalley.

I will admit that this book caught me straight away, which is strange as I am not always fond of a first person narrative. But the voice of Ann slipped into my head, and I found myself compelled to read the book to find out exactly what was going to happen to her. And I was so pulled in by this book that I finished it in one sitting, and found myself more than a little shocked once it was over.

The book is set in the Cloisters, a part of the Met Museum, though built to look like a fifteen century Cloister. The way the author describes the building, with such love and care, it really does put you there, in the galleries and libraries. It was beautifully written, atmospheric in all the right ways. And while there are hints of the supernatural in the tarot card readings, and the feelings that Ann has can be seen as either divine providence or the character simply seeing what she wants to see.

I highly recommend this book, it is a beautifully dark, twisty-turny tale who takes you through the past and present, and showing the depths that people will sink to, to succeed.