Bookseller Reviews
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Death was in the cards!
A beautifully rich and well written story encompassing such a powerful atmosphere that I found it impossible to put down until the last card was dealt.
Th... READ MORE
Great dark academia read
This book gave me Ninth House meets The Secret History vibes and I really enjoyed reading it. The gothic medieval setting was wonderful to immerse myself i... READ MORE
Dark and addictive!
Should death show itself in the cards before you, would you want this knowledge, or prefer not to be privy to such a fate?
Careful. Which card will decide ... READ MORE
Dark academia for art lovers!
If 'The Secret History' is dark academia for classicists and 'If We Were Villains' is dark academia for fans of Shakespeare, then 'The Cloisters' is dark a... READ MORE
Devilishly good dark academia.
This delightfully gothic and atmospheric novel had me gripped from the very first page.
There’s a small but wonderful cast of Well written characters. Ea... READ MORE
Mysterious and intriguing!
I found this a fascinating and intriguing read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The atmosphere Katy Hays brought forth really draws you into... READ MORE
If 'If we were villains' and 'the secret history' had a baby and raised them on tarot!!
This was such a fun read with the most gorgeous descriptions of the cloisters and the architecture. The plot was easy to follow but the writing style made ... READ MORE
Deliciously Dark!
I expected dark academia, but I was blown away as to just how far down the rabbit hole I spiraled into this world of obsession.
Its easy to imagine when r... READ MORE
Devilishly Atmospheric & Cunning
I enjoyed the concept of this book, being into the tarot myself. I was pulled in, but found it to be more of a slow burn than a cant put down book. I loved... READ MORE
What a debut!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I knew that this book would be perfect for me as soon as I read the synopsis and I certai... READ MORE
Captivating
Perfect for the winter season - The Secret History meets The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (I jest). Dark and mysterious !
I'm obsessed
This book has everything for me. It's a gripping, gothic thriller, laced with an arty, angst-filled vibe and a protagonist who gets swept up in a world of ... READ MORE
Get drawn in to a tale of fate and destiny
Ann Stilwell just wants to get out of her hometown and away from her father's death. An Art History student, she gets a summer internship at the Met in New... READ MORE
A deliciously dark thriller
Perfect for fans of Donna Tartt this atmospheric thriller builds to a thrilling climax. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Cloisters in New York.
A truly wonderful dark gothic mystery
This wonderful debut novel is a beautiful dark gothic tale full of secrets, museums, libraries, tarot cards and history. With a gripping mystery at the hea... READ MORE
Synopsis
Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, hoping to spend her summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its collection of medieval and Renaissance art.
Drawn into a small circle of charismatic but enigmatic researchers, Ann happy to indulge some of their more outlandish theories, including the museum's curator who is fixated on tarot and the real possibility of predicting the future.
But when Ann discovers a mysterious, once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power, toxic friendship and ambition.
And as the game being played within the Cloisters spirals out of control, Ann must decide who she trusts.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- ISBN: 9781804990032
- Number of pages: 416
- Dimensions: 197 x 128 x 24 mm
- Weight: 288g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA must read
This book is absolutely fantastic, a must read for anyone who love books with a dark twist.
Enjoyable read
My first book by this author and won't be the last.
Really enjoyed the characters and the story build up, doesn't give itself away too early.
I'd gi... READ MORE
The Cloisters is the dark academia I've been longing for!
"We are, you see, both masters of our fate and at the mercy of the Moirai— the three Fates who weave our futures and cut them short."
The Cloisters is b... READ MORE
Art related mystery
The Cloisters by Katy Hays
When Ann moves to New York to work for the summer, she finds herself at The Cloisters, a moderate sized Renaissance art gall... READ MORE
Slightly supernatural, slightly thriller
Fun and enjoyable book mixing academia, the occult and art together in one book. Slightly supernatural, slightly thriller, this book is a good read.
All the things I should love, a little disappointed.
Overall, promising with dark intrigue and touches of history brought in, at first a gripping read with promise, it was mysterious and tense. All the things... READ MORE
Power, seduction, fate and choices
This book was not entirely what I expected. Not at all in a bad way though. I expected more of the history in it, however, while it is helping to create th... READ MORE
Dark academia indeed
The Cloisters is a great balance of modern thriller and obscure art historical pursuit in an academic setting – right up my street. It has a strong opening... READ MORE
Dark academia at its best
The tag line of The Secret History meets Ninth House was a clincher for me and I wasn’t disappointed with this great new work of dark academia.
Set agains... READ MORE
Disappointing
Ann Stillwell arrives in New York expecting to spend the summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself reassigned to The Clo... READ MORE
don't waste your money
all of our book group hated this book, characters have no depth, plot dull
Best Read for a long time
I first read the paperback version as a public library book when I took it out as a random-read based on the title alone. Having lived and travelled in the... READ MORE
Steeped in atmosphere
Free will or fate? What if your whole life has already been decided for you? What about choice and chance? What omens hover over The Cloisters in New York ... READ MORE
This is amazing!!
Loved every second of it! Did not expect the ending at all which I love in books. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so good and complex. Amaz... READ MORE
Good Crime Read
I fell in love with the cover of this when it came out in hardback but sadly I missed out on the beautiful sprayed edge copy so I waited... just in case on... READ MORE
Loved it... but
I read this after reading The Secret History but Donna Tartt, and so probably unconsciously compared it that whilst reading.
I loved this book. The con... READ MORE
Dark Modern Gothic
This book has a beautiful cover that entices you to pick it up and read it!
I had high expectations for this novel after reading the prologue 'if death... READ MORE
The Cloisters is not just a novel—it’s an invocation.
‘’What if your whole life - how we live and die - has already been decided for us? Would you want to know, if a roll of the dice or a deal of the cards cou... READ MORE