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30 second book review of Wormwood Abbey by Christina BaehrJanssen Bradshaw - Everyday Reading

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Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale) Paperback – December 1, 2023

by Christina Baehr (Author)

1,896 ratings

Book 1 of 5: The Secrets of Ormdale

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As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap.

When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling Gothic abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap...and some of them have teeth.

WORMWOOD ABBEY, Book 1 of The Secrets of Ormdale, is a cosy gothic novel of mystery, dragons, and the perils of friendship.

Start exploring the hidden valley of Ormdale in 1899 with WORMWOOD ABBEY, the first in a new five book series.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CNTTYVTS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8868395758
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.52 x 8 inches
Book 1 of 5 ‏ : ‎ The Secrets of Ormdale

Best Sellers Rank: #33,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #39 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books)
- #84 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- #233 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)

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1,896 ratings

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Christina Baehr

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Christina Baehr writes cosy gothic fantasy with intrepid Victorian heroines and only the most historical dragons.

She has an immoderate number of children and lives on a hilltop in Tasmania also inhabited by venomous snakes.

Christina is also a harpist, singer, and composer, and drinks a lot of tea.

Customer reviews

1,896 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a well-paced historical fantasy with a unique plot, describing it as a fun Edwardian fantasy and a cozy gothic mystery with dragons. The writing style is richly descriptive, with one customer noting the author's thorough research in phrasing. Customers appreciate the character development, with one review highlighting the intelligent female characters, and the book's Christian themes are handled respectfully without being preachy. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it an enjoyable fast read while others note it starts a little slower.

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Story quality Enjoyment Character development Charm Writing style Cozyness Christianity Pacing

81 customers mention "Story quality"81 positive0 negative

Customers find the story intriguing and well-paced, describing it as a delightful mystery that unfolds in a historical fantasy setting.

"This was a delightful story, my only complaint is that it’s too short! I can’t wait to continue reading this series!..." Read more

"...This is a wonderful cosy gothic, with mystery, dragons, new friends, and some danger for our intrepid young lady writer...." Read more

"I loved this book for the intriguing and exciting plot. The book has no swearing or spice but plenty of heart...." Read more

"...and tune out the world with to escape to a place full of mystery and intrigue...." Read more

63 customers mention "Enjoyment"63 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable, describing it as unexpectedly delightful and a fun Edwardian fantasy.

"Wormwood Abbey was a fun read!..." Read more

"I found this book very enjoyable. I knew the premise at the beginning, so much of it wasn't a surprise, yet it still kept my attention...." Read more

"...I heartily recommend this book. It is a quick and enjoyable read!!" Read more

"Whimsical, humorous, and utterly Victorian—to say that "Wormwood Abbey" is my bookish cup of tea, would be a vast understatement!..." Read more

58 customers mention "Character development"58 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, describing them as great and the best kind of heroine, with one customer noting how the main character's voice is excellent.

"I love this series. The story is intriguing, the characters are well developed, and the genuine piety of Edith and her family is very refreshing...." Read more

"...The characters were all fantastic and the worldbuilding was so fun...." Read more

"...This would have been a great audiobook, I bet, because of the writing style...." Read more

"Easy read that had depth to make the story captivating. The characters are engaging and the story has the right amount of mystery and intrigue" Read more

31 customers mention "Charm"31 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the charm of the book, describing it as a wonderful cozy gothic mystery with picturesque scenes, and one customer notes it features dragons.

"Whimsical, humorous, and utterly Victorian—to say that "Wormwood Abbey" is my bookish cup of tea, would be a vast understatement!..." Read more

"...It has such a charming feel and just so lovely...." Read more

"...The book falls into the "cozy" fantasy sub-genre which has cropped up in recent years—"cozy gothic" in this case—which is a trend I highly approve of..." Read more

"...It is a fantasy and has a lot of charm. My daughter and I both enjoyed this one and plan to go on in the series." Read more

24 customers mention "Writing style"24 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as richly descriptive with exquisite vocabulary that draws readers in.

"Incredibly enjoyable and well-written, especially for a first novel...." Read more

"...The book is humorous and well written." Read more

"...As soon as I started this book, I was instantly obsessed with the writing style. I just adore it. It was perfect, and I don’t say that lightly...." Read more

"...It was a very enjoyable and well written read. Very innocent, too. I gifted a copy to my young niece it was such a foam and interesting read." Read more

22 customers mention "Cozyness"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book cozy and delightful, with one noting it feels like an older read.

"Delightful!..." Read more

"*Butterfly man meme* Is this cozy fantasy? (Answer: Yes, and I like it!)..." Read more

"WORMWOOD ABBEY is an absolute delight! This book is a warm, cosy, gentle delight full of tea, dragons, and chuckles...." Read more

"Got this for free from Amazon / Kobo. Very cute, cozy and enjoyable...." Read more

16 customers mention "Christianity"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's Christian themes, with one noting how faith elements are gently woven into the narrative without being preachy, while another mentions how it acknowledges the influence of Christianity on society.

"...are also mentioned & said in a prayer by her father; Talks about God & Christian beliefs; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; At one point when..." Read more

"...delightful 🥰 I love that she is driven, but also tender hearted, opinionated, but not too proud to admit she’s wrong...." Read more

"...some similarity to something from literature, there’s a delightfully self-aware commentary from the narrator herself...." Read more

"...Edith herself was original and interesting. I enjoyed her independent thinking and boldness, while she also remained likable...." Read more

18 customers mention "Pacing"12 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it an enjoyable fast read and well-paced, while others note that it started a little slower and felt a bit off.

"Easy read that had depth to make the story captivating. The characters are engaging and the story has the right amount of mystery and intrigue" Read more

"...Story was entertaining, but very slow for such a short book...." Read more

"...I heartily recommend this book. It is a quick and enjoyable read!!" Read more

"...The writer has a good grasp on the time period in which the book takes place...." Read more

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Kindle Customer
of writers and dragons
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

This is my second time reading this book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.

First off, it’s in my favorite genre (historical fantasy). Secondly, it’s about a writer/clergyman’s daughter (half of which I am, and half of which I almost was).

Anyway, this is a favorite of mine and I’ll probably read it again and again. The characters were all fantastic and the worldbuilding was so fun.

content warnings: mild violence and off screen death (but onscreen corpse)

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Lindsey Z. from Books for Christian Girls
Really enjoyed this cozy fantasy book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
*Butterfly man meme* Is this cozy fantasy? (Answer: Yes, and I like it!)

I had randomly seen this book pop up somehow on my Goodreads feed and was quickly interested in it because of the cover. Yes, yes, don’t judge a book by the cover and all that, I know, I know. But a pretty cover catches my attention much better than one that’s an eyesore, and that’s just the honest facts.

As soon as I started this book, I was instantly obsessed with the writing style. I just adore it. It was perfect, and I don’t say that lightly. The vocabulary was unmatched and I was honestly looking up most of them as I read because I didn’t know the meaning of many. This would have been a great audiobook, I bet, because of the writing style.

And again, that’s ultimately what sold me on this book: the writing style. If cereal boxes were written like this, catch me adding those to my Goodreads reading challenge, because I love it. It has such a charming feel and just so lovely.

This is definitely Historical Fantasy, but I’m not sure what time-period it’s supposed to be. No telegrams or phones, but there is electricity and mentions of Jane Austen, so I’m assuming 1880s to early 1900s? But then there’s mentions of Queen Victoria and her rule, so I’m not sure. It didn’t feel like the 1950s at all, but perhaps that’s just part of the fantasy elements—along with the wyverns, that is. (Edit to add: I signed up for the author's newsletter and she said it was set in 1899, so I feel like I should get a gold star for being close. ;) )

My Kindle edition showed that this book was 201 pages, so color me shocked and appalled when it ended on a (slight) cliffhanger on page 176. The rest was the preview for the next book, which I’m glad to read, but a bit hurt by this book ending so soon! I plan to read the next book when it releases and I hope a physical copy of this book will be available soon to buy! Just saw when snooping on the author’s website that this is the start of a five book series: I’m here for it. :)

Samples of the writing style:
“With my square face and small, tidy figure I’m a picture of feminine rectitude. My springy hair is the only thing that hints at wilder proclivities. It is usually tamped down with a hat. I dress myself neatly and well but without ostentation, and I know how to keep my mouth shut when I have any thoughts that might cause shock or dismay.”

“To my relief, there was indeed a carriage with an aged retainer to meet us at Embsay station, which appeared to be not only the end of the line but also of civilisation. From the desolation of the last part of our journey I had half expected to be abandoned at the station and forced to cadge a ride on some agricultural equipage.
I could just imagine us arriving at the ancestral seat, picking bits of hay from our mourning costumes, or perhaps drenched to the skin with rain from our journey over the lowering moor. Perhaps the wind would even wuther at us for good measure. What a way to announce ourselves!
But no, we were respectably met, and the spring day was only a little grey. I detected no wuthering, whatever that might be, precisely.”

“The road climbed steeply for a time and we were fairly jostled. Now the trees thinned and the countryside opened suddenly like a book falling open on its spine.”

“Let me be frank with you: I am generally suspicious of eligible men. My attachment to the single life is profound. I have found that the best course is to start off with new acquaintances by adopting a forbidding expression. It is a simple matter to put off young men in this way. One can always thaw a little later, once the risk has been properly assessed.”

Main Content-
No magic content at all (Edith refers to something as magic and her cousin fussed at her, saying it’s not magic), but there are dragons and wyvern mentioned (and maybe even seen) aplenty; Mentions of their poisons/venom (*Spoiler* [Edith is immune to their poison and can heal others who have been bitten by wyverns by spitting on the wound *End of Spoiler*])); There’s a handful of mentions of vampire, pegasus, faeries, but none are seen (nor believed in) in this book.

Edith’s father is a clergyman (reverend) and there’s a decent amount of mentions of her duties as a clergyman’s daughter, going to church, sermons, services, and such; Edith also prays, sings the Doxology (twice), & Scriptures come to mind (she also doesn’t write her novel on Sunday honoring it as the Sabbath and believes that it “does [her] good” to do so); Scriptures are also mentioned & said in a prayer by her father; Talks about God & Christian beliefs; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; At one point when she thinks she’s dying, Edith says a prayer of repentance and then “consigned [her] soul to God”; Set at an Abbey and there’s mentions of the monks who lived there long ago; Mentions of God, prayers, & praying; Mentions of Christianity, Christian lands, & following Christian beliefs and morals; Mentions of saints (including authors of books of the Bible being referred to as a saint) & their days of celebration; Mentions of Jews (*Spoiler* [Edith’s mother was a Jew that converted over to Christianity to marry Edith’s father and her family cut her off after doing that *End of Spoiler* ]); Mentions of relics; A few mentions of miracles; A few mentions of the book and an event in “The Pilgrim’s Progress”; A couple mentions of God judging someone when they’ve passed.

There are paintings that depict people worshiping serpents/dragons, monks coming into the land to make it a Christian land, and a saint that is crushing the creature beneath his foot (Edith comments that that was hubris of the Abbot, because it’s Christ who crushes the dragon’s head).

“God knows”, “Thank God” and “For God’s sake” are both used (twice, twice, and once) and the latter border-lines feeling flippant to me, but I don’t think it was meant that way. “Good heavens!” is exclaimed about seven times; Mentions of Greek mythology creatures & lore.

Edith is given brandy (she thought it was water) and it burns her throat horribly; Mentions of drinking & brandy (including her father drinking a glass here and there in the book).

No language stronger than idiot or stupid; A mention of someone’s family being “liberal-minded enough” to accept her choice of a spouse (in terms of a difference of religion); A man says that Edith is sharper than most because she has a different gene pool because of her mother (he takes a stab at the inbreeding that happens in London society); Edith’s cousins’ father didn’t think much of his daughters or that they needed much education because they were women.

A young boy is kidnapped/lured into a dangerous place (*Spoiler* [but is fine; the man who tricked him ended up dying in the dangerous place *End of Spoiler*]); Mentions of deaths, bodies, & grieving (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of beatings (including bullies at a school); A few mentions of lies & lying.

Mentions of human sacrifices in paintings of historical events (including child sacrifice); Mentions of wyverns hunting and eating other animals (barely-above-not-detailed).

There’s hints of a future romance in later books, but it’s very light and not really touched on in this one; A few mentions of miscarriages; A couple mentions of kisses; A couple mentions of a man not making an attempt on Edith’s virtue; A mention of Greeks of olden days being mostly naked.

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RMONROY
Great book
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I found this book very enjoyable. I knew the premise at the beginning, so much of it wasn't a surprise, yet it still kept my attention. It was a very enjoyable and well written read. Very innocent, too. I gifted a copy to my young niece it was such a foam and interesting read.

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MommaB
Easy and captivating
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Easy read that had depth to make the story captivating. The characters are engaging and the story has the right amount of mystery and intrigue

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T-A Hall
fun fantasy story!
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I am not typically a reader of fantasy, but I loved this one! Set in Victorian Era England, this story with its intriguing character, mystery surrounding the Worms family home and property kept me turning pages.

Edith was delightful 🥰 I love that she is driven, but also tender hearted, opinionated, but not too proud to admit she’s wrong. For those readers of Emma M Lion… I believe she and Emma would have been fast friends. 😉Her family also added a lot to this story! It’s always refreshing to read stories with healthy family relationships.❤️

Other things you’ll find in Wormwood Abbey:
✨References to Austen and other classics
✨friendship
✨adventure
✨witty moments
✨gothic atmosphere

I will definitely be reading this book again and look forward to the rest of the series ❤️

{Note: This isn’t listed as a Christian book, but Edith’s father is a dedicated clergyman and that has influenced Edith’s world view. There is also one use of “For God’s sake” that came across as a bit flippant though I don’t know that it was meant as profanity because of the character speaking.}
Recommend: Ages 13+

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Shig123 & Zanne
Cute, short, possibly too much romance later.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
The cover caught my eye, in the scifi kindle free book list. Story was entertaining, but very slow for such a short book. While the romance aspect didn't quite happen here, in theory it will feature strongly in the next 4 books. Possibly clean the whole way, but realistically I'm not likely to pay four dollars per very short books to have most of those few pages eaten up with a romance.

(May be doing the author a disservice, and the romance could be a very background presentation. I'm just so tired of wading through romance all the time trying to find fantasy or scifi story.) No bundle yet, 5th book still to be published, so I'm unlikely to read this series anytime soon.

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Lady_Wizard
A really great, and somewhat unexpected story. Try it, you'll like it!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Unexpectedly delightful! I had this in my library for quite some time, and on a wild hair I decided to read it. I could not put it down! I loved the character development, and the way the relationships between the characters were built. I really enjoyed the way she revealed the secrets in the book. I heartily recommend this book. It is a quick and enjoyable read!!

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Kindle Customer
Not what I expected
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

I thought this story would be a children's story. It is and isn't, it's a fun read for any age.
Am looking forward to reading more by Christina Baehr.

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T. M. Neilson
Great book !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I really loved this book, I found it by chance when doing a search on gothic cozy mystery after watching Miss Austen. I finished it today and immediately bought book two for my kindle. It is written in a style that makes you think it was written in an earlier time period.

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mfab
Dragons and Jane Austen
Reviewed in Spain on January 5, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Can you image dragons in a Jane Austen type of setting? It's kind of the premise of this book!
Although I'm not the biggest fan of dragons I still enjoyed this book, it's very well written and its premise is very original.

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Giltedgedpages
Delightful
Reviewed in Australia on April 8, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
It is rare to find a book well written, clever and delightful in this day and age.
Christina's style actually reminds me of Edith Nesbit, with its little references to history or literature and witty side comments.
This is destined to be a beloved classic series and I will certainly be recommending it to all I meet.
I will not summarise the story here as you can read the blurb yourself, only to say, the characters have a lovely development as the story unfolds and the story will keep you coming back, when you should be doing something else.

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Donna
A very enjoyable book from start to finish
Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I enjoyed this book and hope to read the rest of the series.

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Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale) Paperback – December 1, 2023

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Cozy gothic fantasy with dragons!

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars of writers and dragons

4.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed this cozy fantasy book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy and captivating

4.0 out of 5 stars fun fantasy story!

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute, short, possibly too much romance later.

5.0 out of 5 stars A really great, and somewhat unexpected story. Try it, you'll like it!

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book !

4.0 out of 5 stars Dragons and Jane Austen

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful

4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable book from start to finish

of writers and dragons

Really enjoyed this cozy fantasy book!

Great book

Easy and captivating

fun fantasy story!

Cute, short, possibly too much romance later.

A really great, and somewhat unexpected story. Try it, you'll like it!

Not what I expected

Great book !

Dragons and Jane Austen

Delightful

A very enjoyable book from start to finish