Content Warnings

General Warnings

Ableism. Biting. Blinding/eye trauma. Child abuse (in the past). Classism. Colonialism. Colorism. Dubious consent. Family alienation. Fire. Partner abuse. Racism. Sexism. Violence. Withdrawn consent ignored.

The story depicts people living with alcohol addiction, with a fatal, degenerative genetic disease, and with a mental illness, with period accurate depiction of treatment commonly practiced in the early/mid-19th century. The main character is believed to be 18/19 years old throughout the book and is romanced, coerced, seduced, and menaced by people old enough to know better.

Unwarning

I have chosen not to reproduce ethnic slurs from the original text. If I missed something, it was unintentional, and I would love for you to tell me.

Warning for fans of Jane Eyre

This book is not Jane Eyre. Explicit sex occurs on the page. The Jane E. of the book is not the Jane of the original. She is a different person, with different experiences and different morals.

Warning for fans of current spicy/dark Gothic romances

Though more explicit than the original, this remains a retelling of a classic novel. The burn is slow. The journey is long. Since my goal was not to simply throw sex scenes at the original and hope they stuck, the book does not conform fully to current common tropes.

book cover of Jane E: A Secret History by Emrys Ash - an illustrated flower emerges from a blue fog