Gothic, dark, atmospheric
What Wakes the Bells
by Elle Tesch
New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2025
$26.99 / 9781250322807
Reviewed by Myshara McMyn
*
Elle Tesch’s debut novel, What Wakes the Bells, will have you running down the streets dodging living statues and trying not to fall into the darkness creeping up behind you.
When I saw this novel involved a bell keeper, a terrible evil disguised as a friend, and a city that breathes on its own, I knew there was no way I was turning down the opportunity to review it.
Mina Strauss has been given her life’s purpose after the death of her father: becoming the Herald of the Vesper Bell named Arbutus. She must keep her bell from ringing thirteen times lest it release a deadly evil. But the city of Vaiwyn is alive—it heals itself, regrowing the clapper if it’s damaged. Mina stays with Arbutus and cuts off the clapper with a special pair of shears just before it tries to ring at 1:00pm and 1:00am every day. Until the day when everything goes wrong, and Mina isn’t there to stop it.
The people of Vaiwyn pray to the Saints who gained their powers through holy actions. When the Saints are introduced, I thought less about gods and more about Lovecraftian or eldritch beings. They crafted the city of Vaiwyn from the bones of a dying god, giving new life to something ethereal and purposeful. Tesch’s world-building and historical lore are crafted with awe and reverence, showing the reader everything from the origins of the city and the crafting of the Vesper Bells to how the Saints gained their sainthood.
As I read What Wakes the Bells, I found myself reminded of a few different stories. One was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the Disney movie), so I went and watched the movie. There were a number of things that matched between the film and this novel, mainly that the bells are named and personified as individuals. Plus, there are statues coming to life. Another was biblical stories, though I admit I don’t know them well enough to draw specific enough connections. I believe the Saints and their relics could be reflections of the stories we tell of saints in our own world, people whose actions have earned them the gift of a power beyond other mortals. Finally, the dead cannot be buried in Vaiwyn—the city will not allow it. Instead, their bodies are burned, and the bones are used as decoration in the elaborate and disturbing catacombs, remarkably similar to the catacombs that exist beneath cities such as Paris—beautiful, unnerving monuments of death.
Tesch’s book certainly is a gothic fantasy with its macabre elements and focus on dark and atmospheric language. The descriptions of the Fraser Valley author are vivid and flowing, though slightly hard to follow at times. The imagery created is worth the struggle, though, as many of the foreshadowed hints lie within the subtle descriptions of the world around Mina.
Mina is the latest Strauss family descendant to be tasked with keeping the bells from ringing. Each of her siblings has the same job caretaking a different bell, alongside a job in the buildings the bells are housed. One is a lawyer, the other a priest, and another helps in the bank. Mina is meant to become Speaker like her father was, sitting in on the government meetings and helping make decisions for the good of the city. But she is young and distracted by a boy named Max, their romance constantly in the forefront of her mind.
Her growth by the end of the novel is wondrous to see. She matures in many ways, allowing herself to see the world in a different light and understand the people around her in new ways. Many of the secondary characters develop well-rounded final forms as well. I was smiling while I read the ending. It felt as if everything had righted itself and every question was answered, with nothing else to follow up on. A true standalone gothic fantasy, What Wakes the Bells is full of blood and guts, action, and of course, romance.
*
Myshara McMyn is a marketing coordinator, social media manager, and aspiring writer living in the Shuswap. She runs the blog Lit&Leta. She spends her time teaching Dungeons and Dragons, reading as much as she can, and helping out on her family’s farm. She holds a BA in English and Creative Writing. [Editor’s note: Myshara McMyn has reviewed books by Jae Waller, Kate Gateley, S.M. Freedman, Tiana Warner, Brooke Carter, Becky Parisotto, Sara Desai, Tara Moss, and Sonya Lalli for BCR.]
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The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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