C. J. Daley
Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for the physical ARC. Love the slice of pie mixed with meat for a more cannibalistic cover.
What readers receive here is a hyper-researched, incredibly detailed dive into all things Hannibal Lecter. The author has broken down these stages of ‘life’ into various parts, starting with his inception, and going all the way into an epilogue-style ending predicting the continued use and further iterations of Hannibal the Cannibal.
The writing is sharp, and while this is, in its own way, biographical material on a fictional character (unless you ask Trump), the author also integrates an insane amount of details on the many people involved in his various depictions. Naturally, this delves the most deeply into Thomas Harris, his author and creator. One of the things that really struck me was how more than once, even though Thomas Harris has always been incredibly secretive and private, he was reported as saying that writing for him often equated to 'writhing on the floor.’ As a writer myself, this really hit home, and he’s even said that sometimes full days in his office would often yield little more than a paragraph. So even the greats feel the same as us, and writing can be a tough process. But as a reader, I kind of wondered if part of that secrecy was preserving the dark monstrosity that Lecter is? Like how pulling back the screen and showing how something’s made can often remove the mystique, so better just avoid it?
Much of my interest in picking this up comes from how much I loved the Hannibal series. Mikkelsen and Dancy are electric together, and while I did read Red Dragon in preparation for this ARC, I do think the show offers up a much more digestible version of Graham. I have also seen Red Dragon and of course The Silence of the Lambs, but I hadn’t read them before. So it was cool to see how the adaptations came to be and to see how much influence or differences they allowed themselves during their making. I find it really interesting how huge and everyday Lecter has become, as my initial read, and several comments from this book, point out how sidelined he is as a character. His evilness is somehow also charismatic, and that is evident even on the page. While many skipped out on Manhunter, and Brian Cox’s portrayal, originally, Anthony Hopkins certainly brought that display to homes. There is something inviting about him, his sophistication, and it has launched him into a pop horror icon.
I was also surprised by the sheer number of insider comments there were surrounding the several adaptations. Author, screenwriter, director commentaries and opinions (not all positive either) on how things ran, how things were received, and how things worked out for them. One of the most revealing, and surprising for me, was Hopkins saying playing Lector more than once may have been a mistake. Which is kind or sad, but I also have yet to see Hannibal (movie). Not that their opinions would shape mine, it was just interesting stuff to be reading, like being included on the inside track.
Overall an interesting read if you enjoy the character or author, or are even curious about how adaptations work, but it can be a heavy read with all its details.
Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for the physical ARC. Love the slice of pie mixed with meat for a more cannibalistic cover.
What readers receive here is a hyper-researched, incredibly detailed dive into all things Hannibal Lecter. The author has broken down these stages of ‘life’ into various parts, starting with his inception, and going all the way into an epilogue-style ending predicting the continued use and further iterations of Hannibal the Cannibal.
The writing is sharp, and while this is, in its own way, biographical material on a fictional character (unless you ask Trump), the author also integrates an insane amount of details on the many people involved in his various depictions. Naturally, this delves the most deeply into Thomas Harris, his author and creator. One of the things that really struck me was how more than once, even though Thomas Harris has always been incredibly secretive and private, he was reported as saying that writing for him often equated to 'writhing on the floor.’ As a writer myself, this really hit home, and he’s even said that sometimes full days in his office would often yield little more than a paragraph. So even the greats feel the same as us, and writing can be a tough process. But as a reader, I kind of wondered if part of that secrecy was preserving the dark monstrosity that Lecter is? Like how pulling back the screen and showing how something’s made can often remove the mystique, so better just avoid it?
Much of my interest in picking this up comes from how much I loved the Hannibal series. Mikkelsen and Dancy are electric together, and while I did read Red Dragon in preparation for this ARC, I do think the show offers up a much more digestible version of Graham. I have also seen Red Dragon and of course The Silence of the Lambs, but I hadn’t read them before. So it was cool to see how the adaptations came to be and to see how much influence or differences they allowed themselves during their making. I find it really interesting how huge and everyday Lecter has become, as my initial read, and several comments from this book, point out how sidelined he is as a character. His evilness is somehow also charismatic, and that is evident even on the page. While many skipped out on Manhunter, and Brian Cox’s portrayal, originally, Anthony Hopkins certainly brought that display to homes. There is something inviting about him, his sophistication, and it has launched him into a pop horror icon.
I was also surprised by the sheer number of insider comments there were surrounding the several adaptations. Author, screenwriter, director commentaries and opinions (not all positive either) on how things ran, how things were received, and how things worked out for them. One of the most revealing, and surprising for me, was Hopkins saying playing Lector more than once may have been a mistake. Which is kind or sad, but I also have yet to see Hannibal (movie). Not that their opinions would shape mine, it was just interesting stuff to be reading, like being included on the inside track.
Overall an interesting read if you enjoy the character or author, or are even curious about how adaptations work, but it can be a heavy read with all its details.
I picked up the trilogy omnibus on audio so I wanted to roll right through all three at once. The fact that they’re all great helped of course, and the narration by Rebecca McKernan was awesome. I love how she somehow molded Ilanna’s voice from a child on and it still felt like the same person for three straight books.
Book three takes off mere minutes from where book two left off. The area of the city where Ilanna’s house is—as well as Ria and her son—is on fire. And strangely, the fire is green, unnatural. Meaning that someone did something to cause it. Someone…well truly anyone involved, is going to pay. Dearly.
The novel that follows meshes so much anger and grief and violent revenge together that this one flew by for me. And this things is ALL GAS. Peloquin does not take his foot off the pedal for a single second. Any scenes with dialogue are filled with lies, deceptions, betrayals and deaths. Even in its quieter moments, which are few to begin with, it has shifted into a sort of pseudo ‘political’ intrigue, where Ilanna does her best to keep her head above water while shifting the tide in her direction/favor.
The Bloody Hand has infiltrated the Night Guild, and while they were repelled at first, the hostile takeover attempt has left too many dead and wounded. With many of the heads of houses killed, as well we their leader, Ilanna has lost many of her friends in high places, and much of the blame is thrown her way. The years of blackmail the author has sprinkled in have finally come into play as all of a sudden there is heaps of evidence condemning several actions by Ilanna. While some of the claims are of course true, the guild should have known better than to believe she’d leave genuine evidence…With little hope of staying free on her own, and even less hope of saving the guild, Ilanna must turn to the least likely, and perhaps most dangerous, person for help within the city.
While I previously remarked on how dark and jaded these books are, and how I usually space out my grimdark reads, this one evolved into something even further. At the supposed loss of her son, Ilanna has become less jaded and more so detached. Her motivation for the entirety of book two was stolen from her, so now there is truly nothing holding her back. We see her become more unhinged, taking to torture and murder to get the answers she requires. She has killed before, but there is no room to argue about self defense here, she is the one that has become the agitator. And for me, that shift worked in her development, although there is less hope than ever. Book three is a natural progression for the building tensions and has almost become a military story in many aspects. The author handles it well, and I enjoyed how the POV still stayed on her, but she wasn’t necessarily the driver, as we know she isn’t a soldier.
I did guess the twists at the end, or at least see them coming, but they were both well plotted, well intertwined, and revealed in really satisfying ways. I think if you are not accustomed to mystery or thrillers this will be a really nice one for you. The second one, which I am purposefully being mum about, felt earned. It was time for a shift in bleakness, and actually it made me want to read even more…which there is a follow up that works as a standalone titled Traitor’s Fate that I will have to get to.
A fantastic grimdark trilogy filled with loss, anger, and so many deaths, but also strength, hope, and borderline preternatural perseverance. Deeply threaded secrets and intricately wound characters make this an absolute must read.
I picked up the trilogy omnibus on audio so I wanted to roll right through all three at once. The fact that they’re all great helped of course, and the narration by Rebecca McKernan was awesome. I love how she somehow molded Ilanna’s voice from a child on and it still felt like the same person for three straight books.
Book three takes off mere minutes from where book two left off. The area of the city where Ilanna’s house is—as well as Ria and her son—is on fire. And strangely, the fire is green, unnatural. Meaning that someone did something to cause it. Someone…well truly anyone involved, is going to pay. Dearly.
The novel that follows meshes so much anger and grief and violent revenge together that this one flew by for me. And this things is ALL GAS. Peloquin does not take his foot off the pedal for a single second. Any scenes with dialogue are filled with lies, deceptions, betrayals and deaths. Even in its quieter moments, which are few to begin with, it has shifted into a sort of pseudo ‘political’ intrigue, where Ilanna does her best to keep her head above water while shifting the tide in her direction/favor.
The Bloody Hand has infiltrated the Night Guild, and while they were repelled at first, the hostile takeover attempt has left too many dead and wounded. With many of the heads of houses killed, as well we their leader, Ilanna has lost many of her friends in high places, and much of the blame is thrown her way. The years of blackmail the author has sprinkled in have finally come into play as all of a sudden there is heaps of evidence condemning several actions by Ilanna. While some of the claims are of course true, the guild should have known better than to believe she’d leave genuine evidence…With little hope of staying free on her own, and even less hope of saving the guild, Ilanna must turn to the least likely, and perhaps most dangerous, person for help within the city.
While I previously remarked on how dark and jaded these books are, and how I usually space out my grimdark reads, this one evolved into something even further. At the supposed loss of her son, Ilanna has become less jaded and more so detached. Her motivation for the entirety of book two was stolen from her, so now there is truly nothing holding her back. We see her become more unhinged, taking to torture and murder to get the answers she requires. She has killed before, but there is no room to argue about self defense here, she is the one that has become the agitator. And for me, that shift worked in her development, although there is less hope than ever. Book three is a natural progression for the building tensions and has almost become a military story in many aspects. The author handles it well, and I enjoyed how the POV still stayed on her, but she wasn’t necessarily the driver, as we know she isn’t a soldier.
I did guess the twists at the end, or at least see them coming, but they were both well plotted, well intertwined, and revealed in really satisfying ways. I think if you are not accustomed to mystery or thrillers this will be a really nice one for you. The second one, which I am purposefully being mum about, felt earned. It was time for a shift in bleakness, and actually it made me want to read even more…which there is a follow up that works as a standalone titled Traitor’s Fate that I will have to get to.
A fantastic grimdark trilogy filled with loss, anger, and so many deaths, but also strength, hope, and borderline preternatural perseverance. Deeply threaded secrets and intricately wound characters make this an absolute must read.
I grabbed the trilogy omnibus, so I figured I’d roll right along after finishing the first book.
Ilanna is back and her world is darker than ever. Still, there is a bright spot. Her torment at the hands of Twelve has given her a child. No matter how dark and traumatic her past has been she’s determined to raise her son with love and light, away from the eyes of the Night Guild. While she squirrels away little visits with him, the city’s defender from all things thievery, Duke Phonnis, continues on his tirade of death and destruction. These deaths, earning cheers from the city’s populace, does nothing but stir the fire within Ilanna as the Duke executes more of her friends. And as she is the one that enraged him by successfully infiltrating his “impenetrable” Black Spire in book one, these deaths feel personal. As she struggles with each new loss, as well as the anxiety of the guild finding out about her son, she looks for a way to buy her freedom. And while the guild accepts and offers terms, the price is exorbitant, leading to yet another unbelievable feat.
As the second book in a trilogy, I think this did well to break from the norm. As the tried and true format is typically a book 2 being all about growth and training (ie., the Empire format) this book actually does away with almost all of the training exercises…at least on the page for the most part. Ilanna has already spent an entire book, and over a decade, doing nothing but pushing herself to peak personal form, therefore, she has the ability and time to focus on her actual goals now. Her targets are rich, even famous, and she is known for being like that of a ghost—entering, stealing, and even leaving without anyone knowing she was ever there to begin with. I loved how the author went into this as it really reminded me of Assassin’s Creed and Ghost of Tsushima, both games I particularly loved for their stealth dynamics.
However if Ilanna wants to pull off this job correctly and live to reap the benefits, she’s going to need help. And a lot of it. While it pains her to let people in, even if she keeps a multitude of secrets from each, she needs a team. This layered in a new dynamic for her character and the story, not only allowing for new faces, but also building in character development that would perhaps have been absent otherwise. She recruits some of the best and brightest from each Guild house, ensuring the odds are at least as tilted in her favor as possible. And with each additional person helping, the chances of Ilanna losing someone else goes up…and House Hawk is dangerously empty already. I particularly liked her relationship with Two/Errik of house Serpent as it allowed the author to show off how she behaved around someone she might actually consider an equal, if not a friend. While she tries to keep him at arms length too, it’s still pretty obvious that she trusts him…and that’s super unique for her. In a way she depends on him, and he her, as he often does what she needs of him without any convincing. Perhaps coming up as tyros together will bond you that way.
The only complaint I have with this book is more of a me thing than anything against the writing. I tend to take quite lengthy breaks from Grimdark in general. The bleakness, the losses, it all begins to add up for me and can become a tad samey. Ilanna has become incredibly jaded in this one (understandably so) so a lot of that lightness and hope from the first that I loved is missing. And while her strength, courage, determination, and perseverance has not diminished for her son’s sake, the losses just stack. And don’t get me wrong—at all—it is not a fault of the author. He has not lost his delivery of these deaths whatsoever, I felt each and every one, it’s just not my typical subgenre. The book’s ending, while most definitely still presenting the most recent loss, is nothing short of heartbreaking—and one that is surely to send you right into book 3 looking for vengeance.
Book Two offers readers a fantasy world heist the likes of Six of Crows meshed with the death-heavy likes of Game of Thrones. This second entry is building up to what I’m sure will end up being an absolutely stellar trilogy.
I grabbed the trilogy omnibus, so I figured I’d roll right along after finishing the first book.
Ilanna is back and her world is darker than ever. Still, there is a bright spot. Her torment at the hands of Twelve has given her a child. No matter how dark and traumatic her past has been she’s determined to raise her son with love and light, away from the eyes of the Night Guild. While she squirrels away little visits with him, the city’s defender from all things thievery, Duke Phonnis, continues on his tirade of death and destruction. These deaths, earning cheers from the city’s populace, does nothing but stir the fire within Ilanna as the Duke executes more of her friends. And as she is the one that enraged him by successfully infiltrating his “impenetrable” Black Spire in book one, these deaths feel personal. As she struggles with each new loss, as well as the anxiety of the guild finding out about her son, she looks for a way to buy her freedom. And while the guild accepts and offers terms, the price is exorbitant, leading to yet another unbelievable feat.
As the second book in a trilogy, I think this did well to break from the norm. As the tried and true format is typically a book 2 being all about growth and training (ie., the Empire format) this book actually does away with almost all of the training exercises…at least on the page for the most part. Ilanna has already spent an entire book, and over a decade, doing nothing but pushing herself to peak personal form, therefore, she has the ability and time to focus on her actual goals now. Her targets are rich, even famous, and she is known for being like that of a ghost—entering, stealing, and even leaving without anyone knowing she was ever there to begin with. I loved how the author went into this as it really reminded me of Assassin’s Creed and Ghost of Tsushima, both games I particularly loved for their stealth dynamics.
However if Ilanna wants to pull off this job correctly and live to reap the benefits, she’s going to need help. And a lot of it. While it pains her to let people in, even if she keeps a multitude of secrets from each, she needs a team. This layered in a new dynamic for her character and the story, not only allowing for new faces, but also building in character development that would perhaps have been absent otherwise. She recruits some of the best and brightest from each Guild house, ensuring the odds are at least as tilted in her favor as possible. And with each additional person helping, the chances of Ilanna losing someone else goes up…and House Hawk is dangerously empty already. I particularly liked her relationship with Two/Errik of house Serpent as it allowed the author to show off how she behaved around someone she might actually consider an equal, if not a friend. While she tries to keep him at arms length too, it’s still pretty obvious that she trusts him…and that’s super unique for her. In a way she depends on him, and he her, as he often does what she needs of him without any convincing. Perhaps coming up as tyros together will bond you that way.
The only complaint I have with this book is more of a me thing than anything against the writing. I tend to take quite lengthy breaks from Grimdark in general. The bleakness, the losses, it all begins to add up for me and can become a tad samey. Ilanna has become incredibly jaded in this one (understandably so) so a lot of that lightness and hope from the first that I loved is missing. And while her strength, courage, determination, and perseverance has not diminished for her son’s sake, the losses just stack. And don’t get me wrong—at all—it is not a fault of the author. He has not lost his delivery of these deaths whatsoever, I felt each and every one, it’s just not my typical subgenre. The book’s ending, while most definitely still presenting the most recent loss, is nothing short of heartbreaking—and one that is surely to send you right into book 3 looking for vengeance.
Book Two offers readers a fantasy world heist the likes of Six of Crows meshed with the death-heavy likes of Game of Thrones. This second entry is building up to what I’m sure will end up being an absolutely stellar trilogy.
Grabbed this on my quest to read something by every author I will be sharing the page with in The Book of Spores anthology. And while I have already read some, what a place to start this with this one!
While I like the title a lot, I do think Tootheater would have been more apt. Equally cool too (maybe?). Regardless, this was a really unique blend of fantasy and scifi, giving us a far-flung cyberpunk version of our world that felt like an amped up Blade Runner with its neon-drenched districts. Our group, referred to as the imps, have had a hypothalamic implant—referred to as Bites—added to their neurospaces. This update allows them heightened agility, strength, even intelligence and more, they just have to feed the hunger before it’s drained. The thing is…the cost of that hunger is teeth. Human teeth. And as you can imagine, not many are willing to part with their teeth willingly. The way they lust for them, as well as the buildup to feeding frenzy, is very vampiric in nature. While untraditional, it still follows some of the tropes and adds another layer to how unique this book is.
While we didn’t get too many glimpses into the actual world, the author did a good job explaining how things have become the way they are. Companies, with their ever-growing profits, and civilians’ ever-growing reliance on their products, have realized that they’re the ones with the actual power and resources. This shift has led to deeper subliminal product placement, furthering needs and desires, and even presidencies built upon the backs of the leading companies. Regardless of where you stand (left or right) it’s not that farfetched of an idea when our president is a literal celebrity and companies like Amazon have moved into even pharmaceuticals. While this doesn’t imbue any personal beliefs from the author, this does feel like an extrapolation of a possible future we are seeing now. That, and the change in countries from future wars, kept this book on the side of believable. And it kept it fresh in my mind as an idea that is both science fiction and real.
On the further side of scifi, this book features the existence of physical light. Which color you can buy will decide where you place in the light districts, finding its way into streetlights, advertisements, and even the color of your clothes. The weaponized light felt almost like Star Wars’ vibroblades and the light guns felt like a deep dive in explanation to the commonplace “blaster” we’ve had in books for years. Without saying too much and spoiling it, this also goes into a more spiritual existence to this physical light, which added another layer of uniqueness for me, but you’ll have to read to find out for yourself…
This book is 1st person, and our POV comes from Petya, a character hailing from one of the warring countries. He wants to make things better for refugees from his country, and on his journey to do so, things get much worse at the hands of those that installed the Bite. The author has crafted a well done and meaningful lead. He struggles throughout the book with opening up to the others. Not just in fear of rejection, but due to his disgust with himself over needing to eat teeth. The deaths they cause, as well as the lack of control they exhibit, turns our main from morally grey into much more of a tortured soul. I also think the POV with inner thoughts helped to keep the ball rolling in terms of plot. He is shown as a true friend, a brotherly protector, and even a possible lover, all things that layer him as a character and more than a monster—the exact thing I love about vampire stories.
An intriguing and enLIGHTening first entry into the series. I am looking forward to book two in the future.
Grabbed this on my quest to read something by every author I will be sharing the page with in The Book of Spores anthology. And while I have already read some, what a place to start this with this one!
While I like the title a lot, I do think Tootheater would have been more apt. Equally cool too (maybe?). Regardless, this was a really unique blend of fantasy and scifi, giving us a far-flung cyberpunk version of our world that felt like an amped up Blade Runner with its neon-drenched districts. Our group, referred to as the imps, have had a hypothalamic implant—referred to as Bites—added to their neurospaces. This update allows them heightened agility, strength, even intelligence and more, they just have to feed the hunger before it’s drained. The thing is…the cost of that hunger is teeth. Human teeth. And as you can imagine, not many are willing to part with their teeth willingly. The way they lust for them, as well as the buildup to feeding frenzy, is very vampiric in nature. While untraditional, it still follows some of the tropes and adds another layer to how unique this book is.
While we didn’t get too many glimpses into the actual world, the author did a good job explaining how things have become the way they are. Companies, with their ever-growing profits, and civilians’ ever-growing reliance on their products, have realized that they’re the ones with the actual power and resources. This shift has led to deeper subliminal product placement, furthering needs and desires, and even presidencies built upon the backs of the leading companies. Regardless of where you stand (left or right) it’s not that farfetched of an idea when our president is a literal celebrity and companies like Amazon have moved into even pharmaceuticals. While this doesn’t imbue any personal beliefs from the author, this does feel like an extrapolation of a possible future we are seeing now. That, and the change in countries from future wars, kept this book on the side of believable. And it kept it fresh in my mind as an idea that is both science fiction and real.
On the further side of scifi, this book features the existence of physical light. Which color you can buy will decide where you place in the light districts, finding its way into streetlights, advertisements, and even the color of your clothes. The weaponized light felt almost like Star Wars’ vibroblades and the light guns felt like a deep dive in explanation to the commonplace “blaster” we’ve had in books for years. Without saying too much and spoiling it, this also goes into a more spiritual existence to this physical light, which added another layer of uniqueness for me, but you’ll have to read to find out for yourself…
This book is 1st person, and our POV comes from Petya, a character hailing from one of the warring countries. He wants to make things better for refugees from his country, and on his journey to do so, things get much worse at the hands of those that installed the Bite. The author has crafted a well done and meaningful lead. He struggles throughout the book with opening up to the others. Not just in fear of rejection, but due to his disgust with himself over needing to eat teeth. The deaths they cause, as well as the lack of control they exhibit, turns our main from morally grey into much more of a tortured soul. I also think the POV with inner thoughts helped to keep the ball rolling in terms of plot. He is shown as a true friend, a brotherly protector, and even a possible lover, all things that layer him as a character and more than a monster—the exact thing I love about vampire stories.
An intriguing and enLIGHTening first entry into the series. I am looking forward to book two in the future.
The author very kindly sent me a copy of the book, and then with everything that happened with my quick move, I misplaced it. It’s definitely somewhere in my storage unit, which sadly houses my entire book collection, but I grabbed the audiobook to ensure I did get to it.
And DAMN! Peloquin is a solid storyteller. This is a grimdark tale that brought to mind notes of academia (with the Night Guild’s houses and names), the Thieves Guild from Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed. A world where children are not useless but rather seen as a harnessable commodity, trainable income from the streets of Praamis. Produce of be disposed of.
A debt-ridden father, haunted by the loss of his wife and youngest daughter, offers his oldest, Viola, as a way to cover the debt. The Night Guild agrees, and just like that Viola’s world completely crumbles. As a young girl, and a small one at that, she must struggle through trials unimaginable, swallowing her grief, and working thrice as hard as the others just to get by. While teaming up with another scrawny trainee, she vows to do whatever it takes to survive, to prove everyone wrong.
Viola/Seven/Ilanna was a well crafted main character. Her stubbornness, perseverance, and hope (no matter how small) kept the reader’s eye on the horizon. I’d say it’s the biggest thing that kept much of this novel from feeling too grim. There is lightness in her will to not be extinguished, there is hope in how strong she holds herself. With that said, wow! I have seen reviews/comments of people saying I must hate my main characters, but holy moly this author just keeps the brutality coming. This is a coming of age story that could make just about anyone pessimistic or defeatist…not our main though! The integration of kindness when she finally gets mixed in with the other apprentices of House Hawk was a nice addition. The fact that she wasn’t sure if she should believe it or trust them even more deft.
The psychological torture displayed by Master Velvet to his tyros felt well researched (and heinous). These poor children being forced into hours of work before receiving water, the low protein, high sugar diet, the loss of their names and pasts, the fact that if they messed up or failed they went to bed hungry. Can’t forget the fact that they aren’t allowed outside either, no sun whatsoever. I appreciated the way this was all layered in, creating heavy believability. I did wonder though, how after so much trauma at the hands of those that had taken them in that more of them are not looking for revenge after they receive a modicum of freedom as apprentices or journeymen. But maybe some deep rooted Stockholm syndrome?
While much of this is training, which can be repetitive, the author show’s his strength by keeping the reader entwined with the hint of danger around every corner, and there is a lot of it. You really do go through each of the coming of age tropes, and with the attempted thieveries, this even feels like some “leveling up” tropes coming into play. Any time an author meshes genres or tropes of any kind, I feel like that’s when things truly shine. And this one did.
The ending, which I have seen some mixed reception of, I think was the final hammering to remind us all of how grim the world really is. While I am not a fan of SA scenes of any kind, the author did do well in skirting the “showing” while still delivering the harshness and hurt of the violation itself. And that I can accept for what it is. Ilanna’s quick revenge also offers a payoff that I feel was necessary, and it’s a reminder that if something is continuously coming for you in the city of Praamis, the only way for it to end is the removal of the obstacle wholly.
Grim, dark, and even shockingly brutal. Peloquin offers readers more than a glimpse at the depravity of his world, and yet there are still characters here to root for.
The author very kindly sent me a copy of the book, and then with everything that happened with my quick move, I misplaced it. It’s definitely somewhere in my storage unit, which sadly houses my entire book collection, but I grabbed the audiobook to ensure I did get to it.
And DAMN! Peloquin is a solid storyteller. This is a grimdark tale that brought to mind notes of academia (with the Night Guild’s houses and names), the Thieves Guild from Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed. A world where children are not useless but rather seen as a harnessable commodity, trainable income from the streets of Praamis. Produce of be disposed of.
A debt-ridden father, haunted by the loss of his wife and youngest daughter, offers his oldest, Viola, as a way to cover the debt. The Night Guild agrees, and just like that Viola’s world completely crumbles. As a young girl, and a small one at that, she must struggle through trials unimaginable, swallowing her grief, and working thrice as hard as the others just to get by. While teaming up with another scrawny trainee, she vows to do whatever it takes to survive, to prove everyone wrong.
Viola/Seven/Ilanna was a well crafted main character. Her stubbornness, perseverance, and hope (no matter how small) kept the reader’s eye on the horizon. I’d say it’s the biggest thing that kept much of this novel from feeling too grim. There is lightness in her will to not be extinguished, there is hope in how strong she holds herself. With that said, wow! I have seen reviews/comments of people saying I must hate my main characters, but holy moly this author just keeps the brutality coming. This is a coming of age story that could make just about anyone pessimistic or defeatist…not our main though! The integration of kindness when she finally gets mixed in with the other apprentices of House Hawk was a nice addition. The fact that she wasn’t sure if she should believe it or trust them even more deft.
The psychological torture displayed by Master Velvet to his tyros felt well researched (and heinous). These poor children being forced into hours of work before receiving water, the low protein, high sugar diet, the loss of their names and pasts, the fact that if they messed up or failed they went to bed hungry. Can’t forget the fact that they aren’t allowed outside either, no sun whatsoever. I appreciated the way this was all layered in, creating heavy believability. I did wonder though, how after so much trauma at the hands of those that had taken them in that more of them are not looking for revenge after they receive a modicum of freedom as apprentices or journeymen. But maybe some deep rooted Stockholm syndrome?
While much of this is training, which can be repetitive, the author show’s his strength by keeping the reader entwined with the hint of danger around every corner, and there is a lot of it. You really do go through each of the coming of age tropes, and with the attempted thieveries, this even feels like some “leveling up” tropes coming into play. Any time an author meshes genres or tropes of any kind, I feel like that’s when things truly shine. And this one did.
The ending, which I have seen some mixed reception of, I think was the final hammering to remind us all of how grim the world really is. While I am not a fan of SA scenes of any kind, the author did do well in skirting the “showing” while still delivering the harshness and hurt of the violation itself. And that I can accept for what it is. Ilanna’s quick revenge also offers a payoff that I feel was necessary, and it’s a reminder that if something is continuously coming for you in the city of Praamis, the only way for it to end is the removal of the obstacle wholly.
Grim, dark, and even shockingly brutal. Peloquin offers readers more than a glimpse at the depravity of his world, and yet there are still characters here to root for.
Thanks to Scholastic for the physical ARC! The matte and gloss mixed together on the cover really makes it that much cooler.
This is kind of Arachnophobia (the movie) but in a middle grade style. There is a sort of Chamber of Secrets thread with its “follow the spiders” comments dropped in, but also, how could you not? Otherwise, it is a mashup of horror and scifi actually, and kind of had me thinking of Eight Legged Freaks too.
Best friends Andi, Carly, and Devon, have decided to ditch what very well may have been their last Halloween trick or treating in order to go to Clementine’s—an eighth grade girl—for a huge party. A cool one. Andi, who’s still clinging on to being a kid, is only tempted out of her stubbornness when Carly tells her that Clementine’s dad, the science teacher, has a serious spider collection. Living, breathing specimen for her entertainment. After that, she couldn’t agree fast enough. At the party though, right as her dad is about to bring Andi upstairs, a fight breaks out, pulling him away and leaving her without a chaperone. When Andi convinces Carly and Devon to bring her upstairs anyway, things get a bit weird… and maybe she let something out?
The farm setting with the partying kids going out to the barn and fields also brought to mind Clown in a Cornfield. Instead of clowns terrorizing young adults though, it’s thousands of spiders after middle schoolers. And for a book filled with so many creepy crawlies this really did a good job of not demonizing them. Andi reminds her friends multiple times that spiders are most often more afraid of us than we are of them. And while there is plenty of things that made my skin crawl (and the cast of characters sprint around checking their skin and hair) there’s not actual arachnophobia on display here.
I liked how this brought in some newer discoveries and theories as well, each of which caught my eye. The different species of spiders coexisting in a giant web. The theory that spiders outnumber humans to the point that if they teamed up together, they could devour us all…and it wouldn’t even take long. The stuff you see while doomscrolling, right?
What hurt it overall for me, was that the climax kind of fizzled. Not even in the middle grade sense of everyone being alright in the end, which would have been fine for me. This just kind of felt like setup with little payoff. Now if there’s a sequel, that would make sense, and I would be interested in reading it still, but I don’t want to finish a book and feel like it solely exists for there to be another one. Otherwise, strong characterization, creepy conflict, and a well done setup for some spooky horror.
Thanks to Scholastic for the physical ARC! The matte and gloss mixed together on the cover really makes it that much cooler.
This is kind of Arachnophobia (the movie) but in a middle grade style. There is a sort of Chamber of Secrets thread with its “follow the spiders” comments dropped in, but also, how could you not? Otherwise, it is a mashup of horror and scifi actually, and kind of had me thinking of Eight Legged Freaks too.
Best friends Andi, Carly, and Devon, have decided to ditch what very well may have been their last Halloween trick or treating in order to go to Clementine’s—an eighth grade girl—for a huge party. A cool one. Andi, who’s still clinging on to being a kid, is only tempted out of her stubbornness when Carly tells her that Clementine’s dad, the science teacher, has a serious spider collection. Living, breathing specimen for her entertainment. After that, she couldn’t agree fast enough. At the party though, right as her dad is about to bring Andi upstairs, a fight breaks out, pulling him away and leaving her without a chaperone. When Andi convinces Carly and Devon to bring her upstairs anyway, things get a bit weird… and maybe she let something out?
The farm setting with the partying kids going out to the barn and fields also brought to mind Clown in a Cornfield. Instead of clowns terrorizing young adults though, it’s thousands of spiders after middle schoolers. And for a book filled with so many creepy crawlies this really did a good job of not demonizing them. Andi reminds her friends multiple times that spiders are most often more afraid of us than we are of them. And while there is plenty of things that made my skin crawl (and the cast of characters sprint around checking their skin and hair) there’s not actual arachnophobia on display here.
I liked how this brought in some newer discoveries and theories as well, each of which caught my eye. The different species of spiders coexisting in a giant web. The theory that spiders outnumber humans to the point that if they teamed up together, they could devour us all…and it wouldn’t even take long. The stuff you see while doomscrolling, right?
What hurt it overall for me, was that the climax kind of fizzled. Not even in the middle grade sense of everyone being alright in the end, which would have been fine for me. This just kind of felt like setup with little payoff. Now if there’s a sequel, that would make sense, and I would be interested in reading it still, but I don’t want to finish a book and feel like it solely exists for there to be another one. Otherwise, strong characterization, creepy conflict, and a well done setup for some spooky horror.
Grabbed this audible original for a little holiday listening. Narration by Hayley Atwell was certainly a solid selling point too.
Emma joins her boyfriend and his best friends on a Christmas-break ski trip. Truth be told, she was hoping the request to go away meant just her and Michael, but this is a full on Friendmas. Her boyfriend is a politician and all of his friends are in one way or another wealthy. A private chateau in the Alps sounds like a hell of a trip, too bad her boyfriend’s best friends are all snobs. Backhanded and outright hostile comments and insults are hurled even on the first day of the trip. But then the night a snowstorm blows in, virtually trapping them, one of the woman—who has a NOT-so-distant past with Michael—winds up dead in the hot tub outside, either drowned or strangled.
When Emma’s necklace is found outside with a few hairs of the deceased stuck in its clasp, the friends spare no time at all turning on the person they know the least. The author does a good job of handling how alienated you’d feel if this were to happen. There is a class difference (as well as some gross comments), there is a life filled with secrets and inside jokes she’s missed, and worse, she realizes she doesn’t actually know any of them enough to rule them out as killers—Michael sadly included. It also dips into how far money can take you in terms of covering up tragedies AND murders.
The characters are rich business owners, influencers and even a film director. Even though some of them came from nothing, they show a serious lack of understanding and Emma remarks upon the waste of the wealthy more than once. A cleaning staff, that also prepares the food and shops, is told not to speak to the people and Emma is even told to ignore them. They only drink champagne worth hundreds of dollars a bottle and make snide remarks when it’s gone. They show a clear disregard for anyone they consider lesser, and this does a fantastic job of introducing a group of people that you could easily see blaming a murder, even when it was one of their friends, on someone they view as other.
Emma’s trapped on the mountain and all she knows for certain is that there is a murderer among them. As she said yes to the trip more for her boyfriend’s sake than any idea of actual fun, she’s the least skilled skier, and the only chance of escape is down the snowed out mountain. Still she has to try. The ending kind of took me by surprise. Not just in the typical, thriller twist-ending sense, but also the choice the author made. I won’t say more and spoil it, but I think the additional twist at the end, the sort of “I can trust no one but myself” change is what saved it. I don’t mind the more open ending too, as I can imagine what I wanted to happen just fine.
Grabbed this audible original for a little holiday listening. Narration by Hayley Atwell was certainly a solid selling point too.
Emma joins her boyfriend and his best friends on a Christmas-break ski trip. Truth be told, she was hoping the request to go away meant just her and Michael, but this is a full on Friendmas. Her boyfriend is a politician and all of his friends are in one way or another wealthy. A private chateau in the Alps sounds like a hell of a trip, too bad her boyfriend’s best friends are all snobs. Backhanded and outright hostile comments and insults are hurled even on the first day of the trip. But then the night a snowstorm blows in, virtually trapping them, one of the woman—who has a NOT-so-distant past with Michael—winds up dead in the hot tub outside, either drowned or strangled.
When Emma’s necklace is found outside with a few hairs of the deceased stuck in its clasp, the friends spare no time at all turning on the person they know the least. The author does a good job of handling how alienated you’d feel if this were to happen. There is a class difference (as well as some gross comments), there is a life filled with secrets and inside jokes she’s missed, and worse, she realizes she doesn’t actually know any of them enough to rule them out as killers—Michael sadly included. It also dips into how far money can take you in terms of covering up tragedies AND murders.
The characters are rich business owners, influencers and even a film director. Even though some of them came from nothing, they show a serious lack of understanding and Emma remarks upon the waste of the wealthy more than once. A cleaning staff, that also prepares the food and shops, is told not to speak to the people and Emma is even told to ignore them. They only drink champagne worth hundreds of dollars a bottle and make snide remarks when it’s gone. They show a clear disregard for anyone they consider lesser, and this does a fantastic job of introducing a group of people that you could easily see blaming a murder, even when it was one of their friends, on someone they view as other.
Emma’s trapped on the mountain and all she knows for certain is that there is a murderer among them. As she said yes to the trip more for her boyfriend’s sake than any idea of actual fun, she’s the least skilled skier, and the only chance of escape is down the snowed out mountain. Still she has to try. The ending kind of took me by surprise. Not just in the typical, thriller twist-ending sense, but also the choice the author made. I won’t say more and spoil it, but I think the additional twist at the end, the sort of “I can trust no one but myself” change is what saved it. I don’t mind the more open ending too, as I can imagine what I wanted to happen just fine.
Huge thanks to Atria & Emily Bestler Books for the physical ARC. I’m stoked I had it for a seasonal read.
I started this a bit into December, so I didn’t read a chapter a day as an advent calendar as the author offers. I think personally I preferred reading it at my own desired speed. While the first few certainly felt like a dark and devious advent gift, once the book and certainly the climax get under way it just became your typical plot-moving-device chapter endings. Don’t get me wrong, they definitely up the tension and made me want to keep reading, it just didn’t fit the previous advent feel as well.
Adam has planned a December getaway for his family. A remote, mountainous cabin setting is scheduled in the hopes of restoring and rejuvenating the family mojo. Adam has been less present, his wife Beth has been disinterested, and their girls are the ones that feel the tension. But this trip will change things, right?
From the first night the tension builds. As much as a weeklong stay somewhere where the only responsibility is ensuring the animals in the barn (and yourselves) don’t starve seems cozy, the idea of no cell service and frequent snow storms that block the only route up the mountain would be an immediate “no thanks” from me. This family should have said the same. A Christmas stocking appears nailed to the barn door. When they search it, there’s a single slide in it. The kind of photo slide that fits into old school projectors…which they just so happen to have. The picture within, is of the house they’re staying in…but where did it come from? These “gifts” continue, some closer, some proving they were taken while the family was present. Then the gifts grow creepier. One thing the author does well is the tension for me. Even when the family is forced from the cabin and struggles to find safety, there is this air of terror about it that worked well.
Ultimately, the ending took on a tonal shift that I’m not quite sure actually works. The maniacal advent-gifter is actually a torture glutton, taking pleasure and pride in his assumed power and causing suffering. And while this certainly delivered on continued tension, it did feel like a thriller turned straight horror because someone didn’t exactly know where to take the plot. There are some injuries that seem too much to come back from and yet the cast is all plot armor…not that I wanted them dead though, the author did earn my caring for them…
I think the ending was supposed to instill fear. That sometimes horror and evil just happens. That sometimes terrible things just take place around us. I can understand the concept, but overall in terms of a story, I think readers just expect the big reveal too much. A story with no identity or motive is kind of hard to digest. If this was launching into a sequel or series, I could see it working out more, but as it stands I felt a little cheated.
3.5
Huge thanks to Atria & Emily Bestler Books for the physical ARC. I’m stoked I had it for a seasonal read.
I started this a bit into December, so I didn’t read a chapter a day as an advent calendar as the author offers. I think personally I preferred reading it at my own desired speed. While the first few certainly felt like a dark and devious advent gift, once the book and certainly the climax get under way it just became your typical plot-moving-device chapter endings. Don’t get me wrong, they definitely up the tension and made me want to keep reading, it just didn’t fit the previous advent feel as well.
Adam has planned a December getaway for his family. A remote, mountainous cabin setting is scheduled in the hopes of restoring and rejuvenating the family mojo. Adam has been less present, his wife Beth has been disinterested, and their girls are the ones that feel the tension. But this trip will change things, right?
From the first night the tension builds. As much as a weeklong stay somewhere where the only responsibility is ensuring the animals in the barn (and yourselves) don’t starve seems cozy, the idea of no cell service and frequent snow storms that block the only route up the mountain would be an immediate “no thanks” from me. This family should have said the same. A Christmas stocking appears nailed to the barn door. When they search it, there’s a single slide in it. The kind of photo slide that fits into old school projectors…which they just so happen to have. The picture within, is of the house they’re staying in…but where did it come from? These “gifts” continue, some closer, some proving they were taken while the family was present. Then the gifts grow creepier. One thing the author does well is the tension for me. Even when the family is forced from the cabin and struggles to find safety, there is this air of terror about it that worked well.
Ultimately, the ending took on a tonal shift that I’m not quite sure actually works. The maniacal advent-gifter is actually a torture glutton, taking pleasure and pride in his assumed power and causing suffering. And while this certainly delivered on continued tension, it did feel like a thriller turned straight horror because someone didn’t exactly know where to take the plot. There are some injuries that seem too much to come back from and yet the cast is all plot armor…not that I wanted them dead though, the author did earn my caring for them…
I think the ending was supposed to instill fear. That sometimes horror and evil just happens. That sometimes terrible things just take place around us. I can understand the concept, but overall in terms of a story, I think readers just expect the big reveal too much. A story with no identity or motive is kind of hard to digest. If this was launching into a sequel or series, I could see it working out more, but as it stands I felt a little cheated.
3.5
Book 4 in this seasonal series I didn’t expect to like but now can’t get enough of.
The town of Mistletoe, Maine is gearing up for Christmas again and it’s busier than ever. Not only are Holly and Sheriff Evan getting married on the big day, but the mayor has secured a series of shows from a dance troupe performing the Nutcracker. But on the day of the town’s big parade, the lead dancer is poisoned—and worse, it appears to be foul play again in their little town. The group is shacking up at Reindeer Games Inn though, allowing Holly all the nosy, amateur sleuthing her heart desires. Red herrings, complaints from the sheriff, and the all too familiar threats to Holly’s life and livelihood begin all over again.
I’m really not sure what it is about these that works for me so well, but at least in part, it’s the fact that while they are cozy in nature, the author maintains the thread of stakes and suspense. The deaths, threats, and life-taking attempts all hold a level of darkness that some others I’ve tried don’t have. And book four is no different for me, I fell right back in with the cast and crew.
While Holly runs around managing the Inn, her side business of glass jewelry making, her Christmas shopping and detective work—all of which are familiar to readers at this point—the author also serves up a fresh mystery, taking some things left unfinished from helping out Libby to add another layer of tension. Oh, and don’t forget that she’s also trying to get things in order to get married. While I personally think making friends and family travel and turn their holiday into something all about you is a little much, it definitely makes sense for these characters, and most importantly in a book four, it feels like earned screen time.
This mystery had me going, with Holly really digging her heels in for a character that felt destined to be the murderer. I also thought the way the dancer was poisoned was unique and made sense, how something not necessarily deadly could turn that way when you don’t know the full picture of someone’s health/lifestyle. The ending does get tied up into a neat little bow as you’d expect for the genre, but I once again enjoyed my time with the characters.
Book 4 in this seasonal series I didn’t expect to like but now can’t get enough of.
The town of Mistletoe, Maine is gearing up for Christmas again and it’s busier than ever. Not only are Holly and Sheriff Evan getting married on the big day, but the mayor has secured a series of shows from a dance troupe performing the Nutcracker. But on the day of the town’s big parade, the lead dancer is poisoned—and worse, it appears to be foul play again in their little town. The group is shacking up at Reindeer Games Inn though, allowing Holly all the nosy, amateur sleuthing her heart desires. Red herrings, complaints from the sheriff, and the all too familiar threats to Holly’s life and livelihood begin all over again.
I’m really not sure what it is about these that works for me so well, but at least in part, it’s the fact that while they are cozy in nature, the author maintains the thread of stakes and suspense. The deaths, threats, and life-taking attempts all hold a level of darkness that some others I’ve tried don’t have. And book four is no different for me, I fell right back in with the cast and crew.
While Holly runs around managing the Inn, her side business of glass jewelry making, her Christmas shopping and detective work—all of which are familiar to readers at this point—the author also serves up a fresh mystery, taking some things left unfinished from helping out Libby to add another layer of tension. Oh, and don’t forget that she’s also trying to get things in order to get married. While I personally think making friends and family travel and turn their holiday into something all about you is a little much, it definitely makes sense for these characters, and most importantly in a book four, it feels like earned screen time.
This mystery had me going, with Holly really digging her heels in for a character that felt destined to be the murderer. I also thought the way the dancer was poisoned was unique and made sense, how something not necessarily deadly could turn that way when you don’t know the full picture of someone’s health/lifestyle. The ending does get tied up into a neat little bow as you’d expect for the genre, but I once again enjoyed my time with the characters.