Wayward
EDIT:
As this author has begun using generative AI covers across many of her books, I'm updating my rating to 1* star and will be removing any books by this author that were on my TBR. I'll also be blacklisting R.A. Steffan in perpetuity. There's no excuse to use genAI slop for your covers, and I won't support authors who do so.
EDIT:
As this author has begun using generative AI covers across many of her books, I'm updating my rating to 1* star and will be removing any books by this author that were on my TBR. I'll also be blacklisting R.A. Steffan in perpetuity. There's no excuse to use genAI slop for your covers, and I won't support authors who do so.
EDIT:
As this author has begun using generative AI covers across many of her books, I'm updating my rating to 1* star and will be removing any books by this author that were on my TBR. I'll also be blacklisting R.A. Steffan in perpetuity. There's no excuse to use genAI slop for your covers, and I won't support authors who do so.
EDIT:
As this author has begun using generative AI covers across many of her books, I'm updating my rating to 1* star and will be removing any books by this author that were on my TBR. I'll also be blacklisting R.A. Steffan in perpetuity. There's no excuse to use genAI slop for your covers, and I won't support authors who do so.
70% of this book of this book was buildup that was extremely slow and dull with repetitive writing and monotonous thoughts and actions from the characters, intermingled with obnoxious, rebellious teen angst. The remaining 30% was rushed, skipped over most of what could have been interesting parts, and clarified the top goodreads review of this book to me, which merely states, "Well that was pointless."
I can't elaborate without spoiling, but let's just say that from the first three quarters, this experience went from a boring book that focused on its weaknesses instead of its strengths, that wasn't remotely scary, and that was carried along by uninteresting, annoying characters and was hovering around a two-star read for me, to a disappointing, highly implausible, and ridiculous one in the last quarter that rewarded stupidity and left me rolling my eyes while feeling like I'd wasted my time and dropped my rating to a rare-for-me abysmal one star.
Bird Box? Great, tense, paranoia-filled apocalypse horror survival story. Malorie? Coming of age teen drama. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Do not recommend.
The experience of reading Bird Box was like watching a thrilling, post-apocalypse tv show. It was punchy, intense, emotional, and suspenseful with a cast of characters stuck in a house together to survive and not always reaching a unanimous consensus on how to do that. It EMBRACED the horrifying idea of not knowing whether there was something in the room with you, maybe right in front of you silent, watching, something AWFUL right there - maybe? - but not knowing for sure one way or another no matter how carefully you check, not being able to see it and knowing if you're wrong, opening your eyes is the worst decision you could ever make. I felt the chills of this horror CONSTANTLY through the book, and I was hooked so fast. I love the whole CONCEPT of some unknown thing that makes you insane. This really feels like it feeds from the myth of Cthulhu but rather than one enormous entity seen by the few, this makes that danger more everyday, everyWHERE which is honestly brilliant. There's a LOT I like about this book and only a couple of things that could have been improved upon.
Malorie... was an okay character, which is my biggest critique. She has jusssst enough gumption to do what she has to do, but she was very much an everyday woman, with no particular skills or hobbies or abilities. We didn't see a lot of her history or what shaped her into who she was pre-apocalypse either, so she felt lacking to me. Gray. Little personality. Even boring if the story hadn't been forcing her to survive. She did some admirable things because she HAD to, yes, but otherwise wasn't an innovative or radical thinker. A decent character but one that I didn't have strong feelings about in either direction.
My second big critique is that there was no diversity, and two of the three women in the house (while there were five men) were pregnant. I really wish the author had developed at least the other woman, Cheryl, more. Perhaps had her be more of an innovator or one of the two who left the house for supplies, rather than it being two of the men. Instead, she's mostly a background character that doesn't have a lot of screentime. This book could have been improved instantly by making the cast a little more diverse and even.
Where this book excelled was the story and horror. It's edge-of-your-seat intense that focuses on its strengths with bingeable plotting. I looked forward to reading this when I knew I would later that day, and if I were a faster reader, I may very well have binged the whole thing the day I started it, I was so captivated. It did an amazing job of making a generally realistic house full of strangers with varying levels of morality that work together because there's little other choice but who don't always agree and only trust each other so far. Again, it FELT like I was watching a tv series, and with post-apocalypse being one of my favorite themes for shows and movies, I loved that feeling and how well this author and book built it.
In summary–was this book perfect? No, but it was incredibly entertaining. If you're a fan of this type of setting and atmosphere for horror, you probably won't be disappointed by Bird Box. I enjoyed it so much I intend to pick up the sequel from CloudLibrary as my next read, and I'm definitely going to keep this author on my radar for future reads.
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. This series, in many ways, embodies that quote, this book in particular, expressing that last part as we get to see Sasha BECOME everything she feared and hated the most.
To me, book one of this series feels like it can be read as a standalone, especially if you dwell on the ending or figure out what was intended with it. That whole book has all the mystery and edge-of-your-seat suspense you could want. If you read the sequels, then you should read both of them, as they're a complete journey as book one was its own journey. They are continuations of Sasha's story, but set in future/different timelines and far removed from book one. No more secrets or mind-bending revelations or metamorphoses. Just swimming through this world that Sasha has landed in/created and figuring out how to make it all work. It's still a weird and confusing and fascinating setting and world system but not nearly as haunting or evocative as the original Vita Nostra.
What I really liked about this book is that it diverted from the single point of view of Sasha and followed several relevant characters. The POV was switching so often as to be discombobulating at times, but it also kept it nicely fresh. We got to see some of that youthful horror at the unknown again while still following Sasha's journey at the same time. It was a change I appreciated and enjoyed.
At the end of the day, I had a good time with this story and series as a whole and the way it made my brain chemistry shift, and I'm not sorry I read the whole thing. That being said, I think I would recommend only the first book as a standalone. The sequels had such different feelings to them, such different vibes and themes, and I didn't enjoy them nearly as much as I did the first. They were good, but there was just something lacking for me. The authors, however, I'm definitely going to read more books by. The unique and mind-bending ways they seem to create their stories is something I find so rarely and desperately want more of.
This story felt like I was watching a game of DND unfold, which isn't in itself, a bad thing, but when characters are thrown together, don't mesh or even like each other the entire story, have no real chance to bond, and make decisions based on their alignment (good, neutral, evil, etc.) rather than on what's smart, it can be a bad thing. Worse, it felt like the plot was decided by a dungeon master trying to craft a tropey but "fun" tale and keep things interesting with monsters and mysteries thrown in between rests. The story was PREDICTABLE to the point I rolled my eyes a couple of times when the characters didn't see what was coming. In between that were small plot holes or things that happened that the purpose/reasoning behind were just never explained.
Besides all that, while the writing itself wasn't bad or unenjoyable to read, it dearly needed polish. The author would get caught on a word and use it repeatedly for a span, such as "incandescent" or "mosaic." There were also a lot of nitpicky things that were odd or awkward in phrasing that, had it been rarer, I would have shrugged off, but it happened SEVERAL times (such as "the champion plunged his helmet over his head"–plunged over?–or "his lips twisted beneath his bushy beard"–do you mean moustache?). It wasn't a terrible writing style, and I could get pulled into the story when I sat down to read it, but I think it needed more work.
Then there's Gerome, the main character. Some of this part is going to be a personal preference problem, but at the end of the day, I just didn't warm much to Gerome. I liked him a BIT more in the middle, but he lost me again as the story wore on. He felt like a "man" in a negative way. His humor almost never landed, and while that definitely has the potential to be a *me* problem more than a *book* problem, I absolutely found myself cringing more than once at his thoughts or commentary. He was also the type of person who has talent but not because he wanted to DO something with it. He was motivated literally by what would be most likely to get him laid and almost caused mass death and destruction trying to improve the size of his member. I'm sure some people would find this funny, but to me it's cringey "man" energy in some of the worst ways and was personally repulsive and unendearing. I ended up liking the epilogue that jumped from character to character better than most of the rest of the story that followed only Gerome.
Honestly, there's more critiquing I could do, but I've touched, at least, on most of the problems I had with this one. A lot of it really needed more editing or a re-write or two and some polish to top it all off. I'm not sure that would have fixed everything, but it would have helped, and those that share the author's sense of humor would have enjoyed it, as a whole, more. That being said, I'm sure there's still an audience out there for this. Those that read for the action, don't look too closely at things, and who like this type of main character. While I didn't really like the story that much altogether, reading it wasn't a bad experience either. The author has something and just needs to work on it some more, in my humble opinion. All in all, I'm not mad I read The Demon of Elderstay, but I don't think this author is suited to me as a reader, so don't plan on picking up more books by her.
How to Survive This Fairytale managed to TUG on my heartstrings every which way. I went into this one barely knowing what it was about other than “queer fairytale.” For some reason, I didn’t actually think it was a romance, even while reading it, which may have been part of why some of the emotional nuance and sacrifices hit me as hard as they did. Or it could be some personal life stuff I unintentionally found myself correlating to these love interests on a symbolic level. That being said, even the non-romance elements were written in a very… heart-clenching way. I felt every single one of the beats of this story. For being a fairytale with magic and curses, the characters were EXTREMELY humanized. The pain and the longing and the fear and the hope and the SUFFERING they all felt and went through, especially the main character, Hans, I also felt on some level. I found myself tearing up several times, especially towards the end, which I rarely do while reading anyway, and I’m not even in my luteal phase, haha. This book will genuinely make you CRY, sometimes sad tears and sometimes happy ones, but with both, it will wreck you. At least, it did me.
You know, I’ve always been one to say, “I’ll read first person and third person all day long; it doesn’t matter which, just don’t give me second person.” So I looked at the writing askance when I started this book and realized it was in second person. A part of me was hoping and maybe even assuming that it would change once I read through the many-chaptered prologue, but the writing was so good that I got sucked right into the story during that prologue and didn’t even care that it was second person. It was… strange, but it didn’t detract anything. In fact, it may have played into why I found myself relating or empathizing or correlating my life so much with Hans’s. I don’t know. I’m not one to insert myself, and I still didn’t fully, but the author did an amazing job of making me FEEL, one way or another. At the end of the day, I think Hallow could have done it just as well from any person because it was the writing that was so… emotionally riveting and stark that both painted a picture and built a very human, very emotive, very sympathetic character. Characters. Honestly, the whole cast, especially on the “good” side were full of life and full of pain and full of hurt that I FELT. I love a book that uses not only good writing but builds good characters and not only does that but makes a story that’s INTERESTING.
The plot of this thing is so very interesting because yes, it merely follows closely Hans’s life, but it also breaks the fourth wall in a way because the Story is pushing and pulling Hans where it wants him to go until he eventually, finally, tells it no. I don’t want to spoil anything, but oh my gosh, it’s so good. Painful, dark, and timed perfectly. The story really doesn’t waste words. It’s UNIQUE, it’s fresh, and yet it’s familiar. Tales as old as time being retold from a deeply human perspective. It’s alive with every single feeling, and I felt every single one with Hans.
Honestly, this book is just objectively GOOD. In a world full of regurgitated pandering and lifeless slop, this story is richly human. Human made and human felt. It’s exactly why art NEEDS to exist, and it succeeds with every one of its purposes. I dunno. I’m getting pretty freaking dramatic, but the older I get and the more the world turns gray, the more I appreciate not only something as fresh as this but as human. As much as parts of this story—let’s be honest, MOST of it–hurt my heart, not normally an experience I seek as a reader, it felt good to feel alive. I can only ask the author to please keep writing exactly like this. And no, I don’t mean fairytales necessarily or second person stories necessarily. But characters with hearts that beat. Characters that yearn and that want and that suffer and that somehow find a way to stand up, to sacrifice, and to cut and claw and drag their ways to their version of a happy ending. Keep feeling and keep writing stories that make your readers FEEL. Really feel. There aren’t enough of those anymore, and I’m thrilled to have found this diamond amongst the rough.
This is a happy story, eventually, but there’s a lot of deep-seated pain you have to get through first. It’s a thrilling, fascinating, enchanted, and dark ride to get there, but if that’s something you’re open to, I strongly suggest you check this one out. It’s definitely worth the read.
Assassin of Reality didn't hit as strongly as its predecessor for a few crucial reasons. Is it silly to say there were too many answers and not enough questions? One of the things that hooked me from the start with Vita Nostra was that... it was mind-boggling and drip-fed me any sort of answers. And then OF those answers most were vague or implied rather than stated. Things were much more straightforward in this book. Still weird and complex, but not nearly AS MUCH. There was no body horror. No creeping dread. No sitting on the edge of my seat or wondering what was going to happen to Sasha next. And, importantly, the focus of this story was more strongly on the insta-love romance that spawned between her and a new character and the drama around fitting that puzzle piece into her life rather than surviving the Institute of Special Technologies.
This story, this continuation, also re-vilified a character Sasha had almost become friends with or had, at least, reached some level of mutual understanding: Farit Kozhennikov. Which, okay, maybe the finale of Vita Nostra implied that possibility on some level, but he took a turn in this book that felt like a left one. He was much different from the stoic, scary but just doing his job cage-rattler in Vita Nostra and became a straightforward, maniacal villain in this one. And, again, yes, some of this was implied if you looked closely enough in the previous book's finale, but I felt like he was a completely different (and cliched) creature in this one, the Satan to Sasha's God.
Ironically, since the characters had now reached adulthood and the authors decided to include quite a bit of swearing in this book where there was literally none in the first, this one, Assassin of Reality, felt more juvenile and more like a Young Adult category read than the first in this series, not least of all from the romance INJECTED into this one, where the subtle undertones of such were more there to keep the characters personified and sane in book one.
I... continued to want to see what would happen to Sasha, yes, but mostly because of the curious bond I formed for her while following her tortured journeys in book one. This book didn't leave me aching to find out what would happen next. I wouldn't label it "just a story" since there were still strange mechanisms and strange people I haven't entirely seen done in other reads, but it wasn't a fascinating or bated breath or brain peeling read either. It was all right.
I do plan on reading the third book, but I'm less excited about it than I was. I more want to read it because I like completing things, and since I've come this far, I might as well find out what happens in the conclusion (though book one could have been read as a standalone and book two as a duology; reading book three is completely arbitrary). I'm not sorry I read Assassin of Reality, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it either unless you're someone dying to have more overt answers after finishing Vita Nostra and like the idea of Sasha in a star-crossed romance while Farit the villain causes trouble for her at every turn.
While this book takes a unique spin on style as the entire book is written in letter form, with how much description Gavin puts into his letters it's easy to picture all of the characters and the adventures Gavin gets up to. It's quite a cute romance in a regency setting with a relatable neurodivergent main character.
That being said, it's a pretty slow-moving story that I don't know if I would have gotten through had I not been reading it by audiobook so that I could listen to it while doing something else. It was PERFECT for audiobook, though (with an excellent narrator too). Easy to listen to while performing some other task and entertaining enough in that way.
Surprising to probably no one, this is definitely not a bodice-ripper. It's a charming, heart-warming, and rather wholesome romance with a lot of very gradual character development and growth. If that sounds like it's for you, then check it out. I think it would fit in the "cozy" category quite well. As for me, I have most of the rest of the series on audiobook, so while I'll probably read something else first, I'll likely come back to this series when I'm in the mood again for a charming, light-hearted book of manners.
I felt like layers of my brain peeled open reading Vita Nostra. Ideas I'd never had, metaphysics I'd never imagined, were written into this in a way that had me utterly transfixed. Discovering what the universe in this book was comprised of was FASCINATING. I can imagine how the basics of the idea for this story mayhaps formed, but it was layered with the depth and structure of humanity and revealed through mind-bending metamorphosis, yet structured so meaningfully and patiently with human experience, emotion, and connection woven into its very fabric that it carried this... earth-shaking feeling right through to the very end.
The characters in this are incredible creatures also, very real and relatable. Watching a simple teenage girl go through the metamorphosis she's forced to take throughout this book with all attendant human emotions MOVED me and effectively put its claws in my interest from early pages. That only multiplied as I watched Sasha go through her own growth, learn, and change.
This book is honestly so difficult to describe. As I mentioned, it's mind-bending and unique. It's also a dark academia, but not in any modern Young Adult fantasy sense. It's deep and dark, philosophical, and full of moral dilemma. There's also a healthy dose of body horror, fantasy, and sci-fi elements, with just an insinuation of romance. Though for much of the book, all of these little human emotions are almost made inconsequential, shown starkly in dichotomy of those chatacters who have yet to be transformed next to those who have already transitioned through their metamorphosis, yet at the end of the day, EMOTION and the connections formed are the most important things in the universe.
Vita Nostra is intense, beautiful, and utterly intelligent. The authors managed to write a story that pulls the reader by the hand but lets them discover answers on their own. It's not for the faint of heart or the distracted. It's for those looking for something NEW, weird, clever, deep, and beautifully well-written. While I'll admit that some sections moved slower than I would have liked, and there were a few areas that I believe fought the bounds of their translation, this was a phenomenal, incredible, and deeply enjoyable book. If you want to go on a journey and ride on the edge of your seat and perhaps hurt your brain a bit along the ride, this book's for you. It's an experience that I'll brag about. Surprisingly, it CAN, as I'd heard, be experienced as a standalone, but I'll be scooping up the sequel audiobooks from my library app and consuming them with as much thirst as I did this one. Highly recommend in any format. But if you're a fan of audiobooks? The narrator is top tier.
All in all, this was a book I didn't know I was looking for. "Impressed" is not a strong enough word, and I'm very interested in catching up on these authors' backlog.
This book, my god. I don’t even know where to BEGIN explaining how much this book messed me up, but like, in the best ways. I’m shook.
Miners of the Resilience is a continuation of *exception* and somehow, perhaps, even better than its prequels if that’s even possible? If you could rate a book 6 stars (let’s be serious, 10 stars) that’s what I would give this. It’s *so good*. Like, I don’t think you quite get it. It’s SO GOOD. I-need-to-walk-it-off good. Chuck-the-book-across-the-room-and-scream-into-a-pillow good. Stressed-and-OBSESSED good. If you like horror mixed with SOFT romance, THIS BOOK WILL CHECK YOUR BOXES. Found family and queernormative societies your vibe? HELLO, PENNY MOSS. How about monster romance where the monster is just a little too big, a little too eager to leave MARKS, and a little too desperately, *co-dependently* in love? Please take this as your sign to read this book/series, it’s wildly, sensationally good, and increasingly one of my favorite series of all time.
There’s is *so much* happening here. Resilience picks up from the cliffhanger of the previous book, but I won’t give any spoilers for that. Let’s just say… the plot is plotting VERY stressfully. There are moves and counter-moves with a great deal of WHUMP tempered by gratuitous, needy, and delicious monster smut. The hurt/comfort is actually off the charts, and my little heart couldn’t take ANY OF IT. There’s TONS of action and danger and developments that, ahhh, I want to tell you about but cannot for the sake of spoilers. Believe me when I say it’s exciting and brilliant and clever and horrifying the entire freaking time.
AND THE CHARACTERS, my GOSH, this author is so dang impressive at balancing a large cast of characters while keeping every individual’s motivations and personalities clearly distinct. I never quite realized how much I enjoy a large cast and found family until I started reading the first book, Miners of the Mystics. They’re just done so WELL here I find myself loving everyone so much. The cast has even grown from the first two books, yet there’s not a single character I’m not invested in, even the side characters who’ve made mistakes, somehow? Somehow, they’re all uniquely different and damaged and imperfect yet likable?(!!) How Moss does it, I don’t know, but even when I enter a story ready to dislike a character, Moss somehow makes me see their hearts and by the end I sympathize or like the character or am at least intrigued by them. It’s CRAZY, wildly skilled writing that has me–like Ollie in Tau’s claws–in its clutches.
That writing and style which carry all of the characters and plot and smut and is simply so extremely good. There’s gorgeous description woven with the action, creating these effortlessly vivid scenes. In fact, there’s so much striking cinematography, I felt sometimes, I was watching a movie or a freaking epic anime, except I had intimate knowledge of each character’s thoughts and emotions. The Moss writing style? It’s STUNNING. It’s crack, and I need moreeee.
I have to, HAVE TO talk about the stunning art too. THE ART!!!! Oh my GOSH, the huge pages of author-created art EVERY CHAPTER have me in a CHOKEHOLD. They’re SO GORGEOUS. Sparkly, effervescent, shimmering, or dark, angry, twisted, and fascinating. There are, again, *25* (yes TWENTY-FIVE) pieces of art in this book and they’re just… freaking gorgeous? Like, I was gobsmacked when I first discovered the art in book one, but THIS art? It’s sooo incredibly generous. COPIOUS character art. Gorgeous lighting, atmosphere, SPARKLES, terrifyingly twisted hands, pieced together creatures, MONSTERS. And then there’s the intimate moments between the love interests, all LOVINGLY rendered in art just as it is in text. How do I begin to explain how awesome this is? What an obviously freaking labor of LOVE this book (entire series) is? It’s STUNNINGLY exceptional.
I am SO satisfied with this series continuation and DEEPLY eager for the next (and tragically final) book. To be completely honest, I’m already looking forward to a full series re-read again before its release, I love these books and this world so much. But, I’m getting ahead of myself a bit. This book, Resilience, is… ugh, gosh. Painful, FULL of angst and whump, delicious, clingy, needy, wanton, LOVING, intense, and thrilling. Basically fire. It’s FIRE, and if you haven’t read it yet, please, for the sake of ME get on that. I don’t think it’s possible for this series to have enough readers or, indeed, fans. Find your place in this world like I did.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
I've recently re-read Miners of the Mystics, one of my favorite books, and I think I somehow enjoyed it even more this time around.
Miners of the Mystics is just an incredible book and start to a series. If you haven't heard much about it before, I hope you stick around for this review or jump directly into its world because this book is... intensely meaningful, so smart, and something I haven't seen on bookshelves before. Which, do you know how rare that is? A *unique* book? Miners takes themes I love – found family, liminal spaces, magic, monsters, and monster romance, to name a few – and makes them not only exceptional but NEW.
To start with, just one part of what makes Miners so deeply hypnotizing, is the world-building, which is phenomenal. Taking place largely in a mountain and nearby town, this first book easily, gradually, and without info-dumping, lays the groundwork for some of the rules of how this world works (or at least how the characters THINK it does), and then breaks some of those rules in ways both supernatural and profoundly human. It sets up powers I haven't seen done these ways before and multifarious portals to dimensions filled with unheard of creatures. There's unique magic here in the literal AND literary sense, laced with sibylline nuance and dark and unknown threats nipping at the characters' heels.
Which, the plot is just insanely good. It starts out quite gradual here in the first book, with a laundry list of unknowns and characters trying to move towards what they want while being tugged in the direction their morals make them go. I don't want to say much here because there are so many twists and secrets every reader deserves to discover for themself, but suffice to say it KEEPS me on the edge of my seat. And I'll gladly talk about the characters instead.
The cast of characters in this series is FULL. You want to read about found family, with no blood relation, being there for each other no matter what? Friends with unique histories and personalities getting thrown into danger at every turn, and only having each other to stay alive or stay sane? Forbidden love interests sweetly falling for each other and being so fiercely protective they'd RUIN themselves for the other? Yeah, this book has all of that too, and it has it in spades. It's rare I find a romance book so rich in its characters, with beloved side characters featuring almost as much as the mains, one of the many things I love about it!
Oh yeah, and that ROMANCE. in a queer-normative world full of queer characters of many flavors, the only thing any character finds odd about Oliver's infatuation with the Sentinel Tau is that Tau is twice his size, magical, doesn't seem to be human, and also, touching him is completely illegal. And yet...? Touch, they do.
The slow-burn romance in this book is precious. Despite the setting, despite the darkness and monsters and horrors the characters must survive, Tau and Oliver are preciously sweet. There's no other way I can say it. They're curious and tender and kind, yet roughly desperate when they touch, and if you've ever wanted to read a dark fantasy/horror that ALSO makes you blush and kick your feet? You've found that too.
AND and and if you didn't know, included in this catalogue of qualities, Penny Moss, the author, is also an artist who NOT ONLY has made the cover of every book it has written, but ALSO has made chapter art for every. Single. Chapter. Of this series. EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER!!
You want character art? You want to see the love interests' tender moments? The terrifying monsters? The portal to another world? The weird, whimsical, and wonderful in this book? YOU'VE GOT IT. IN THIS FIRST BOOK ALONE, there are twenty-five chapters and twenty-five pieces of human-made artwork rendering EXACTLY what the author intended because the author. Is also. The artist. Aphantasia who?!
Miners of the Mystics is a favorite of mine for so many reasons, not even all of which have been included here. Actually, there's not a single moment Miners has only one thing going for it. Every chapter is rich with smart writing, character development, friendship, mysterious plot, and sweet, swoon-worthy romance. I just... I go on these tangents of this series because it’s so insanely good, and I freaking *love* this book. Suffice to say, I am *obsessed*. I can't recommend this book or this author more highly, and if anything here has piqued your interest, please add Miners of the Mystics to some of your lists. While there IS a bit of a cult following for this indie series and queer author, they both deserve more accolades than they've gotten, and all I can do is scream about them both from the rooftops until they finally find their way into more readers' hands. Check them out!!
This really is like an ENTIRE dark romance all wrapped up in a sweet novella package, and it's so good! It hits ALL the beats, and I found that the intensity level and the switch from need and want to obsession and possession was almost PERFECT for me. The heat was very much to my liking, and I LOVE the way they found their HEA.
If you want something short and dark with a lot spice, this is a succulent morsel that's FREE for signing up for the author's newsletter!
4.5
There is something so special about The Warm Machine that I haven't quite gotten in anything else. The writing style is perfectly matched to the theme—mechanical and completely logical but with an underlying level of “anomalous” emotion that SWELLS throughout the book. The personalities of these beings comes right off the page, and with each philosophical discussion and bonding moment they had, I was more and more deeply invested in Sterling and Zev finding their happy ending.
This is not your typical romance book in any sense of the genre, and if The Warm Machine weren't listed under that, I would almost attribute Sterling and Zev's love for each other to be platonic. They obviously CARE for each other very deeply in the ways they can and learn how, but it never crosses into romantic, in my humble opinion. That being said, their self-sacrificing care for each other TUGGED constantly at my heartstrings, and they clearly do matter to each other in every way they can.
I touched already on the writing style, but I want to add that besides the perfectly suited and extremely well-done style and brilliant dialogue, Cozza excelled at crafting locale, atmosphere, and some visually stunning scenes from time to time that STAND OUT in my memory. I can easily picture the places described in this, and there's one sequence, in particular, in a trash heap in a storm that feels like a scene straight out of a movie in my mind—SO vivid, so stark, and so perfectly moody and atmospheric. I was TRANSPORTED and, to some degree, still living there, the physical, visual, auditory, and emotional stimuli so clear and powerful as to live in my brain and repeat fragmentally in idle moments.
My one mild dismay was the ending—the last chapter and epilogue—and the last several revelations between the characters there that felt rushed and not discussed between Sterling and Zev like all the other revelations were. A lot of information was packed into those pages, and where normally, Sterling would process and discuss with Zev these revelations, they were instead almost glossed over. Basically? I just wanted MORE Sterling and Zev figuring things out together and would kill for a bonus chapter or two placed between the final chapter and epilogue where some of it is expanded.
Regardless, all told, this was an excellent, unique, and extremely well-written novella, and I enjoyed every bit of it. THIS is a book that deserves more hype!
A chill ran through Cin, completely unrelated to the cold in the room, as though the distant moaning creature of his imagination was sinking its claws into his shoulders in preparation for dragging him to the hellish depths. He could see the wealthy man's blood spilling down, could feel it seeping through the wrinkles in his hands, clinging there like a brand. What did you do to him?
Sinner.
This is not a happy book, but it's all the lusher for it. If what you're looking for is a light romantic fantasy retelling, you've come to the wrong place; if what you're looking for are complex characters, magic both good and terribly dark, the difficult reality of complicated families, dynamic character arcs that feel like shadowy good intentions clawing their way to freedom, a romance as deep and impossible as it is perfect, and a story that feeds more closely from the original Grimm tale while twisting it into its own unique magic, then you've come to the right place.
This is the third book I've read by D.N. Bryn, and I think it MIGHT be the most impressive I've read yet; it's certainly very close. Bryn writes like their pen is a needle and their words thread stitched directly onto your heart; painful but delicious and so consequential. My emotions at the close of this book, while uplifted, also felt like they'd been through a grinder—wrung out, achy, FULL of wounds—but also SOMEHOW healing, hopeful, and happy. It's BEAUTIFUL, intense, and real yet dark, dark writing in this that will twist your chest into jumbled knots before letting you breathe again.
The characters are intricately complex, fascinating creatures, their good hearts pulling them to do dark deeds, sometimes just to survive, their families forcing decisions on them they would never have made for themselves and further twisting up their lives. I don't want to tell you the path these characters take in any shape or form—you should experience that for yourself—but they're not static characters who never fight against all the cruelties they're given.
Cin, our trans hero, is, of course, an INCREDIBLE character, so much so, I don't feel I can talk about him. There's SO much personality, want, struggles, desires, responsibilities, and more RAGING in his heart, I don't think I could do him justice. He's a deeply flawed, deeply sympathetic, beautiful man. And while “beautiful” is a word I hesitate to use, as it was carefully avoided in the book, I can't think of another that would equally encompass everything I mean. “Beautiful” as in intricately crafted, as in brave and strong and courageous in the face of so much longing and anguish. “Beautiful” for his story, his heart, and his journey.
Nearly just as complex and interesting is Prince Lorenz, and, again, I'm not going to wax poetic about him, but I wanted to at least praise the way he's overtly described as spoiled, yet he's SO good, SO caring, he KNOWS he's spoiled and accepts it to some degree, but is also utterly uncomplaining and not above ANYTHING. He likes his privileges but will sooner forego what he wants or do without the help of a servant and do it himself if it's to help another person, even just to make them feel remotely more comfortable. It's hard to describe how EXTREMELY charming he is. Rakish, yes, but also unbelievably pure of heart, and, again, an inherently beautiful individual.
It's tough to express how much I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, all their flaws, arcs, and talents. Bryn proved their skill here at embracing the essence of dark fairytales of magic, wonder, and twisted desire while making deeply troubled characters find their way through life and to each other.
Cinder is an indescribable type of magic that's going to live with me for a while. There were parts I liked more than others, but all of it was rich, intensely well-crafted, and thrillingly GOOD—everything I look for in a novel. Bryn is becoming a favorite author whose books I will continue to jump on the chance to read.
If you're looking for something as dark as it is hopeful and as raw as it is healing, this is the place to find it. Check the content warnings, for this is a tale not without its bloodshed. Pepare your heart for a shining but harrowing journey, and I hope to see you enjoy it as much as I did.
On close, I'll leave you with this succinct, yet wise quote from His Royal Highness Prince Lorenz of Hallin:
In the silence, the prince's voice felt like a beacon, his words a lighthouse. “The thorns in your side should be from the roses that sweeten your life. If they are not, pull them out.”
3.5
For a book featuring an assassin and evil sorcerer who are both distinctly morally gray or “chaotic neutral” at the best of times, this book is surprisingly full of sweet themes and wholesome family dynamics. While there's a mix of darkness from the characters' past and present actions, it's delivered with a sense of righteousness and moral acceptance. There's no trope of self-loathing here, but nor is there any great desire to change. The characters have interestingly accepted who they are and have motivation for what they do that leaves them guiltless. Yet the acceptance they find in each other in different ways is what finds them falling for each other in the end.
There was a lot I did like about this book, not least of all the take on character dynamics I just described. Zel's parents, too, in particular were incredibly accepting and loving of their child. One of my favorite quotes from the book was from them:
“Whether Rapunzel lives as a he or she, if it's a man our child chooses to marry, we'll never be grandparents. Does that ever bother you? I'm not saying it bothers me, but-“
“It doesn't bother me,” Sophie said, “because it isn't a parent's place to want grandchildren. It's a parent's place to want their child to live freely and happily, better than they did, whether that includes grandchildren or not, and regardless of whatever it does include. Besides, just because Rapunzel might not father a child and cannot birth one doesn't mean grandchildren are out of the question. We were orphans after all.”
Zel
This tentacle romance is soo deliciously written. It somehow manages to avoid a LOT of cliches in both story and writing style while still holding on to some of the most delectable tropes in monster romance. This definitely has notes of true mates and insta-love, for instance, but done WELL. The main characters don't quite fall for each other or even like each other when they first meet, and while that changes very quickly, I found myself so absorbed by the DRAW these characters have for each other and the yearning between them, that I was as ready for them to admit things too soon as they were.
The SPICE in this is just about everything I was looking for in this type of read, and the tentacles DID NOT DISAPPOINT. They're EVERYWHERE, and with the writing so good, I could see them and sense them and knew just how they were moving, touching, clinging, and reacting. This particular tentacle “monster” is more or less an anthropomorphic man with the addition of tentacles, but with a couple of extra surprises besides, and I found I actually REALLY liked this concept rather than more of a half man/half octopus style of monster I've read before - and, again, it was just done REALLY WELL. Hook, Line, and Tentacle also took the truth of “consent is sexy” and proved it again and again. It's one of my favorite things to see in books, especially ones where you don't always expect it due to niche genre cliches, but it is overtly present here with consideration constantly given and requested from both parties.
There are two reasons this got a four star rather than a five. One is kind of big - being that I felt the “argument” and (brief) third act breakup and successive reaction of a main character taking an extreme risk and not caring whether they made it out alive... well, EXTREME and an unnecessary overreaction had they, instead, continued to communicate as well as they thus far had and hence forth did. The other reason is entirely petty and subjective, but I'm just not a fan of the “little -“ pet name trope. In fact, I hate it, and I think any pet name would be better without the “little” in front of it, but I digress. These - mostly the first - pulled my score down a bit, but I loved the novella.
From start to finish, Hook, Line, and Tentacle was written in an emotive and delicious style that drew every image it was trying to. The characters were charming, the atmosphere was RIPE, and the spice was sooo raw and delectable. Not only would I recommend this book to any tentacle lovers out there, but I also plan to watch for this author from now on. Not only do I like her style, but she writes like she's trying to kill me in the most swoony way possible, and I will always come back for THAT delicious torture!!
With a BEAUTIFUL art style, Under the Oak Tree tells a charmingly cute love story. While both characters have had rough pasts in entirely different ways they've become GOOD people and the perfect salve for each other, which was so pleasant to read.
It's honestly an extraordinarily cute manga (webcomic?) and sweet to the point there were many times throughout my experience reading it that I described it as DREAMY. Though, not without its darkness entirely with those dark pasts coming back to haunt them and responsibilities pulling them apart.
However, from the sweet, often sparkly, vibrant, and flowery art style that conveyed emotion so poignantly well, to the story and the characters that the story builds, this actually managed to make me giddy at times, which is a rare feat to achieve, and I can't wait to get my hands on volume two.
While the TWs weren't too intense with this, there was physical and verbal abuse upon the FMC by her father - mostly via remembered snippets - and two instances of vaguely dubcon, fade-to-black intimacy scenes (I would describe the rest of the scenes as fully consenting) as the FMC was at first “consenting” to her husband only out of wifely “duty” and fear of her father's retribution were she to make her husband mad, etc. (the MMC was a sweetheart and a gentleman, however).
There was a lot to like about this book, and the places where it missed for me, I know some readers will really enjoy.
Where The Flowered Blade most excelled was with its blossoming romance, soft melancholy tones, and HEALTHY dose of hurt/comfort. It's really refreshing to find a book that plays more into a gradual shift of trust and of feelings rather than instant lust or love. This book definitely did that! While the MCs may have found each other striking in the beginning, they didn't become quite obsessed with each other until a significant amount of time had passed and they'd truly started falling for each other. That being said, I wouldn't call this a slow-burn; at least, it didn't feel like one to me. There was some smut pretty early on, and as for the emotional side of things, I wouldn't say there was a lot of yearning in the typical sense. The characters were also rarely apart, and they had a LOT of cute and touchy moments with each other without there ever being a slow building wind-up or a “will they/won't they” feeling to it. Which was fine by me! While I enjoy the occasional slow-burn, the pace of the romance in this book was, again, refreshing.
I also largely enjoyed the character arc of Silvyr. While I found his shift from, “I must escape!” to “there's no point trying to escape” abrupt — and I would have liked a little more fire from him in this sense — I found his character development and acceptance of himself and who he was with all accompanying strengths and weaknesses to be satisfying to read. His character really goes through a LOT, but by the end, no amount or suffering would change the person he had become.
All of this goes to show that the character development as well as the writing were really very good. I found that once I picked up The Flowered Blade it was easy to absorb several chapters before putting it down again. Though, while I found it easy and not UNENJOYABLE to read, there was a big chunk in the middle that dragged. Days in the lives became monotonous, and, at times, it felt the author struggled to come up with something for the characters to DO. Yes, I appreciated the slow growing admiration between the love interests, but I also feel like I could have gotten that same feeling with a large portion of the book cut out. Actually, I know I could have because I was there already when it started to drag with nothing really happening for SEVERAL chapters, many dozens of pages, before something of actual significance occurred.
There were also times I questioned the characters' intelligence, such as when it got to a point where attempting the use of an assassin would have been the obvious choice but it never crossed anyone's mind, despite their repeated assertions that they would try anything to avoid war - yet war would be inevitable at this point without some extreme measure. Without getting into spoilers, there was also a section towards the end where a certain character was “making a plan,” and was determined to do something, but it was only with the help of an unlikely ally that he was actually given the means to do the thing and had had no actual plan to fall back on otherwise. There were other, similar scenarios here and there through this and particularly towards the end, and while I don't need characters to be geniuses, unless ‘mild dullard' is an intentional character trait, I'd rather they have more logical point A-point B sense.
Regardless of these critiques, I DID actually enjoy the majority of this read. A queernormative society is my preference, and the unblinking acceptance of Silvyr and his identity was refreshing. His simple, unquestioned existence made me wonder, at times, if any of the other, side characters were trans, and, while nothing was ever implied that they were, I liked the idea that they very well could be, as there would have never been any reason to bring it up.
Overall, this was a fine read, and while there's more to be said in both the positive and negative for A Flowered Blade, I'll leave it there and allow you to make your own judgements. Be aware that the majority of the intimacy in this read was dubcon, ESPECIALLY the first two encounters where things started out very aggressive (but enjoyed by the characters). Even the later encounters where both parties were clearly very enthusiastic, Silvyr was still Brokil's captive, so, technically, full consent was impossible. There's also a lot - a LOT - of hurt/comfort, emphasis on the HURT. Torture as well as familial physical, mental, and emotional abuse. So check your triggers before journeying! But if you're looking for an emotional, Achillean, fantasy romance with soft tones and a gradual falling in love, you may have come to the right place.
Wraith took me by surprise with its Marvel movie style superhero origin story, complete with both fascinating side characters and powerful, sympathetic villains. The writing style is so easy to read, the story is incredibly fast-paced, the powers exhibited are unique and VIVID, and on the whole, I just really enjoyed this read that was a little off-beat from my usual genres.
My only critique is that sometimes the timeline seemed TOO condensed, most of this story happening in under a week. While plot and action flowed, in the back of mind, the speed at which bonds formed and progress was made felt a little too fast-paced.
That being said, the majority of the story flowed so well with so much action and so many twists and revelations happening from one chapter to the next, that the accelerated timeline was easy to ignore.
And truly, there was so much happening! This book has it all, from an abusive, stalker ex girlfriend, to science labs and experiments, to government conspiracies, to a twisted villain doing everything they had to just to get back the one thing they cared about, to... honestly, a lot more that I don't want to even faintly spoil. I was on the edge of my proverbial seat almost the entire way through Wraith ESPECIALLY in the last half, and most of the twists I never saw coming.
And while this book is DRIVEN by its plot, the characters have wonderfully dramatic histories, personalities, and characters arcs. For instance, the main character has misophonia (decreased tolerance to certain sounds), and the way she's not only bothered by it but HANDLES it felt so realistic and lifelike. Also, the way she FOUND herself and her strength again after FINALLY having escaped her toxic relationship was empowering to watch. I REALLY liked her, and I'm excited to learn she'll likely make some appearances in a future book, one that I'll definitely be reading.
In the meantime, Wraith's publisher has sadly shut down. I can only be thankful I had the opportunity to receive an ARC of Wraith before that happened (I actually read this a few months ago and genuinely thought I had posted the review until I found it still lurking in my drafts!). I dearly hope this book can get its legs under it again and get published because it's SO, so good and deserves to be in the hands of readers. In any case, thank you to the author for this read and good luck! I loved every page of it and am looking forward to seeing it out in the world one day, hopefully sooner rather than later!
A Whispered Oath is a full length story crammed into a novella, and while some people will certainly like that, it felt to me like vastly too much story and world-building in vastly too short a book. The writing was often confusing, like the author expected us to know what she meant and what was going on in her head while the actual words on the page didn't elaborate or give enough clarification. There were many times I had to re-read passages to try to figure out the intention behind them, and to me, it felt more like a writing style error than a comprehension problem.
The world-building was definitely the strongest part of this book, and I actually loved how big it was. This is a real fantasy book that has cities and monsters and lore which added a depth to the surroundings. It just needed to be either a smaller taste of story or a much bigger novel to get a better sense of it all.
I also enjoyed the dark elements here. A Whispered Oath is not a light read. There's plenty of death and murder, tortured pasts, monsters, and huge stakes. I greatly appreciated how rich all of this was and only found myself constantly wishing it wasn't so quick and vague so that I could immerse into the gritty world more.
When it comes to character building, all I can say is that it was okay, though, really, it couldn't decide what Marianne was supposed to BE. I, personally, found her a bit annoying, especially in the first half when all she would do is cry all the time. She's called a thief towards the beginning, but she never steals. She was trained in an order of killers but claims she's not a very good fighter. She was raised to hate monsters but immediately bonds with a vampire. Most egregious of all, she wants vengeance and talks about “burning them all” towards the beginning of the book, and then at the end, says her companions were the ones obsessed with vengeance and that “wasn't who she was.” I really don't love a weak MC, especially a FMC, and that's what Marianne felt like to me. The rest of the characters, however, were a little more consistent and likable.
At the end of the day, A Whispered Oath had great potential, - and not to sound like a parrot squawking on repeat - but it needed MORE, more room to share all of the wonderful ideas clearly present here. It's far from the worst debut I've read, but there's a lot of room for growth, and I hope we get to see it! I would recommend this book to dark fantasy lovers who value a fast-paced read that doesn't pause for air.
Warning for briefly mentioned rape from the book.
As I read an ARC copy of this book, I can only hope some of the discrepancies and issues I mention will have been re-written in the final published copy.
Unfortunately, this book didn't feel ready for publication to me and could have benefitted from a re-write or a few rounds of edits.
To begin with, there were several inconsistencies. There were smaller things like when the MMC used the word “cryptid” and then later didn't know what that word meant, or like when the FMC's friends refer to her not having her phone until they bring it to her in a week, only for the FMC to somehow have her phone a couple chapters later, or like how the FMC says she and her ex met on a cryptid hunting site and then later says he disapproved of her hunting cryptids. And then there were bigger things like the FMC being aroused and not traumatized by having her hair pulled regardless of how her ex pulled on her hair so viciously when he was raping her a couple of WEEKS prior.
The writing was extremely monotonous and hard to get through after a certain point, as all the minutiae of every single movement, action, and second of every day was detailed, from every bathroom break for each MC, to getting dressed, one article of clothing at a time, to opening a shampoo bottle, pouring the substance into a hand, lifting it to hair, and scrubbing it in, proceeded by conditioner in a similar fashion. Literally, every paragraph was this. Nothing was left remotely implied, and after 200 pages of it, I started lightly skimming just to get through the monotony of the day by day living, eating, washing, and a great deal of spice.
I always slowed the light skimming for the suggestions of plot, but the biggest, most interesting plot line potential, the disappearance of the MMC's people, or “herd,” was left unpursued and ignored, no answers given, leaving a massive plothole. Also, everything the MCs could have wanted was just GIVEN to them. They didn't have to use a single brain cell or fight for a single thing. And the plot it DID give had less than a page of screentime in the final chapter before it resolved. And while I don't want to spoil what little plot that was, I'll say that it was unfulfilling in every regard, and there was zero on-page action.
Most of this book is just the main characters TRYING to find something to do to fend off boredom, mostly eating, washing, or, usually, devolving into spice. For me, after a certain point, it became - again - very monotonous. Massive chunks of this book could have been stripped or edited down, to the point the actual STORY and romance between the main characters could have been told in a novella. Very easily, actually. Three hundred+ pages was unnecessary to tell this romance, and I think it would have been more like a 3* star for me if a good editor had managed to cut and condense all the meaningless scenes and extra writing/pages (and clear up all the inconsistencies).
I'm disappointed Hoof It didn't fit meet my expectations. From synopsis alone, I feel like this story implied a lot more plot, darkness, and intrigue. There's more I could say about what Hoof It actually is, but I'll leave it there.
If you're a big, BIG fan of fluffy, lovey-dovey spice, and want to read about 250 pages of just that, mixed with some food breaks and bathtime and a bare minimum of anything else, then this may be a better fit for you.
