Wayward
Let me get this out of the way: the ending was STUPID. It could have easily wrapped up a variety of ways and been sent off into this green earth, but the author or publisher or someone must have wanted a sequel, because the author made Nhika a freaking imbecile in order to create a plot for the second book of her duology, and that frustrates me. If you're going to write a duology, fine. Don't make your previously intelligent characters IDIOTS in order to do that.
If you ignore the last few pages, this book was quite good. So good, in fact, that I had already started jotting down praising notes and commendations for a glowing 4-star review that I would have recommended to everyone who enjoys the genre. I think my exact words were: “Is it perfect? No. Is it excellent? YES.” In fact, aside from a few minor inconsistencies (and the idiotic ending) there was very little wrong with this book and whole lot good about it.The world that's spun in The Last Bloodcarver is somewhere between fantasy and steampunk and brings to mind Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, though where that series seems futuristic, this one seems historical. It's an interesting, clever world with prejudices and politics that you don't often see so well-crafted in a YA.The plot is a bit of a shifting thing that keeps developing as the story progresses, which makes it seem alive and breathing along with the characters and generally kept me hooked, though it did slow down a bit at one point before picking up again and never letting go. Still, even this slow point moved along steadily with pages quick to flip one after another, and when I picked it up, I truly didn't want to put it down.While, as aforementioned, Nhika was necessarily stupid in the finale for the way the author wrote the ending in order to create a plot for the sequel, the rest of the time she was quite sharp. She had depth and obvious motivation, longing for a family like the one she lost when she was too young, her heart softer than she pretends it to be. I appreciated her as a character (except in the finale) because it's somewhat uncommon to find female characters with whole personalities who seem like real people, especially in YA, but this book excelled at it.For a while, I didn't understand how the romance and love interest would make sense, but finally things clicked into place, and I grew to like Ven Kochin so much more. There was more to him than I realized, and everything he was made sense for his character arc. I really enjoyed him and his bond with Nhika.Alongside these two were a handful of other characters that all played reasonably significant roles in the story. They each had character traits that set them apart, and I was intrigued in all of them any time they were on the page.Overall, the uniqueness of this world and the richness of the characters in it, developed through the skilled writing of its author made this a good book that I was invested in. It was almost a great book, but that ending left me with a bitter feeling of frustration that it took me a while to overcome even to write this review, and I'm not sure whether I will push past that to read the sequel. Do be aware that these characters' stories do not get a HFN, and the sequel will be a necessary read if you want to get their full story. If you're okay with that, then this is a solid YA read that shines in its genre, and you'd be hard-pressed to not enjoy it.The Last Bloodcarver *TRIGGER WARNINGS:
~Caged animals for sale in an underground market
~Killing of a monkey and another small animal
~Guns/knives
~Blood, corpses, mild gore, mild anatomical horror
~Blackmail/threats
I read How to Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love for Indie Ink Awards 2023/2024, and it turned out to be not only my favorite book of the event (out of several great books) but one of my favorite books of the year.
When he let his gaze detach, he could almost feel a shudder along his spine from the ragged way Justin groaned.
How to Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love
”There's something else I'd rather bite... right under their noses.”What would it be like to be bitten here, to feel the rush of the venom while surrounded by these strangers and their sideways glances and unsated curiosity? His heart thudded faster. He wanted to know; he wanted to feel Clem's fangs in him like a dirty secret.”
intentional
When Clementine spoke, his voice came out not quite as he'd meant, darker somehow, and rumbling with a sound like a vampiric growl. He could feel his fangs out–had he ever put them away?–and he was suddenly aware of the lingering hints of Justin's blood on his mouth. “I want you to scream for me.”
How to Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love
This story was trying to be a lot of things to the point it felt like the author sat down to write and came up with her world along the way, throwing in explanations as needed and then transforming the entire tale into an allegory for the author's agenda.
If this were just the anachronistic-fantasy-samurai-anime-in-book-form the synopsis claims it is, it could have been good. If it were just an allegory for the average superhero, black, working, mom fighting personal demons that this story morphed into, it could have been good. Unfortunately, it tried doing both of these things at once without filling the gaps in between. What was probably an organic afterthought - the allegory aspect of the book - ended up making more sense than the “anime” plot it left behind.
Honestly wanted to like this, but Sistah Samurai was a bit of a nonsensical, jumbled tower of cards that didn't have the necessary supports to keep standing. Does it deserve 3 stars? I don't know, but as someone who doesn't normally read this style and probably won't ever again, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.
This is honestly a killer book, and my rating is closer to 4.5 than 4. If you enjoy horror, this is one of the handful of books in the genre that that I would actually recommend to you. Be aware, there ARE a lot of horrifying elements - I'll put a few trigger warnings at the bottom of this review.
One of the best things this book does, in my opinion, is character development. There are several distinct personalities here, and they're all created expertly with subtety and nuance. This is one of those rare gems that actually gives its characters personalities. Even Katherine, who isn't my favorite character, had clear personality development from her past and the life that had shaped her.
Margaret, the main character, was incredibly admirable. To quote her, she was “perfectly willing to make a heaven of any hell in which [she] found [herself]. But [she] would be goddamned if [she] made [her] daughter endure it.”
Margaret is every bit the unsung hero of her own story.
The plot of this novel is an ever-twisty thing that somehow gets twistier the more you read, with secrets, present and past, being uncovered page by page. Again, this is one of those rare books that was constantly surprising me, even when I was picking up on the oh-so-deliciously-subtle hints it was dropping, and, therefore, was constantly wanting to read more - I was often even thinking The September House and its characters when I WASN'T reading it. What seems direct and in your face in the beginning is not remotely the entire story, but it paces out so well I was always fed yet always hungry for more.
I didn't really expect to love this book, and there's a high chance I wouldn't ever have picked it up were it not the book of the month for the horror discord bookclub I'm a part of (still mightn't have bothered, except my best friend was reading it, so I figured I might as well too). Why? Well, I got the impression this would be a fairly typical haunted house tale that's been done ad nauseam. This is not that. There're countless layers and depth. It's not just startling little ghosty jumpscares. It's... well, I can't tell you much without spoiling anything, but it's... personal and achingly impressive. If you're into horror reads, this is strong book that's both scary and a whole lot of fun. Highly recommend.
The September HouseTrigger Warnings (Some of the TW's below are POTENTIAL SPOILERS):
~Blood, copious, excessive, constant
~Gore, excessive, from past ghost children and present circumstances (this includes mentions and occasionally descriptions of dismemberment, disembowlment, mutilations, broken bones, burns, dead bodies, being ripped apart etc.)
~Dead birds (they often kamikaze against the house, and this is a recurring theme throughout the book. They aren't described in excessive detail, but they are discussed frequently)
~Past kidnapped and murdered children
[~Non-consensual drugging with sleeping pills
~Alcoholism
~Abusive relationship (this is an EXTREMELY toxic relationship that includes verbal and physical abuse, and a HIGHLY controlling nature with rampant jealousy and aggression. It's from the past, but there are flashbacks, and it's mentioned and described frequently)
~Implied cannibalism (past, brief)
~Past suicide (with sleeping pills)
This was going to be a 4-star, but I didn't quite understand the last couple of paragraphs.
Overall, it's a very well-written story that embraces classic fae nightmarish WEIRDNESS, which I love and need more of. The plot is very smart, the MC's past a tragic tale that has brought them to the desperate choice of making a deal with the fae.
Honestly, worth the read if you like fae and/or horror stories (it's free to download on the author's website!). Definitely will be checking their other works.
He hoped Felipe could feel through the tether how much he loved him, how much he wanted him, how he moved through the world thinking of things that made him happy.
🥹🫀🥹🫀🥹 oh my GOSH!! This short is everything. It's SO soft and sweet, Oliver and Felipe's relationship and feelings for each other shine through. This is how you build characters, this is how you build a couple. They're SO GOOD for each other, and I adore them both.
This short is a freaking gift.
The Loop earned its second star by creating a fast-paced writing style that's easy to follow and easy to read. Additionally, the author clearly had a working understanding of New Orleans and nearby cities, which made the landscape realistic.
Unfortunately, that's where the stars end. Not making sense at times and rampant with plot holes weren't even the worst of its problems. Worst was the utter lack of characterization. Not only did Maggie and Ben have a deficit of any sort of meaningful past - especially Ben who seemed to have fallen out of the void into this story - but pre-established family or friends was an afterthought - literally, Ben kept forgetting about his parents and Maggie never even THOUGHT about hers. These characters were wind-up toys, set on a path and let go.
What little we DID learn of their pasts didn't shape who they were today. For instance, you'd think Maggie's experiences with previous “loops” and being seen as some sort of witch or seer and reject would have left some scars and personality traits behind, especially since she's still amongst the peers who would whisper about her behind her back. However, even though, towards the end of the novel, she describes how she wished she could be the “invisible girl,” her “personality” in this book was bold, brash, optomistic, and excitable. Not what I'd expect from a verbally bullied, rejected highschooler who wished she were “invisible.
To be frank, this is NOT the worst book I've read. While the plot was weak, there was something there that could have been good. Who doesn't love a Groundhog Day but with an added twist of Fate with a capital F attempting to force you into the path of your death every cycle? If all the plot holes were cleaned up, it might have even crawled its way to a 3-star, carboard characters and all.
Regardless, I'm glad I FINALLY just read this and got it off my TBR, where it's been sitting for years. Unfortunately, I'm now left with a book that's doomed for the trade-in bin, and an experience that wasn't too painful but also isn't something I'd ever recommend to someone else.
4.5
I didn't fully understand the concept of this book going in, and, to be honest, I wasn't sure I would like it. While Initiation has been on my radar for over a year - maybe two - and I definitely sometimes enjoy some well-written kinky spice in my books, I thought this one would be a little outside my comfort zones - especially, too, with the concept of open relationships since I tend to gravitate solely to monogamy in books.
However, like our main character Dominai, I was willing to try, and although he rather jumps in with both feet, the other characters he's with are wonderful at easing him in to various types of play/spellcasting with lots of check-ins so that I felt just as secure as Dominai did in his many bindings.
The release of pleasure through various types of play casts spells into these special types of rings and beads that can be carried with the characters and then used at their leisure for whatever purpose they intended when casting. Somehow, the release of energy giving the power of a spell that can be held in a special type of stone makes an enormous amount of sense to me, and I LOVE the way it's done in this story. That plot mechanic alone is GENIUS. The way it's carried out is so exceptionally done through the simple, clear, candid writing that this book was SO easy to read and pulled me in immediately.
Besides how good the writing was, what I loved MOST about this story were the relationships amongst all of the characters. Through the very means of their spell-casting and their emphasis on trust and consent, everyone becomes extremely close, like a found family. Kisses are common, not only on lips but friendly ones on cheeks and foreheads. Everyone cares about one another on a personal level, not just an intimate one, and it's easy to tell right away that just about anyone at this magical haven would do anything to help one of their members.
This is done so effortlessly, so NATURALLY - the nature of their magic leading to openness - that I didn't blink at the shared affection amongst everyone. Honestly, it was a kind of acceptance that warmed me from the inside out, and I could read ten more books with these characters.
Despite the openness of relationships, that didn't mean there wasn't room for special affection between individuals, which you can see here and there in this place. One such special relationship begins to form between Dominai and another, which I really appreciated. Their attraction and magnetism towards each other, slowly becoming each other's PERSON, even as their openness never falters, was so heartwarming. I loved the extra attachments a couple characters gained for one another without jealousy ever being even an after-thought.
Somehow, with all of this growing amidst a haze of delicious spice and magic-casting, there's a darker plot in the background that rises up and becomes a climax to the story. While I enjoyed the excitement of this plot and getting to see these wizards using their spells in action, I found these elements of travel and tracking to be a little underdeveloped. The tracking by Dominai was weak based on his supposed experience - only able to find a trail where there are shoe prints in the wet mud. The landscape is barely described, and I didn't get much of a feel for the travel as it was largely glossed over.
None of these factors are the point of the book, and at the end of the day, they didn't subtract much enjoyment from the story, but I found them worth mentioning.
Overall, this is a shockingly GOOD book. Of course, you have to be open to reading about all kinds of kinks, but even if you think you might not like something you may find you're as surprised as I am to discover it's quite fun to read in this story. Already, I know this book is a favorite of the year, and I'm so glad I finally read it.
This short is an intense look into a woman's nearly forced descent into madness, and it's done incredibly well, with a husband who ignores everything his wife says, deciding he knows better.
Somehow in fewer than 30 pages it imbues this feeling of dread and stress from the main character's mental illness that only continues to exponentially worsen through the story from her husband's “treatment,” even as she begs him for what she knows would actually help if he'd only listen.
It's a dark little tale of warning that's horrifying in its relatability, for it could happen to anyone under the right (or wrong) circumstances.
Definitely recommend taking the time to read, but only when your own mental health is stable, for there ARE a lot of mentions of anxiety, rampant depression, and eerie imagery.
There's so much to say about this book, it's difficult to put my thoughts in order to find a starting point. I'm so sad Five Lords of Dusk is practically undiscovered because there's so much magnificence here, and while there were a couple of things that could have been rearranged or cleaned up a bit, this was a spectacular, magical, lyrically-written fantasy with vibrant, queer characters, a distinctly-crafted world, and a heady plot with so many twists and moving pieces! While I don't think every reader would love it, there is absolutely an audience for this equisite novel, and I'm among them.
“You disturb my Empire just by existing and there is much I could do to correct that. This is not a land where the Blooded can just roam free, without consequence.”
Thunder cracked through the sky. Dorian's head whipped up in alarm, then they noticed Shye's face had gone dark and cold, his eyes burning like glacial moons. Lightning split the gathering clouds and a storm broke from nowhere over Ashridge Below, spilling chilling frostfall rain down on them.
Five Lords of Dusk
Dorian ignored the pleased hum that followed from the Stormborn's mouth. They didn't have much experience with yearning for things beyond the freedom to be as they pleased and to hunt as they pleased, and they were too aware of the dangers of wanting to entertain any sign from Shye that incited them to want at all.
Five Lords of Dusk
The Reanimator's Soul brings such a depth of complicated human emotions to a world full of common politics and uncommon magics. In addition to Oliver and Felipe's burgeoning relationship, family problems, and the new murder mystery that falls in their laps, this book also introduces Oliver's infamous ex. There's so much going in this story. It's smart. It's complex. And it's so good.
There are a lot of things I enjoy about this story, but at the forefront of all of them is how real Oliver and Felipe feel as people - their emotions, their anxieties, their needs, and their struggles to balance life and work. They're fully structured characters, not only in the present, but with pasts that haunt them.
While this story progressed Oliver and Felipe's interpersonal relationship beautifully, it also built upon the characters individually from the first book and gave us growth and more insight into relationships outside of their bubble, all while handling a complicated case that shows off more of the magical community and of prejudices both inside and outside that community.
There's so much packed into The Reanimator's Soul that I haven't even glossed over in this review, that the book feels much longer than it is - in the best way possible. It's loaded with questions and answers, pain and comfort, buried pasts and stoking futures, and frankly, it's a whole lot of bang for your buck. To me, it's a book to sit down with and savor, consume with a mug of your favorite hot beverage and slip into this magical past where two men struggle to solve a crime much bigger than it seems while dealing with past lovers, present family drama, and their feelings for each other.
It's a great, well-written book that honors what was created in the first novel builds upon it. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a lush, urban fantasy murder mystery with a queer romance, especially if you're looking for an autistic main character. This won't disappoint.
Eh, it was alright. This is a VERY short story without any kind of depth. As if a character breaking the 5th wall of a video game, Myrthra is a self-aware “adventurer” who takes on silly little quests from silly little farmers who do nothing but mill around town waiting for such an adventurer. Myrthra, herself, describes these village folk in this manner.
Myrthra... isn't a logical character and has no reason for accepting this particular quest - she doesn't even inquire about a reward. To further exemplify her lack of logic, her magically-armored dress is later torn and instead of clipping it together as best she can, she.... strips and wanders around this monster-infested crypt naked.
No shoes or boots were ever mentioned, and, after she stripped naked, ran around on bare feet. It was her dress that was ripped. Why was she not wearing shoes? ...
I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this short, but some stories are crafted with love and lust and some stories are just... written. This one felt like the latter.
Quick story with even quicker spice, all of which was... unfulfilling.
The rating for this short ranged from a 5-star to 2-star while I was reading it, and I'm honestly sitting here so confused how it could start so atmospheric and delicious, taper into drab monotone about 40% in, and then leave me with the suggestion of a great twist at the end without following through and confirming it.
From page one, I was thrilled as how I was plunged into this nightmarish snowstorm where monsters roamed with glowing yellow faces. I was hooked, highlighting passages there at the start, and then again, a few pages later, for how scene-setting and enticing they were.
Then, as I continued reading, that descriptive language devolved into simple, blunt action sentences with no description. These felt awkward and monotone and hugely different from the start. I kept waiting for the description to pick up again, but it just didn't.
Then, for a moment at the end, I was intrigued by the implied twist and turned the page, excited to read how that would play out or at least wrap up, with a confirmation/explanation. Instead, I was met with the author bio leaving me hanging, confused, and unsatisfied.
I don't know what to say. Clearly this author has the ability to write beautifully, but I'm so disappointed that didn't carry through the whole short. I LOVED the atmosphere at the beginning and the monsters he created here. That's my favorite kind of horror, and I would love to see more like it, but not if I'm left jarred and lacking by the end.
I'd be willing to give this author's stories another try sometime but only if the opportunity presents itself.
Through Flickering Lights, A SilhouetteTrigger Warnings
~Past murder/suicide, witnessed by a child
~Brief blood/gore
~Past, implied abusive/toxic relationship between parents
~Monsters
~Swearing
~Death
~Smoking
I've never read anything by this author before, but I picked up Twelve Days to Die as an interesting-looking short by signing up for his mailing list.
My reaction to it and the author's writing was... under-whelmed. His story-telling and the progression of the story while keeping the mechanics of this tiny world clear for someone who's never stepped into it before were well-done. The use of language, the battle scenes, and the character building were average at best, and my interest was slipping a lot, especially in the first half or so.
What I appreciate is that the author seems to have a working knowledge of blades and fighting - at least a bit more than I do. Weapon types, how to fight with them, and how to fight against them were explained briefly whenever a battle would come up without getting too verbose with the explanations.
Since I gather from other reviews that this is a backstory for a character from other novels, I can see why it's well-appreciated. For me, someone who had no stakes in this world or character before opening this book, it was a mediocre, brief, fantasy read with unoriginal writing but a cool little tale of a tortured, abused, highly-trained warrior. I'd recommend it to those who have enjoyed his books before and want a little more information on this particular character.
Twelve Days to Die Trigger Warnings
~Slavery
~Rape, past, frequent, by her “master,” who is a father-figure/teacher/adopted parent (not on-page but mentioned several times as a past, on-going occurrence possibly since the main character was purchased at the age of 8)
~Physical abuse
~Drinking and drunkeness
~Murder
~A little bit of blood
~On-page consensual sex, but vague and brief
Forget & Forgive was a strong 4-star read for me, and I can see why a lot of people would rate it a full 5-stars; it's a great novella. Easy to read with simple, useable language, this story is in classic Witt style that had me flipping pages effortlessly and wanting to continue at every chapter-end to find out all the intimate details of Matteo's and Owen's pasts and how they got into their current predicaments.
One thing I love about this story that I almost NEVER read is the focus on the inward thoughts and emotions of the characters, their personalities, and the reasons for the choices they make, while their physical appearances and outside stimulations are barely, if ever, mentioned. While I can appreciate a good character description and frequent reminders about how VIBRANT someone's eye color is, I love the careful avoidance of verbose language, when, what's important isn't the color of Matteo's hair or what Owen is wearing; it's the horrible mistake Matteo made a year ago, how it's affected both of them ever since, and what they're going to do about it now.
The first and only books that come to mind that do something similar - though a bit differently - are Jane Austen's novels - leaving character descriptions largely up to the readers' imaginations, while the choices they make and where those lead them, at the forefront of her storytelling.
This was truly a combination of unique and impressive to me, and it was part of what kept me so intrigued.
The only thing I can say negatively about this book is that I found the circling thoughts of the characters and their conversations more repetitive than necessary to drive home a point. While this novella does an excellent job of giving the full story without excess, I think it could be trimmed down just a SMIDGEN more by cutting out some of the repeating thoughts and words.
Overall, Forget & Forgive is a gut-punch of emotions delivered in a devourable package. As long as you know what you're signing up for - a past-cheating, second-chance romance between self-aware and pleasingly mature adults, with a backdrop of magic - well, then you can't be disappointed. It's done extremely well, and I'm glad I read it. These characters will stick with me for a while. I definitely recommend.
Forget & Forgivetrigger warnings
~Past (one night stand) cheating at the forefront of the story; brought up frequently and discussed at length
~Mentioned anxiety
~Depression
~Wounds acquired by being a vet to “exotic” animals (magical creatures); scratches/gashes - nothing excessive or detailed
I was looking for something short and sweet with a little bit of spice, and this delivered. It was an easy read that I finished in less than an hour, and was brief and interesting enough to want to keep flipping pages.
I do feel the author knows next to nothing about mechanics, and this coming from someone who also knows next to nothing. While this IS a short story so fine details aren't usually necessary, I appreciate when an author takes the time to do a little research for characters' occupations.
I was also rather skeptical about Dylan being so eager and willing to do multiple firsts with a man as a gay virgin at his place of work, but I suspended my disbelief as much as possible for the enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this is an okay little short that I enjoyed for a freebie.
A wonderful, touching, charming, beautifully written short from Samantha SoRelle. It's easily readable in one sitting, as I have just done, and it satisfied everything I wanted from a sweet, brief, M/M regency romance.
The writing is wonderful, the characters are surprisingly well-developed, the era is accurate, and the romance is sugary and breath-taking. Love, love, love.
I read a book by T. Kingfisher called The Hollow Places. It was my jam; it was my flavor. I soaked it up and savored it. Since then I've read the mediocre The Twisted Ones and, now, A House with Good Bones, chasing that good storytelling with relatable heroes and indescribable, cosmic horror that The Hollow Places gave me. And I haven't really found it.
Yes, Sam Montgomery, the MC, IS relatable and a decently-crafted character, which is how this book gets its second star. Unfortunately, for me, anyway, that's where the quality ends. Honestly, that second star barely scraped by anyway because Sam is, at times, an enormous idiot.
A House with Good Bones has a painfully slow moving story in which very little happens for an actual 75% of the book. There are occasional strange occurrences, but these are too unrelated, far apart, or simply dismissed to grow in me any kind of lurking horror or dread. If I think back on the book as a whole, there were two scenes in the entire book that made me feel any type of that good-horror dread.
One lasted a couple of pages and before being dismissed and leaving me disappointed that the creepy horror I was hoping for from Kingfisher wasn't “finally starting” like I had thought.
The second was in the final climax in the last 15%ish, but again, only lasted briefly before falling away because, as I said, this book had failed to grow a creeping dread before now, so whatever I felt briefly in the final climax had no legs to stand on. It almost transformed into silliness instead and a lackluster push to get the book over with.
Overall, the plot followed the mechanics of the other two Kingfisher books I read but with fewer scares, a stupider main character, and much less mystery-horror building to make me excited to finally discover all the answers in the end.
I'd call A House with Good Bones a watered down The Twisted Ones and a flavorless stone soup compared the The Hollow Places. Will I read another Kingfisher book? I don't know. I've been asking myself that question since finishing this book. Part of me still wants to try to find something of hers that thrills and excites me as much as The Hollow Places did, but, truth be told, had I read this book first I doubt I'd ever have picked up another by her.
Let's just say I'm glad I borrowed this book from my library's digital system. Perhaps The Hollow Places was a one-off for me, and I should quit before Kingfisher and I continue disappointing one another.
My feelings about this book can be summed up with one mono-syllabic grunt: meh.
While I enjoyed venturing back into the world of Firefly and SERENITY'S crew, and the plot and characterization were overall believable for cannon Firefly, the delivery system of writing style, and the actual INTEREST generated in me from the plot were subpar.
This book was clearly written to deliver familiar characters on a standard job in their universe. Because that's where the focus is, there's nothing exciting about the writing style. It isn't a drag, but it also isn't interesting in the least. There's no vivid description or clever analogies here, and I found my focus waning frequently. I re-read multiple sections of this book when I realized my mind had wandered while reading it. It's basic writing to deliver a basic plot
The plot... is fine. Just “fine.” It could have been an episode of the show. But it's nothing earth-shattering, and the only stake is Mal's life. Which, hey, is important, but it didn't make for a thrilling story. There's nothing bigger going on than a single character in moderate danger from a ghost from his past. There's nothing here about saving a world, changing a world, fighting monstrous reavers, or solving River's strange supernatural abilities.
It's just... Mal getting kidnapped and the rest of the crew trying to find and retrieve him. That's it. That's the book.
Overall, I'm glad I read it because I missed the world, and I enjoyed seeing the characters again, but I wouldn't be likely to recommend it.
P.S. Also, the narrator for the audiobook is TERRIBLE at characterization and didn't sound as if he'd ever watched the show. This doesn't factor in to my rating of the book, but the narrator of the audio gets a 1 star. He might be fine for other books, but he shouldn't have narrated this book.
Big Damm HeroTrigger Warnings
~A character mentions having thought about suicide in the past and describes it a couple of times
~Kidnapping
~Beating
~Alcoholic content
~Past cheating
~Murder
~Mild blood and gore
Featuring clingy, sugary sweetness, Burner Account is a tale with realistic characters working through a realistic issue and falling utterly in love with each other along the way. It's a book I could both relate to and aspire to, overcoming past traumas, and letting a new, healthy relationship slowly clear the way with just enough burn to get my mouth watering.
While I found the only theme of angst in this book - Isaiah's self-image issues - to be monotonous, I do understand on a logical level anyone would suffer these issues after having toxic, traumatic verbal abuse and body shaming in the past, and they wouldn't be that easy to overcome. While it felt like this plot dragged a little, the growth of Isaiah's and Tanner's relationship was necessary to reach a crescendo and this issue to finally bubble to the surface. And, honestly, Witt did an excellent job including everything necessary AND everything toe-curling without too much excess. The relationship between our MC's moves right along without lingering more than I wanted it to, which is ideal for a good contemporary romance, especially one of this length.
Tanner and Isaiah make this book special. At its core, this is a warm, spicy latte of friends-to-lovers romance with pining and insta-love tropes all simmered together. There's a lot of delicious longing, and the spice, when it finally happens, is explosive. These two are absolutely meant for each other, and the chemistry flies off the pages.
Burner Account is a super fluffy story that was a cozy interlude from my usual more intense reads. I loved Tanner and Isaiah's burgeoning relationship, and I so appreciate the body positivity Tanner absolutely exuded. Honestly an adorable, heartwarming book.
Burner Account Trigger Warnings
~Internalized fatphobia isn't exactly right but is as close as I can describe. It's directed at himself and no one else.
~Past verbal abuse
~Past cheating (not by the MC's)
~Past gaslighting
~Unsupportive family members
I would love to get poetic with this review because The Reanimator's Heart was exceptionally well-done and had me relating so hard at times my heart hurt. Not only is this a favorite book of the year, but it's a favorite book, ever. In the words written by another of my favorite authors, however, “If I loved you less I might be able to talk about it more.” The Reanimator's Heart was like finding my world. It's a niche I wanted and didn't know I could have. I don't know if I can do it justice, but I'll try to explain some of what makes it amazing.
The Reanimator's Heart builds a magical society with rules and politics; characters who are imminently distinct, relatable, and loveable; a swoon-worthy romantic relationship; a magical murder mystery; and an over-arcing plot of evil and gothic horror. Somehow all of this in 300 pages, delivered with just enough insight to be fascinating and utterly gripping while following our protagonists.
Set in an undefined alternate past, this world imagines what things would be like with magic, monsters, shifters, and demons, and how those things would be policed. Particularly through the eyes of Detective Felipe Galvan and Forensic Investigator Oliver Barlow.
Oliver and Felipe on their own are just incredible characters. Felipe is a brave, daring, gentle sweetheart, and a detective through and through, with golden morals and a complicated family. I love Felipe, though I feel like I'm not the first to say I adored Oliver even more.
There were so many ways Oliver was intimately relatable to me, ways I've rarely seen characters be before. There were multiple times Oliver said or did something or felt a certain way that clicked in my soul.
On top of that, this poor, darling, ANGEL of a man literally just wants to be understood and accepted himself, and maybe loved a little. His quirks make him different, he's rarely been treated well because of them. His first instinct is always to blame himself, an habit that shattered my heart more than once. This man deserves infinitely more kindness than was given him.
Because of that as well as Felipe's own quiet need, I can't describe how much happiness Oliver and Felipe's romance gave me. They've been basically pining for each other for years, and the same night Oliver decides to ask Felipe on a date, he finds him dead in his room. My freaking heart. These two... They're so good. They're so precious. They not only DESERVE each other, they NEED each other, and they're so stinking GOOD for each other <3
Oliver and Felipe are a BIG reason I'm looking forward to the sequel, but they're not the only reason. I've already mentioned monsters and magic, but when I tell you the plot of this book was equally as compelling as the charming, emotional chemistry of our antagonists, I mean I was hooked by the generous world-building and weaponized magic murder mystery from the opening chapters.
A novel with a murder mystery, for me, has to have some extra layers to hold my attention. The Reanimator's Heart? It's like a honey-sweet baklava of a novel. We have a magically strangled nun out in the snow at night. A suspiciously persuasive priest. And someone has murdered Felipe.
Not to mention the building they work in, the Paranormal Society, is bigger on the inside and sometimes changes, or that the head archivist, Mr. Turpin seems to know things without being told, or the social norms of magics and which ones are and which ones aren't allowed in polite conversation.
There's an entire, juicy little world here with magical tomes and thievery and demons and awkward Sunday family dinners. It's bursting at the seams with stories, and I want to know ALL of them. I want more mysteries and more gothic horror liminal spaces and more monsters and more reassuring touches and soft kisses shared in a misty-windowed steamer.
The Reanimator's Heart is one of the best stories I've ever read. It is... acceptance and understanding while simultaneously full of the macabre, the morbid, the dark. It's love and companionship and finding each other while simultaneously stumbling into stark, gothic churches full of decaying corpses and jarred hearts. It is absolutely delicious. Atmospheric, yet REAL and WARM.
I'm incredibly eager to read more of this story and so excited book two is now out! If you enjoy a big world and plot and a little bit of gore along with your gentle, sturdy, queer romance, then I can't recommend this book enough. If you like it half as much as I do, you'll still love it. Go get this book. You won't be sorry.
Of course, this is not your typical happy romance. It's not even your typical dark romance. The first two stories, especially, don't have an HEA at all. I wouldn't normally pick up a book like this, but I think I got it for free a couple years ago and just now decided I was in the mood for these types of stories. And I'm so freaking glad I did. This book is an experience, and I found it totally worth my time. Parts of these stories will stick out in my memory forever, and I intend to check out the author's other books.
As I don't believe trigger warnings are listed, I'll list some for each story below.
Obsession (3/5 stars)
This story was 70% of the entire book, so definitely more like a novella. While I enjoyed this story, it took up a huge amount of space - more than I expected - and I didn't think it needed quite that much screen-time.
Besides that, while spicy, it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Harrison, the obsessed lead, became obsessed instantly rather than spending time listening through the walls and becoming that way over time like I expected from the synopsis. Also, while extremely manipulative, Harrison often THOUGHT about making Riley follow his mad script without ACTUALLY forcing him to, so, while dark, it was overall a bit less dark than I expected, or, at least, dark in a different way.
Regardless, I enjoyed the characters and the intensity of the author's writing style. Of course, this story didn't have an HEA, which I was expecting and prepared for, but I liked the ending - like the conclusion of a thriller.
All in all, Obsession was a strange combination of intense, well-written, unhealthy, yet hot, but too long.
**Obsession Trigger Warnings*
~Sexual content
~Homophobic slur word used to describe a drink
~Manipulation/lying
~Gaslighting
~Spying/peeping
~Blackmail (not between the MC's)
~Threats
~Fear tactics
~Generally loads of toxic emotional abuse
~One instance of physical abuse
~Probably more TW's I'm missing. There's a lot of toxic relationship stuff in this one, so beware of that
Vows (4.5/5 stars)
This is the story to read when you want a good cry. It also doesn't *really have an HEA, but it's less toxic and more tragic. It's crazy emotional and will make you FEEL things. The pages invoke a tender, aching kind of hopefulness and soft kind of sadness that really kicks you in the gut at the end.
For what it is and what it set out to do, it's well-done, especially with its short length. I don't normally read sad stories, but I went into this book knowing they probably wouldn't be happy, and I honestly enjoyed this story a lot. It's... emotional and sad yet somehow left me feeling safe and hopeful.
**Vows Trigger Warnings**(the last one is a spoiler so I'm hiding it. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.)
~Sexual content
~Abuse of alcohol
~Death of an MC
Forever (4.5/5 stars)
Forever was my favorite story by a lot. Not necessarily because the other two weren't as good, but because this story was deliciously to my tastes AND surprised me with something close to an HEA, or at least an HFN.
Forever is a dark vampire romance(?) with reincarnation. Just like the first two stories, it was written lusciously with intense sense-descriptors and imagery. There are scenes still sharply in my mind, and not only visually, but with taste and scent and sound.
Of course, it's still very dark with past murders remembered with a fair amount of detail, but it's also emotional. The cold vampire beast actually feels something, WANTS something besides just killing again.
I honestly loved what I could see of the human's personality too, Shane. This story was almost as short as the previous one, but there's SO MUCH packed in here, and Shane was absolutely fascinating. Eager. Nervous. Almost literally flirting with death. He was the type of obsessed that I LIVE for in dark romances. I would honestly LOVE to read more of their story, but even if I never get that, Forever is a short I'll be coming back to read again in the future.
Honestly, I would recommend this book for this short alone. It's hot and dangerous and bloody and delicious.
**Forever Trigger Warnings**
~Sexual Content
~Past murders described in detail
~Blood/blood-drinking
~Age-gap between a reincarnated 18-year-old and a centuries-old vampire
Halloween In The Dark as a whole definitely won't be to everyone's tastes. Personally, I find the writing style incredible. It's vivid and stark and engrossing and absolutely dripping with lust. It was instantly impressive, and that feeling never faded from one story to the next. I am so glad I discovered this author, and I would love for more people to enjoy these stories as much as I did.
All in all, heed the trigger warnings, but if you feel you can read this, pick it up and read it sometime when you're in the mood for something dark and juicy.
To enjoy this novella, you have to suspend disbelief from time to time, be able to enjoy ACTUALLY dark characters doing very dark things, and for pete's sake READ the Trigger/Content warnings before jumping in.
This little novella is what it says it is. There's not much plot here, and beyond that, there really isn't that much development of ANYTHING. The men don't even get names besides what Quinn calls them based on their costumes. The writing style is simple and basic and not very surprising or exciting at all.
However, the simple writing makes this a speedy read, and the actual content of the book makes it spicy. While it took me three or four chapters to get into it, once I was in it, I didn't want to put it down. I've read a couple of “dark” romances before, and they weren't nearly the level of dark I was looking for so I've been unsure of the genre. I like dark characters to push limits with their significant others, but where the darkness really comes out is on their enemies, and Scream For Us gives me that harder than I've ever been given it.
Honestly, for someone who loves possessiveness and has a thing for bodyguards being over-protective, this is hot as Hades at times. Dark deeds are done for Quinn, and she is the receptor of so much dangerous love, I don't know how her body wasn't fully floating by sunrise.
Long story short, despite my eyes rolling from time to time in disbelief, I'm glad I read this. It was a hot little read that gave me feels, perfect for spooky month. I would recommend it to anyone who likes truly dark MC's, but PLEASE, for the love of everything, read the Trigger/Content warnings in the beginning of the book. I'll list a few of the top trigger warnings below.
Trigger Warnings
~Mentions of self-harm (past)
~Mentions of brutal bullying (past)
~Mentions of suicide of a parent (past)
~Attempted sexual assault (not by the MC's)
~Murder (in detail)
~Gore and blood
~Breathplay
~Knifeplay
THICK GRAYISH-WHITE FOG SHROUDED the deep forest, winding through wild, tall trees and concealing all but a short distance in front of Sully. Looking up, he couldn't even see the tops of the branches; they'd been swallowed by low-hanging clouds. His breath misted in the cold, his nose and hands freezing. He swallowed, and the click of his throat sounded loud as a gunshot.
Picking up a few months after
Imperfect Illusions
,
Twisted Tome
continues Sully and Elliot's story in one of the scariest times in human history, made scarier by the added element of magic.
Devastating Magic
- New characters
- More of Elliot's history
- Heaps of character growth from everyone
- Emotional and intimate firsts between our precious MC's
- Big plot developments
- World building
- Hurt/comfort trope in SPADES
- Rollercoaster, tremblingly intense emotional connection to everyone and everything throughout
When a second book can hook me as much as the first book, it's made of something special.
third
first
Twisted Tome
connecting
I... legitimately have scores of notes with nearly indecipherable screaming over the developments and emotions everywhere.
Of course, at the center of all of them are Warren Sully and Elliot Stone, my two sweet angels, who are desperately, irreparably, heart-meltingly in love.
Elliot moved closer, so he was pressed up against the back of the settee and tipped Warren's head up with a finger beneath his chin until their gazes met. Christ, he was handsome. All dark fathomless eyes and parted pink lips. “Exactly. You're perfect as you are.”Warmth colored Warren's cheeks as he chuckled, his lashes drifting down as if they could hide how Elliot had flustered him.
They're strong characters on their own and only got stronger in this sequel, but together? They're achingly soft, breathlessly adoring, and so freaking protective
there are several life and death moments that had me swiping pages as quickly as I could read them.
It's obvious that research was done to compose this world
The way Lawless writes gives you every feeling of the fear and chaos always just around the corner or just under the characters' noses.
love
LOADED with feeling, the exceptional prose had me physically swooning, gasping, crying, blaspheming, and giving my screen the biggest freaking doe eyes and softest, melting smile from one page to the next.
I can't recommend this series enough.
Twisted Tome
Maybe facing the prospect of death and loss day in and day out on missions behind enemy lines together had cemented exactly how badly he needed Elliot Stone. And how far he'd go to keep a promise he'd first made way back on a Chicago street at night when the glimmer of who they could be to each other was only a shiny, glowing possibility both of them knew would only last till sunrise“I'll keep you safe,” he'd said, giving his word. And maybe the context was different these days, but he meant every damn word. For as long as he was allowed to keep it.That was what making a promise meant.