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This was a TRIPPY read. I would say it delivered on exactly what the synopsis promised, and that's pretty much all I can say without delving into spoiler territory. It did a fantastic job of building up dread and tension; a few parts near the end had me genuinely freaked out and having to text some friends to give me the courage to keep reading, but I'm glad I did. Overall I'm not totally sure how I feel about the ending, but I can definitely say that it wasn't bad. It wasn't what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't bad.
All in all this was a very engaging book, and it makes me want to check out more of the author's works!
I don't think I liked this as much as Karla Nikole's other books, but this was still a very solid read! The romance was cute and the setting was interesting. I did have a few little gripes with how the characters acted and some of the choices they made, and I felt like the ending was dragging just a tad, but I still had a good time! The whole vampire aristocracy thing was interesting but it felt a bit underexplained. There were a few moments where I felt a little lost with the hierarchy and rules and all that, but not enough to make the book bad for me.
I'm unsure if I'm going to continue the series since it looks like they're all standalones and it takes a LOT for me to continue standalone series, but this was a good time!
i tried to like this i REALLY did, the premise sounded so cool, but then they smacked me in the face with omegaverse seven chapters in out of complete nowhere and i simply could not.
This was a really cute little collection! I adore urban fantasy and while I usually lean towards the more gritty, adult centered worlds when I read I still enjoyed these stories. The characters were very diverse and I'm glad that each story had unique worlds and magic systems, because for some reason I thought they would all operate in the same world when I read the synopsis. It still would've been good if they had, but each magic system and environment were different and that added some lovely flavor to each of them.
The stories were much more gender and sexuality-wise diverse than religious or race, but I still think that the authors did the representation pretty well overall! I feel like its rare to find urban fantasy – or even fantasy, though it's getting better – that is truly diverse more than just having one character who is queer or a poc, but none of these stories fell into this trap. Overall, I had a good time!
This is my second time trying to get through this series and I can already tell it's hooking me much more deeply than it did last time! This was an incredibly introduction to the world; I hope it just keeps getting better from here!
This was a fairly good end to the trilogy!! I had my little gripes about it – somehow this book was so long AND I still doubted that they'd be able to wrap it up in the end when the climax of the book didn't hit until four chapters until the end of the book but it pulled it off. I like where everyone ended up and it satisfied me with its conclusion.
My affair of hatred with Kaden had to, unfortunately, end in this book because he really did step up and get it done in the end. He was loyal to Lia and he stopped being an ass and even found love and a family on his own so I shall let my ire with him rest.
Lia and Rafe made me cry in the end but in a good way. Very happy that they got a happy ending, even if it was an unconventional one.
This took me forever to read for some reason but I'm happy with the end so all's well that ends well.
What an absolute breakout surprise this was.
I knew I'd most likely like this book just from the plot summary but I had no idea how much I would genuinely ADORE it. I will admit that I was originally drawn in with the tall woman x small man trope, I have no shame in that, and while the book definitely indulges you in that particular story it also brings in some really deep messages and meanings that I genuinely didn't expect.
Lucían's struggle with his religion (one that he had been practically smothered in as he grew up) and discovering the wider world and his struggles with his own wants and dreams now that he was away from the monastery were just heartbreaking. The parallels of very real-world issues of fighting against what you want versus what you are told to want, and how you feel when you realize those are two different things were handled so beautifully by the author. His struggle with his faith was so raw and, while it was comical sometimes for the sake of the romance and to emphasize their attraction to one another, it was still deeply moving.
Lucían as a character I also just adored. He's so kind and sweet and he just shines with the want to make the world better. Watching him discover the world and growing into his own person was so heartwarming to witness. I'm also particularly biased towards healer characters and one particular scene of him taking charge and healing a family had me tearing up to see him so confident and in his element when he was normally hesitant as he felt out of his depth with everything.
This book was much more character-focused than plot-focused but that didn't take away from the enjoyment at ALL. I can't wait to get into the next book to see their relationship develop more and to get to the plot they planted the seeds for in this book.
Such an underground hit. I can't believe this book isn't more popular. If it interests you in the slightest: read it.
this was a bit of mindless fun but as the story went on i didn't really vibe with how he talked to her, even for a raunchy CEO/employee vampire romance it was a bit too much. i might pick this back up at some point but i don't think i'm going to be reading any more volumes of the series for now.
I'm officially obsessed with this duology. This book took everything I loved from the first book and added even MORE of it. More of their adorable romance, more cool fight scenes, more magical innovation, more soul-searching, more plot, more representation, just MORE. i enjoyed every single second of this book. Glory and Lucían are so near and dear to my heart I was crying happy tears at the end of this. One of the best epilogues EVER.
Lucían's journey getting even more meaning and depth in this book as he not only continues to unlearn the toxic teachings the Abbot forced on him but ALSO wanting to spread the same knowledge to everyone at the monastery so they wouldn't have to be in the dark any longer. The way he freely and EAGERLY shares his knowledge and skill not for reputation or coin but just because he wants to help people however and whenever he can.
And the Nuns?? Just them being involved in general but also the way they're casually just inventing new kinds of magic?? I feel like that's something you don't really see much of in fantasy novels and it gave the story such a fresh twist that I just loved so much.
I feel like all I can do is gush in this review but I genuinely loved this series SO much. PLEASE read it.
This was a fun little read for something out of my comfort zone. I don't usually go for historical fiction but this is so far back in time that it almost doesn't count, I feel like? At least it's far back enough that most of the things I don't like about historical fiction don't really exist yet.
In terms of plot, this was a fairly simple book. It was a fairly quick read and honestly I thought it could've benefitted from just a little padding; maybe some more time with his dad, some more lore about the clans and their religion, stuff like that, but overall this was pretty well-rounded.
I will say the tone and structure of the writing reads a bit more mature than middle grade, in my opinion, but that might skewed because I don't read middle grade that often.
I don't know if I'm going to continue the series, but this first book was pretty good!
Absolutely LOVED the representation in this book. I thought since it was a tech-heavy futuristic novel we wouldn't really see any characters with disabilities but having a main character/love interest in a wheelchair was so refreshing to see! And tying it into the general attitude the Psy have about ‘perfection' even post-Silence and tying it in with the trauma the main characters had gone through was just chef's kiss.
Enjoyed the romance in this one very much. I always appreciate a slower build and this one definitely delivered, even if they might've could've gotten away with making it faster because the two had a previous connection, but I'm not complaining.
The plot continues to get more dire. Where do we even go from here? I'm excited to find out!
C.A.P.E RatingCharacters - 5/5Atmosphere - 4/5Plot - 4/5Enjoyment - 4/5
The best way I can sum up this book is: absolutely no notes.
Everything this book set out to do, it did. Diverse rep? Check. Rivals to lovers? Check. Yearning? Check. Beginning to deal with and heal from trauma? Check. This book was exactly what I expected it to be and I mean that in the BEST way. I went in with expectations and it met every single one, like when you order your favorite dish from a restaurant that you haven't been to in a while and it is just as good as you remember it to be.
The conflicts in the main character's backstories were both handled beautifully, in my opinion. I was able to relate to both of them at multiple points in the story, which is unusual for characters with such different personalities. I especially loved the anxiety rep in both of them, but especially in Dylan. The descriptions of panic attacks were spot on and the way Jonah both helped him with them and reassured him that they didn't make him a burden almost genuinely made me cry.
There's really nothing else to say except this book did what it was meant to do flawlessly. Beyond some mild second-hand embarrassment I can't think of a single complaint. I needed a queer romance to set me right and I got it. Will definitely be checking out the author's other works!
This was feeling very stereotypical shounen to me and I'm not going to lie, I was considering dropping it for a minute, but this actually ended up having a unique take on the genre? It's pretty bold to, instead of giving the weak MC some incredible power suddenly and have them eventually surpass everyone, to not only keep him powerless but go a step further and essentially make him an anti-mage that can negate magic? Which is a powerful ability in and of itself, to be fair, and technically doesn't make him powerless, but he still has to rely on his own physical strength and ability to swing the sword and make the power work. If he hadn't put effort into getting stronger in his own way without magic then he never would've been capable of what he can do now.
Also I like that it seems like this is breaking the shounen curse of having the main rival/possible past best friend STAY friendly with the MC? Like there doesn't seem to be any animosity between them at all, unlike other standout pairs like Sasuke and Naruto, Izuku and Katsuki, etc... Again, very refreshing. Not only are they friends but they're downright defensive of each other. They're rivals, but they also stand up and protect each other if the other needs it, and I really like that!
I'm definitely going to continue this!
Ok so, did I enjoy myself? Yeah, I did. This book was an extremely quick read; I blasted through it in about 3-4 hours I think, and the short chapters definitely help with that. It kept the tension high throughout pretty much the entire story, so it was kinda impossible to stop reading at all. I was entertained throughout the whole thing, no matter what my opinions are on the choices the author made.
I could've gone without all the pop-culture references since I feel like they added a level of cheesiness the book really didn't need. I think they were included to play up the whole teenager aspect (since this book is YA) but we could've gone without it with no effect on the story.
Now, as for my gripes with the story. This is all gonna be spoilers.
In the final confrontation with Dr. Patel, I think she was written way too juvenile for how old she was. No adult talks the way she talks; the author transferred over the way the teenagers we speaking to this adult woman and she started coming off as a cartoon villain.
In regards to the whodunit, I don't like that it was Liz. I especially don't like that the main reason she did is because ‘she was crazy!!11!!'. I think that's a tired motivation that's been overused so many times it just doesn't work anymore. Yes, part of her motivation was that she wanted to be Head Girl because she had her own ambitions, but I would've liked it better if they leaned into that rather than ‘ooo she's not right in the head!'
There was also absolutely no indicators or little clues that Liz was the murderer throughout the entire book. I understand wanting to keep the twist a surprise but with this kind of plot device you need to do SOME sort of foreshadowing for it to be truly effective. To think Liz is good the entire book only to plot dump in one of the final chapters and having a quick villain reveal just leaves your readers going “...ok?”. It takes away almost all of the impact.
Overall I had a good time reading this but there were a lot of things it could've done better.
This was a really cute little book! It went by pretty fast; I think it could've benefitted by being longer, maybe going a bit more in-depth about the family and the magic system, both shifters and witches both, but maybe that's what the sequels are for.
The art style is super cute and I adore Aster and Charlie both. The themes of not fitting into what's “expected” and not living up to the standards your parents - even unwittingly - place on you were handled very well, I feel.
I also love magic systems that mainly use runs or sigils and magic circles as a way of casting, so bonus points for including that in the book. I just really like the aesthetic of it.
I'm unsure if I'm going to pick up the next two books, but the first one was a super quick read so I might!
What can I say other than she has done it AGAIN. Where does the author keep getting new and fresh ideas to continue to expand this world? How does she keep coming up with plots that keep me coming back again and again and again? I've yet to rate a SINGLE one of her books in this series below a 4 star and this one is no exception.
The couple was fantastic as always, and the added tension and drama of having the MC be pregnant was just chef's kiss!! I do have an interest in pregnant MCs when they're not solely confined to a romance plot though so I might be a bit biased in that regard.
And now I have to wait :(((. I might jump into the rest of her books if the plots interest me in the meantime, but I'll definitely be tuning into her new book next year!
I really enjoyed this! I don't often read short story collections cause I find it's hard for them to keep my attention with the plot constantly changing, but I won this in a giveaway and the premise sounded really interesting!
I probably would've finished this sooner but some of the stories genuinely scared me so much that I couldn't read the book when it was dark out, so it took me a few days to get through it. I was surprised that there were a few wholesome stories thrown in along with the scary ones, but I think it provided a nice little palate cleanser every so often, so it wasn't just non-stop horror.
I loved how diverse the characters were; it's nice going into a bunch of little stories where the expectation is that they'll be queer instead of just idly hoping for it.
Definitely an enjoyable read!
Didn't even realize this was a proper series until I came to log it here on Storygraph but I am DEFINITELY reading it.
This little one shot has all the best things I love about urban fantasy and the MC is probably the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. I'm interested in reading more to find out about their back stories and see their shenanigans!
‘I don't want to lose myself to the callousness of immortality. It would be as easy as going to sleep. Caring is now a choice I have to make, over and over again.'This was a SUPER fun read. The author pretty much went “hey what if I do vampires but I ALSO give them a whole bunch of superpowers and then put them all into an academy.” and it WORKED. This kept me invested from beginning to end, and the atmosphere was so lush and beautiful. The found family vibes showed up to the party and made everything better, even though there was an edge to it all because vampires are naturally more ruthless in this world.
I really only have two things I didn't like in this book, both having to do with Kashire: I didn't like how everyone was so shocked that Fin thought Kashire was the killer. I feel like obviously she would think that, and she had no reason to apologize even after she found out differently because?? He literally almost killed her at the very beginning of the book? Like of COURSE she thought he was the one killing novices, he has repeatedly proved that he doesn't care about the lives of humans or foundlings. She had every right to think it was him and she shouldn't have had to apologize for it.
I also don't like how Kashire didn't give the whole “You know you don't HAVE to be an evil vampire, you could just feed and then heal them, or enthrall them so they like it. Or you can just read their minds and only feed from and kill the evil ones.” speech until the very end of the entire book, when literally everyone could tell that Fin would've benefitted from that speech much earlier since she was obviously resenting the fact that she was turning into a vampire. This whole speech also could've helped redeem Kashire himself in Fin's eyes earlier on if he didn't want to be seen as a killer, which he didn't because he was pretty offended by the (reasonable) insinuation earlier on. I just feel like this speech needed to happen a lot earlier in the book and it loses some of its ‘oomph' by happening so late and after Fin was already a vampire.
In regards to Claudia: I have to admit: that reveal really got me. The saddest point in the book was when Fin accepted that she had to let go of the idea that Claudia was her mother and that they could never have that relationship again. The author sort of went back on this decision though because Claudia is seen caring for Fin up until the end, even after she said she wouldn't, but it's easy enough to overlook.
Overall, this was a pretty fun read. A good way to kick off spooky month. I like that it's a standalone since I don't have the energy for a series at the current moment, but I am a bit curious if making this a duology or a trilogy would've given us more time for world-building and building up the plot. Things ended up happening very fast in the end and we didn't really find out anything about the “big bad” so to speak until the final battle. It might've benefitted from more than one book, but I'm still happy with what I got.
I'll admit – about half the reason I decided to read this book was because of the name. An intriguing name for a book in general, but a badass name for a serial killer especially. The plot was interesting as well, but the name was what really drew me into it.
The pace of the book was almost split down the middle: slow in the first half, reading more like a cold case rather than an active thriller like I expected, but things definitely start picking up in the latter half of the book. Generational trauma is a huge theme of the book, and even though it's not an excuse for anyone's actions, it gave an insight into the whys of it all at least.
I do wonder if maybe there should've been more of a focus on the Lock family rather than the Shaws, since it seemed like the plot sets them up to be the main characters more than Katie and Chris and their side of things, but I feel like we still got enough from them to be invested.
Some of the philosophical themes kind of wigged me out (a personal issue) but it was really interesting to have them be such a present theme in a thriller novel, when most others of its kind go for a more psychological route. I wonder if it would've been as impactful without determinism being based on God for the most part, but I do like religious horror so I enjoyed it either way.
I genuinely did NOT see the Joshua reveal coming, or the fact that Alan switched Joshua and Nathanial out. I was convinced he just left the nursery empty instead of putting another kid in there. That was absolutely brutal even though I could see where Hobbes was coming from. Horrific nonetheless.
Overall a very solid thriller novel. Good way to kick off spooky season from the slasher movie side of things.
Magic weapons being the main focus of the book? Say no more.
I very much enjoyed this book. The only other Tricia Levenseller book I've read was The Shadows Between Us, and I liked this book just as much as that one, maybe even more. The characters were loveable, the plot was gripping and easy to follow, and the romance, even if it wasn't the focus and hasn't been developed too much, was very sweet.
My favorite part was the representation. As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks myself, I can say that this was very well represented. I related to a lot of what Ziva goes through, and to see it depicted accurately while also not coming across as a huge weakness during the plot is really heartening. I feel like there isn't a lot of representation for chronic anxiety in fiction beyond momentary times of panic. I see one or two panic attacks plenty in books, but having a character who struggles with it daily is important to me. I really felt seen by this book.
I'll definitely be picking up the sequel!
is there even any words to describe this masterpiece?
i was engaged from the beginning to the very end. there wasn't a single moment of this book where i wasn't on the edge of my seat. it is worth every single bit of its 700-something pages because the story simply couldn't be told in less than that.
the atmosphere? unable to be duplicated. take every hard, dramatic aesthetic of the church and turn it up to eleven. it's blood and silver and hopelessness and battle fury.
the characters were intensely flawed and intensely loveable. no one could have told this story like gabriel did.
i didn't realize this was an incomplete series when i started it (i don't usually read incomplete series) but i am absolutely locked in. i cant wait for the rest of the story.
if you want a grimdark vampire fantasy epic, why aren't you already reading this?