This was a masterpiece. It was beautiful, tragic, dark, suspenseful, twisted, and just PERFECT. CG Drews writes botanical horror in such a beautiful aThis was a masterpiece. It was beautiful, tragic, dark, suspenseful, twisted, and just PERFECT. CG Drews writes botanical horror in such a beautiful and vivid way that it consumed me. The way Drews writes emotions was so authentic and overwhelming (in a good way) that I found my heart racing, and felt genuine grief and anxiety right alongside Evander. Neurodivergent main characters are in such short supply, so I really appreciated how authentic and powerful Evander’s experiences were, his panic and sensory overload is something I also experience on a daily basis, and loved how this was something Laurie wholeheartedly accepted and uplifted. The angst, the atmosphere, the rage, the imagery, everything combined to make a beautiful and haunting story. Those that loved Don’t Let the Forest In will equally love Hazelthorn, and fans of gothic fantasy and botanical horror definitely need to pick this up.
Endless thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of Hazelthorn, all opinions are my own...more
Sierra, as always, is a master of pining, longing, and spice. This books is all vibes, no plot, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I loved the a4.25⭐️
Sierra, as always, is a master of pining, longing, and spice. This books is all vibes, no plot, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I loved the ambiguity of “is there something supernatural involved or not” and I can’t wait to see where that goes. I’ll definitely be reading the next book after that cliffhanger. I’m pretty neutral on all the friends, but I’m incredibly invested in Saint and Audens relationship ...more
Update 6.17.24: ok I’m upping my rating to a 5 simply because I can’t stop thinking about it, even 8 days later. And I still have the impulse to read Update 6.17.24: ok I’m upping my rating to a 5 simply because I can’t stop thinking about it, even 8 days later. And I still have the impulse to read it again ...more
Just like the Vicious, I could not put this down. The writing, the pacing, the tension, the feeling that some characters are alwayOk why am I crying.
Just like the Vicious, I could not put this down. The writing, the pacing, the tension, the feeling that some characters are always 2 steps ahead of you, it was all so perfectly crafted. I loved these characters so much, and Victor was once again my favorite, he gives major Kaz Brekker vibes in this book. Marcella was a great addition. She was completely unhinged and I couldn’t help but quietly root for her to bring the city to ruin. And again, I couldn’t help but hate Eli. But I loooooved hating Eli. The ending was perfect closure for their 15 year long friends to enemies arc.
I hope V. E. Schwab blesses us with this universe again. I’d love to check in with the crew a few years down the road, especially Sydney and Dol. ...more
I feel like this book was written just for me. This has been on my TBR for years, and I could kick myself for ignoring it for so long. Anyways, I inhaI feel like this book was written just for me. This has been on my TBR for years, and I could kick myself for ignoring it for so long. Anyways, I inhaled this. I literally read it in one sitting, pausing only long enough to update my reading progress on GoodReads, lay my head on my pillow to go to bed, and immediately change my mind and picking it back up.
I’ve seen this lumped into the dark academia category, which I never understood given that it’s essentially a 350 page friends to enemies modern comic book, but it totally gives major dark academic vibes.
This entire novel lives in different shades of “morally grey”, there’s no clear hero or villain, everyone has done awful things in the name of what they believe is right. But VE makes it really fun and easy to love Victor and near impossible to not hate Eli. I was so pleasantly surprised at how the dynamics played out. I went into this thinking we were following Victor’s transformation to a villain (and I guess in a way we did), but I could not help but root for him. Even when he was acting “villainous”, I found myself defending him. Let’s just add him onto the list of grumpy white-haired jerks that I can’t help but love.
Everything about this just felt so perfect - the tension, the pacing, the non linear timeline, the side characters, the ending, the feeling that Victor is already 2 steps ahead of us as a reader, etc, all together created a very satisfying and bingeable modern comic book story. ...more
This was like 25% spooky witchy murder mystery, 75% smut. I really needed it to be the opposite. There was so much focus on everyone being horny literThis was like 25% spooky witchy murder mystery, 75% smut. I really needed it to be the opposite. There was so much focus on everyone being horny literally all the time (i.e. while alone in a dark library researching something to help you take down the headless homicidal ghost that’s terrorizing everyone…those poor poor books). This was really romance-centric, so the suspense and mystery aspect of the story felt underdeveloped. There were also SO many weird things going on, like hauntings, murders, teachers disappearing, strange visions, parents acting incredibly strange, and people losing their memory, and everyone is sooo unbothered by it. There’s so little urgency or suspense around unraveling the mysteries, and I started getting frustrated with the main characters. Everyone’s actions seemed to be completely fueled by their libido rather than any type of critical thinking skills (honestly good for them, no judgement here I promise).
Don’t get me wrong, this was a quick and overall fun read, great for a Halloween read, just know it’s more sexy than spooky, and doesn’t stay very authentic to the time period it’s set in.
**If you read through my unhinged highlights and notes, I’m truly sorry if you end up as traumatized by the library scene as I was.**
Merged review:
This was like 25% spooky witchy murder mystery, 75% smut. I really needed it to be the opposite. There was so much focus on everyone being horny literally all the time (i.e. while alone in a dark library researching something to help you take down the headless homicidal ghost that’s terrorizing everyone…those poor poor books). This was really romance-centric, so the suspense and mystery aspect of the story felt underdeveloped. There were also SO many weird things going on, like hauntings, murders, teachers disappearing, strange visions, parents acting incredibly strange, and people losing their memory, and everyone is sooo unbothered by it. There’s so little urgency or suspense around unraveling the mysteries, and I started getting frustrated with the main characters. Everyone’s actions seemed to be completely fueled by their libido rather than any type of critical thinking skills (honestly good for them, no judgement here I promise).
Don’t get me wrong, this was a quick and overall fun read, great for a Halloween read, just know it’s more sexy than spooky, and doesn’t stay very authentic to the time period it’s set in.
**If you read through my unhinged highlights and notes, I’m truly sorry if you end up as traumatized by the library scene as I was.**...more
Harley has such a talent for writing big, scary, dangerous MMCs who are so painfully romantic. Callum was no exception, I think I highlighted almost eHarley has such a talent for writing big, scary, dangerous MMCs who are so painfully romantic. Callum was no exception, I think I highlighted almost every single thing that came out of his mouth regarding Everly:
“I could not own you any more than one can own the ocean, or a storm, or a forest fire. Those are not things one owns; their beauty and power cannot be claimed in such a way. But they can be chased. And they can be worshiped”
When I picked up Her Soul to Take, I had no idea how much the series would end up meaning to me. Definitely going straight onto my comfort reads list to re read again soon....more
1st read, Feb 2024: 5 stars 2nd read, June 2024: 5 stars
This was even better than anything I could have imagined. The final final final twist (there we1st read, Feb 2024: 5 stars 2nd read, June 2024: 5 stars
This was even better than anything I could have imagined. The final final final twist (there were many) made me audibly gasp. I think this series has irrevocably altered my brain chemistry. It’s unhinged, brilliant, disturbing, and also achingly romantic.
“It’s our own unique chemistry. Just like quantum particles whose fates are intertwined, we were created together during the same event. We’re entangled, our properties forever linked wherever we are. Opposites that continuously communicate across time and space.”...more
Calling all Darcy Vega + Lance Orion stans: you will love Lilia and Devryk. Devryk is a grumpy super nerd who literally worships the ground Lilia4.25
Calling all Darcy Vega + Lance Orion stans: you will love Lilia and Devryk. Devryk is a grumpy super nerd who literally worships the ground Lilia walks on, and Lilia is his smart, fierce, strong, and compassionate student who takes extreme pleasure from pushing Devryk’s buttons. He hates everyone but her. And she fights for their relationship without hesitation. All around, major Bluelance vibes. So glad I gave this a chance. After feeling let down by Infernium, I almost passed in this, and that would have been tragic. Literally the only reason this isn’t rated higher is because it felt way too long. Part of the beginning just drags on and on, with only a few snippets of mystery, and then somewhere around the 50% mark it really takes off. This would have been a great as a duet or majorly condensed down rather than 680 page marathon of a dark romance.
Even though this is not a paranormal novel, I still really loved the subtle supernatural vibes throughout. There were several times I actually stopped to wonder if there actually was something paranormal going on, but all the questions/mysteries are answered and wrapped up nicely, everything accounted for by either science or trickery. I figured out a few of the big twists (including the biggest one) early on in the novel, but that didn’t diminish the impact of their reveals, which all played out extremely well. Even knowing a few of the twists, there was still no shortage of reveals and turns to keep things suspeful. The last page seriously got me - does this mean Lilias sister is getting a book? ...more
1st read, June 2023: 4.5 2nd read, Nov 2023: 4.5 3rd read, May 2024: 5
“Her calm surrender to logic quiets the raging storm of fury and madness which pl1st read, June 2023: 4.5 2nd read, Nov 2023: 4.5 3rd read, May 2024: 5
“Her calm surrender to logic quiets the raging storm of fury and madness which plagues my mind. By the same design, my chaotic frenzy awakens her heartsick soul with maddening vigor. One cannot exist without the other. I cannot exist without her. And whether she admits the truth or not, she cannot exist without me.”
This was intense, creepy, dark, and somehow achingly romantic. The best way to describe this series is like a Dramione coded season of Hannibal. Kallum is still insane, in the absolute best way. He can officially fall into the “over the top” MMC category. Somewhere between the events directly proceeding book one and now, Kallum’s entire universe began revolving around Halen, and we see his obsession and devotion play out in an extremely satisfying way in book 2. The entire book was a super slow burn of Kallum getting Halen to come to terms with who she really is by unlocking her memories, and had one of the most satisfying conclusions to a dark romance I’ve read in a while (minus the epilogues cliffhanger).
“We are the high and low notes, a madness and genius that fosters harmony. Alchemy and magick, or logic and psychology. The answer to the question is less important than the fusion which creates something darkly beautiful that belongs only to us. With Kallum, I can face my trauma with a healing peace…or a tire iron.”...more
I don’t even know what to say about this except I loved everything about it. It was unsettling, suspenseful, smart, and definitely took a giant leap fI don’t even know what to say about this except I loved everything about it. It was unsettling, suspenseful, smart, and definitely took a giant leap from “dark academia” to “horror”. A huge part of this novel, as you could guess from the ending of book 1, was Alex and her friends descending into Hell to rescue Darlington. And it was just magnificent, I hope Leigh Bardugo never goes back to writing YA. This book was full of demon lore, Yale history, puzzles, riddles, and mystery. But honestly the star of the show was this avengers style team-up of Alex, Dawes, Turner, Tripp, and Mercy. I’m already impatiently waiting for book 3. ...more
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. I don’t even know how to classify what this book is. But it is the definition of “what the fuckI don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. I don’t even know how to classify what this book is. But it is the definition of “what the fuck did I just read”.
This was the weirdest and wildest roller coaster of a book that I’ve ever been on in my life. It was horrific. And violent. And hilarious. And depressing. And somehow oddly heart warming? I think this book permanently altered my brain chemistry, and I’m not sure it was in a good way. And I wish I could read it again for the first time.
*WARNING* there are extremely graphic depictions of violence and abuse. And an entire stretch of chapters with gratuitous violence against animals (it’s done in self defense, but it’s still tough to get through). ...more
3.5⭐️ rounded up because the low average makes me sad
y’all had me so scared to read this, I put it off for a year and a half because I was afraid I w3.5⭐️ rounded up because the low average makes me sad
y’all had me so scared to read this, I put it off for a year and a half because I was afraid I was going to hate it and I stressed myself out for nothing.
was it “god tier” like TAS and TAP? No, but judging by the angry reviews, my experience was significantly different than most people’s. The plot was a bit convoluted, but I felt she was extremely true to the core six characters, their arcs and endings made so much sense to me. Like it ended exactly how it needed to end in my opinion. The tone of the ending was super on brand for dark academia, and I loved that.
I may write a full review later on, but for now I’m just glad I can finallyyyy say I finished the trilogy...more
First read, May 2023: 4.5 Second read, Feb 2024: 4.5 Third read (audio) June 2025: 4.5
“Olympus was empty. The gods were already here”
Brilliant, and frusFirst read, May 2023: 4.5 Second read, Feb 2024: 4.5 Third read (audio) June 2025: 4.5
“Olympus was empty. The gods were already here”
Brilliant, and frustrating, and tragic, and hilarious, and just so so good.
The interpersonal relationships amongst the six and the constant mind games and psychological warfare were easily the best part of this book. Everyone completely devolved in this book, and in doing so showed us a lot about who they really are. I really enjoyed watching the characters interact with other members of the group that they hadn’t interacted with very much in book one. Especially Callum and Reina, and Nico and Tristan, while Parisa continues to be my favorite. Somehow this entire cast of characters is simultaneously completely irredeemable and completely likable, which makes for an extremely enjoyable reading experience for me. Somehow the entire thing makes absolutely no sense, while also making perfect sense at the same time, which is right up my alley.
I’m full on expecting the final book to be tragic or at minimum bitter sweet (probably heavy on the bitter as I’ve grown accustomed to in dark academia). There is no way this series is going to wrap up all nicely with a bow and everyone living happily ever after. In fact, is it weird that I’m sort of expecting (or maybe hoping) for everyone to die and/or lose (for lack of a better term)....more
1st read, April 2023: 4.25 2nd read, Nov 2023: 4.5 3rd read, May 2024: 4.5 4th, July 2024: 5 (this was for the new duet narration by Sebastian York and 1st read, April 2023: 4.25 2nd read, Nov 2023: 4.5 3rd read, May 2024: 4.5 4th, July 2024: 5 (this was for the new duet narration by Sebastian York and Lucy Rivers). I never listened to the original dual narration, but this version was perfect. The narrators did such an amazing job, and Sebastian did a great job capturing Kallums intensity and effortless arrogance. Highly recommend the new audio books)
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God I loved everything about this. Kallum is insane, in the best way and I thoroughly enjoyed his POV chapters. He has a sort of similar obsessive attitude as Zade Meadows when it comes to the woman he loves. Halen fights him the entire way, hurling insults at him frequently, and Kallum just smiles and falls even deeper in love with her in spite of it. Alarming and creepy in real life, but charming in a dark romance. Having already this before, I enjoyed it much more the second time, having much more context into Kallums cryptic ramblings.
I saw the big twist coming a mile away, but that didn’t take away from the impact it had as it unraveled toward the end. The entire vibe of the book was perfect. Dark, and unsettling. Psychological with just enough of a supernatural vibe to it that you’re not sure if something supernatural was actually involved or it was just a result of everyone’s heightened emotions.
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” he whispers over my mouth.
I swallow the forming ache. “You are the bad thing.”
A crooked smile hitches the seam of his mouth. “And you are the loveliest bad thing.” He drops a tender kiss to the corner of my mouth....more
Melinda | mello_reads
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Books:
dark-academia
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