I'm still waiting for the vampires to show up, to be honest. I loved learning more about Victoria's origins though.I'm still waiting for the vampires to show up, to be honest. I loved learning more about Victoria's origins though....more
I love how Victoria is like "I heard/saw something" and everyone else is like "oh no, you must be sick/you must've imagined it", every single time.
LiI love how Victoria is like "I heard/saw something" and everyone else is like "oh no, you must be sick/you must've imagined it", every single time.
Like, you guys live in a spooky, potentially haunted mansion, maybe something *IS* actually going on? Just a thought. And after the events of book one too, have they learned nothing...
Anyway, this one didn't have the same feel as the first one, many of the characters were "away" doing things, and it does feel like there's a certain formula the author is following (at least up to this point), but I still enjoyed it on audio....more
I've never seen the TV show, but I figured I'd give the books a read since they seemed right up my alley. Now that I've finished the first, I'm absoluI've never seen the TV show, but I figured I'd give the books a read since they seemed right up my alley. Now that I've finished the first, I'm absolutely reading the other 31 books too.
The spooky gothic atmosphere was on point, as soon as it started, I felt as if I was in a Vincent Price movie. The audiobook was definitely the way to go, because of the music, and narrator.
The mystery was intriguing, I like that some of it was solved, but not the whole thing, so you do have to continue reading to find out the truth along with Victoria.
Romance wise, there were a few choices that I found to be more interesting than Ernest, but I'm not the main character sooo...we'll see how all of that develops later on.
I loved the use of colours and the art style, as well as the fairytale vibes near the end, but everything else wasn't anything spectacular. I'm actualI loved the use of colours and the art style, as well as the fairytale vibes near the end, but everything else wasn't anything spectacular. I'm actually a bit disappointed that I didn't like it more. I would read something by this author again though, because it seems like this was a one off. ...more
I've owned this book for at least five years and I only picked it up now so I could collect a silly Goodreads reading challenge banner...so I guess I I've owned this book for at least five years and I only picked it up now so I could collect a silly Goodreads reading challenge banner...so I guess I do have to thank Goodreads for this one thing.
Anyway, this was so spooky, I loved it!! I've never watched any of the adaptations (I will now), and was roughly familiar with what happened in the book, but I mostly went in blind which is the way to do it.
The writing style is so good, the story so engaging, and I'm 100% certain Joanna wasn't delusional.
There was only one thing missing here, and that's more info about how the wives "change" and what happens to the "real" ones once they do, but other than that it was perfect.
(view spoiler)[Raoul (hide spoiler)] pissed me off so much from the beginning, I found him incredibly annoying and I DID NOT want to see him have a happy ending.
Ok, that's a bit harsh, lemme rephrase. I would be okay with him having a happy ending, just not with Christine, there we go.
So, this was extremely readable, once I got into it (it took a few chapters), it didn't even feel like a classic in the way some others do. Maybe it's due to the translation, which was excellent, or the book itself, either way, it was hard to put down.
It's a bit odd I never picked it up until now, and the only reason why I did so is because I'm seeing the musical live for the first time this week. That was the push I needed to finally read it, I'm glad I did, even though I'll always be mad at the ending, hah.
I also haven't seen the movie(s), I'll probably try to see at least one before the musical, but yeah I literally went into this blind, knowing only minimal info and a few stills I've seen from the 2004 movie, that's it.
Now can we talk about how I imagined the Phantom based on how he's described here vs how he looks in the movie stills? Because I imagined a living skeleton with shiny eyes, and that's...not the case in the movie I'm assuming?
Either way, I loved the mystery aspect, the YEARNING (we all know from who), the setting, I'd absolutely read this again, maybe in English next time.
I can't say I ever thought about how teeth would taste like, but after reading this book...thoughts are being thunk.
I'm kidding, I DO NOT want to tryI can't say I ever thought about how teeth would taste like, but after reading this book...thoughts are being thunk.
I'm kidding, I DO NOT want to try crunching on teeth, but I appreciate the details we got. Like how the Bite changes your own so you won't break them as you take, well, a bite out of someone else's.
It's also a nice twist on the vampire lore, instead of craving blood, they crave teeth!! If it gets bad enough, they go feral. So you can imagine how hard it was for Petya to teach their new recruit some discipline when it came to his newly awakened cravings.
I adored their dynamic, they worked well together, and the way Petya kept calling Devóne a kid was adorable.
The addition of Naoma to the team was kinda unexpected, but very welcome. I'm obsessed with her, she is the moment. I'm seated for more romance crumbs, by the way. Was it a bit fast? Yes. Do I care? No.
I often praise Kaden's creativity in my reviews, that's because he deserves it. I don't know how he comes up with all the little tidbits that make the world work, but I can always count on him to deliver something unique.
If you've read his other books, you can recognise his style, but that's where the similarities end, this is a completely different world and story, and I can't wait to experience even more of it.
The real-world parallels are evident in Toothsucker, it's not too far out of the realm of possibility that we're heading in that direction. But on the other hand, we don't have music-producing dolphin cyborgs (yet) now, do we? Why do I kinda want them to exist though...
Also, that Paladins reference...I love when authors mention their other books inside of a book, especially when the scene they're mentioned in is this funny. Someone please tell Boyband I'm the "freak" who loved the books, thank you.
Now for the obligatory Slavic person commentary ahem ahem:
- Okrepinate, I found the name fitting because in my language "okrepiti (se)" means to drink/eat your fill of something after which you feel a lot better and have the will to go on.
- Davor as a fake name. Do I even have to say it...The Serb in me approves.
- Petya, whose name reminded me of Petya (Peter) and the Wolf (the children's story), I love that the main character is called Petya, okay.
- Medislavia, which I'm assuming is supposed to be like a union of Slavic countries, I can't help but think that, if it did happen in the future, it would fall apart in no time because we'd be at each others' throats, plus Medislavia isn't painted in the best light here sooo...
Which brings me to the whole point of this book, the refugees. Petya is a refugee, and his story mirrors those of real life refugees, from Russia and Ukraine. Here in Serbia, we have a lot of refugees from both countries, luckily, they didn't have to go through what Petya did to find safety.
This world isn't kind to refugees, no matter where they come from, so the least we can do is be human and help them in any way we can. So I'm echoing Kaden's words from the acknowledgements - please consider donating to a charity that supports refugees, if you can.
And while you're at it, READ TOOTHSUCKER, not only because it'll be unlike anything you've read before, but because Mr Love is donating all of his release day proceeds to refugees who need it.
4.5
*Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
Read this for the pet gator & the accents. It was fun, though I'm not 100% sold on continuing the series (if more books come out, that is). It's possiRead this for the pet gator & the accents. It was fun, though I'm not 100% sold on continuing the series (if more books come out, that is). It's possible I won't be able to resist, since reads like this are normally up my alley, but we'll see....more
The Hills Have Eyes...but in the bayou? Sold!! These are exactly the vibes I expect from my horror & thriller books, and they were on point in Wicked The Hills Have Eyes...but in the bayou? Sold!! These are exactly the vibes I expect from my horror & thriller books, and they were on point in Wicked Games, down to the Cajun accents Wilder and Ollie had. That was undoubtedly my favourite part of the book, the rest left a little to be desired.
So, this is a novella, but I wanted Marlowe to be more than just a cardboard cutout of a character, she went with the flow a little too much, let the twins get away with some things they shouldn't have (view spoiler)[like killing her brother (hide spoiler)], and it was hard to connect to her.
The twins I liked to an extent, I would've liked them better had they only (view spoiler)[killed the stepmother without assaulting her (hide spoiler)]. But I would say they're more fleshed out as characters than Marlowe is.
Plot wise, there isn't much going on, but the ending does leave room for a possible continuation. I know there's a Christmas novella out, and I might give it a try to see how the story ends (or continues) aaaand also to read about a pet alligator....more
A Goddess of old goes in search of sacrifices in order to stay on the mortal plane for another year.
The plot was interesting, the execution of it okaA Goddess of old goes in search of sacrifices in order to stay on the mortal plane for another year.
The plot was interesting, the execution of it okay, though I think it would've flowed better had it been longer than novella length, because I did kinda get tired of reading pretty much the same thing over and over again.
The Berserker chapter was my favourite, but I'm biased. Either way, that one felt fresh compared to all the others. I would give another book by this author a try in the future, and I happen to know exactly which one....more
Okay, I don't know if I would've read this if it wasn't for a challenge. It was fine, spooky in parts, short which is a plus, but not as interesting aOkay, I don't know if I would've read this if it wasn't for a challenge. It was fine, spooky in parts, short which is a plus, but not as interesting as I was hoping it would be.
It's basically a story about a girl who gets lost in the woods and has to lean on her survival skills, and baseball, to survive. She also may not be entirely alone.
I liked the descriptions, and the narration was okay as well, but it was missing something as a whole. Still, not a bad listen. ...more
As I held her in my arms, I knew: there was no line I wouldn’t cross, no sin I wouldn’t commit to keep her by my side. I didn't just fall for her—I crAs I held her in my arms, I knew: there was no line I wouldn’t cross, no sin I wouldn’t commit to keep her by my side. I didn't just fall for her—I crave her. For better or for worse—she was mine. Forever.
Once upon a time, there were two cannibals...y'all, this was unhinged, there's nothing Maksim and Marissa wouldn't do to sate their darkest desires, and I really do mean it, heed the trigger warnings!!
At the back of the book, the author mentions being a fan of true crime alongside other things, and I think I know a case or two one scene might've been inspired by, I could be wrong though.
Anyway, a few scenes had me going "what the fuck" over and over again, my mouth was open and everything, I was really shocked which I do feel was the desired effect.
If you're a fan of Audrey Rush, this will probably be right up your alley....more
“Our plans, Majesty?” “Your plans, Ambassador, to save the world.”
I'm a huge fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, so of course I had to read Grave Em“Our plans, Majesty?” “Your plans, Ambassador, to save the world.”
I'm a huge fan of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, so of course I had to read Grave Empire, which is set in the same world, but a few centuries later.
I'm happy to report that this book is just as good as that series, and that I loved every single chaotic moment of it.
We went so much deeper into the world and its inhabitants, it's no wonder my favourite parts had to do with mer and cat people, they were just so fascinating.
It started off a bit slow, but in no time the pacing picked up and I had a hard time putting the book down.
Out of three PoVs we got, Peter's was my favourite, because the poor guy couldn't catch a break. It seemed like EVERYTHING was out to get him, and I loved following him from the get go. His PoV also had the most horror elements.
Then there's Renata, my second favourite, who got the chance to shine when she finally met the mer people. I loooooved exploring the underwater world so much, and the sharks??? STOP THAT'S SO CUTE!! Where can one learn Selachomancy? Asking for me.
Despite not being as skilled as Maruska (cue Maruška by Šaban Bajramović), she stepped up to the task and did an amazing job, if you ask me. I can't wait to see where her character will go in the next books.
And von Oldenburg...I didn't like him, for reasons that will become obvious when you read the book, but I did enjoy following his PoV all the same (good part of the reason is Yelena), just not as much as the other two.
Mr Swan's writing has been perfect from his very first book, and yet he still finds ways to improve. Grave Empire reflects this, being the smoothest story yet. I have a feeling that readers who are new to this world will have no trouble following anything, because it's crystal clear from the start.
With that said, you should read the first trilogy so you can enjoy the little Easter eggs we got, and because it's one of my favourites (seriously, read it).
I'm in awe at how "new" Richard Swan made the world seem, it's not just "oh it's been 200 years", you can actually SEE the changes, not just world wise, but character wise as well, the way they behave etc.
Speaking of, I'm glad to see even more Slavic names and places popping up, keep it up Mr Swan, you have my seal of approval.
I have to mention the uniqueness of the plot, it perfectly ties into what happened before, while still being something new and creative (afterlife going silent, what could be causing it? Dun dun dun).
The ending made me a bit mad, but in a good way, like what do you mean there are no more pages to flip and I have to wait till the next book is released?? It was an interesting place to end the story, that's for sure.
Reading this book was such an amazing experience, I can't wait to return to this world again and again.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
Three years have passed since the events of the first book, and Kai and Miya are now...demon hunters, facing both old and new foes alike.
The world andThree years have passed since the events of the first book, and Kai and Miya are now...demon hunters, facing both old and new foes alike.
The world and lore got such an expansion in this one, there was almost a bigger focus on it than the new mystery, but it all ties together, carried over from book one.
I feel like the atmosphere was lighter, and there were no slower parts, everything moved at a medium pace. It was really easy for me to jump back in, despite the in-world time skip.
We still follow Kai, Miya and Mason, but there's a few other PoVs we get later on that are important to the story. They help to explain what was, and what will be (I'm channeling my inner Gavran, can you tell?).
The romance is deeper, and you get to see just how deep it goes at the end, it's true devotion, the kind that makes even undead mermaids bawl.
There was something that happened to Kai that made me want to screech, I was like "not agaaaain" and then he went and did something stupid and AGH. It gets fixed, don't worry, but for a portion of the book, he and Miya were apart and IT HURT ME.
On a lighter note, there were more Serbian names that popped up, and a demon called Drekalo which is actually a screeching creature in Slavic mythology, so I was not the only one wanting to screech!! There was also a Rusalka (hence the undead mermaid), so now I'm wondering which other creatures will show up in Wildblood.
I do kinda wish that more of this series was based around Slavic myths, but I'll take what I can get.
The ending wrapped things up once again, but left the door open for more adventures. Which we are getting, TODAY, because Wildblood is out and I am on my way to read it, yes sir.
P. S. I'm glad Ama found her happy ending as well. Mason next?? Fingers crossed....more
This was my very first book by Han Kang, and it seemed like almost everyone was loving it so I figured I'd probably like it too. WELL, about that...I This was my very first book by Han Kang, and it seemed like almost everyone was loving it so I figured I'd probably like it too. WELL, about that...I don't think I read the same book as everyone else. Maybe some of it is due to the translation, but I'm also not sure how different the book could be in its original language, the story is still the same.
What I liked is that it's short and a fast read, the main character gave up eating meat and (view spoiler)[she thinks she's a tree at the end (hide spoiler)], which is something we were gradually building up to, plus, who doesn't wanna be in sync with nature?
What didn't work for me was pretty much everything else, the (multiple!!) sexual assaults of both the main character and her sister, as well as their constant sexualisation being at the forefront.
I hated reading the male PoVs, they were a little too convincing, like if I didn't know the author was a woman, I would've thought this to be written by a man.
Then there's poor Yeong-hye being force fed meat by her own family, not just once either.
She was clearly unwell, and everyone was so focused on her not eating meat that they missed everything else that was going on. If my family cared as little about me & treated me the way Yeong-hye's treated her, hell, I'd think I was (view spoiler)[a tree (hide spoiler)] too.
The first two parts were like a train wreck that you can't look away from, and then the third one was just there. Very flat. Kinda confusing. Especially the ending, it was abrupt and didn't feel like the best place to end the book.
I think The Vegetarian would've been better if the whole thing had been told from Yeong-hye's perspective. Because yes, I do want to know more about her dreams, the ones that pushed her to become a vegetarian. She's who I want to listen to, not her nor her sister's husband, and not her sister.
Despite this, I would be open to trying another book by Kang in the future, hopefully that one will work better for me....more
Okay so, I didn't care for the first book, and thought I might be making a mistake by picking this up, HOWEVER, it was better than No Way Out, and it Okay so, I didn't care for the first book, and thought I might be making a mistake by picking this up, HOWEVER, it was better than No Way Out, and it ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to continue the series, so there's that.
But in so many ways it's worse (read: darker) than book one, I truly am disgusted and traumatised. And the thing is, the plot itself does have something there, it's giving pretty good Halloween slasher flick vibes, there's just a few scenes that ruin it in between.
One scene is what I feel like a lot of people imagine happens to pedos in prison, but that doesn't mean I want to read about it in graphic detail, you know? That was too much for me so I am pretending I never read it, eyes closed, only happy thoughts etc etc.
Another one is with a cop, but something like that happened in book one already so I was expecting it. And then there's one with Naya and I feel so bad for her, and I wasn't even attached to her as a character, but damn.
If those scenes weren't in the book, easy four stars. But since they are...
Anyway, please check the trigger warnings, this is HEAVY on the horror. I do wonder if we'll get some paranormal elements thrown in because of those little crumbs at the end too....more
Sue me, but I liked the first book so much better. This one had almost zero plot, it was all smut and horror elements which is fine, I just personallySue me, but I liked the first book so much better. This one had almost zero plot, it was all smut and horror elements which is fine, I just personally need more to fully engage with a book.
I found myself rolling my eyes at some of Lux's lines, which didn't happen in À La Folie, so it's safe to say I'm disappointed! Johnny ended up being more entertaining, although his chapters were by far the sickest/darkest.
I feel like Maison De Fous also upped the ridiculous factor, like that bit near the end with the customers in masks and black robes...very silly, but I don't think this book takes itself very seriously anyway.
I'll still read book three, hopefully it'll have just a tiny bit of plot, I'm not asking for much, I swear....more
One thing about Jelena Dunato, she will put her whole soul into a story, even if it's a 100-something page novella.
I went into this expecting the moonOne thing about Jelena Dunato, she will put her whole soul into a story, even if it's a 100-something page novella.
I went into this expecting the moon and the stars, and Dunato delivered!!! It's a prequel novella, so you could start with it, if you want, though I'd suggest you read Dark Woods, Deep Water first for an even bigger treat.
Both books are similar, happening in the same world with some overlapping characters, but Orsiana's story is still very unique, and not quite as dark as the main book.
What I absolutely love about it though, is how the Balkan influence pops out. The way the characters behave/speak, the story structure, the Gods' gifts, it's giving "Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji" or literally any local fairytale from my childhood. I love it so much. Dunato managed to capture the feel of these stories so well.
WHICH REMINDS ME, in the future I need to see this lovely story, along with Dark Woods, Deep Water, illustrated in the style of those childhood fairytales, because that's what it deserves!! If I ever have/adopt kids, they will be getting this as a bedtime story, I'm so serious.
So yes, Ghost Apparent left a lasting impression on me, and much of that is due to the enchanting writing (which I have praised before, and will time and time again!). I've been transported into a magical world that I never want to leave. I need Orsiana to keep me in a snow globe and carry me around with her so I can see all the things, please and thank you.
No but, honestly, Dunato's writing is one of my absolute favourites, she could write a grocery list and I'd be like "this is art". The world she developed is so close to my heart, it feels like home.
The story flowed so well, I have zero complaints, except that I wish it was even longer. The plot was extremely engaging, I didn't want to stop reading for a second.
There was SO MUCH character development for such a short read, I loved learning more about Orsiana's past, and watching her grow up and fall in love and become the best queen all while getting revenge, so proud of my girl. The romance crumbs we got made me wish the book was longer too, because they had a lot of chemistry.
Of course, the Slavic mythology is always welcome too, you already know I get happy when I see our old Gods on page, and here we got four, woohoo!!! Their portrayal was accurate, if you ask me.
Also, I gotta give credit to Orsiana's father, for opening up his library and letting his daughter read whatever she wanted, telling her that if something disturbs her, she should come to him and they can discuss it. That's good parenting right there.
Now, I will not-so-subtly ask for more books set in Abia, I need more of this world like I need air. Please give us more stories!!!!!!!!
If you haven't picked up any of Jelena Dunato's books yet, now is a good time to start. And by now, I do mean RIGHT NOW. Go buy her books!!!
*Huge thank you to the amazing author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
I'm always seated for sapphic vampires! And, I guess, Dracula retellings too, after this.
Lucy Undying was a read I thought I'd need a bit longer to geI'm always seated for sapphic vampires! And, I guess, Dracula retellings too, after this.
Lucy Undying was a read I thought I'd need a bit longer to get through, because the pacing seemed so slow, but I literally read 70% of it in one day because I couldn't stop reading, so how slow was it really? I can't say. What I can say though, is that this story gripped me, and kept me hanging on every single word.
I feel like most people probably found Lucy's chapters more interesting, but for me, Iris was the character I kept wanting to go back to every time I was reading about Lucy, or the secret third PoV.
That's not to say I disliked Lucy, I still found her history entertaining, and I liked the romance between her and Iris. I could feel the longing through the pages, and kept wishing for them to finally be happy.
My favourite thing about this book, is the never-ending number of twists. We get the majority of them in the second half, which is, no surprise, the half I enjoyed reading the most.
I saw only a few coming, but when Iris started putting things together in her head (and with all those pages), I was in shock. And then I kept getting surprised all the way until the end.
The gothic atmosphere was on point, I enjoyed the writing style as well. This is actually my very first book by Kiersten White, even though I've had her books on my tbr for years. Now I know I'll probably like the others too.
The plot is very well crafted (if a bit unbelievable at times), but I do think it's stretched out more than it should be. Especially in the first half where we didn't get as much action as the second.
Aside from that, I don't really have any other negatives. It was such a fun read, and I'd love to have a sequel of some sort, because there's definitely more story to tell.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more