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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’ve been reading a lot of indie authors lately and have been loving it! Just concluded the latest from Lily X and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it on kickstarter. The plot, the characters, the tension, the pacing… just chef’s kiss 🤌🏿 I would love if Aisla & Jinn became a series, I need more of these two! A fantastic read ⭐️ if you love paranormal romances with badass main characters, you’ll love this! Spice level - 3.5/4 out of 5 depending on your sensibilities 😏
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i would say it started off really well. the first half of the book kept me engaged and i was genuinely very interested in the plot. it’s quite unique. I liked many aspects of it however there were other aspects i didn’t like, which is why it’s only rated 3.5 stars.
I liked jinn’s character a lot more although there were some dialogue that just didn’t make sense for her. Like as a character who is not very online or stays to themselves a lot, how does she even know what a ‘meet-cute’ is? and personally a pet peeve of mine is a pet name being used wayyyy too much, which is what jinn does. that’s basically the cons.
aisla’s character is okay? personally i didn’t resonate with her so i couldn’t connect much to some things she was thinking. what i will say tho, is girl needs to STAND UP! like i get insta love, but jinn legit tries to kill her and the next couple of days she’s fantasising over her and already joking abt it?
anyways, the ending conflict also went by way too fast in my opinion. only like 2-3 chapters? wish that part was longer. overall, a solid book and would recommend for some.
I liked jinn’s character a lot more although there were some dialogue that just didn’t make sense for her. Like as a character who is not very online or stays to themselves a lot, how does she even know what a ‘meet-cute’ is? and personally a pet peeve of mine is a pet name being used wayyyy too much, which is what jinn does. that’s basically the cons.
aisla’s character is okay? personally i didn’t resonate with her so i couldn’t connect much to some things she was thinking. what i will say tho, is girl needs to STAND UP! like i get insta love, but jinn legit tries to kill her and the next couple of days she’s fantasising over her and already joking abt it?
anyways, the ending conflict also went by way too fast in my opinion. only like 2-3 chapters? wish that part was longer. overall, a solid book and would recommend for some.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Phenomenal stuff really it was a very nice pace and the plot really flowed.
I loved the concept of this era(gen-z) viewed by a victorian
I honestly am just obsessed with the book period.
Also my favourite character apart from the main character is maia.
I loved the concept of this era(gen-z) viewed by a victorian
I honestly am just obsessed with the book period.
Also my favourite character apart from the main character is maia.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book as something lighthearted. The characters are extremely likeable and the world building was different to your typical witch/vampire. I really liked the concept and thought the progression of the characters made sense. Also, the smut was 🔥
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am that I joined in for Lily’s kickstarter. I just wish I had read this as soon as I got it. Because oh my goodness, this was so incredibly good!!
Lily’s writing style, at least for this, was so incredibly perfect for me. I can’t say for her past books because I haven’t read them…yet. And that’s a hard yet because I need more! I’m going to be a nerd for two seconds. The format of how this book was published, was exactly what I needed. I don’t know why I’m so in love with it. Maybe because it was different? But my god, I’ll nerd out forever about it. And the little pictures throughout!!! As someone who has a hard time picturing things in books, this was nice. And they weren’t even like, things I needed an image for. But it was a nice break of trying to imagine what a building looks like. More books should do this.
Okay, enough rambling. Anyway, I absolutely loved Aisla & Jinn. I loved their dynamic so much. Both incredibly headstrong. But knows when to be soft and caring when they need to. And the tension between them, muah, chef's kiss. It was so amazing to see a strong South Asian main character. Good lord, Aisla was so strong. Especially with what she faced. More than she even knew. Shadow mommy Jinn, god she was something else. Definitely makes me want to read more shadow mommies hehe. Also, makes me want to read nothing but sapphic vampire books!
Even though they were a little frustrating, I loved Aisla's siblings. I'm really interesting about finding more about Maia. Can't wait to find out what Lily has in store for her. She seems like she could be a little trouble maker. And I hope we can also learn more about Brodie and I hope they fight back with the High Coven's misogyny.
Grief was dealt very well in my honest opinion. What it's like losing someone very important to you. Trying to get on with day to day life. Wanting nothing more than to bring them back.
I think the only negative thing I could come up with that I didn't like about this book...was that it wasn't more. Lol. Honestly, I could have probably read 1000 pages of Aisla & Jinn. And I don't say that lightly. Because I've never read a book that large. So that tells you how much I loved this book. But at least...we're coming back to this world in the future! So I'll take what I can get!
Even though they were a little frustrating, I loved Aisla's siblings. I'm really interesting about finding more about Maia. Can't wait to find out what Lily has in store for her. She seems like she could be a little trouble maker. And I hope we can also learn more about Brodie and I hope they fight back with the High Coven's misogyny.
Grief was dealt very well in my honest opinion. What it's like losing someone very important to you. Trying to get on with day to day life. Wanting nothing more than to bring them back.
I think the only negative thing I could come up with that I didn't like about this book...was that it wasn't more. Lol. Honestly, I could have probably read 1000 pages of Aisla & Jinn. And I don't say that lightly. Because I've never read a book that large. So that tells you how much I loved this book. But at least...we're coming back to this world in the future! So I'll take what I can get!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of Will It Hurt? As always, all opinions are my own and this review is being left voluntarily.
✨ Adult Sapphic Fantasy
✨ First Person, Dual POV
✨ 3.5/5 Spice Level
✨ Book 1 in a Series (possibly standalone within a series)
✨ Rep: South Asian MC, lesbian MC, trans SC, pansexual SC
I recommend if you enjoy…
- sapphic vampyres and wytches
- a faster paced, compressed timeline
- spice with your plot
- themes of grief and rejection of duty
- found family and complex mother-daughter dynamics
Content warnings after review.
Initial Thoughts
This was a highly anticipated read of mine, so I was excited to get started! By the end of the first chapter, I was absolutely hooked. A wytch whose job is to provide voluntary “neutralization” to vampyres? The whole concept appealed to me. Add in complex feelings? Yeah, I needed to know what happened next.
Plot
With a compressed timeline (span of days), this book to be fast paced despite being over 400 pages long (on kindle). I had a hard time putting it down! I probably wouldn’t have minded if the book was about 150 pages longer just to see more of the main character, but all the important things happened with enough time for character arcs to resolve. A couple loose ends were left that I am hoping might be answered in the next book (or perhaps future books as I don’t know how many are anticipated).
Characters
I absolutely loved both Aisla and Jinn. I wanted more of them because I was obsessed with their dynamic. I appreciated the representation within the book as well as the commentary in regard to racism. The characters were complex in their desires and motivations. Plus, the side characters held more depth than simply being plot devices or props.
Romance
Not really insta-love, but the romance develops from one character needing the other to do something (created forced proximity of sorts). Combined with heightened emotions and clear physical attraction/chemistry, when the match finally strikes it practically takes off. Also, as one expects from Lily X, the spice was spicing.
World-building
Being a low fantasy, the world-building is focused more on the lore behind vampyres and wytches, how their magic works, the council, etc.. As opposed to more wide-spread, in depth world-building. This story takes place in a modern Edinburgh, so there is a contemporary setting with fantasy elements. I felt there was enough world-building to be satisfying and answer most of my questions without being too world-building heavy.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Will it Hurt? and I’m excited to read the next book! I hadn’t read a sapphic vampyre story in a while, and this hit the mark for me. An easy read to devour.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
blood/blood drinking, grief, loss, mental health, mercy killing, vampyric euthanasia, complicated mother-daughter dynamics, violence (mild), casual modern-day racism (from author’s own lived experience), sexually explicit content, decapitation (aftermath described), stalking, addiction
✨ Adult Sapphic Fantasy
✨ First Person, Dual POV
✨ 3.5/5 Spice Level
✨ Book 1 in a Series (possibly standalone within a series)
✨ Rep: South Asian MC, lesbian MC, trans SC, pansexual SC
I recommend if you enjoy…
- sapphic vampyres and wytches
- a faster paced, compressed timeline
- spice with your plot
- themes of grief and rejection of duty
- found family and complex mother-daughter dynamics
Content warnings after review.
Initial Thoughts
This was a highly anticipated read of mine, so I was excited to get started! By the end of the first chapter, I was absolutely hooked. A wytch whose job is to provide voluntary “neutralization” to vampyres? The whole concept appealed to me. Add in complex feelings? Yeah, I needed to know what happened next.
Plot
With a compressed timeline (span of days), this book to be fast paced despite being over 400 pages long (on kindle). I had a hard time putting it down! I probably wouldn’t have minded if the book was about 150 pages longer just to see more of the main character, but all the important things happened with enough time for character arcs to resolve. A couple loose ends were left that I am hoping might be answered in the next book (or perhaps future books as I don’t know how many are anticipated).
Characters
I absolutely loved both Aisla and Jinn. I wanted more of them because I was obsessed with their dynamic. I appreciated the representation within the book as well as the commentary in regard to racism. The characters were complex in their desires and motivations. Plus, the side characters held more depth than simply being plot devices or props.
Romance
Not really insta-love, but the romance develops from one character needing the other to do something (created forced proximity of sorts). Combined with heightened emotions and clear physical attraction/chemistry, when the match finally strikes it practically takes off. Also, as one expects from Lily X, the spice was spicing.
World-building
Being a low fantasy, the world-building is focused more on the lore behind vampyres and wytches, how their magic works, the council, etc.. As opposed to more wide-spread, in depth world-building. This story takes place in a modern Edinburgh, so there is a contemporary setting with fantasy elements. I felt there was enough world-building to be satisfying and answer most of my questions without being too world-building heavy.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Will it Hurt? and I’m excited to read the next book! I hadn’t read a sapphic vampyre story in a while, and this hit the mark for me. An easy read to devour.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
blood/blood drinking, grief, loss, mental health, mercy killing, vampyric euthanasia, complicated mother-daughter dynamics, violence (mild), casual modern-day racism (from author’s own lived experience), sexually explicit content, decapitation (aftermath described), stalking, addiction
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i love when authors have fun with fantasizing !!
Oh my god! This is such a GREAT book! The tension and spice is 🔥
The way they both came into their own, especially Aisla, was amazing to read! I loved Maia’s protectiveness and Lily X’s use of crossword puzzles in the chapters!
This is a 10/10, definitely recommend
The way they both came into their own, especially Aisla, was amazing to read! I loved Maia’s protectiveness and Lily X’s use of crossword puzzles in the chapters!
This is a 10/10, definitely recommend
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some might say it is a job of mercy, neutralizing those who no longer wish for immortality. However, to Aisla Laxmi, it is a job that is weighing her down. Family weighs her down, while she craves freedom from it. One day, a vampire visits her, wielding her shadows. She says that Aisla is the one who killed her daughter, and that the daughter would not have wished to be neutralized in the first place. These two work together to bring a loved one back from the dead. They might have started off on the wrong foot, but the animosity blooms into another emotion that is hard to resist. Maybe they might find something real when everything is over. However, forces threaten them from achieving their goal…and maybe things are not always what they look like. Will everyone find their peace in the end, or will it just hurt more?
Although it is a book with clear supernatural elements, Lily did a great job of emphasizing the human side of the characters. We all love vampires, but usually don’t consider the struggles behind immortality. By starting with the ‘end’ called neutralization instead of a powerful vampire, Lily portrays vampires as not supernatural creatures, but beings who are also human. We see Jinn not as a shadow-wielding, dangerous vampire (well, she is lethal when she puts her mind to it) but rather someone desperate, who has lost someone they loved dearly and would do anything to get that person back.
I also loved the depiction of Aisla’s family history. People do not pop up in a place, but move there with their own stories, culture, and history. Although Aisla might now be living in Edinburgh, her family and lineage are living and breathing through her magic. And shows us how that lineage can be a place to belong, but also a chain, like how Aisla’s job was to her under her family burden. It gives us more perspective on the character’s mind and the reasons behind their actions.
Also, the smut!! Shadow wielding is one cool ability and something that can be used in so many different ways since they can ‘poof’ vanish!!! (demonic smutty laugh) Oh, the sexual tension between the two characters! It would be enough to generate enough electricity for the entire area of Edinburgh. The balance between plot and smut was perfect.
I really loved this book, and look forward to the next one!! I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. (4.5/5)
Although it is a book with clear supernatural elements, Lily did a great job of emphasizing the human side of the characters. We all love vampires, but usually don’t consider the struggles behind immortality. By starting with the ‘end’ called neutralization instead of a powerful vampire, Lily portrays vampires as not supernatural creatures, but beings who are also human. We see Jinn not as a shadow-wielding, dangerous vampire (well, she is lethal when she puts her mind to it) but rather someone desperate, who has lost someone they loved dearly and would do anything to get that person back.
I also loved the depiction of Aisla’s family history. People do not pop up in a place, but move there with their own stories, culture, and history. Although Aisla might now be living in Edinburgh, her family and lineage are living and breathing through her magic. And shows us how that lineage can be a place to belong, but also a chain, like how Aisla’s job was to her under her family burden. It gives us more perspective on the character’s mind and the reasons behind their actions.
Also, the smut!! Shadow wielding is one cool ability and something that can be used in so many different ways since they can ‘poof’ vanish!!! (demonic smutty laugh) Oh, the sexual tension between the two characters! It would be enough to generate enough electricity for the entire area of Edinburgh. The balance between plot and smut was perfect.
I really loved this book, and look forward to the next one!! I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. (4.5/5)