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itsabookthing2021's review
4.0
A lesson in love and death, starts with Anna starting Endymion College with her new room mate Candi. On the first night being in there new apartment room Anna sees the ghost boy. The events that follow changes the book completely.
I really enjoyed reading A Lesson in Love and Death. I found the book somewhat messed up and downright freaky. The events had me compelled and before I knew it the chapters had rolled into one and... "the end"!
Anna our main character was a book nerd coming to Endymion to study the literatures, but as the novel progress I suspected (and it implied) there was more to her - though what, was never touched upon. I did like her character, she was head strong.
Candi/Candide and Evelyn were a weird pair. The former being the room mate and the latter being the teacher. Throughout the novel, I kept thinking there's more to them than meets the eye. We even get a little explanation about them but for some reason this doesn't sit right with me. I can't help but think there is more. Maybe there is, maybe it's in book 2.
Candi's character albeit a bit strange, was a great best friend to Anna, their contrasting characteristics played well against each other. Evelyn somewhat annoyed me when it came to Anna, I agreed with his reasoning the first time but then after his backwards and forwards, it started getting annoying. He was yoyoing more than a yo yo itself which I found made him less appealing.
The ghost boy at first was creepy but that demon over took my thoughts with a what the hell is happening, who the hell are you vibe. I seriously didn't have a clue who it was but nonetheless it compelled me to keep reading.
As I said I really enjoyed reading Lessons in Love and Death, the story premise was fantastic and it was executed really well. The description and world building was greatly done and it felt like the story took you in and kept you there. I do have more questions than answers though, like who was the ghost boy and why do the characters forget about his existence every now and then? I'm hoping I get a lot of answers in book 2.
I really can't wait to read book 2 as I need to see what happens next.
I really enjoyed reading A Lesson in Love and Death. I found the book somewhat messed up and downright freaky. The events had me compelled and before I knew it the chapters had rolled into one and... "the end"!
Anna our main character was a book nerd coming to Endymion to study the literatures, but as the novel progress I suspected (and it implied) there was more to her - though what, was never touched upon. I did like her character, she was head strong.
Candi/Candide and Evelyn were a weird pair. The former being the room mate and the latter being the teacher. Throughout the novel, I kept thinking there's more to them than meets the eye. We even get a little explanation about them but for some reason this doesn't sit right with me. I can't help but think there is more. Maybe there is, maybe it's in book 2.
Candi's character albeit a bit strange, was a great best friend to Anna, their contrasting characteristics played well against each other. Evelyn somewhat annoyed me when it came to Anna, I agreed with his reasoning the first time but then after his backwards and forwards, it started getting annoying. He was yoyoing more than a yo yo itself which I found made him less appealing.
The ghost boy at first was creepy but that demon over took my thoughts with a what the hell is happening, who the hell are you vibe. I seriously didn't have a clue who it was but nonetheless it compelled me to keep reading.
As I said I really enjoyed reading Lessons in Love and Death, the story premise was fantastic and it was executed really well. The description and world building was greatly done and it felt like the story took you in and kept you there. I do have more questions than answers though, like who was the ghost boy and why do the characters forget about his existence every now and then? I'm hoping I get a lot of answers in book 2.
I really can't wait to read book 2 as I need to see what happens next.
mistysbookspace's review
3.5
I was meant to read this earlier this year as part of a blog tour with R&R Book Tours, but I fell behind, so it ended up becoming my last book of 2022 and luckily it was a good one. This is another one that I struggled to get into at first but once the action started happening, I was fully sucked in. It's too bad that I had to read about half of the book before that actually happened though. I liked the romance in this book but the back and forth got annoying especially since we still don't really have any answers to pretty much everything having to do with each of the 3 main characters. It was a little too descriptive to me especially in the beginning, but the action was on point. This was a good start to a trilogy that will leave you wanting to continue on with the next book. Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via R&R Book Tours.
skinnerbx's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
downtown_kb's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
shanaroszko1990's review
5.0
Havn't read a romance and horror book before but i thoroughly enjoyed this book and was hooked straight away. I can not wait to read the second book as I nees to know what happens next.
happily_undignified's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“The classics stay with us for a reason,” he continued. “A book doesn’t draw people together from vastly different backgrounds over the course of hundreds of years unless it cuts through those differences and reveals a deep, human truth to us."⠀
⠀
W. H. Lockwood, A Lesson in Love and Death
A Lesson in Love and Death (Endymion College #1) by W. H. Lockwood
is a dark academia cozy horror romance that is just right for the spooky season! ⠀
⠀
I adored this story so much. The imagery of Endymion College and it's large, dusty library and antique halls make my dark academia loving heart so happy. The author has a beautiful love for literature and it shows in the discussions of the classes at the college. It made me want to reread Frankenstein! Also, I'm here for cozy ghost stories, and this book is full of ghosts, demons, sexy priests, and seances. ⠀
⠀
Anna, Eve, and Candi are dynamic characters who each have secrets and mysteries held close, but they work well as a team.They were immediately intriguing and I enjoyed how subtle the romance was. Watching their stories develop was so much fun and I can't wait to see what the next book holds for the trio. ⠀
⠀
A Lesson in Love and Death is a five star spooky read that I'd recommend to everyone! ⠀
⠀
W. H. Lockwood, A Lesson in Love and Death
A Lesson in Love and Death (Endymion College #1) by W. H. Lockwood
is a dark academia cozy horror romance that is just right for the spooky season! ⠀
⠀
I adored this story so much. The imagery of Endymion College and it's large, dusty library and antique halls make my dark academia loving heart so happy. The author has a beautiful love for literature and it shows in the discussions of the classes at the college. It made me want to reread Frankenstein! Also, I'm here for cozy ghost stories, and this book is full of ghosts, demons, sexy priests, and seances. ⠀
⠀
Anna, Eve, and Candi are dynamic characters who each have secrets and mysteries held close, but they work well as a team.They were immediately intriguing and I enjoyed how subtle the romance was. Watching their stories develop was so much fun and I can't wait to see what the next book holds for the trio. ⠀
⠀
A Lesson in Love and Death is a five star spooky read that I'd recommend to everyone! ⠀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
taylorhathcock's review
3.0
We are introduced to our main character Anna who has been given a chance of a lifetime at a prestigious school through a scholarship. Anna is going to be studying literature at Endymion College, and as luck would have it she soon discovers her crush is her Lit professor. However, it is the haunting of her room which causes her to develop a closer bond with him and her roommate Candi. Anna soon uncovers the two have a connection that she doesn't understand and tries to distance herself from Eve so as not to offend Candi. The realities of the forbidden romance, the ghost and the perceived tensions with Candi cause her to question if she should remain at the college. Time reveals that Anna has formed many misunderstandings about Eve and Candi and the three must work together to rid themselves of the entity that is haunting them. With each new revelation new questions are uncovered and an element of mystery surrounds every aspect of Anna's time at the school.
Lockwood's novel is very from most novels that I have read. It is full of pop culture references and overwhelmingly literary in evaluations of classic novels. A fact that makes sense with a Lit student main character, but often seemed to be a plot separate from the main narrative. Lockwood does an amazing job of creating a dark Gothic vibe for this novel. It has a creep factor for sure. The moments where our ghost/demon characters appear are terrifyingly creepily well written and one can almost see the events taking place. I was slightly let down that a novel that appeared to exude girl power so quickly had the FMC become the stereotypical girl bitter about the situation with the romantic interest.
Anna quickly seems to become more preoccupied with Eve and his actions then she is with the fact that she is being haunted. The novel at times feels like two separate stories we have the romance story and the creepy haunting story. Once the novel commits to the ghost/demon theme it really takes off and becomes a super quick read. By the end the reader is left with a ton of unanswered questions about the main characters and their situation. It definitely makes you want to read Book Two. If you are searching for a story to get you into the mood for the spooky season, but that still has a romantic element, you should read this novel for sure.
Lockwood's novel is very from most novels that I have read. It is full of pop culture references and overwhelmingly literary in evaluations of classic novels. A fact that makes sense with a Lit student main character, but often seemed to be a plot separate from the main narrative. Lockwood does an amazing job of creating a dark Gothic vibe for this novel. It has a creep factor for sure. The moments where our ghost/demon characters appear are terrifyingly creepily well written and one can almost see the events taking place. I was slightly let down that a novel that appeared to exude girl power so quickly had the FMC become the stereotypical girl bitter about the situation with the romantic interest.
Anna quickly seems to become more preoccupied with Eve and his actions then she is with the fact that she is being haunted. The novel at times feels like two separate stories we have the romance story and the creepy haunting story. Once the novel commits to the ghost/demon theme it really takes off and becomes a super quick read. By the end the reader is left with a ton of unanswered questions about the main characters and their situation. It definitely makes you want to read Book Two. If you are searching for a story to get you into the mood for the spooky season, but that still has a romantic element, you should read this novel for sure.
kikiscozyreads's review
4.0
Wow! I read this entire book in one sitting. It definitely got me ready for October. It has everything - horror, paranormal, romance, intrigue. As I read the final chapter, I had so many questions and nearly was going to rate this book differently because they went unanswered - until I saw that these questions are intentionally left unanswered in preparation for a sequel. I look forward to reading the sequel as soon as I can!
The only thing I didn't vibe with was some of the dialogue, I can't put my finger on why but some of it just seemed rushed or slightly off. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The only thing I didn't vibe with was some of the dialogue, I can't put my finger on why but some of it just seemed rushed or slightly off. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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