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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I should have DNF'd: it dragged along for over 150 pages before any hint of paranormality (which only really kicked off *in the last 90 pages*), got overwhelmed by a totally unsympathetic love triangle, and didn't get any better.
The BS love triangle: you have one cute guy who's friendly, supportive, wholesome, into you, and you're into him; you have one cute guy who's childish, selfish, out of touch, tries to coerce you into a relationship for his own convenience, is possessively jealous even when you're NOT in a relationship, and is generally a spoiled dickhead; which one do you gravitate towards? The one you're most often in proximity to, of course...the dickhead! *facepalm* *FACEPALM* *flips table*
I couldn't sympathize with the protagonist for that boneheaded behaviour. ("Are the allos okay...?")
The love triangle consumed most of the book, followed closely by the protagonist's inheritance woes (he's in hiding til he comes of age so his homophobic aunt won't force him to marry), and the paranormal aspect that has been a big selling point is almost an afterthought, only really coming out in the last 90 pages, despite frequent name-dropping cameos of famous classic horror figures like Carmilla, Dr Moreau, a Westenra (reference to Dracula), and others, if readers are genre fans.
The writing also failed to give a clear sense of the time period, beyond "like, old-timey, you know," though it scattered several little modernisms around like frequent use of "okay" (an American-origin street-slang word in aristocratic France of...when are we...? The chapter title says 1873 but it never *feels* clear). That may not bother readers who aren't sticklers, but it just made my brain itch.
Not the worst thing I've read this year, but would not recommend.
Content concerns: some heated kisses (though not overly descriptive), homophobia, some alcohol but not habitual drunkenness, mention of gambling and gambling debts, coercive 'romantic' behaviour, toxic relationships (controlling, jealousy, spitefulness), threats of institutionalization, abusive guardians, domestic violence, mention of suicide
The BS love triangle: you have one cute guy who's friendly, supportive, wholesome, into you, and you're into him; you have one cute guy who's childish, selfish, out of touch, tries to coerce you into a relationship for his own convenience, is possessively jealous even when you're NOT in a relationship, and is generally a spoiled dickhead; which one do you gravitate towards? The one you're most often in proximity to, of course...the dickhead! *facepalm* *FACEPALM* *flips table*
I couldn't sympathize with the protagonist for that boneheaded behaviour. ("Are the allos okay...?")
The love triangle consumed most of the book, followed closely by the protagonist's inheritance woes (he's in hiding til he comes of age so his homophobic aunt won't force him to marry), and the paranormal aspect that has been a big selling point is almost an afterthought, only really coming out in the last 90 pages, despite frequent name-dropping cameos of famous classic horror figures like Carmilla, Dr Moreau, a Westenra (reference to Dracula), and others, if readers are genre fans.
The writing also failed to give a clear sense of the time period, beyond "like, old-timey, you know," though it scattered several little modernisms around like frequent use of "okay" (an American-origin street-slang word in aristocratic France of...when are we...? The chapter title says 1873 but it never *feels* clear). That may not bother readers who aren't sticklers, but it just made my brain itch.
Not the worst thing I've read this year, but would not recommend.
Content concerns: some heated kisses (though not overly descriptive), homophobia, some alcohol but not habitual drunkenness, mention of gambling and gambling debts, coercive 'romantic' behaviour, toxic relationships (controlling, jealousy, spitefulness), threats of institutionalization, abusive guardians, domestic violence, mention of suicide
adventurous
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance audiobook!
First things first, I think the narrator Will Watt did a fantastic job reading this one. I think his tone of voice, accents and pronunciation were all spot on for this specific book and I really enjoyed how he conveyed intensity at the right moments. Would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by him!
For the book itself it was a lot of fun! If you go in to this book thinking its a werewolf book, so its all about werewolves, you might feel a little disappointed. This plot is so much more involved with many moving parts that keep the reader/listener interested and curious of what will happen next. Yes, there are werewolves, but this isnt Van Helsing and they arent the MAIN focus of everything this book is about.
Emile is a complex main character who is trying to sort out his feelings and difficult situation all at once. It's layers of stress and it leads to a not-so-typical love "triangle" that I really enjoyed. He was torn between Brams & Henri (cant blame him because WOW) and each man had such differences that they pulled at different parts of his heart and affections.
This book was exactly my type of story and vibe. Very Sleepy Hollow in a gothic Victorian type way with a bit of gore mixed in and a supernatural twist. Thoroughly loved it and will read David Ferraro's next work in a heartbeat!
Spoiler for the ending:
First things first, I think the narrator Will Watt did a fantastic job reading this one. I think his tone of voice, accents and pronunciation were all spot on for this specific book and I really enjoyed how he conveyed intensity at the right moments. Would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by him!
For the book itself it was a lot of fun! If you go in to this book thinking its a werewolf book, so its all about werewolves, you might feel a little disappointed. This plot is so much more involved with many moving parts that keep the reader/listener interested and curious of what will happen next. Yes, there are werewolves, but this isnt Van Helsing and they arent the MAIN focus of everything this book is about.
Emile is a complex main character who is trying to sort out his feelings and difficult situation all at once. It's layers of stress and it leads to a not-so-typical love "triangle" that I really enjoyed. He was torn between Brams & Henri (cant blame him because WOW) and each man had such differences that they pulled at different parts of his heart and affections.
This book was exactly my type of story and vibe. Very Sleepy Hollow in a gothic Victorian type way with a bit of gore mixed in and a supernatural twist. Thoroughly loved it and will read David Ferraro's next work in a heartbeat!
Spoiler for the ending:
Spoiler
Hell yea a poly relationship FINALLY! Im so sick of YA books and the back and forth love "triangle" (more of a V really) and always wondered why no author ever explored a poly relationship. I finally have been blessed with one, thank you David Ferraro lolThis book was wild bro. The ending came way out of left field, and some character choices really frustrated me at times. Overall a good story, I’m glad I finished it.
I hate to say it, but this book did not land for me. There are a lot of good things here - mystery, fantasy (werewolves), Gothic setting, queer romance. Some things I struggled with: the pacing (it felt like things were dragging along and then suddenly everything happened at the end and then it was over), the poor way that Henri treats Emile for much of the novel, and the way murders and highly suspicious activity got forgotten/ignored. I didn't really buy into any of the romance. And I felt like I didn't connect to any of the characters/had a difficult time caring about them. In the end, I felt like there was a lot of potential and elements that I liked, but they never came together in a way that I really enjoyed.
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed how the love triangle is treated in this story. I was very worried that the story would revolve heavily around jealousy, and there is some of that, but enough to be titillating and not enough to be upsetting. There were two plot twists regarding Bram that really surprised and delighted me.
I love the concept, but the writing was less sumptuous than I'd have liked. I appreciated the use of classic Gothic tropes, but the writing style felt hurried. Maybe that is because it is a YA novel and trying to balance content with difficulty of text.
I recommend this to folks wanting a gay historical horror that is tamer than most. I appreciate the setting and Gothic themes, and the writing style would probably be appealing to folks who want to read Gothic stories but find themselves becoming bored or overwhelmed by other authors' writing styles. The romantic plots are sweet, and the horror elements feel gross and creepy but still appropriate for squeamish readers.
I really enjoyed how the love triangle is treated in this story. I was very worried that the story would revolve heavily around jealousy, and there is some of that, but enough to be titillating and not enough to be upsetting. There were two plot twists regarding Bram that really surprised and delighted me.
I love the concept, but the writing was less sumptuous than I'd have liked. I appreciated the use of classic Gothic tropes, but the writing style felt hurried. Maybe that is because it is a YA novel and trying to balance content with difficulty of text.
I recommend this to folks wanting a gay historical horror that is tamer than most. I appreciate the setting and Gothic themes, and the writing style would probably be appealing to folks who want to read Gothic stories but find themselves becoming bored or overwhelmed by other authors' writing styles. The romantic plots are sweet, and the horror elements feel gross and creepy but still appropriate for squeamish readers.
The main character seemed to have all the moral integrity of a wet tissue. The first love interest, Henri, is a power-hungry controlling abusive red flag. And I couldn’t stand the way Emil kept swinging wildly back-and-forth between wanting one or the other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent