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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
K.M. Moronova has done it again—woven an intricate web of beauty and despair, longing and healing, in A Ballad of Phantoms and Hope. Ever since finishing book one, I knew his story would be the kind of heartache I’d willingly drown in. And oh, how right I was.
This book is hauntingly beautiful, the kind of story that doesn't just linger in your mind but etches itself into the marrow of your soul. Moronova’s prose reads like poetry spun from shadows and starlight, aching with a tenderness so raw it leaves you sobbing, clutching the book to your chest as though doing so might fill the empty ache it leaves behind.
Lanston and Ophelia were everything I hoped he would be: a symphony of tragedy and defiance, of love so all-consuming it could burn the sky. Their pain, their despair—oh, they resonated deeply, tearing me apart and piecing me back together in ways I didn’t know I needed.
The story feels like an ancient ballad whispered in the dark, haunting yet brimming with a fierce, undying love. This book will haunt me for years, in the best way possible.
The gothic atmosphere is painted with exquisite detail: cold winds that carry the weight of unspoken grief, and fleeting moments of warmth that feel like stolen breaths of hope in a suffocating world. The romance is the beating heart of it all—aching, deeply profound, and so gorgeously tragic that it leaves you both yearning and fulfilled.
If I could change anything, it would only be to give me more—more pages!
Ballad of Phantoms and Hope isn’t just a book; it’s an experience. It’s the kind of story that leaves you hollowed out and yet fuller than you were before. This book is for the dreamers, the ones who carry phantoms in their hearts and hope in their veins. A masterpiece.
This book is hauntingly beautiful, the kind of story that doesn't just linger in your mind but etches itself into the marrow of your soul. Moronova’s prose reads like poetry spun from shadows and starlight, aching with a tenderness so raw it leaves you sobbing, clutching the book to your chest as though doing so might fill the empty ache it leaves behind.
Lanston and Ophelia were everything I hoped he would be: a symphony of tragedy and defiance, of love so all-consuming it could burn the sky. Their pain, their despair—oh, they resonated deeply, tearing me apart and piecing me back together in ways I didn’t know I needed.
The story feels like an ancient ballad whispered in the dark, haunting yet brimming with a fierce, undying love. This book will haunt me for years, in the best way possible.
The gothic atmosphere is painted with exquisite detail: cold winds that carry the weight of unspoken grief, and fleeting moments of warmth that feel like stolen breaths of hope in a suffocating world. The romance is the beating heart of it all—aching, deeply profound, and so gorgeously tragic that it leaves you both yearning and fulfilled.
If I could change anything, it would only be to give me more—more pages!
Ballad of Phantoms and Hope isn’t just a book; it’s an experience. It’s the kind of story that leaves you hollowed out and yet fuller than you were before. This book is for the dreamers, the ones who carry phantoms in their hearts and hope in their veins. A masterpiece.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to preface this by saying that The Fabric of our Souls was a 6-star book for me and might be one of my favorite books of all time. With that said, when I finished it, all I wanted was for there to be a perfect world where Liam, Wynn, and Lanston were a happy little throuple in Boston, so going into this book was going to be a little difficult, knowing I'd never get that.
Lanston's story continues to be beautiful, but I had to give this book 4 stars because it still felt like he deserved so much more. Ophelia's character felt very flighty and undercooked, and I didn't connect to her the way that I connected to Wynn. She didn't seem to have the character growth that Wynn had in TFOOS and it didn't feel like she loved Lanston as unconditionally as Wynn did. The pacing was also a little rough on this one, made worse by Ophelia's wishy-washy nature.
Still, Moronova knows how to write a beautiful story and having the final scene with Wynn, Liam, and their child instantly bumped it up to 4 stars for me, and had me in tears. Do I wish Lanston had a better ending, one he deserved?? Yes, but his story is a beautiful tragedy.
Lanston's story continues to be beautiful, but I had to give this book 4 stars because it still felt like he deserved so much more. Ophelia's character felt very flighty and undercooked, and I didn't connect to her the way that I connected to Wynn. She didn't seem to have the character growth that Wynn had in TFOOS and it didn't feel like she loved Lanston as unconditionally as Wynn did. The pacing was also a little rough on this one, made worse by Ophelia's wishy-washy nature.
Still, Moronova knows how to write a beautiful story and having the final scene with Wynn, Liam, and their child instantly bumped it up to 4 stars for me, and had me in tears. Do I wish Lanston had a better ending, one he deserved?? Yes, but his story is a beautiful tragedy.
dark
emotional
sad
The Fabric of Our Souls left my heart shattered for Lanston, but it was mended when he met Ophelia. This book, however, was an emotional rollercoaster, breaking my heart all over again, only to piece it back together even stronger.
What a dreadfully beautiful thing to read a novel that resonates with your heart and soul like this one does.
Ophelia and Lanston feel like extensions of myself. I was so moved by every chapter. Sometimes our darkness as readers and authors calls to each other as well.
Thank you, K, as always, for allowing me to ARC read for you. Mental health comes first and I had to read this slowly. By the end of the book, I was ready to start it over again.
Ophelia and Lanston feel like extensions of myself. I was so moved by every chapter. Sometimes our darkness as readers and authors calls to each other as well.
Thank you, K, as always, for allowing me to ARC read for you. Mental health comes first and I had to read this slowly. By the end of the book, I was ready to start it over again.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.75✨
i love lanston so much im so happy he was able to find his peace & love i’m still crying about this book rn it was so heartbreaking but yet so beautiful i loved it
i love lanston so much im so happy he was able to find his peace & love i’m still crying about this book rn it was so heartbreaking but yet so beautiful i loved it
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have come to terms with the fact that KM Moronova can do no wrong. Her books tear me apart to put me back together. Having Lanston die in the fabric of our souls to mind his love in the afterlife crushed me. He deserved a happy ending and he got it. I just know he will be waiting for Wynn and Liam when they cross over too.
I would like to say thank you for allowing me to be part of your ARC reads. I expect nothing less from reading such poetry. After starting this book, you knew it was going to break your heart with this haunting, beautiful story. If you loved The Fabric of Our Souls, then you will definitely love this book.
“There are moments in one’s existence when you connect with another in a mere second, something sinks deep into your soul, planting a yearning that may never fade.”
“Who says death is the end of us? We’re here for a reason, are we not? You are still as much alive in spirit as you ever were."
Very beautiful, thank you!
“There are moments in one’s existence when you connect with another in a mere second, something sinks deep into your soul, planting a yearning that may never fade.”
“Who says death is the end of us? We’re here for a reason, are we not? You are still as much alive in spirit as you ever were."
Very beautiful, thank you!