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taymorin's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
g_the_bibliophile's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
rewritingrosie's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
❛ —- ARC REVIEW ෆ
[ SMALL SPOILERS, NOTHING BIG! ]
RATING:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
CW :
* dub con / non con
* bdsm
* detailed gore, murder & depictions of violence
* substance use
* sa survivor
* discussion of sa
KINKS LIST:
* impact play
* primal / chasing
* knotting ( but a unique twist! )
* biting & blood play & spitting
* mutual stalking, we love to see equal obsession
* definitely brat / brat tamer, switch chaos
GENRES:
* horror
* erotica
* romance
REVIEW:
Oh, dear friends, you are in for a ride!
I’d recommend this to anyone fond of all books decadent as they are grim, provided the reader is mindful of the tw’s! As a gal who is obsessed with crimson peak & penny dreadful, I can say for sure — I.V. Ophelia absolutely delivered! From the jaw dropping aesthetics, the snarky dialogue ( accompanied by equally viscous characters ), and the unique take on vampires, the storyline grabbed me by the throat, and refused to let me go.
I absolutely adored Alina! Bewitching and hungry for knowledge, it was a true delight to see a woman taking vengeance by the balls. Her headspace was unique, cunning, and her twisted sense of justice felt satisfying & unnerving in the same breath, reminiscent of Cassie from promising young woman. You climb into this world, expecting a sweet mouse to get devoured by the snake — Silas — only to realize who the danger has been all along.
As for Silas, I tried SO long to cling to my morals, and ignore the devilishly charming nature of this vamp, but characters with psycho golden retriever energy are just TOO good to deny. His obsessiveness was almost comedic at times, and as the story progressed, the transition from seeing Alina as a means to an end ( food & entertainment ) to much more was tastefully done. The chasing, the fighting, and the way he assisted her in the name of stem ( wink wink ) had me clamped with a hand over my mouth, attempting not to scream.
Out of it all, I cannot for the life of me, however, brag enough about the existence of Vipera. I.V. Ophelia did their research, and brought a creature of fantasy into my favorite era via science, and it was so satisfying to see the beginning thumbs of politics. I am drooling while awaiting book 2, and need it immediately on my bookshelf! ( pronto! )
SOME NOTES ( please read ):
* If you are heavily triggered by writing of SA, dubcon, or noncon scenes, I recommend checking your heart, and making sure you’re able to handle reading this without affecting your mental health. As an SA survivor, I found the way IV. Ophelia wrote about the subject to be very thoughtful, while brutal, and she was ALWAYS checking on the arc readers ( me included ) to make sure I was okay with the content. I had to take a moment break during chapter 48, it was HEAVY, and to me, was very noncon, though I understand people thinking it to be more dub con. I was a bit disappointed regarding Silas’s reaction towards the villain after finding out what the villain did, but I know that as with everything, IV. Ophelia writes with purpose, and the ending has us ALL hanging on by a thread. Overall, just be mindful to trigger warnings, be kind to yourself, and if it’s not something you can handle, please don’t feel bad!
LAST WORDS:
* thank you, IV. OPHELIA for the arc, and for being so kind to all of us readers! We see your passion, and you are also an amazing person overall! I’m so proud of ya, and can’t wait to see what you bring to the table in the future!
[ SMALL SPOILERS, NOTHING BIG! ]
RATING:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
CW :
* dub con / non con
* bdsm
* detailed gore, murder & depictions of violence
* substance use
* sa survivor
* discussion of sa
KINKS LIST:
* impact play
* primal / chasing
* knotting ( but a unique twist! )
* biting & blood play & spitting
* mutual stalking, we love to see equal obsession
* definitely brat / brat tamer, switch chaos
GENRES:
* horror
* erotica
* romance
REVIEW:
Oh, dear friends, you are in for a ride!
I’d recommend this to anyone fond of all books decadent as they are grim, provided the reader is mindful of the tw’s! As a gal who is obsessed with crimson peak & penny dreadful, I can say for sure — I.V. Ophelia absolutely delivered! From the jaw dropping aesthetics, the snarky dialogue ( accompanied by equally viscous characters ), and the unique take on vampires, the storyline grabbed me by the throat, and refused to let me go.
I absolutely adored Alina! Bewitching and hungry for knowledge, it was a true delight to see a woman taking vengeance by the balls. Her headspace was unique, cunning, and her twisted sense of justice felt satisfying & unnerving in the same breath, reminiscent of Cassie from promising young woman. You climb into this world, expecting a sweet mouse to get devoured by the snake — Silas — only to realize who the danger has been all along.
As for Silas, I tried SO long to cling to my morals, and ignore the devilishly charming nature of this vamp, but characters with psycho golden retriever energy are just TOO good to deny. His obsessiveness was almost comedic at times, and as the story progressed, the transition from seeing Alina as a means to an end ( food & entertainment ) to much more was tastefully done. The chasing, the fighting, and the way he assisted her in the name of stem ( wink wink ) had me clamped with a hand over my mouth, attempting not to scream.
Out of it all, I cannot for the life of me, however, brag enough about the existence of Vipera. I.V. Ophelia did their research, and brought a creature of fantasy into my favorite era via science, and it was so satisfying to see the beginning thumbs of politics. I am drooling while awaiting book 2, and need it immediately on my bookshelf! ( pronto! )
SOME NOTES ( please read ):
* If you are heavily triggered by writing of SA, dubcon, or noncon scenes, I recommend checking your heart, and making sure you’re able to handle reading this without affecting your mental health. As an SA survivor, I found the way IV. Ophelia wrote about the subject to be very thoughtful, while brutal, and she was ALWAYS checking on the arc readers ( me included ) to make sure I was okay with the content. I had to take a moment break during chapter 48, it was HEAVY, and to me, was very noncon, though I understand people thinking it to be more dub con. I was a bit disappointed regarding Silas’s reaction towards the villain after finding out what the villain did, but I know that as with everything, IV. Ophelia writes with purpose, and the ending has us ALL hanging on by a thread. Overall, just be mindful to trigger warnings, be kind to yourself, and if it’s not something you can handle, please don’t feel bad!
LAST WORDS:
* thank you, IV. OPHELIA for the arc, and for being so kind to all of us readers! We see your passion, and you are also an amazing person overall! I’m so proud of ya, and can’t wait to see what you bring to the table in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
one_more_chapter96's review
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Unique and really cool premise to the book, enjoyed the historical gothic setting and the oddities of the main character but she was strong and intelligent and likeable. Some cool twists to the story that I didn’t expect near the end, it got quite dark towards the end which was unexpected but overall a great story and look forward to the sequel to see what happens!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Toxic relationship
into_the_forest's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I don’t know how this got so many highly rated reviews. It had a “Haunting Adeline” feel with zero of the substance or character/plot/world building.
I didn’t really get attached to any of these characters and ended up not caring what happened to them at all. The whole story felt shallow and didn’t get very deep. I didn’t get lost in the story.
Spoilers below.
Phoebe had no substance and wasn’t dimensional. Silas cared and had feelings but we got none of his background. Why didn’t he warn Alina when he realized who Luka was? Why didn’t he recognize Luka by smell or sight if he was close to the family/his father?
Why didn’t Silas realize another being was leaving dead bodies at her house? She eluded to it and he didn’t question her but he claimed to be so protective.
He threatens to kill or hurt anyone that harms her yet he barely touches Luka knowing what that he raped her. Even the day after he threatens to harm Luka but does nothing.
How was Alina so clueless with Phoebe?
Why does no one know about the Vipera given they’re obviously predominant in the community?
Why does Alina forgive and trust Phoebe so quickly but not Silas?
It takes place in London but there’s no European feel except a few London references. It felt very American.
I didn’t really get attached to any of these characters and ended up not caring what happened to them at all. The whole story felt shallow and didn’t get very deep. I didn’t get lost in the story.
Spoilers below.
Why didn’t Silas realize another being was leaving dead bodies at her house? She eluded to it and he didn’t question her but he claimed to be so protective.
He threatens to kill or hurt anyone that harms her yet he barely touches Luka knowing what that he raped her. Even the day after he threatens to harm Luka but does nothing.
How was Alina so clueless with Phoebe?
Why does no one know about the Vipera given they’re obviously predominant in the community?
Why does Alina forgive and trust Phoebe so quickly but not Silas?
It takes place in London but there’s no European feel except a few London references. It felt very American.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
zoelzebub's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a wonderfully macabre and interesting romance.
This book will not be for every reader. But as a lover of horror, unusual characters, romance, and Victorian era settings - this has become one of my all time favorite books.
I truly look forward to the next two books in this series as they come out.
This book will not be for every reader. But as a lover of horror, unusual characters, romance, and Victorian era settings - this has become one of my all time favorite books.
I truly look forward to the next two books in this series as they come out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
crinkledmochi's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
UM… imma be honest I was enjoying this until the last few chapters, there was a warning at the beginning of the book but why did all the characters just act like that was normal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
andi_ruok's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Took me a while but I’m glad I pushed through, was very satisfied by the end and craving more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
cyncynreads's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Uneven pacing and contradictory pacing mar this story. There was such promise in its premise, but it does not deliver. Heavy on dark themes, suddenly becomes very explicit near the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder