Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - House of Hunger

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

96 reviews

melitaylor's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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hehkhatea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

You mean to tell me in a noble house run by Vampire Butch Lesbian Supreme where blood drinking is an everyday occurrence that there was not one single instance of menstrual blood being drunk/eaten? WACK.

Really liked this book overall. Wasn’t sure what I was getting into but once I realized Lisavet was based on Elizabeth Bathory the jig was up. I think if you were unfamiliar with her or other classic literature naming conventions the twists might be more shocking.

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sydneysunray's review

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dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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that_guy_bo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Many of the reviews I'd read about this book focused heavily on the sapphic elements, so as a gay man, I wasn't sure if this one was "for me." But, the blurb had intrigued me, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
And I have to say, this was one of the most gripping books I've ever read!

I've raved about it to anyone and everyone at every possible opportunity, because it really doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is, this is an entrancing book.

The scenery is dripping with every possible luxury, which makes the slowly mounting horror of the story stand that much starker against the decadent backdrop.

Additionally, as a huge fan of vampires, while this isn't technically a vampire story, it has all the trappings of one, and it certainly has the atmosphere! So if you're a fan of vampires, you'll very likely love this book.

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mossmogs's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Vampires, but actually and definitely not. Sapphic fantasy, y’all. Never disappoints.
(this is actually a bit more not-so-supernatural, but still hella mystical)

I loved the pacing, the descriptions, ESPECIALLY OF THE FOOOOD, the characters (yes even the shit ones) and it’s mainly just bc the author is a wonderful story teller and her writing is so easy to follow and become swept up in. This was much different than I thought it was going to be and I mean that in the best way.

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toriwatson's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This was my other "creepy and vampire" themed Halloween season read for the year (please see Vampires of El Norte) as the other. I think it was pure coincidence that these two complementary reads happened to come home with me from the library together, but I wasn't against the very seasonal reading vibes they gave me. Though, they were also quite a bit more full-horror than I usually go with my reading, even considering my deep soft spot for vampire stories, so I'm leaning towards lighter reads for the next little bit to counterbalance.

"WANTED - Bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life's finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply."

I'm (mostly) borrowing this one last review from Goodreads to get me all caught up (being behind by five full reviews has seemed like an unclimbable mountain, tbh). Here we go: Despite longing to leave the city and its miseries of want and deprivation, Marion Shaw has no real hope of escape until the day she spots a peculiar listing in the newspaper, seeking a bloodmaid. Though she knows little about the far north - where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service - Marion applies to the position. In a matter of days, she finds herself the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger. There, Marion is swept into a world of dark debauchery. Countess Lisavet, who presides over this hedonistic court, and loved and feared in equal measure, takes a special interest in Marion. Lisavet is magnetic, and Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when her fellow bloodmaids begin to go missing in the night, Marion is thrust into a vicious game of cat and mouse. And she'll need to learn the rules of her new home quickly, before its halls will soon become her grave.

Phew. This was dark. I mean, I don't read a lot of horror, as you know, but this might actually be the creepiest thing I've ever read (or, at least, that I can remember reading). Mostly, my horror is light, like The Ninth House or A Dowry of Blood or Sorrowland. Even The Only Good Indians, written by a well-known and loved horror author, wasn't as creepy as this (IMO). First, the vibes were *strong* and well-developed. This novel had it all: the stormy nights, the dim/dark lighting, the marsh/moor-like landscape, the huge and kind of sinister castle/mansion, obsession, the bloodmaids wearing black/white/red, the secretiveness of how everything works with the blood-letting (and really, the presence of all the blood itself, really), the taxidermy, the teeth (why are the always loose teeth in horror hovels and can I get a content warning for that specifically please?!), the excess of opulence and lack of inhibition around food and drink and drug and sex. There is really not a single potentially horrific trope that isn't touched on or included in some way.

Thematically, I was mostly bought in. I felt like the weaving together of debauchery and blood and toxic infatuous love was really well done. The concept of bloodmaids in this setting and sense was very cool and very well-written (even if the need for all their blood was never *quite* explained to my satisfaction - I mean it was for Lisavet, but not necessarily for the rest of the people of the North). And the obsession aspect fit that, contextually and for the vibes, especially for the bloodmaids that had been there longer. But for Marion, I was honestly not sold on how fast it happened. Like I still don't know if I believe how fast Marion fell under her influence, considering the survival; instincts and past experiences she seemed to have. I gave it the benefit of the doubt though, to see where the story went as it continued to develop. And I think, within the situation, I can maybe see how the connection to Lisavet, the reliance on her favor (etc.), makes all these girls obsessively in love with her even as she literally drains them to death. But also, I still ended with a few questions about why it took such a dramatic reveal to convince the bloodmaids that running away was their best option. Like, it's a lot to believe with all the caginess in the House of Hunger that no bloodmaids really questioned the likelihood of their survival/future until Marion arrived. But you know, people often do find it easier to look away from hard truths than face them, so maybe the believability is legit. *shrug*

I have a few other comments that are mostly unrelated to each other, so I'm mashing them all together here. I was excited to see where these prostitution parallels (depravity and opulence) take us and what social messages are made on the topic, but unfortunately, the answer was "not really anywhere." A bit of an opportunity lost, in my opinion. On the other hand, the messaging about how you can become so full - bloated - on extravagance that you miss how drained and empty you actually are, was not lost on me. And that was well done. I don't know how many people out there know about Elizabeth Báthory, a "famous" Hungarian noblewoman serial killer from the late 1500s and early 1600s. I read about her in Rejected Princesses and the name sounded so familiar here - a quick Google search reminded me and I loved that little nod to bloodthirsty IRL historical women. *hat tip* And my last random thought: here’s a thing about horror...knowing that the worst is definitely going to happen (gore and death and creepy and dark corners and terror and torture instruments and the “hunt”) *almost* takes the intensity out of it when it finally hits. Like the tension in the build is great, but then when the "worst" happens, it's like, I knew it was going to, so the impact is lessened. Is this just a me thing? Anyone else?

All in all, this book hits the spot as far as themes and vibes, if you're looking for a horror-style vampire novel. And the sapphic aspects were SO GOOD. I can't believe I haven't mentioned those yet. I got caught up in the rest of this review and it completely slipped my mind! But Henderson nails the obsessive, toxic sapphic vibes as well. Though some of the world-building and plot details were lacking in robustness, if this sounds like a book you'd be interested in on the surface/based on the blurb, then I'd say to give it a try.

“But begrudging contentment was not the same as happiness. At best it was familiarity, and at worst defeat. It certainly wasn't the same as true fondness.”

“To love is to devour.”

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annabelle's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

I loved this version of vampires and the setting. It has a good spooky autumn vibe. But tbh it could have been spookier...

The pacing was quite slow for most of the book until things came to a head about 75% in and then it's very fast. While I predicted parts of the ending, I still enjoyed how the story wrapped up. The last 20% was so good and had me on the edge of my seat.

I wasn't really sold on the relationships between characters and wish we spent more time diving deep into the various relationships and thier power dynamics, especially between blood maids. Ultimately this and the abrupt pacing change is why this didn't fully hit 4 stars for me. I definitely recommend this if you like slow and eerie gothic stories.

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gellyreads's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

So, I really enjoyed the protagonist and I found most of the story pretty entertaining and I was drawn in. However, the horror felt really meh to me and I really didn't believe the love story at all

I know the point to a certain extent is that she may or may not genuinely care for the MC, but then even when they have her beg for her to leave, I genuinely felt like she didn't try very hard. Like. I just didn't buy this romance at all.

I just wanted to care more for the characters than I did? This felt too fake old-timey, Dickensian for me, and I just struggled to connect with it. Although, this was a weird version of vampries that I also really have mixed feelings about. Like, I like the class dynamics, but why can't they actually bite? Why is the blood powers not clear? Why is it only the north?

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keen's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

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