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its_vendetta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's giving "and we'll do it with the power of friendship" but like I'm not mad about it.
Mixed feelings throughout the book, but I decided to round up to 4 bc I truly did enjoy it!
Mostly rounded up bc they all ended up together in a poly relationship!! THANK GOD. I was going to lose it if he ended up only picking one of them after ALL OF THAT.
I think the thing that threw me off was the amount of plot twists in the book. Like kept me on the edge of my seat for sure, but by the end, I was just expecting another "BUT WAIT-" I just didn't trust anything by the end, which could be a good or bad thing depending on what you like.
I think it was overall a pretty cool book. Loved the romance and tension and the resolution was satisfying for me. The characters had faults which I enjoyed. The plot was tense and horrific at times, but the book had enough lighthearted dialogue and romance to balance it out.
Mixed feelings throughout the book, but I decided to round up to 4 bc I truly did enjoy it!
I think the thing that threw me off was the amount of plot twists in the book. Like kept me on the edge of my seat for sure, but by the end, I was just expecting another "BUT WAIT-" I just didn't trust anything by the end, which could be a good or bad thing depending on what you like.
I think it was overall a pretty cool book. Loved the romance and tension and the resolution was satisfying for me. The characters had faults which I enjoyed. The plot was tense and horrific at times, but the book had enough lighthearted dialogue and romance to balance it out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicide, Homophobia, Confinement, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Classism, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
lanid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
q_bert13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Interesting read, drags a bit towards the end. Some obvious ‘secrets’ are revealed, with more surprising ones later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexism, Outing, and Medical trauma
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found the main character fairly unbelievable... A book nerd who couldn't figure out he was living with werewolves ? And I'm not sure I totally followed a love interest's redemption arc .
The last couple chapters of this book bumped it up from a 2 to a 3⭐ for me. It's really cool to see an ending withpolyamory as the solution to a love triangle ! And the narrative really picked up in the last part of the book. Honestly, if the MC were better developed and the one love interest not so villainous at the beginning, it would have been really good.
The last couple chapters of this book bumped it up from a 2 to a 3⭐ for me. It's really cool to see an ending with
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Gore, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Horrorbookishpriest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro is a great homage to the gothic horror genre that includes some m/m romance in a love triangle and a genuinely creepy atmosphere.
Emile is a young man about to come of age and receive his substantial inheritance when his aunt discovers that he is gay. She threatens to institutionalize him if he does not marry a woman and produce an heir, something Emile cannot reconcile himself or the potential bride to.
Emile flees his home and seeks to remain hidden from society until he comes of age and can claim his inheritance on his own terms. He is quickly embroiled in a love triangle with two older, dashing men. As he tries to sort out his heart, Emile stumbles across hints of some truly creepy goings-on around his new home. The plot gets thicker and thicker as he investigates.
The Alchemy of Moonlight creates a great atmosphere with plenty of creepy moments. There is a genuine feeling of dread and, though many of the tropes are familiar and predictable, they are enjoyable just the same. The writing and pacing are good and I found myself looking forward to coming back for the next instalment. I was also impressed with how Ferraro manages to convey the depth of tension and feeling in the love triangle in ways that keep the book firmly in YA-acceptable territory.
The audiobook narration is well done and makes for a pleasant listen.
The book isn't perfect, however. The characters felt a bit flat. Emile exercised very little agency until the last pages of the book, disappointing for a main character with a good setup. There were a few plot points that felt too convenient and the ending of the book was more seamless than I thought realistic, given everything else going on.
Overall, this was a good read and a nice nod to the gothic horror genre.
Emile is a young man about to come of age and receive his substantial inheritance when his aunt discovers that he is gay. She threatens to institutionalize him if he does not marry a woman and produce an heir, something Emile cannot reconcile himself or the potential bride to.
Emile flees his home and seeks to remain hidden from society until he comes of age and can claim his inheritance on his own terms. He is quickly embroiled in a love triangle with two older, dashing men. As he tries to sort out his heart, Emile stumbles across hints of some truly creepy goings-on around his new home. The plot gets thicker and thicker as he investigates.
The Alchemy of Moonlight creates a great atmosphere with plenty of creepy moments. There is a genuine feeling of dread and, though many of the tropes are familiar and predictable, they are enjoyable just the same. The writing and pacing are good and I found myself looking forward to coming back for the next instalment. I was also impressed with how Ferraro manages to convey the depth of tension and feeling in the love triangle in ways that keep the book firmly in YA-acceptable territory.
The audiobook narration is well done and makes for a pleasant listen.
The book isn't perfect, however. The characters felt a bit flat. Emile exercised very little agency until the last pages of the book, disappointing for a main character with a good setup. There were a few plot points that felt too convenient and the ending of the book was more seamless than I thought realistic, given everything else going on.
Overall, this was a good read and a nice nod to the gothic horror genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Body horror
Moderate: Violence and Homophobia
Minor: Vomit
bookstarbri's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.75
I'll admit: I was nervous. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I wanted this book to meet my high expectations! It had the cover, it had the premise, it had everything I wanted. And it for sure lived up to what I wanted!! (and more?) This story centers on Emile St. Aubert, a marquis who is hiding his identity and status to get away from his aunt while he waits for his inheritance. To hide his identity and high status, he becomes a Second Man for a family. Of course, nothing is ever simple and my poor, dumb Emile accidentally ends up working for a family of werewolves.
Emile is such a funny character to be with for this story. He's so painfully oblivious to so much around him, never quite putting the pieces of something together in time. I loved him for it though and I loved that he wasn't your typical main character. He got really scared, he ran away, he gave up sometimes. But he still felt very much like a true main character and fought to save his friends (turned family) until the end. I loved the side characters so much. Bram is AMAZING. I loved him and everything he brought to this story. Henri took some time for me to love, but when he finally convinced me, I couldn't look back and ended up loving him too. The more secondary side characters (Blanche, Annette, and Ludovico) were also really great additions to this story as well, all helping out in some way and bringing their own pieces of joy to this story.
The story/plot itself: It is very much a gothic story. Like most gothic stories, it ihas a slow burn. The romance itself isn't very slow, but the plot is very much slowly brimming with tension until the ladder half of the story. Some reviews say the pacing feels slow at points and fast at others, I'd agree with this, but that didn't really bother me? It kinda made reading this interesting to me bc I ended up never really knowing how something would play out, if that makes sense? So I didn't mind it, but I can definitely see some people not liking it! A couple small things that are keeping me from giving it a full 5 is: 1) I wanted more Bram! He's a stellar character and a great love interest and I know *why* we got less of him at one point, but I still missed him and would've enjoyed more of him before that happened or some other way to incorporate him more hahaha; 2) I would've liked more easing into Henri's feelings for Emile. That happened a bit quickly for my liking? But these are small issues and didn't really hinder my enjoyment for the book that much!
I also want to praise that this was a lot more of a horror than I expected! The horror doesn't really start horroring in full form until the last part, but the early glimpses of it and the last part more than made up for it! There is one scene in particular that is so grotesque and perfect, I had to reread it twice because I was so enthralled in what was happening. This book is so atmospheric and the gothic aesthetic and setting really pulled me in right away.
Overall, this was a really amazing YA gothic horror. The mystery is felt throughout and I loved the slow burn of it all. The tension was brimming as we got closer to the climax and it was all so well done. I was hoping to love this book, but I'm surprised by how much I loved it! Thanks so much to Page Street for offering me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Emile is such a funny character to be with for this story. He's so painfully oblivious to so much around him, never quite putting the pieces of something together in time. I loved him for it though and I loved that he wasn't your typical main character. He got really scared, he ran away, he gave up sometimes. But he still felt very much like a true main character and fought to save his friends (turned family) until the end. I loved the side characters so much. Bram is AMAZING. I loved him and everything he brought to this story. Henri took some time for me to love, but when he finally convinced me, I couldn't look back and ended up loving him too. The more secondary side characters (Blanche, Annette, and Ludovico) were also really great additions to this story as well, all helping out in some way and bringing their own pieces of joy to this story.
The story/plot itself: It is very much a gothic story. Like most gothic stories, it ihas a slow burn. The romance itself isn't very slow, but the plot is very much slowly brimming with tension until the ladder half of the story. Some reviews say the pacing feels slow at points and fast at others, I'd agree with this, but that didn't really bother me? It kinda made reading this interesting to me bc I ended up never really knowing how something would play out, if that makes sense? So I didn't mind it, but I can definitely see some people not liking it! A couple small things that are keeping me from giving it a full 5 is: 1) I wanted more Bram! He's a stellar character and a great love interest and I know *why* we got less of him at one point, but I still missed him and would've enjoyed more of him before that happened or some other way to incorporate him more hahaha; 2) I would've liked more easing into Henri's feelings for Emile. That happened a bit quickly for my liking? But these are small issues and didn't really hinder my enjoyment for the book that much!
I also want to praise that this was a lot more of a horror than I expected! The horror doesn't really start horroring in full form until the last part, but the early glimpses of it and the last part more than made up for it! There is one scene in particular that is so grotesque and perfect, I had to reread it twice because I was so enthralled in what was happening. This book is so atmospheric and the gothic aesthetic and setting really pulled me in right away.
Overall, this was a really amazing YA gothic horror. The mystery is felt throughout and I loved the slow burn of it all. The tension was brimming as we got closer to the climax and it was all so well done. I was hoping to love this book, but I'm surprised by how much I loved it! Thanks so much to Page Street for offering me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, and Suicide
jilljemmett's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
When Emile’s aunt insists he get married or be sent to an asylum for being gay and lose his inheritance, he runs away and gets a job as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. He finds a dismembered hand on the property which introduces him to the local doctor, Valancourt. Emile also draws the attention of the Count’s nephew, Henri. As Emile finds more bodies on the property, he wonders if the Count has a dark secret. He hopes to figure it out so that he can blackmail the Count so that he no longer has to wait for his inheritance. However, Emile’s past catches up with him and the family moves to Udolpho castle, where there is no chance for escape and the danger lies within the castle walls.
This story is a queer retelling of The Mysteries of Udolpho. I haven’t read that story but I am familiar with it. Though I can’t speak to the way this story was adapted, I liked the other nods to classic gothic novel. For example, there was a character in a scene named Carmilla, whose skin was cold to touch, like the vampire in the book Carmilla. This story was exciting, with twists that I didn’t see coming. There was also a love triangle, but it actually ended in a healthy relationship, that I won’t give details on to avoid spoilers.
The Alchemy of Moonlight is a spooky new gothic novel!
Thank you Manda Group for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death of parents, mentions of suicide, dismemberment, homophobia
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
rampant_reading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While reading my physical copy, I also listened to the audiobook version of The Alchemy of Moonlight, which I strongly recommend if you’re an audiobook person! The story is made even spookier by this format! The suspense was heightened for me, and I really couldn’t stop listening!
The story itself was a very unique blend of queer historical fiction and horror, which was unlike anything I’ve read in a long time! The gothic castle setting and the “monster terrorizing the woods” elements were both fantastic, and convinced me that I need to read more books with gothic settings!
My Recommendation:
If you love a good spooky novel, and are pining away for Halloween even in June, you should grab a copy of The Alchemy of Moonlight!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Homophobia and Body horror
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Alchemy of Moonlight is a perfect combination of regency gothic setting with fantasy. Ferraro details a rich setting of inheritances and dangerous gardens. In order to gain his inheritance and be free of his aunt's homophobia, Emile goes undercover as a servant hoping to wait out the six months until his birthday. The foundation of the story is Emile's desire to be seen and loved for who he is. To live a life where he's free to choose and not forced to marry in name only.
From the beginning, I loved Emile's character as he struggles to be a proficient servant all while fighting for the hope for love. Emile's situation is incredibly precarious and dangerous risking losing his fortune, but also institutionalization. My heart was in my chest for Emile. The Alchemy of Moonlight is a story which creeps up on you. Ferraro sprinkles in elements of the supernatural, clues, and disbelief. With love triangle vibes - albeit with some pretty complicated mistakes - Emile's story forces him to find people who can see him.
The Alchemy of Moonlight is a perfect combination of regency gothic setting with fantasy. Ferraro details a rich setting of inheritances and dangerous gardens. In order to gain his inheritance and be free of his aunt's homophobia, Emile goes undercover as a servant hoping to wait out the six months until his birthday. The foundation of the story is Emile's desire to be seen and loved for who he is. To live a life where he's free to choose and not forced to marry in name only.
From the beginning, I loved Emile's character as he struggles to be a proficient servant all while fighting for the hope for love. Emile's situation is incredibly precarious and dangerous risking losing his fortune, but also institutionalization. My heart was in my chest for Emile. The Alchemy of Moonlight is a story which creeps up on you. Ferraro sprinkles in elements of the supernatural, clues, and disbelief. With love triangle vibes - albeit with some pretty complicated mistakes - Emile's story forces him to find people who can see him.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse
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