Reviews

The Dead Heart by Lucas Milliron

bozzi1's review

fast-paced

2.0

This is my second book by this author and while I enjoyed the wild and crazy ride that Cocksucker was, The Dead Heart did not live up to my expectations. It almost felt like this was written by someone else entirely. I wasn’t a fan of any character and the plot wasn’t strong enough to hold my attention, but my biggest complaint is the editing-or lack thereof. I expect a few editing issues with any book, but this was among the worst I’ve seen and I hate it for the author and publisher. I hope this one is revised and rereleased at some point in the future. 

thebookishabyss's review

Wilbert and Arielle share a remarkable skill: the ability to bring back the dead. This ability, though, is used in completely different endeavors by the the old carpenter, who is being stalked by the public after miraculously restarting the life of a child, and the veterinarian, who wears a mask of normality during the day while indulging in a life of undead depravity by night. When circumstances bring them together, only one will walk away, but there is no winner.

A well-written book, this story takes the reader to some dark places with necromancy, defiling of corpses, rape, and a lot of bloody, gory violence. While some acts committed in this novel turned my stomach, I could not turn my eyes from the words as events unfolded; too curious to witness the plot trajectory. This one is a wild ride and an intense read. Reader beware! 

karlakayjenniges's review

dark emotional 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? N/A

5.0

“Just because you do the right thing, doesn't make you a hero anymore than not acting makes you a villain.”

Wilbert has a special gift. A gift he wishes he didn't have. He only wants to live a quiet life and be left alone.He has been hiding his secret for 17 years, but when this gift is discovered and it all comes out, people go crazy and he becomes the center of attention. 

Arielle is a dead lifter and a veterinarian, loves animals way more than people. She also has a deep hidden secret. Arielle is a dominatrix with horrifying, unatural macabre fetishes. 

When Arielle discovers Wilberts secret, she must have him and know how it is that he is capable of giving his gift to others. 

Two lives crossing paths turns into a grisly nightmare!

"Wilbert and Arielle couldn't have been more different, more detached from the world. Yet something terrible and strange tied them together. It was a gift, and a curse, a power neither compre‐ hended nor asked for."

Wow, wow, wow! As dark and disturbing as this is, the characters were excellently written. Wilbert is so likable, while Arielle is so damn vile one can't help but be completely disgusted by her. The whole story comes together so well and the ending is so, so good. Excellent prose that had me goinmg back and re-reading certain parts. There is meaning in here alongside the disturbing that makes this an even more excellent read!

Hot damn, I love this one!

"There is no lover like a dead heart,"... " They don't break the living."