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estruch's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
gilberik's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Once again a KJ Charles book that I devour in the speed of light and come out of the experience a changed person.
The characters are organic, the places palpable. The mystery is nice to figure out along with the main character. Their lives are so entangled with one another, it is very rewarding to tag along the story and sort through it all.
I will need a read of Cymbeline and then a reread of Death in the Spires, to actually see how deeply well crafted this book is.
The characters are organic, the places palpable. The mystery is nice to figure out along with the main character. Their lives are so entangled with one another, it is very rewarding to tag along the story and sort through it all.
I will need a read of Cymbeline and then a reread of Death in the Spires, to actually see how deeply well crafted this book is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Ableism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Rape and Ableism
cleo_reads's review
4.0
Edwardian mystery by KJ Charles, about an unsolved murder that happened at Oxford, 10 years earlier. I enjoyed this, although it wasn’t as immersive as I was hoping for.
I happened to have read Maurice earlier this year, so it was interesting to read another book about queer young men navigating Oxford in Edwardian England. Death in the Spires
I tend to focus on the characters and relationships when I read a mystery, rather than on solving the mystery and this book lends itself to that style of reading.
This is a mystery with a low key romance, but is definitely not a genre romance - the mystery, not the romance is central.
I happened to have read Maurice earlier this year, so it was interesting to read another book about queer young men navigating Oxford in Edwardian England. Death in the Spires
I tend to focus on the characters and relationships when I read a mystery, rather than on solving the mystery and this book lends itself to that style of reading.
This is a mystery with a low key romance, but is definitely not a genre romance - the mystery, not the romance is central.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Classism, Homophobia, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Rape
onthesamepage's review
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
If you love If We Were Villains, may I recommend this book? I think the two have quite a few things in common, but this one is historical and, if my memory serves me right, more diverse. I loved it more, but this will be down to personal preference. I do think if you liked one, you'll have a good time with the other at least.
What can I even say about K.J. Charles at this point without sounding like a broken record? The writing? Super engaging, as usual. The characters? I was invested within the first couple of pages, also as usual. The relationships? Not just the romances, but all the different dynamics within the Seven Wonders were so good. And for a book that isn't even about a romance, why did the romantic elements still thrill me so much?
As a mystery, it probably could have been a bit tighter, or more effective, but I honestly just didn't care. I wanted to know what had happened, I wanted to see Jem reconnect with these people he once loved so dearly. I was salivating to get to his meeting with Nicky, because so much is made of him in the flashbacks, and it did not disappoint.
I don't know if this is the kind of book where you can predict the twists, or sleuth along with the main character, because as the reader you're missing a lot of information. But I liked how everything unraveled in the end, and if Charles chooses to write more mysteries, I'm there for them all.
If you love If We Were Villains, may I recommend this book? I think the two have quite a few things in common, but this one is historical and, if my memory serves me right, more diverse. I loved it more, but this will be down to personal preference. I do think if you liked one, you'll have a good time with the other at least.
What can I even say about K.J. Charles at this point without sounding like a broken record? The writing? Super engaging, as usual. The characters? I was invested within the first couple of pages, also as usual. The relationships? Not just the romances, but all the different dynamics within the Seven Wonders were so good. And for a book that isn't even about a romance, why did the romantic elements still thrill me so much?
As a mystery, it probably could have been a bit tighter, or more effective, but I honestly just didn't care. I wanted to know what had happened, I wanted to see Jem reconnect with these people he once loved so dearly. I was salivating to get to his meeting with Nicky, because so much is made of him in the flashbacks, and it did not disappoint.
I don't know if this is the kind of book where you can predict the twists, or sleuth along with the main character, because as the reader you're missing a lot of information. But I liked how everything unraveled in the end, and if Charles chooses to write more mysteries, I'm there for them all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, Racism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Murder and Rape
jadesarah's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Homophobia, Murder, and Ableism
srm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.5
Given that Charles's Romance novels often have wonderfully constructed mystery plots, I had no doubts that she could pull of a straight Mystery, and I was right. I love the dual timeline between the present and 10 years earlier when Jem and all his friends were at Oxford and one of them committed murder. Fantastic characters and twists and just an all around delight.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Alcohol, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Racism, Grief, Homophobia, and Abortion
_isabel_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
I've no words. "Death in the Spires" was freaking amazing. Absolutely, wholly, ridiculously good. I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to say in this review other than: KJ Charles, the writer you are.
Full desclaimer, this book is not a romance. It's a mystery, with a queer protagonist, but it's not a romance, although there IS love. Unrequited love, obsessive love, pining love, familial love, platonic love; it has all the spectrum of the emotions you can expect from a cast of seven brilliant, and brilliantly doomed, Oxford students who end inseperable friends thanks to the charisma of their leading man, the uniting force behind their group, one Toby Feynsham, who, like in all mysteries of the dark academia genre, ends murdered in dark, mysterious circumstances on a fateful night their final year at Oxford.
Ten years later, Jeremy Kite, OUR leading man, with his prospects and ambitions ruined, once again adrift because of the repercussions of that fateful night, finally embarks on a journey to discover what went down with Toby, and who's to blame for everything that went wrong after that.
"Death in the Spires" is a quitessential dark academia mystery, and with the added early 20th century setting, it instantly becomes an unforgettable work, maybe even a classic, of the genre: it's clever and brilliant, and KJ Charles writing, with her dry snark, her magical way with words, the sheer beauty of it, makes it even more so.
The Seven Wonders' story is unforgettable: I was literally sucked into their world, and I was so wholly immersed in what was going I managed to reach that end, that painful, bittersweet, yet hopeful (and immensely satisfying) end, without even realising it.
Seeing their life, slowly but surely, splinter and shatter around them from the brilliant first few years together, all of them kings and queens of their little kingdom, to that doomed last year, was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion: the build-up to the disaster, although told through flashbacks and brief timelines shifts, had me on the edge of my seat the whole damned time. Seeing how they went from being inseperable, loyal companions, this gang of seven ready to take on the whole world, to brutal murder and violence, backstabbing vileness and obsessive, possessive love turned sour, had me my heart it overdrive from start to finish.
I won't spoil anything else, but god. I don't think I've ever encountered a character quite like Toby: his character arc was literally the thing of dreams; the way KJ Charles built him, the way she showed the cracks inside him? You can feel the end of the Seven Wonders' golden age coming, yet you're powerless to stop anything; the only thing you can do is read with the same dread and the same bitter, powerless disillusionment Jem and the others go through. I think I mourned alongside them, Jem especially, and it left me feeling both hollowed out and absolutely in awe with what KJ Charles is capable of doing, of writing, in just under 300 pages.
I feel like I've lived through a whole lifetime with Jem.
Obviously, I adored our steadfast, righteous protagonist: quiet, stubborn, bitter, broken, but still wonderful and wonderfully relatable. I was rooting for him from the start, even when he took needlessly stupid risks, even when he was being so pig-headed I wanted to jump into the book and shake him (quitessential amateur sleth behaviour eh?). I kinda guessed where the mystery was leading to, but I think it added to the whole experience: I just sat there with my mounting dread and the slow realisation of what had really happended that fateful, horrible year. Some things still took me by surprise though. So, I sat there both in dread and in awe. I had the time of my life, okay?
Anyway, I won't forget this book anytime soon; I think I might end up re-reading it as soon as my heart settles and I can stop feeling so many feelings. I loved that ending: like I said, it's hopeful but also, immesely bittersweet. Satisfyingly bittersweet though; an end of a painful, horrible era, and the start of something new, something better, something true.
Go and read this book: PLEASE. I need someone to shout and scream at, because wow. Dark academia, a stubborn queer man as a lead, a gripping mystery, an unforgettable cast of characters that will stay with you for a long time: what more can you ask for?
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Full desclaimer, this book is not a romance. It's a mystery, with a queer protagonist, but it's not a romance, although there IS love. Unrequited love, obsessive love, pining love, familial love, platonic love; it has all the spectrum of the emotions you can expect from a cast of seven brilliant, and brilliantly doomed, Oxford students who end inseperable friends thanks to the charisma of their leading man, the uniting force behind their group, one Toby Feynsham, who, like in all mysteries of the dark academia genre, ends murdered in dark, mysterious circumstances on a fateful night their final year at Oxford.
Ten years later, Jeremy Kite, OUR leading man, with his prospects and ambitions ruined, once again adrift because of the repercussions of that fateful night, finally embarks on a journey to discover what went down with Toby, and who's to blame for everything that went wrong after that.
"Death in the Spires" is a quitessential dark academia mystery, and with the added early 20th century setting, it instantly becomes an unforgettable work, maybe even a classic, of the genre: it's clever and brilliant, and KJ Charles writing, with her dry snark, her magical way with words, the sheer beauty of it, makes it even more so.
The Seven Wonders' story is unforgettable: I was literally sucked into their world, and I was so wholly immersed in what was going I managed to reach that end, that painful, bittersweet, yet hopeful (and immensely satisfying) end, without even realising it.
Seeing their life, slowly but surely, splinter and shatter around them from the brilliant first few years together, all of them kings and queens of their little kingdom, to that doomed last year, was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion: the build-up to the disaster, although told through flashbacks and brief timelines shifts, had me on the edge of my seat the whole damned time. Seeing how they went from being inseperable, loyal companions, this gang of seven ready to take on the whole world, to brutal murder and violence, backstabbing vileness and obsessive, possessive love turned sour, had me my heart it overdrive from start to finish.
I won't spoil anything else, but god. I don't think I've ever encountered a character quite like Toby: his character arc was literally the thing of dreams; the way KJ Charles built him, the way she showed the cracks inside him? You can feel the end of the Seven Wonders' golden age coming, yet you're powerless to stop anything; the only thing you can do is read with the same dread and the same bitter, powerless disillusionment Jem and the others go through. I think I mourned alongside them, Jem especially, and it left me feeling both hollowed out and absolutely in awe with what KJ Charles is capable of doing, of writing, in just under 300 pages.
I feel like I've lived through a whole lifetime with Jem.
Obviously, I adored our steadfast, righteous protagonist: quiet, stubborn, bitter, broken, but still wonderful and wonderfully relatable. I was rooting for him from the start, even when he took needlessly stupid risks, even when he was being so pig-headed I wanted to jump into the book and shake him (quitessential amateur sleth behaviour eh?). I kinda guessed where the mystery was leading to, but I think it added to the whole experience: I just sat there with my mounting dread and the slow realisation of what had really happended that fateful, horrible year. Some things still took me by surprise though. So, I sat there both in dread and in awe. I had the time of my life, okay?
Anyway, I won't forget this book anytime soon; I think I might end up re-reading it as soon as my heart settles and I can stop feeling so many feelings. I loved that ending: like I said, it's hopeful but also, immesely bittersweet. Satisfyingly bittersweet though; an end of a painful, horrible era, and the start of something new, something better, something true.
Go and read this book: PLEASE. I need someone to shout and scream at, because wow. Dark academia, a stubborn queer man as a lead, a gripping mystery, an unforgettable cast of characters that will stay with you for a long time: what more can you ask for?
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Misogyny, Bullying, Rape, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Abortion and Suicidal thoughts
crothe77's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Death in the Spires by K. J. Charles is a historical mystery set in Oxford in 1905. When Jem, a closeted gay man, is removed from his job because of a letter accusing him of murder, he returns to Oxford to find out who the real killer is. His former friends, the Seven Wonders, are all under suspicion as he uncovers more motives than he suspected.
What I liked was how the novel included conversations around women's rights, particularly on abortion, and how K. J. Charles includes the realities of Queerness, racism, and ableism for the time period. Aaron Oyede, a Black medical student, and Ella, the sister of Toby, the murdered man, had a chance at marriage and happiness before Toby’s murder tore them apart. Meanwhile, Prue, who was in love with Toby, left Oxford and lost her husband and child before seeing Jem again. Nicky, Jem’s former paramour, is back at Oxford as a tutor and Hugo, the last of the Seven, is in the government.
Jem is deeply invested in the mystery despite the decade that has passed since it happened. As he uncovers more, we learn more about the dynamics between the Seven Wonders and how Toby, despite being the one poised to have the most as an heir to the marquess, was actually the most mediocre of the bunch. Classism and sexism play a part in where each member went after the murder and how society looked at the group while at Oxford.
Content warning for period typical racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and mentions of deceased children
I would recommend this to readers looking for a mystery set at Oxford, fans of mysteries exploring social issues, and those looking for Queer disabled protagonists in their mysteries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Ableism, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual assault
jce's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Why yes, I do have my usual K.J. Charles book hangover. Thanks for asking. Switching to the mystery genre (and yes, there is still some romance) did nothing to lessen how enthralling I find this author's writing. I fell right into this book and quickly became attached to the characters, all of whom felt very real. It was no surprise to me that this was a cracking mystery, perfectly paced, because many of the romances I've read by this author have great mystery plot lines.
I was nervous for the first few chapters, because the tone was pretty bleak (giving me some Secret History flashbacks. Yes, I liked that book. Yes, I found it horribly depressing) and I worried it might continue on that way and amp up my anxiety and make me put off reading the book. But while there are some pretty depressing aspects of the story, the pace picks up, the focus is on the present rather than the bittersweet past, and I was soon so caught up in the characters that I just wanted to barrel along and read it all in one sitting.
I don't want to say much of anything about the story, other than that I found it hard to put the book down because it was so engaging, because it really is best to go into this one absolutely spoiler free, and even knowing a bit about the characters and their relationships or where the story heads might ruin that.
My advice is to skip reading the reviews and just dive into this book. I do think this is an important one to read content warnings as there are absolutely some heavy topics. But if you love a good mystery that's not overly cozy but also not mired in dread and gloom, this one is sure to hook you. I also found the bit of romance in the story extremely satisfying and emotionally wrought. All in all I had a fantastic time reading this and highly recommend it. Do beware the inevitable book hangover though!
*ARC provided by NetGalley
I was nervous for the first few chapters, because the tone was pretty bleak (giving me some Secret History flashbacks. Yes, I liked that book. Yes, I found it horribly depressing) and I worried it might continue on that way and amp up my anxiety and make me put off reading the book. But while there are some pretty depressing aspects of the story, the pace picks up, the focus is on the present rather than the bittersweet past, and I was soon so caught up in the characters that I just wanted to barrel along and read it all in one sitting.
I don't want to say much of anything about the story, other than that I found it hard to put the book down because it was so engaging, because it really is best to go into this one absolutely spoiler free, and even knowing a bit about the characters and their relationships or where the story heads might ruin that.
My advice is to skip reading the reviews and just dive into this book. I do think this is an important one to read content warnings as there are absolutely some heavy topics. But if you love a good mystery that's not overly cozy but also not mired in dread and gloom, this one is sure to hook you. I also found the bit of romance in the story extremely satisfying and emotionally wrought. All in all I had a fantastic time reading this and highly recommend it. Do beware the inevitable book hangover though!
*ARC provided by NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Homophobia, and Rape
lizzietherebel's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
- 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
Thank you to Storm Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Death in the Spires swept me off my feet and broke my heart, then put it back together again.
I am a huge KJ Charles fan but I wasn't completely sure about this novel prior to reading as it's a departure from Charles' tried and true historical queer romances. Turns out, I needn't have worried for a second; Death in the Spires may be one of my favorite novels by Charles ever. Truth be told, this isn't all that different than anything else Charles has written in the past, except that the mystery is the primary focus rather than the romance (though there is still a healthy dose of what I would certainly call romance.) This romance, however, is much more nuanced than the arc of a typical genre romance, and therefore offers us very complex and deliciously aching relationships where the reader is just as much in the dark about what the truth is as the characters involved. One of Charles' greatest strengths has always been her characterization, and that certainly holds true for Death in the Spires. She is able to create such masterful connections between the characters as well as between the audience and the narrator that I think I would be moved by anything she wrote at all. That being said, to say I was "moved" would be an understatement for this novel. Death in the Spires basically destroyed me.
It perfectly captures the strange and unparalleled purgatory that is life as a college student: completely naive, full of so many hopes and fears, and the intense and intoxicating process of making friends and trying to find your people while on your own for the first time. I also especially applaud the way that this novel engages in really thoughtful and intentional critique of 20th century abortion laws/stigma and the resulting risks and .fatalities.
Everything about Charles' story-telling is always so organic that it should come as no surprise that I was immediately enthralled by the narrator and his quest to discover the answer to a decade-old murder mystery that implicated him and all of his dearest friends when they were 21, and that continues to haunt him as an adult. The mystery is so masterfully crafted that I did not lose interest for a moment, but instead found myself completely immersed in the flashbacks that follow the group of friends as they first become established and their subsequent rise to glory before their ultimate tragic demise. I knew every character in the friend group and was completely transported into their world and thus into Jem's search for justice. I desperately wanted him to find answers and a happy ending, and yet till the very end, I was on the edge of my seat with questions and completely unsure as to how Charles could wrap up everything up without breaking our hearts for good. But as readers, we are always in very good hands with KJ Charles. Death in the Spires did not disappoint; rather, it far exceeded my expectations and left me with a bit of a hangover that only comes from finishing the very best books, and extremely hopeful that Charles will continue to give us more mysteries in the future. She certainly has a talent for it.
Death in the Spires swept me off my feet and broke my heart, then put it back together again.
I am a huge KJ Charles fan but I wasn't completely sure about this novel prior to reading as it's a departure from Charles' tried and true historical queer romances. Turns out, I needn't have worried for a second; Death in the Spires may be one of my favorite novels by Charles ever. Truth be told, this isn't all that different than anything else Charles has written in the past, except that the mystery is the primary focus rather than the romance (though there is still a healthy dose of what I would certainly call romance.) This romance, however, is much more nuanced than the arc of a typical genre romance, and therefore offers us very complex and deliciously aching relationships where the reader is just as much in the dark about what the truth is as the characters involved. One of Charles' greatest strengths has always been her characterization, and that certainly holds true for Death in the Spires. She is able to create such masterful connections between the characters as well as between the audience and the narrator that I think I would be moved by anything she wrote at all. That being said, to say I was "moved" would be an understatement for this novel. Death in the Spires basically destroyed me.
It perfectly captures the strange and unparalleled purgatory that is life as a college student: completely naive, full of so many hopes and fears, and the intense and intoxicating process of making friends and trying to find your people while on your own for the first time. I also especially applaud the way that this novel engages in really thoughtful and intentional critique of 20th century abortion laws/stigma and the resulting risks and .fatalities.
Everything about Charles' story-telling is always so organic that it should come as no surprise that I was immediately enthralled by the narrator and his quest to discover the answer to a decade-old murder mystery that implicated him and all of his dearest friends when they were 21, and that continues to haunt him as an adult. The mystery is so masterfully crafted that I did not lose interest for a moment, but instead found myself completely immersed in the flashbacks that follow the group of friends as they first become established and their subsequent rise to glory before their ultimate tragic demise. I knew every character in the friend group and was completely transported into their world and thus into Jem's search for justice. I desperately wanted him to find answers and a happy ending, and yet till the very end, I was on the edge of my seat with questions and completely unsure as to how Charles could wrap up everything up without breaking our hearts for good. But as readers, we are always in very good hands with KJ Charles. Death in the Spires did not disappoint; rather, it far exceeded my expectations and left me with a bit of a hangover that only comes from finishing the very best books, and extremely hopeful that Charles will continue to give us more mysteries in the future. She certainly has a talent for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Classism, Homophobia, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Rape
All of the heavy content in this book is extremely tastefully handled and in no way graphic or gratuitous at any point.
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