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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
**Super Mild Spoilers** Should still be pretty safe to read.
I'd give The Exorcism of Faeries a full 5 stars, if it weren't for the fact the beginning was slow to me. The stuff I was excited about and hoping for didn't start until a little over 60% of the way. But, the romance, the mystery, and the part I had been waiting for absolutely earned the full 4.5 stars!!
I loved that Atta was independent and intelligent without being a total pick-me jerk. There was some slight pick-me energy at one point, but it was over with quickly. I also loved her friend, an absolute woman's woman, Emmy
I also loved that Sonder was the grumpy-to-everyone-but-her type. For Atta, he was a complete cinnamon roll. The pining, the Irish terms of endearment, the pure admiration and pride he had in her as a woman and an intellectual. Ugh, it melted me.
There was one open door scene, enough to where you knew who was doing what but just vague enough you don't get every single detail. Other scenes faded to black or were mentioned as an after thought. I honestly feel that the open door scene was a perfect vehicle to advance the romance between Atta and Sonder. It didn't feel gratuitous or thrown in. It fit the story.
The freaking mystery of it all!! Though the book started slow, I really enjoyed being with the main characters as they worked through everything themselves. While I've seen flora and mushrooms written with a similar purpose in other books, I felt J.A. Vampa still kept the story as a whole unique and original. I didn't know where anything was going most of the time, and I loved it.
On that same vein, though, I will mention that there were times where things were alluded to, but not enough to give the reader a clue. There was no explanation. I'm not sure if it was an attempt to add to the mystery and I just didn't get it, but it threw me enough that I had to reread paragraphs several times.
All around, though, a great book!!
I'd give The Exorcism of Faeries a full 5 stars, if it weren't for the fact the beginning was slow to me. The stuff I was excited about and hoping for didn't start until a little over 60% of the way. But, the romance, the mystery, and the part I had been waiting for absolutely earned the full 4.5 stars!!
I loved that Atta was independent and intelligent without being a total pick-me jerk. There was some slight pick-me energy at one point, but it was over with quickly. I also loved her friend, an absolute woman's woman, Emmy
I also loved that Sonder was the grumpy-to-everyone-but-her type. For Atta, he was a complete cinnamon roll. The pining, the Irish terms of endearment, the pure admiration and pride he had in her as a woman and an intellectual. Ugh, it melted me.
There was one open door scene, enough to where you knew who was doing what but just vague enough you don't get every single detail. Other scenes faded to black or were mentioned as an after thought. I honestly feel that the open door scene was a perfect vehicle to advance the romance between Atta and Sonder. It didn't feel gratuitous or thrown in. It fit the story.
The freaking mystery of it all!! Though the book started slow, I really enjoyed being with the main characters as they worked through everything themselves. While I've seen flora and mushrooms written with a similar purpose in other books, I felt J.A. Vampa still kept the story as a whole unique and original. I didn't know where anything was going most of the time, and I loved it.
On that same vein, though, I will mention that there were times where things were alluded to, but not enough to give the reader a clue. There was no explanation. I'm not sure if it was an attempt to add to the mystery and I just didn't get it, but it threw me enough that I had to reread paragraphs several times.
All around, though, a great book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Vomit
Minor: Addiction, Death of parent
Won’t fucking end, trying very hard to be deeply impressive and comes across as a teenager typing “dark academia decor” in to Etsy. MMC goes from mysterious to cringe in one page, for shame.
adventurous
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was gorgeous. Well written and interesting. The plot was uniquely its own and the romance side plot was quite lovely. I am never a huge fan of dark academia books but this was done just perfectly
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Oh man, this book completely sucked me in with its eerie, candlelit atmosphere and forbidden slow-burn tension. J.L. Vamp nailed the *vibes*—picture 90s Dublin, a gothic Trinity College, and a Morbid Anatomy professor who’s equal parts enigmatic and devastatingly captivating. Atta, our mortician’s daughter-turned-botanist heroine, is the perfect balance of curious and resilient, and her chemistry with Professor Murdoch? **Electric.** Every lingering glance, every charged academic debate had me kicking my feet. The forbidden academic romance trope is one of my weaknesses, and this was delivered with just the right amount of angst and yearning.
The Fae possession plot was *so* refreshing—dark, unsettling, and woven seamlessly into Dublin’s streets. The exorcism scenes were chilling (that candle-and-clock motif? Brilliantly creepy), and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. My *only* gripe? The finale felt a tad rushed—I wanted to savor the climax and its fallout a bit longer. But even with that small flaw, I was utterly hooked.
If you love:
✓ Dark academia with supernatural horror (think "The Atlas Six meets" "The Changeling") 🎩🌿
✓ Forbidden professor/student tension (minus the ick—it’s handled with nuance) 🔥📖
✓ Fae lore with a sinister twist 🧚♂️⚰️
✓ Lyrical, atmospheric prose that feels like a midnight séance ☕🕯️
…then drop everything and read this. I’m already obsessed with J.L. Vamp’s writing and will be devouring more of their work. **4.5 stars—a haunting, romantic near-perfection!** (Give me more next time, please.) 👀💫
The Fae possession plot was *so* refreshing—dark, unsettling, and woven seamlessly into Dublin’s streets. The exorcism scenes were chilling (that candle-and-clock motif? Brilliantly creepy), and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. My *only* gripe? The finale felt a tad rushed—I wanted to savor the climax and its fallout a bit longer. But even with that small flaw, I was utterly hooked.
If you love:
✓ Dark academia with supernatural horror (think "The Atlas Six meets" "The Changeling") 🎩🌿
✓ Forbidden professor/student tension (minus the ick—it’s handled with nuance) 🔥📖
✓ Fae lore with a sinister twist 🧚♂️⚰️
✓ Lyrical, atmospheric prose that feels like a midnight séance ☕🕯️
…then drop everything and read this. I’m already obsessed with J.L. Vamp’s writing and will be devouring more of their work. **4.5 stars—a haunting, romantic near-perfection!** (Give me more next time, please.) 👀💫
I loved this book, I literally couldn’t put it down—other things I had to do today be damned haha — the gothic vibes, mixed with the dark academia and the sweet slow burn with our two protagonists were so good. I really liked the research and faerie lore combined / the plot. I was pretty disappointed with the ending, I felt like it wrapped up so fast I had whiplash and so many questions still. Like how the FMC ‘solved’ the two problems at the end and her connection to what was going on that had given her insight wasn’t explained, nor was why or how ‘patient zero’ opened the door on all of this. Aside from the ending the rest had me gripped the whole time
fast-paced
3.75⭐️ I ate this up so quick. This is like the sister to Nocticadia by Keri Lake, but with less spice & more dark academic plot. Early 1990’s Ireland with a mysterious plague wreaking havoc. It’s technically gradstudent ~ teacher romance, but without an age gap, since our FMC (gradstudent) is 28 YRS old and the MMC (professor) is on the younger side, so early 30’s.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok ok.... its not a bad book. It's interesting, but I struggled to want to finish it and found myself skimming through to the end. I am in a book series hangover, so I am struggling reading wise any ways.
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
She is the daughter of morticians, studying Botany at Trinity College, Dublin. He is her Morbid Anatomy professor. And the Fae are possessing the good people of Dublin. Only Atta and Professor Murdoch can exorcize the fae, but can they fight their forbidden feelings for one another in the process?
It is said they are but lore.
It is said they are but demons.
It is said this is but a plague.
It is said they are but demons.
It is said this is but a plague.
Wayward spirits.
Ghosts.
Spectres.
Ghouls.
The truth beckons
Tick flick tick
The clock keeps time with the candle
Until they all get sick
Wax slides down the gilded stick
And the Fae invade with bramble
Ghosts.
Spectres.
Ghouls.
The truth beckons
Tick flick tick
The clock keeps time with the candle
Until they all get sick
Wax slides down the gilded stick
And the Fae invade with bramble