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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. This book was such a fun read! I can't wait for book two. There's so much going on in the world and with the characters and there's a level of mystery happening. The tension between the main characters is fantastic.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loooved this book! Sam is a quite naรฏve FMC but she KNOWS this about herself, so she takes every opportunity to learn and adapt, and she trusts her instincts. She might be naรฏve , but she is definitely not weak!
Then we have Raphael, our white-haired (truly) morally grey vampire! His banter with Sam? Phenomenal! He is so sassy , in a quiet broody way - I was instantly charmed.
Even though the world building and magic system are quite unique, the story is very easy to follow and the lore is easy to learn! I didnโt feel lost or grasping at straws, everything clicked into place quite nicely.
The found family in this book was phenomenal as well - I was obsessed with Thea as soon as we met her๐
The plot is very fast paced, so much happens but it all feels very organic! The ending definitely took a turn I wasnโt expecting , so I canโt wait to see how the rest of the series will unfold!
I would recommend for fans of The Serpents and Wings of Night ๐ฉธ
I did not expect how much I was going to need book 2 ASAP ๐ This feels like a book ACOTAR fans would love, but I personally enjoyed it so much more than ACOTAR. There are so many romantasy tropes that it flips and changes in really interesting ways. I loved how this average person and a powerful vampire ended up traveling together. There was great tension and stakes in all the right places ๐
Samara reacted to vampires and their ways a lot like I would expect a real person would react.
I would definitely recommend this book if you're tired of standard romantasy books that seem to end the same way. Hold on because this is a great book!
I would definitely recommend this book if you're tired of standard romantasy books that seem to end the same way. Hold on because this is a great book!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
WARNING: spoilers!
Addicted from the first page, I devoured this book in 24 hours. It marks my return to vampire romance. The struggles our FMC faces are dark yet refreshing against the backdrop of classics. This is a dark romantic fantasy where power plays a major role as does magic. Unique magic system in a world of kingdoms unexplored. I felt for Samara and her innocence more than once while our MMC, though a literal terror, was uncharacteristicly soft. Not cinnamon roll soft, but more of a golden retriever with a switch for vengeance in her name. I loved it and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a delicious cliffhanger and romance that is pained, slow, and hungry.
๐๏ธ๐ฉธ๐
I was gifted an eARC, but these are my honest thoughts.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Thank you to NetGalley and the author Vasilisa Drake for the ALC copy of A Bargain So Bloody! ๐ค๐ฉธ
๐ฉธ Tropes:
โข Vampire x witch tension
โข Forced alliance
โข Magical prison break
โข Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
โข Grumpy x fierce
โข Deal with a monster
My Thoughts:
My goodness, I LOVED this audiobook! ๐ง๐ I love when I stumble on an indie author and the book just wrecks me in the best wayโA Bargain So Bloody absolutely did that.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The tension, the worldbuilding, the vibe?? Immaculate. The vampire-witch dynamic was everything I wanted, and the magic system felt fresh and powerful without being confusing.
I did not want to stop listening for a second, and I need book 2 immediately. There will be one, right?! ๐ฌ๐ง
If youโre into dark fantasy with high stakes, bloody bargains, and dangerously hot undead men, this one needs to be at the top of your list.
๐ฉธ Tropes:
โข Vampire x witch tension
โข Forced alliance
โข Magical prison break
โข Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
โข Grumpy x fierce
โข Deal with a monster
My Thoughts:
My goodness, I LOVED this audiobook! ๐ง๐ I love when I stumble on an indie author and the book just wrecks me in the best wayโA Bargain So Bloody absolutely did that.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The tension, the worldbuilding, the vibe?? Immaculate. The vampire-witch dynamic was everything I wanted, and the magic system felt fresh and powerful without being confusing.
I did not want to stop listening for a second, and I need book 2 immediately. There will be one, right?! ๐ฌ๐ง
If youโre into dark fantasy with high stakes, bloody bargains, and dangerously hot undead men, this one needs to be at the top of your list.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
โno one deserves to be forgotten. if itโs any reassurance, samara, i intend to live a very long life. and i will not forget you for any of it.โ
i really loved the writing style, humor, pacing, and underlying mystery threaded within this plot! this is definitely a slowww burn, but the tension and banter throughout is SO good! the amount of times i reread ch 25 & 26 is honestly embarrassing ๐คญ i predicted a few of the twists and reveals, but the main twist in the epilogue caught me completely off guard! i need the next book as soon as possible, respectively ๐ thereโs still so much more to learn about both of them. i canโt wait to see how these two come back from this ending.. and iโm excited to see samara step into her power in the next book ๐ค
๐ค thank you so much to vasilisa for the arc & alc!
โข vampires, witches, humans
โข dark fantasy romance
โข unlikely alliances
โข forced proximity
โข possessive mmc who canโt lie
โข card magic & political intrigue
i really loved the writing style, humor, pacing, and underlying mystery threaded within this plot! this is definitely a slowww burn, but the tension and banter throughout is SO good! the amount of times i reread ch 25 & 26 is honestly embarrassing ๐คญ i predicted a few of the twists and reveals, but the main twist in the epilogue caught me completely off guard! i need the next book as soon as possible, respectively ๐ thereโs still so much more to learn about both of them. i canโt wait to see how these two come back from this ending.. and iโm excited to see samara step into her power in the next book ๐ค
๐ค thank you so much to vasilisa for the arc & alc!
โข vampires, witches, humans
โข dark fantasy romance
โข unlikely alliances
โข forced proximity
โข possessive mmc who canโt lie
โข card magic & political intrigue
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got a ARC of this book and it was a whirlwind. Thereโs still so much Iโm curious about and would like to know more on and Iโm craving a second book! It was the perfect mix of โtouch her and dieโ and slow burn feelings.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
# Blood, Memory, and Trust: A Layered Fantasy Audiobook Experience
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ! ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ, ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ.
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฆ 30, 2025.
In the past, I was wary of listening to fantasy audiobooksโI worried I wouldnโt be able to picture the story as vividly as I can when reading. Fantasy is a genre I typically *read* a lot of, so this was stepping out of my comfort zone.
That said, the beginning of this book *completely* hooked me. I was pulled right into the story. I donโt usually listen to audiobooks in public, but I couldnโt help myselfโI needed to know what happened next (and I actually listened to the book twice in a row!).
I really appreciated how the author included Samaraโs experience with her first period. It made sense that, after spending years underfed in prison, her body wouldnโt have been able to menstruate. Once she arrived in the vampire land and began receiving proper nutrition, her body finally responded. I also liked how Raphael explained her undernourishment to the healerโthose small, thoughtful details added depth and realism to both the worldbuilding and her character arc. Her deep-seated hatred of vampires, rooted in the traumatic memory of witnessing her motherโs brutal death at their hands, added further emotional complexity. I especially enjoyed the use of flashbacks and how they were woven seamlessly into the present timeline, enriching both her backstory and current motivations.
The relationship between Samara and Raphael was a highlight for me. Samara despises vampires, and Raphael, of course, is one. Even as she started to develop feelings for him, she held on to her hatred for his kind. I liked that complexity. His protectiveness helped her feel safer than she had in years, which created a very layered, believable emotional journey.
That said, there were a few parts of the story that didnโt quite connect for me. For one, it felt a bit unrealistic that the Samara could translate an ancient language so well after working in a prison for 12 years. It also seemed odd that her motherโs views still had such a strong impact on her, considering she entered the prison at age eight. Lastly, her social awareness developed a little too quickly. Growing up isolated with minimal interaction wouldnโt usually result in such strong social skillsโbut here, it felt like she adjusted a bit too easily. This leaned heavily into the "chosen one" trope, which didnโt fully work for me.
Still, I loved the pacing. The audiobook format made it feel a bit faster, but I truly enjoyed every moment. And the ending *shocked* meโI did not see the necromancer reveal coming! I genuinely was simply vibing with the book.
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ! ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ, ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ท๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ.
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฆ 30, 2025.
In the past, I was wary of listening to fantasy audiobooksโI worried I wouldnโt be able to picture the story as vividly as I can when reading. Fantasy is a genre I typically *read* a lot of, so this was stepping out of my comfort zone.
That said, the beginning of this book *completely* hooked me. I was pulled right into the story. I donโt usually listen to audiobooks in public, but I couldnโt help myselfโI needed to know what happened next (and I actually listened to the book twice in a row!).
I really appreciated how the author included Samaraโs experience with her first period. It made sense that, after spending years underfed in prison, her body wouldnโt have been able to menstruate. Once she arrived in the vampire land and began receiving proper nutrition, her body finally responded. I also liked how Raphael explained her undernourishment to the healerโthose small, thoughtful details added depth and realism to both the worldbuilding and her character arc. Her deep-seated hatred of vampires, rooted in the traumatic memory of witnessing her motherโs brutal death at their hands, added further emotional complexity. I especially enjoyed the use of flashbacks and how they were woven seamlessly into the present timeline, enriching both her backstory and current motivations.
The relationship between Samara and Raphael was a highlight for me. Samara despises vampires, and Raphael, of course, is one. Even as she started to develop feelings for him, she held on to her hatred for his kind. I liked that complexity. His protectiveness helped her feel safer than she had in years, which created a very layered, believable emotional journey.
That said, there were a few parts of the story that didnโt quite connect for me. For one, it felt a bit unrealistic that the Samara could translate an ancient language so well after working in a prison for 12 years. It also seemed odd that her motherโs views still had such a strong impact on her, considering she entered the prison at age eight. Lastly, her social awareness developed a little too quickly. Growing up isolated with minimal interaction wouldnโt usually result in such strong social skillsโbut here, it felt like she adjusted a bit too easily. This leaned heavily into the "chosen one" trope, which didnโt fully work for me.
Still, I loved the pacing. The audiobook format made it feel a bit faster, but I truly enjoyed every moment. And the ending *shocked* meโI did not see the necromancer reveal coming! I genuinely was simply vibing with the book.