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adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
An engaging mystery that kept my attention. So many questions I wanted answers to, and written well, in a way that was easy to fly through.
I was constantly speculating who the murderer(s) might be, and what twist the author would throw in.I had considered the possibility it was Zoe, but never would have guessed that Sebastian had anything to do with it. It made it a great twist, but I'm not sure if it aligns well with all the clues given earlier. There definitely could have been more details given to make it more plausible.
I also found the epilogue to give me more answers than questions. Oh well, still a great read!
I was constantly speculating who the murderer(s) might be, and what twist the author would throw in.
I also found the epilogue to give me more answers than questions. Oh well, still a great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This didn't wow me. It was alright and I was surprised by the twist but it didn't really capture me in the way I'd hoped.
I liked the Greek Mythology lens.
I liked the Greek Mythology lens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
qotd : Your favourite dark academia read?
The Maidens by alex.michaelides
My Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟: 4/5
Pages: 360
Genre: Dark Academia, Psychological Thriller, Mystery.
{TW: child abuse, violence, stalking, murder, self harm, death and sexual abuse}
“ᴏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴀꜱ ꜰᴜᴛɪʟᴇ, ᴛʜᴇɴ, ᴀꜱ ꜰʀᴀɪʟ! / ᴏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜʏ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴏᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱ!/ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ , ᴏʀ ʀᴇᴅʀᴇꜱꜱ?/ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟ, ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟ…”
I read “The Maidens” while ago but couldn’t review it. I call psychological thrillers as adrenalines. It increases your heartbeat till the end.
I am a big fan of Alex Michaelides prior psychological thriller “The silent Patient”. so I couldn’t stop picking this book and this is absolute treat of Dark Academia X Psychological thriller.
The story revolve around six characters: Mariana, Zoe, Edward fosca, sebastian fred and clarissa and mostly intense and shocking.
Mariana is aunt of zoe(a student at uni) is the prime character who is a therapist trying save zoe from the murderer . Mariana is still processing the death of her husband Sebastian takes the roller coaster ride to solve the murder mystery of Uni students and who part of secret society.
“ɪ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ʜᴏʟᴅ ɪᴛ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴀ ꜱɪɴ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ; ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ʜᴀʟꜰ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜʟ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ”
Edward fosca a charming professor for greek mythology holds a private /secret study group only for women students. He is centred for the tragic murders of the women in the same group.
(Note: Greek goddess persephone in greek is called as Kore - “The Maiden” and worshipped as goddess of death. The secret society refers to the persephone myth)
I really loved every aspect of this book and the ending is surprising. Alex has woven this story so well It's perfect for DA and PT readers. I totally recommend it.
The Maidens by alex.michaelides
My Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟: 4/5
Pages: 360
Genre: Dark Academia, Psychological Thriller, Mystery.
{TW: child abuse, violence, stalking, murder, self harm, death and sexual abuse}
“ᴏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴀꜱ ꜰᴜᴛɪʟᴇ, ᴛʜᴇɴ, ᴀꜱ ꜰʀᴀɪʟ! / ᴏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜʏ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴏᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱ!/ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ , ᴏʀ ʀᴇᴅʀᴇꜱꜱ?/ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟ, ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟ…”
I read “The Maidens” while ago but couldn’t review it. I call psychological thrillers as adrenalines. It increases your heartbeat till the end.
I am a big fan of Alex Michaelides prior psychological thriller “The silent Patient”. so I couldn’t stop picking this book and this is absolute treat of Dark Academia X Psychological thriller.
The story revolve around six characters: Mariana, Zoe, Edward fosca, sebastian fred and clarissa and mostly intense and shocking.
Mariana is aunt of zoe(a student at uni) is the prime character who is a therapist trying save zoe from the murderer . Mariana is still processing the death of her husband Sebastian takes the roller coaster ride to solve the murder mystery of Uni students and who part of secret society.
“ɪ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ʜᴏʟᴅ ɪᴛ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴀ ꜱɪɴ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ; ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ʜᴀʟꜰ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜʟ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ”
Edward fosca a charming professor for greek mythology holds a private /secret study group only for women students. He is centred for the tragic murders of the women in the same group.
(Note: Greek goddess persephone in greek is called as Kore - “The Maiden” and worshipped as goddess of death. The secret society refers to the persephone myth)
I really loved every aspect of this book and the ending is surprising. Alex has woven this story so well It's perfect for DA and PT readers. I totally recommend it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Gore, Infidelity, Self harm, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Grief, Stalking
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One of the best thrillers I've ever read. Twist was incredible and not predictable at all. I thought I had it solved so many times, but I was way off, which just goes to show how great the twists are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed it until about 90%, but the ending was as bad as mystery book endings go. There are so many unnecessary plot points, and very few of the conflicts are actually solved by the end... It's a gripping, fast read, but has many, many mistakes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death
Minor: Abandonment
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Mariana, a grieving widow and talented group therapist with a bit of stalker patient, is called one night to help her niece Zoe in Cambridge when her best friend disappears after saying she was afraid her teacher, Fosca, and The Maidens group leader, that she’s a part off, would kill her.
Mariana goes to the rescue and once the body of Zoe’s friend is found stabbed to death she immediately sees the threat and attraction Fosca exudes and after what the murdered girl said to Zoe, he seems the only likely culprit to her.
The whole vibe of the book is amazing, it’s atmospheric, the history and setting of Cambridge really leaps from the pages, the pace and whole Greek tragedy vibe and dark academy aura puled me in and made me doubt everyone including the boy Mariana meets on the train to Cambridge, who ends up becoming her ally of sorts when she decides to stay to help comfort her niece and investigate Fosca. Still, his mysterious and prophetic dialogues put me on edge. Who is he really?
I can say I wasn’t expecting that ending at all, that’s something I do love in thrillers, not to be able to guess the murderer, if I can than I rarely rate them high.
This was pretty good, but I felt the misdirections a bit forced sometimes and the characters somewhat one dimensional.
Still, super entertaining and hard to put down.
Mariana goes to the rescue and once the body of Zoe’s friend is found stabbed to death she immediately sees the threat and attraction Fosca exudes and after what the murdered girl said to Zoe, he seems the only likely culprit to her.
The whole vibe of the book is amazing, it’s atmospheric, the history and setting of Cambridge really leaps from the pages, the pace and whole Greek tragedy vibe and dark academy aura puled me in and made me doubt everyone including the boy Mariana meets on the train to Cambridge, who ends up becoming her ally of sorts when she decides to stay to help comfort her niece and investigate Fosca. Still, his mysterious and prophetic dialogues put me on edge. Who is he really?
I can say I wasn’t expecting that ending at all, that’s something I do love in thrillers, not to be able to guess the murderer, if I can than I rarely rate them high.
This was pretty good, but I felt the misdirections a bit forced sometimes and the characters somewhat one dimensional.
Still, super entertaining and hard to put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Blood, Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia
Grooming