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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thora was sheltered in a world where women were not given opportunity, but she loved to learn and read. Her father gives her more allowances than many would but on his deathbed insures she will marry a man of his choice who is far less permissive. She unexpectedly gets an opportunity to study botany, something she never dreamed she would be able to do, so she moves and excitedly starts the next stage in her life. She finds that her professor is a little strange and has some 'unusual' experiments, and discovers a mysterious garden with an unknown woman who she feels an instant connection to. Both of these things will change Thora's life irrevocably.
The inclusion of dangerous plants was really interesting, and taught me as I read, which i really like. At the start I felt a bit unsure if this book would be for me, but the more I read the more intriguing it became as we followed Thora down a rabbithole where she finds Peccacio and Olea who both fascinate Thora but in totally different ways.
The concept of being confined or kept prisoner, either mentally or physically, was a really interesting theme, as was the development of Thora from a meek wife to a strong and determined botany student. She refuses to accept the world which seeks to break her and instead makes her own path, which leads her to Olea. The longing was at time lovely to read and at others alarming, as you see the influence over Thora switch between the external longing and her own longing for Olea.It did feel unfinished, as there was no ending really, it gave the sense that there would be a sequel. I also found at times the metaphors and descriptive language used did make it confusing at times to understand what was actually meant.
Overall, however, it was a lovely descriptive book, with some beautiful turns of phrase - an original and well written story.
The inclusion of dangerous plants was really interesting, and taught me as I read, which i really like. At the start I felt a bit unsure if this book would be for me, but the more I read the more intriguing it became as we followed Thora down a rabbithole where she finds Peccacio and Olea who both fascinate Thora but in totally different ways.
The concept of being confined or kept prisoner, either mentally or physically, was a really interesting theme, as was the development of Thora from a meek wife to a strong and determined botany student. She refuses to accept the world which seeks to break her and instead makes her own path, which leads her to Olea. The longing was at time lovely to read and at others alarming, as you see the influence over Thora switch between the external longing and her own longing for Olea.It did feel unfinished, as there was no ending really, it gave the sense that there would be a sequel. I also found at times the metaphors and descriptive language used did make it confusing at times to understand what was actually meant.
Overall, however, it was a lovely descriptive book, with some beautiful turns of phrase - an original and well written story.
Started off strong, fell apart in the middle, absolutely crumbled at the end. Still 3 stars for me for the strong beginning, overall readability, and setting/themes.
Sapphic, gothic, dark academia/horror that while overall was fine, I wouldn’t recommend it. When it loses it, it loses it big time. You need to be deeply okay with nothing being resolved if you read this book.
Sapphic, gothic, dark academia/horror that while overall was fine, I wouldn’t recommend it. When it loses it, it loses it big time. You need to be deeply okay with nothing being resolved if you read this book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is dark, violent, and dripping with gothic atmosphere — a botanical horror steeped in feminine rage, and I devoured every second of it.
At its heart, this is Thora’s story: a woman raised in a world where her worth was determined by the men around her, her father, her husband, society itself. Yet beneath all that restraint is a desperate hunger for knowledge, for freedom, for something more. That hunger pulls her into the halls of St. Elianto’s University after the death of her husband, into the realm of forbidden research, and into the orbit of two women who ignite something dangerous and uncontainable within her.
The writing is lush and unsettling, painting every poisonous bloom and toxic tree with almost decadent detail. The garden setting becomes both a sanctuary and a nightmare, dripping with beauty and venom in equal measure. What begins as academic pursuit quickly spirals into obsession, desire, and violence, a descent that feels inevitable and impossible to look away from.
Thora herself is a fascinating protagonist, fragile and furious, yearning and reckless. Watching her claim agency in a world that seeks to silence her is as exhilarating as it is terrifying, and the choices she makes leave scars that feel permanent.
This isn’t a gentle gothic tale; it’s thorny, furious, and unapologetically feminine. If you like your horror dripping in atmosphere, tangled with desire, and edged with tragedy, this book will sink its claws into you and not let go.
At its heart, this is Thora’s story: a woman raised in a world where her worth was determined by the men around her, her father, her husband, society itself. Yet beneath all that restraint is a desperate hunger for knowledge, for freedom, for something more. That hunger pulls her into the halls of St. Elianto’s University after the death of her husband, into the realm of forbidden research, and into the orbit of two women who ignite something dangerous and uncontainable within her.
The writing is lush and unsettling, painting every poisonous bloom and toxic tree with almost decadent detail. The garden setting becomes both a sanctuary and a nightmare, dripping with beauty and venom in equal measure. What begins as academic pursuit quickly spirals into obsession, desire, and violence, a descent that feels inevitable and impossible to look away from.
Thora herself is a fascinating protagonist, fragile and furious, yearning and reckless. Watching her claim agency in a world that seeks to silence her is as exhilarating as it is terrifying, and the choices she makes leave scars that feel permanent.
This isn’t a gentle gothic tale; it’s thorny, furious, and unapologetically feminine. If you like your horror dripping in atmosphere, tangled with desire, and edged with tragedy, this book will sink its claws into you and not let go.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Time in This Vicious Hunger has no fixed direction—it drips like treacle, heavy and slow, spilling forward and backward all at once. The world-building feels the same: syrupy, one distilled drop at a time, always tantalising but never quite enough to quench your curiosity.
Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her the chance to study botany under the tutelage of a famed professor. Once at the university, Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the private garden below Thora's window.
Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. Thora throws herself into finding a cure for the ailment confining Olea to the garden and sinks deeper into a world of beauty, poison, and obsession. Thora has finally found the freedom to pursue her darkest desires, but will it be worth the price?
Characters here are like nesting dolls: they peel away one set of shackles only to discover another beneath. Societal expectations, a lack of choices, or simply the suffocating intensity of their own passions keep them bound.
If you’re expecting an academic dark academia novel, this may not be the one—it flirts with academia but doesn’t linger there. Instead, May leans fully into the gothic: poisoned friendships, twisted love, and the terrifying ways people trample one another in their desperate climb to power.
For readers drawn to the murky depths of obsession, betrayal, and feminine rage, this novel is a feast of shadows.
Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her the chance to study botany under the tutelage of a famed professor. Once at the university, Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the private garden below Thora's window.
Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. Thora throws herself into finding a cure for the ailment confining Olea to the garden and sinks deeper into a world of beauty, poison, and obsession. Thora has finally found the freedom to pursue her darkest desires, but will it be worth the price?
Characters here are like nesting dolls: they peel away one set of shackles only to discover another beneath. Societal expectations, a lack of choices, or simply the suffocating intensity of their own passions keep them bound.
If you’re expecting an academic dark academia novel, this may not be the one—it flirts with academia but doesn’t linger there. Instead, May leans fully into the gothic: poisoned friendships, twisted love, and the terrifying ways people trample one another in their desperate climb to power.
For readers drawn to the murky depths of obsession, betrayal, and feminine rage, this novel is a feast of shadows.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was weirdly enthralled in the first 60% of this book. It's atmospheric, dark academia with Sapphics, obsession and poisonous plants. Aspects reminded me of a darker, more adult This Poison Heart. And then it fell apart for me. Everything that made the first part so delectable and enticing got thrown out the window for a strange and darker twist and what looks like a setup for a second book. I'm glad I finished, but I don't know if I'll read a second book if there is one. This was a good lead-in for spooky season, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An intoxicatingly gothic, dark academia fantasy exploring desire and the toxicity of obsession— I genuinely didn’t want to put this put down!
Firstly, I just have to say I loved Francesca May’s debut, Wild and Wicked Things so was beyond excited for the chance to read her newest release. And I’m glad to say it’s just as deliciously gothic and atmospheric! With a sapphic, Rappacini’s Daughter-edge to May’s haunting prose that burrowed under my skin and had me desperate to know how things ended.
The dark academia setting was a gothic feast for the senses too, and I was fascinated by forbidden longing, poisonous double standards and cloying sense of oppression that pervades soo much of our protagonist, Thora’s life.
A recently widowed woman, whose longing to study botany has outlasted both her father, and her husband. Thora was a complex and incredibly compelling character to explore, though not necessarily likeable in the way most MCs are.
Fuelled by her new freedoms and mentorship with the eccentric Dr. Petaccia (the only female botanist on staff and an expert in her field), Thora’s studies have given her a new sense of confidence and purpose.
But it’s her unrelenting hunger and desire for more (knowledge, power, emotional connection) and infatuation with the mysterious Olea that really got me turning the pages.
And with not one but two morally grey characters; Petaccia, the demanding, yet aloof professor, and Olea, the beautifully alluring woman bound to an unusual garden (locked from the outside)— I honestly felt like all my christmasses had come at once!
I will say, it is more of a slow burn read (so do take that into consideration), but with the prose, visceral imagery and immersive setting it’s definitely a book you’ll want to experience in all its decadent glory.
Overall, a poisonously addictive tale of ambition, desire, beauty and obsession that all gothic fantasy lovers need to consider adding to their TBRs this autumn!
Also thanks to Nazia and Orbit UK for the stunning finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Vomit, Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Orbit Books for the advanced copy of this book!
This was a lush, atmospheric gothic romance that really hooked me from the start! Though it fell a bit flat around halfway through in terms of plot, the writing was beautiful and I felt like the raw obsession of this book was very visceral. I loved the concept of the poisonous secret garden, and the mystery of it all was very intriguing!
The pacing was really well done in the first half and I was absolutely ravenous for this book, but things seemed to fall off in the second half, slowing to what felt like a standstill and causing me to lose interest a bit. I feel like the ending left some thing to be desired, though I appreciated the commentary on ethics in science and the way some people will justify the means to an end!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone looking for a specific vibe, but it likely won’t become a go-to recommendation for me!
This was a lush, atmospheric gothic romance that really hooked me from the start! Though it fell a bit flat around halfway through in terms of plot, the writing was beautiful and I felt like the raw obsession of this book was very visceral. I loved the concept of the poisonous secret garden, and the mystery of it all was very intriguing!
The pacing was really well done in the first half and I was absolutely ravenous for this book, but things seemed to fall off in the second half, slowing to what felt like a standstill and causing me to lose interest a bit. I feel like the ending left some thing to be desired, though I appreciated the commentary on ethics in science and the way some people will justify the means to an end!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone looking for a specific vibe, but it likely won’t become a go-to recommendation for me!
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Where do I start with this review. Quite honestly I wish I had DNF’d this book at 25% like I wanted to. If this wasn’t as ARC, I absolutely would have done but I pushed through because I hate to DNF an ARC. Sadly it was not worth it.
Let me start with a positive. This was full of lush, dark prose and the setting of a poisonous secret garden was intriguing, beautiful and eerie at times. Perfect for a gothic fantasy.
But for me, that was the only positive and even that became a negative as the pacing was incredibly slow. The lush, descriptive prose became excessive and repetitive which made me want to bypass pages that, in my opinion, added nothing of value to the story.
I think my biggest issue, other than the pacing, was the characters. I didn’t like any of them. Now that was possibly what the author wanted as they are described as ‘morally grey women’ but that doesn’t mean you should feel indifferent towards them, which I often did. I wasn’t invested in them and therefore I wasn’t interested in their story. I thought things might pick up when we met the mysterious Olea but whilst my interest was mildly peaked for a chapter or two, it didn’t last.
Overall this book was just not for me. I was bored and didn’t look forward to picking it back up anytime I’d put it down which is usually my sign to call it a day and read something else. Plus the ending was abrupt and such a disappointment.
If you don’t mind a slow pace story which is heavy on descriptive, scientific and botanical language with morally grey characters and an element of sapphic yearning and infatuation then you might enjoy this one.
TW:
- Talk of suicide
- Murder
- Domestic abuse
- Animal testing
- Disordered eating
- Poisoning
2 ⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher (Little Brown Book Group UK) for providing a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.
Atmospheric, gothic, beautifully written.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and I enjoyed how different it is.
I really enjoyed the in depth botanical element
This is more horror than romance even though it’s sold as a sapphic gothic romance.
The ending was a bit repetitive
I feel like there’s going to be a sequel
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and I enjoyed how different it is.
I really enjoyed the in depth botanical element
This is more horror than romance even though it’s sold as a sapphic gothic romance.
The ending was a bit repetitive
I feel like there’s going to be a sequel
dark
slow-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:
Complicated
I had hoped to be fully captivated by This Vicious Hunger, and while parts of me were—especially the lush gothic atmosphere and intoxicating twists—the book ultimately didn’t land as strongly as I’d like.
What worked for me: The world-building is sensual and richly rendered, particularl
Where it fell short: The pacing is deeply uneven. The intense atmospheric build-up often drags into sluggish stretches between relevant plot developments. Character development is limited. Thora shows occasional hints of change, such as self-reflection on a “past self,” but lacking earlier context, it never resonates. Olea and other players remain flat and under-explored, leaving emotional arcs unanchored.Conversations feel overly repetitive, with characters cycling through the same arguments day-to-day. There’s persistent tension and sex, but very little conversation, evolution, or resolution to their dynamics.
The ending—while surprising—felt abrupt and underdeveloped. After investing in the build-up, it comes to a halt without proper resolution.
The ending—while surprising—felt abrupt and underdeveloped. After investing in the build-up, it comes to a halt without proper resolution.
Overall Verdict:
I appreciated the gothic writing style and haunting premise. The themes of obsession and botanical mystique are compelling. Unfortunately, the uneven pacing, repetitive dialogue, shallow character arcs, and abrupt ending left me feeling unfulfilled. The book had the potential to be a captivating dark fantasy, but struggled to fully deliver.
I appreciated the gothic writing style and haunting premise. The themes of obsession and botanical mystique are compelling. Unfortunately, the uneven pacing, repetitive dialogue, shallow character arcs, and abrupt ending left me feeling unfulfilled. The book had the potential to be a captivating dark fantasy, but struggled to fully deliver.