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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Idk if I support these women's wrongs.
*ARC book in exchange for an honest review*
*ARC book in exchange for an honest review*
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you, Net Galley and Orbit, for the opportunity to read and review this arc in advance.
I had thoroughly enjoyed the themes of feverish obsession and desire that had pervaded throughout the novel. The gothic academia setting aided in further bringing these qualities to the forefront. The novel had more of a medium/slow pacing that gradually led you along through the progression of Thora and Olea’s obsession with not only one another, but with their morbid fascination with knowledge and their research. The mysteries behind the garden and Olea had been intriguing and had me wanting to know more as they unraveled. A gripe I did have with the novel though, was how it felt as though there were things left unanswered that left me wanting to have more closure after I had finished the novel. Despite that issue, overall, I really enjoyed the novel and would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a Sapphic gothic fantasy that features a dark obsessive all-consuming passion between the women, their academic pursuits, and their innermost desires.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Epistemophile, philomath, or scholar. All describe those with an obsession, enchantment or fascination towards learning. This novel takes that obsession and adds the allure of secrecy, the attraction of power with a helping of desire. Its dark, its mysterious, its vengeful and beautifully pernicious. So much potential right.
The botanical horror/magic aspect is the main reason I wanted to dive into this read but it doesn’t really even show up until well into the novel. Then once it shows up its just ok. I had the same feeling about the romance between Thora and Olea, it was just there. Thora just does not see capable of making any kind of memorable relationship because her attempt just fall flat for me. I found myself more interested in the plants. The story finally picks up and gets interesting about 65% in. The last third of the book is what saved it for me.
Overall this book ends up being all atmosphere with a bit of sapphic romance. It’s pacing can be slow at times but I appreciated the details those portions of the book added to the story. There was also times that I wished Thora was less predictable with a little more personality but I see the point in making her character appear malleable.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-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
Sapphic horror plant girlies. This was cute and gross, haunting and ethereal, and I really appreciated it!
I will absolutely read any other sapphic books Francesca May puts out in the future. She did a really great job of making this garden and the girls within it feel otherworldly and magical and dark and dangerous. This was a wild ride, and I was absolutely buckled in and here for it.
The only negatives were 1) the first chapters before we get to Gay Gardens, while appropriate and effective in setting the stage, were slow and harder to get into, and 2) I don't have a poor communication kink, so Olea and Thora's dynamic got on my nerves sometimes. Although, I will say, it wasn't always without reason.
And, I completely ate it up anyway. I would totally read a sequel or companion novella to this. While the ending does wrap up everything well enough, I'm still left wanting to see what happens next.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC! My favorite ARC to date!
I will absolutely read any other sapphic books Francesca May puts out in the future. She did a really great job of making this garden and the girls within it feel otherworldly and magical and dark and dangerous. This was a wild ride, and I was absolutely buckled in and here for it.
The only negatives were 1) the first chapters before we get to Gay Gardens, while appropriate and effective in setting the stage, were slow and harder to get into, and 2) I don't have a poor communication kink, so Olea and Thora's dynamic got on my nerves sometimes. Although, I will say, it wasn't always without reason.
And, I completely ate it up anyway. I would totally read a sequel or companion novella to this. While the ending does wrap up everything well enough, I'm still left wanting to see what happens next.
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC! My favorite ARC to date!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
francesca may does it again, folks! i’ve been a fan ever since i read her debut, wild and wicked things, all the way back in 2022 when it first came out (which, by the way, if you haven’t read that already you know what you need to do). i loved the gothic, spooky, sapphic vibes of that book and i’m so happy that i got to tap into that sphere again with this new one!
first of all, i loved the worldbuilding, especially surrounding the funeral rites and mourning practices since thora was born into that world. it had the perfect balance of feeling realistic while also bringing us into a different world from our own. this is something that i feel like she’s done well with both of her works — the setting has some base in the familiarity of our own history (such as the gatsby-inspired events of her first book, or the gothic-victorian vibe going on here) while leveling up the story with magic and fantastical elements of her own. it’s so good!!
it’s hard to fully describe how i feel about thora and olea without spoiling what happens, but there’s something soooo personal to me about bloody messy poisonous sapphics. the overarching plot does get a little slow around the 75% mark or so, but when i realized what was happening toward the end it honestly made up for it. don’t go into this expecting something very fast-paced and i think you’ll be just as pleased as i was! i can’t wait to see whatever francesca may does next.
thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by Francesca May, and I really enjoyed it!
This Vicious Hunger follows Thora, who is recently widowed, as she gets the opportunity she has been dreaming of: to study botany at the university. There, she finds Olea. A mysterious woman who tends to a locked garden at night. What starts as curiosity delves into obsession and infatuation.
The chemistry between Thora and Olea is full of longing. They both long for companionship and connection, but there are secrets and a niggling feeling that something is not quite right. I loved the imagery and setting of the book. It was written so well. The pacing was a bit slow in some places and fast in others! I was ready for the drama to begin. When it did, it was over super fast.
I can't wait for more. Thank you, NetGalley and Obit Books, for this ARC.
This Vicious Hunger follows Thora, who is recently widowed, as she gets the opportunity she has been dreaming of: to study botany at the university. There, she finds Olea. A mysterious woman who tends to a locked garden at night. What starts as curiosity delves into obsession and infatuation.
The chemistry between Thora and Olea is full of longing. They both long for companionship and connection, but there are secrets and a niggling feeling that something is not quite right. I loved the imagery and setting of the book. It was written so well. The pacing was a bit slow in some places and fast in others! I was ready for the drama to begin. When it did, it was over super fast.
I can't wait for more. Thank you, NetGalley and Obit Books, for this ARC.
dark
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Net Galley for the arc! I was really excited about this book. I love the dark, nature related horror. Unfortunately the pacing was off for me. They lost me in the last 10 chapters because I felt like things were dragging on. I did feel this earlier on in the book, but there was enough to draw me in and keep me reading. I ended up dnfing this book at 90% because I found myself getting tired of the slow pacing and repetitive nature of the book. I would still recommend this book to a very specific audience, but it ended up being too slow for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May is a beautiful and intoxicating mix of historical fantasy and dark academia, with a little murder mystery, and morally gray romance. Set in an alternate Victorian-esque London where magic is infused in the proverbial soil. May crafts a world that is rich and steeped in queer longing, hidden motives and the deep rooted power of knowledge.
The story follows a FMC that is drawn into a web of family legacies, secret societies, and forbidden desires. May’s prose is lyrical, painting a moody and gloomy, gothic landscape that perfectly matches the story’s themes of ambition, deep hunger for power, love, and even identity.
At first I thought this was going to be a sort of "coming-out story"...but to my pleasant surprise, it’s a story where queerness simply is, and that feels both refreshing and.. well, normal. The character dynamics are viciously complex, especially the strained relationships and the slow unraveling of trust - there is this constant doubt glooming in the back of ones mind.
The pacing slows in a few places and some plot elements feel a bit "thick", but the emotional depth and overall world building make up for it. Fans of "The Atlas Six" will feel right at home here.
Francesca May created a gloomy and atmospheric tale that will have its roots deeply seeded in your imagination, long after its last page. Thank you to May, Orbit Books and Netgalley for this adventure!
The story follows a FMC that is drawn into a web of family legacies, secret societies, and forbidden desires. May’s prose is lyrical, painting a moody and gloomy, gothic landscape that perfectly matches the story’s themes of ambition, deep hunger for power, love, and even identity.
At first I thought this was going to be a sort of "coming-out story"...but to my pleasant surprise, it’s a story where queerness simply is, and that feels both refreshing and.. well, normal. The character dynamics are viciously complex, especially the strained relationships and the slow unraveling of trust - there is this constant doubt glooming in the back of ones mind.
The pacing slows in a few places and some plot elements feel a bit "thick", but the emotional depth and overall world building make up for it. Fans of "The Atlas Six" will feel right at home here.
Francesca May created a gloomy and atmospheric tale that will have its roots deeply seeded in your imagination, long after its last page. Thank you to May, Orbit Books and Netgalley for this adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley, Francesca May, and Orbit Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a captivating story. I was hooked from the very beginning. I had no idea where the story was going to go. But I enjoyed where it ended up. I love a book with a sapphic romance, a dark academia setting, and supporting women’s wrongs. It’s set in a time when women aren’t allowed to go to university. It shakes everything up when Thora gets to go. I will say that the ending was abrupt. I’m assuming it’s a standalone. I just wanted to know what Thora was going to do next. Overall, enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it! Please, look up TWs.
This was such a captivating story. I was hooked from the very beginning. I had no idea where the story was going to go. But I enjoyed where it ended up. I love a book with a sapphic romance, a dark academia setting, and supporting women’s wrongs. It’s set in a time when women aren’t allowed to go to university. It shakes everything up when Thora gets to go. I will say that the ending was abrupt. I’m assuming it’s a standalone. I just wanted to know what Thora was going to do next. Overall, enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it! Please, look up TWs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Self harm, Blood