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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
I wanted to like this, I really did. I liked May’s first book, and I am very into queer women behaving badly while they fall in love, plus what a good premise! Super slow to get started. The tone and pacing were just SO off, and the dialogue needed a ton of editing. The prose was gorgeous and creepy enough at points that I’d almost get sucked in, and then someone would open their mouth and ruin it. I found Thora insufferable as a character, and not interesting enough to make up for how annoying she was. This book could have been great, it just needed a lot more editing and revision to get there, IMO.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Little Brown, the author and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of This Vicious Hunger to review.
This Vicious Hunger follows Thora, an undertaker's daughter who has grown up surrounded by death. When her husband dies after thirteen weeks of marriage, she doesn't know what to do next. Until a letter arrives from a botany professor at a prestigious school, accepting her to the university to study botany under her, which has been Thora's dream since she was a child. Once there she notices a young woman enclosed in a walled garden of poisonous plants, and is immediately drawn to both the garden and the girl. Under the spell of both, Thora falls into a world of obsession and poison; will she be able to break free?
I'm very unsure about this one! I really liked the gothic atmosphere here; it felt almost thick and moody, which is different from the tone of books that I usually read, so that definitely gripped me. This is definitely a slow-paced book, more driven by descriptions and character interactions than plot, but it was still engaging to read. The descriptions of the walled garden and its plants were so rich and imaginative; I could see the garden in my head as I was reading it. And the mystery of what's going on with Olea and the garden had me very intrigued to keep going to find answers. It felt almost claustrophobic to be in this story, with it mainly taking place in one area with no real way out, and that was super interesting to sink into.
The romance side of this has me in two minds; I did love the yearning and forbidden romance aspect between Thora and Olea. One being outside the walls and the other trapped in the garden made for a great, angsty dynamic, however as the book progresses the relationship changes and becomes more toxic, which seemed a little fast of a change for Thora. Her descent into hunger and obsession seemed a little quick; I would have preferred to see it happen more gradually I think. I also didn't connect with her character very much; she was quite brash and impulsive and would disregard any opinion or wish other characters had just to get her own way, which I didn't vibe with. I especially feel sorry for poor Leo, her friend at the university. Olea was intriguing but she ended up feeling a little immature for me, which does make sense considering her sheltered upbringing, but I just didn't enjoy her character by the end, nor Thora's.
The worldbuilding let the book down for me. We know that this is set in a fantasy world with different traditions and rituals, however we truly don't explore any of that. As it's an isolated setting, we stay in the university, but it would have been nice to at least hear more about the wider world and other customs as Thora is a scholar, but I can see why it was kept quite zoomed in on the university setting. It's just a little nitpick of mine really.
Overall if you love gothic fantasy and toxic lesbians then you'll enjoy this one! It has a very rich, imaginative atmosphere, and an interesting storyline, but just didn't grip me with the characters as much as I wanted.
This Vicious Hunger follows Thora, an undertaker's daughter who has grown up surrounded by death. When her husband dies after thirteen weeks of marriage, she doesn't know what to do next. Until a letter arrives from a botany professor at a prestigious school, accepting her to the university to study botany under her, which has been Thora's dream since she was a child. Once there she notices a young woman enclosed in a walled garden of poisonous plants, and is immediately drawn to both the garden and the girl. Under the spell of both, Thora falls into a world of obsession and poison; will she be able to break free?
I'm very unsure about this one! I really liked the gothic atmosphere here; it felt almost thick and moody, which is different from the tone of books that I usually read, so that definitely gripped me. This is definitely a slow-paced book, more driven by descriptions and character interactions than plot, but it was still engaging to read. The descriptions of the walled garden and its plants were so rich and imaginative; I could see the garden in my head as I was reading it. And the mystery of what's going on with Olea and the garden had me very intrigued to keep going to find answers. It felt almost claustrophobic to be in this story, with it mainly taking place in one area with no real way out, and that was super interesting to sink into.
The romance side of this has me in two minds; I did love the yearning and forbidden romance aspect between Thora and Olea. One being outside the walls and the other trapped in the garden made for a great, angsty dynamic, however as the book progresses the relationship changes and becomes more toxic, which seemed a little fast of a change for Thora. Her descent into hunger and obsession seemed a little quick; I would have preferred to see it happen more gradually I think. I also didn't connect with her character very much; she was quite brash and impulsive and would disregard any opinion or wish other characters had just to get her own way, which I didn't vibe with. I especially feel sorry for poor Leo, her friend at the university. Olea was intriguing but she ended up feeling a little immature for me, which does make sense considering her sheltered upbringing, but I just didn't enjoy her character by the end, nor Thora's.
The worldbuilding let the book down for me. We know that this is set in a fantasy world with different traditions and rituals, however we truly don't explore any of that. As it's an isolated setting, we stay in the university, but it would have been nice to at least hear more about the wider world and other customs as Thora is a scholar, but I can see why it was kept quite zoomed in on the university setting. It's just a little nitpick of mine really.
Overall if you love gothic fantasy and toxic lesbians then you'll enjoy this one! It has a very rich, imaginative atmosphere, and an interesting storyline, but just didn't grip me with the characters as much as I wanted.
challenging
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
1.5/5 stars rounded up.
I grabbed this ARC because the blurb sounded interesting but unfortunately the execution did not deliver for me. I considered DNFing this a few times.
The story itself did not live up to the expectations that I had in my mind and I found this book incredibly slow and truthfully, boring. I appreciated the insight into the toxic relationship and what the goal was here, but I found myself really struggling with the characters. The characters just felt unreachable to me and flat. The story felt as though it took forever to start gaining momentum and everything felt increasingly repetitive. This story could've been much, much shorter.
The tone in this book was ominous and unsettling, but it seems as though it didn't build up to much in the end. I was excited for this book and hoping that it was going to be a hit for me, but it was a tough read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I grabbed this ARC because the blurb sounded interesting but unfortunately the execution did not deliver for me. I considered DNFing this a few times.
The story itself did not live up to the expectations that I had in my mind and I found this book incredibly slow and truthfully, boring. I appreciated the insight into the toxic relationship and what the goal was here, but I found myself really struggling with the characters. The characters just felt unreachable to me and flat. The story felt as though it took forever to start gaining momentum and everything felt increasingly repetitive. This story could've been much, much shorter.
The tone in this book was ominous and unsettling, but it seems as though it didn't build up to much in the end. I was excited for this book and hoping that it was going to be a hit for me, but it was a tough read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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:
Yes
WOOOW. This book was such a fantastic read. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, it was so intense and beautiful, and mysterious and romantic. I know the story probably ends there, but I wouldn't be mad to see it continue.
Thora was raised around death, and then she loses her father and then her new husband. Her husband's family decides they rather not keep her and decide to send her to a university where a former colleague of Thora's father has offered a position to learn and be partner's in Botany. Once she's there she starts seeing a woman wander around at midnight in a mysterious garden and is drawn in. Meanwhile, her new friend, Leo, has some mysteries of his own and is wary about Thora spending time with the woman in the Garden.
Francesca May has shocked me in the best way possible, I knew whatever she writes was going to be good, but I had no idea it was going to be this fantastic. I highly recommend this book, This is easily one of my favorite reads of 2025.
(I received this book as a arc)
Thora was raised around death, and then she loses her father and then her new husband. Her husband's family decides they rather not keep her and decide to send her to a university where a former colleague of Thora's father has offered a position to learn and be partner's in Botany. Once she's there she starts seeing a woman wander around at midnight in a mysterious garden and is drawn in. Meanwhile, her new friend, Leo, has some mysteries of his own and is wary about Thora spending time with the woman in the Garden.
Francesca May has shocked me in the best way possible, I knew whatever she writes was going to be good, but I had no idea it was going to be this fantastic. I highly recommend this book, This is easily one of my favorite reads of 2025.
(I received this book as a arc)
This had so much potential but unfortunately it didn't come together. Its way too long and everything was very two dimensional. I never felt connected to the characters and the dialogue was, at times, immature. Then we have one poor guy who gets the brunt of the main characters emotional immaturity. I skimmed to the end for the last 50 pages and they were still talking about the same thing.
A dark sapphic gothic dark academia novel that blurs the line between knowledge and obsession.
I think my biggest issue with this novel is that it felt incomplete. My three star rating, I’m sad to say, is mostly for the beginning and the writing - but the plot, and the book itself, kind of simply ends without any resolution to the multiple narrative threads present throughout this novel. Not to mention that the worldbuilding is vague at best, and it wasn’t even until the middle of the book that I realized this wasn’t simply a historical fiction with a focus on Victorian mourning rituals I had never heard about.
Our main character Thora is given the opportunity to study at the same university her father had - a dream of hers since she was a child but one never given to her by her father. As she studies under the eccentric Dr. Petaccia, she discovers a mysterious woman in the garden near her window, which eventually grows to an obsession that eclipses everything else in her life.
The writing in this novel was phenomenal, and I was entranced from the very first page. Thora was a fascinating character, and I also greatly enjoyed the secondary character of Leo as well. In all honesty, the only character I never really connected to, or enjoyed, was - unfortunately - Olea. She simply felt both too naive and too much of a plot device as opposed to an actual person, and I never connected with Thora’s obsessive need to help her.
This could be in part because once Thora meets Olea, her obsession makes both her life - and the plot of the book - fall apart. While the start of this novel focuses on how attending this university was a dream of Thora’s since she was a child, as soon as she meets Olea she’s entirely willing to throw everything away without a second thought. In addition, Dr. Petaccia’s characterization also falls apart as the novel progresses - going from eccentric in her goals, to mentally unstable with an unclear goal or motives for reaching it. Or how her past actions - and the decision to involve Thora in them - would even help with these goals at all.
I really think this book felt like two separate narratives stapled together, but forgot to include a resolution or an ending. The book simply just ends in a way that isn’t narratively compelling based on everything that had happened previously, leaving me to wonder what exactly I missed for this to be the ending.
Also, this is less of a gripe but I disliked how Leo, Thora’s only friend within this novel, was simply removed from the narrative to never return. I finished this book waiting for him to reappear because his absence made so little sense that I thought that surely he’d return.
Finally. I was never convinced of Thora and Olea’s “romance” - the book even explicitly states that Olea’s interest in Thora is most likely due to her being her only companion, her “only option,” but every time this is brought up it’s glossed over and moved on. Once they get together the book grinds to a halt so they can have sex, but after pages and pages of this with nothing meaningful going on in the background and the countdown to the end of the novel approaching at a rapid pace - it got extremely tedious to read.
I did really enjoy reading this novel, and I think anyone who is a fan of dark gothic sapphic tales would enjoy this novel - like I did - I just simply wish it had been more cohesive of a story.
A huge thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Orbit/Redhook Books for providing me a copy for review.
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