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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: ššššš/5
āI pretend that I am in Therionās arms. His feathered wings are enfolded around me. When I say Iāll be his bride, he smiles at me, and his teeth are sharp.ā
This is the most ethereal, haunting tale. I felt constantly torn ā I could not tell if I was in the most beautiful dream or my worst nightmare. The writing is atmospheric and utterly divine ā I was completely transfixed.
It is not the most action-packed plot. No, that is not the point. These characters, the story, the writingā¦it will cast a lasting presence. One that is so profound it sinks deep within your bones, and you will wonder how you ever survived without this sensation.
If you are a lover of A Study in Drowning, A Dark and Drowning Tide, or Boys with Sharp Teeth, you will be OBSESSED with this.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lyndall Clipstone for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Always remember, reading is extremely personal and very subjective, we are all allowed to have different opinions. That is absolutely okay and beautiful. Happy reading. āØš©·š«¶
āI pretend that I am in Therionās arms. His feathered wings are enfolded around me. When I say Iāll be his bride, he smiles at me, and his teeth are sharp.ā
This is the most ethereal, haunting tale. I felt constantly torn ā I could not tell if I was in the most beautiful dream or my worst nightmare. The writing is atmospheric and utterly divine ā I was completely transfixed.
It is not the most action-packed plot. No, that is not the point. These characters, the story, the writingā¦it will cast a lasting presence. One that is so profound it sinks deep within your bones, and you will wonder how you ever survived without this sensation.
If you are a lover of A Study in Drowning, A Dark and Drowning Tide, or Boys with Sharp Teeth, you will be OBSESSED with this.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lyndall Clipstone for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Always remember, reading is extremely personal and very subjective, we are all allowed to have different opinions. That is absolutely okay and beautiful. Happy reading. āØš©·š«¶
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was just okay.
A large part of my enjoyment of non-urban fantasy is immersion. In my ideal book, the world should have dialogue and elements that develop the setting as a real, tangible, and believable place. I found several turns of phrases and linguistic choices that were quite jarring, breaking the illusion and yanking me out of the setting, which I hated.
I also feel like a lot of things were unearned? Plot devices that were plopped into the narrative without appropriate build up, character relationships and dynamics that we are just told to believe without convincing development, and contrivances the reader is just made to accept.
I didn't really hate this book--just more disappointed in the unfulfilled potential lol. An inferior cousin of A Study in Drowning and House of Salt and Sorrows.
A large part of my enjoyment of non-urban fantasy is immersion. In my ideal book, the world should have dialogue and elements that develop the setting as a real, tangible, and believable place. I found several turns of phrases and linguistic choices that were quite jarring, breaking the illusion and yanking me out of the setting, which I hated.
I also feel like a lot of things were unearned? Plot devices that were plopped into the narrative without appropriate build up, character relationships and dynamics that we are just told to believe without convincing development, and contrivances the reader is just made to accept.
I didn't really hate this book--just more disappointed in the unfulfilled potential lol. An inferior cousin of A Study in Drowning and House of Salt and Sorrows.
adventurous
dark
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:
No
Letās start with that coverāabsolutely stunning!! It's a perfect visual intro to the haunting beauty of the story inside. I was obsessed before I even hit play.
I wasnāt aware I needed romantic horror in my life until this. Itās a seductive, salty fever dream. The story unfolds slowly, steeped in a moody atmosphere, sea gods, salt priests, and ancient lore. Our protagonist, Lark, becomes entangled with the Felimath siblings (Alastair and Camille), and from there, things only grow more deliciously complicated.
I loved how rich and layered the world felt, especially the folklore surrounding Therion, the underworld god worshipped by Larkās coastal town. The vibe is pure gothic perfection.
Around the halfway point, the first major twist hitāand wow! I definitely didnāt see it coming. The second half unravels with family secrets, long-buried betrayals, and passionate, morally messy relationships that practically smolder off the page.
Read this if you love:
āØDark academia
āØComplex, emotionally charged relationships
āØMoral ambiguity & divine bargains
āØLush, tangled romanceāincluding sapphic threads
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This just didnāt hit for me ā I find the pacing and storytelling kinda āflatāā¦ very little happens but also somewhat big things happen at the same time but they get dismissed by the characters so we swiftly move on? I guess how I can best explain it is, that we donāt get a lot of character development or context, moving between Now and Then but neither timeline provides enough insights or explanations. Maybe this picks up in the remaining two thirds but at 32% I do not care for any of the characters at all so I wonāt chance it. Shame š«¤
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I donāt like to judge books based on my expectations of them. I think that generally does a disservice to the actual content of the book. However, for a summary that promises horror and a āfervent romance,ā this book falls short. The plot drags in places, the flashbacks are seemingly irrelevant and the stakes just didnāt feel high enough. Weāre dealing with gods here but everything was resolved so easily. I will give credit where it is due. The prose in this book is stunning, and the setting is moody and atmospheric, perfect for a gothic novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian for the advance copy.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this completely blind and I hadn't seen anything about it online. I liked this but did struggle at the start to get sucked into the story. This had some gothic vibes and once I got to about 50% I started to enjoy the story more. I will say the FMC trusts way too easily and I found it somewhat unbelievable. The characters and overall story fell a little flat for me.
Character rating - 2.
Plot rating - 3.
Setting rating - 2.5.
Character rating - 2.
Plot rating - 3.
Setting rating - 2.5.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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