A review by spooniereads
The Fealty of Monsters by Ladz

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is a gothic horror + fantasy retelling of the Russian Revolution, full of political intrigue, vampires, and a whole lot of queerness! it’s also a book that’s incredibly near and dear to my heart— the author, Ladz, is one of my closest online friends, and it’s been an absolute honor to serve as a beta reader for their debut novel; it finally releases this month (March 12, 2024), and i couldn’t be more excited to share my early review with you! 
 
FEALTY is the story of Sasza, a vampire living in secret within the Odonic Empire’s aristocracy. his closest friend, Lady Świetlana, fears that her father may wage war against the Vampire States, and she is determined to stop him; meanwhile, Sasza’s lover, Ilya, is deeply entangled in a treacherous cabal, and war rages on around them. as the Empire’s tensions reach a fever pitch, Świetlana (now aided by Ute, a childhood-friend-turned-soldier who serves as her Magical Advisor) and Sazsa orchestrate a plan— and nothing will ever be the same. it’s a rich, raunchy, and deeply complex tale; the sex scenes are luscious and intimate, the climax of the story is visceral and jaw-dropping, and the characters themselves are nuanced and perfectly exemplify the capitalist, revolutionary, and sordid issues of the early 20th century with plenty of fantastical + gothic themes… there’s a total of eight volumes planned in this series, and i’m waiting with bated breath to know what’ll happen to Sasza, Świetlana, and Ute as the story unfolds! 
 
i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again— internet friends can truly change your life, and Ladz is someone who i now can’t imagine my world without; they’re a wonderful person, a passionate activist, and a beautifully-creative author! i’m SO grateful that they sent me one of their early print copies as an ARC, complete with stunning illustrations from Soren Häxan— the book also includes a character compendium, a pronunciation guide, and a source-list; this story is SO well-researched, expressive, and delightfully morally-grey, and i love it with my whole heart❤️‍🔥 
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