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mari_sapphic_bookworm 's review for:
Will It Hurt?
by Lily X
Some might say it is a job of mercy, neutralizing those who no longer wish for immortality. However, to Aisla Laxmi, it is a job that is weighing her down. Family weighs her down, while she craves freedom from it. One day, a vampire visits her, wielding her shadows. She says that Aisla is the one who killed her daughter, and that the daughter would not have wished to be neutralized in the first place. These two work together to bring a loved one back from the dead. They might have started off on the wrong foot, but the animosity blooms into another emotion that is hard to resist. Maybe they might find something real when everything is over. However, forces threaten them from achieving their goal…and maybe things are not always what they look like. Will everyone find their peace in the end, or will it just hurt more?
Although it is a book with clear supernatural elements, Lily did a great job of emphasizing the human side of the characters. We all love vampires, but usually don’t consider the struggles behind immortality. By starting with the ‘end’ called neutralization instead of a powerful vampire, Lily portrays vampires as not supernatural creatures, but beings who are also human. We see Jinn not as a shadow-wielding, dangerous vampire (well, she is lethal when she puts her mind to it) but rather someone desperate, who has lost someone they loved dearly and would do anything to get that person back.
I also loved the depiction of Aisla’s family history. People do not pop up in a place, but move there with their own stories, culture, and history. Although Aisla might now be living in Edinburgh, her family and lineage are living and breathing through her magic. And shows us how that lineage can be a place to belong, but also a chain, like how Aisla’s job was to her under her family burden. It gives us more perspective on the character’s mind and the reasons behind their actions.
Also, the smut!! Shadow wielding is one cool ability and something that can be used in so many different ways since they can ‘poof’ vanish!!! (demonic smutty laugh) Oh, the sexual tension between the two characters! It would be enough to generate enough electricity for the entire area of Edinburgh. The balance between plot and smut was perfect.
I really loved this book, and look forward to the next one!! I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. (4.5/5)
Although it is a book with clear supernatural elements, Lily did a great job of emphasizing the human side of the characters. We all love vampires, but usually don’t consider the struggles behind immortality. By starting with the ‘end’ called neutralization instead of a powerful vampire, Lily portrays vampires as not supernatural creatures, but beings who are also human. We see Jinn not as a shadow-wielding, dangerous vampire (well, she is lethal when she puts her mind to it) but rather someone desperate, who has lost someone they loved dearly and would do anything to get that person back.
I also loved the depiction of Aisla’s family history. People do not pop up in a place, but move there with their own stories, culture, and history. Although Aisla might now be living in Edinburgh, her family and lineage are living and breathing through her magic. And shows us how that lineage can be a place to belong, but also a chain, like how Aisla’s job was to her under her family burden. It gives us more perspective on the character’s mind and the reasons behind their actions.
Also, the smut!! Shadow wielding is one cool ability and something that can be used in so many different ways since they can ‘poof’ vanish!!! (demonic smutty laugh) Oh, the sexual tension between the two characters! It would be enough to generate enough electricity for the entire area of Edinburgh. The balance between plot and smut was perfect.
I really loved this book, and look forward to the next one!! I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. (4.5/5)