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tessofthetales 's review for:
This Vicious Hunger
by Francesca May
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.