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ghostiegail's reviews
57 reviews
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve been on a quest to find a horror novel that has all the elements I love in a horror movie, and the characters and dialogue jumped off the page and into my mind like a film projector on a mountainside. Disturbing but beautiful, heartfelt yet brutal, Ring Shout is a study in contrast. The elements of diasporic folklore, the historical setting, and the break-neck pacing all grabbed my attention and refused to let me go for 185 pages.
For how short it was, this book packed a sucker punch. Ring Shout is just the right length — long enough to explore its ideas and build a solid plot, but short enough to leave readers desperate for more. P Djèlí Clark books will be instant purchases for me from here on out thanks to the candid voices of his characters and gorgeous, gorey descriptions. Five stars.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
With all the flag-waving and cavorting, you might forget they was monsters. But I hunt monsters. And I know them when I see them.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve been on a quest to find a horror novel that has all the elements I love in a horror movie, and the characters and dialogue jumped off the page and into my mind like a film projector on a mountainside. Disturbing but beautiful, heartfelt yet brutal, Ring Shout is a study in contrast. The elements of diasporic folklore, the historical setting, and the break-neck pacing all grabbed my attention and refused to let me go for 185 pages.
For how short it was, this book packed a sucker punch. Ring Shout is just the right length — long enough to explore its ideas and build a solid plot, but short enough to leave readers desperate for more. P Djèlí Clark books will be instant purchases for me from here on out thanks to the candid voices of his characters and gorgeous, gorey descriptions. Five stars.
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
A Lady for a Duke had all the makings of a perfect book for me:
★ Queer Representation
★ Regency Era Historical Fiction
★ She Fell First, But He Fell Harder
There’s so much to love about this book, and I wanted it to be a 4 or 5 star read so badly — but there were a few too many ways that it fell short for me.
The Good
★ Major props to the voice actress in the audio book, Kay Eluvian, who gave each character a truly unique voice. I would pay for her to narrate my grocery list.
★ Fantastic representation! Viola being a trans woman was a big draw for me to read this book, but I was so pleasantly surprised by Gracewood! So often we read books with brooding protagonists who are Tragic and Misunderstood, but with no explanation for why. Seeing Gracewood struggle with war-time PTSD, an opium addiction, and toxic masculinity was so refreshing and well done. One of my favorite moments in the book was whenhe has a flashback from the fireworks and is finally able to cry without opium/alcohol in Viola’s arms.
★ Sometimes in books it’s not clear WHY they like each other/belong together, but there were so many parallels between their character arcs that it felt natural. They’re both defying what society believes they were born to be and learning to fearlessly embrace themselves — and each other. What would you give up to be yourself?
★ Just so many sweet moments between Viola and Gracewood that had me kicking my feet. Gracewood is always 😔🥺 and Viola is always 😡😫which makes for a hilarious but sweet dynamic.
The Bad
★ I would have loved more context on her transition. They briefly explain how she got from Waterloo to being her sister in law’s companion, but we get so little information on what is, for me, one of the most interesting parts of the story.
★ I did not enjoy many of the side characters. Viola and Gracewood were so complex and fleshed out that many of the ensemble cast felt like caricatures for me. Miranda was overly-quirky for me and came across as bratty/impetulant when sheessentially begged Lady Lillimere to kiss her. I think Lady Lillimere was meant to feel flirtatious and society-defying, but she often came across more womanizing. I did not appreciate that she wanted to get with the 17 year old but didn’t because her friends wouldn’t approve. Even though she DOES deny Miranda’s advances, it’s not because she doesn’t want her, and this for me felt too close to the predatory lesbian stereotype.
★ Speaking of paper-flat characters, Amberglass felt like a mustache-twiddling cartoon villain. For a central antagonist, his motivation seemed to add up to being rich, sexually deviant and bored. Whenwe finally overcome Amberglass, it’s only because they give up, walk away, and he decides to tell them everything in exchange for nothing.
★ In the end, the characters get their happily ever after becauseof the generational wealth and patriarchy that has existed the entire novel. Of course it took time for the characters to feel confident enough to DEFY society, but that’s awfully easy to do when you have the money to bribe government officials and purchase estates on a whim. It felt like an unsatisfying conclusion to their journey.
★ This was my biggest gripe: I feel we lost the dramatic tension over and over again. You’d think the plot was going one way, and then it would be quickly resolved and we would move onto another issue that would, once again, be quickly resolved.Viola worries Gracewood won’t accept her, and he’s upset when he finds out the truth but decides to forgive her the next day. Viola fears she can’t be with him the way she wants to, but she soon decides she wants to try anyways. We think Lady Lillimere kidnapped Miranda, but then she walks in the door. We think Miranda killed Stirling, then immediately find out she probably didn’t.
★ The plot just deflates itself over and over again, then moves onto a new conflict. One can argue the story is more character driven, but you still need to have a sense of tension — what’s going to happen? How will true love triumph in the end? Turns out, all you have to do is wait a couple pages and you’ll find out. I think this loss of tension is what made the book feel long for some readers — because the plot trajectory keeps changing and the character’s interior journeys keep getting dragged out, it feels an extra 100-150 pages too long.
My Final Thoughts ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 - 3.5 stars
A Lady for a Duke swings for the fences and succeeds in so many ways: genre-defying representation, fully realized main characters, and powerful themes of love and resilience. It fell flat for me when it came to side characters and dramatic tension, especially during the last act. Even if I have some criticisms of its execution, I admire what Alexis Hall was able to accomplish and I highly recommend it to to lovers of historical romance that want to see queer folks FINALLY get their happy ending.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Perhaps there were things you could only learn about yourself when you shared them with someone else.
A Lady for a Duke had all the makings of a perfect book for me:
★ Queer Representation
★ Regency Era Historical Fiction
★ She Fell First, But He Fell Harder
There’s so much to love about this book, and I wanted it to be a 4 or 5 star read so badly — but there were a few too many ways that it fell short for me.
The Good
★ Major props to the voice actress in the audio book, Kay Eluvian, who gave each character a truly unique voice. I would pay for her to narrate my grocery list.
★ Fantastic representation! Viola being a trans woman was a big draw for me to read this book, but I was so pleasantly surprised by Gracewood! So often we read books with brooding protagonists who are Tragic and Misunderstood, but with no explanation for why. Seeing Gracewood struggle with war-time PTSD, an opium addiction, and toxic masculinity was so refreshing and well done. One of my favorite moments in the book was when
★ Sometimes in books it’s not clear WHY they like each other/belong together, but there were so many parallels between their character arcs that it felt natural. They’re both defying what society believes they were born to be and learning to fearlessly embrace themselves — and each other. What would you give up to be yourself?
★ Just so many sweet moments between Viola and Gracewood that had me kicking my feet. Gracewood is always 😔🥺 and Viola is always 😡😫which makes for a hilarious but sweet dynamic.
The Bad
★ I would have loved more context on her transition. They briefly explain how she got from Waterloo to being her sister in law’s companion, but we get so little information on what is, for me, one of the most interesting parts of the story.
★ I did not enjoy many of the side characters. Viola and Gracewood were so complex and fleshed out that many of the ensemble cast felt like caricatures for me. Miranda was overly-quirky for me and came across as bratty/impetulant when she
★ Speaking of paper-flat characters, Amberglass felt like a mustache-twiddling cartoon villain. For a central antagonist, his motivation seemed to add up to being rich, sexually deviant and bored. When
★ In the end, the characters get their happily ever after because
★ This was my biggest gripe: I feel we lost the dramatic tension over and over again. You’d think the plot was going one way, and then it would be quickly resolved and we would move onto another issue that would, once again, be quickly resolved.
★ The plot just deflates itself over and over again, then moves onto a new conflict. One can argue the story is more character driven, but you still need to have a sense of tension — what’s going to happen? How will true love triumph in the end? Turns out, all you have to do is wait a couple pages and you’ll find out. I think this loss of tension is what made the book feel long for some readers — because the plot trajectory keeps changing and the character’s interior journeys keep getting dragged out, it feels an extra 100-150 pages too long.
My Final Thoughts ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 - 3.5 stars
A Lady for a Duke swings for the fences and succeeds in so many ways: genre-defying representation, fully realized main characters, and powerful themes of love and resilience. It fell flat for me when it came to side characters and dramatic tension, especially during the last act. Even if I have some criticisms of its execution, I admire what Alexis Hall was able to accomplish and I highly recommend it to to lovers of historical romance that want to see queer folks FINALLY get their happy ending.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The plot of Silver Nitrate is a slow build that, just like its magic system, burns brighter with every page. Each puzzle piece of the mystery is revealed painstakingly slowly through long dialogue and endless research — but this pacing reflects the journeys of our characters. Their apprehension and disbelief is transformed with each close encounter with the paranormal, and their fear feeds into an ever-growing web of magic.
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
Burnt offerings for an invisible god, that’s what nitrate was.
The plot of Silver Nitrate is a slow build that, just like its magic system, burns brighter with every page. Each puzzle piece of the mystery is revealed painstakingly slowly through long dialogue and endless research — but this pacing reflects the journeys of our characters. Their apprehension and disbelief is transformed with each close encounter with the paranormal, and their fear feeds into an ever-growing web of magic.
The first act is a bit of a slog if you’re looking for a tension filled fright-fest. I went into this book expecting horror and found more of a paranormal mystery. The “horror” elements were more visual in nature than a horrifying scenario, so the scare-factor relied on the reader’s imagination to conjure up images of bleeding ghosts and decaying corpses.
I predicted many of the plot points and I’m not sure how to feel about it. For me, the best part of the horror/thriller genre is that shocking moment where everything falls into place. You see the chess pieces moving across the board, but you don’t recognize the strategy until your queen is already in check. But is predictability a bad thing? Maybe it means the author set up the magic system and the flow of the story well enough to be predicted.
Most of the tension in the first half of the book comes from Montserrat and Tristán’s friendship — Tristán’s reckless, disaster-bi personality versus Montserrat’s closed off, protective nature. Tristán’s grief and guilt over his late girlfriend versus Montserrat’s unrequited love for Tristán.
When they watched horror movies, it was the sight of the monster, the Other, that terrified Tristán and the idea of becoming the hero that seduced him. Montserrat saw herself in the faces of monsters and did not wince.
In the end, their character arcs come full circle when Montserrat transforms through bravery and determination, and Tristan transforms through acceptance and selflessness . The characters contrasted each other well and created an authentic dynamic — the kind of longsuffering affection and irritation that can only come from someone you’ve known your entire life.
He was attuned to Montserrat’s phases, like memorizing an almanac and knowing if it was a gibbous or waxing moon without having to glance at the sky.
As for the romance, it felt a little shoehorned in, but I can also see that their relationship progresses not because Tristán suddenly falls in love with Montserrat, but rather because Montserrat’s love is something he’s been trying to deny for decades. It’s not a realization, it’s an acceptance, which aligns with his larger character arc. That being said, I don’t think the story needed the romance to bring the character arcs full circle, and it wasn’t awfully romantic either.
Overall, I think if you go into Silver Nitrate expecting a fast paced, terrifying horror novel with swoon-worthy romance and shocking twists, you will certainly be disappointed. But if you go in looking for a slow-burning mystery full of ghosts and the occult, honest characters with satisfying arcs, and a well-developed magic system, you’ll love it as much as I did.
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
When Cassie Greenberg, the quintessential post-grad starving artist, finds a craigslist-ad for a spare bedroom in Chicago, it seems too good to be true. $200 a month for a brownstone in Lincoln Park can’t come without a catch, but Cassie is charmed by her old-fashioned and devastatingly handsome new roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam — who also happens to be a vampire.
I would like to begin by saying I had no idea this was a reworked Reylo fanfic from 2019. I went through an intense stormpilot phase in my younger years and have stayed firmly away from any Reylo-adjacent publications. I honestly couldn’t tell this book was inspired by their dynamic, and truthfully I would have read something else to scratch my rom-com itch if I’d known. That being said, I truly enjoyed this book.
It’s like when you go to a unassuming shop, eat some bomb-ass rice pudding, then find out it’s a front for an illegal gambling ring. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone in, but God am I glad I ate that rice pudding.
The Good
🩸 As an Illinois native that grew up visiting Chicago, I enjoyed all the little nods to Chicago — the train system, the horrible weather, poking fun at Naperville.
🩸 It’s written in third person limited from Cassie’s perspective, but we get little epistolary glimpses into Frederick’s mind, including to do lists, diary entries, and one particularly damning google search history.
🩸 Because the title is literally My Roommate is a Vampire, there’s a fun dramatic irony that allows the author to make more opaque references to Frederick being a vampire. What would normally be cheesy and overly obvious is now more of an inside joke between the reader and the author.
🩸 I found their dynamic endearing — I love a fish-out-of-water character, so I enjoyed seeing Frederick clutch his pearls over instagram bikini pics or purchase Cassie hundreds of dollars worth of Le Creuset cookware because he genuinely doesn’t know better.
🩸 I am also a post-grad artist with a questionable degree, and I totally related to Cassie throughout this story. Her dedication to her vision despite the reception of her pieces (by both galleries and her support system) resonated with me and made me enjoy her character more.
The Bad
🩸While I appreciate that Frederick is supernaturally hot, there was a bit too much open mouthed gaping for me.
🩸 There was some questionable vampire biology, and rules/social norms seemed to pop up as they became convenient to the plot.
🩸 I didn’t love the moment whereCassie was crying over something very important to her and Frederick took it as an opportunity to make out with her in a bathroom. It seemed incongruous with his character and more of an opportunity for the author to squeeze a little extra spice into the book.
🩸There was some Jewish representation in the book that seemed to only amount to Cassie having the last name Greenberg and offhandedly mentioning a bat mitzvah. There’s obviously discourse surrounding how diverse characters should be written and I don’t feel it’s my place to weigh in on this particular situation, but if you’re hopping into this book BECAUSE you’re excited about the Jewish representation, you may find it lacking.
In Conclusion
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
“You can pay me back later,” I said, inserting my credit card into the machine. “With your gold doubloons.”
When Cassie Greenberg, the quintessential post-grad starving artist, finds a craigslist-ad for a spare bedroom in Chicago, it seems too good to be true. $200 a month for a brownstone in Lincoln Park can’t come without a catch, but Cassie is charmed by her old-fashioned and devastatingly handsome new roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam — who also happens to be a vampire.
I would like to begin by saying I had no idea this was a reworked Reylo fanfic from 2019. I went through an intense stormpilot phase in my younger years and have stayed firmly away from any Reylo-adjacent publications. I honestly couldn’t tell this book was inspired by their dynamic, and truthfully I would have read something else to scratch my rom-com itch if I’d known. That being said, I truly enjoyed this book.
It’s like when you go to a unassuming shop, eat some bomb-ass rice pudding, then find out it’s a front for an illegal gambling ring. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone in, but God am I glad I ate that rice pudding.
The Good
🩸 As an Illinois native that grew up visiting Chicago, I enjoyed all the little nods to Chicago — the train system, the horrible weather, poking fun at Naperville.
🩸 It’s written in third person limited from Cassie’s perspective, but we get little epistolary glimpses into Frederick’s mind, including to do lists, diary entries, and one particularly damning google search history.
🩸 Because the title is literally My Roommate is a Vampire, there’s a fun dramatic irony that allows the author to make more opaque references to Frederick being a vampire. What would normally be cheesy and overly obvious is now more of an inside joke between the reader and the author.
🩸 I found their dynamic endearing — I love a fish-out-of-water character, so I enjoyed seeing Frederick clutch his pearls over instagram bikini pics or purchase Cassie hundreds of dollars worth of Le Creuset cookware because he genuinely doesn’t know better.
🩸 I am also a post-grad artist with a questionable degree, and I totally related to Cassie throughout this story. Her dedication to her vision despite the reception of her pieces (by both galleries and her support system) resonated with me and made me enjoy her character more.
“It would be okay, though. Eventually. It would suck in the short term, just like all the rejections I’d gotten over the past ten years had sucked. But I liked this piece, even if I was the only person who ever would. That had to count for something.”
The Bad
🩸While I appreciate that Frederick is supernaturally hot, there was a bit too much open mouthed gaping for me.
🩸 There was some questionable vampire biology, and rules/social norms seemed to pop up as they became convenient to the plot.
🩸 I didn’t love the moment where
🩸There was some Jewish representation in the book that seemed to only amount to Cassie having the last name Greenberg and offhandedly mentioning a bat mitzvah. There’s obviously discourse surrounding how diverse characters should be written and I don’t feel it’s my place to weigh in on this particular situation, but if you’re hopping into this book BECAUSE you’re excited about the Jewish representation, you may find it lacking.
In Conclusion
This story was as saccharinely sweet as it’s blood-sucking love interest. I’d put it somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars, depending on how hard I’m thinking about it. Jenna Levine’s debut novel did exactly what I needed a paranormal romantic comedy to do, and I look forward to reading its sequel, My Vampire Plus-One, when it comes out this fall.