Scan barcode
kaitie_reads's reviews
169 reviews
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I generally don't star-rate classics ๐ค.
๐ป Spooky & Unsettling
๐ Haunted House
๐ป Classic Horror
๐ Thought-Provoking
๐ป One to reread.
OK, so this was terrifying, but not for the reason you'd think. I won't get into it because of *spoilers*, but holy cannoli.
I picked up The Haunting of Hill House because of that first paragraph, and I'm glad I stayed around for the journey. Shirley Jackson creates such an unsettling atmosphere in this story, and while the setting is a haunted house, the truly scary part of this story is more psychological.
I've seen a lot of reviewers say that this just isn't very scary - and it isn't if you take it at face value - but after the ending, I'm reeling and questioning everything I thought I knew during the beginning and middle of the story. The circumstances surrounding the haunting and ending are slightly ambiguous, which does a huge service in making the reader reflect.
This will be one I reread for sure just to pick up on all of the details that fell by the wayside for me that would probably sink in a lot deeper, knowing how it ends.
I also think not watching the Netflix special or the films based on this first did me a huge service as a reader because I went in blind.
~
"ษดแด สษชแด แด แดสษขแดษดษช๊ฑแด แดแดษด แดแดษดแดษชษดแดแด ๊ฐแดส สแดษดษข แดแด แดxษช๊ฑแด ๊ฑแดษดแดสส แดษดแด แดส แดแดษดแด ษชแดษชแดษด๊ฑ แด๊ฐ แดส๊ฑแดสแดแดแด สแดแดสษชแดส."
๐ป Spooky & Unsettling
๐ Haunted House
๐ป Classic Horror
๐ Thought-Provoking
๐ป One to reread.
OK, so this was terrifying, but not for the reason you'd think. I won't get into it because of *spoilers*, but holy cannoli.
I picked up The Haunting of Hill House because of that first paragraph, and I'm glad I stayed around for the journey. Shirley Jackson creates such an unsettling atmosphere in this story, and while the setting is a haunted house, the truly scary part of this story is more psychological.
I've seen a lot of reviewers say that this just isn't very scary - and it isn't if you take it at face value - but after the ending, I'm reeling and questioning everything I thought I knew during the beginning and middle of the story. The circumstances surrounding the haunting and ending are slightly ambiguous, which does a huge service in making the reader reflect.
This will be one I reread for sure just to pick up on all of the details that fell by the wayside for me that would probably sink in a lot deeper, knowing how it ends.
I also think not watching the Netflix special or the films based on this first did me a huge service as a reader because I went in blind.
~
"ษดแด สษชแด แด แดสษขแดษดษช๊ฑแด แดแดษด แดแดษดแดษชษดแดแด ๊ฐแดส สแดษดษข แดแด แดxษช๊ฑแด ๊ฑแดษดแดสส แดษดแด แดส แดแดษดแด ษชแดษชแดษด๊ฑ แด๊ฐ แดส๊ฑแดสแดแดแด สแดแดสษชแดส."
Little Deaths by Nenia Campbell
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
โค๏ธ Female Revenge
๐ช Stepson/Stepmom
โค๏ธ Whodunit
๐ช Hollywood FMC
โค๏ธ Horror Movie Vibes
So, this was excellent.
I did not expect to be rooting for the stepson/stepmom thing, so I'm sitting here wondering WHY it made perfect sense... and also, why is Rafe (our MMC) so hot?
Nenia Campbell has put together a story that is part steamy as hell, part slasher/horror whodunit, part Hollywood, part female rage/revenge and part f*ck the patriarchy with so many little gibes at society as a whole worked into this awesome soup that is Little Deaths.
I felt enraged for the women - like Donni (our FMC) - who have suffered at the hands of men while those men continued to thrive. I laughed at the quips. And, I was on the edge of my seat during the thrilling tension created by the death threats Donni experiences after the death of her husband.
Overall, it was an excellent read, and I had a lot of fun.
~
"๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, โ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
"๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐บ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐."
๐ช Stepson/Stepmom
โค๏ธ Whodunit
๐ช Hollywood FMC
โค๏ธ Horror Movie Vibes
So, this was excellent.
I did not expect to be rooting for the stepson/stepmom thing, so I'm sitting here wondering WHY it made perfect sense... and also, why is Rafe (our MMC) so hot?
Nenia Campbell has put together a story that is part steamy as hell, part slasher/horror whodunit, part Hollywood, part female rage/revenge and part f*ck the patriarchy with so many little gibes at society as a whole worked into this awesome soup that is Little Deaths.
I felt enraged for the women - like Donni (our FMC) - who have suffered at the hands of men while those men continued to thrive. I laughed at the quips. And, I was on the edge of my seat during the thrilling tension created by the death threats Donni experiences after the death of her husband.
Overall, it was an excellent read, and I had a lot of fun.
~
"๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, โ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
"๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐บ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐."
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Audiobook Review ~
โ๏ธ Fast-Paced
๐ฉต Trial Games
โ๏ธ Greek Mythology
๐ฉต The Dog Obviously
โ๏ธ Fun Banter
This was a good and entertaining read!
It was kind of like The Hunger Games with a strong (and modern) Greek Mythology element... although it doesn't really have a strong political message like The Hunger Games. It's more just entertainment for entertainment's sake. It also oddly feels like the stakes aren't that high even though people compete and die in trials that are orchestrated by the gods. But it's fun.
Lyra (our FMC) was a little hard for me to connect with, Hades (MMC) was hot, and I loved Cer Ber & Rus (but everyone always loves the dog). I loved the banter between the characters, and the trials were fun. The whole story is super fast-paced, too.
If you want a fun read with just a bit of romance and Greek mythology influence, it's a good pick. Although, I've seen Red Tower market this as enemies-to-lovers... and I've got to say I still can't find the enemies buried under the insta-lust trope.
โ๏ธ Fast-Paced
๐ฉต Trial Games
โ๏ธ Greek Mythology
๐ฉต The Dog Obviously
โ๏ธ Fun Banter
This was a good and entertaining read!
It was kind of like The Hunger Games with a strong (and modern) Greek Mythology element... although it doesn't really have a strong political message like The Hunger Games. It's more just entertainment for entertainment's sake. It also oddly feels like the stakes aren't that high even though people compete and die in trials that are orchestrated by the gods. But it's fun.
Lyra (our FMC) was a little hard for me to connect with, Hades (MMC) was hot, and I loved Cer Ber & Rus (but everyone always loves the dog). I loved the banter between the characters, and the trials were fun. The whole story is super fast-paced, too.
If you want a fun read with just a bit of romance and Greek mythology influence, it's a good pick. Although, I've seen Red Tower market this as enemies-to-lovers... and I've got to say I still can't find the enemies buried under the insta-lust trope.
A Curse of Blood & Stone by K.A. Tucker
adventurous
slow-paced
4.0
*series spoiler-free*
๐ฅ Sequel
โ๏ธ Romantic Tension
๐ฅ Dual POV
โ๏ธ Major Worldbuilding
๐ฅ Side Characters
So when I first read this sequel, I found it a little bit slower-paced, and while this is still true, I feel it's also necessary for character-building and world-building.
What I forgot since my last read and happen to love most about this sequel is that it switches to dual POV (and there are some additional POV chapters as well). Getting to see things from both Romeria's (our FMC) and Zander's (MMC) POV adds a lot to the story.
Because of how things end in the last story, we still get some amazing tension. Trust has been broken; prophecies have been laid out, there is betrayal in the air, and our MCs find themselves on a journey to save Islor. I love some of the new characters that are introduced and also feel that this story adds a lot of depth to both Romeria and Zander as individuals.
This series is superior in being such a great balance between romance and fantasy. It is a perfect mix, with just the right amount of spice, in my opinion.
Onto the next โ ๏ธ
๐ฅ Sequel
โ๏ธ Romantic Tension
๐ฅ Dual POV
โ๏ธ Major Worldbuilding
๐ฅ Side Characters
So when I first read this sequel, I found it a little bit slower-paced, and while this is still true, I feel it's also necessary for character-building and world-building.
What I forgot since my last read and happen to love most about this sequel is that it switches to dual POV (and there are some additional POV chapters as well). Getting to see things from both Romeria's (our FMC) and Zander's (MMC) POV adds a lot to the story.
Because of how things end in the last story, we still get some amazing tension. Trust has been broken; prophecies have been laid out, there is betrayal in the air, and our MCs find themselves on a journey to save Islor. I love some of the new characters that are introduced and also feel that this story adds a lot of depth to both Romeria and Zander as individuals.
This series is superior in being such a great balance between romance and fantasy. It is a perfect mix, with just the right amount of spice, in my opinion.
Onto the next โ ๏ธ
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Caรฑas
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
๐ค Forbidden Romance
๐ Vivid Scenes
๐ค Scary Monsters
๐ Historic Mexico Setting
๐ค So Much Tension
I'll start by saying that this felt much more like a historical romance than a vampire horror story, but I absolutely loved it.
Isabel Caรฑas is a spectacular scene-setter. With vivid imagery throughout, Vampires of El Norte immerses readers into the story and its historic Mexico setting.
This story is told in dual POV. It has some forbidden romance. It has some amazing slow-burn romantic tension. It has scary vampire-like monsters who are draining people of their blood. It also has two characters who learn to fight for each other against the odds during the Mexican-American war.
I did wish for a little bit more of the vampires. Some of the plot conclusion felt a little bit too easy after so much tension and turmoil. Although - the vampires themselves were very unsettling, and the middle of this book had me sweating.
Overall, it was a wonderful read, very romantic, with some amazing passages. It thought that it was such a unique story, and I'd highly recommend it, especially if you love forbidden historical romance with a little bit of scaries.
"๐๐ฝ ๐ช๐ต๐ต ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ช๐ท๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐ท ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฌ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐๐ซ๐พ๐ฎ๐ต๐ช'๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐, ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ช๐ท ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ต ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ป๐ธ๐พ๐ท๐ญ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ช๐ต๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ป๐พ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ช๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ, ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ซ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ช๐ป๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ต๐ญ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ช๐ป๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ."
๐ Vivid Scenes
๐ค Scary Monsters
๐ Historic Mexico Setting
๐ค So Much Tension
I'll start by saying that this felt much more like a historical romance than a vampire horror story, but I absolutely loved it.
Isabel Caรฑas is a spectacular scene-setter. With vivid imagery throughout, Vampires of El Norte immerses readers into the story and its historic Mexico setting.
This story is told in dual POV. It has some forbidden romance. It has some amazing slow-burn romantic tension. It has scary vampire-like monsters who are draining people of their blood. It also has two characters who learn to fight for each other against the odds during the Mexican-American war.
I did wish for a little bit more of the vampires. Some of the plot conclusion felt a little bit too easy after so much tension and turmoil. Although - the vampires themselves were very unsettling, and the middle of this book had me sweating.
Overall, it was a wonderful read, very romantic, with some amazing passages. It thought that it was such a unique story, and I'd highly recommend it, especially if you love forbidden historical romance with a little bit of scaries.
"๐๐ฝ ๐ช๐ต๐ต ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ช๐ท๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐ท ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฌ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐๐ซ๐พ๐ฎ๐ต๐ช'๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐, ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ช๐ท ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ต ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ป๐ธ๐พ๐ท๐ญ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ช๐ต๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ป๐พ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ช๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ, ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ซ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ช๐ป๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ต๐ญ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ช๐ป๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ."
A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A Tribute of Fire was an interesting read. While the story is captivating, I honestly did struggle with it, too.
Lia is a princess in a land cursed by a goddess. Every year, 2 maidens from her land are sacrificed as tributes to a bloodthirsty rite because of this curse. Desperate to save her land, she ensures that she will be one of the chosen picked in the upcoming rite.
I did enjoy the premise of this story. The first 25% of the story had me captivated. It lost me a little bit in the middle, and the last 25% or so was also very engaging.
I found that many of the plot elements were just a little bit too convenient for me, sometimes verging on unbelievable. The insta-lust between the MMC and (virgin) FMC felt very forced and I never found myself warming up to the MMC. Lia, our FMC, is frustratingly stubborn, and the emotional connection between characters feels shallow (it's more tell than show). I also felt like the story reads a lot like YA for being marketed as adult fantasy. There is quite a bit of material that feels like filler, especially in the dialogue, and the writing is just a bit choppy at times. I'm also feeling confused a bit about the mapping of the world and of the (country?) of Ilion. It feels kind of scattered, and I think a visual map would've helped me a lot as a reader. This first book ends on a pretty significant cliffhanger.
All of that said, I still generally enjoyed it. There are some great swoon-worthy moments and a tantalizing forbidden love element. There were some completely unanticipated twists and turns (but I'm a little bit frustrated as to how/why). The sisterhood aspect was wonderful, and I love the found family element to this story. I'm very curious about some of the unanswered questions, so for this reason, I'm interested in picking up the sequel despite my perceived flaws with the story.
It is a solid three-star read for me. While the plot and worldbuilding have issues - in my opinion - the overall vibe of the story makes it very enjoyable all the same.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ช๐พ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
Lia is a princess in a land cursed by a goddess. Every year, 2 maidens from her land are sacrificed as tributes to a bloodthirsty rite because of this curse. Desperate to save her land, she ensures that she will be one of the chosen picked in the upcoming rite.
I did enjoy the premise of this story. The first 25% of the story had me captivated. It lost me a little bit in the middle, and the last 25% or so was also very engaging.
I found that many of the plot elements were just a little bit too convenient for me, sometimes verging on unbelievable. The insta-lust between the MMC and (virgin) FMC felt very forced and I never found myself warming up to the MMC. Lia, our FMC, is frustratingly stubborn, and the emotional connection between characters feels shallow (it's more tell than show). I also felt like the story reads a lot like YA for being marketed as adult fantasy. There is quite a bit of material that feels like filler, especially in the dialogue, and the writing is just a bit choppy at times. I'm also feeling confused a bit about the mapping of the world and of the (country?) of Ilion. It feels kind of scattered, and I think a visual map would've helped me a lot as a reader. This first book ends on a pretty significant cliffhanger.
All of that said, I still generally enjoyed it. There are some great swoon-worthy moments and a tantalizing forbidden love element. There were some completely unanticipated twists and turns (but I'm a little bit frustrated as to how/why). The sisterhood aspect was wonderful, and I love the found family element to this story. I'm very curious about some of the unanswered questions, so for this reason, I'm interested in picking up the sequel despite my perceived flaws with the story.
It is a solid three-star read for me. While the plot and worldbuilding have issues - in my opinion - the overall vibe of the story makes it very enjoyable all the same.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ช๐พ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I devoured this book and honestly couldn't put it down.
A story with a cult-like religious village rooted in patriarchal ideals, a spooky forest with ancient witches raging for retribution and intertwined elements of horror and fantasy? Amazing.
I enjoyed the message and the anti-sexism and anti-racism undertones. There is a constant eerie atmospheric quality to the storytelling and some unsettling horror elements throughout. Henderson paints a vivid picture with her descriptive prose and gives us a book that feels almost like a more extreme version - in ways - of The Handmaid's Tale.
I'm a huge fan of female rage and stories with outcasts that rise to the top. This story delivers on both fronts. I'm also fascinated by cults and extreme religion, which are prevalent in this story. The cult-like village of Bethel paints a very authentic image of how people can abuse others under the pretense of sacrifice, love, and the "greater good" in their quest for power. I also liked how this story portrayed how some can be blinded in their quest for retribution and lose their morality in the process.
There are some pretty dark themes, but it's very well done (I'd look up triggers if you're squeamish). I do wish we had a bit more closure on some of the characters and storylines. This story could've been longer because I was so interested in all of the "why," but it is quite detailed as is. I'm hoping that one day we will get a sequel.
"๐ฃ๐ป๐พ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต, ๐๐ถ๐ถ๐ช๐ท๐พ๐ฎ๐ต๐ต๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ท๐ธ๐, ๐๐ธ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐ท ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ธ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ท. ๐๐ฝ ๐พ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ญ ๐น๐ป๐ช๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ, ๐ท๐ธ๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐พ๐ป๐ผ๐ฎ๐ผ. ๐๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ผ ๐ธ๐ท๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ฎ. ๐๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐พ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐พ๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ธ๐ท๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ผ."
A story with a cult-like religious village rooted in patriarchal ideals, a spooky forest with ancient witches raging for retribution and intertwined elements of horror and fantasy? Amazing.
I enjoyed the message and the anti-sexism and anti-racism undertones. There is a constant eerie atmospheric quality to the storytelling and some unsettling horror elements throughout. Henderson paints a vivid picture with her descriptive prose and gives us a book that feels almost like a more extreme version - in ways - of The Handmaid's Tale.
I'm a huge fan of female rage and stories with outcasts that rise to the top. This story delivers on both fronts. I'm also fascinated by cults and extreme religion, which are prevalent in this story. The cult-like village of Bethel paints a very authentic image of how people can abuse others under the pretense of sacrifice, love, and the "greater good" in their quest for power. I also liked how this story portrayed how some can be blinded in their quest for retribution and lose their morality in the process.
There are some pretty dark themes, but it's very well done (I'd look up triggers if you're squeamish). I do wish we had a bit more closure on some of the characters and storylines. This story could've been longer because I was so interested in all of the "why," but it is quite detailed as is. I'm hoping that one day we will get a sequel.
"๐ฃ๐ป๐พ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต, ๐๐ถ๐ถ๐ช๐ท๐พ๐ฎ๐ต๐ต๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ท๐ธ๐, ๐๐ธ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐ท ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ธ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ท. ๐๐ฝ ๐พ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ญ ๐น๐ป๐ช๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ, ๐ท๐ธ๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐พ๐ป๐ผ๐ฎ๐ผ. ๐๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ผ ๐ธ๐ท๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ฎ. ๐๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐พ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐พ๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ธ๐ท๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ผ."
A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Updated Review. Audiobook reread. (Oct. 2024)
Omg! I forgot how much I love this story. Also, I'm adding a star. I've thought about this series so much since I read the first 3 books, and I'm excited to dive into the final book once I finish rereading the first 3.
This is a high fantasy slow burn romance in a medieval-type setting with a lot of politics, elemental magic, a kind of fake dating and marriage of convenience hybrid, and incredible banter. It's been just over a year since I read this book for the first time, and I loved it even more this time around.
Romeria, our FMC, wakes up as a princess who has committed murder and treason in a foreign world. As she tries to grapple with this, she also tries to prevent herself from being executed for her crimes. Enter Zander, our MMC, the new king of Islor where Romeria has landed... and the betrothed of the previous "evil Romeria." Zander is ๐ฅ.
The banter is amazing. The secrets. The betrayals. While some parts of the plot are a little bit predictable, there are so many twists and turns that you never see coming. I think K.A. Tucker has done a fantastic creating this world and its magic systems. There are also some absolutely fantastic side characters, and while the story can be complex, it's never too much to try to follow. There's just a bit of spice that wraps it up nicely (but it's pretty low-spice romantasy, IMO).
I'm so looking forward to continuing on this reread. The narrator also did a fantastic job on the audio version.
Omg! I forgot how much I love this story. Also, I'm adding a star. I've thought about this series so much since I read the first 3 books, and I'm excited to dive into the final book once I finish rereading the first 3.
This is a high fantasy slow burn romance in a medieval-type setting with a lot of politics, elemental magic, a kind of fake dating and marriage of convenience hybrid, and incredible banter. It's been just over a year since I read this book for the first time, and I loved it even more this time around.
Romeria, our FMC, wakes up as a princess who has committed murder and treason in a foreign world. As she tries to grapple with this, she also tries to prevent herself from being executed for her crimes. Enter Zander, our MMC, the new king of Islor where Romeria has landed... and the betrothed of the previous "evil Romeria." Zander is ๐ฅ.
The banter is amazing. The secrets. The betrayals. While some parts of the plot are a little bit predictable, there are so many twists and turns that you never see coming. I think K.A. Tucker has done a fantastic creating this world and its magic systems. There are also some absolutely fantastic side characters, and while the story can be complex, it's never too much to try to follow. There's just a bit of spice that wraps it up nicely (but it's pretty low-spice romantasy, IMO).
I'm so looking forward to continuing on this reread. The narrator also did a fantastic job on the audio version.
For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This was such a beautifully written and well-told story.
The characters are loveable, the world-building feels well-developed, and the magic system is fascinating. It has just the slightest pinch of romance, which I thought, adds a little sweetness.
Dania's (our FMC) wrath knows no bounds. She has been imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by the boy she thought she loved. Enter Noor, a soft-tempered and kind-hearted friend, who helps Dani escape her imprisonment and harness the djinn magic required to enact their shared quest for revenge.
What stands out most for me in this story is the scene-setting, I think the author does a fabulous job of invoking the senses with her descriptive writing. There's also fairly strong character development, and I could've never anticipated how the plot would unfold.
I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more of an emotional impact. I loved the story, and I was rooting for Dania and Noor throughout, but I feel like I could've been more attached to the plot and characters. The ending also felt a little bit rushed to me after some slower development in the middle of the story.
Overall, it is an excellent standalone YA fantasy that is true to the category and a unique female-centric retelling. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ข๐ฝ. ๐๐ช๐ป๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ท'๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ธ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
The characters are loveable, the world-building feels well-developed, and the magic system is fascinating. It has just the slightest pinch of romance, which I thought, adds a little sweetness.
Dania's (our FMC) wrath knows no bounds. She has been imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by the boy she thought she loved. Enter Noor, a soft-tempered and kind-hearted friend, who helps Dani escape her imprisonment and harness the djinn magic required to enact their shared quest for revenge.
What stands out most for me in this story is the scene-setting, I think the author does a fabulous job of invoking the senses with her descriptive writing. There's also fairly strong character development, and I could've never anticipated how the plot would unfold.
I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more of an emotional impact. I loved the story, and I was rooting for Dania and Noor throughout, but I feel like I could've been more attached to the plot and characters. The ending also felt a little bit rushed to me after some slower development in the middle of the story.
Overall, it is an excellent standalone YA fantasy that is true to the category and a unique female-centric retelling. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ข๐ฝ. ๐๐ช๐ป๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ท'๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ธ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
Grave Matter by Karina Halle
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
This book had me SWEATING for more reasons than one. ๐ฅ
This was such a wonderful mash-up of genres. It's a creepy, atmospheric - and at times downright weird - blend of sci-fi, horror, thriller, and romance... that is also unmistakably hot.
Sydney arrives on Vancouver Island at Madrona Lodge with pretty much nowhere else to go. As a poor student with no remaining family, she's seized what seems like a lifetime opportunity to study at the tight-lipped research facility.
Early on, you can tell that our FMC is a bit of an unreliable narrator. She's a little bit in the dark, but what she does know is that she has an intense and insatiable desire for Professor Kincaid... the hot neurosurgeon and resident psychologist.
Professor Kincaid is just *fans self*.... Karina Halle sure can write a MMC. The steamy scenes are perfect and throughout the entire book, there are no dull moments.
Some of the happenings are a little bit far-fetched, but the author writes it in a way that you don't question what is happening (although I had a lot of OMG & WTF moments). I would've finished this one sooner if I wasn't too scared to read it after dark.
Overall I thought this story felt reminiscent of "What Moves The Dead" by T. Kingfisher but with a sexy student ร professor trope and set in the modern day on Vancouver Island. Also - fungal Horror is quickly becoming one of my favourite story elements.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ป๐ฒ๐ท๐ช ๐๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ธ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.
This was such a wonderful mash-up of genres. It's a creepy, atmospheric - and at times downright weird - blend of sci-fi, horror, thriller, and romance... that is also unmistakably hot.
Sydney arrives on Vancouver Island at Madrona Lodge with pretty much nowhere else to go. As a poor student with no remaining family, she's seized what seems like a lifetime opportunity to study at the tight-lipped research facility.
Early on, you can tell that our FMC is a bit of an unreliable narrator. She's a little bit in the dark, but what she does know is that she has an intense and insatiable desire for Professor Kincaid... the hot neurosurgeon and resident psychologist.
Professor Kincaid is just *fans self*.... Karina Halle sure can write a MMC. The steamy scenes are perfect and throughout the entire book, there are no dull moments.
Some of the happenings are a little bit far-fetched, but the author writes it in a way that you don't question what is happening (although I had a lot of OMG & WTF moments). I would've finished this one sooner if I wasn't too scared to read it after dark.
Overall I thought this story felt reminiscent of "What Moves The Dead" by T. Kingfisher but with a sexy student ร professor trope and set in the modern day on Vancouver Island. Also - fungal Horror is quickly becoming one of my favourite story elements.
๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ด ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฐ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ป๐ฒ๐ท๐ช ๐๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ช๐ท ๐๐ก๐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ซ๐ธ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฒ๐ท ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐.