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novellearts's reviews
1745 reviews
When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
1.75/5 stars.
I'm really sad to say that I struggled immensely with this book. I'll start by saying that I really loved the writing in this book. The writing was fantastic as was the setting and visuals. I appreciated the concept of this book but it unfortunately didn't deliver for me.
The story started off strong and had a pretty intriguing introduction but it quickly started to lose steam. I considered DNFing this a handful of times. Not only did the pacing feel incredibly slow to me, but I struggled to get into the story with the multiple POVs. This felt to me like the POVs switched a bit too often to make the story immersive. Right when I felt as though I was getting a grasp on things, I would get thrown into another character's POV and it took me out of it. I also wasn't strongly compelled by really any of the characters which also made the POV change more difficult.
The pacing, unlikeable characters, and extreme animal cruelty/deaths almost made me completely ditch this book several times. I read a lot of horror, but for me, I never like to read about animal cruelty or animal death. Especially when it's strongly detailed and drawn out. The animal cruelty was not only detailed, but really emphasized the suffering of multiple animals and I hated reading it.
Ultimately this book was just not for me. The storyline wasn't gripping in my eyes and had I known about the intense animal cruelty before picking this up, I would've just avoided it altogether. The ending felt rushed and clunky to me. It's a shame because the blurb really had me intrigued and the cover is stunning. Unfortunately not every story is compatible with every reader, and this one was incompatible with me. I liked the writing enough that I would definitely give this author another try in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7178696410
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/65fe960e-48f1-4ada-80aa-c531c0987ed4/share
I'm really sad to say that I struggled immensely with this book. I'll start by saying that I really loved the writing in this book. The writing was fantastic as was the setting and visuals. I appreciated the concept of this book but it unfortunately didn't deliver for me.
The story started off strong and had a pretty intriguing introduction but it quickly started to lose steam. I considered DNFing this a handful of times. Not only did the pacing feel incredibly slow to me, but I struggled to get into the story with the multiple POVs. This felt to me like the POVs switched a bit too often to make the story immersive. Right when I felt as though I was getting a grasp on things, I would get thrown into another character's POV and it took me out of it. I also wasn't strongly compelled by really any of the characters which also made the POV change more difficult.
The pacing, unlikeable characters, and extreme animal cruelty/deaths almost made me completely ditch this book several times. I read a lot of horror, but for me, I never like to read about animal cruelty or animal death. Especially when it's strongly detailed and drawn out. The animal cruelty was not only detailed, but really emphasized the suffering of multiple animals and I hated reading it.
Ultimately this book was just not for me. The storyline wasn't gripping in my eyes and had I known about the intense animal cruelty before picking this up, I would've just avoided it altogether. The ending felt rushed and clunky to me. It's a shame because the blurb really had me intrigued and the cover is stunning. Unfortunately not every story is compatible with every reader, and this one was incompatible with me. I liked the writing enough that I would definitely give this author another try in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7178696410
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/65fe960e-48f1-4ada-80aa-c531c0987ed4/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not exactly what I expected! I liked that this was a vampire book but with a special twist that added a certain uniqueness to such a common concept.
This book started off slow for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. If you feel that way, give it a chance because it really does pick up. The writing was beautiful, atmospheric, and unsettling. I loved reading about the bog and as weird as this is, the autopsied body. There was so much mystery surrounding the state of the body that was found.
The characters were complicated. I really couldn't decide if I liked them or not. I'm also never really a fan of infidelity under any circumstances unless there's a case of domestic abuse where the victim can't physically leave their abuser. But this wasn't that. The characters as a whole were generally unlikable. Specifically the male characters. I was confused on how to view Sarah throughout this story too.
Which feeds into my next point about the personal touch that this book took on vampirism. This wasn't a classic case of vampirism and I won't spoil it for you if you don't want to know. For those of you that are interested:this book takes on what they call a "tick." It has vampiric traits but it's more accurate to call it a parasite. The "tick" latches onto its host and essentially takes over the host's body. It consumes the memories of the host, basically becoming the essence of its victim. This is what had me so conflicted about Sarah. While it had consumed all of Sarah's memories and took on her traits, it still wasn't "Sarah." But what makes a person who they are? Their thoughts and memories? Lucy found herself struggling with this concept and I thought it was extremely interesting.
I also have to mention the gorgeous cover on this! The edition that I own has splayed edges with blood drips down the side. I'm obsessed!
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6703582181
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/3915815f-f072-4b88-86bd-3e9c3da9d8b3/share
This book started off slow for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. If you feel that way, give it a chance because it really does pick up. The writing was beautiful, atmospheric, and unsettling. I loved reading about the bog and as weird as this is, the autopsied body. There was so much mystery surrounding the state of the body that was found.
The characters were complicated. I really couldn't decide if I liked them or not. I'm also never really a fan of infidelity under any circumstances unless there's a case of domestic abuse where the victim can't physically leave their abuser. But this wasn't that. The characters as a whole were generally unlikable. Specifically the male characters. I was confused on how to view Sarah throughout this story too.
Which feeds into my next point about the personal touch that this book took on vampirism. This wasn't a classic case of vampirism and I won't spoil it for you if you don't want to know. For those of you that are interested:
I also have to mention the gorgeous cover on this! The edition that I own has splayed edges with blood drips down the side. I'm obsessed!
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6703582181
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/3915815f-f072-4b88-86bd-3e9c3da9d8b3/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This felt like a dreamy mix of horror and folktale. I've read a handful of books by this author now and I think so far this is my favorite one. I've noticed that I can always be sure to enjoy the writing from Madeleine Roux. And the cover is absolutely stunning. I feel like readers have been blessed with so many beautiful book covers recently!
I deeply appreciated the feminine struggles within this book and the battle of beauty. Towards the very beginning of the book, Valla survives a brutal attack, but at a cost. She survives a wound to her face that leaves her scarred. I appreciated seeing her come to terms with what this means for her appearance and how she is perceived by others.
The folklore within this book was gripping and so were the visuals. I loved hearing about the forest and what dangers lurked within. I also thought the twists towards the end were well executed. While this was a retelling, I still found myself entertained. The personal touches to this book made it unique in its own way while not straying too far.
If you're looking for a bleak, dark, mysterious fantasy novel with horror elements then this will be for you.
This is a book that I'll be purchasing once published!
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are always my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7027976543
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/beb442f4-a398-47d1-962c-c036a4f40394/share
I deeply appreciated the feminine struggles within this book and the battle of beauty. Towards the very beginning of the book, Valla survives a brutal attack, but at a cost. She survives a wound to her face that leaves her scarred. I appreciated seeing her come to terms with what this means for her appearance and how she is perceived by others.
The folklore within this book was gripping and so were the visuals. I loved hearing about the forest and what dangers lurked within. I also thought the twists towards the end were well executed. While this was a retelling, I still found myself entertained. The personal touches to this book made it unique in its own way while not straying too far.
If you're looking for a bleak, dark, mysterious fantasy novel with horror elements then this will be for you.
This is a book that I'll be purchasing once published!
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are always my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7027976543
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/beb442f4-a398-47d1-962c-c036a4f40394/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This did not live up to expectations and I was so excited for this one. This did not live up to my expectations and I was so excited for this one. Maybe this is partly because I've been going into books blind? When I first started this book, I thought this would be a continuation of book 1 and not be a switch to Genevieve's story. I know Ophelia got some hate in book 1 but I liked her and was hoping to have a continuation of her story in Enchantra.
This had a lot of similar elements as Phantasma but for whatever reason I couldn't connect as much with this story. I felt that the games were less exciting and I overall felt myself a lot less connected to the characters within this book. A major hit for me was how quickly and deeply the love interest progressed within this book. I mean, they just met and within days, they've fallen in love? And not only that, but at the end he (Rowin) gives up something that he's been hoping for, all for Genevieve (whom he just met)?? Maybe this is the pessimist in me or maybe I'm just being overly realistic.. but it felt way too deep for how quickly this story moved.
My main call out goes to Umbra. I absolutely adored everything about Umbra and if anything happened to this little cutie, I was going to be an emotional wreck.
While this did not meet my expectations, I know that I'll keep reading on. I still enjoyed reading this book, it just wasn't as much as I was expecting to enjoy it.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7425150770
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/5bc2d82e-de9c-4bd7-a1e3-520d26423ff1/share
This had a lot of similar elements as Phantasma but for whatever reason I couldn't connect as much with this story. I felt that the games were less exciting and I overall felt myself a lot less connected to the characters within this book. A major hit for me was how quickly and deeply the love interest progressed within this book. I mean, they just met and within days, they've fallen in love? And not only that, but at the end he
My main call out goes to Umbra. I absolutely adored everything about Umbra and if anything happened to this little cutie, I was going to be an emotional wreck.
While this did not meet my expectations, I know that I'll keep reading on. I still enjoyed reading this book, it just wasn't as much as I was expecting to enjoy it.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7425150770
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/5bc2d82e-de9c-4bd7-a1e3-520d26423ff1/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A quick, atmospheric, and captivating read. I love reading books where the main character is the "villain." If you're going into this book expecting to like these characters, brace yourself, because they are not likable.
The POV of this book offered an interesting and more intimate perspective. The reader got to see directly into the mind of psychopathy.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading this. I cannot stress this enough. There are brutal animal and child deaths within this book that could be triggering.
For being such a quick read, I thought the story was well done. The characters didn't feel underdeveloped to me at all and the writing was wonderful.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7258234843
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/0a3ff88d-5483-417f-8ecc-5cc25b4ec4d7/share
The POV of this book offered an interesting and more intimate perspective. The reader got to see directly into the mind of psychopathy.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading this. I cannot stress this enough. There are brutal animal and child deaths within this book that could be triggering.
For being such a quick read, I thought the story was well done. The characters didn't feel underdeveloped to me at all and the writing was wonderful.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7258234843
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/0a3ff88d-5483-417f-8ecc-5cc25b4ec4d7/share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
DNF @ 15%
If this book picks up, please let me know and I’ll give it another try. The beginning just feels so incredibly slow 😭
If this book picks up, please let me know and I’ll give it another try. The beginning just feels so incredibly slow 😭