phoxyphoenix's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Stalking, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Violence, Sexism, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
this was as beautifully written and everything else this author does.
so if you want straight to the point and no diacritics writing or plot that just gets to where it is going without some detours?
not the book for you.
but i enjoyed this a lot.
i really loved the characters and their stories.
i enjoyed the female characters in this book and how they used that to their advantage because every male and some other people as well just dismissed them because of their gender.
i enjoyed the supernatural or fantastical elements as well. it was nicely woven into the story in a way that was well done, it fit well into the historical aspects of the story and just added a little something extra to it.
i just enjoyed this a lot and will counting on soon.
so if you want straight to the point and no diacritics writing or plot that just gets to where it is going without some detours?
not the book for you.
but i enjoyed this a lot.
i really loved the characters and their stories.
i enjoyed the female characters in this book and how they used that to their advantage because every male and some other people as well just dismissed them because of their gender.
i enjoyed the supernatural or fantastical elements as well. it was nicely woven into the story in a way that was well done, it fit well into the historical aspects of the story and just added a little something extra to it.
i just enjoyed this a lot and will counting on soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, and Torture
mermay's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Racism, Sexism, and Stalking
allyordyna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
Woah. Blew twilight out of the water, I must say.🤯
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Gore, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexism
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Racism
h_reads98's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Blood
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
stormywolf's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.0
Audiobook Read by Lauren Ezzo
Unabridged Length: 13.2 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I have no complaints. A stellar narration, nailing tons of accents and emotions, was enough to put this production in my recommendations, to say nothing of its value as a pronunciation guide. With the emoting, especially in horror and action scenes, the volume and speed of reading does go up a bit, so that's something to keep in mind if you're not reading along, or at an increased playback speed. But if you're looking for an audio that offers a solid voice performance, this one should definitely be on your short list.
Unabridged Length: 13.2 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I have no complaints. A stellar narration, nailing tons of accents and emotions, was enough to put this production in my recommendations, to say nothing of its value as a pronunciation guide. With the emoting, especially in horror and action scenes, the volume and speed of reading does go up a bit, so that's something to keep in mind if you're not reading along, or at an increased playback speed. But if you're looking for an audio that offers a solid voice performance, this one should definitely be on your short list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Sexism, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Racism
mateoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was the first book I read in 2021, so my memory is a little fuzzy but it's one of my favorites! The characters all were very different but really likeable even if they were flawed and the diversity wasn't handled like a very-special-episode or PSA. I really appreciated a love interest who's afro-latino and treated as desirable without being a Latin Lover trope, as well as the handling of white-passing people. I wish that Bastien or Celine weren't cishet, I think if one of them wasn't straight or was nonbinary that would add to the themes around acceptance and provide more representation than just Odette. Though I love Odette.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Sexual assault
ashlightgrayson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found the characters the most interesting part of this story. If you have a preference for more action packed books that are fast paced, this book may not be for you. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue involving mysterious murders occurring in New Orleans in the late 1800s. There is a significant amount of time, especially in the first half of the book, dedicated to character development and their relationships with each other. I think this was a good choice because by the time you find out more about the murders you are emotionally invested in what happens to the characters. There are a lot of mixed and ethnically diverse characters from different countries in the story. In a lot of books with historical settings most characters, if not all, are white, so it was great to see the existence of people of color not be something that was ignored. In fact, most prominent characters in the story are mixed race/people of color. They also aren't represented as servants or of a subservient class. I think with historical fiction a lot of authors ignore the fact that there were people of color in the past who were: white passing, were freed slaves, or had enough privilege or power to be able to live in certain social circles. It was refreshing to see a lot of these characters struggle with their racial identity within the context of the book's time period. It gives a very realistic depiction of what that must have been like for a lot of mixed race people. I was easily able to relate to it as mixed Afro-Latinx person myself.
The characters have flaws and feel like real people. They also have different levels of privilege and there is a particular part in the book where a character's privilege is pointed out. This scene in the book was one of my favorites because it appropriately made it clear that this individual had not recognized their privilege before the inciting incident in this scene. Despite this, it is clear that they are not a bad person because of it. A lot of people in real life don't recognize their privilege until they are called out on it, and it just means they made an honest mistake. Ahdieh did an amazing job giving nuance to both characters in the situation while still making social commentary within the story.
There is more than one perspective in the book and it switches back and forth between the main characters and the murderer in question. The perspective you get from the murderer makes the villain incredibly compelling and is part of what kept reeled into the story. Despite the slow pacing, the perspective from the villain was like an intermittent reminder that there was a looming danger within the story. You also don't get enough hints to accurately be able to point out an obvious culprit for the murders, so the story left me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
As for the romance, the slower pacing let us get to know Celine and Bastian really well. Both of them have interesting backstories and the historical context of the story plays a role in their decisions they make about the relationship. I like that the historical context wasn't ignored because it helped me stay invested in the story. Bastian is also just charming and likeable and his interactions with Celine are always fun to see.
Overall, if you're into murder/mystery and historical fiction, this is something I think you would enjoy. Don't expect vampires to be in the forefront of the book, it is something that is mostly in the background. They aren't completely ignored, but this also isn't something I would call a vampire book.
The characters have flaws and feel like real people. They also have different levels of privilege and there is a particular part in the book where a character's privilege is pointed out. This scene in the book was one of my favorites because it appropriately made it clear that this individual had not recognized their privilege before the inciting incident in this scene. Despite this, it is clear that they are not a bad person because of it. A lot of people in real life don't recognize their privilege until they are called out on it, and it just means they made an honest mistake. Ahdieh did an amazing job giving nuance to both characters in the situation while still making social commentary within the story.
There is more than one perspective in the book and it switches back and forth between the main characters and the murderer in question. The perspective you get from the murderer makes the villain incredibly compelling and is part of what kept reeled into the story. Despite the slow pacing, the perspective from the villain was like an intermittent reminder that there was a looming danger within the story. You also don't get enough hints to accurately be able to point out an obvious culprit for the murders, so the story left me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
As for the romance, the slower pacing let us get to know Celine and Bastian really well. Both of them have interesting backstories and the historical context of the story plays a role in their decisions they make about the relationship. I like that the historical context wasn't ignored because it helped me stay invested in the story. Bastian is also just charming and likeable and his interactions with Celine are always fun to see.
Overall, if you're into murder/mystery and historical fiction, this is something I think you would enjoy. Don't expect vampires to be in the forefront of the book, it is something that is mostly in the background. They aren't completely ignored, but this also isn't something I would call a vampire book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Stalking, Sexism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Slavery and Gore
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