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growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
I knew I'd love this when I heard it described as "Castlevania, but they all kiss" and oh goodness they did a lot more than kiss.
There was a bit too much "there is no way they both like me" when the hot vampires were literally throwing themselves at him ... But there were enough reasons for Remy as a character to feel that way so it at least made sense.I thought their sex-filled Fortnite at Xiaodan's place came a bit late in the plot because instead of enjoying their happiness I just kept thinking, aren't there more important things to be doing right now? Like a prude! I just think the pacing would be better if it happened in the first 40% and not the last 40% of he book.
The characters didn't have the most annoying features of their Castlevania doppelgangers (alcoholism & not kissing each other), but the characters were so similar in every other way that it was hard to think of these stories separately. I kinda wish Zidan was more moody like Alucard, it felt like they made him more aggressive because he's a top lol
Anyway, this book is full of action and it was hard to put down. I finished the whole thing in a weekend! Id recommend it to anyone a fan of queer fantasy!
I'll definitely read the next one.
There was a bit too much "there is no way they both like me" when the hot vampires were literally throwing themselves at him ... But there were enough reasons for Remy as a character to feel that way so it at least made sense.
The characters didn't have the most annoying features of their Castlevania doppelgangers (alcoholism & not kissing each other), but the characters were so similar in every other way that it was hard to think of these stories separately. I kinda wish Zidan was more moody like Alucard, it felt like
Anyway, this book is full of action and it was hard to put down. I finished the whole thing in a weekend! Id recommend it to anyone a fan of queer fantasy!
I'll definitely read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
fifteenthjessica's review
dark
emotional
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
Between his father's rivalry with the current leader of the vampire hunters and the rumors that his mother was turned by a vampire lover while pregnant with him, Remington Pendergast is not the most well-liked Reaper, even if he is now one of the most effective. Soon a job only he was willing to take brings him into the sights of Zidan Malekh and Xiaodon Song, the leader of the Third Court of vampires and the heiress of the Fourth Court, who are hoping to form an alliance between their courts and the human kingdom of Aluria that Remy hails from. And Aluria will need all the help it can get when a strange plague is turning its citizens into a horrifying variation of vampires. Will Remy's trip East with the alluring vampire couple stop this plague, reveal the truth about his mother, and help Remy get over his belief that he is unworthy of love?
Rin Chupeco definitely knows how to craft an intriguing fantasy novel with complex characters that mix in the most interesting ways, but I'm still not sold on her skill at describing what is going on. Like the huas in The Bone Witch, the Breaker, Remy's main weapon, is hard for me to picture. It's called a scythe often, so I assume it has a more polearm like handle, but the way he's described as moving with it makes it hard for me to picture him doing it with a long handle. A picture on a variant cover suggests it is in fact a short handle and heavily inspired by real world weapons like Kusarigama, but it's never outright stated, probably because pre-modern Japanese weaponry is an obscure area of knowledge for most Western readers. Also, like when I read the Bone Witch, I found myself sitting there wondering "Wait, how'd that happen?" as a main character is described as having a serious injury.
Fair warning to anyone looking into book who are younger fans of Chupeco's YA novels, things get steamy. Most is completely consensual, but an important subplot is about Remy's affair with an older woman (possibly multiple) that is less due to any attraction Remy's feels for her and more because it's the only way to get information about vampire movement in Aluria that everyone admits should be given to him because he's a vampire hunter, but the woman's husband is a giant asshole. Nothing graphic, but characters definitely bang, and I know I would not have enjoyed that type of content when I was in my young teens.
Rin Chupeco definitely knows how to craft an intriguing fantasy novel with complex characters that mix in the most interesting ways, but I'm still not sold on her skill at describing what is going on. Like the huas in The Bone Witch, the Breaker, Remy's main weapon, is hard for me to picture. It's called a scythe often, so I assume it has a more polearm like handle, but the way he's described as moving with it makes it hard for me to picture him doing it with a long handle. A picture on a variant cover suggests it is in fact a short handle and heavily inspired by real world weapons like Kusarigama, but it's never outright stated, probably because pre-modern Japanese weaponry is an obscure area of knowledge for most Western readers. Also, like when I read the Bone Witch, I found myself sitting there wondering "Wait, how'd that happen?" as a main character is described as having a serious injury.
Fair warning to anyone looking into book who are younger fans of Chupeco's YA novels, things get steamy. Most is completely consensual, but an important subplot is about Remy's affair with an older woman (possibly multiple) that is less due to any attraction Remy's feels for her and more because it's the only way to get information about vampire movement in Aluria that everyone admits should be given to him because he's a vampire hunter, but the woman's husband is a giant asshole. Nothing graphic, but characters definitely bang, and I know I would not have enjoyed that type of content when I was in my young teens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Classism
lbelow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault
A disabled characterlilifane's review
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? Yes
4.0
There were things I loved about this book, there were things I didn't like. I could have given this 2 stars, and it probably would have been justified, but I decided to concentrate on the positive things. Mainly my enjoyment reading it.
I had a lot of fun, mostly because of the characters, their dynamics and the writing style. I liked the main characters a lot and the way they interacted with each other. They seemed kind of one dimensional on their own, but I loved all the messy and complicated relationships and character dynamics they had between each other and the ones around them. There was my favorite love triangle trope, where all three of them are equally into each other. And although I'm not the biggest fan of NSFW scenes, they fit the vibe. I'm also glad they were short and mostly faded to black. I just wish this relationship was explored in a more nuanced way rather than concentrating on the desire and sex aspect of it. I still don't know how and why Xiaodan and Zidan fell in love with Remy this quickly. I definitely prefer a subtler development with slow burn. What I really loved were the discussions about consent and abuse, about trauma and self-worth, though. And I feel like these were in the center of the story more than the plot itself.
The plot was probably the weakest part for me. I was in the mood for a vampire story and liked these aspects a lot. I even liked there was a vampire zombie pandemic. I liked that there was a murder mystery and other mysteries as well. I just don't think they were presented well. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Most of the reveals were pretty predictable. There were repetitions and things happening off page. Things only being hinted at. I wish we got more of those instead of the action/fighting scenes because these were my least favorite part.
The world building is interesting, it just wasn't explored enough for my taste. I'm definitely interested in more stories from this world because there is a lot of potential.
I had a lot of fun, mostly because of the characters, their dynamics and the writing style. I liked the main characters a lot and the way they interacted with each other. They seemed kind of one dimensional on their own, but I loved all the messy and complicated relationships and character dynamics they had between each other and the ones around them. There was my favorite love triangle trope, where all three of them are equally into each other. And although I'm not the biggest fan of NSFW scenes, they fit the vibe. I'm also glad they were short and mostly faded to black. I just wish this relationship was explored in a more nuanced way rather than concentrating on the desire and sex aspect of it. I still don't know how and why Xiaodan and Zidan fell in love with Remy this quickly. I definitely prefer a subtler development with slow burn. What I really loved were the discussions about consent and abuse, about trauma and self-worth, though. And I feel like these were in the center of the story more than the plot itself.
The plot was probably the weakest part for me. I was in the mood for a vampire story and liked these aspects a lot. I even liked there was a vampire zombie pandemic. I liked that there was a murder mystery and other mysteries as well. I just don't think they were presented well. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Most of the reveals were pretty predictable. There were repetitions and things happening off page. Things only being hinted at. I wish we got more of those instead of the action/fighting scenes because these were my least favorite part.
The world building is interesting, it just wasn't explored enough for my taste. I'm definitely interested in more stories from this world because there is a lot of potential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
cheye13's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An excellent series opener! A wonderful standalone story that still has me clawing for the next installment. This world is exciting and vibrant, and I find the politics enthralling. The characters and other moving pieces are fascinating. The romance was my perfect level of closed vs open door and still much steamier than I expected.
It's everything I loved from The Bone Witch trilogy, but stepped up just a little for an adult audience and it sure hits the spot. Can't wait to see what Chupeco does with this series.
It's everything I loved from The Bone Witch trilogy, but stepped up just a little for an adult audience and it sure hits the spot. Can't wait to see what Chupeco does with this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and War
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Dementia, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Also moderate warnings for mind control and loss of autonomy, and general warning for content that typically comes with both zombies (flesh) and vampires (blood). The most graphic child death occurs in the first chapter, and the parental grief is contained to early chapters. The emotional abuse is parental and more of a background element.just_one_more_paige's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The publisher reached out to me about this one, to see if I'd be interested in a NetGalley eARC of this one. While I actually normally do not say yes to too many of those offers, mainly because my NetGalley feedback percentage is already abysmal, and I have so many other things I want to read that I'm usually sure I won't get around to it in a timely fashion, this one did sound really good. We all know I'm a suck for a vampire situation. Haha. And standalone adult fantasy is tough to come by. So...I decided to give it a try. And I had already started this year with a couple pretty heavy contemporary lit reads, so this kind of escapism was exactly what I needed.
Remy Pendergast is a very well-known and extremely successful [rogue] vampire hunter, if not a particularly popular one (what with his father's terrible reputation and the rumors about his mother's relationships leading many to question if he is half-vampire himself). When Remy is sent out to hunt down a new, and especially terrifying, breed of vampire, he crosses paths with some others who have the same goal. Xiaodan Song is a vampire heiress with a uniquely terrifying (for vampires) gift and her partner, Zidan Malekh, is an ancient and powerful vampire lord. When the two request that he join them in their efforts to hunt down the source of the virus that is causing this horrible new vampire mutation (dubbed "the Rot"), he decides to go with them, despite myriad reservations about associating with vampires that closely. As the three spend time together, Remy learns not just more about his own family's reputation and history, but about himself as well. As the mystery around the Rot unfolds, he realizes that he hasn't been told the full story by his father. And his complicated growing feelings towards Xiaodan *and* Zidan might, in fact, be reciprocated by both.
Well, I am on an unexpected roll (decidedly not purposeful, but I'm very much not complaining) with polyamorous vampire reads. Though while A Dowry of Blood leaned more dark romance, this one was definitely more vampire/creature hunting horror. However, there were some really great threesome scenes once we finally got to that section in this book. And I mean finally, because let me tell you, the slow burn and sexual tension was real. It was drawn out and teasing in the best way. And, while it isn't usually my favorite romance/steam aspect, I did think the dirty talk/innuendo (well, let me be clear, I love innuendo, I am less into direct dirty talk, but anyways...) was great. Overall, definitely the highlight of this read, at least for me, was the relationship amongst Remy, Xiaodan and Zidan - their interactions physically and verbally were all great, unique to whether it's one-on-one in any combination or all three together. (Side note, there was lots of swearing in this very casually written
I also really enjoyed the general storyline. While some things were maybe not as clear as they could have been, especially regarding the drop straight into the details of the human and vampire courts from the beginning, with a bit less exposition than might have been necessary, I eventually got caught up in the story enough to push through and more or less get a handle on things. And I liked the overarching mystery-solving/investigation framework for the plot. It was a major part of what helped me push through some of the more convoluted world-building things, because at the very least I was following the mystery parts. And while there were some definite horror aspects, in the way the new vampire-types were able to regenerate (and the descriptions of some of their visual impacts were pretty visceral), it was a low key enough paranormal horror that it was fine for me (a big horror scaredy-cat). There were also some super creepy aspects, like the mind control pieces and very young vampires, that gave me icky feels or shivers, but with enough removal from reality to not be too much. As far as how the mystery wrapped up...I can't say it was a total surprise. At a certain point, it felt like the only possible "solution." But it was still satisfying to read.
Finally, I know this was an ARC variation, so hopefully some further editing was done before final publication, but it definitely did feel a bit unfinished. Like, some lack of smoothness in the language, weird transitions in some of the dialogue that occasionally made it feel like there were some lines missing, and a few details here and there that might have made the world/plot feel more tangible...just an overall sense of distance was created by this somewhat slippery reading experience. And don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it overall (and loved the relationship pieces), but in getting into some of the more specific (nit-picky ish) review points, there were some finer aspects that left something to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
pvbobrien's review
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Sexual content, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Sexual violence, Dementia, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
zarhara's review
adventurous
dark
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
Reads like fanfiction. And yes, that's a compliment
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
grets_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Vomit, Medical content, and Grief
vigil's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
note: all my ratings are subjective but this one especially so. my personal enjoyment pushed it to a four-ish, but in technical quality i think it settles around a 3.5.
i have my fair share of issues about this book, but everytime i wasn't reading it, i was thinking about reading it. i never had a bad moment with this book, despite many warning that it starts to hit it's stride 20% into it. i was invested from page one essentially.
for my critiques, i'll say there is the issue with repetitive word choice, (there's only so many times i can read the word attractive) prose that definitely has it roots in YA despite being an adult book, and too much telling rather than showing in the romance. i think was written for zidan and remy, along with what has been set up for them is great, both individually and character wise. the same unfortunately cannot quite be said for xiaodan, who i feel got the short end of the stick. i know that she likes remy, and her fiance, i know several objective facts about her, but very little beyond that. that lack of interiority unfortunately spread to the relationship somewhat, leaving me fine with her interactions with her love interests, but never truly satisfied in the same way remy and malekh's do. however, this is the first book in what i presume to be a series, and that i expect that there will be more on xiaodan, especially with the events of the ending, a part of the book that really stood out for me.
that's not to say i didn't enjoy the relationship, because i absolutely did. they were always engaging to have on page, and i don't have any specific complaints about them (aside from the issue with xiaodan above). more fantasy authors should include sex scenes in their books.
plotwise, i had a fun time. i think this book would work excellent in a graphic novel or animation format because of how high-action it was. the rot plotline was a good opener for the series,but i wasn't sad to read the offhanded mention of it being neutralized in the ending. it's a perfect book one plot, but i think i'd be annoyed seeing it be carried into book two, as all the threads and theories surrounding it were solved, or deliberately and explicitly shelved for the sequel. the book achieved what it set out to accomplish and didn't overwhelm me with side-plots. the high-action makes the pacing seem faster than it was, but the plot unfolded at a steady medium pace that worked just right for the book in my opinion.
i have my fair share of issues about this book, but everytime i wasn't reading it, i was thinking about reading it. i never had a bad moment with this book, despite many warning that it starts to hit it's stride 20% into it. i was invested from page one essentially.
for my critiques, i'll say there is the issue with repetitive word choice, (there's only so many times i can read the word attractive) prose that definitely has it roots in YA despite being an adult book, and too much telling rather than showing in the romance. i think was written for zidan and remy, along with what has been set up for them is great, both individually and character wise. the same unfortunately cannot quite be said for xiaodan, who i feel got the short end of the stick. i know that she likes remy, and her fiance, i know several objective facts about her, but very little beyond that. that lack of interiority unfortunately spread to the relationship somewhat, leaving me fine with her interactions with her love interests, but never truly satisfied in the same way remy and malekh's do. however, this is the first book in what i presume to be a series, and that i expect that there will be more on xiaodan, especially with the events of the ending, a part of the book that really stood out for me.
that's not to say i didn't enjoy the relationship, because i absolutely did. they were always engaging to have on page, and i don't have any specific complaints about them (aside from the issue with xiaodan above). more fantasy authors should include sex scenes in their books.
plotwise, i had a fun time. i think this book would work excellent in a graphic novel or animation format because of how high-action it was. the rot plotline was a good opener for the series,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail