debhawkins's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Murder, Chronic illness, and Gore
Minor: Sexual content
keen's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
lovesit1892's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The relationships feel immature and rushed. I feel like the dynamics between the characters could have been explored more, to make the suddenly deep development seem more realistic.
If you're looking for sapphic vampires (which I always am!) it's a slightly different take on the trope and an easy, casual read.
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Torture, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Confinement
cassmreads's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content, Drug use, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gore, and Death
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pedophilia
jasper_is_atypical's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Grief, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Animal death, Cannibalism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Body horror, Bullying, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent and Incest
writingcaia's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
It’s depraved, political, luscious, sensual, and animalistic. There’s blood aplenty since it all revolves around it, the descriptions and pacing are wonderful and the dark, cold, luxurious setting really complements the story.
The north needs bloodmaids to sustain the ancient habit of the noble houses drinking it for health and other purposes. But, then there’s the House of Hunger, the first of them all and where our gothic heroine, Marion, is hired to work in.
It’s easy to understand why she, being from the south, poor and abused, but also unafraid, would choose what seems to be a short employment term with huge benefits in the end, where she could retire as a rich matron, without depending on anyone. This is what is promised to the bloodmaids, some even marry into the noble houses.
However, what Marion wasn’t expecting was her own hunger to climb higher in the bloodmaid’s hierarchy as she immediately starts to crave the first maid position and the love of the house’s leader Lisavet, even though that means going toe to toe with the crazy Cecilia, the current one. But, her blood is special and soon Lisavet will want only her.
This desolate gothic mansion on a private island is not only home to Lisavet and the blood maids, and servants, but also a party place for the most degenerate of the north who want to play for their blood and vices, and who pray on the maids too, while they scheme about the houses and their politics.
Love and hunger will clash when the truth of the house of Hunger is discovered by our heroine.
The violence escalates towards the end, when it is at its goriest and most depraved. Still, it has glorious finale that gives us all that is expected in a mixture of blood, gore and emotions.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gore
hillysreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood and Gore
archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Based on the real Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Marion is a new blood maid for the House of Hunger where girls are bled for the wealthy nobles to drink. She’s not only a blood maid, but blood maid to one of the most hungry and insatiable of nobles Lisavet.
This is the second book I’ve read by Henderson that fell flat for me. I had read Year of the Witching previously and had the same problems with plot and characters. While her writing is very atmospheric and lyrical, her plots and romance all come off as stale or slow to me. House of Hunger started off great, I was invested in the story and curious as to where it would go but once Marion arrives at the castle it all just slows down. The focus shifts to the relationship between Lisavet and Marion, and it turns from a horror novel into some weird toxic romance.
Romance is not my thing, I don’t read it, I don’t pursue it, and I don’t mind it as a subplot if it’s well done, but in House of Hunger the relationship was so abusive and toxic from the start I never got behind it. Unfortunately, a huge chunk of the book is just Marion and Lisavet in the castle bleeding for each other and shooting boar, not really interesting to me.
By the time the plot picks up again, the story goes in to hyper speed and then it’s over, the pacing is not the best. Also, If you know the history of Elizabeth Bathory the twist is not a shock to you, which again probably ruined some of the intrigue for me since I’m a huge history buff and was probably unhealthily obsessed with Bathory as a child so this story was just a miss overall for me.
I can definitely see why so many people love this, it’s dark paranormal romance with gorgeous prose and a bloody story but it’s not what I’m looking for in my own reading.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, and Death
kassidyreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Gore, Drug use, Terminal illness, Death, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Torture