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midnightrose_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
howboutjane's review against another edition
- 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
The MMC gives Inspector gadget for adults vibes and the FMC gives serious mob wife energy. Romance is more steam than spice - a deliciously sinful slow burn with off the charts chemistry that will leave you panting.
I did find I was a little bit confused with the world buidling and magic systems in the beginning chapters, but they are expanded on and explained more as you go through the book. The plot is solid with captivating storytelling. There's drama, suspense, betrayal, passion, love. There's even a scene with a fight on a moving train - THIS BOOK HAS EVERYTHING. Such a riveting experience and an immersive read. Would recommend. 👍🏽👍🏽
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Sexual content
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
juliereadsromance's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
House of Bane and Blood
By Alexis Menard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5 rounded to 5 stars
What do you call it when the double crossed double crosses? Is that quadruple crossing?
It was this kind of mind puzzle that slowed me down at the end of this otherwise gorgeous romantasy novel: House of Bane and Blood.
Have you ever read a fantasy romance that felt more like historical romance? I’ve never watched Peeky Blinders, but I’m guessing this book feels a lot like that. The atmosphere feels like old New York or London- when there were gangsters walking around dirty cobblestone streets, smoking cigars and wearing hats down low on their face, and it was basically always dusk or nighttime. Writing in the Fantasy genre gave the author the freedom to create a kind of anachronistic urban world of competing families that could mix old and new, and real and pretend. For example, there are horse drawn carriages but also lots of indoor plumbing. There is some magic but also a lot of science.
The romance between Camilla and Nico here is 🤌🏽 *lip smack sound*.
He’s hot. She’s hot. They hate each other for understandable reasons - their fathers may have tried to kill each other. Although they each do some not nice things to the other, their motivations are based on love and loyalty to their family. So you love them both and just wait until these two hot people let themselves love each other and get it on.
I devoured this book in two days. Even non-fantasy fans will enjoy this romance.
[⚠️ Caution! This is a DUOLOGY and the second book isn’t out yet. So this one ends on a cliff hanger. However, the romance is pretty wrapped up here and book 2 seems like it moreso wraps up other aspects of mysteries in the world the author built. So I don’t think Book 2 is essential for primary Romance readers. ] @alexislmenard
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
tguccione's review
- 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
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Suicide and Sexual harassment
gildedspines's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore
katieklysmic's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
belle13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
❤️Peaky Blinders Vibes
❤️Family Dynamics
❤️Rival Families
❤️Magic and Science
❤️Slow Burn
❤️ Rivals to Lovers
Amount of spice:🔥 - Extreme Slow Burn
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did but I absolutely ate it up. They just had such a fun dynamic and I loved the way Milla was actually the one saving Nico most of the time, she was such a sassy little badass. I’m also a huge fan of a slow burn and for me, this was just the right amount of burn and by the time they actually got physical I was absolutely hooked.
There were lots of twists and turns and it was a bit of a wild ride at times. There were parts that felt a little confusing and hard to keep up with but I was addicted nonetheless. The last 20% was particularly wild and it ends on such a bang!
The only thing I would have liked more of was the family dynamics. The supporting characters have so much potential and I desperately want to know more about all of them so I hope we get to see more of them and that they become a little more fleshed out - each encounter with them seemed a little too brief.
I would recommend it if you liked Kingdom of the Wicked or Serpent and Dove or you love a badass FMC and an MMC that can’t help but fall head over heels for her.
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Death of parent
karapillar's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Slavery, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
jilliri's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Kidnapping
vi_holmes'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
4.0
My only complaints are that Camilla's willfully blind faith in her brothers (especially Aramis) got tiring.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Torture, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War