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siglerbooknook'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? No
4.75
The side characters are wonderful. Each character felt like their own person, even those who were only in a few chapters. Harkness does a wonderful job writing witty banter. I caught myself laughing out loud at several points.
The unique take on witches, vampires, and demons was very enjoyable. I loved the world building and how myth and legend are woven so seemlessly into the story.
My only gripe was how secretive a few characters are. It feels like a few things would have been a lot less dangerous with honest communication. I also didn't like Matthew much at the beginning because he was so controlling, but that got better/more understandable as the story went along.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
sarah_sedai_blueajah's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
torturedreadersdept'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, and War
jessicabearbooks'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
4.0
Wow. This book has such a rich story and so many plot twists! When I started this I was not ready for the level of emotional attachment I would form to this story and these characters, maybe it's because the story was so long and I spent so much time with this family but I adored it.
Every main character was well developed and believeable. It was easy to love them, especially Ysabeau who honestly holds my heart; her developing relationship with Diana is so sweet. Matthew was a little toxic at times in his reactions and mindset but I don't really feel like this is an issue as he's a Vampire with heightened protective instincts so what do you expect.
The last couple of chapters were so wholesome, I want to be a part of this new family. I was not prepared for the genius comedy in this book because GIRL I was rolling at points haha. Also this story is just a really cool concept? The Knights of Lazarus...damn.
Excited to read the next one but need a break first lol - I'll be real, this book felt as long as it looked. Took me a whole month but when I was reading I thoroughly enjoyed the escapism. This whole series has huge cosy autumnal vibes, I reckon that's why it took me so long to get through because It felt too weird reading about a spooky vampire house while I was getting sunburnt. Also definitely read this series while listening to classical music, the vibes are unmatched.
Graphic: Torture and Blood
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
khaben31's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Torture and Blood
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
kirjakimalainen's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Ableism
abby_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I went back and forth on what I wanted to rate this. I have mixed feeling about this book.
Based on the blurb, I was excited. I thought this sounded great. I think this book had a great start and based on the summary, I knew the love story of Diana and Matthew was coming. I liked that Diana was older and she had life experience before meeting Matthew and them getting involved.
I started to lose interested around the time Matthew watched her sleeping, but I stuck with the book. I lost more interest as the relationship between Diana and Matthew developed.
I went into this book hoping it was a more mature and developed version of Twilight -- mainly featuring a better female character and a better romance. I don't think I had unreasonable hopes/expectations. But neither of those panned out for me.
The plot wasn't horrible, though I found to be predictable. The writing style was okay. The characters, mainly Diana, had me going back and forth and I still can't really decide how I feel beyond I think they were flat and some of the character development went backwards. I'm not really sure what I think about the relationships, mainly the one between Matthew and Diana. I can't decide if it's better or worse than Edward and Bella.
Despite my mixed feelings, overall I did enjoy reading this book. I plan to read the sequel. I have low exceptions and I'm curious how this series will compare to Twilight.
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Medical content
karen_lo'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
3.5
I enjoyed the vibes and rich descriptions of this book. It's very cozy to immerse yourself in the characters' routines and hobbies.
It's a sloooow burn (very slow) but beautifully written.
There were some aspects of the characters' personalities that I didn't like much, hence my punctuation. Overall, it's a great book for getting lost in Dark Academia vibes, fantasy, and lots of history! 📚
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Torture and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
pewterwolf'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent and War
gillian_aftanas'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Infertility, Misogyny, and Sexual content