thereadinghammock_mserinv's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was a wild ride from start to finish. You think it's going to start slow and draw you in, but then BANG! A murder and a mysterious book to be found! Lily is a protagonist you never really like, but you come to understand is doing the best she can given a pretty awful set of life circumstances. So when this adventure of a lifetime literally drops into her lap and promises the possibility to end her string of shit luck, who wouldn't jump at the opportunity? At every phase of her journey to find the titular The Book of the Most Precious Substance, you as a reader can understand why she's doing everything.
First, for the money. Then for the adventure. Finally, for the chance to get her husband back. Every challenge along the way adds a new layer of wild mystery to the mythos and lore of this sacred and accursed book. The culmination of the hint for the book felt completely inevitable but also still managed to catch me a bit by surprise, which was just a delight. And the "magic always comes with a price" result felt apropos while still bittersweet.
First, for the money. Then for the adventure. Finally, for the chance to get her husband back. Every challenge along the way adds a new layer of wild mystery to the mythos and lore of this sacred and accursed book. The culmination of the hint for the book felt completely inevitable but also still managed to catch me a bit by surprise, which was just a delight. And the "magic always comes with a price" result felt apropos while still bittersweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Murder
ellenigrace's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Dementia, and Sexual content
pagesofash's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When I brought this book I thought I was buying a book about a book (something I'm a sucker for), turns out it's a book about a sex book. What followed was a cross over between a book about a book, a thriller and a smut read (3.5/5 for spice rating). So I have no idea where it's going to end up on my shelves. I'm giving this one three stars because while I liked parts of it I have no idea how I feel about it over all, which is fucking frustrating, but I'm going to try and break it down.
Our FMC, Lily one time author and part time book seller, is a bit of a wet blanket personality wise, as in she doesn't really have a one beyond self pity and longing. Lucas, our MMC, isn't much better beyond being good a dresser and decent in the sack. Together they're a slightly terrible, horny couple. Perhaps I'm judging them a bit too harshly. Lets call them morally grey two dimensional characters and leave it there.
I found myself both curious and bored while reading. Curious about the book our MCs were hunting, its history, its abilities, but bored with the predictability of everything, and I hated the ending.
There were moments when I read a sentence that resonated with me and made me think and then there were paragraphs that had me asking how the editor had let that one slip through. I'm talking about the kind of nonsense stuff student's write to fill word counts in assignments where they don't really say anything, because they don't really know what they're talking about, and yet say the same thing three times in a row. So it's safe to say I found the writing fairly inconsistent and sometimes too contrived. Lily and Lucas waltz in and out of strangers homes, across the States and through Europe without difficulty. How am I suppose to believe that all these rich, famous, powerful people freely open their doors and show off their most prized and expensive possessions to two strangers just for the asking?
So there's character development but I wouldn't call it strong. I didn't dislike our MCs but I didn't like them either. I appreciated the discussion about grief and the ideas surrounding healing. I loved the openness of all the side characters, each one was wholly and unapologetically themselves and I enjoyed the exploration of magic and the idea that old friends, no matter how many years apart, are just a phone call away. So I'm treating this book like a piecemeal Christian and picking and choosing which parts to take away with me and which parts to leave.
Our FMC, Lily one time author and part time book seller, is a bit of a wet blanket personality wise, as in she doesn't really have a one beyond self pity and longing. Lucas, our MMC, isn't much better beyond being good a dresser and decent in the sack. Together they're a slightly terrible, horny couple. Perhaps I'm judging them a bit too harshly. Lets call them morally grey two dimensional characters and leave it there.
I found myself both curious and bored while reading. Curious about the book our MCs were hunting, its history, its abilities, but bored with the predictability of everything, and I hated the ending.
There were moments when I read a sentence that resonated with me and made me think and then there were paragraphs that had me asking how the editor had let that one slip through. I'm talking about the kind of nonsense stuff student's write to fill word counts in assignments where they don't really say anything, because they don't really know what they're talking about, and yet say the same thing three times in a row. So it's safe to say I found the writing fairly inconsistent and sometimes too contrived. Lily and Lucas waltz in and out of strangers homes, across the States and through Europe without difficulty. How am I suppose to believe that all these rich, famous, powerful people freely open their doors and show off their most prized and expensive possessions to two strangers just for the asking?
So there's character development but I wouldn't call it strong. I didn't dislike our MCs but I didn't like them either. I appreciated the discussion about grief and the ideas surrounding healing. I loved the openness of all the side characters, each one was wholly and unapologetically themselves and I enjoyed the exploration of magic and the idea that old friends, no matter how many years apart, are just a phone call away. So I'm treating this book like a piecemeal Christian and picking and choosing which parts to take away with me and which parts to leave.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Sexual content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Blood, and Mental illness
Minor: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Stalking
Further info about the types of sexual content >>Spoiler
BDSM, open relationships, descriptive sex scenes, prostitutionreadwithbells's review
5.0
Holy shit. What a fucking read. A gothic centred on an object instead of a place. Erotic and sensual and frightening and utterly engaging. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. And though the culmination was what I predicted it was completely satisfying. Often that’s the charm of gothics for me: we already know the main character will reveal their monster, and with the premise we can often guess how that’s going to unfold, but the journey there will be different for every writer and the experience different for every reader.
Not a book for everyone but I adored how twisted this is. Might be my favourite book this year so far. I feel completely spellbound.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
davidamarion's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Lily had been a promising author with a life close to perfection when her partner's mysterious early on-set dementia narrowed it to eking out a living as a rare bookseller to help pay for his round-the-clock care. A search to find a mysterious book that promises unlimited power to the owner breathes life back into her. As she follows the thread, we wonder along with Lily if she's willing to pay the ultimate cost for that power, and if she does, what that might do to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Dementia
Moderate: Grief
happyknitter2020's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
'Opening a book had always been like opening a window into a new & mysterious world...When I was a child my books were my best friends...I saw that words could illustrate more than a drawing...Books had been the most lasting profound relationship in my life' pages 127-8
The quotes above say it all. A tantric, magical, whole other world, accessed by a book of magic & spells.
The quotes above say it all. A tantric, magical, whole other world, accessed by a book of magic & spells.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Torture, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
fictionalsarah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Murder
Moderate: Drug use
professor_jango's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Gore, Drug use, Violence, and Sexual violence
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A very interesting concept; who doesn’t love books about books? The idea was interesting and I did want to know what happened but the execution wasn’t too great and I found it very dark and disjointed at times.
There were aspects I would have liked to have seen developed more and things I didn’t see coming because they were out of character etc.
Interesting read, not sure if I would re read it though.
There were aspects I would have liked to have seen developed more and things I didn’t see coming because they were out of character etc.
Interesting read, not sure if I would re read it though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Cursing, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Dementia, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Torture
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is well-written and interesting, but I didn’t warm to any of the characters. It is a book about sex magic and books, so if that sounds up your alley, I would give it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Dementia, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, Animal death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail