Reviews with content warning for Murder - Gothikana

So I do realize I got exactly what I expected when I read this book and yet I’m still disappointed. This is the most lukewarm, shallow, uninspired book. To start our main character is the pinnacle of damsel in distress and both her and the MMC are incredibly flat static characters. Not to mention Corvina has the most mild unrealistic case of schizophrenia I’ve ever heard of. While I do realize this book is by no means trying to be a psychological look into the mind of a schizophrenic girl, I do wish if that’s going to be a plot point it was handled with a little more care. (Aka do you research into what schizophrenia is before slapping the name Mo on a lone voice in her head and calling it a day). Regardless of Corvina, don’t even get me started of Vad (crazy that his name is Vad). I still do not understand why he’s into Corvina, aside that some old lady when he was a kid told him he would be. There is nothing driving his motivations outside of pure sexual lust it seems and frankly I find that boring and an ick. ALSO, this was a minor plot point but it really bothered me that the stereotypical mean girl was described that she was a bitch because she was sexually assaulted in her past??? I could unpack why that’s problematic but I think it’s obvious enough. The mystery plot felt like a slap dash after thought and I was unconvinced by any of the plot twists. The world building was weak, the characters were flat, and the plot was like a piece of Swiss cheese. But like I said, I wasn’t really expecting anything more.

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sheelf117's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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aubreynicole18's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Dark, moody, and spicy! The University of Verenmore is full of secrets and it's ready to burst. The plot, the intrigue, the spice = chef's kiss!!

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tiara_rose's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I appreciated the author choosing to start Corvina in college late so she was 21 instead of 18. Made the age gab reasonable for me. I enjoyed the suspense but found myself asking even more questions at the end which was slightly frustrating.I would love to read a continuation. The spice was there but not a focus which was a refreshing change of pace for me. I’d read another book by this author and highly recommend this book.

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katharina90's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

I was underwhelmed by the writing, plot and characters, but I loved the setting, moody images and overall dark academia vibes.

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cleverbibliophile's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Mostly great story with memorable characters. Magnificent & mysterious setting. Sex scenes a bit cringy. Unnecessary repetitive descriptions of the same things. A bit too rushed at the end. Unanswered questions. Amateur writing. TERRIBLE editing.

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beehanc1929's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Steamy and intoxicating with a mystery between the walls of a gothic castle. Highly recommend

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jlunn_28's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A gothic, dark romance, dark academia book, with paranormal/psychological themes & spicy scenes.

The MMC is the typical morally grey dark romance type (*chefs kiss*). I loved the utilisation of the FMC to portray the message about being different & not fitting in. Didn’t expect the twist at the end & surprisingly enjoyed that some of the mysterious goings on in the castle were left unanswered.

Also, the hardback copy of the book is absolutely stunning; loved the classic literature excerpts at the beginning of each chapter.

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