thetealbookcase's review
4.0
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book because it’s not my normal style of a read, but I will say that I absolutely loved Oriana and Garren’s story. There are some twists in the book that had my head spinning and my anxiety jumping a little. Oriana and Garren are very well written characters and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing their opposite sides and character growth throughout the story. If you enjoy internal good vs. evil warring and an added element of people who should be enemies but fall for each other anyway (plus lots of blood and gore), then this story is definitely for you!
chelseas_reads's review
3.0
a lust for blood features lots of interesting concepts. it’s a jeckyll and hyde retelling which i haven’t see done very often. (and as a lover of the OG jeckyll and hyde, i found this so exciting.
the big thing that drew me into this book was the promise of a curse. i love a good curse, especially when written well. along with this, we’re also given an enchanted forest, which is always fun to read about.
my favourite thing about a lust for blood was definitely that we have a morally grey main character. i love these types of characters as they do things that aren’t necessarily expected. oriana was a great mc, as she kept me on my toes, not sure what she was going to do next.
this book also includes a demon and a demon hunter style relationship, which gives major witcher vibes. there’s nothing more exciting than a demon hunter!
and the perfect way to finish it all off: it was a super quick read! i finished this book in a matter of hours. nothing dragged, as something was always happening.
the big thing that drew me into this book was the promise of a curse. i love a good curse, especially when written well. along with this, we’re also given an enchanted forest, which is always fun to read about.
my favourite thing about a lust for blood was definitely that we have a morally grey main character. i love these types of characters as they do things that aren’t necessarily expected. oriana was a great mc, as she kept me on my toes, not sure what she was going to do next.
this book also includes a demon and a demon hunter style relationship, which gives major witcher vibes. there’s nothing more exciting than a demon hunter!
and the perfect way to finish it all off: it was a super quick read! i finished this book in a matter of hours. nothing dragged, as something was always happening.
snorlaxwastaken's review
4.0
More leaning into 4.5 ⭐️
Amazing.
It starts out like a kick to the gut and then mellows out for a few chapters, but it’s so refreshing.
This story leads you to different conclusions and it’s satisfying to understand the outcome.
The only criticism I might have of this book is that sometimes exposition is a bit much. Some of the backstory and context is given through a long block of monologue and it took me a bit away from what was happening.
Oriana is a great main character. She is flawed, as any person is. She also kind, strong and dedicated.
Garden is not really your typical MMC, if you put his physical aspect aside. He feels more vulnerable and less uuga buuga strong male saving the world.
As far as side character goes, I got very curious about Orrick and I’d like to see more of him in the future.
Be mindful of the triggers warning for this. Though there’s not a lot of sexual content, violence is always present in the story and if that makes you uncomfortable, steer clear from this.
It was indeed a lovely read and I can’t believe I’ll have to wait months and months for the next one. I’ll be there to read it upon release!
Amazing.
It starts out like a kick to the gut and then mellows out for a few chapters, but it’s so refreshing.
This story leads you to different conclusions and it’s satisfying to understand the outcome.
The only criticism I might have of this book is that sometimes exposition is a bit much. Some of the backstory and context is given through a long block of monologue and it took me a bit away from what was happening.
Oriana is a great main character. She is flawed, as any person is. She also kind, strong and dedicated.
Garden is not really your typical MMC, if you put his physical aspect aside. He feels more vulnerable and less uuga buuga strong male saving the world.
As far as side character goes, I got very curious about Orrick and I’d like to see more of him in the future.
Be mindful of the triggers warning for this. Though there’s not a lot of sexual content, violence is always present in the story and if that makes you uncomfortable, steer clear from this.
It was indeed a lovely read and I can’t believe I’ll have to wait months and months for the next one. I’ll be there to read it upon release!
fiction_gryphon's review
5.0
Dark fantasy with a tortured MC trapped in a curse and elements of The Witcher crossed over with ancient mythology vibes? YES PLEASE.
mysticforestcrafts's review against another edition
5.0
To me, this book does not read as a debut novel just the start to a new series. The author seems very comfortable in their style of writing and with their world and characters.
Pros:
While you are given a lot of information to be able to understand this world, the beings and magic it is done in a way that isn’t overwhelming and doesn’t feel like the first draft of a research paper dumping info on you. Things are revealed over the full book with clearly more to come in the future.
Cons:
I was thinking that Garren was a reincarnation of Oriana’s lost love but if that is the case it hasn’t been revealed at this point but I feel like that would be a very cool twist in the future.
Pros:
While you are given a lot of information to be able to understand this world, the beings and magic it is done in a way that isn’t overwhelming and doesn’t feel like the first draft of a research paper dumping info on you. Things are revealed over the full book with clearly more to come in the future.
Cons:
I was thinking that Garren was a reincarnation of Oriana’s lost love but if that is the case it hasn’t been revealed at this point but I feel like that would be a very cool twist in the future.
_milelongtbr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
marlimead's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.25
maries_shelf's review
4.0
Happy Book Birthday to @balancingbooksandcoffee for A Lust for Blood!
Publication date: November 1, 2022
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis:
“There is no escape when the monster is you.
When Oriana awakens in a field of blood and bodies, she is devastated to realize the patchwork of death was caused by her own hand. A curse lingers in the air, and there is only one option to save herself from further bloodshed. Oriana uses her magic to create an enchanted forest imprisoning the monster responsible for the massacre–herself.
Garren has built a career around slaying demons. When he learns of a centuries old creature locked away in the strange Phantom Wood, the opportunity is too great. He will stop at nothing to destroy the demon filth that lurks in those shadows if only to satisfy his own haunting memories.
Oriana soon finds herself caught in a cat and mouse game, fighting to keep her identity secret. As the two grow closer, secrets unravel. But could they each be the answer the other has been searching for?”
Things I loved about the book:
Publication date: November 1, 2022
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis:
“There is no escape when the monster is you.
When Oriana awakens in a field of blood and bodies, she is devastated to realize the patchwork of death was caused by her own hand. A curse lingers in the air, and there is only one option to save herself from further bloodshed. Oriana uses her magic to create an enchanted forest imprisoning the monster responsible for the massacre–herself.
Garren has built a career around slaying demons. When he learns of a centuries old creature locked away in the strange Phantom Wood, the opportunity is too great. He will stop at nothing to destroy the demon filth that lurks in those shadows if only to satisfy his own haunting memories.
Oriana soon finds herself caught in a cat and mouse game, fighting to keep her identity secret. As the two grow closer, secrets unravel. But could they each be the answer the other has been searching for?”
Things I loved about the book:
missmoodyreader's review
5.0
Can I just say I did NOT expect the turn of events of this book?!
This book has such a strong start that hooked me into it so much. There’s just something about this one that made me turn the pages non-stop at literally two in the morning!
From the very start, we were given this mysterious woman with an unexplainable characteristic that made me want to know what is happening and why it is happening. This is a high fantasy book so the setting is entirely different and I really appreciate the world building and the whole new terms for me to remember. There are also time jumps that at first made me a tad bit impatient because I just want the two main characters to meet
This book has such a strong start that hooked me into it so much. There’s just something about this one that made me turn the pages non-stop at literally two in the morning!
From the very start, we were given this mysterious woman with an unexplainable characteristic that made me want to know what is happening and why it is happening. This is a high fantasy book so the setting is entirely different and I really appreciate the world building and the whole new terms for me to remember. There are also time jumps that at first made me a tad bit impatient because I just want the two main characters to meet