So I read the first book in the Tennebrose series a while ago and I didn't quite like it all that much. I put off reading this one. After reading thisSo I read the first book in the Tennebrose series a while ago and I didn't quite like it all that much. I put off reading this one. After reading this one, I think I just didn't like how much Cash and Graeme cursed at each other and tried to kill each other. Simultaneously, I would be reading how oh he's so hot though.
So to start off, the trigger warnings are no joke in the book. There is non con very early into the book. I like to read a lot of different genres including dark romance so it doesn't bother me all that much. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention it. My thing is, always with horrible acts, there need to be morally grey or morally black characters. This is checked. The non con scenes are very gratuitous. Tread with caution. It is a story about a devout man falling from the Grace of God. It has a happy? ending.
As long as the fantasies stay fantasy and no one goes pursuing a relationship like this though, I'm all gucci.
With much ado, it was good! The mystery behind Phelan was interesting enough. It was pretty even keeled through out the whole book. There's quite of lot of plot bombshells closer to the end of the book making the middle feel a bit sparse.
The main meat of the book is the push and pull between Phelan and Remiel. Phelan is a pious librarian/necomancer and Remiel is a fallen angel. I grew up Christian and moved into Agnostism so it's always fun to me to see these themes. The "love" in this book was kind of odd to me. It's not super believable that Remiel would fall for Phelan especially with how much he toys with him. With a demon too, the concept of love does seem like it would be different. Phelan on the other hand, I feel like he believes he's in love. However, I see it more as he gives in after he is battered and broken.
Nonetheless though, I am a sucker for age old beings falling inexplicably in love with some naive human. There's just something so romantic about it in a way that can only exist in novels.
I think if you like dark romance and witch lore, you'd probably be into it. Finally, I am so glad Kevin is okay....more
Another entry in the Tales of the Tarot series. This one is featuring Temperance. This one was the most overt in its themes by literally spelling themAnother entry in the Tales of the Tarot series. This one is featuring Temperance. This one was the most overt in its themes by literally spelling them out for you courtesy of Greyson. I liked seeing more of the magic shop owner in this one as he has a relationship to the main character. He still manages to maintain his mystique though!
So to start off, this book deals with some very dark subject matter. Stalking, mental health, self harm, attempted suicide, cops, familial death, friend death, guns, poison, domestic abuse, child abuse, child death(almost). I think I covered them? The handling of the topics is...debatable. Some things I thought were okay but others like the suicide attempt were in poor taste. I can only speak about my own experiences with self harm and attempted suicide but I am not an expert on this. I don't wish to go into details about the scene itself but if you are sensitive about any of these topics, I would just steer clear.
So, despite this huge preface, it's still a 4 stars for me. There is very little I get offended about though.
What I did enjoy about the book is the magic system was fun. It's based on more real life practice with a touch of fantasy. The relationship between Chris and Greyson starts off pretty weird but slowly moves into a more sweet territory. They balance each other out. While they have a few sexual encounters pretty quickly, the tone still felt very even throughout. Like waves on a shore.
Chris himself is a bit of a tool though. He's pretty much a man's man. All the toxic masculinity and kind of woman hating. He's got a temper. It's never pointed straight at Greyson though. Greyson is much more calm, but closed off. He's accepting but guarded. He's been forced this way by the way he's had to live for the past 2 years of his life.
Both of them are no where near perfect, but put together, I think they're pretty good.
Overall, I enjoyed this one enough. I didn't particularly like Malum Discordiae but this book makes me want to try more of Ashlyn Drewek's works! I'm realizing it isn't the writing I disliked, it was just Cassius and Graeme.
Also I too would like to be fed by Greyson, thanks....more
Definitely a strong sequel to the first! Personally, a lot of my criticisms but also praises from the last book carry over. Thank goodness this endingDefinitely a strong sequel to the first! Personally, a lot of my criticisms but also praises from the last book carry over. Thank goodness this ending was less somber because I really thought Kellen Graves was gonna pull the same trick again.
I'm not going to reiterate my previous points too much since again, a lot of it is the same. However, I will discuss the differences!
I really enjoyed the dive further deeper into the Opulence and Arid magic systems of the world. I think it's very interesting. It's not fully explained how it works as it seems like the characters themselves aren't 100% sure. They know how it interacts and what they can do with it, but it is magic, It doesn't necessarily need to be explained.
With the plot in this book, I was S T R E S S E D the whole time. My boy Saffron is literally just going through it. Through the novel, the plot just drip feeds you information bit by bit. At the very end around the 75% mark, the drips make way for a flood of plot. Sometimes, it made it hard to get through but also I was driven by anxiety to see what happens next. It's not an entirely unpleasant feeling but I wouldn't say that I had a grand ol time either.
I love Saffron so much, move aside Cylvan. I think it was a good progression of his character in this book. In the first book, he spends a lot of time hiding and delaying his problems. This book, he takes them head on in any way that he can. He knows that he's in a compromising position and weaker, so there's a lot of maneuvering in the book. In the end, it seems like he really comes into his own.
I do think that Cylvan tries to make up for his mistakes this book. However, there's still much to be desired at least on my side. I do appreciate that there is a lot more action taken on Cylvan's side but it often times takes Saffron being pushed to the edge before Cylvan acts. Which, no go for me.
I mean if you're already here debating if you should read it or not, the question boils down to, did you enjoy the first one? If so, I personally think you'll enjoy this one as well....more
Another entry in the Tales from the Tarot, this one featuring the Wheel of Fortune. I definitely thought that this one really encompassed the meanings Another entry in the Tales from the Tarot, this one featuring the Wheel of Fortune. I definitely thought that this one really encompassed the meanings of the card in the themes and story.
However...I didn't really like this one! The story itself was fine. The pacing was a bit off for me. It constantly felt like it was moving at a break neck pace. Things were always happening but not in a good way.
There wasn't enough time to focus on both the magic and the relationship. The relationship felt kind of neglected. There were moments that things were happening but they didn't serve to further relationship or plot for me. In other moments, this just happen because it is time for it to happen. One moment Owen & Damian wanna take it slow but next moment they're having sex because magical plot convenience.
The whole thing with the (view spoiler)[unicorns (hide spoiler)] really confused me. It didn't really feel necessary and there wasn't really any explanation of why they were the (view spoiler)[Re'em and Karkadann. (hide spoiler)] It just seems like the terms were borrowed from Hebrew and Arabic languages. Maybe I missed it?
The writing was the main reason for me I didn't quite enjoy it. For a lack of a better explanation, it felt like it was just telling me a list of things that happened to the characters. I can't quite put my finger on it. Things just happened and they worked out because...Damian's a wizard and he's got magical wizard intuition.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book and what it could've been. Just for me it falls kind of flat....more
I've read Confounding Truths prior to this, the sequel to Mortal Follies. Personally, I think it was a great reading order since I do feel like out ofI've read Confounding Truths prior to this, the sequel to Mortal Follies. Personally, I think it was a great reading order since I do feel like out of the two, Mortal follies is superior.
Obviously it must be stated. Radiante Mozarrelle's art is so beautiful. I adore the cover and I really do wish there were some very nice hardback versions with sprayed edges because I'm an absolute sucker for that specific detail. The little peeping Robins are quite apt.
I did find this one much more romantic than it's sequel but it say it is an outright romance again, doesn't seem correct. At least it's not romance in the standard sense of a romance novel. The romantic moments in this are much more subtle and there's quite a lot of pining. Furthermore, there are sexual terms in this book but it isn't quite spicy. You get general descriptions but nothing concrete. This isn't a problem for me but I do think setting up your expectations will help in enjoying this book.
I have to also address the way the book itself is written. It is a first person recounting of the narrator observing the events of Miss Mitchelmore and the Duke of Annadale's relationship. The narrator often puts his own opinions and perceptions of the events. There's quite of a lot dry wit and quippy one liners. This was off putting for me originally but again, I stated I read Confounding Truths before this. Since I knew what I was getting into, this wasn't an issue for me again. However, I can fully understand why it wouldn't be everyones cup of tea.
The plot itself is very slow but steady. I wasn't particularly bored but was surprised when the main conflict was resolved around 50%. What happens the other 50%? Well that's where the pacing kind of confused me. A good 30% of it seemed like unnecessary pining, 10% of the characters just being naughty, and then another conflict at the last 20% of the book. It really felt like the last conflict was resolved much too quickly.
Miss Bickle is always a delight and a highlight. I really enjoy her through out the series. I reiterate I would love to see Miss Bickle get her own book. Potentially whisked off by a Gentleman Fae as I'm unsure what kind of Gentleman would be able to keep up with her. I really enjoyed the friendship between Miss Bickle and Miss Mitchelmore.
Finally, I will say, I really adore (view spoiler)[lesbian witches killing would be rapists. (hide spoiler)] If that isn't feminism, I don't really know what is.
I think this book won't be for everyone but if everything I've stated sounds good to you, then it's definitely worth a read! Hopefully I've set up your expectations properly....more
It's a very slow and cozy book. My ADHD just makes it impossible for me to do slow though. There's not a lot that happThis wasn't really up my alley.
It's a very slow and cozy book. My ADHD just makes it impossible for me to do slow though. There's not a lot that happens in the first 50% of the book. Just a lot of researching, testing stuff, and failing. I honestly checked out more for the last half of the book skimming a bit more. Like obviously the world isn't gonna serve up the solution on a platter but it was a bit painful to read through.
Since this is part of the Tales from the Tarot series, I thought it embodied the Hermit card alright. The part where the Magic Shop owner literally is like, oh look within you, was a bit on the nose. The magic system in the world isn't explained very much. I liked the tattoos on the fingers though symbolizing different spells.
The ending felt a bit rushed, everything just kind of worked out. Like I guess a creepy guy in the woods following them would be a (view spoiler)[friend not a foe? (hide spoiler)]
Lorin was kind of annoying for me. He doesn't know what he wants and part of his journey is figuring that out. He's scared of connection so he runs away from things. He makes concessions and then complains about it afterwards. He's described in the book as petulant and times because of it. Just because the book is self aware though doesn't make it better for me. Things just kind of fall into place for him when he does make the effort. Kit, I'm not entirely sure about. I mean at first he's just a fox, but after he gains his ability to shift back, he almost seems infantilized? Like he has a fox & a human heart so he's always going to be kind of playful and mischievous. However, other than closer to the end where his goal is to save his family, he doesn't seem to have much agency.
Their relationship is kind of cute, they're there for each other when they need each other the most. It's sweet. Again though, this book just probably wasn't for me!...more
So let's just get into it and not beat around the bush.
Allan being horny after two of his friends and I really wanted to like this but I did not ; w ;
So let's just get into it and not beat around the bush.
Allan being horny after two of his friends and one pos died is so weird to me. It felt like such a big thing to happen for it to be written off in a couple of chapters. He "copes" by lashing out at the world around him verbally and sometimes physically putting himself and others at risk. Like I can understand him not being broken up about Mr. SA but the other two were his friends. He gets over it in like a course of a week after seeing their dead bodies too.
Idk if you've ever seen (or smelled) a drowned dead body but that shit is not pretty. It was absolutely 100% so jarring that someone would get over it so quickly.
The relationship between Allan and Daddy (I don't have a Daddy kink so it doesn't do it for meeee aaaaaa) is purely physical. There's nothing inherently wrong with that but too many pages are just them leering at each other for me.
The weirdest part for me is that Daddy's friend is encouraging him to start a relationship with him? Like...what. That's so bizarre to me. The excuse given is that Daddy is holding himself back so he's not being true to himself. Therefore he's being a bad wizard and can't teach Allen effectively. If you absolutely just remove that confusing reason, it's like your college professor's coworker tells them, hey you should fuck the students.
There was also a lot of explanation about the lore of magic in this world. Normally I really adore this stuff but it was just a lot for a novella. The book felt spread too thin between what wisps of a relationship existed and the whole one month fae plot. The result made my head spin from the magic and their relationship feeling like insta lust to insta love.
The ending felt extremely rushed and super magical destiny. Like I honestly would have preferred just to end it with (view spoiler)[Allen going to the Fae world. Then having an epilogue when he comes back. (hide spoiler)]
I liked Argus and Kaos though but I just like animals. Here's hoping I never type Daddy again! (No shame if you like it though, go for it man. I love that for you)...more
This book is almost purely vibes. There's a story there, but honestly nothing critical to the plot at hand happens for about 70% of this book. I was hThis book is almost purely vibes. There's a story there, but honestly nothing critical to the plot at hand happens for about 70% of this book. I was honestly kind of okay with that? I really enjoyed the writing style and descriptions enough to make it through. This book is literally just the song Strawberry Blond by Mitski as a novel. If that premise entices you and you're okay with the plot being lackluster, go for it.
The book was written kind of oddly for me. It's a third person story but often times, it felt like the third person was physically in the room observing the characters. I'm not even sure if I'm not just tripping that it's written weird. Maybe I've been reading so many first person books I'm not used to third person books anymore. There's a lot of sentences that are just mundane things such as like, then Marigold did this. There were also some bits of foreshadowing at the beginnign that they just smack you in the head with later. Specifically I was talking about the (view spoiler)[six pointed ivy and night sky without stars. (hide spoiler)] I really wish the author trusted the reader to remember and pick up on the more subtle references.
So for the world building, the book itself in a vague fantasy historical setting. Outside of societal intricacies of the noble people of the world, it really did not matter too much. The main bread and butter was how the witchcraft works in this book. It uses a reagent based system but the witches in the universe can also channel magic. They can create spells but also use their affinity to regain magic & power. I thought it was fun. Did like 40% of the book need to be dedicated to it? No. But it was interesting enough.
Honestly, I really was not sure about the romance in this book. I did not enjoy Lottie at all until like the latter 20% of the book. She's honestly a nightmare. It's not even enemies to lovers, it's just rude pereson to lovers. I got real tired of Lottie's skepticism because she's so overt with it even after learning her reasoning for it. It's just unpleasant.
Marigold started off really strong but started going downhill for me after she becomes a witch. Which is crazy to me. I really loved the first portion where she's running through the wildflowers. I think that was a much more interesting part of her character. After she becomes a witch, there is so much focus on how the magic works, it almost felt like Marigold became an afterthought.
I also don't understand why she starts to like Lottie other than the fact they're (view spoiler)[soulmates. (hide spoiler)] Still, I think they have some nice moments with each other over the later course of the book. Again it's most vibes, lovely and cozy.
The highlight of the book for me is when there was essentially a bee defibrillator and I think that's absolutely hilarious. ...more
I liked some parts of this book but I was honestly fairly ambivalent for the rest of the book.
The world building is interesting. I wish there was a bI liked some parts of this book but I was honestly fairly ambivalent for the rest of the book.
The world building is interesting. I wish there was a bit more of it honestly! I really liked the witches and I wish I knew more about how their magic worked.
The relationship between Cash and Graeme was very confusing to me. It starts off with a hook up in the first chapter, then like a dozen chapters of them saying fuck you to each other a lot. It was a bit cringe for me honestly. I enjoyed the middle section of their relationship, hate lust is fun. They were super hot and cold to each other the entire time. Especially Cash. The ending was much more confusing to me because I don't really understand how they fell in love. I do love the concept of a golden retriever witch boyfriend though.
The whole mystery was even more baffling to me. I didn't really understand where all the reveals came in. There's a point in the book where there's a bigger badder enemy trope and...it just felt unnecessary. Maybe I missed the signs but it felt like it came out of nowhere?
It was alright though. The story dragged on a bit but it's not inherently bad! I just didn't enjoy it all that much....more
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