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A review by nclcaitlin
Tales of a Monstrous Heart by Jennifer Delaney
3.5
A hauntingly beautiful, slow burn Gothic Romantasy inspired by Jane Eyre in a dark academia setting.
Kat is half fey in a world which has despised non-humans for centuries. She is a pawn in the Council’s hands to keep the brewing fey rebellion quiet, to keep a revolution against mortal power at bay.
Kat requires a mage partnership, the last requirement to graduate from the institute. To grant her the freedom to wield her magic. Something no fey has survived long enough to do. The only person willing to take her on is Lord Emrys Blackthorn- the last expert in dark magic.
There’s a magical house who makes it mind known, moves rooms around, and definitely want the two to get together.
There’s also a precious apprentice to Lord Emerys called William and Kat’s best friend who struggles to hide her wild transfiguration magic by pretending to be her maid! I would definitely read spin-offs books on both of them.
“I've come to understand that a witch is simply a being beyond a man's control.” A being beyond their limits. Power was theirs, made of nothing but fury and chaos, woven into perfect balance. “So perhaps I am.”
The Council are full of a bunch of grumpy old men who hate Kat and the power she has and the fey she represents, the natural magic she has. The games they played and her place often leaves her burdened with guilt for the things she had to pretend not to see or hear in order to survive herself.
Lord Emrys…. The slow burn was really good! Full of lingering looks, shy and quick touches, a forbidden relationship….
Normally I don’t typically like the romance portion of books, but Jennifer made the romance move along with the plot and it never became a pining focus.
The mere presence of him, the anticipation that he might touch me.
Seeing one of his rare smiles, the way his eyes shifted colour when he looked at me. The smell of forbidden herbs and old books whenever he was around. How carefully he handled me, like I was something that needed care.
The writing was very accessible and easy to breeze through. I think this will make it a hit for the trending bingeable romantasies taking over booktok!
I enjoyed this and would recommend it, however it didn’t quite have that element which made me obsess over it. I think I just wanted more.
There is a lot of self-doubt which I felt was brooded over too much and a few things which felt too predictable and I predicted the big twist etc. However, I think this might be the type of reader I am.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed A Deadly Education!
Thank you to the author and Gollancz for sending me the physical arc!!!
Kat is half fey in a world which has despised non-humans for centuries. She is a pawn in the Council’s hands to keep the brewing fey rebellion quiet, to keep a revolution against mortal power at bay.
Kat requires a mage partnership, the last requirement to graduate from the institute. To grant her the freedom to wield her magic. Something no fey has survived long enough to do. The only person willing to take her on is Lord Emrys Blackthorn- the last expert in dark magic.
There’s a magical house who makes it mind known, moves rooms around, and definitely want the two to get together.
There’s also a precious apprentice to Lord Emerys called William and Kat’s best friend who struggles to hide her wild transfiguration magic by pretending to be her maid! I would definitely read spin-offs books on both of them.
“I've come to understand that a witch is simply a being beyond a man's control.” A being beyond their limits. Power was theirs, made of nothing but fury and chaos, woven into perfect balance. “So perhaps I am.”
The Council are full of a bunch of grumpy old men who hate Kat and the power she has and the fey she represents, the natural magic she has. The games they played and her place often leaves her burdened with guilt for the things she had to pretend not to see or hear in order to survive herself.
Lord Emrys…. The slow burn was really good! Full of lingering looks, shy and quick touches, a forbidden relationship….
Normally I don’t typically like the romance portion of books, but Jennifer made the romance move along with the plot and it never became a pining focus.
The mere presence of him, the anticipation that he might touch me.
Seeing one of his rare smiles, the way his eyes shifted colour when he looked at me. The smell of forbidden herbs and old books whenever he was around. How carefully he handled me, like I was something that needed care.
The writing was very accessible and easy to breeze through. I think this will make it a hit for the trending bingeable romantasies taking over booktok!
I enjoyed this and would recommend it, however it didn’t quite have that element which made me obsess over it. I think I just wanted more.
There is a lot of self-doubt which I felt was brooded over too much and a few things which felt too predictable and I predicted the big twist etc. However, I think this might be the type of reader I am.
I would recommend this if you enjoyed A Deadly Education!
Thank you to the author and Gollancz for sending me the physical arc!!!