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happily_undignified's reviews
427 reviews
Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is the sequel to Threads That Bind. It jumps right into the quest for Io to find Edei and the search is exciting and full of intrigue. Unfortunately I felt a bit lost with some of the twists and I wasn't as enthralled with this book as the first.
Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou is an interesting book with vivid imagery and cool worldbuilding. I love Greek mythology so the idea of the gods having blessed their progeny with life and death gifts is fascinating. The world of gangs and hired hands reminded me a bit of The Fifth Element with the futuristic cityscapes and underhanded minions. I was drawn in by the Fantasy elements of the possessed assassins and Io's unique gifts. The characters did start out a bit flat at the beginning but by the twisted end I was definitely invested. I'm starting book two today and I'm excited to see what happens!
The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick
dark
medium-paced
5.0
"All that burdens me could be solved with one decision. But it's a decision I can't make in good conscience, as it could either repair the problems at hand or destroy everything."⠀
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Bea Northwick, The Cruel Dark⠀
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The Cruel Dark (Audible Edition) by Bea Northwick is a sumptuous gothic romance narrated by Madison Mitts and Theodore Zephyr . As a fan of gothic classics like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, I really enjoyed this dark and twisty novel. The narration lent itself perfectly to the haunting atmosphere of the Willowfield Estate and Millicent's tragic backstory. Madison and Theodore have a wonderful combination of breathy heroine to rumbley hero that brought the story, and it's sexier scenes, to life with vigor. The heated scenes between the Professor Hughes and Millie drew me in and the obsession, ghosts, and history of the home kept me glued to the pages. I loved the Beauty and the Beast feel of the story and the shocking ending was perfect! I would recommend this five star read to lovers of intriguing mystery and spicier Gothic romance.
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Bea Northwick, The Cruel Dark⠀
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The Cruel Dark (Audible Edition) by Bea Northwick is a sumptuous gothic romance narrated by Madison Mitts and Theodore Zephyr . As a fan of gothic classics like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, I really enjoyed this dark and twisty novel. The narration lent itself perfectly to the haunting atmosphere of the Willowfield Estate and Millicent's tragic backstory. Madison and Theodore have a wonderful combination of breathy heroine to rumbley hero that brought the story, and it's sexier scenes, to life with vigor. The heated scenes between the Professor Hughes and Millie drew me in and the obsession, ghosts, and history of the home kept me glued to the pages. I loved the Beauty and the Beast feel of the story and the shocking ending was perfect! I would recommend this five star read to lovers of intriguing mystery and spicier Gothic romance.
Fresh Kill by Lou Wilham
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
"You’re more of the run in and stabby stabby kind of guy, aren’t you?"⠀
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Lou Wilham, Fresh Kill⠀
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Fresh Kill by Lou Wilham is a fast paced sequel that I enjoyed just as much as Overkill. Tony and Dash are the quintessential toxic couple and I couldn't wait for Tony to claw his way out of Dash's too smooth and shiny clutches. Eric is a tragic mess and I just want to scoop him up and give him the biggest hug. I was thrilled to see him and Hunter getting closer and I am so ready for all three of my guys to just put aside their nonsense and become a happy throuple already! We got to see a glimpse of Moondale in this book and Rus, Az, and the girls are adorable as usual. I loved the crossover from the different towns and I'm so proud of my favorite witch and how far she's come to help out our vampire hunting boys. There was plenty of stabby action but also a nice amount of found family coziness. Fresh Kill reminds me of Buffy if it were queer and involved a magical school! I love these characters and this series so much and I definitely recommend anything Lou writes if you like LGBTQIA+ Paranormal Cozy Fantasies.
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Lou Wilham, Fresh Kill⠀
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Fresh Kill by Lou Wilham is a fast paced sequel that I enjoyed just as much as Overkill. Tony and Dash are the quintessential toxic couple and I couldn't wait for Tony to claw his way out of Dash's too smooth and shiny clutches. Eric is a tragic mess and I just want to scoop him up and give him the biggest hug. I was thrilled to see him and Hunter getting closer and I am so ready for all three of my guys to just put aside their nonsense and become a happy throuple already! We got to see a glimpse of Moondale in this book and Rus, Az, and the girls are adorable as usual. I loved the crossover from the different towns and I'm so proud of my favorite witch and how far she's come to help out our vampire hunting boys. There was plenty of stabby action but also a nice amount of found family coziness. Fresh Kill reminds me of Buffy if it were queer and involved a magical school! I love these characters and this series so much and I definitely recommend anything Lou writes if you like LGBTQIA+ Paranormal Cozy Fantasies.
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
"I wanted Faerie, its every secret and its every door."⠀
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Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands⠀
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Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is a wonderful sequel with all of the whimsy and wit that I loved in the first book of the series. Wendell is such a funny character with his fae personality and strange behavior. Emily is perfect as a scholarly explorer set on researching more of Fairie and finding Wendells door. They are the best couple as far as long burn complicated romance goes and I loved seeing them get closer together in this book. Emily's niece and academic nemesis are fun additions to the tale and I really enjoyed reading about all of their adventures and mishaps. I also loved seeing Poe again! He's such a cute and clever fae and it warmed my heart when he "adopted" them as family. The author is so creative and her world building sucks you into the book instantly. The descriptions of the different areas and creatures of the Faelands are so rich and vivid, I could almost feel the weather changes. I can't get enough of this world and I'm so excited to see what happens in the next book!
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Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands⠀
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Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is a wonderful sequel with all of the whimsy and wit that I loved in the first book of the series. Wendell is such a funny character with his fae personality and strange behavior. Emily is perfect as a scholarly explorer set on researching more of Fairie and finding Wendells door. They are the best couple as far as long burn complicated romance goes and I loved seeing them get closer together in this book. Emily's niece and academic nemesis are fun additions to the tale and I really enjoyed reading about all of their adventures and mishaps. I also loved seeing Poe again! He's such a cute and clever fae and it warmed my heart when he "adopted" them as family. The author is so creative and her world building sucks you into the book instantly. The descriptions of the different areas and creatures of the Faelands are so rich and vivid, I could almost feel the weather changes. I can't get enough of this world and I'm so excited to see what happens in the next book!
A Cursed Son by Day Leitao
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
“What’s the point in a story that’s not real?”⠀
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He leans back in his chair and brings a ringless finger to his chin. “The feelings are real. There’s something about feeling them while knowing you can’t truly get hurt.”⠀
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“Feelings? Like despair? What’s the fun in it?”⠀
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“Well, if you’re depressed, you look at your own life and say, ‘nevermind. This could be so much worse.’” He chuckles again. “No. It’s about getting out of that dark place, and reading sometimes makes you believe you can do it too.”⠀
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Day Leitao, A Cursed Son ⠀
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A Cursed Son by Day Leitao is an Adult Romantic Fantasy with a swoon worthy enemies to lovers story that has one of the most unique "dreamy" romances I've read in quite a while! The banter between Marlak and Astra is perfection and I love how they push each other to be more adventurous and hopeful. I absolutely shrieked when Marlak got hurt and Astra went all "who did this" on him!!! The vibes are just so so good! I thought the elemental magic was really interesting and reminded me of Shadow and Bone. The worldbuilding with the different kingdoms and courts as well as the Faelands gave this story a lush feel. I was on the edge of my seat, especially with the epic ending. Like, OMG what are you doing to me! ⠀
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Day is a master at balancing magical fantasy with thrilling romance in a fun and whimsical way. I love her books and this one is definitely at the top of my favorites now! I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories like Fourth Wing, A Kingdom of Flame and Fury, or The Plated Prisoner Series.
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He leans back in his chair and brings a ringless finger to his chin. “The feelings are real. There’s something about feeling them while knowing you can’t truly get hurt.”⠀
⠀
“Feelings? Like despair? What’s the fun in it?”⠀
⠀
“Well, if you’re depressed, you look at your own life and say, ‘nevermind. This could be so much worse.’” He chuckles again. “No. It’s about getting out of that dark place, and reading sometimes makes you believe you can do it too.”⠀
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Day Leitao, A Cursed Son ⠀
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A Cursed Son by Day Leitao is an Adult Romantic Fantasy with a swoon worthy enemies to lovers story that has one of the most unique "dreamy" romances I've read in quite a while! The banter between Marlak and Astra is perfection and I love how they push each other to be more adventurous and hopeful. I absolutely shrieked when Marlak got hurt and Astra went all "who did this" on him!!! The vibes are just so so good! I thought the elemental magic was really interesting and reminded me of Shadow and Bone. The worldbuilding with the different kingdoms and courts as well as the Faelands gave this story a lush feel. I was on the edge of my seat, especially with the epic ending. Like, OMG what are you doing to me! ⠀
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Day is a master at balancing magical fantasy with thrilling romance in a fun and whimsical way. I love her books and this one is definitely at the top of my favorites now! I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories like Fourth Wing, A Kingdom of Flame and Fury, or The Plated Prisoner Series.
Heirs of Bone and Sea by Kay Adams
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
"Knowledge was precious; as precious as the lives I brought back. The only difference between knowledge and the souls I retrieved from death's dark shores was that, once lost, it was lost forever." ⠀⠀
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Kay Adams, Heirs of Bone and Sea ⠀⠀
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Heirs of Bone and Sea by Kay Adams (narrated by Catherine Ho and Hayden Bishop) is a dark, nautical retelling of Rapunzel with a sapphic twist. The story is DARK with tons of gore and stabby moments. I enjoyed the mythology of the moonstone and Kalei's powers. Her parents definitely gave off evil royalty vibes, especially her mom! Evhen was a cool, morally grey character and I liked her found family vibes with her posse. The story was interesting but I found the narration a bit jarring at times. My favorite thing about this book was the world building and death magic. It was a really macabre, dark, twist on one of my favorite fairytales.
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Kay Adams, Heirs of Bone and Sea ⠀⠀
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Heirs of Bone and Sea by Kay Adams (narrated by Catherine Ho and Hayden Bishop) is a dark, nautical retelling of Rapunzel with a sapphic twist. The story is DARK with tons of gore and stabby moments. I enjoyed the mythology of the moonstone and Kalei's powers. Her parents definitely gave off evil royalty vibes, especially her mom! Evhen was a cool, morally grey character and I liked her found family vibes with her posse. The story was interesting but I found the narration a bit jarring at times. My favorite thing about this book was the world building and death magic. It was a really macabre, dark, twist on one of my favorite fairytales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Krampus Confidential by Kyle Sullivan
5.0
Krampus Confidential is a fun, energetic story full of holiday themed whimsy and a unique take on the lore of many magical creatures and tales. Ruprecht and Marley are such a great team and their curiosity and humor makes this book so delightful to read.
Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
"Even in death, when you're long gone, the you of you reaches back - reaches home."⠀
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Margot Douaihy, Blessed Water⠀
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I just finished Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy and I loved it! The narrator, Mara Wilson, did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and pulling me into the story. I adored Sister Holiday's spunk and sleuthing as much as in Scorched Grace and really liked the sibling dynamic of Goose and Moose! The author has such a lyrical way of writing that paints New Orleans in colors, sounds, and feelings that immerse the reader fully in the story. I felt like I could hear, see, and smell everything from the torrential rain and sticky marina to the nun's pilfered cigarettes and communion wafers. This is a great murder mystery with a fantastic cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you wanting more!⠀
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Margot Douaihy, Blessed Water⠀
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I just finished Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy and I loved it! The narrator, Mara Wilson, did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and pulling me into the story. I adored Sister Holiday's spunk and sleuthing as much as in Scorched Grace and really liked the sibling dynamic of Goose and Moose! The author has such a lyrical way of writing that paints New Orleans in colors, sounds, and feelings that immerse the reader fully in the story. I felt like I could hear, see, and smell everything from the torrential rain and sticky marina to the nun's pilfered cigarettes and communion wafers. This is a great murder mystery with a fantastic cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you wanting more!⠀