Gothic

One Dark Window // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
This lush, dark fantasy debut delivers atmospheric world-building, witchy tarot-like magic, and a steamy romantic subthread. It’s a loose reimagination of the English folk ballad “The Highwayman” and reads like a timeless fable. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik, Hannah Whitten, and those that want a little spice in their gothic monster fantasy. For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn’t the only threat lurking.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3TWbvt8

My Rating

Honestly, I was gonna start off this review by giving my brief rundown of the synopsis, but this book has so many elements to it that I can’t actually describe it. There’s a magic tarot card of sorts, a fever that gives you magic, and somewhat of a corrupt kingdom. There’s even this deadly fog which can only be stopped if you collect all the cards, some of which cannot be found. So you can see that it’s a lot to condense into a few sentences.

That brief rundown of plot probably left you confused but as wanting to know more. Right? Well it did for me, because I found the book to be intriguing and like nothing I’ve ever read before. The elements of magic, tarot-like cards, and an amoral King worked well together. The added addition of the fever and fog was fantastic.

The female main characters was honestly a little boring. Her only interesting characteristic was that she had the fever as a child and ended up getting the nightmare from the nightmare card in her head. In addition to her, there were many side characters that I did enjoy, as well as the added comical relief character.

There was a pretty heavy romance sub plot, that I guess was supposed to be enemies to lovers. However, there wasn’t enough angst between the characters for them to seem like genuine enemies. I did enjoy the spicy scenes, but the romance wasn’t my favorite part of the story. Probably because I found myself being somewhat attracted to the nightmare. I have a thing for mysterious bad boys.

“I am the shepherd of shadow. The phantom of the fright. The demon in the daydream.”

The world building was heavy in this book, which is usual for fantasy books although I guess technically this is a romantasy. However, the atmosphere was amazing and the description of the world really brought it to life. Now it’s not a world I’d choose to live in, but it is an amazing fantasy universe.

The writing is what I struggled with more, because it wasn’t as engaging as I would have liked. Although, I was immersed in the story the author wasn’t able to keep my attention. There was just something missing from the book making the chapters feel as though they were dragging on forever.

Overall, I did start to enjoy the book around the 50% mark, so please don’t give up on it if you are considering DNFing it. The ending is amazing, and will leave you shocked. Although, I can see it being one of those books that could easily be forgotten within a few years. So, if you do read it I recommend quickly jumping into the sequel.

In the comments, let me know your thoughts on the book. I could definitely see this becoming a movie one day. Before you go please make my day by giving the blog a quick follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Series I Need To Finish // 2024 Update

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Let’s talk about some book series! Specifically, book series that I need to finish. I have started so many series, but never seem to keep up with them. Seriously though, I’m actually hoping to finish some of these before the end of the year. Now that might be a bit of an ambitious goal, but a girl can dream.


The Babysitters Coven by by Kate M. Williams
I read the first book last year during the fall, and I still need to get to the sequel, ‘For Better or Cursed.’ I believe this trilogy is completed, but I will most likely only be able to pick up the second book before the year ends.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
This is a duology that I actually cannot wait to finish. I gave ‘These Violent Delights’ five stars, so I have high hopes for ‘Our Violent Ends.’ I haven’t heard a lot of people talk about this duology much, but I think it’ll become a favorite of mine.

The Book of Tea by Judy I. Lin
The first book, ‘A Magic Steeped in Poison,’ ended on such a cliffhanger, that I have to read ‘A Venom Dark and Sweet’, soon. The only problem is that the first book was very slow-paced, so I’m worried that the sequel will be as well. However, the plot is super interesting and will keep you intrigued.

The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn
I just need to bite the bullet and pick up ‘Bloodmarked’, which is the sequel to ‘Legendborn.’ I have heard that it is even better than the first book. For me, this was one of the books that kickstarted my fantasy reading journey. However, these books are chunky, and have a lot of world building. Still, they are fascinating, and I hear that we get a love triangle in book two.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
This is a series I started this year, and since the first book is fresh in my mind, it would be nice to read the second book soon. I never thought I was a pirate book type of reader, but I’m loving this storyline. I am interested to see where the next book takes us.

Letters Of Enchantment by Rebecca Ross
It is shocking to me that I haven’t picked up the second book in this duology yet, since I loved ‘Divine Rivals’ so much. Honestly, I’m just scared it’s going to put me in a reading slump. However, I am intrigued to see how this love story places out and get back into this world.


The Shepherd King by Rachel Gillig
The first book was a roller coaster. There were times I was loving it, and times where the plot seemed to drag. Still, the duology has such an interesting plot that I need to see how it concludes. I would like to read it soon, because I’m worried I’ll start forgetting the first book.

Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
It is embarrassing how long it has been since I’ve read the first book in this series. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to finish these books, but I need to simply binge them. I remember a lot about book one and enjoyed it, so it’s about time to finish the rest of the books.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I am happy to say that I am well on my way to finishing this series. I have one book in the original series left, but I do have the two novellas and ‘Midnight Sun.’ By no means do I love this series, but I am enjoying it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is an older young adult dystopian trilogy that pretty much everyone has read by now. I have yet to read the second and third book, which is such a shame. I am dying to see the new film, but I would like to read the book first. However, that means I need to read the original trilogy first.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Not going to lie, I didn’t enjoy the first book in this YA trilogy. I understand that it’s on par with ‘The Hunger Games’ for best YA dystopian series, but I wasn’t that big of a fan. Yet, I do hear that the second book is really good. So I am planning on finishing the series this year and maybe read the companion novel, ‘Four,’ as well.

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
This is a graphic novel series that I should have no problem reading. I have two volumes left to read, and I cannot wait. It is such a cute, cozy fantasy that is very easy to read. I am sure that I will enjoy the last two books as much as I did the first.

Those are some of the series that I am hoping to knock out by year’s end! Before you go, follow the blog, so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

House Of Hunger // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
WANTED – Bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life’s finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply. Though she knows little about the far north—where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service—Marion applies to the position. But when she discovers that the ancient walls of the House of Hunger hide even older secrets.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/48U7fkH

My Rating

If you are a fan of ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ then you are going to love this book. It seriously gives the “1800’s Salvatore Brothers/Katherine Pierce” vibes, and I loved it. This comes from a primarily non-historical fiction reader, but the fact that it was mixed with a bit of an odd blood drinking twist really made it work for me.

The book follows a young woman named Marion, who decides to take a position as a bloodmaid. Essentially, bloodmaids are women who are paid to bleed for very wealthy and powerful families. However, I thought that this was a Vampire-esque story. But don’t be mistaken, it is not. The author never references the blood drinking creatures of the night, so as I understand it, that these are regular wealthy families that use blood to sustain their lives.

Marion was an incredible protagonist. Yes, at times, she enjoyed being a bloodmaid, and submitting to Countess Lisavet charms. However, she was not easily fooled, and could tell that things were not as they seemed. She was smart, and I think that all her time growing up in a toxic environment made her more aware of when things seemed strange.

“Sometimes I feel like I’ve been building you a House out of my own bones.”

As for the Countess, she gave off major Katherine Pierce vibes. She was charming; she knew exactly what to say, and do, to get what she wanted. It was easy to fall under her spell. I simultaneously hated and loved her at the same time. She is a rather complex character.

I loved watching Marion, interacting with the other bloodmaids. They formed a family bond, which makes sense – when you sell your blood with a bunch of other women, you are going to feel a connection with them.

Overall, the writing is what made the story excellent, and it really came to life. It was well paced, and kept me wanting to read. And the ending? Incredible! It is not particularly a scary book, but it gives off eerie gothic vibes that make it a great fall read. I devoured this book! It may not be for everyone, but I highly enjoyed and recommend it.

In the comments, let me know if you have this book on your TBR. If you like my bookish content please support my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

We Have Always Lived In The Castle // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment


About The Book
Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3ZbX4SW

My Rating

 

This book was weird and confusing, but still intriguing from the get-go. The book gives off Lizzie Borden vibes, and there’s a lot of talk about wishing people were dead.

The story follows 3 family members that lives in a old manor of sorts. These are the 3 surviving members of the family after a ‘accidental’ poisoning took the lives of the rest of the family.

The characters are all very twisted. Hate and anger are both a big part of the story. It really shows that people are cruel. However not all people are evil, but none of us are without sin.

The book is a very fast read and pretty easy to figure out. You can tell where the story was going to go, which isn’t a bad thing. It was a very easy to read book. Yet, I didn’t find the plot particularly spectacular, and the ending wasn’t all too shocking either.

“I’m going to put death in all their food and watch them die.”

There was an overarching message of sisterly love that one might not have suspected. And, I found the ending to be a little bit sad. I didn’t actually expect to feel sorry for these characters, so I’d call it unexpected, at least.

Overall, the book was decent, as was the writing. I felt like I was reading a classic. Think ‘Frankenstein’, but that isn’t necessarily bad thing. I’m not sure this will be a story that appeals to everyone, still I think it is a good story.
Related Post: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein // Book Review

In the comments, let me know your thoughts on the book. Also, tell me if you’ve seen the movie adaptation as well. Don’t forget to hit the follow button, so you never miss a post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny