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erinbookbug's Reviews (98)
dark
mysterious
tense
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
Genre: Gothic Horror, Fantasy, Novella
Audience: Mature
Source: Personal Bookshelf
Source: Personal Bookshelf
Published: 2019
Tags: Fantasy, Horror, Setting - Industrial City, Violence, Death, Blood & Gore, Murder, Non-Explicit Rape, Self-Harm, Medical Procedures, Swearing, Monsters & Demons, Magic, Sorcery, Witch Hunting, Magical Plague/Illness, Revenge, Necromancy, Queer Character(s), Economics, Political Intrigue, Eat the Rich (but do it subtly with Magic), The Inherent Homoeroticism of Licking Someone’s Blood Off Your Finger, None of the People in this Book are Good People but Somehow You Like Them Anyway
Characters: Johann of Elendhaven, Florian Leickenbloom
Summary: The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean, racked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry, and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die.
His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning. The sorcerer’s work is subtle, changing minds and curdling hearts with barely a trace left behind. But there are signs to read for magic hunters coming up from the capital in the South.
These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.
I honestly don’t know what to say about this book.
This is gothic horror at its best. The writing is rich and descriptive with a undercurrent of darkness. There are so many amazing quotes. The setting is very vivid. I love stories that evoke the Victorian Whitechapel feeling of being in the underbelly of a terrible beast where Jack the Ripper is lurking around every corner.
Honestly, my main complaint about this book is that it’s only a novella. The world is so intriguing and I would absolutely spend more time in it. The ending comes together well, but it also has a rather open ending that just kinda left me wanting the story to carry on longer.
The vibes for this book are a bit like if The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo had a monstrous baby, while still maintaining a completely unique feel and amping up the gothic horror aesthetic. I can also see the influence of some of the pioneers of gothic horror, such as Frankenstein and Dracula. The setting definitely evoks a Ketterdam industrialesque atmosphere but the characters themselves are very interesting and deeply entrenched within this interpretation of the setting.
I would give it 9/10 for the length, but I was so engrossed by it that I read it in one sitting and everything else about it makes it a 10/10 star read for me. I will absolutely pick this book up again.
I would give it 9/10 for the length, but I was so engrossed by it that I read it in one sitting and everything else about it makes it a 10/10 star read for me. I will absolutely pick this book up again.
If you liked this book, I recommend:
- The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
- Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
- Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Regency Faerie Tales, #1: Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Audience: Teen
Source: Apple Books
Published: 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Audience: Teen
Source: Apple Books
Published: 2020
Tags: Setting - Regency Era, Location - London, England, Post-Napoleonic Wars, Magic, Magicians, Fae, Faeries, Curses, Magical Bargains, Divination, Workhouses, The Superficiality of High Society, Magical Plague/Illness, Kidnapping
Characters: Theodora "Dora" Ettings, Elias Wilder, Albert Lowe, Vanessa Ettings
Summary: Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.
If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
This is such a good book. I really loved the unique premise and it had a very satisfying ending that felt true to the characters and the story. Dora and Elias are very interesting characters that balance each other really well in the narrative, and the rest of the secondary cast felt grounded within the story.
I really like the way the author wove in the magical elements of the plot. It never felt clunky or out of place which is definitely to be commended when you are adding magic to a world that already exists. I'm a sucker for historical fantasy so this was right up my alley.
10/10 would recommend and will probably read again.
If you liked this book, I recommend:
- I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
- A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.
- A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
I really like the way the author wove in the magical elements of the plot. It never felt clunky or out of place which is definitely to be commended when you are adding magic to a world that already exists. I'm a sucker for historical fantasy so this was right up my alley.
10/10 would recommend and will probably read again.
If you liked this book, I recommend:
- I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
- A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.
- A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
adventurous
lighthearted
A Thousand Li, #1: The First Step by Tao Wong (Audiobook read by Travis Baldree)
Genre: Fantasy, Xianxia / Wuxia
Genre: Fantasy, Xianxia / Wuxia
Rating: Teen
Source: Audible
Source: Audible
Published: 2019
Tags: Setting - Ancient China, Cultivation, Army Conscription, Sword Fighting, Martial Arts Training, Meditation, Education, Sect Life, Quests, Friendship, Rivals & Enemies, Monsters & Demons, Spirit Beasts, Immortals, Bandits
Characters: Long Wu Ying
Summary: Long Wu Ying never expected to join a Sect or become a real cultivator. His days were spent studying, planting rice on the family farm and spending time with his friends. Fate, however, has different plans for Wu Ying and when the army arrives at his village, he and many other members of the village are conscripted. Given the opportunity to join the Verdant Green Waters Sect, Wu Ying must decide between his pedestrian, common life and the exciting, blood soaked life of a cultivator.
Join Wu Ying as he takes his first step on his Thousand Li journey to become an immortal cultivator.
This was a very enjoyable read. The audiobook was well done and the pacing of the story itself was well thought out. I really liked they way the cultivation methods and training was described as Wu Ying progressed through his first year of education. The depictions of sword fights and martial arts in general were also quite well done.
The first half of the book is about Wu Ying leaving his small farming village and joining a large cultivation sect. The second half is about a quest Wu Ying undertakes on the orders of a vindictive elder in his new sect. Both halves of the story flow very seamlessly into each other and the ending is a satisfying conclusion for the first book in a series.
If you enjoy Chinese fantasy, especially of the cultivation variety, than your should check this book out. It is also part of a fairly long series which I am already planning to continue reading.
