Reviews

The Fealty of Monsters by Ladz

Only show reviews with written explanations

reila's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I anticipated this book after coming across the author on Twitter! The premise of vampires amidst the backdrop of the Russian Revolution was intriguing, and (after reading) I am so curious how this world will flesh out in future installments.

It's refreshing to read something so self-indulgently gory, as well as read (I don't know how else to phrase it---callous, powerful (?) ~~smutty~~ (??)) sex scenes that are messy and can be the political set-pieces they can be. Maybe that's me reading too closely (or obtusely, as I am with romance-anything [highly likely]). 'Love' could be there, but the world came off as too bleak for me to believe relationships are more than a means to cope; far too much on certain characters' plates to even consider the prospect of 'uncomplicated love,' methinks.

The characters are largely independent, and I seriously wonder what they're cooking! But I am a patient, invested person :)

The disadvantage of reading a series is that each book is but a slice of the whole work; therefore, the merit of it shouldn't be judged on one. This is not to say I was wholly dissatisfied, but I wished there was more padding in between plot points to get to know the characters better. And the best/worst part is that those parts will probably be in future work, so I'm going to shut up now and submit this review.

Content Warnings

brnineworms's review

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dark medium-paced

2.0

Not for me. It reads like fanfic, with a bare-bones plot serving as a vehicle for the juicy stuff (porn). I don’t think the author actually wanted to engage with the historical setting or the fantasy worldbuilding beyond a vague aesthetic, which is a real shame because this could have been a fascinating historical drama with a gothic twist. Instead the story oscillates between political matters one minute and “the muscular squish of boypussy” the next.

Sasza being a “stealth” vampire is hard to believe because he’s two metres tall with white hair and amber eyes.

Not that it really matters because Świetlana figures it out easily and Ilya, as it turns out, knew all along. To me it seems to parallel that have your cake and eat it too fantasy a lot of young queer people have where they want to remain closeted for the sake of safety but also don’t want to have the capacity to pass as straight/cis because they want it to be obvious who they truly are.

There’s only one scene that I can recall where Sasza being closeted is relevant, and I see what the author was doing there:

no one stood up for him despite there being more at stake (no pun intended) for Sasza himself, as a marginalised person, than there would be for his supposed allies. But the same effect could have been achieved if Sasza had been known to be a vampire, regarded as one of the good ones (albeit on thin ice). Honestly, it seems odd to introduce two types of vampire, one which is animalistic and reviled and another which is basically just a guy with a blood kink, if you’re not going to do something with that contrast. Vampires which resemble humans are tolerated because they’re not like those hideous bestiapirs. You know? And we know Sasza has the ability to transform into a bestiapir but do all vampires? His father was horrified at his transformation but is that just because he turned into a Buzzwole or was it his ability to transform at all that upset him? It’s implied to be the latter but I’m not sure. Anyway, Sasza is frustrated that his allies let him down so he immediately shifts from being closeted to going apeshit.

The violence in this book is just as gratuitous as the sex. I’m not at all opposed to either but it very much feels like this was what the author wanted to write and everything else was just half-baked filler. Which sucks because there were some interesting concepts. Wasted potential.

This novel should have been right up my alley but I found it amateurish and lacklustre. I don’t think I’ll read the sequel awkwardly teased at the end.

CONTENT WARNINGS: death, blood, gore, body horror, vomit, violence, limb loss, needles, drug use, alcoholism, self harm for magic use

erinsbookshelves's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

solflo's review

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dark medium-paced

5.0

very pleased to announce that this book does not suffer from feeling like the author is active on twitter. good prose, delightfully descriptive with its sex and violence, worldbuilding feels well thought out. really solid overall, a great weekend read! highly anticipating the next volume, very interested to see how the intrigue sown here will pay off. also a woman gets aroused from/while fighting a fucked up vampire beast hope we get more of this sort of stuff too ^_^

lowenhazel's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

syllareads's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

spooniereads's review

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is a gothic horror + fantasy retelling of the Russian Revolution, full of political intrigue, vampires, and a whole lot of queerness! it’s also a book that’s incredibly near and dear to my heart— the author, Ladz, is one of my closest online friends, and it’s been an absolute honor to serve as a beta reader for their debut novel; it finally releases this month (March 12, 2024), and i couldn’t be more excited to share my early review with you!

FEALTY is the story of Sasza, a vampire living in secret within the Odonic Empire’s aristocracy. his closest friend, Lady Świetlana, fears that her father may wage war against the Vampire States, and she is determined to stop him; meanwhile, Sasza’s lover, Ilya, is deeply entangled in a treacherous cabal, and war rages on around them. as the Empire’s tensions reach a fever pitch, Świetlana (now aided by Ute, a childhood-friend-turned-soldier who serves as her Magical Advisor) and Sazsa orchestrate a plan— and nothing will ever be the same. it’s a rich, raunchy, and deeply complex tale; the sex scenes are luscious and intimate, the climax of the story is visceral and jaw-dropping, and the characters themselves are nuanced and perfectly exemplify the capitalist, revolutionary, and sordid issues of the early 20th century with plenty of fantastical + gothic themes… there’s a total of eight volumes planned in this series, and i’m waiting with bated breath to know what’ll happen to Sasza, Świetlana, and Ute as the story unfolds!

i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again— internet friends can truly change your life, and Ladz is someone who i now can’t imagine my world without; they’re a wonderful person, a passionate activist, and a beautifully-creative author! i’m SO grateful that they sent me one of their early print copies as an ARC, complete with stunning illustrations from Soren Häxan— the book also includes a character compendium, a pronunciation guide, and a source-list; this story is SO well-researched, expressive, and delightfully morally-grey, and i love it with my whole heart❤️‍🔥

Content Warnings

gealach's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My thanks to the author for providing an ARC copy.

Ladz's The Fealty of Monsters is a gory retelling of the Russian Revolution, with monstrous vampires and even more monstrous politicians. We follow three POV characters as tensions amongst the Empire and independent vampire states are ramped up by an incident that seems tailored to ignite a war. The main character, Sasza, battles with his own depravity and the ambitions of others, while coming to terms with his relationship with a much older member of the government.

This is a highly political book, with characters who have complex motivations, from the ambitious princess to Sasza's addicted father, from the traitorous Minister to the soldiers who have very different ideas about their role as protectors; not to mention the intriguing vampire doctor. Characters share a past that is carefully unveiled in some cases, giving tantalizing glimpses. The court is full of intrigue, and war seems inevitable; the conflict between the poverty of the people and the excesses of the aristocracy was also done well, leading to an explosive finale that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat and begging for the next book in the series.

The book is very crude, with an evocative prose that leaves nothing to the imagination, be it sexual acts or murder. It comes with a very helpful list of trigger warnings, which the reader should pay every attention to. The vampires in this book are not refined creatures, as there are some types which are truly monstrous, insectoid creatures who engorge themselves on blood and gore. This was a very refreshing take on the usual vampire trope, more reminiscent of the classics.

The book comes with illustrations from the artist Soren Häxan, but the ARC copy didn't contain them.

The Fealty of Monsters is a solid horror story with political overtones.

marleywrites's review

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5.0

11/8/23

I personally ordered the signed paperback and I cannot wait to have it on my shelf. Today I read the prologue that is available now, and I'm so glad I did.

I was instantly drawn to the characters in the prologue, two autocar mechanics in Daszek's outskirts. Jan and his father, whom he calls Tata, are finishing up a typical day at work and everything is seemingly normal... or is it?

I loved the way Ladz described these two men, their physical descriptions were enjoyable to read and I felt like I could see the scene playing before my eyes due to the detailed descriptions. The description of the city and its history regarding the universities was intriguing and I found myself eagerly turning the pages of this prologue.

The conclusion of the prologue is jaw-dropping, which is exactly how I like the books I read! It left me thrilled for more and I cannot wait to read the rest of this book when it releases in March.

Full review to come upon release.

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