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kaykayreads4life's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
itslucyamber's review
4.5
Oh I loved this book! But it is not the book I thought I was getting. I was expecting queer vampires (which there are), but romance is one of the most minor subplots in this story.
It's a true supernatural story with false identities, the chosen one, secret societies, demons, witches, angels, vampires and knights. Unexpected, but appreciated.
The first-person narration worked perfectly and I'm genuinely shocked at how good this was - I've not read many books of this genre before. I purchased Caleb Roehrig's next book immediately.
*Possible spoilers*
I also love the ending. Everything is complete and yet still an air of 'what comes next' and hope that lets you decide for yourself!
It's a true supernatural story with false identities, the chosen one, secret societies, demons, witches, angels, vampires and knights. Unexpected, but appreciated.
The first-person narration worked perfectly and I'm genuinely shocked at how good this was - I've not read many books of this genre before. I purchased Caleb Roehrig's next book immediately.
*Possible spoilers*
I also love the ending. Everything is complete and yet still an air of 'what comes next' and hope that lets you decide for yourself!
achilleanshelves's review
4.0
I want to make it very, very clear that if this book had ended with the main character in a polyamorous relationship, this would have been 5 stars. This would have been the perfect book.
Because, in all other regards, this book is spectacular. I loved the pacing, the themes and the tone which felt very authentic to what the book was trying to emulate. The characters were great and very compelling with Auggie being a wonderful perspective to follow. As I touched on, I adored the love triangle and loved how there was no animosity between the three parties (other than the betrayals that occurred continuously throughout this twisty-turny book) which makes me wish all the more that it had ended with Auggie, Jude and Gunnar in a poly relationship.
Because, in all other regards, this book is spectacular. I loved the pacing, the themes and the tone which felt very authentic to what the book was trying to emulate. The characters were great and very compelling with Auggie being a wonderful perspective to follow. As I touched on, I adored the love triangle and loved how there was no animosity between the three parties (other than the betrayals that occurred continuously throughout this twisty-turny book) which makes me wish all the more that it had ended with Auggie, Jude and Gunnar in a poly relationship.
moreteawesley's review
5.0
9/7/23: Re-read via audiobook. This is so much like an alternate universe season 1/2 of Buffy that I cannot give it less than 5 stars. The nostalgic Sunnydale High vibes it delivers are immaculate.
marley's review
5.0
This review is actually surprisingly hard to write; there are many things I want to write about, but I'm also tempted to just keysmash and hope that conveys my messages well enough. The Fell of Dark is a little bit like one of those rollercoasters in the dark, where you're never quite sure what the next turn will be, but it's also a really enjoyable book in so many ways.
Auggie is a very relatable main character. He's kind of confused for a chunk of the book, but it's a very understandable situation to be confused in. He's got a strong voice and a distinct personality, making him an enjoyable POV to follow, and he definitely felt like the main character of the story. He was also a very interesting combination of Chosen One, reluctant hero, and conduit for the antagonist, which was really cool to read about, and even though he was all these things he was also very much still Auggie. Now, my main point of aggravation with this book is actually Auggie's age, and know that I'm speaking as someone who was a sixteen year old not that long ago. There's a little bit of a disjunction between his age and the things he does, and while this wasn't a huge problem, it did kind of disrupt my reading at times.
There's also a wide range of side characters, from Adriana, Auggie's best friend, and her crush Hope, to Daphne, Auggie's maths tutor, and the various vampires. It never felt like there were too many characters to keep track of, especially since they were all quite different, and while I wish we had seen more of certain characters (Hope, specifically, and also Adriana's grandmother Ximena), that wouldn't have worked out with the plot. They all had roles in the book, not just for the plot but also for themselves. There are some really interesting vampire characters too, highlighting how even though they're separate from humans, they're not all the same, which was a really cool concept.
There are some major players in the game, aside from the Corrupter. From leagues of humans who've been hunting vampires for centuries, to multiple conflicting vampire organisations, there are a lot of sides to be on. Because of this, there's an interesting dynamic of not quite knowing who you think is right, or who is actually out to destroy the world. While not necessarily a plot point, this functions really well as a plot driver, and adds a lot of suspense. It also really helps deepen the storyline, without becoming overly complicated, and overall adds a lot to the book.
Without going into spoiler territory, the main relationship plot involves a love triangle, which I'm not usually a huge fan of, but I felt like it was written really well. Instead of being a love A-shape like they usually are, this was a full-on triangle, which was a nice shake-up. What I especially liked was that liking two different people was never a huge issue for Auggie, aside from the vampire part. The vampire part was also done very well, and I'll be using Jude, one of the love interests, as an example: normally, the immortal character feels very old and worldly, but Jude definitely read like a teenager, albeit one who was perhaps a little fed up of the whole 'living for ages' thing.
The plot is a great balance of straightforward movement from point A to point B and twists. I was on the edge of my seat/bed for a significant portion of the book, because the stakes were kept high enough to be engaging while also not being off-putting, and the plot was unpredictable enough to maintain the suspense. It was also a really interesting take on the 'higher power coming to Earth to rule over all' trope, especially with the origin of the Corrupter and the connection he had with the vampires. I never felt overwhelmed by the levels of detail present, and it read very smoothly, though there were one or two lulls in the pacing that felt odd.
Roehrig also uses flashbacks and cutscenes incredibly well. A lot of the suspense was built up through these flashbacks, which act as both background and foreshadowing to what will begin to happen. The tone of the writing shifting slightly between Auggie's narration and the narration in the flashbacks worked really well, and the addition of these scenes contributed really well to the development of the plot.
Whether you're looking for a new take on vampire fiction or a fun contemporary fantasy read, The Fell of Dark delivers. It's clearly written with love, and I think it's a book that a lot of readers will love too. I had a blast reading it, and especially loved all the little twists and plot points, because they made the story much richer as a whole. A wonderful book, and I look forward to rereading it already.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Auggie is a very relatable main character. He's kind of confused for a chunk of the book, but it's a very understandable situation to be confused in. He's got a strong voice and a distinct personality, making him an enjoyable POV to follow, and he definitely felt like the main character of the story. He was also a very interesting combination of Chosen One, reluctant hero, and conduit for the antagonist, which was really cool to read about, and even though he was all these things he was also very much still Auggie. Now, my main point of aggravation with this book is actually Auggie's age, and know that I'm speaking as someone who was a sixteen year old not that long ago. There's a little bit of a disjunction between his age and the things he does, and while this wasn't a huge problem, it did kind of disrupt my reading at times.
There's also a wide range of side characters, from Adriana, Auggie's best friend, and her crush Hope, to Daphne, Auggie's maths tutor, and the various vampires. It never felt like there were too many characters to keep track of, especially since they were all quite different, and while I wish we had seen more of certain characters (Hope, specifically, and also Adriana's grandmother Ximena), that wouldn't have worked out with the plot. They all had roles in the book, not just for the plot but also for themselves. There are some really interesting vampire characters too, highlighting how even though they're separate from humans, they're not all the same, which was a really cool concept.
There are some major players in the game, aside from the Corrupter. From leagues of humans who've been hunting vampires for centuries, to multiple conflicting vampire organisations, there are a lot of sides to be on. Because of this, there's an interesting dynamic of not quite knowing who you think is right, or who is actually out to destroy the world. While not necessarily a plot point, this functions really well as a plot driver, and adds a lot of suspense. It also really helps deepen the storyline, without becoming overly complicated, and overall adds a lot to the book.
Without going into spoiler territory, the main relationship plot involves a love triangle, which I'm not usually a huge fan of, but I felt like it was written really well. Instead of being a love A-shape like they usually are, this was a full-on triangle, which was a nice shake-up. What I especially liked was that liking two different people was never a huge issue for Auggie, aside from the vampire part. The vampire part was also done very well, and I'll be using Jude, one of the love interests, as an example: normally, the immortal character feels very old and worldly, but Jude definitely read like a teenager, albeit one who was perhaps a little fed up of the whole 'living for ages' thing.
The plot is a great balance of straightforward movement from point A to point B and twists. I was on the edge of my seat/bed for a significant portion of the book, because the stakes were kept high enough to be engaging while also not being off-putting, and the plot was unpredictable enough to maintain the suspense. It was also a really interesting take on the 'higher power coming to Earth to rule over all' trope, especially with the origin of the Corrupter and the connection he had with the vampires. I never felt overwhelmed by the levels of detail present, and it read very smoothly, though there were one or two lulls in the pacing that felt odd.
Roehrig also uses flashbacks and cutscenes incredibly well. A lot of the suspense was built up through these flashbacks, which act as both background and foreshadowing to what will begin to happen. The tone of the writing shifting slightly between Auggie's narration and the narration in the flashbacks worked really well, and the addition of these scenes contributed really well to the development of the plot.
Whether you're looking for a new take on vampire fiction or a fun contemporary fantasy read, The Fell of Dark delivers. It's clearly written with love, and I think it's a book that a lot of readers will love too. I had a blast reading it, and especially loved all the little twists and plot points, because they made the story much richer as a whole. A wonderful book, and I look forward to rereading it already.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
christajls's review
4.0
Super fun vampire romp. Never takes itself too seriously and has great characters and twists.
paragraphsandpages's review
4.0
This book would've been 5 stars if it had not been for the ending and the misrepresented idea I had going into this book (this was kinda sold as a paranormal romance and the only way I can see that being true is if this had been a series (meaning there was more potential romance to come) or had there been more space given to it here).
This story is very much a hardcore vampire book, it's got lore, politics, cult, history, etc. It's got so much more depth than some other vampires I've read, and it's in general really well done here. There're explanations for every aspect of vampire existence and co-existence with humans. By the end, we know how they appeared, the politics and hierarchies that govern them, how they generally interact with humans (with some exceptions), the motivations of different factions of vampires, etc. etc. etc. This world had so much depth and I genuinely enjoyed how well built this world was. I can see more stories taking place in this world easily. I also generally liked the plot itself, the mystery behind it, and I don't have any issues there at all!
I also really liked the characters for the entirety of the book. August/Auggie was a great MC, if a bit too horny at times, and I loved the love interests, August's friends, and the other side characters that they meet along the story. I also loved how queer this story was, and we got some really great m/m AND f/f rep in this book. This lead to a story that was overall fun to read, and I loved the jokes August made, his view of the world, and how he accepted/used/etc. his fate as chosen one.
There's literally no reason for this book to be 4 stars except for how frustrated the ending to the romance storylines left me. Honestly, if I were rating this book based on that alone, I'd give it a 2 or a 3. There was so much constant build-up, slow burn, etc., and it just never really went anywhere? The entire book was also so horny, so it was even weirder then that the romance ended with It's all I can seem to remember when I think back on the book now, my frustration and disappointment.
All in all, I did enjoy this, even if that enjoyment was severely impacted by the ending of the romance. I loved (loved!!) everything else, which honestly makes it even more frustrating to be fair. I'll still be giving other books of Roehrig's a chance, but I'm still always going to think of what this could've been.
This story is very much a hardcore vampire book, it's got lore, politics, cult, history, etc. It's got so much more depth than some other vampires I've read, and it's in general really well done here. There're explanations for every aspect of vampire existence and co-existence with humans. By the end, we know how they appeared, the politics and hierarchies that govern them, how they generally interact with humans (with some exceptions), the motivations of different factions of vampires, etc. etc. etc. This world had so much depth and I genuinely enjoyed how well built this world was. I can see more stories taking place in this world easily. I also generally liked the plot itself, the mystery behind it, and I don't have any issues there at all!
I also really liked the characters for the entirety of the book. August/Auggie was a great MC, if a bit too horny at times, and I loved the love interests, August's friends, and the other side characters that they meet along the story. I also loved how queer this story was, and we got some really great m/m AND f/f rep in this book. This lead to a story that was overall fun to read, and I loved the jokes August made, his view of the world, and how he accepted/used/etc. his fate as chosen one.
There's literally no reason for this book to be 4 stars except for how frustrated the ending to the romance storylines left me. Honestly, if I were rating this book based on that alone, I'd give it a 2 or a 3. There was so much constant build-up, slow burn, etc., and it just never really went anywhere? The entire book was also so horny, so it was even weirder then that the romance ended with
Spoiler
one LI just being like 'oh the other LI left without a goodbye? yea that's just how he is. he'll be back at some point' followed by him also just... leaving. All that ended up happening was a few first kisses between each other and a scene where both guys drank August's blood at the same time (which, yes, was insanely horny but also was far from a resolution to the romance). They just make a blood oath, save the world while almost dying, and then that's it for them? The romance just somehow is gone after the blood drinking scene and it was so jarring and frustrating.All in all, I did enjoy this, even if that enjoyment was severely impacted by the ending of the romance. I loved (loved!!) everything else, which honestly makes it even more frustrating to be fair. I'll still be giving other books of Roehrig's a chance, but I'm still always going to think of what this could've been.
rebidstricky00's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
bronwynheeley's review
4.0
3.5 stars
I liked the characters a lot, especially August, Jude and Gunner and for the first quarter the story had me holding onto the book hard. at one point i even need to know how it ended and then more pages went by and it just dragged right up to an action packed ending.
about 150 pages in it just got boring. the same thing happened over and over again but with different groups until I had to talk myself into finishing it. the whole: "oh wait here's another explanation of what we want from the whole thing, and you, and no we don't give a shit about you--your not even really a factor in our minds" had the book dragging, from about the third time it happened, or "Here why we lied/we had to keep it secret." just became redundant and I just stopped caring.
overall I enjoyed it and I'd def pick up something else from this world, hell I'd pick up a sequel. he's got to be what he's meant to be right? but I also wouldn't be disappointed if this was it. I'm satisfied at the end and that's all that really matter.
*my apologies if this barely makes sense, I'm really shit at not spoiling things and making sense while i wanna talk about the spoilers.
I liked the characters a lot, especially August, Jude and Gunner and for the first quarter the story had me holding onto the book hard. at one point i even need to know how it ended and then more pages went by and it just dragged right up to an action packed ending.
about 150 pages in it just got boring. the same thing happened over and over again but with different groups until I had to talk myself into finishing it. the whole: "oh wait here's another explanation of what we want from the whole thing, and you, and no we don't give a shit about you--your not even really a factor in our minds" had the book dragging, from about the third time it happened, or "Here why we lied/we had to keep it secret." just became redundant and I just stopped caring.
overall I enjoyed it and I'd def pick up something else from this world, hell I'd pick up a sequel. he's got to be what he's meant to be right? but I also wouldn't be disappointed if this was it. I'm satisfied at the end and that's all that really matter.
*my apologies if this barely makes sense, I'm really shit at not spoiling things and making sense while i wanna talk about the spoilers.