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babysquidd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mormor4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ssmith_34's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jennbzreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
4.0
caroline1022's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ishouldreadthat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
bibi_reads_writes's review against another edition
4.0
“Love gone sour is still love.”
3.75⭐ rounded up to 4. I found this book and the voice actor captivating, but felt like it didn’t quite live up to its full potential, especially when it comes to character development and consistency.
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
❤️ Stunning prose and poetry
❤️ Lush Gothic atmosphere with dark academia vibes
❤️ Tension and forbidden romances
❌ Hard-to-like characters
❌ Lack of character consistency
❌ Predictable ending
Plot:
Laura is a timid, religious small-town girl who secretly enjoys erotic literature. Carmilla is a confident and enigmatic European aspiring poet. They meet during a poetry seminar and soon become rivals, competing for the attention and favour of their beautiful and demanding professor, De Lafontaine. All three women have their own dark obsessions, and Laura will soon discover that Carmilla and De Lafontaine are not only tangled up in a toxic, forbidden relationship, but also that they keep dangerous secrets.
Despite this book feeling atmosphere- and aesthetic-driven, the plot was still riveting. There’s a lot of tension, forbidden romance, obsession, love and betrayal, danger, slightly shocking spice, a secret society, and more. I was a little disappointed by how predictable the ending was, however.
Characters:
There isn’t a single character that I could say I liked or felt I could relate to. I didn’t hate them, but I simply couldn’t connect. I also thought that Laura was the only consistent character, whereas Carmilla and De Lafontaine’s characters went through drastic and dubious changes mid-story. I would have liked to see more development and consistency, which would probably have made the rivals-to-lovers trope a little smoother and more believable.
Writing:
This novel was my introduction to Gibson’s writing, and I was impressed. Her prose is elegant and evocative, with smooth dialogues and vivid descriptions. I was never a fan of anything that includes blood drinking, but the writing made it seem so sensual it was almost enticing.
Also, I didn’t find any typos, and that made me happy. In this “fast literature” era, it’s not often that we come across novels when literary rigour was applied. *sighs with relief*
To conclude, here’s another quote I absolutely loved:
“She looked, I realized a little breathlessly, like a holy icon cast in gold. I wanted to fall at her feet and worship her. I wanted to desecrate her in every filthy manner I could imagine. I wanted all of her, in every way all at once.”
3.75⭐ rounded up to 4. I found this book and the voice actor captivating, but felt like it didn’t quite live up to its full potential, especially when it comes to character development and consistency.
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.
❤️ Stunning prose and poetry
❤️ Lush Gothic atmosphere with dark academia vibes
❤️ Tension and forbidden romances
❌ Hard-to-like characters
❌ Lack of character consistency
❌ Predictable ending
Plot:
Laura is a timid, religious small-town girl who secretly enjoys erotic literature. Carmilla is a confident and enigmatic European aspiring poet. They meet during a poetry seminar and soon become rivals, competing for the attention and favour of their beautiful and demanding professor, De Lafontaine. All three women have their own dark obsessions, and Laura will soon discover that Carmilla and De Lafontaine are not only tangled up in a toxic, forbidden relationship, but also that they keep dangerous secrets.
Despite this book feeling atmosphere- and aesthetic-driven, the plot was still riveting. There’s a lot of tension, forbidden romance, obsession, love and betrayal, danger, slightly shocking spice, a secret society, and more. I was a little disappointed by how predictable the ending was, however.
Characters:
There isn’t a single character that I could say I liked or felt I could relate to. I didn’t hate them, but I simply couldn’t connect. I also thought that Laura was the only consistent character, whereas Carmilla and De Lafontaine’s characters went through drastic and dubious changes mid-story. I would have liked to see more development and consistency, which would probably have made the rivals-to-lovers trope a little smoother and more believable.
Writing:
This novel was my introduction to Gibson’s writing, and I was impressed. Her prose is elegant and evocative, with smooth dialogues and vivid descriptions. I was never a fan of anything that includes blood drinking, but the writing made it seem so sensual it was almost enticing.
Also, I didn’t find any typos, and that made me happy. In this “fast literature” era, it’s not often that we come across novels when literary rigour was applied. *sighs with relief*
To conclude, here’s another quote I absolutely loved:
“She looked, I realized a little breathlessly, like a holy icon cast in gold. I wanted to fall at her feet and worship her. I wanted to desecrate her in every filthy manner I could imagine. I wanted all of her, in every way all at once.”