The Mistress & The Renowned by Alexis Rune

I read THE MAIDEN & THE UNSEEN pretty quickly but I plowed through this one in less than twenty-four hours. TM&TU was a low-stakes spicy romantasy featuring Hades and Persephone, but TM&TR ups the ante a lot, with very real stakes, intense character and relationship development, and a cliffhanger that feels mean.

I said in my previous review that this feels like a Greek gods version of ACOTAR (but better) and I stand by that in this book. Especially with how Hades and Persephone grew. They had instant sexual chemistry in the first book but in this one, they navigate their past hurts and try to set boundaries with each other in a way that felt both healthy and believable for their relationship.

This book didn't have as many lolzy moments as the first book because it was more serious in nature, but Persephone nicknaming Cerberus "Berry" and refusing to do it with Hades while he's watching was gold. Also loved the interactions between them and the other Greek gods (and some cameos from other pantheons!) and how the relationship between Helios and Melinoe is going.

A lot of books get slower or weaker in book two but I'm pleased to report that there's not a hint of second book syndrome with THE MISTRESS & THE RENOWNED. Great job, gang.

3.5 out of 5 stars

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson

I'm honestly shocked that the ratings for A WOUNDED NAME are so low because for the right audience, I think this would be an instant favorite. I suspected I would like it from the beginning because I'm a sucker for literary retellings, and the absolutely stunning cover was promising gothic vibes that it 100% delivered on.

A WOUNDED NAME reminded me a lot of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet in the sense that it modernized the characters and setting, but kept its old-fashioned dialogue. Instead of being set in Denmark, in a cold and drafty castle, A WOUNDED NAME is set at a posh boarding school where the Danemark family serve as headmaster. After Hamlet Danemark passes, his brother, Claudius takes over and marries his late-wife, Gertrude.

Ophelia is the daughter of the Dean of Curriculum, who serves as the headmaster's righthand man. She lives in the school year-round, even during summer, which is how she's grown so close with her brother Laertes's friends, Horatio... and Dane, Hamlet's son. 

I saw a lot of reviews claiming that this book romanticized an abusive relationship but I don't think that's true. It's pretty clear in the subtext that both Ophelia and Dane are behaving destructively. Ophelia is mentally ill and has been institutionalized because she claims she can see the bean sidhe like her mother (and, like the ghosts, it's never fully certain whether what she sees are imaginary or not). She hates taking pills and Dane later encourages her not to, as he pretends to be mentally ill himself to confound and trick his and Ophelia's father figures (which begs the question: if he's that good at pretending, is it an act?).

The writing in this was so good and the toxic relationship between Dane and Ophelia was as compelling as it was repulsive. Portraying him as a manic theater kid with privileged rich boy energy was perfect, and Ophelia's naivete, desperation, and insanity were perfectly done. A WOUNDED NAME is not a happy story, but then, neither was the original, and I think if you enjoy a well-written dark academia with heavy gothic themes and a pastiche style retelling that goes for big and bold, like Baz, you'll love this.

I regret putting off reading this for so long. It was incredible and does not have nearly as many ratings as it deserves.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Maiden & The Unseen by Alexis Rune

I was having a terrible mental health day and THE MAIDEN AND THE UNSEEN was exactly what I needed. Low-stakes Hades x Persephone smut with an office romance twist. That said, the sequel is a lot darker in tone-- I actually liked it more because of that, and how these authors expanded their relationship, but the tones are so different. This one almost feels like a romcom at times. There are moments I don't think I'll ever forget, like Hades using his shadow powers to finger Persephone at a night club, or coming all over her fancy designer sweater and then trying to fix it with DETERGENT.

Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune have a unique take on the appearance of Hades and Persephone as well, as they both have wings and horns. In fact, Hades is a lot like a bat boy (although I like him much better than Rhysand). The inclusion of side characters not often seen in the Greek pantheon was super fun, too. Minthe, as always, is a vindictive bitch, but I loved the pairing of Melinoe with Helios.

If you just read ACOTAR and want something that's slightly more condensed and has better chemistry and more smut, check these books out. This is actually what I was hoping ACOTAR would be for me, so I am delighted.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Lord of Bones by Aiden Pierce

LORD OF BONES has been chilling on my Kindle for a long time, waiting for when I got back into dark fantasy romance. Which was interesting because this was neither as dark nor as fantastical as I thought it would be. It opens up in the real world with the heroine, Rayven, robbing a grave. She's a professional grave robber in the 21st century, because apparently people are still making like it's ancient Egypt and burying themselves with their jewels. Inheritance who? Don't ask questions.

Anyway, one day, Rayven and her boyfriend rob the wrong tomb: it's the tomb of a woman who was once the unwilling consort of the Lord of Bones, a demon of the underworld who guides souls throughout the various levels (above and below). He's furious to see his ex-consort's tomb violated-- only HE is allowed to do that-- and as punishment, he kills her boyfriend and drags her down to hell to punish as he sees fit. Except he's a little too attracted to her so the punishments are sexy punishments.

However, remembering how his consort tried to get away from him (TW: unaliving herself in creative and horrific ways), he decides to give Rayven a sporting chance. If she can escape from his labyrinth and survive all the horrors in there, he will set her free. But in the meantime, there's lots of degrading and creatively painful sex to be had, so let the games begin.

This is like a very spicy cross between Beauty and the Beast and Labyrinth. I saw another reviewer saying that it feels like Labyrinth fanfiction at times and I could definitely see that: the moving hands in the walls, the oubliette, the time limit to solve the labyrinth, etc. There's also definite Beauty and the Beast elements too, as the skeleton daddy is a little possessive of his fruit trees and he has talking objects in his castle (including a teapot, although this one is no Mrs. Potts). The demonic hierarchy and humiliation sex reminded me of Harley Laroux's work, although I don't think I've ever seen a book where the hero banged the heroine with a wine bottle so he could "drink" her. When I posted about that on Bluesky, I had two people IMMEDIATELY ask me for the title. (Which I happily provided upon request.)

I honestly haven't come close to finding a book that reminded me of my Quizilla years as much as this one did. The alt-goth heroine, the compelling silliness of the plot, the smutty homages to cult classics, and the "I hope my mom doesn't see me reading this" vibes of the outrageous sex scenes gave me flashbacks to being fourteen and staying up until 5am reading Lestat smut on my laptop. I regretted nothing then and I regret nothing now. Will I read more of the series? Probably. It ends on a cliffhanger and the hero had a lot of character development. I have to see what happens at that sinister party with his brothers.

3 out of 5 stars

Serpentine Valentine by Giana Darling

SERPENTINE VALENTINE was an impulse read but I enjoyed it so much more than I ever thought I would. At its core, it is a dark sapphic romance and a revenge story, but it is also so much more than that. It has brilliant commentary on Greek mythology and classic literature, and its also a savagely vicious tale for women who have been hurt or thwarted in their pursuit of justice.

Lex is a scholarship student at Acheron University and brilliant. When one of her professors reaches out to her, she thinks it's as a friend and mentor. But then he rapes her brutally on Halloween night and the college dean sides with the professor in the interest of preserving her own reputation and the school's, leaving Lex to recover alone.

Rather than leaving, Lex forces the school to keep her on as a student with the assistance of a lawyer and, with the help of her friends, starts a vigilante group to punish the boys on campus who are benefiting from the institutional sexism of the university. But that's not enough: she wants to punish the professor and the dean. And it just so happens that the dean's young and virginal daughter is a student at the school.

SERPENTINE VALENTINE is a retelling of the Medusa myth and I thought that Giana Darling did a great job of this. But I also liked how the romance itself was so intense and surprisingly sweet. Even though Lex originally wants to destroy Luna, they end up being a healing presence for one another, making each other into stronger, better people. And like, yeah, sometimes they're a little toxic, but M/F dark romance is like that too, so if you want that, but sapphic, this your book.

The only thing I couldn't get on board with was Lex telling Luna that she tasted like pasta water "down there" when she was trying to seduce her. I'm sorry but that's not sexy. I use that to water my plants.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

DNF @ 12%

I really did not like this at all. The writing style was perfectly fine and I thought the author had some really interesting commentary on modern art (which was part of the reason I bought this book!), but none of the characters were particularly interesting and I didn't care about any of them at all. I can forgive unlikable-- but not dull.

2 out of 5 stars

The Maid's Secret by Anita Zara

I got THE MAID'S SECRET during one of those Stuff Your Kindle events and while it's not what I normally read, I actually enjoyed it. This is an erotic novella about a young woman named Artemisia working as a maid for a wealthy woman living in Voltaire Manor: her name is Viola and she has a butler named Florian. Both are incredibly attractive and they're also fucking, so when Artemisia isn't tending to her mistress, she's obsessing over her fellow residents and watching them like a panicky bisexual voyeur, which was very entertaining.

I haven't read a lot of tentacle romance and usually it's not pleasant for me, but Anita Zara did a good job making it believably sexy. Still not my kink, but she made it work on-page. I feel like selling the mechanics of monster romance is probably one of the hardest parts. There's also a bit of a mystery atmosphere to the book, although I don't think I would actually call it a gothic, even though the author is branding it that way. There's not really enough atmosphere or suspense to really give it that haunting, creepy gothic vibe.

Speaking of branding, I am VERY confused on the "dark academia vibes" the author included in the summary, because this was not that at all. And I only bring it up because the dark academia girlies can be ruthless about upholding their aesthetic. This does not take place at a university or school, there are no studies, and none of the characters are professiorial. The most academic thing any of the characters does is sneak an extended look at a work of Japanese tentacle erotica. I have to figure that when the author says "dark academia vibes," she actually means that the book has a British uppercrust Victoriana aesthetic, which is true, but perhaps less snappy for marketing purposes.

If you're a monster romance fan and enjoy a short story that offers distinct vibes up along with the sex, you'll like THE MAID'S SECRET. It delivered on the sapphic pining, has surprisingly sensual monster sex, includes voyeurism and polyamory (two tropes I don't think I've seen in monsterotica yet), and has a fun and interesting take on aquatic monsters. I'd check out more from this author. Her Carmilla retelling looks excellent.

3 out of 5 stars