Book Review: Heart of the Reaper

 


The post on IG that started the read. This review was not requested. I read it on KU.


This was posted by author  @amdavis on her IG feed, and I was intrigued. I had never heard of this author or read any of her stuff before so I reached out to the author that made the post to find out the name of the book with such intense warnings. 


Some authors called it a marketing ploy, well it worked, I read the book and discovered a new author in the process. Earlier in the week another author mentioned people should try reading a book outside of their normal genre and comfort zone. Challenge accepted.

In preparation I strapped on my mental protection helmet, my invisible Kevlar jacket to protect my heart and packed a parachute if it was too much for me and stepped off the precipice of safe reads and free fell into the abyss.  

My lovelies, it was so worth the journey.


First off, I am not going to go over the trigger warnings,  they are clearly defined in the picture above. So without any more delay let's meet the characters.


Reese - this story starts in her very young youth, she is a complex culmination of her received atrocities,  darkness and experiences, yet she is mind numbingly fierce in her own right with a smidgen of innocence weaved throughout. 

Beheraa (Bear) - he is her hooded monster, her comfort, her demon, her heartbreak, her savior, he has been with her from early on in a distanced manner. His meager understanding of the human realm beyond his job is refreshing, and sometimes hilarious portrayed. His journey figuring out his feelings are... let's say erratic. 

Reese's parents- A prime example of why some people should never be allowed to procreate.

There are a few lesser demons and sprites that play minimal yet integral roles that make for some side splitting humor.

Quasi: Her unusual pet is something else. I mean that just as I've written it. You will love him.

Mister Clyde: Her ward. Thank you for getting the nuances of this character right. He is a handful. I was able to connect to this part of the story on a few levels.

There are a few other characters but you need to meet them for yourself. 






My two cents:

The characters are excellent creations in this author's hands. I was immersed and consumed by this book and spit out when it finished with me in a nice HEE (happily ever eternal)

This book yalll!  

This was a recommended read. I thought I have read some dark stuff, but nope. This book was total lights out darkness and hilarious and I had all kinds of feels. The courtesy warning is a necessary. I devoured this book and stayed up late to finish it. I laughed out loud at the crazy descriptions, the outright, outlandish and ridiculous sprites and lesser demons along with her monster's naivete at times, but when he said 'I'd burn worlds for you'. I was so there for that. 

This was the best dark craziest shit I have read in a long time. I even felt a little guilty reading this. But my damaged parts connected to this writing. Like I don't know if I would feel comfortable in a room alone with this author with this kind of amazingly scary, dark imagination.  Kind of how I used to feel about Steven King. 

I am ashamed to say I loved how insanely f'd up this book is in the best of ways. From the first few lines, I  was hooked. Awesome read. Just an amazing story. You marinate in it after you read it. You may also need a shower. Just wow! Some of the descriptive narrative you have to read more than once because the words are so perfect and the balance of humor was spot on. Mind blown. 

If you can stomach the darkness, I recommend this read.


Rating: 5 spyglass read

🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎


My favorite line: There is another line I loved but you only get this one for free.

"I'd burn worlds for you." 



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