Courtney Maguire
Auteur van Bloodlaced
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Fotografie: Author picture from their page at NineStar Press - https://ninestarpress.com/authors/courtney-maguire/
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Werken van Courtney Maguire
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Algemene kennis
- Gangbare naam
- Maguire, Courtney
- Beroepen
- author
writer - Korte biografie
- Courtney Maguire is a University of Texas graduate from Corpus Christi, Texas. Drawn to Austin by a voracious appetite for music, she spent most of her young adult life in dark, divey venues nursing a love for the sublimely weird. A self-proclaimed fangirl with a press pass, she combined her love of music and writing as the primary contributor for Japanese music and culture blog, Project: Lixx, interviewing Japanese rock and roll icons and providing live event coverage for appearances across the country. Her first novel, Wounded Martyr, is a 2019 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in the Contemporary Romance: Short Category.
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Deze bespreking is geschreven voor LibraryThing Vroege Recensenten.A very enjoyable read if you love dark romance tales what it really means to be human.
The main characters, Hiro and Hideyoshi, are youkai (vampire like immortal monsters). While not hiding their monstrous actions, the story paints them in a almost human like light, as though they are still clinging to that very edge of humanity not quite ready to fully give into their darker side. It’s beautiful to watch them grow and change throughout the story, seeing just how close to the edge they can get without falling over.
While this book in the series could, theoretically, stand on its own, I do suggest reading the previous books first. Many details of the setting, time, and the youkai are easier to understand when added to those described in the earlier book.
All in all, it was a very good read full of dark twists and turns that really leave you wanting more…
… (meer)
The main characters, Hiro and Hideyoshi, are youkai (vampire like immortal monsters). While not hiding their monstrous actions, the story paints them in a almost human like light, as though they are still clinging to that very edge of humanity not quite ready to fully give into their darker side. It’s beautiful to watch them grow and change throughout the story, seeing just how close to the edge they can get without falling over.
While this book in the series could, theoretically, stand on its own, I do suggest reading the previous books first. Many details of the setting, time, and the youkai are easier to understand when added to those described in the earlier book.
All in all, it was a very good read full of dark twists and turns that really leave you wanting more…
… (meer)
Deze bespreking is geschreven voor LibraryThing Vroege Recensenten.This was, by far, the most emotionally intense book of the series so far. I'm pleased with how the arc progressed and "finished" and now, so help me.. with that epilogue.. I don't know how to survive until the next book. Courtney Maguire has a reader for life in me. I'm 100% addicted.
Deze bespreking is geschreven voor LibraryThing Vroege Recensenten.When the man Hiro loves dies, he is taken back home by his creator/master/lover, Hide, whether he’s ready to go back home or not. But Hiro’s grief is overwhelming, and despite ten years apart, nothing has changed with Hide. Oh, and Hiro and Hide happen to be youkai—Japanese monsters that are exceptionally Western vampire-like in this story.
Okay. Wow. So, first, I missed that this was book three of the series, not book 1, so that changes things a little for me. First, as someone who hasn’t read the previous books, I’m sure there were things I missed, but I didn’t feel like I was missing things. This book—other than the epilogue—felt very self-contained. This could have been a standalone novel and I’d have been quite satisfied with that. I am interested to what the previous books were about now!
Anyway, I wasn’t quite sure about this book at first—the first chapter in particular felt a little overwrought—but it settled into an interesting story within a few chapters. The story weaves together grief of loss, vampires (ahem, youkai), and a frayed love relationship with a couple people who desperately need to learn how to communicate with each other. The story is told, bouncing back and forth from the ‘now’ of 2004 to the past of 1993, and then even further past, building our understanding of what is happening and why it is happening.
There are two complaints I have over the book. First, though they’re called youkai, they’re vampires. There didn’t really seem to be anything particularly Japanese about their monster race. Secondly, there were several Japanese phrases peppered in throughout the text. While some of it seemed appropriate to me, particular cultural terms or set phrases that while could be translated don’t actually have a direct translation into English. But several times things were given in Japanese when they really didn’t need to be. Sayounara has a perfectly good English translation of “Goodbye.”
But even with these couple complaints, I found the story engaging and the characters while flawed—and frustrating!—interesting and sympathetic. I wanted to smack them upsides their heads while also wrapping them up in blankets and telling them it would be okay. And also, friggin talk to each other properly!… (meer)
Okay. Wow. So, first, I missed that this was book three of the series, not book 1, so that changes things a little for me. First, as someone who hasn’t read the previous books, I’m sure there were things I missed, but I didn’t feel like I was missing things. This book—other than the epilogue—felt very self-contained. This could have been a standalone novel and I’d have been quite satisfied with that. I am interested to what the previous books were about now!
Anyway, I wasn’t quite sure about this book at first—the first chapter in particular felt a little overwrought—but it settled into an interesting story within a few chapters. The story weaves together grief of loss, vampires (ahem, youkai), and a frayed love relationship with a couple people who desperately need to learn how to communicate with each other. The story is told, bouncing back and forth from the ‘now’ of 2004 to the past of 1993, and then even further past, building our understanding of what is happening and why it is happening.
There are two complaints I have over the book. First, though they’re called youkai, they’re vampires. There didn’t really seem to be anything particularly Japanese about their monster race. Secondly, there were several Japanese phrases peppered in throughout the text. While some of it seemed appropriate to me, particular cultural terms or set phrases that while could be translated don’t actually have a direct translation into English. But several times things were given in Japanese when they really didn’t need to be. Sayounara has a perfectly good English translation of “Goodbye.”
But even with these couple complaints, I found the story engaging and the characters while flawed—and frustrating!—interesting and sympathetic. I wanted to smack them upsides their heads while also wrapping them up in blankets and telling them it would be okay. And also, friggin talk to each other properly!… (meer)
Lijsten
Prijzen
Statistieken
- Werken
- 5
- Leden
- 27
- Populariteit
- #483,027
- Waardering
- 3.9
- Besprekingen
- 9
- ISBNs
- 8
Thank you to BBNYA for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!
Asagi is neither man nor woman. Sold into slavery, they are subjected to emotional and physical abuse. And when one master is done, they are sold to another to repeat the cycle. When one such household leaves Asagi in charge of a young boy, they do all they can to protect him. But the inevitable happens and Asagi is torn away from the boy to be sold to another house. Guilt and heartache plague them. Pain becomes the only solace in their life, the only thing able to ground them. When the new household shows even the smallest kindness, Asagi is hesitant to believe it is possible. Surely it is some new way to torment them? Asagi will soon learn, while the master may indeed be kind, there is an underlying darkness that compels him to do so.
Asagi’s character is tragic and complex. The amount of abuse they have endured is heartbreaking. Watching the evolution of Asagi’s trauma and battle to overcome it will keep readers entranced. They are so frightened by human interaction. When Asagi begins to form connections with people they are such fragile relationships that take time to develop and grow. And even at their strongest points, the past haunts Asagi making them doubt every good thing in their life. Not to mention the confusion of trying to form relationships with people when for so long Asagi was seen as only a slave.
Bloodlaced is a dark and emotional read. An extra depth was added to the writing as readers will often feel as confused as Asagi when they try to understand their feelings of love. Asagi believed love was beyond them and when they begin to feel different kinds of love the messages seem to become mixed. There are times when the expected social interactions become skewed with other kinds of love. Then add in the element of vampirism and it mixes up the emotional drives.
Vampirism in this novel takes the form of a youkai. And while the lore around this particular youkai is limited, it makes a large impact on the story. Many of the characters' choices will be determined by the effects of the youkai and haunted pasts. And while vampirism is the perfect catalyst for many of the plot points, a stronger foundation in the lore would have added to the worldbuilding.
Bloodlaced is by no means a light read and will not be suitable for all readers. There is no shying away from the brutality characters endure. The depth of emotional and physical torment bestowed on Asagi will not be easy for readers to experience.… (meer)