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”The common room was crowded with people watching CNN, but Parker didn’t care about whatever protI’m on BookTube now! You can find my channel here! =)
”The common room was crowded with people watching CNN, but Parker didn’t care about whatever protest or riot or whatever-the-fuck was happening. He probably should, but he had way too much reading to do, especially after wasting time at that meeting.”
And this, my friends, is exactly how you miss the approaching apocalypse! *lol* To be fair Parker had just gotten a C-minus in a course he thought he could half-ass his way through and his mind obviously was occupied with other things. Of course this was going to bite him in his ass, almost literally, when he discovered that there were actual and real zombies running towards him when he was on his way to his next class on campus. Thankfully, the very same TA who gave him that horrible grade happened to be in his vicinity when the attacks started and actually saved his life. And this is how it all begins!
Parker shook his head. “But why would you stay with me? I’m a loser. I never do things right, and I’ll slow you down. You’re so fast. How are you so fast?” “You’re not a loser. You’re annoying as hell sometimes, but you’re brave, and you care about people.”
I never knew I needed a book like this in my life but here we are and I’m not mad about it! I stumbled upon “Kick at the Darkness” when I was scrolling through my goodreads feed and whoever liked it and brought it to my attention: I owe you big time, because this was amazing! When I read the blurb and realized that this book is the m/m love child of “The Walking Dead” meets “Werewolves” I knew I had to get my greedy and very grabby hands on a copy of this story! And let me tell you this: It was the best impulse buy ever! I read this book in less than 24 hours and it was worth every second I spent with it! Parker and Adam were so good for each other and even though there wasn’t a lot of world building (we’re basically in America as it is right now only infested with zombies) this was one hell of a fun ride! Quite literally because Adam and Parker make their way through creepers infested America on the back of a motorbike. What’s not to love about that?!
"Parker went to use the toilet, which felt like absolute luxury. He wanted to cry when it flushed."
Also even though this was fiction, there were so many things the reader would be able to relate to if they’d end up being in the same situation. Like the fact that the internet collapsed, there is almost no news on how everything is going in other parts of the country, and some people are starting to get hostile and violent while others try to save humanity as good as possible. It’s mayhem and our two boys are trying to survive it while they make their way to Cape Cod in the hopes to find Parker’s parents. I personally found it very fascinating how the author managed to keep the overall plot light enough the reader was hooked, but still managed to address serious topics. It’s a balancing act not everyone is able to pull off, but Keira Andrews managed to do it just fine.
”Most creatures can’t survive decapitation.” “Right. So swords would be good. Where do swords come from? Like, who sells swords in the twenty-first century? It’s probably all online. Does Amazon Prime still deliver in the apocalypse?”
Another thing I really appreciated about this book was the humour! Like seriously, Parker was hilarious and I loved his inner monologue and the things he just blurted out whenever he was unable to keep his thoughts inside of his head. For me Parker was extremely relatable and I absolutely loved him for being like that! No filter, sometimes painfully honest but always so very human and wearing his heart on his sleeve. I felt with him whenever they came across other people and tried to help them as good as possible. His weakness for chips and “salty goodness” as he called it was literally me! *lol* And I probably would have cried about the luxury of having a flushing toilet and a functioning shower too. XD I’m not even kidding, I spent parts of my youth in tents without running water, let alone sanitary facilities so I know what I’m talking about. ;-)
”I don’t want to drool on you again,” he mumbled. “It’s such bad manners. My mother would be shocked and appalled. She’d be shappalled.” As he faded away, he heard the soft rumble of Adam’s laughter.
See what I’m talking about? This is me. *lol* I’d invent a new word like “shappalled” as well. Ask my family, they had to get used to many new words over the years. (I swear someday they’ll make it into the dictionary, just you wait. ;-P) Anyway! Let’s get to the elephant in the room and finally discuss the amazing budding relationship between Parker and Adam. They started off on the wrong foot and Parker wasn’t exactly nice to Adam when he confronted him about his C-minus, and this is me putting it mildly. Yet, Adam still saved him and they started to grow on each other while they tried to find out what happened. I absolutely loved their chemistry and how they went from strangers holding a grudge to friends and ended up being lovers that went through thick and thin together.
"But Adam tugged him back between his legs and wrapped his arms over Parker's chest. His breath was warm on Parker's ear. "Sleep." Despite everything, Parker felt safe.
If you’re fighting for your life in a global zombie apocalypse you definitely want to have a man like Adam next to you. The way he always found Parker and cared about him when he was coming down with the flu (literally the worst time to have a flu ever!!!) was so damn endearing and soft! The shift from friends to lovers was very realistic as well and I’m not gonna lie, I whooped when I reached the 40% mark of the book and things finally started to develop! There were small signs throughout the entire book but for all the m/m romance lovers among you who like their steamy scenes: They don’t happen until about 40% into the book, and then it’s a lot of very steamy scenes up until about 65% or so before things quiet down a little bit again. Just to give y’all a heads-up without spoiling anything. ;-)
"He thought of Adam, who had annoyed him so much when they met. Adam, who had saved him again and again. Adam, who was so brave and beautiful and generous and patient, and who he'd just woken up beside. Adam, who'd kisses him like he couldn't get enough."
Those two were just perfect for each other! Even though it didn’t seem like it at the beginning of the book. Also they were both great characters that had to deal with their individual issues while everything they knew crumbled around them. Parker is very insecure because his older brother is the golden child of the family and he always felt somewhat inferior to him and Adam had his own kind of demons to fight while they made their way through the country. My heart broke for him, the more we found out about his past, and near the ending there came a moment when all I wanted to do was to wrap him in a blanket and take care of him the same way he did for Parker all this time. I loved Parker even more for doing that for Adam instead.
”Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” Adam was warm and breathing and alive, and Parker soaked it in with a kind of need he’d never felt. After a few heartbeats, Adam hugged him back. For a minute, they simply held each other close, the water beating down. They were safe in their little cocoon, the rest of the world fading away.”
Their soft moments were the death of me. Don’t get me wrong, I love myself some steamy scenes every once in a while (and we get plenty of those too!), but what I really live and breath for are those little, infinitesimal moments that made their connection so precious. The way Adam was always able to calm Parker down, how their very different characters complemented one another, how they moved heaven and hell to get the other out of trouble and back to safety whenever the shit hit the fan. The apocalypse might have caused them to get to know each other but they fell in love all of their own.
The girls edged away, eyeing him uneasily, and Parker recognizes there was a tinge of hysteria to his giggles. Yet he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Then Adam was there, standing right against him, his palm cupping Parker’s cheek. “In and out.” His breath was warm on Parker’s face, and Parker closed his eyes, leaning into him for a moment. He opened his eyes and looked into Adam’s. “Okay. I’m good. Sorry. I won’t freak out.”
There was some depth to this story I honestly didn’t expect. Not considering the fact this is legit pegged as a smutty book about werewolves and the zombie apocalypse! Yet here I am and I loved every second of it. I can’t believe this book has been out in the world since 2015 and I only just discovered it now! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this little gem that was truly the perfect blend of three of my favourite genres! I wish there would be more books like this one out in the world and I can’t wait to pick up book two, because I already know it’s going to be even more epic than the first one!
“You know what the best decision I ever made was?” Holding his breath, Parker shook his head. “Giving an entitled freshman who didn’t try hard enough a C-minus.” Parker’s head was suddenly light, and he gripped Adam’s hand.
Conclusion:
I think I already said it all but I’ll say it again: I loved this with every fibre of my heart and I gobbled it up like nobody’s business! The mere fact I read this in less than 24 hours should speak for itself! If you love werewolves, zombies and steamy m/m romances you can’t go wrong. And if you’re a frequent reader of Wattpad or of fanfics on AO3, even better for you! You’ll have a field day reading this one! “Kick at the Darkness” was extremely suspenseful as well and Adam’s and Parker’s relationship never failed to hit me in the feels! I loved them, I loved this, I want more! ;-)
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Okay, y’all! Jury’s in and this book was … A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! <3 Like seriously! I gobbled this up like nobody’s business and Parker and Adam were such a cute couple! Loved those two! Also it took a while until things got steamy and I appreciated that. Someone said this sounds like a story on AO3 or Wattpad and well, yeah! But I’m definitely not mad about it. *lol*
Full RTC soon-ish! I absolutely loved this and can’t wait to read book two. XD ____________________________
No, but this sounds like such a perfect read!!! Like I mean “Wolfsong” meets “The Walking Dead”?! How am I supposed not to buy this? Werewolves and zombies are both things I love to read about. Or watch on TV for that matter. ARGH!! Impulse buy for real! *lol*
Like I just… my finger won’t stop. It needs to click on that buy button. Oopsie. It happened.
Oh, well. If I already have the book I might start reading it, right? *lol*
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I swear this duology is so good! I loved literally everything about this second book as well! TheI’m on BookTube now! You can find my channel here! =)
I swear this duology is so good! I loved literally everything about this second book as well! The ending, though! My heart!!! This is definitely among my favourite series now. <3 I really wish I could read even more books that play in this world.
Full RTC soon! I need to recover from the book hangover this series left me with first! XD ____________________________
I wanted to read this book ever since I finished “This Savage Song” last year, but I never had the time to tackle my review for the first book so I kinda procrastinated up until now. Well, I still didn’t write my review for the first book but I’ll go for “Our Dark Duet” now because I just need to know what’s going to happen next. The suspense is killing me way more than not having written a review. So I’m going to read this. Period. (Kindly ignore all the currently reading books on my shelves. They will get less. I hope? *lol*)
August and Kate, I’m coming. <3 It’s time to return to Verity and its monsters. Are you ready?
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I LOVED this book with every fibre of my being. It was so damn good! And Benji and Nick! I swear I’m on BookTube now! You can find my channel here! =)
I LOVED this book with every fibre of my being. It was so damn good! And Benji and Nick! I swear Benji was the most relatable character ever and some things he thought I felt in my bones! The LGBTQIA+ reps and autism rep were awesome! Just everything about this book was amazing! <333 I need to write a proper review and I want, no scratch that, I NEED this book on my personal bookshelves! So damn good!
Full RTC soon! ______________________________
Is it Halloween yet?! No? Okay, but I’m still going to read this because I’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of “Hell Followed With Us”! The entire plot just sounds super intriguing and I’m in love with the idea of this story. I mean the apocalypse, demons, a trans and an autistic MC and an LGBTQIA+ center right smack in the middle of everything?! I need this in my life!
This would be a perfect read for the readathon I’m hosting in October (#Rainboween) but I can’t wait any longer. Well, at least I’ll hopefully be able to recommend it to other readers. Please be as good as I think you’ll be.
”Governments didn’t have to listen to the people until the people made it hurt not to listen.”
The backlog of reviews I still have tI’m on BookTube! =)
”Governments didn’t have to listen to the people until the people made it hurt not to listen.”
The backlog of reviews I still have to write is no joke; I mean I finished this book in May and only managed to sit down and write my review now. Regardless of my review backlog I really wanted to write about “The Fever King” though because WOW, this book deserves a proper review! I wanted to read this book for ages and it always reappeared on my feed with people raving about it. So I was intrigued enough by the plot to put it on my TBR and when I discovered that my library actually had a copy, I couldn’t help but borrow it! And let me tell you this: I regret absolutely nothing!
This was amazing and legit one of the best books I read in 2022 so far! I didn’t expect to fall head over heels for this story and its characters but at some point I realized that all my thoughts revolved around this book and that it stayed with me even when I didn’t read it. And this even though the story line is nothing new. I mean, people with special abilities is a trope that’s been used very often in YA literature. One of the main differences in here is the fact that those abilities come with a virus that either kills the people it infects or grants them special powers if they survive. That concept alone was already very intriguing and definitely made this an interesting story to read. What really made this special were the characters though.
So many secrets, so much political intrigue, such interesting and complex characters and two very broken boys that tried their best to survive in a cruel world. I just loved everything about it. Noam and Dara were just wow! I love it when books make me think and cause me to feel conflicted about the characters and this was exactly what happened in here. I had no idea which side I was on and this was great. XD Anyway, before I accidentally spoil anything I’ll just head to my characters section and continue to rave over there. ;-)
The characters:
Welcome to Carolinia! Where manipulation thrives and political intrigues are a daily occurrence! Take care and beware not only of the virus but also of all the spoilers! They’ll get you when you least expect it! ;-P
Noam Álvaro :
”And I meant it when I said I wasn't gay," Noam said. Ames looked disbelieving, but she didn't pull away. Noam smirked. "Bisexual isn't gay."
Where to start with Noam?! I really liked his character and it was interesting to follow his POV. I felt the same confusion Noam did when it came to Dara’s and Lehrer’s relationship and I tried really hard to understand it. There are so many things Noam isn’t aware of and we get to experience everything through his eyes. I felt really sorry for him though because he tries his best to find his way in a world that hasn’t been kind to him and as a refugee and the son of undocumented immigrants his life has never been easy. Well, and then his father dies and Noam is basically an orphan with super powers he has no control over. I swear Noam is the embodiment of a lost boy and I really liked his character. Also can we appreciate that he’s openly bisexual and calls people out when they assume his sexuality?! XD I really loved that about him because despite all the things he’s been through he knows exactly who he is and where he stands and this is pretty amazing! =)
”Everything worth doing had its risks. And sometimes you had to do the wrong thing to achieve something better. Noam was willing to gamble with Lehrer’s persuasion if it meant securing a future for Atlantians. What kind of person would he be if he didn’t?”
Dara Shirazi:
"Dara's eyes were black wells, pupils bleeding into iris. "You can study all you want," he said softly. "It isn't going to make a difference."
Oh Dara, my beautiful, beautiful Dara!!! T_T My heart breaks just thinking of him and I can’t even fathom what he must have gone through all his life. His character was written so well and you know that something about him is off but you can’t exactly pinpoint it and you keep wondering until the end. And then BAM! Oh my! The more I read about his character the more I got on the right track but to actually read it and to have all my suspicions confirmed was an entirely different thing. Dara just tried to protect himself and Noam and he did it the only way he could. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and the ending had me reeling! I really need to know if he’s okay and if he survived and I’m planning to read book two very soon because I just can’t wait any longer! I’m very scared of what I’ll read in the next book though because I’m pretty certain we’ll get more details and uff... this is going to be tough. I just want to hug Dara and tell him everything is going to be okay. T_T
He hesitated for a moment, darting a quick glance at Noam from beneath his lashes. Then: “I’d like to live out on a farm somewhere. With a garden, and maybe some goats. Somewhere I can see the stars.”
”There was so much more to Dara than the cold, bitter facade he’d presented. He was that, too, but he was also Dara: the effortless genius, the political critic and poker cheat, the boy who analyzed everything he read according to poststructuralist theory and kept fresh flowers in a vase on his bedside table. Dara, who claimed he hated everything but secretly dreamed of counting the stars.”
Calix Lehrer:
”Clever?” Lehrer said. “So are you. And you’re curious, as I was. You’ve lost a great deal, as I had. And you believe, as I did, that if you are powerful enough, no one will ever be able to hurt you again.”
Lehrer.... THIS manipulative, horrible man!!! I always knew that something about him was weird and extremely off, but urgh nothing prepared me for the revelations at the ending of the book. Damn! Some part of me admires how well he crafted his net of lies and machinations and yes, I admit it, I can’t help but marvel at his manipulations as well! But boy! This man is so, so, so bad and everyone is dancing after his pipe even though they don’t know it. What a brilliant and manipulative son of a b*tch! I think Adalwolf was totally right when he said that Calix’s trauma did irreparable damage to his mind. He clearly has no regard for people’s lives anymore and he uses them like he’d use chess pieces to win a match. I hate him. I despise him. But I can’t help but be intrigued by him. ARGH!!! Thanks for making me a conflicted mess Victoria Lee! *lol* Still, I think in his twisted mind he thinks he’s actually doing the right thing and truly believes that he cares about Carolinia. The things that happened to him though... my heart broke for the little boy he was. T_T It was horrible and inhuman and those scientists created a monster...
”Adalwolf was of the belief,” Lehrer said, “that what I experienced in the hospital made me ill suited for leadership. He believed the trauma did irreparable damage to my mind.”
”Now, even though he occupied one of the most powerful positions in the world, Minister Lehrer could walk into the courtyard of the government complex utterly alone, without bodyguards, and not spare a thought for safety. He was untouchable, more myth than man. To look at Lehrer was to see a man who was everything Chancellor Sacha was not: Revolutionary. Principled. Witching.”
”I used my power on Sacha because he had to be stopped,” Lehrer said. “At any cost. I care about nothing as much as I care about this country. I was there when this nation was born, Noam, and like hell will I watch it die at the hands of a baseline.”
The relationships & ships:
Noam & Dara:
”What did Lehrer tell you?” “He said you were troubled and that I should stay away from you.” Dara's smile was bladed. He had Noam captured there as thoroughly as if he'd tied him down, because Noam couldn't imagine moving when Dara was looking at him like that.
My two soft boys!!! T_T I really loved them together! Even though they kinda made me mad! *lol* There was so much tension between them and so many little gestures, but they both didn’t know how to be close to each other because their entire life they always tried to protect themselves from harm. To see their struggle was so heart-breaking. They wanted to be together but at the same time they couldn’t. There was so much distrust between them and they felt so conflicted about their feelings. Noam as well as Dara were hurt in so many ways... two broken boys that tried their best to get through the day and then Lehrer added even more fuel to the fire by manipulating them both. This only made it even harder for them to understand and to trust each other. From Dara’s POV it must have been so heart-wrenching because he knew exactly what Lehrer was capable of but he just couldn’t do anything against it. >_< My poor boy!! Also: I can’t believe we went from “I love you.” to “I hate you and don’t care about you.” right to “I love you.” again! Phew! Their relationship was such a rollercoaster and I really hope it will have more consistency in the next book?! Gosh, I just hope Dara survived the virus! T_T
”There was no way to look without sliding off his armrest and moving into Dara’s space. But Dara seemed to want that. His hand caught Noam’s wrist and tugged him closer, until Noam was leaning over him with his free hand braced against the windowsill, Dara’s left thigh perilously close to Noam’s groin, and, fuck.”
”I know you. And I love you.” Two weeks ago, Noam would have been the happiest person in the world. Now those words were poison. Noam tasted venom like heat on his tongue. “So read my mind,” Noam said, brandishing a hand toward his own temple. “I believe you, Dara. I just don’t care.”
”He was crying, Noam realized. Dara was crying. Very carefully, Noam wrapped his arms around Dara’s body and just ... held him there, while both of Dara’s hands took fistfuls of his shirt and clung on tight. He was feverish hot; Noam could feel it even through the sweater Dara wore. It was like holding on to a live coal.”
”I know,” Noam said. He tried to grin, but it felt weak. He said, “I love you too.” and he grasped Dara’s face between both hands and kissed him on his shocked mouth. Dara didn’t resist. Dara didn’t say a word, even when Noam pushed him back and into the car and slammed the door shut behind him.
Noam & Lehrer:
”I can’t be anywhere near this. You know that,” Lehrer said, hand tightening slightly on Noam’s wrist. “It has to be you.”
URGH!!! I absolutely hate how Lehrer manipulated Noam. We get to see everything through Noam’s POV and it was so ... I dunno. Disgusting to read about how Lehrer found a way into his mind and nudged his thoughts in the “right direction”. I felt so violated just reading about it and I don’t even want to know how Noam feels. Lehrer’s power... it’s horrible and the worst thing is that you only realize it very slowly. A little thought here and a small seed there and before I even knew it Noam and his thoughts were completely manipulated by him. Nothing he did at the ending was of his own will and I hated this so much!! ARGH!! Lehrer is such a cruel piece of ... ! The only thing that was truly Noam was when he saved Dara and organized a transport for him. The rest... well it was all Lehrer and considering how much he hurt Dara and manipulated him I don’t even want to know what he’s going to do with Noam in the next book. T_T I’m afraid I’ll be in for a world of suffering and pain. >_< Or well, Noam will be and I’ll live through it alongside him.
Dara & Lehrer:
Dara, sick with fevermadness, his hands on Noam’s face. Saying, “You have to listen to me.” Over and over. Lehrer, pulling Dara away like it was easy. Dara screaming. Don’t let them and Please and Noam’s name, like someone praying the Shema.
This scene broke my heart into tiny little pieces! Noam was the only good thing that ever happened to Dara and Lehrer made sure to take him away from him as well. My poor boy! Dara was so ill and weak and he couldn’t even fight him. Did I already mention that I hate what Lehrer did to Dara?! I always got bad vibes from Lehrer and he failed my vibe check the moment I read about him. What finally settled it was that disturbing scene with the dead bird though. After that I was totally on guard when it came to Lehrer. And the abuse Dara suffered from Lehrer... It wasn’t just physically but also mentally and I have no idea how he could live like that for so long. No one ever noticed and it’s just so horrible. To think that Lehrer should have been his guardian and parent – a person he could trust and rely on - and what he did instead. And we only just discovered the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure there’s so much more to come in the next book and I really don’t think I’m ready for it.
Conclusion:
I rarely say this about books but “The Fever King” was really such a well thought-out book. The characters were multi-layered and complex and the storyline kept me on my toes. All the intrigues and secrets caused me to constantly rethink and readjust my theories and thoughts and the love story between the two MCs broke my heart. I guess you can already tell that this was definitely a 5 star read for me. Highly recommended if you’re like me and appreciate character driven books that feature political intrigues and give you a headache because you’re trying your best to figure out the MCs motives. ;-) I can’t wait to dive into book two, but I gotta admit I’m kinda scared of reading it too.
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This book was such a surprise! I got so addicted to "The Fever King", you have no idea! This was amazing! Political intrigue, a slow-burn m/m romance, broken boys, difficult topics and all in a dystopian setting with people that have superpowers because they survived a virus. Loved every second of it and I still think of Dara and Noam. My two complicated and precious boys! <333
Full review to come! I need to do this book justice!
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Okay, so this is finally going to happen! I pre-ordered this from my library and I need to read it in the next 1,5 weeks because otherwise I have to return it unread. But I wanted to read this so badly for years so I’m going to do this! NOW.
Wish me luck! I really hope this will live up to my expectations. XD
I had no idea that I need this book in my life until I stumbled upon the synopsis. Dang! That sounds so intriguing! My gay romance radar went on autopilot and my inner queer faerie is slaphappy! *lol* Guess that's what you call a win-win situation. XD...more
Virginia Ronan
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dystopia
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