Reading · Aber Stoat News

By Corina De Armas for Aber Stoat Books

Rating: 7 out of 10

Spice Level: 1 out of 5

Cover: B+

Audiobook Narration: N/A

A romantasy of fatal love and dangerous bargains.

Maddox has always been different—gifted with “the sight.” But her childhood shatters when her parents are brutally murdered by dryads in the woods. Raised in the foster care system, she struggles to navigate adulthood after aging out, burdened by Type 1 diabetes and the weight of survival without a steady job. When her best friend moves to San Francisco, Maddox feels more isolated than ever. Clinging to her late father’s journal, she uncovers a dangerous path: seek out the Dryad Queen and strike a bargain to cure her illness. In exchange, she must kill the Redwood’s Golden King.

Armed with determination and a dagger, Maddox enters the dryads’ realm—only to make a fatal mistake. She targets the wrong man: Castor, the Cursed Prince. Handsome yet doomed, Castor is bound by his own desperate pact—make a mortal fall in love with him by solstice or remain cursed forever. Castor decides to make Maddox fall in love with him as revenge for her assignation attempt. Maddox and Castor soon discover that neither is the villain they imagined. What begins as vengeance and survival spirals into a tangled web of betrayal, desire, and fate.

This story captivates from the very first page and held my attention through to the last. The ending leaves readers with an enticing teaser, opening the door for a potential sequel—a prospect that feels exciting, as we’re eager to see what Maddox and Castor will face in their new circumstances.

The supporting characters shine just as brightly as the leads; the deep affection Tam and Fern show for Maddox and Castor is heartfelt and endearing. Additionally, the narrative offers an insightful and authentic portrayal of the daily challenges faced by someone living with Type 1 diabetes, adding a layer of realism and empathy that enriches the story

At certain points, the narrative felt somewhat repetitive, which slowed the pacing in places. Additionally, readers who enjoy romantic tension may find themselves wishing for more “spicy” or intimate scenes to deepen the emotional and romantic stakes between Maddox and Castor.

I enjoyed this so much, I wish I could’ve lived as one of the flowers at the Mageste. (7/10)

“Soft hearts beg for blades.”
His hand moves up to cup the back of my neck. Gentle. Delicate. Monsters aren’t supposed to be delicate.
“Why would a king be jealous of a cursed prince who kills everyone who loves him?” “Because people do love him. They love him so much they’re willing to die for him. Can you say the same?”
Murder is hard. Murdering someone you enjoy kissing is much harder.
I press my lips to her forehead, whispering, “Only a monster would find someone like me lovable.”
His hands that can push darkness into living things if he wants them to—the hands people fear. The hands that have only ever touched me with the utmost gentleness.
Never trust a fucking dryad. Here I was thinking that I was the bitch, the liar, the con man. All the while, Castor and I were playing a game of cards. Forget the king or queen; I am the joker.
“Then which of us is the kettle and which is the pot?” “Neither. I am the dagger, and you are the disease,” Maddox says hotly. “I am the axe, and you are the poison. We were a doomed combination from the start.”

Tropes

Enemies to Lovers
Cursed
Orphan Hero
Human & Fae
Secret Identity

Trigger Warnings

Murder
Death
Grief/loss
Needles
Captivity

Thank you to Melody Robinette, Putnam Publishing, and NetGalley. I received advance review copies for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Aber Stoat Books (print)

Bookshop.org (eBook)

Libro.fm (audiobook) 🎧

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These Vile Hearts is Robinette’s traditional publishing debut.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

ISBN: 9798217178384

400 pages

A delightfully wicked, fizzy debut romantasy--an enemies to lovers tale about a desperate mortal woman and a cursed fae prince
Maddox Sinclair has run out of options. No job means no health insurance --a death sentence for a type one diabetic like herself. She flees to the forest to make a desperate deal with a dryad queen: kill the Redwood King and be cured of the illness that threatens her life.
In the redwood treetops, Prince Castor, is cursed-- anyone who loves him is doomed to die. Like Maddox, he has made an equally unwise pact with his brother, the Redwood King: get a mortal to fall in love with him by solstice and be free of his curse forever.
When Maddox mistakes Castor for the king, sparks fly and troubles ensue. Each must decide what is more important--survival and freedom, or the love they (kind of, almost) feel in their traitorous, vile hearts.
Darkly funny and brimming with magic, These Vile Hearts by Melody Robinette manages to be both wicked and warm, beguiling and moving--a richly woven story of survival and fate.

Author Bio:

Melody Robinette is a speculative fiction author with a love of all things gothic and macabre. Born and raised in Texas, she now lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and their two cats. When she isn't reading, writing, or checking her blood sugar app, she can be found playing D&D, binge-watching Love Island, or fawning over her feline son Edgar Allan Poe Tato.

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Book Review: These Vile Hearts by Melody Robinette

Tropes

Trigger Warnings

Author Bio:

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