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The Teras Threat #1
The Teras Trials
Teras ravage England. Only London is safe.
In an England where monsters have spilled into the world out of myth, only London is magically protected from the monstrous threat. The University runs the city, allowing family of graduate Hunters, Healers, Scholars, and Artificers to live behind the wards.
Cassius Jones is nineteen and ready for the University. But when a bad year for the teras threat is projected, the University opens its admissions to anyone in England, behind the wards or otherwise, and suddenly the Jones' place in London is no longer secure. Cassius must contend with every other student vying for a place, and the darkest secrets of his society, whilst also balancing a tenuous interest in another boy.
Burr's debut is the first book in a dark fantasy series that challenges the nature of academia and the integrity of morality.
In an England where monsters have spilled into the world out of myth, only London is magically protected from the monstrous threat. The University runs the city, allowing family of graduate Hunters, Healers, Scholars, and Artificers to live behind the wards.
Cassius Jones is nineteen and ready for the University. But when a bad year for the teras threat is projected, the University opens its admissions to anyone in England, behind the wards or otherwise, and suddenly the Jones' place in London is no longer secure. Cassius must contend with every other student vying for a place, and the darkest secrets of his society, whilst also balancing a tenuous interest in another boy.
Burr's debut is the first book in a dark fantasy series that challenges the nature of academia and the integrity of morality.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2024
164 people are currently reading
5160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
August 6, 2024
I think the best way I can describe this book is that it’s like “Hell Followed With Us” meets “The Hunger Games.” And it’s gruesome, the writing is very detailed in all its descriptions of scenery and gore. Whenever you think something might be getting better it takes a turn for the very worst. The world building is spectacular, just the detail behind every monster and trial is amazing. And all of those components fit together to make this gem of a book. I think the author did a great job writing Cassius, his inner thoughts, describing not only the battle he faces in the trials but also the battle brewing in his head. And his relationship with Leo as he tries so hard not to fall for him since he thinks they are only using each other as a distraction from the horrors of the trials. You get to witness all of the characters change, numbing their emotions till even their eyes dont betray anything. There is supposed to be another book following this one and honestly I’m scared to read it but also a little excited to see where this haunting story goes.
June 4, 2025
This book fucked me up in the best way possible. It was truly dark, gruesome and ruthless and I find myself loving it for the punches it didn't pull.
Set in an alternate low fantasy version of England, the world is overrun with bloodthirsty monsters of legend called Teras' and the only place that offers a semblance of safety is behind the fortified walls of London. Due to resource scarcity only the Hunters trained to kill the monsters and their families are able to live within the safety of the city walls and the only way to be admitted to the University is by way of successfully passing the annual trials set to allow for the new admission of students.
After the sudden and violent death of his Hunter brother, Cassius Jones, must enter the trials to save himself and his parents from being evicted to their inevitable deaths. However, the trails are far more brutal and deadly than Cass possibly could have anticipated.
In most dark fantasy books I would normally talk about how all of the bleak hopelessness and violence of the story is offset by the inherent goodness of the characters and that the core of hope that they possess would allow for the triumph of good in their trails and tribulations....JOKES ON ME! NOT FUCKING HERE!. I found myself so impressed with how unflinchingly this story stared down the depressing and bleak reality that this world was set in and said "yes, it really is that bad, and the people in it will act accordingly".
There is a queer romance that features within this story, however, I would not encourage people to pick this up for the purpose of the romance itself. I loved the dynamic between Cass and Leo because it tries to genuinely tackle the nature of a sexual relationship formed within a life or death situation. Would this relationship exist outside of a mutual need for each other to continue to survive? Is it genuine or a strategy of manipulation? Will it lead to my death? Does it ultimately matter? Cass and Leo are true morally grey characters, who have to grapple with what it means to be truly ruthless and their relationship has me invested hook, line and sinker.
I'm not normally someone who cares for religious overtones in my fantasies but I thought the way that Burr incorporated their own struggles with faith and religious guilt into Cass to be an interesting dimension to his character. Also, as promised in the social media advertising for the book, they do indeed fuck in a confessional lol.
This book made its way onto my radar initially with the original cover art, however I am SO GLAD that the author commissioned this gorgeously talented artist to do covers for all three books, as they do so much more justice to the atmosphere of this story and these characters. The artist completed a small book trailer as well that can be found on their socials and I was so deeply charmed by the dark vibes and atmosphere of it and fell in love immediately (clown.saint on insta).
A dark academia story set amongst deadly trials featuring monsters of Greek mythology should feel like well trodden and tired ground, but, after finding my feet in this world, I thought that this was a refreshing spin and am glad to have the luxury of binging the whole trilogy at once.
Set in an alternate low fantasy version of England, the world is overrun with bloodthirsty monsters of legend called Teras' and the only place that offers a semblance of safety is behind the fortified walls of London. Due to resource scarcity only the Hunters trained to kill the monsters and their families are able to live within the safety of the city walls and the only way to be admitted to the University is by way of successfully passing the annual trials set to allow for the new admission of students.
After the sudden and violent death of his Hunter brother, Cassius Jones, must enter the trials to save himself and his parents from being evicted to their inevitable deaths. However, the trails are far more brutal and deadly than Cass possibly could have anticipated.
In most dark fantasy books I would normally talk about how all of the bleak hopelessness and violence of the story is offset by the inherent goodness of the characters and that the core of hope that they possess would allow for the triumph of good in their trails and tribulations....JOKES ON ME! NOT FUCKING HERE!. I found myself so impressed with how unflinchingly this story stared down the depressing and bleak reality that this world was set in and said "yes, it really is that bad, and the people in it will act accordingly".
There is a queer romance that features within this story, however, I would not encourage people to pick this up for the purpose of the romance itself. I loved the dynamic between Cass and Leo because it tries to genuinely tackle the nature of a sexual relationship formed within a life or death situation. Would this relationship exist outside of a mutual need for each other to continue to survive? Is it genuine or a strategy of manipulation? Will it lead to my death? Does it ultimately matter? Cass and Leo are true morally grey characters, who have to grapple with what it means to be truly ruthless and their relationship has me invested hook, line and sinker.
I'm not normally someone who cares for religious overtones in my fantasies but I thought the way that Burr incorporated their own struggles with faith and religious guilt into Cass to be an interesting dimension to his character. Also, as promised in the social media advertising for the book, they do indeed fuck in a confessional lol.
This book made its way onto my radar initially with the original cover art, however I am SO GLAD that the author commissioned this gorgeously talented artist to do covers for all three books, as they do so much more justice to the atmosphere of this story and these characters. The artist completed a small book trailer as well that can be found on their socials and I was so deeply charmed by the dark vibes and atmosphere of it and fell in love immediately (clown.saint on insta).
A dark academia story set amongst deadly trials featuring monsters of Greek mythology should feel like well trodden and tired ground, but, after finding my feet in this world, I thought that this was a refreshing spin and am glad to have the luxury of binging the whole trilogy at once.
July 6, 2025
Okay, so I read this a long time ago, didn't like it, met some people who loved it SO MUCH that I felt pressured into convincing/gaslighting myself that I liked it....
So I've read it again to REmake my opinions for a second time, and I have gone withhhhhhhhhhh.... SADLY, I just didn't like it that much??? It's not bad, it just didn't hit as deep as I wanted it to.
Don't get me wrong, parts of this slapped SO HARD. Especially between 70%-90%....The over arching idea is so fucking fantastic, but the execution lacked depth and complexity in the character development for me somehow? It felt like more effort was put into speaking latin and the monsters than the humans i'm supposed to be rooting for.
In the beninging, there is ALOT of "I did this, I did that, I felt this, I saw this, I went here, I don't know".... SO MANY I'S FR. And it really put a dampener on my enjoyment really early on in the book.
I know it's first person but DAYYUM, there are other ways to start a sentence.
TO BE FAIR THOUGH, I feel that this lessens in the second 50% of the book, and the writing style is way more satisfying in the second half, but I feel like I half checked out by then.
There are also parts where it feels like Cassius is weirdly narrating his own life?
Instead of just being the main character with thoughts??
He talks to the reader at some point too which felt odd. Why? What person are we in?
(Why are there so many inner thoughts in brackets? like this?)
I am confuzzled. WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO???
0-70% - Odd pacing, lowkey boring, world set up, tedious to read, noticible inconsistencies, unlimited cigarette supply in a world where everything is sparce af, trouble understanding what time period it's supposed to be set in, awfully unlikable side characters that the MC doesn't even care about.... so why would I care about them?
70-90% - PHENOMENAL, INTERESTING, THE FUCKING MONSTERS omg, DEATH CHAOS & DESTRUCTION, CHURCH SEX🥵🥵🥵🥵, GORY, INTENSE, WRITING ON POINT, SCARY MONSTERS, HOLY FUCKING SHIT WOW, OMG I FINALLY UNDERSTAND 10% OF IF LEO/CASSIUS EVEN LIKE EACHOTHER AND WHY...
90-100% - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend my pain and be over already (but am interested enough in what's going to happen to read book 2)
And I don't know why this annoys me so much, but there are scenes where like people would be making a face, or clenching or doing some kind of physical action... like it was supposed to trigger my understanding of what the fuck was going on in that moment.... meanwhile i'm over here like
This is a sad day that I didn't like this.
I expected to and i'm sorry 😔😔😔
So I've read it again to REmake my opinions for a second time, and I have gone withhhhhhhhhhh.... SADLY, I just didn't like it that much??? It's not bad, it just didn't hit as deep as I wanted it to.
Don't get me wrong, parts of this slapped SO HARD. Especially between 70%-90%....The over arching idea is so fucking fantastic, but the execution lacked depth and complexity in the character development for me somehow? It felt like more effort was put into speaking latin and the monsters than the humans i'm supposed to be rooting for.
In the beninging, there is ALOT of "I did this, I did that, I felt this, I saw this, I went here, I don't know".... SO MANY I'S FR. And it really put a dampener on my enjoyment really early on in the book.
I know it's first person but DAYYUM, there are other ways to start a sentence.
TO BE FAIR THOUGH, I feel that this lessens in the second 50% of the book, and the writing style is way more satisfying in the second half, but I feel like I half checked out by then.
There are also parts where it feels like Cassius is weirdly narrating his own life?
Instead of just being the main character with thoughts??
He talks to the reader at some point too which felt odd. Why? What person are we in?
(Why are there so many inner thoughts in brackets? like this?)
I am confuzzled. WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO???
0-70% - Odd pacing, lowkey boring, world set up, tedious to read, noticible inconsistencies, unlimited cigarette supply in a world where everything is sparce af, trouble understanding what time period it's supposed to be set in, awfully unlikable side characters that the MC doesn't even care about.... so why would I care about them?
70-90% - PHENOMENAL, INTERESTING, THE FUCKING MONSTERS omg, DEATH CHAOS & DESTRUCTION, CHURCH SEX🥵🥵🥵🥵, GORY, INTENSE, WRITING ON POINT, SCARY MONSTERS, HOLY FUCKING SHIT WOW, OMG I FINALLY UNDERSTAND 10% OF IF LEO/CASSIUS EVEN LIKE EACHOTHER AND WHY...
90-100% - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend my pain and be over already (but am interested enough in what's going to happen to read book 2)
And I don't know why this annoys me so much, but there are scenes where like people would be making a face, or clenching or doing some kind of physical action... like it was supposed to trigger my understanding of what the fuck was going on in that moment.... meanwhile i'm over here like
This is a sad day that I didn't like this.
I expected to and i'm sorry 😔😔😔
September 18, 2023
“But this is a church – there are crosses. There is a priest. No devil can lurk here, can it? I squeeze my eyes shut and beg for God. Then I open my eyes and I’m at prayer before this beast of Satan.“
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)
An enamored and vacuous review starts with the next sentence. #notsorry
Oh wow. Oh fucking wow.
I am in love. I LOVE this book. Love Cassius, Leo, Fred, and all the others; hate so many of them. I love Lucien Burr’s writing style and love (loathe) this world I was introduced to. A story that has been told a thousand times by the basic concept (school) and yet is different, peculiar, cruel, and captivating.
I am so fucking in love.
I love the horror that lurks around every corner - on every new page. I love all the intrigue, cruelty, pitting each other against each other and not being able to trust each other.
Love that double-edged sword of religion and how it tears you apart and how myths have been reborn in this world. (And in a way that makes you wish they had stayed myths).
I love the hate and the despair and the lust and the love that no one wants and no one can have and yet everyone needs.
I love the few illustrations and the question of „for what“ and „why“ and „for whom“. I love the brokenness and the despair and this „I am a good Christian and I sin again and again“.
I love the uncertainty of what to expect next.
(The cover is not my cup of tea, but that’s okay - in the end it doesn’t matter for the story).
(DEUTSCH)
Verliebtes und nicht aussagekräftiges Review startet mit der nächsten Zeile. #notsorry
Oh wow. Oh fucking wow.
Ich bin verliebt. Ich LIEBE dieses Buch. Liebe Cassius und Leo und Fred und all die anderen; hasse so viele von ihnen. Ich liebe Lucien Burr’s Schreibstil und liebe (verabscheue) diese Welt, in die ich eintauchen durfte. Eine Geschichte, die vom Grundkonzept (Schule) tausendmal erzählt wurde und dennoch anders und eigen und grausam und so fesselnd ist.
Ich bin so fucking verliebt.
Ich liebe den Horror, der hinter jeder Ecke lauert – auf jeder neuen Seite. Ich liebe all die Intrigen, die Grausamkeit und das sich gegeneinander ausspielen und sich nicht vertrauen können.
Liebe dieses zweischneidige Schwert der Religion und wie es einen zerreißt und wie Mythen in dieser Welt wiedergeboren wurden. (Und zwar so, dass man sich wünschen würde, es wären Mythen geblieben.)
Ich liebe den Hass und die Verzweiflung und die Lust und die Liebe, die niemand will und niemand haben kann und doch jeder braucht.
Ich liebe die wenigen Illustrationen und die Frage nach dem „Wofür“ und „Warum“ und „für wen“. Ich liebe die Zerrissenheit und die Verzweiflung und dieses „Ich bin ein guter Christ und ich sündige wieder und wieder“.
Ich liebe die Ungewissheit, was uns als Nächstes erwarten wird.
(Das Cover ist nicht so meins, aber das ist okay – spielt es für den Inhalt am Ende doch keine Rolle.)
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)
An enamored and vacuous review starts with the next sentence. #notsorry
Oh wow. Oh fucking wow.
I am in love. I LOVE this book. Love Cassius, Leo, Fred, and all the others; hate so many of them. I love Lucien Burr’s writing style and love (loathe) this world I was introduced to. A story that has been told a thousand times by the basic concept (school) and yet is different, peculiar, cruel, and captivating.
I am so fucking in love.
I love the horror that lurks around every corner - on every new page. I love all the intrigue, cruelty, pitting each other against each other and not being able to trust each other.
Love that double-edged sword of religion and how it tears you apart and how myths have been reborn in this world. (And in a way that makes you wish they had stayed myths).
I love the hate and the despair and the lust and the love that no one wants and no one can have and yet everyone needs.
I love the few illustrations and the question of „for what“ and „why“ and „for whom“. I love the brokenness and the despair and this „I am a good Christian and I sin again and again“.
I love the uncertainty of what to expect next.
(The cover is not my cup of tea, but that’s okay - in the end it doesn’t matter for the story).
(DEUTSCH)
Verliebtes und nicht aussagekräftiges Review startet mit der nächsten Zeile. #notsorry
Oh wow. Oh fucking wow.
Ich bin verliebt. Ich LIEBE dieses Buch. Liebe Cassius und Leo und Fred und all die anderen; hasse so viele von ihnen. Ich liebe Lucien Burr’s Schreibstil und liebe (verabscheue) diese Welt, in die ich eintauchen durfte. Eine Geschichte, die vom Grundkonzept (Schule) tausendmal erzählt wurde und dennoch anders und eigen und grausam und so fesselnd ist.
Ich bin so fucking verliebt.
Ich liebe den Horror, der hinter jeder Ecke lauert – auf jeder neuen Seite. Ich liebe all die Intrigen, die Grausamkeit und das sich gegeneinander ausspielen und sich nicht vertrauen können.
Liebe dieses zweischneidige Schwert der Religion und wie es einen zerreißt und wie Mythen in dieser Welt wiedergeboren wurden. (Und zwar so, dass man sich wünschen würde, es wären Mythen geblieben.)
Ich liebe den Hass und die Verzweiflung und die Lust und die Liebe, die niemand will und niemand haben kann und doch jeder braucht.
Ich liebe die wenigen Illustrationen und die Frage nach dem „Wofür“ und „Warum“ und „für wen“. Ich liebe die Zerrissenheit und die Verzweiflung und dieses „Ich bin ein guter Christ und ich sündige wieder und wieder“.
Ich liebe die Ungewissheit, was uns als Nächstes erwarten wird.
(Das Cover ist nicht so meins, aber das ist okay – spielt es für den Inhalt am Ende doch keine Rolle.)
October 19, 2023
the real question is where did the MC get all of those cigarettes from?
October 3, 2023
“Perhaps I don’t feel guilt for what I do. Perhaps I feel guilty because it is expected.”
warning in advance for spoilers, just in case. i'll start by saying this book was fucking insane, and absolutely was not at all what i expected it to be. it was incredible.
i'm not a fantasy reader by any means, nor have i ever really enjoyed the genre, but this book had me hooked from the get-go. i read 230 pages in a couple hours.
i'm giving it five stars because the premise and execution was stellar, but i want to note that some of the writing was a little cloudy. there were some sentences that felt a little off to me— poorly worded, i guess. i enjoyed the story enough that i was able to easily brush those aside, though i know others might not be able to.
everything with cassius' relationship with his brother, and his dad, packed a punch. especially the flashback scenes.
and the confessional scene? yeah. if i wasn't already a big fan of blasphemy before, i definitely am now. i thought it was over, and then... it wasn't. there's something about the way the author portrays cass' bone-deep religious guilt. he's caught in the loop of sinning, immense guilt, and sinning again despite it all.
“So you’ve doomed him instead of yourself, I do not say. So you’ll damn me for sacrificing one to save many."
there's something about cassius that feels so real. people seem to have this understanding that even in hardship, that you will be good. no-one can be altruistic forever. you will eventually have to fend for yourself and be selfish.
cassius is a very complex character. more-so than i was expecting him to be. there were multiple times where my jaw dropped, especially at the last trial. (you know). genuinely, i was so shocked the author managed to slip that in, because in that moment, you are cassius. you've both forgotten about the deal that's been made.
this really was a really fucking good book. i wasn't expecting the guts and gore, which were a weirdly pleasant surprise. it added to the raw and violent imagery of what the characters were going through & made everything feel much more significant.
there's so much i want to say about this book, but it feels like i can't without spoiling all of it.
warning in advance for spoilers, just in case. i'll start by saying this book was fucking insane, and absolutely was not at all what i expected it to be. it was incredible.
i'm not a fantasy reader by any means, nor have i ever really enjoyed the genre, but this book had me hooked from the get-go. i read 230 pages in a couple hours.
i'm giving it five stars because the premise and execution was stellar, but i want to note that some of the writing was a little cloudy. there were some sentences that felt a little off to me— poorly worded, i guess. i enjoyed the story enough that i was able to easily brush those aside, though i know others might not be able to.
everything with cassius' relationship with his brother, and his dad, packed a punch. especially the flashback scenes.
and the confessional scene? yeah. if i wasn't already a big fan of blasphemy before, i definitely am now. i thought it was over, and then... it wasn't. there's something about the way the author portrays cass' bone-deep religious guilt. he's caught in the loop of sinning, immense guilt, and sinning again despite it all.
“So you’ve doomed him instead of yourself, I do not say. So you’ll damn me for sacrificing one to save many."
there's something about cassius that feels so real. people seem to have this understanding that even in hardship, that you will be good. no-one can be altruistic forever. you will eventually have to fend for yourself and be selfish.
cassius is a very complex character. more-so than i was expecting him to be. there were multiple times where my jaw dropped, especially at the last trial. (you know). genuinely, i was so shocked the author managed to slip that in, because in that moment, you are cassius. you've both forgotten about the deal that's been made.
this really was a really fucking good book. i wasn't expecting the guts and gore, which were a weirdly pleasant surprise. it added to the raw and violent imagery of what the characters were going through & made everything feel much more significant.
there's so much i want to say about this book, but it feels like i can't without spoiling all of it.
January 30, 2025
okay listen. not a bad book by any means. i’m just not the target audience.
i thought i would be! it has a lot of tropes i really enjoy (queerness, internalized homophobia because of religious values, body horror), or at least i was told that it would have a lot of these tropes. however! it really didn’t! i mean, besides the queerness. but cassius’s religious ideals were a bit understated? which i wasn’t expecting because so many reviews stated how deep his self hatred was? and sure! self hatred was consistent through the book, but i went into it with the wrong ideas i guess which could be my fault but who knows.
also, maybe it’s just because i read so much body horror, but this really didn’t strike me as being particularly nasty. i mean describing the tendons and the stringyness of the flesh and whatnot was cool, but that’s.. it? really not that bad or gross. maybe if you’re not used to reading horror i guess. once again, just overstated in other reviews.
i will add on that i’m just not a fantasy reader for the most part. at least not epic fantasy like these. i really prefer character driven stories and not world driven stories and unfortunately! this was a world driven story. no matter how much cassius liked to hate himself the entire book. so yeah. not the target audience i suppose.
characters:
i didn’t care about leo. i really didn’t. i don’t care about romantasy lovers and i don’t plan to find that in myself any time soon. ALSO?? THE FUCKING IN THE CHURCH IS SO OVER DONE AND IM SICK OF IT??? THAT IS NOT THE RELIGIOUS HATRED YOU THINK IT IS
i liked victoria. i guess. i mean she really wasn’t a character outside of being bellamy’s girlfriend. same thing with bellamy. he was victoria’s boyfriend and he was fucking annoying. and?? that’s it?
fred was cool. i liked her and silas’s sibling relationship, i really did. they ate that up and licked the plate. one of the few good things about this book.
but they killed one of the only good characters so. don’t care.
overall, i don’t care. i don’t feel disgusted by the book but i also don’t feel anything which is almost worse.
i thought i would be! it has a lot of tropes i really enjoy (queerness, internalized homophobia because of religious values, body horror), or at least i was told that it would have a lot of these tropes. however! it really didn’t! i mean, besides the queerness. but cassius’s religious ideals were a bit understated? which i wasn’t expecting because so many reviews stated how deep his self hatred was? and sure! self hatred was consistent through the book, but i went into it with the wrong ideas i guess which could be my fault but who knows.
also, maybe it’s just because i read so much body horror, but this really didn’t strike me as being particularly nasty. i mean describing the tendons and the stringyness of the flesh and whatnot was cool, but that’s.. it? really not that bad or gross. maybe if you’re not used to reading horror i guess. once again, just overstated in other reviews.
i will add on that i’m just not a fantasy reader for the most part. at least not epic fantasy like these. i really prefer character driven stories and not world driven stories and unfortunately! this was a world driven story. no matter how much cassius liked to hate himself the entire book. so yeah. not the target audience i suppose.
characters:
i didn’t care about leo. i really didn’t. i don’t care about romantasy lovers and i don’t plan to find that in myself any time soon. ALSO?? THE FUCKING IN THE CHURCH IS SO OVER DONE AND IM SICK OF IT??? THAT IS NOT THE RELIGIOUS HATRED YOU THINK IT IS
i liked victoria. i guess. i mean she really wasn’t a character outside of being bellamy’s girlfriend. same thing with bellamy. he was victoria’s boyfriend and he was fucking annoying. and?? that’s it?
fred was cool. i liked her and silas’s sibling relationship, i really did. they ate that up and licked the plate. one of the few good things about this book.
but they killed one of the only good characters so. don’t care.
overall, i don’t care. i don’t feel disgusted by the book but i also don’t feel anything which is almost worse.
October 19, 2023
3.5⭐️
realllly enjoyed the writing
realllly enjoyed the writing
September 7, 2023
OH MY GODDDDDDSDDDDD
(I’ll write a proper review later but this is my bible now )
(I’ll write a proper review later but this is my bible now )
August 10, 2023
I squeeze my eyes shut and beg for God. Then I open my eyes and I'm at prayer before this beast of Satan.
a very well-deserved 4.5 stars
I am on my knees begging goodreads to allow us .5 stars.
I received an ARC of The Teras Trials in exchange for an honest review.
Worldbuilding
Burr was able to create a dark, dystopian England, where monsters ravage England and safety is only found within London's city walls. You can earn your place of safety by entering the University and graduating one of four Mantles: Scholar, Healer, Hunter, or Artificer. Each one serves an important purpose. The most rare and most needed Mantle are Hunters who are trained to hunt and kill these monsters. These monsters called 'Teras' are taken from Roman and Greek mythology. So far it had been enough for one family member to graduate the University to secure the place in London, but due to the rising overpopulation, London wants to get rid of anyone who is 'more of a burden than help'. Therefore there is an Open Call for not only Londoners but also outsiders.
Plot
This book is narrated in first person by Cassius Jones. A snarky, smart, and traumatised teenager about to enter University. His family wasn't born in London, they only got a spot after Thaddeus got into University and graduated. Thaddeus is dead-set on Cassius choosing the Mantle Hunter, as if Cassius were to become a good Hunter, London couldn't afford the kick him and his family out. The admission trials are a well-guarded secret that nobody but the graduates know about. Cassius only knows that these trials changed his brother forever. We follow Cassius and his (not quite) friends as they try to get through the trials and make it out alive.
The ending, oh the ending had me at the edge of my seat. I need the second book. Right now.
Writing
I really loved the writing. Normally, I prefer third person but Burr managed to tell this story so intimately. Cassius' voice was exactly what this book needed. It was a perfect mix of cynicism, humor, and gutwrenching self-hatred and guilt. The choice to tell this story in first person was definitely the right one. The descent from Cassius Jones from a righteous compassionate man to a ruthless, deeply scarred man was... chef's kiss. And there were just a few sentences that just hit right. Burr definitely knows how to use words to invoke feelings, let them be positive or negative.
Characters
Cassius' physical and mental journey was very interesting. The guilt and self-hate were relatable, though not overbearingly or too depressing. He is definitely a likeable complex character with enough edges and a surprisingly high body count. What I loved most though, was his complicated relationship with his brother Thaddeus (because complex sibling relationships are my jam). This book does not shy away to paint characters in more than one colour. None of these characters are entirely good or entirely evil.
Another part of Cassius' journey was his internalised homophobia and self-hatred fuled by his religious belief. There were many parts that I could relate to and it was so heartbreaking.
Moving on to our first recruit of Cassius' group: Leo Shaw is a character that is easy to love but difficult to know. Somehow, Burr managed to convince me that I know him. I was a fool, because as Cassius said himself, we don't know him at all.
That made him all the more intruiging. Leo was the one who kept it together until the end, a few outbursts here and there, but overall he seemed the most stable. He doesn't talk about his family or his past. We do know that he doesn't shy away using people for his own advantage and even leaving people behind if it means he can save himself.
And he is unhinged. I'm not only talking about "I am ready to let our roommates die to save my own ass" unhinged, I am also talking about "let me give you a handjob in the confessional while I confess my sins to the priest" unhinged.
Thaddeus Jones is, at first glance, an apathetic, vicious, and violent older brother who is enjoying the position he holds in his family a little too much.
The little time we get to spend with Thaddeus and how the book uses him throughout the rest of this book was amazing. Specifically the last 'twist' we get does 'redeem' him a little more in my eyes. I am in love with what Burr did with these two characters.
The twins Fred and Silas Lin were winning me over with their sweet, sweet bond. The utter love they shared for each other. I wished, we would've seen more of them. Specifically Silas, who was more reserved and quiet most of the time. I grew fond of Fred especially over the last hundred pages or so.
Next one is Bellamy Taylor. Oh Bellamy... he's a tough one. He is a smug, arrogant Londoner with a hot temper.
It took some time getting used to him and I blame him that it took me almost half the book to warm up to Victoria. This book gives him two good memorable moments where I actually did feel for him.
Victoria Zaki is the last one of the group and was definitely tainted by my neutral stance on/my dislike of Bellamy. She was born outside of London as well, though she was able to adjust more to the life there as her family came to London when she was six. She wants to be a Healer.
One of Burr's strength is to create complex characters, not always likeable, but interesting. That includes characters like Peter Drike, the Dean, and a few side characters that we only meet briefly but who manage to pull you farther into this world.
Romance
This book is by no means a romance, more a book with a romance subplot. There are quite a few explicit/spicy scenes but the romance never takes the spotlight for too long. It wouldn't have made sense otherwise. Cassius knows what's at stake and the few scenes we do get are very good.
"Are you a godly man?"
He leans himself against one of the courtyard pillars. A little breeze moves through his hair. "For you, I could be," he whispers.
Leo and Cassius have great chemistry from the first time they meet. Burr manages to put in enough romantic scenes to make me invested but not too much to distract from the main plot or from the fact that they all are literally fighting every day to survive.
To Sum It Up
Where we started: I'm not here for me. I am here for my family. Cassius Jones is not a person. Cassius Jones is a means to an end. Another piec eon the board.
How it's going: If I cannot bend Heaven, then I shall move Hell. I am not doing this for anyone but myself. Not for Leo Shaw. Not for the soft heat of his lips against mine. But for Cassius Jones. Because, by God, I want to live.
Honorable Mentions (spoilers ahead)
I can't blame God, who has abandoned me, or from whom I have strayed. There is only Cassius Jones to blame.
I turn on my heel and walk before anyone can stop me. Or before I can realise that no one plans to.
Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.
Conclusion
This book is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year. And I'm very grateful for the ARC. I normally don't read horror, so this was definitely a first for me. I do not regret it at all. I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book with a dark setting, morally grey characters, queer characters, religious trauma, monsters, and a corrupt university with dangerous trials.
Trigger Warnings.
Homophobia (internalised, slurs,..), substance abuse, classism, religious trauma, gore, death, violence, body horror, suicide, ableism, physical and mental abuse.
a very well-deserved 4.5 stars
I am on my knees begging goodreads to allow us .5 stars.
I received an ARC of The Teras Trials in exchange for an honest review.
Worldbuilding
Burr was able to create a dark, dystopian England, where monsters ravage England and safety is only found within London's city walls. You can earn your place of safety by entering the University and graduating one of four Mantles: Scholar, Healer, Hunter, or Artificer. Each one serves an important purpose. The most rare and most needed Mantle are Hunters who are trained to hunt and kill these monsters. These monsters called 'Teras' are taken from Roman and Greek mythology. So far it had been enough for one family member to graduate the University to secure the place in London, but due to the rising overpopulation, London wants to get rid of anyone who is 'more of a burden than help'. Therefore there is an Open Call for not only Londoners but also outsiders.
Plot
This book is narrated in first person by Cassius Jones. A snarky, smart, and traumatised teenager about to enter University. His family wasn't born in London, they only got a spot after Thaddeus got into University and graduated. Thaddeus is dead-set on Cassius choosing the Mantle Hunter, as if Cassius were to become a good Hunter, London couldn't afford the kick him and his family out. The admission trials are a well-guarded secret that nobody but the graduates know about. Cassius only knows that these trials changed his brother forever. We follow Cassius and his (not quite) friends as they try to get through the trials and make it out alive.
The ending, oh the ending had me at the edge of my seat. I need the second book. Right now.
Writing
I really loved the writing. Normally, I prefer third person but Burr managed to tell this story so intimately. Cassius' voice was exactly what this book needed. It was a perfect mix of cynicism, humor, and gutwrenching self-hatred and guilt. The choice to tell this story in first person was definitely the right one. The descent from Cassius Jones from a righteous compassionate man to a ruthless, deeply scarred man was... chef's kiss. And there were just a few sentences that just hit right. Burr definitely knows how to use words to invoke feelings, let them be positive or negative.
Characters
Cassius' physical and mental journey was very interesting. The guilt and self-hate were relatable, though not overbearingly or too depressing. He is definitely a likeable complex character with enough edges and a surprisingly high body count. What I loved most though, was his complicated relationship with his brother Thaddeus (because complex sibling relationships are my jam). This book does not shy away to paint characters in more than one colour. None of these characters are entirely good or entirely evil.
Another part of Cassius' journey was his internalised homophobia and self-hatred fuled by his religious belief. There were many parts that I could relate to and it was so heartbreaking.
And I don't think I can admit it's a sin. Certainly not when the act is tender, but also not when it's rough, debasing. It's all love. It's all love for my body. Perhaps I don't feel guilty for what I do. Perhaps I feel guilty because it is expected.
Moving on to our first recruit of Cassius' group: Leo Shaw is a character that is easy to love but difficult to know. Somehow, Burr managed to convince me that I know him. I was a fool, because as Cassius said himself, we don't know him at all.
I realised it the frist day we came here--he was using me for information, perhaps is still using me, like I know more than what I've told him--and I think I forgot about that. I saw his desire and his niceness and believed for a moment it might be more than something physical. He is telling me now, almost outright, that Leo Shaw will always come first.
That made him all the more intruiging. Leo was the one who kept it together until the end, a few outbursts here and there, but overall he seemed the most stable. He doesn't talk about his family or his past. We do know that he doesn't shy away using people for his own advantage and even leaving people behind if it means he can save himself.
And he is unhinged. I'm not only talking about "I am ready to let our roommates die to save my own ass" unhinged, I am also talking about "let me give you a handjob in the confessional while I confess my sins to the priest" unhinged.
Thaddeus Jones is, at first glance, an apathetic, vicious, and violent older brother who is enjoying the position he holds in his family a little too much.
Some of that joy is innocent; I know my brother is glad for the knowledge, the lessons on how to defend himself, and I remember hearing Thaddeus crying in relief the night of his graduation, guranteeing our safety in London so long as he was a practising Hunter. But the darker side is that Thaddeus loves the glory. The power he has ove rour family.
The little time we get to spend with Thaddeus and how the book uses him throughout the rest of this book was amazing. Specifically the last 'twist' we get does 'redeem' him a little more in my eyes. I am in love with what Burr did with these two characters.
We share the trauma of being the sons of Mr and Mrs Jones. There is no one else in this world who unterstands.
The twins Fred and Silas Lin were winning me over with their sweet, sweet bond. The utter love they shared for each other. I wished, we would've seen more of them. Specifically Silas, who was more reserved and quiet most of the time. I grew fond of Fred especially over the last hundred pages or so.
"I want," she says, "to live happily."
"Well, that's nice. But it's a pipe dream. The closest you'll get to that is here."
Fred makes a noise. "If we stay, we'll only be their fodder. You ever seen an old Hunter?"
Frustraded, Silas groans out, "Then declares something else!"
"But it's the only thing I'm good at!"
Next one is Bellamy Taylor. Oh Bellamy... he's a tough one. He is a smug, arrogant Londoner with a hot temper.
It took some time getting used to him and I blame him that it took me almost half the book to warm up to Victoria. This book gives him two good memorable moments where I actually did feel for him.
Victoria Zaki is the last one of the group and was definitely tainted by my neutral stance on/my dislike of Bellamy. She was born outside of London as well, though she was able to adjust more to the life there as her family came to London when she was six. She wants to be a Healer.
One of Burr's strength is to create complex characters, not always likeable, but interesting. That includes characters like Peter Drike, the Dean, and a few side characters that we only meet briefly but who manage to pull you farther into this world.
Romance
This book is by no means a romance, more a book with a romance subplot. There are quite a few explicit/spicy scenes but the romance never takes the spotlight for too long. It wouldn't have made sense otherwise. Cassius knows what's at stake and the few scenes we do get are very good.
"Are you a godly man?"
He leans himself against one of the courtyard pillars. A little breeze moves through his hair. "For you, I could be," he whispers.
Leo and Cassius have great chemistry from the first time they meet. Burr manages to put in enough romantic scenes to make me invested but not too much to distract from the main plot or from the fact that they all are literally fighting every day to survive.
To Sum It Up
Where we started: I'm not here for me. I am here for my family. Cassius Jones is not a person. Cassius Jones is a means to an end. Another piec eon the board.
How it's going: If I cannot bend Heaven, then I shall move Hell. I am not doing this for anyone but myself. Not for Leo Shaw. Not for the soft heat of his lips against mine. But for Cassius Jones. Because, by God, I want to live.
Honorable Mentions (spoilers ahead)
I can't blame God, who has abandoned me, or from whom I have strayed. There is only Cassius Jones to blame.
I turn on my heel and walk before anyone can stop me. Or before I can realise that no one plans to.
Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.
Conclusion
This book is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year. And I'm very grateful for the ARC. I normally don't read horror, so this was definitely a first for me. I do not regret it at all. I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book with a dark setting, morally grey characters, queer characters, religious trauma, monsters, and a corrupt university with dangerous trials.
Trigger Warnings.
Homophobia (internalised, slurs,..), substance abuse, classism, religious trauma, gore, death, violence, body horror, suicide, ableism, physical and mental abuse.
September 8, 2023
If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be "contradiction", because it has been full of it. Normally I'm not one for writing (longer) reviews but here I can't really help it as I'm still feeling a bit uncertain about The Teras Trials. I'll try to get some structure into this whole thing though.
#1 What's it about
The Teras Trials focuses on 19 year old Cassius Jones as he has to fight for admittance into the university that keeps the people inside London's walls safe from the threat that are teras: bloodthirsty creatures from several pantheons (with a focus on Greek here) that have appeared on Earth and kill everything on sight. Cassius is there not only for himself but to see to it that his family can stay in London's arms instead of being cast back out to struggle for their lives - and only an admittance to the university can guarantee that.
To survive the trials, he meets and surrounds himself with a group of people his age: Victoria and Bellamy from the save cradle of London, and three people from beyond the walls, the siblings Fred and Silas and handsome and enigmatic Leo.
#2 The overall feel
I really liked reading this book. I couldn't put it down so I finished it quite fast, and I liked the writing style, this dark and gruesome world, the religious and mythological aspects and the whole "trials"-thing to get admitted to the university. I also found myself quite liking the protagonist Cassius, who's the "brains" where his well-respected brother Thaddeus, a graduated Hunter from the university, is clearly the "brawns". It made for an interesting perspective of the slow downfall of Cassius' righteous character, but that's spoilertalk.
#3 My problems with the book (or rather confusion about this book)
Now how should I put this? There've been several things throughout the book that struck me as strange. Lucien Burr's writing style is great in my opinion, and I love the care and dedication and detail that he put into the Latin, the Greek and the Greek Pantheon.
What's contradictive about that despite this dedication to the lore, the book is riddled with "hasty" errors: typos, a wrong name, just logical things in general. It also had been rather abrupt in some places, jumping too quickly from one scene to another that I as a reader had been left confused many times as to what was happening suddenly. Many transitions just haven't been smooth which made it look like a set of pre-written scenes that somehow had to fit together but didn't align very well. And that took away the depth of some key-scenes, as well as their importance.
The rest is spoiler-talk though:
Thing is, I still really enjoyed reading the book and I'll definitely read the next one - I'm kinda addicted to it, honestly. But it definitely reads like the book of a first-time author, and where Lucien Burr probably got his facts about Greek and Latin right (I don't really have much insight there), there are just these fundamental logical errors that riddle the book. The reading experience as a whole would've greatly benefited of beta readers calling out this stuff beforehand.
#1 What's it about
The Teras Trials focuses on 19 year old Cassius Jones as he has to fight for admittance into the university that keeps the people inside London's walls safe from the threat that are teras: bloodthirsty creatures from several pantheons (with a focus on Greek here) that have appeared on Earth and kill everything on sight. Cassius is there not only for himself but to see to it that his family can stay in London's arms instead of being cast back out to struggle for their lives - and only an admittance to the university can guarantee that.
To survive the trials, he meets and surrounds himself with a group of people his age: Victoria and Bellamy from the save cradle of London, and three people from beyond the walls, the siblings Fred and Silas and handsome and enigmatic Leo.
#2 The overall feel
I really liked reading this book. I couldn't put it down so I finished it quite fast, and I liked the writing style, this dark and gruesome world, the religious and mythological aspects and the whole "trials"-thing to get admitted to the university. I also found myself quite liking the protagonist Cassius, who's the "brains" where his well-respected brother Thaddeus, a graduated Hunter from the university, is clearly the "brawns". It made for an interesting perspective of the slow downfall of Cassius' righteous character, but that's spoilertalk.
#3 My problems with the book (or rather confusion about this book)
Now how should I put this? There've been several things throughout the book that struck me as strange. Lucien Burr's writing style is great in my opinion, and I love the care and dedication and detail that he put into the Latin, the Greek and the Greek Pantheon.
What's contradictive about that despite this dedication to the lore, the book is riddled with "hasty" errors: typos, a wrong name, just logical things in general. It also had been rather abrupt in some places, jumping too quickly from one scene to another that I as a reader had been left confused many times as to what was happening suddenly. Many transitions just haven't been smooth which made it look like a set of pre-written scenes that somehow had to fit together but didn't align very well. And that took away the depth of some key-scenes, as well as their importance.
The rest is spoiler-talk though:
Thing is, I still really enjoyed reading the book and I'll definitely read the next one - I'm kinda addicted to it, honestly. But it definitely reads like the book of a first-time author, and where Lucien Burr probably got his facts about Greek and Latin right (I don't really have much insight there), there are just these fundamental logical errors that riddle the book. The reading experience as a whole would've greatly benefited of beta readers calling out this stuff beforehand.
January 24, 2024
Two DNFs in one day.
I made it over 100 pages into this and I feel like I spanned an entire range of emotions and not all of them good.
The writing catches you and sweeps you up at first. It’s different…sort of oddly paced? And there are some typos that throw off a few things here and there but it is sort of charming in a way.
But what starts off as charming turns annoying and then just infuriating very quickly.
It wouldn’t hurt this author to try and say something in this story without a laundry list of metaphors and simile. Just speak plainly for a minute so the reader knows what is going on. I have had this issue with authors before: the purple prose is definitely purpling.
In the front of my book there is an author’s note (don’t know if that’s standard since mine came from Fox and Whit) and in the note they say that they originally wrote this book in third person but felt it needed a more personal point of view so they changed it.
I feel this may have been a blunder. First person, present tense and an unreliable and wishy washy narrator who hates himself? Ugh. Cassius’ self hatred is so glaring that it blocks out all the other characters. Is Leo supposed to be a love interest of some kind? Because when he enters the story he feels like a big shiny hunk of wood.
And the dialogue?
I felt like I was missing half of it…and characters would say things but then clench their teeth or click their fingers or tap their nails in some weird way and it made me feel like I’d missed something. Maybe the real meaning of what the characters were all trying to say was hiding behind Cassius’ endless supply of cigarettes?
Final note: with all the big beautiful turns of phrase and flowery exposition I still have no idea what time period this story is supposed to be paralleling? His mom wears a hoop skirt, they have flintlock pistols, but he describes his outfit like he is at fashion week in Milan…just more muddled confusion.
I made it over 100 pages into this and I feel like I spanned an entire range of emotions and not all of them good.
The writing catches you and sweeps you up at first. It’s different…sort of oddly paced? And there are some typos that throw off a few things here and there but it is sort of charming in a way.
But what starts off as charming turns annoying and then just infuriating very quickly.
It wouldn’t hurt this author to try and say something in this story without a laundry list of metaphors and simile. Just speak plainly for a minute so the reader knows what is going on. I have had this issue with authors before: the purple prose is definitely purpling.
In the front of my book there is an author’s note (don’t know if that’s standard since mine came from Fox and Whit) and in the note they say that they originally wrote this book in third person but felt it needed a more personal point of view so they changed it.
I feel this may have been a blunder. First person, present tense and an unreliable and wishy washy narrator who hates himself? Ugh. Cassius’ self hatred is so glaring that it blocks out all the other characters. Is Leo supposed to be a love interest of some kind? Because when he enters the story he feels like a big shiny hunk of wood.
And the dialogue?
I felt like I was missing half of it…and characters would say things but then clench their teeth or click their fingers or tap their nails in some weird way and it made me feel like I’d missed something. Maybe the real meaning of what the characters were all trying to say was hiding behind Cassius’ endless supply of cigarettes?
Final note: with all the big beautiful turns of phrase and flowery exposition I still have no idea what time period this story is supposed to be paralleling? His mom wears a hoop skirt, they have flintlock pistols, but he describes his outfit like he is at fashion week in Milan…just more muddled confusion.
March 3, 2024
i wish to find a way to split myself open, and pour this book into my veins. i wish to tear the flesh from my bones and tattoo every line from this book across the surface of every organ and bone, so that i may always carry it with me. i want to consume this book, just as it has consumed me.
the teras trials is beautiful. it is gruesome, and it is euphoric. it is horror and beauty, lust and despair.
cassius jones, i love you.
the teras trials is beautiful. it is gruesome, and it is euphoric. it is horror and beauty, lust and despair.
cassius jones, i love you.
June 13, 2024
Rating: 5 ⭐️
Read for: ➢ r/fantasy Bingo 2024 - Three Word Alliterative Title
The second book better come out YESTERDAY bc I fucking need it in my hands now! Going straight to my hall of fame. Lucien Burr deserves so much more hype. This is one of those books where thought to myself: and this is why I read.
Read for: ➢ r/fantasy Bingo 2024 - Three Word Alliterative Title
The second book better come out YESTERDAY bc I fucking need it in my hands now! Going straight to my hall of fame. Lucien Burr deserves so much more hype. This is one of those books where thought to myself: and this is why I read.
May 17, 2023
“I want,” she says, “to live happily.”
“Well, that’s nice. But it’s a pipe dream. The closest you’ll get to that is here.”
I received an ARC of The Teras Trials in exchange for an honest review and OH BOY I DEVOURED THIS BOOK. I finished it within about 3 days and am absolutely clawing at the walls already waiting for the next book. If you are a fan of dark academia, mythology and moral ambiguity then this is definitely the series for you.
We follow our snarky protagonist Cassius as he navigates the harrowing trials to become a hunter within this old dystopian London, a safe haven warded off from the horrifying monsters known as Teras that roam free in the outside world, and finds friends and enemies along the way (though not always in the places he expects).
Cassius is such a complex character and we really get to see the inner workings of his mind as he realizes more and more just how much of his morality he must leave behind in order to survive. Honestly, every one of these characters feel like real people with real emotions, each with their own moments of vulnerability and complex relationships that help us see past the initial facades that everyone here seems to put up. My favourites of course have to be the Lin siblings, Fred and Silas, who have stolen my heart and stomped all over it many times (as all of these characters have). Hell, even Peter (who I at first was tempted to reach through the page and throttle) felt more real to me than most or your typical “bully” characters in media by the end and I found myself actually hoping to see more of him.
The setting of this macabre London is so fascinating, and I can’t wait to see more of it fleshed out in the rest of the trilogy. Even the University that our protagonists spend most of their time at has so many secrets that I am not so patiently awaiting answers to. Also due to the setting being one so drenched in violence, we see a lot of characters with physical disabilities, and the prosthetics and accomodations made are so creative and fun to read about; one character’s prosthetic was described as delicate porcelain, and another’s was made from marble, and I think I fell in love instantly. Make no mistake though, this series is absolutely BRUTAL and will not hestitate to kill off beloved characters, nobody is safe.
This book definitely deals with some heavy topics so CW for: Homophobia, homophobic slurs, substance abuse, familial abuse, ableist attitudes, class issues, religious themes, religious mockery, body horror, gore, violence, graphic deaths, life-changing injury, medical talk, explicit sex scenes, suicide.
Also: SPICE! This book is definitely horny, and our dear Cassius has no qualms admitting what he wants.
“I look at Leo, spy the hungry, vigilant look in eyes. I want to be beneath him. I want him to fuck me; I want to be a whore who thinks of nothing but the pleasures of the body, and the only pain I will ever feel is the thrill of taking a man inside me. There will be no death. No blood. No monsters in the night. I will lose the very sense of myself to tangled sheets and sweat.”
Though I would certainly not classify this book as a romance book, if anything it is a dark fantasy horror with a slow burn subplot. (There may be sex before there is feelings, but that just makes it all the more fun). Also, there is plenty of religious guilt to go along with the smutty sex, though it was refreshing to see that Cassius knows what he wants and lets himself have it regardless.
“Even in amongst all this death and this fear, I still feel the urge to seek them out. I think you’ll say it’s the stress, but I know what I want. I know, in my heart of hearts, that loving men is a sin because of how good it feels. And nothing on this earth should feel so close to heaven. Is that blasphemy?”
So my conclusion? 100/10 give me more! Seriously though, this book had me curled up in a ball sobbing at times and absolutely squealing with glee at others (but mostly crying). I would definitely recommend to any fans of dark academia looking for more mlm stories that don’t focus solely on romance.
“Well, that’s nice. But it’s a pipe dream. The closest you’ll get to that is here.”
I received an ARC of The Teras Trials in exchange for an honest review and OH BOY I DEVOURED THIS BOOK. I finished it within about 3 days and am absolutely clawing at the walls already waiting for the next book. If you are a fan of dark academia, mythology and moral ambiguity then this is definitely the series for you.
We follow our snarky protagonist Cassius as he navigates the harrowing trials to become a hunter within this old dystopian London, a safe haven warded off from the horrifying monsters known as Teras that roam free in the outside world, and finds friends and enemies along the way (though not always in the places he expects).
Cassius is such a complex character and we really get to see the inner workings of his mind as he realizes more and more just how much of his morality he must leave behind in order to survive. Honestly, every one of these characters feel like real people with real emotions, each with their own moments of vulnerability and complex relationships that help us see past the initial facades that everyone here seems to put up. My favourites of course have to be the Lin siblings, Fred and Silas, who have stolen my heart and stomped all over it many times (as all of these characters have). Hell, even Peter (who I at first was tempted to reach through the page and throttle) felt more real to me than most or your typical “bully” characters in media by the end and I found myself actually hoping to see more of him.
The setting of this macabre London is so fascinating, and I can’t wait to see more of it fleshed out in the rest of the trilogy. Even the University that our protagonists spend most of their time at has so many secrets that I am not so patiently awaiting answers to. Also due to the setting being one so drenched in violence, we see a lot of characters with physical disabilities, and the prosthetics and accomodations made are so creative and fun to read about; one character’s prosthetic was described as delicate porcelain, and another’s was made from marble, and I think I fell in love instantly. Make no mistake though, this series is absolutely BRUTAL and will not hestitate to kill off beloved characters, nobody is safe.
This book definitely deals with some heavy topics so CW for: Homophobia, homophobic slurs, substance abuse, familial abuse, ableist attitudes, class issues, religious themes, religious mockery, body horror, gore, violence, graphic deaths, life-changing injury, medical talk, explicit sex scenes, suicide.
Also: SPICE! This book is definitely horny, and our dear Cassius has no qualms admitting what he wants.
“I look at Leo, spy the hungry, vigilant look in eyes. I want to be beneath him. I want him to fuck me; I want to be a whore who thinks of nothing but the pleasures of the body, and the only pain I will ever feel is the thrill of taking a man inside me. There will be no death. No blood. No monsters in the night. I will lose the very sense of myself to tangled sheets and sweat.”
Though I would certainly not classify this book as a romance book, if anything it is a dark fantasy horror with a slow burn subplot. (There may be sex before there is feelings, but that just makes it all the more fun). Also, there is plenty of religious guilt to go along with the smutty sex, though it was refreshing to see that Cassius knows what he wants and lets himself have it regardless.
“Even in amongst all this death and this fear, I still feel the urge to seek them out. I think you’ll say it’s the stress, but I know what I want. I know, in my heart of hearts, that loving men is a sin because of how good it feels. And nothing on this earth should feel so close to heaven. Is that blasphemy?”
So my conclusion? 100/10 give me more! Seriously though, this book had me curled up in a ball sobbing at times and absolutely squealing with glee at others (but mostly crying). I would definitely recommend to any fans of dark academia looking for more mlm stories that don’t focus solely on romance.
November 17, 2025
(3.5)
безсумнівно одна з найатмосферніших книжок, які я читала цьогоріч. перші глави в цьому плані зокрема — в саме серце. також я обожнюю complex sibling dynamics, а тут цього було вдосталь.
світобудова мені прийшлась до душі, сюжет однозначно заінтригував, тварюки чудові, питань багато, виконання в цілому хороше, а тому серію я колись однозначно завершу (але виключно тоді, коли на світ з'явиться остання аудіокнижка, бо я не настільки в захваті, щоб негайно бігти за продовженням в тексті, але й другу частину починати в підвішеному стані не дуже хочеться).
не скажу, що на мене якісь особливі враження справили стосунки гг, але they sure did have their moments, а дещо навіть яскраво відкарбувалось мені в пам'яті, бо — знов-таки — атмосфера, змальована автором, була delectable
я не велика поціновувачка ensemble кастів і мене переважно дратує, коли в центрі сюжету багато людей (що в моєму розумінні налічує все, що більше кількістю за двох гг та епізодичні вставки другорядних персонаж_ок), а тому з цією книжкою та самим премісом випробовувань у мене на початку виникали певні труднощі, але we persevered. друзі гг, зокрема вікторія в Той Самий момент, мене бісила страшенно tho.
p.s. ненавиджу той один відгук, де хтось поставив під сумнів нескінченний запас цигарок у гг, враховуючи сеттинг. мені це попсувало всі найдбрібніші моменти, де він починав курити, лол. я не могла думати ні про що інше!
безсумнівно одна з найатмосферніших книжок, які я читала цьогоріч. перші глави в цьому плані зокрема — в саме серце. також я обожнюю complex sibling dynamics, а тут цього було вдосталь.
світобудова мені прийшлась до душі, сюжет однозначно заінтригував, тварюки чудові, питань багато, виконання в цілому хороше, а тому серію я колись однозначно завершу (але виключно тоді, коли на світ з'явиться остання аудіокнижка, бо я не настільки в захваті, щоб негайно бігти за продовженням в тексті, але й другу частину починати в підвішеному стані не дуже хочеться).
не скажу, що на мене якісь особливі враження справили стосунки гг, але they sure did have their moments, а дещо навіть яскраво відкарбувалось мені в пам'яті, бо — знов-таки — атмосфера, змальована автором, була delectable
я не велика поціновувачка ensemble кастів і мене переважно дратує, коли в центрі сюжету багато людей (що в моєму розумінні налічує все, що більше кількістю за двох гг та епізодичні вставки другорядних персонаж_ок), а тому з цією книжкою та самим премісом випробовувань у мене на початку виникали певні труднощі, але we persevered. друзі гг, зокрема вікторія в Той Самий момент, мене бісила страшенно tho.
p.s. ненавиджу той один відгук, де хтось поставив під сумнів нескінченний запас цигарок у гг, враховуючи сеттинг. мені це попсувало всі найдбрібніші моменти, де він починав курити, лол. я не могла думати ні про що інше!
September 8, 2023
I really, really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down - except for a few times where I had to take a minute to process what I had just read.
(Edit: Changing this to 5* because while it probably wasn't THE best book I've read, it's one I loved and that had me on my tiptoes and that captured me, so why not.)
First and foremost: This book is cruel and violent and graphic in its violence - read the content warnings (which I didn't see). Though there is a LOT of violence, it never feels overdone or like it's just there for the shock of it. It's merely the world these characters live in. But beware if you're squeamish, because the writing style will conjure images of gore in your head.
Don't go into this thinking you'll get a dark romance, because this is not it - it's there, but it's not the main point of the story (or very romantic [yet?]).
There are a few things that stood out to me in this novel:
1. The main character, Cassius. He turned out to be quite different than what I thought he would be, and I had a hard time telling his next move throughout the story. He's a torn individual in a cruel world, he's had bad experiences and he feels like a character who's determined and yet oddly lost at other times. I thought I wouldn't enjoy the first-person-POV, but since I quite liked Cassius, I didn't mind it at all. He's complex, he doesn't understand himself and it's painful following him on this journey where he has to question his own morals.
Sometimes, he switched moods a little too quickly for my liking, but maybe that's just what happens when you live this life.
2. Spicy scenes in locations that would probably make any good Christian's blood boil. Which is always great. Sometimes, the horniness felt a little bit out of place in that moment - but, again, when you face danger every day, maybe that's just how it is.
3. Immersion. I felt so immersed in this cruel world, in this version of England and London, I felt fear and suspense and could imagine the surroundings incredibly well. I had to look up some of the teras - the monsters - because I'm not well versed in mythology, and I was applauding the characters for merely living (or trying to) in such a world. I love the University setting and I can't find out more about the University.
4. We don't find out much about any of the characters at all - not even Leo - which both frustrated me a little and intrigued me all the same, because I want to learn more in the next part. The author somehow manages to still make me care a lot about these characters I don't know the backstories of. A lot of things are implied but never specified.
5. - I wish this book had been proofread a little better. There are a few minor errors which I can easily look past or a missing word linking two parts of a sentence, but there were also mixed-up names once and an injury that's first on one side, then later on the other. It's nothing major and you can follow the story just fine, but it's a little irritating. I'm sure this can be edited out in later editions.
6. THAT END! When I thought I was nearing the end of the book, I thought not much could happen anymore. Well, I was very wrong. That ending packed a punch.
TLDR; If you're looking for a queer, mythology-inspired, dark and gruesome read with a great main character troubled by faith, this might very well be for you!
(Edit: Changing this to 5* because while it probably wasn't THE best book I've read, it's one I loved and that had me on my tiptoes and that captured me, so why not.)
First and foremost: This book is cruel and violent and graphic in its violence - read the content warnings (which I didn't see). Though there is a LOT of violence, it never feels overdone or like it's just there for the shock of it. It's merely the world these characters live in. But beware if you're squeamish, because the writing style will conjure images of gore in your head.
Don't go into this thinking you'll get a dark romance, because this is not it - it's there, but it's not the main point of the story (or very romantic [yet?]).
There are a few things that stood out to me in this novel:
1. The main character, Cassius. He turned out to be quite different than what I thought he would be, and I had a hard time telling his next move throughout the story. He's a torn individual in a cruel world, he's had bad experiences and he feels like a character who's determined and yet oddly lost at other times. I thought I wouldn't enjoy the first-person-POV, but since I quite liked Cassius, I didn't mind it at all. He's complex, he doesn't understand himself and it's painful following him on this journey where he has to question his own morals.
Sometimes, he switched moods a little too quickly for my liking, but maybe that's just what happens when you live this life.
2. Spicy scenes in locations that would probably make any good Christian's blood boil. Which is always great. Sometimes, the horniness felt a little bit out of place in that moment - but, again, when you face danger every day, maybe that's just how it is.
3. Immersion. I felt so immersed in this cruel world, in this version of England and London, I felt fear and suspense and could imagine the surroundings incredibly well. I had to look up some of the teras - the monsters - because I'm not well versed in mythology, and I was applauding the characters for merely living (or trying to) in such a world. I love the University setting and I can't find out more about the University.
4. We don't find out much about any of the characters at all - not even Leo - which both frustrated me a little and intrigued me all the same, because I want to learn more in the next part. The author somehow manages to still make me care a lot about these characters I don't know the backstories of. A lot of things are implied but never specified.
5. - I wish this book had been proofread a little better. There are a few minor errors which I can easily look past or a missing word linking two parts of a sentence, but there were also mixed-up names once and an injury that's first on one side, then later on the other. It's nothing major and you can follow the story just fine, but it's a little irritating. I'm sure this can be edited out in later editions.
6. THAT END! When I thought I was nearing the end of the book, I thought not much could happen anymore. Well, I was very wrong. That ending packed a punch.
TLDR; If you're looking for a queer, mythology-inspired, dark and gruesome read with a great main character troubled by faith, this might very well be for you!
October 19, 2024
I loved this more than I expected to; the synopsis already sounded interesting but I didn’t expect this to pull me in as deeply as it did. The author pulled no punches with the gore, the characters minced no words - I adored these aspects so much along with the fantastical world he created. Another favourite - how he wrote Cass and Leo’s relationship. Just so real and raw and honest.
October 26, 2023
Fantastic dark academia fantasy. The worldbuilding is spectacular and Cassius and Leo are insanely fabulous characters. If the iconic "kneel" confession scene in Fleabag unlocked something in you, the confessional scene in this surpasses that and I'm still thinking about it days later.
Loved Cassius and Leo as characters and as a couple. I loved the disourse surrounding Cassius' survival and doing what is necessary methods whilst still trying to maintain some morality or humanity. It will be interesting to see Leo's survival method of ruthlessness explored more. I can't wait to know more about him.
Loved Cassius and Leo as characters and as a couple. I loved the disourse surrounding Cassius' survival and doing what is necessary methods whilst still trying to maintain some morality or humanity. It will be interesting to see Leo's survival method of ruthlessness explored more. I can't wait to know more about him.
January 17, 2024
3.75 stars
Not a perfect book but so intriguing!!!!
What shined in The Teras trials is definitely the characters (specifically the main one, Cassius) and the use of religion.
Cassius is flawed, ridden with catholic guilt and clever, which makes him a perfect protagonist in my eyes. Someone complex, capable of mutiple types of self sabotaging thoughts at the same time.
I also appreciated the writing, especially when describing intimacy between the characters and religion. It was evocative while being succint, which is rare.
You can actually see it get better and better during the story, which made the beginnig kind of clunky but the ending like a burst of vitality.
What failed for me is the aesthetic chosen: we are in a smoky, dark kind of London, why have we chosen Greco-Roman aestheticism??? It felt like a slap in the face, London and its Gaelic roots, filled with brute force with latinisms and greek myths.
I'll also add that, being from the country that birthed the Roman empire and conquered the Greek's, the explaining of the latin talk was a war flashback to my high school awful latin classes.
That beig said, and excluding the editing mistakes that I'm sure were not the author's fault (so many words repeated, wow), I cannot wait to read the sequel!!
I want more Leo background, more teras lore, less fuckig Fred!!!!!!!
Not a perfect book but so intriguing!!!!
What shined in The Teras trials is definitely the characters (specifically the main one, Cassius) and the use of religion.
Cassius is flawed, ridden with catholic guilt and clever, which makes him a perfect protagonist in my eyes. Someone complex, capable of mutiple types of self sabotaging thoughts at the same time.
I also appreciated the writing, especially when describing intimacy between the characters and religion. It was evocative while being succint, which is rare.
You can actually see it get better and better during the story, which made the beginnig kind of clunky but the ending like a burst of vitality.
What failed for me is the aesthetic chosen: we are in a smoky, dark kind of London, why have we chosen Greco-Roman aestheticism??? It felt like a slap in the face, London and its Gaelic roots, filled with brute force with latinisms and greek myths.
I'll also add that, being from the country that birthed the Roman empire and conquered the Greek's, the explaining of the latin talk was a war flashback to my high school awful latin classes.
That beig said, and excluding the editing mistakes that I'm sure were not the author's fault (so many words repeated, wow), I cannot wait to read the sequel!!
I want more Leo background, more teras lore, less fuckig Fred!!!!!!!
January 31, 2025
4.5 stars ✨
This was so good!! It’s set in a world where creatures from Greek and Roman myth are somehow appearing in this world and it has turned England into a battlezone. Cassius has to join London’s university which trains graduates in how to counter the new threat but no one knows what the trials to be accepted involve and its likely to be worse than what any of them are anticipating.
This story is dark and it does not sugarcoat or avoid the hard aspects of a world like this. I loved that this explored what the trials were doing to the applicants from a moral and personality standpoint. The story is made even more complex by the fact that Cassius is Christian but also attracted to men and the conflict he feels internally both in terms of his sexuality and his actions is so compelling I couldnt stop reading. The religious trauma and shame is handled so well and that scene in the confessional will definitely stick with me.
I also loved the Latin and the way it was incorporated in the story. I cannot wait to read more but i also am super anxious about what will happen to these characters.
This was so good!! It’s set in a world where creatures from Greek and Roman myth are somehow appearing in this world and it has turned England into a battlezone. Cassius has to join London’s university which trains graduates in how to counter the new threat but no one knows what the trials to be accepted involve and its likely to be worse than what any of them are anticipating.
This story is dark and it does not sugarcoat or avoid the hard aspects of a world like this. I loved that this explored what the trials were doing to the applicants from a moral and personality standpoint. The story is made even more complex by the fact that Cassius is Christian but also attracted to men and the conflict he feels internally both in terms of his sexuality and his actions is so compelling I couldnt stop reading. The religious trauma and shame is handled so well and that scene in the confessional will definitely stick with me.
I also loved the Latin and the way it was incorporated in the story. I cannot wait to read more but i also am super anxious about what will happen to these characters.
August 6, 2023
I had a great time reading The Teras Trials and I can say it definitely made my busy summer nicer.
There are two things about it that I would like to highlight in my review.
First, the thing that I enjoyed the most about this book and what made made it to be such a breath of fresh air in the terms of fantasy, is the worldbuilding. Along with the setting being a university that screamed dark academia even when the main characters weren't students yet, I loved how it was situated in a world full of mythological monsters. The Latin passages from Roman authors and dialogues felt very natural thanks to the setting and made the book more enjoyable and interesting.
Second, the main character. I feel that this book, at least for me, was more character driven and Cass' inner monologue and decisions in many situations were simply fascinating - his doubts and the idea what's moral in the eyes of others, in the eyes of God, and how he navigated a world where it's so easy to get killed by the people who were supposed to be protecting others, his relationship with Leo.
Unfortunately, as much as I liked Cass as a main character, a few of the others felt a bit flat to me, their personalities unfortunately not explored enough for me to feel really sad when they met their fate.
Overall, I think this book is an enjoyable reand and a nice entry to a series, with many interesting aspects.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There are two things about it that I would like to highlight in my review.
First, the thing that I enjoyed the most about this book and what made made it to be such a breath of fresh air in the terms of fantasy, is the worldbuilding. Along with the setting being a university that screamed dark academia even when the main characters weren't students yet, I loved how it was situated in a world full of mythological monsters. The Latin passages from Roman authors and dialogues felt very natural thanks to the setting and made the book more enjoyable and interesting.
Second, the main character. I feel that this book, at least for me, was more character driven and Cass' inner monologue and decisions in many situations were simply fascinating - his doubts and the idea what's moral in the eyes of others, in the eyes of God, and how he navigated a world where it's so easy to get killed by the people who were supposed to be protecting others, his relationship with Leo.
Unfortunately, as much as I liked Cass as a main character, a few of the others felt a bit flat to me, their personalities unfortunately not explored enough for me to feel really sad when they met their fate.
Overall, I think this book is an enjoyable reand and a nice entry to a series, with many interesting aspects.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 30, 2023
I loved this book!
Truly it enraptured me, from Cass’ POV to the visceral descriptions of the horrors he and his cohort faced, I’m in for the long haul.
I cannot wait to see where this goes, especially learning more about Leo and how the future will play out for these morally grey characters!!
I’d like to thank the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for this honest review :)
Truly it enraptured me, from Cass’ POV to the visceral descriptions of the horrors he and his cohort faced, I’m in for the long haul.
I cannot wait to see where this goes, especially learning more about Leo and how the future will play out for these morally grey characters!!
I’d like to thank the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for this honest review :)
September 12, 2023
4.5 stars
July 4, 2025
dnf at 36%
the reviews on this book were so good i was so excited going into it, especially since it seemed right up my alley… i don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed? i found myself rolling my eyes hard frequently, the MC annoyed me with his “welcome to my twisted mind”esque inner monologue, i didn’t have any love for the side characters, and the whole thing felt like a wattpad story i would have read in 2011 at age 13.
also my fucking god the cigarette smoking was annoying as HELL. we get it, you’re edgy and self loathing😭
i mean if you’re a 15 year old emo kid you might love this!
the reviews on this book were so good i was so excited going into it, especially since it seemed right up my alley… i don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed? i found myself rolling my eyes hard frequently, the MC annoyed me with his “welcome to my twisted mind”esque inner monologue, i didn’t have any love for the side characters, and the whole thing felt like a wattpad story i would have read in 2011 at age 13.
also my fucking god the cigarette smoking was annoying as HELL. we get it, you’re edgy and self loathing😭
i mean if you’re a 15 year old emo kid you might love this!
February 6, 2024
This book broke my heart. And I don’t mean that in that dramatic way where it’s like, “This book was so good and full of so many difficult and heart wrenching emotions that despite my deep and grand love for it, I want to catapult it into the sun.” Nope. I mean it in that defeated way of, “This book was extremely well-written and I deeply despised the plot and everything that happened.”
Most of my rating resides in the writing. It’s beautiful, poetic, and as sharp as a knife. It hurts to read most of the time, and like we’ve discovered quite recently since I declared it quite openly, I’m a sucker for religious themes. Cassius’ hauntings fully feel like your own as you read every word. This dark world consumes you from the very beginning, and I’ll admit that morbid curiosity kept me reading. The world Burr built is made of ugly, gruesome things and it hooks you with the same fascination as watching a car crash or a burning building. You almost get so shellshocked by the horrible events that you become a deer in the headlights.
My problem lies in basically every single thing that happened, both in plot and between the entourage of characters that the book is built on. And here’s the thing: I cannot blame Burr for my expectations or desires. I’m not the kind of person to say that an artist did their own art wrong; I’m not the kind of reader that blames my discomfort on the author because they did exactly what they intended to do. But I wanted so much more light to be given.
In this cruel world, it’s an eat or be eaten situation (literally and figuratively) both amongst humans and monsters, and just…humans. The University is its own kind of monster, and in that it pits students against each other. And I wanted so badly for the main cast of characters to come together and be better than that; overcome the system and rise above it and realize that the way to truly survive is to become one unit. Not use and sacrifice each other until there’s truly nothing left of the group. It’s merciless–‘ruthless’ as some of the characters put it–and I hated it. I really and truly hated it. I wanted hope, some kind of sliver of love or even care. I wanted to believe that in a world like this, there would be some kind of humanity left in the new generation, especially because the main character is so desperate to be loved. But it wasn’t like that at all. It carved out this hollow spot in my heart instead. And like I said, I don’t blame Burr for that at all. They did what they intended to do.
But if you’re at all an optimist or even some semblance of a romantic like me, this book is not for you at all. It’ll just devastate you. It shows the kind of monsters humans can turn into when their hand is forced and it’s not a pretty thing to look at.
Most of my rating resides in the writing. It’s beautiful, poetic, and as sharp as a knife. It hurts to read most of the time, and like we’ve discovered quite recently since I declared it quite openly, I’m a sucker for religious themes. Cassius’ hauntings fully feel like your own as you read every word. This dark world consumes you from the very beginning, and I’ll admit that morbid curiosity kept me reading. The world Burr built is made of ugly, gruesome things and it hooks you with the same fascination as watching a car crash or a burning building. You almost get so shellshocked by the horrible events that you become a deer in the headlights.
My problem lies in basically every single thing that happened, both in plot and between the entourage of characters that the book is built on. And here’s the thing: I cannot blame Burr for my expectations or desires. I’m not the kind of person to say that an artist did their own art wrong; I’m not the kind of reader that blames my discomfort on the author because they did exactly what they intended to do. But I wanted so much more light to be given.
In this cruel world, it’s an eat or be eaten situation (literally and figuratively) both amongst humans and monsters, and just…humans. The University is its own kind of monster, and in that it pits students against each other. And I wanted so badly for the main cast of characters to come together and be better than that; overcome the system and rise above it and realize that the way to truly survive is to become one unit. Not use and sacrifice each other until there’s truly nothing left of the group. It’s merciless–‘ruthless’ as some of the characters put it–and I hated it. I really and truly hated it. I wanted hope, some kind of sliver of love or even care. I wanted to believe that in a world like this, there would be some kind of humanity left in the new generation, especially because the main character is so desperate to be loved. But it wasn’t like that at all. It carved out this hollow spot in my heart instead. And like I said, I don’t blame Burr for that at all. They did what they intended to do.
But if you’re at all an optimist or even some semblance of a romantic like me, this book is not for you at all. It’ll just devastate you. It shows the kind of monsters humans can turn into when their hand is forced and it’s not a pretty thing to look at.
August 28, 2023
received an arc via BookSirens and
boy, was this a fucking ride.
bloody and gory, the story follows cassius jones and his journey to survive, to save someone, to be someone maybe, rather than just exist. i thoroughly enjoyed the plot & the horrors, there are also religious themes present which i found a VERY pleasant surprise. there's spice and horror, questioning of morals and ruthless decisions, and all of it flows smoothly as the book goes.
i think i'd like some more character work on this one because as much as i like cassius and his many layers of trauma and self-loathing, it would have be good to know a bit more about the characters in the group as separate people and not just their dynamics among each other/with cass. but overall, with a story that's overflowing with so much other important stuff, i guess, it's somewhat justified.
i enjoyed cassius first pov a lot, was a little sceptical but i think it reflected his character and his motives so well, i'm actually glad it wasn't in third. the book itself i devoured, page after page, and although i had some curious questions to the plot, it was all mostly covered here, which is always great.
i am very excited to see this book out in the world and wish all the best for this upcoming release!! will be passionately waiting for a sequel
p.s. seriously. thanks for the spice. it was so fucking good.
boy, was this a fucking ride.
bloody and gory, the story follows cassius jones and his journey to survive, to save someone, to be someone maybe, rather than just exist. i thoroughly enjoyed the plot & the horrors, there are also religious themes present which i found a VERY pleasant surprise. there's spice and horror, questioning of morals and ruthless decisions, and all of it flows smoothly as the book goes.
i think i'd like some more character work on this one because as much as i like cassius and his many layers of trauma and self-loathing, it would have be good to know a bit more about the characters in the group as separate people and not just their dynamics among each other/with cass. but overall, with a story that's overflowing with so much other important stuff, i guess, it's somewhat justified.
i enjoyed cassius first pov a lot, was a little sceptical but i think it reflected his character and his motives so well, i'm actually glad it wasn't in third. the book itself i devoured, page after page, and although i had some curious questions to the plot, it was all mostly covered here, which is always great.
i am very excited to see this book out in the world and wish all the best for this upcoming release!! will be passionately waiting for a sequel
p.s. seriously. thanks for the spice. it was so fucking good.
November 18, 2024
The Teras Trials has been on my TBR since it came out. I was instantly drawn by the beautiful cover, the intriguing plot and the snippets the author teased. I decided that my vacation under the sun was the perfect time to pick it up. I didn’t anticipate the fact this story would completely possess me until I turned the last page, to the point I was constantly looking for excuses to pick it up next. In a world where creatures from the old myths roam outside the walls London protects itself with, our main character, Cassius, knows he has to enter the University and become a Hunter to protect his family from being taken back outside the walls. He’s very soft and fragile, so he knows that the dangerous trials to enter it will be hard on him, in many more ways that we can expect.
First, I want to absolutely applaud the writing, that calls such a horrific feeling in the reader. From the moment I picked up the book, I understood it would be different from every other apocalyptic book I’ve ever read, from the sheer amount of terror the narration inflicts upon us. The way it depicts the monsters in a very realistic way, as they felt very tangible in a horrifying way, contradicts so well with the poetic writing used to describe Cassius’ feelings of guilt and care for his friends.
The plot is so interesting and compelling. We go from gruesome trial to gruesome trial, and each time I truly didn’t know what to expect from it, because no one is safe. The author is not scared to kill off a character or maim another, and it only adds to the already intense atmosphere. It only helps in making the reader turns the pages faster and faster, because you just NEED to know what will happen to all of them. It’s such good storytelling.
So far, the worldbuilding doesn't expand past London’s walls, which I was a bit sad about. I was curious on what happens to the rest of the world, and the kind of monster everyone else is facing. But it makes sense, as Cassius has only ever known London’s surrounding his entire life, and he already has much more important and terrifying things to focus on there. I do hope we get to see a bit more in the upcoming books.
I could write an actual novel about how insanely well written Cassius Jones is. I rarely see a main character that complex before. He starts the story as the truly nice guy we can expect: he’s caring for his family, he’s ready to protect his brother no matter the cost, he’s helpful to strangers he meets for the first time. But the reality of this world truly catches up on him. Very slowly, trial after trial, he subtly evolves to be someone that survives, instead of someone that just defends himself. I absolutely love how it was hinted at, with Cassius wondering how the trials messed up his brother so much, only for him to be as cold and selfish by the end. More than that, as the reader is taken through every feeling of guilt, hate and rage that Cassius feels, we start wondering what his real priorities are all along. And, even more, we start to deeply empathise with them. It’s absolutely genius character writing.
There’s a sort of slow burn romance happening with Leo, another boy from outside London competing in the Trials. The romantic aspect itself is truly a subplot, and is truly only used to express Cassius’ feelings about his sexuality and the guilt he bears due to his religious upbringing. Leo himself feels more like a side character, even though he appears on the cover of the book. He’s truly a mean to explore Cassius’ development better. I absolutely adored the fact that their relationship was carnal very quickly, they still admit to not even knowing if they truly like each other by the end. It’s just two fucked up boys, with fucked up priorities, trying to reach some sort of comfort before probably meeting their upcoming death. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the both of them.
The most important theme of the book is definitely Cassius’ religious guilt. As I’m not a believer, it truly isn’t something that resonated with me at all. But it was still depicted in a way that I managed to empathise with every bit of Cassius’ thoughts. There are some really fucked up scenes that depict well the wonder at how a God could manage to let this amount of horror happen, and I’m curious on how it was received by Christians. In any case, it’s clear that the author puts all his trauma into the pages, and it was so interesting to explore.
I absolutely loved everything about this book, in a way I didn’t expect. It was so easy to get lost in the plot, but more than anything I fell in love with the character development, that is some of the best I read in years. I cannot wait to pick up the sequel, and I wish the third book was out already so I could binge read the both of them.
I keep catching myself slipping, thinking there is beauty and hope and friendship in amongst all this. I know that if I let myself feel any of it, it will kill me. If I let my guard down, it will kill me.
And Cassius Jones must live.
First, I want to absolutely applaud the writing, that calls such a horrific feeling in the reader. From the moment I picked up the book, I understood it would be different from every other apocalyptic book I’ve ever read, from the sheer amount of terror the narration inflicts upon us. The way it depicts the monsters in a very realistic way, as they felt very tangible in a horrifying way, contradicts so well with the poetic writing used to describe Cassius’ feelings of guilt and care for his friends.
The plot is so interesting and compelling. We go from gruesome trial to gruesome trial, and each time I truly didn’t know what to expect from it, because no one is safe. The author is not scared to kill off a character or maim another, and it only adds to the already intense atmosphere. It only helps in making the reader turns the pages faster and faster, because you just NEED to know what will happen to all of them. It’s such good storytelling.
"There is no reverence to death anywhere," Leo whispers to me. "Do you know how disappointing that is?" I think about how to reply. I want to tell him I agree, but maybe I am past all that. Maybe I lost the ability to feel the depth of that years ago.
So far, the worldbuilding doesn't expand past London’s walls, which I was a bit sad about. I was curious on what happens to the rest of the world, and the kind of monster everyone else is facing. But it makes sense, as Cassius has only ever known London’s surrounding his entire life, and he already has much more important and terrifying things to focus on there. I do hope we get to see a bit more in the upcoming books.
I could write an actual novel about how insanely well written Cassius Jones is. I rarely see a main character that complex before. He starts the story as the truly nice guy we can expect: he’s caring for his family, he’s ready to protect his brother no matter the cost, he’s helpful to strangers he meets for the first time. But the reality of this world truly catches up on him. Very slowly, trial after trial, he subtly evolves to be someone that survives, instead of someone that just defends himself. I absolutely love how it was hinted at, with Cassius wondering how the trials messed up his brother so much, only for him to be as cold and selfish by the end. More than that, as the reader is taken through every feeling of guilt, hate and rage that Cassius feels, we start wondering what his real priorities are all along. And, even more, we start to deeply empathise with them. It’s absolutely genius character writing.
I will make myself the blackguard; I will bear all their misdirected guilt and anger; I will be a saviour in truth and a devil in the histories.
There’s a sort of slow burn romance happening with Leo, another boy from outside London competing in the Trials. The romantic aspect itself is truly a subplot, and is truly only used to express Cassius’ feelings about his sexuality and the guilt he bears due to his religious upbringing. Leo himself feels more like a side character, even though he appears on the cover of the book. He’s truly a mean to explore Cassius’ development better. I absolutely adored the fact that their relationship was carnal very quickly, they still admit to not even knowing if they truly like each other by the end. It’s just two fucked up boys, with fucked up priorities, trying to reach some sort of comfort before probably meeting their upcoming death. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the both of them.
The most important theme of the book is definitely Cassius’ religious guilt. As I’m not a believer, it truly isn’t something that resonated with me at all. But it was still depicted in a way that I managed to empathise with every bit of Cassius’ thoughts. There are some really fucked up scenes that depict well the wonder at how a God could manage to let this amount of horror happen, and I’m curious on how it was received by Christians. In any case, it’s clear that the author puts all his trauma into the pages, and it was so interesting to explore.
But I wish very deeply in that moment to go back to a time where my body was completely untouched. Before the lion, the harpy, the first time a man touched me. Before my father beat me. Before I knew what this world was. I wish I could do it all again and do it better this time. Do it right. God, please—let me be perfect.
I absolutely loved everything about this book, in a way I didn’t expect. It was so easy to get lost in the plot, but more than anything I fell in love with the character development, that is some of the best I read in years. I cannot wait to pick up the sequel, and I wish the third book was out already so I could binge read the both of them.
October 31, 2024
what an unexpected banger honestly
will be checking more works by this author in the future when i can
will be checking more works by this author in the future when i can
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