A Sharper, More Lasting Pain

by Alex Harvey-Rivas

NINTH HOUSE and AN EDUCATION IN MALICE meets STRIXHAVEN in this claustrophobically tense sapphic fantasy dark academia novel...

After their girlfriend's best friend is wounded in a monster attack, Simone Allard stumbles across a plot much deeper than they anticipated. As they work to find a cure to their own forming illness and find out the truth, one question how was Nadia involved in this?

Nadia DuPont doesn't know how much time she has or even what is ailing her, but it all gets more complex after meeting Simone on a field trip. As they both work to find a cure to her ailment, all Nadia is certain of is she's on the path to ruin.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Horror, LGBT

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

About the author

Alex is a speculative fiction writer and mountain of incomprehensible goo living in the PNW. When they aren't being paid to glue pieces of metal together, they're researching whatever interests them, reading from their arsenal of books, or playing video games. You can message them here or email them at authoralexharvey@gmail.com, or by howling into the woods when you're alone at night.

Reviews

[Morgan Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enticing, mysterious, and harrowing, A SHARPER, MORE LASTING PAIN is a dark and intriguing exploration of sapphic desire and chronic illness that struck a chord with me.

To be honest, as someone who deals with chronic pain and illness, I found parts of this book painfully relatable.

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mind-bending mystery beautifully weaves sapphic desire, academic life, and dangerous magic. A Sharper, More Last Pain is a captivating exploration into the ways the institution of academia fails its students, and I could not put it down.

[Lukasz]

rtc (SPFBO read)

[Stevie Aster Dente · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to congratulate this book on keeping my attention during the month of August, as life continually tried to put me in the absolute WORST headspace for reading. Regardless I came back to it again and again, usually as a wind down from whatever disaster the day had held.
And with the reminder that however bad my day was going: every protagonist in this book was having a worse one.

Simone Allard is a delight to follow, not just for their own chapters but for the way that other people seem to see them as so much more put together than they really are. The book does an excellent job of painting the outward appearance of someone who has absolutely all their shit together, only for you to realize each time you sink back into their head that Simone is nearly as lost as everyone else. Just far better at hiding it.

I love the set up of Simone’s chapters being present-day and Nadia’s being in the past, it left me scanning Nadia’s for signs of the inevitable and I was rewarded in bits and pieces for doing so, experiencing her slide from inevitable death into oncoming disaster.

The dynamics between the three protagonists had me hung up for a bit, wishing that both Nadia and Etienne would actually talk things through as they have the feeling of a friendship that has so deeply enmeshed both people that it becomes difficult to figure out where your boundaries lie anymore. Complicated by Nadia’s illness and Etienne’s somewhat unchecked possessiveness. I adored seeing Simone from both their eyes. How Nadia sees them as someone so far beyond driven and sure of themself, and how Etienne sees a self-important know it all.

The ending snuck up on me in that (to not spoil too deeply) when Simone and Etienne’s breakthrough was interrupted and Etienne’s chapter took over, I was left with only a few pages and more hunger than book remaining. (And I could do with like, a dozen more interludes about Professor Duval, because like Simone I too would love to know what the hell is going on in Idune and why the Miasma does what it does)
I adore where it ends, I adore open threads and roads to run down both from a reader perspective and from a writer’s. I would very much like to see everyone get out alive—especially Nadia, who I got attached to very quickly and very hard.

Overall and best of all in my opinion—A Sharper More Lasting Pain decided to deliver me one of my favorite things without wasting a single second or sparing a gory detail: Magical Illness that—if unchecked—turns you into a monster.

[Lumie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Alex Harvey-Rivas for the ARC.

Plot 4/5
Characters 3.5/5
Ending 4.25/5
Interest 4/5

Overall 3.75/5

-I didn’t have many expectations going into this book but as I read it, I really started to enjoy it. The plotline was very unique and I don’t thing I’ve ever read something quite set out like this book. The real world problems compared to the fantasy elements that have been added to this world really makes everything all the more interesting. What I also quite enjoyed was the dual point of view set in different timelines not that far apart but needed to complete each other’s storylines.

-I didn’t really connect with the characters. They were nice enough but nothing really stuck out to me. Simone was especially interesting though. They had a way of acting towards other characters that intrigued me and I liked their development in their relationships with both Nadia and Etienne. I do wish we could have seen more of them with Etienne, specifically towards the ending of the book.

-I have to say that I really enjoyed the ending. There were som aspects that kept me on my toes and surprised me but on the other hand, there were elements which did not surprise me and were foreshadowed and indicated much earlier in the book. I don’t believe that there will be a sequel for this book and I am completely fine with that. I feel like the ending left of with both enough answers and suspense.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

In part, this is a tragic romance about mental and chronic illness, complicated characters, the family issues that shaped them, and their intense but not always healthy relationship. I liked this storyline about Nadia and Simone, all the way to its dark ending.

As for the other parts of the book, they constantly set up expectations for something it was not about. The prologue hints at a dark-fantasy Annihilation—a travel to research a dangerous and mysterious place—and, instead, we get an intimate narrative restricted to a small cast of students that never leave the university grounds. Then a dark-academia mystery starts unfolding, with a lovely brooding atmosphere... but there's barely a little investigation, and the book ends, leaving most of the mysteries unsolved. I was a little disappointed, because I was so intrigued by Idunne, miasma, monsters and what it all meant.

Nadia and Simone are the core of the story, but I wished their world and its secrets weren't just this background to them. There was a lot that went unexplored.

[Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based off of the Advanced Reader Copy.

I enjoyed the introduction into the mystery and the climax of both the 'before' and 'after' segments, but the middle portion felt like it stagnated in places. Once Nadia and Simone started actually piecing together information, there were portions of chapters that would involve Nadia learning information we'd already learned with Simone or vice versa.

Simone's portions in particular felt like they were stagnating toward the middle of the story... There were places in their storyline where they were trying to decipher glyphs that form the basis of the book's magic system, or trying to figure out how to create a glyph to make a particular effect. The 'language' of glyphs being deciphered isn't fleshed out all that much, though, so there's no sense of whether progress is being made. Given that the professor Simone interacts with most teaches Intro to Glyph Design, I would have loved if there were some scenes with Professor Darzi lecturing paired with some diagrams of the 'mystery' glyphs later on, so Simone trying to figure out certain glyphs wouldn't feel quite so abstract.

The more fleshed-out aspect of the magic system, the different realms of casting, felt wholly lifted from Dungeons & Dragons, and honestly broke any immersion I had whenever it came up. I also felt like the monsters should have been called something different; there was a point when it became clear that 'monster' was referring to a specific type of thing rather than a generic group of monsters, and it felt sort of silly for such a serious moment.

The 'audio log' prologue felt out of place, although I'll admit I'm not a fan of prologues in general. It felt like it could have been cut or the information could have been given to the reader and characters in bits and pieces throughout the story, especially given that the entire audio log is shown again later in the book, with a few key pieces of information 'unredacted.'

That being said, the two storylines drawing to their respective climaxes at the same time absolutely drew me back in, even when we'd gotten enough information from earlier portions that the reader knows exactly what's about to happen to Nadia. Even in the bits where it felt like the plot was flagging, the character interactions felt grounded and the bits we learn about the world outside Voterique make me want to learn more about the world. And with how many questions were left at the end of the story (some very big ones raised by the epilogue) I'm hoping we will have a chance to see more of the world in future books. :)

[Shesvii · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very enjoyable and entertaining overall. There are a lot of aspects that I loved such as the fantastic descriptions that do not stop with what is visible, one of the strongest points of this book in my humble opinion is the sensory-rich descriptions. Without abusing complex synonyms, the author creates straightforward descriptions that are incredibly immersive and really make you feel with all your senses no matter how "disgusting" the subject may be. Maybe this is a bit nasty but there's a point in which vomit is described and it's a very good, analytical and straight to the point depiction of how it looks like, the texture it must have.

Another strong point was the worldbuilding. I enjoyed how it was seamlessly introduced into the plot without making me lose the flow. The characters were equally interesting and well fleshed out, of course I didn't find all of them equally likable but that didn't make them less compelling.
There's a good balance of interest-likeability-relatability in the character department.
The small moments in which we got background information about each character's family and upbringing were insightful and just as seamlessly incorporated into the narrative.
The end was good, I'm aware not everyone will agree but I liked the impending sense of doom. Not to mention it was realistic considering all the illegal stuff Simone does and how knowledge hungry those college professors are. Certainly not a happy ending but I loved it.

Last but not least, I loved the book structure with flashback chapters followed by present time chapters. The flashback chapters being narrated from Nadia's POV made me quickly empathise with her and understanding why she acts the way she does while suffering such a devastating chronic (and terminal) illness.

My only issue, and the reason why I am not giving it 5 stars, is that the main character Simone knew from the start that Nadia had had a vision about her being a monster and knew that Nadia was paranoid about becoming a monster and hurting her loved ones. This is revealed very late in one of Nadia's flashback chapters and at that moment I honestly felt like Simone should've taken into account this information from the start of the investigation. I hoped we'd get an explanation as to why Simone seemed to simply forget that their partner told them this... But nothing was acknowledged and it felt like the investigation would had gone in a completely different direction, had Simone remembered about such important conversation with their girlfriend.
It was a bit odd when Etienne told Simone about Nadia's hallucination and Simone was like "ok" instead of acknowledging how that bit of information had been shared with them by Nadia herself a long time ago.

[OldBird · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dual timeline New Adult modern fantasy dark academia that's queer positive and generally all round intriguing to read? Sign me up for part two of this duology!

The events revolve around a school/college in a world of Gods, magic and politics. Our first perspective is that of studious enby Simone, who finds themself caught up in a mystery; a boy's been attacked by a monster on campus at the same time their maybe-partner Nadia vanishes. The two can't be connected... But Simone needs to find answers to the disappearance.

The second perspective picks up the events of before the attack. Nadia, a slightly chaotic final year student who suffers from a mystery illness, is just about coping with campus life. Self medicating and moaning to her BFF Étienne were her sole escapes until she met Simone. But that's when things start to go weird...

What I Loved:
- The fantasy-ness being so well constructed in a story that's only about a small section of that fantasy world. I always felt like I had enough information to go on, and then some just to add extra foreshadowing flavor.
- The time line execution. Yes, even with parts repeated later on (with added info of course), I felt like those two narratives converging was just *chef's kiss*. I was so ready to confirm what we'd already worked out by that point. Great foreshadowing without being patronizing.
- Unlikeable characters. Most dark academia books have these kinds of protagonist, and usually they irritate me with their need to be caustic. Simone, Nadia and Étienne aren't necessarily characters you'd like to befriend, but they have a vulnerability (and subtle backstory) to them that makes you care.

What I Noticed:
- Editorially it could have used another sweep (the odd typo and unusual wording; way less than many indie novels so really this is a nitpick)
- Explicit scenes. Not a problem, just an observation for those not into that kinda thing.

I really enjoyed this NA debut and will be awaiting its follow up to get some answers!

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply enjoyable story concerning Nadia's descent physically, mentally, and magically due to contracting an illness at a magical college. The other narrative follows their former friend/more than friends Simone, who's trying to pick up the pieces after Nadia's "fall." The worldbuilding is subtle but not minimalistic, perfectly detailed for deeply personal story/stories Rivas wanted to tell; the prose was detailed and compelling, and I never had difficulty keeping reading unlike even other books I've enjoyed and consider good. (Which this is.)

4.5, rounding up to 5; definitely following Rivas as an author, and hope others do as well.

[K.V. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing sapphic dark urban fantasy about a magic college where strange things have been happening. This story deals with chronic / terminal illness and drug use (magical drug called Serenity that helps with the pain of the illness). The protagonists, Simone and Nadia, are endearing in their own unique ways and I enjoyed their relationship. I would have liked to see more magic use throughout the story considering the magic school setting, but if you enjoy dark fantasy, you'll like this one.

[U.R. Holm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did it have to end!?

While I do wish this book had been about 10x longer, that’s only because I loved it and am greedy. In reality, it was exactly as long as it needed to be.

I loved how everything came together, not only at the end but during the whole book, and the characters and their relationships is the biggest reason that I want more. And Etienne has definitely climbed up onto my list of favorite characters.🥰

[Allyourpagearebelongtous · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one two months ago, and I still think about it from time to time now. It's very mysterious and ominous, and the end left me with just enough questions to think about it for days afterwards. Best I can describe it is as a dark academia fantasy thriller, heavily seasoned with a sense of impending doom.
There's also an interesting running narrative about mental and physical illness. Great read.

[Lauren Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books I was constantly thinking about whenever I wasn’t able to read—eager to get back to it and figure out the twists and turns of the story. Loved all of the diverse characters, and would love to see an entire world/series made from this book. An excellent read that sucked me in immediately. 4.5 stars.

[Veronica Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me coming back to it and reading more, despite having a knee replacement and tons of physical therapy on my daily to-do list!
This author is definitely on my watchlist! I would love to see so much more and highly recommend reading!!

[Marc Rieck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you from the first chapter

Etienne, Simone, and Nadia are describe so well, it is as if they are part of your clan.

The weaknesses are so potent that you will wish that you could help them out!

[Gracie Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was well done. I had a hard time getting into it at first but after a short while, I liked the plot line of the book. I loved the representation of the characters. I would have liked the magic system to be explored a little more, as I found it hard to follow, but I understand this wasn’t the main focus. The ending fell a little short for me as well, I feel like I predicted it fairly easy, which made it feel a bit anticlimactic. (I have the tendency to do this with a lot of media.) Overall, I did enjoy this book. I would pick up this author again! I’d like to thank the author for sending me an ARC to review. 🖤