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Morbid Realities #1
The Exorcism of Faeries
From the #1 bestselling author of Autumn of the Grimoire, J.L. Vampa, comes a brand new dark academia romance in the vein of Ninth House meets If We Were Villains and Nocticadia.
She is the daughter of morticians, studying Botany at Trinity College, Dublin. He is her Morbid Anatomy professor. And the Fae are possessing the good people of Dublin. Only Atta and Professor Murdoch can exorcize the fae, but can they fight their forbidden feelings for one another in the process?
It is said they are but lore.
It is said they are but demons.
It is said this is but a plague.
Wayward spirits.
Ghosts.
Spectres.
Ghouls.
The truth beckons
Tick flick tick
The clock keeps time with the candle
Until they all get sick
Wax slides down the gilded stick
And the Fae invade with bramble
---------------------------------
Trinity College, Dublin
5th November, 1993
He always reads standing in front of the shelf, one hand shoved in his pocket until it’s time to flip the page. It’s the first thing I noticed about him, while I was supposed to be studying. Instead, I watched him move from shelf to shelf and book to book. I had no idea at the time that I would one day meet him and he would change everything.
We would change everything.
-Excerpt from the diary of Ariatne Morrow, found in the wreckage at Ground Zero
She is the daughter of morticians, studying Botany at Trinity College, Dublin. He is her Morbid Anatomy professor. And the Fae are possessing the good people of Dublin. Only Atta and Professor Murdoch can exorcize the fae, but can they fight their forbidden feelings for one another in the process?
It is said they are but lore.
It is said they are but demons.
It is said this is but a plague.
Wayward spirits.
Ghosts.
Spectres.
Ghouls.
The truth beckons
Tick flick tick
The clock keeps time with the candle
Until they all get sick
Wax slides down the gilded stick
And the Fae invade with bramble
---------------------------------
Trinity College, Dublin
5th November, 1993
He always reads standing in front of the shelf, one hand shoved in his pocket until it’s time to flip the page. It’s the first thing I noticed about him, while I was supposed to be studying. Instead, I watched him move from shelf to shelf and book to book. I had no idea at the time that I would one day meet him and he would change everything.
We would change everything.
-Excerpt from the diary of Ariatne Morrow, found in the wreckage at Ground Zero
398 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2025
2532 people are currently reading
32556 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,524 reviews
May 22, 2025
GOTHIC ROMANCE LIKE THIS IS HOME TO ME!!!!!!
1990’s Dublin. Dark academia. Professor X Teachers Assistant. Secret society. Mystery plot.
This was so beautifully written. SO captivating and atmospheric. Honestly I didn’t know how exactly this was going to end and it took me by surprise. I loved every single second, so much so that I was taking my time with it because I didn’t want it to end.
Two of my favorite quotes because I will be thinking about this book for the foreseeable future:
“Poetry wasn’t in life; it was in what we’ve made of the past, lending it romanticism instead of watching it burn and lie in the ashes. He shouldn’t have brought her into this, this girl made up of poetry and bones, flowers and viscera, everything beautiful and meaningful in life.”
“It was the sadness that made her feel hemmed in. Not trapped or entangled, but focused. Like the tragedy of someone else reminding her of what was truly important.”
1990’s Dublin. Dark academia. Professor X Teachers Assistant. Secret society. Mystery plot.
This was so beautifully written. SO captivating and atmospheric. Honestly I didn’t know how exactly this was going to end and it took me by surprise. I loved every single second, so much so that I was taking my time with it because I didn’t want it to end.
Two of my favorite quotes because I will be thinking about this book for the foreseeable future:
“Poetry wasn’t in life; it was in what we’ve made of the past, lending it romanticism instead of watching it burn and lie in the ashes. He shouldn’t have brought her into this, this girl made up of poetry and bones, flowers and viscera, everything beautiful and meaningful in life.”
“It was the sadness that made her feel hemmed in. Not trapped or entangled, but focused. Like the tragedy of someone else reminding her of what was truly important.”
October 26, 2025
3.5⭐️
This was such a fun dark academia gothic romance! It started out sooooo strong! She’s a grad student who also works at a morgue and is helping a secret society uncover the mystery of this strange plague that’s been unaliving people in their town for years and he’s a professor a part of the secret society. It’s set in the early 90s in Scotland and the spooky vibes were immaculate. I will say the romance started out so good but then fell flat a bit halfway through. Also it got to be a bit predictable so I felt myself rushing through the end but all in all I enjoyed it!
This was such a fun dark academia gothic romance! It started out sooooo strong! She’s a grad student who also works at a morgue and is helping a secret society uncover the mystery of this strange plague that’s been unaliving people in their town for years and he’s a professor a part of the secret society. It’s set in the early 90s in Scotland and the spooky vibes were immaculate. I will say the romance started out so good but then fell flat a bit halfway through. Also it got to be a bit predictable so I felt myself rushing through the end but all in all I enjoyed it!
September 2, 2025
i loved this! the gothic old school fairytale vibes were stunning. the whole morbid floral/fauna plague was super super intriguing. and the dark academic setting? yeah i will eat that up every tune. the tension between the main characters was so good!! a moody professor will always do it for me and i loved the slow burn! 👏🏼
Want to read
May 20, 2025NINTH HOUSE X NOCTICADIA??? WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFOREEEE THIS SOUNDS LIKE MY HEAVEN 🙏 RUNNING TO BUY THIS
*update* ITS HERE AND OMG IS IT STUNNING THE INTERIOR ARTWORK???! 🤚
*update* ITS HERE AND OMG IS IT STUNNING THE INTERIOR ARTWORK???! 🤚
April 26, 2025
As an author, I tend to keep my distance from reviews—this is a reader space, meant for readers. But I do want to thank you for reading and give a short list of TWs :
•death/ corpses
•graphic autopsy
•dark themes (exorcism)
•flora body horror
“Scary” 1-10, I give this a 4. It is more eerie and folkloric horror than downright scary.
•sex
•a hot professor you won’t be able to stop thinking about
Follow me on BookBub here: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-l-v...
My newsletter here: https://www.jlvampa.com/newsletter-si...
•death/ corpses
•graphic autopsy
•dark themes (exorcism)
•flora body horror
“Scary” 1-10, I give this a 4. It is more eerie and folkloric horror than downright scary.
•sex
•a hot professor you won’t be able to stop thinking about
Follow me on BookBub here: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-l-v...
My newsletter here: https://www.jlvampa.com/newsletter-si...
August 23, 2025
Rated 4.5/5 stars
This book is delightfully gothic, full of morbid curiosity with a side of whimsy that just scratches that perfect spot. J.L. Vampa’s writing invokes such strong imagery from dark academia themes, not only in description but by relishing in the morbid academics of anatomy, pathology and botany. This story is truly an amalgamation of themes I love - the earthy gothic, dark academia, and romance - and entwined them effortlessly into a story perfect for the darker months of the year.
This book is delightfully gothic, full of morbid curiosity with a side of whimsy that just scratches that perfect spot. J.L. Vampa’s writing invokes such strong imagery from dark academia themes, not only in description but by relishing in the morbid academics of anatomy, pathology and botany. This story is truly an amalgamation of themes I love - the earthy gothic, dark academia, and romance - and entwined them effortlessly into a story perfect for the darker months of the year.
October 8, 2025
3⭐️ this book is difficult to rate bc parts of it felt like slipping on my favorite vintage cashmere sweater & sipping a warm cappuccino. But the majority of it fell SO FLAT with boring, mindless fluff
THIS HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL. The first bit of this book was PHENOMENAL. Dark academia. 90s gothic vibe in set Dublin. Student teacher romance. Mystery plague.
I thought this would make it on my favorite shelf easily. Oh boy. The plot and pacing completely lost me. This ended up being a lot of filler for 60% of the book and literally the most rushed, insane ending. The build up of the secret society & plague for the whole entire book to just be messily solved in 3 PAGES??? It made no sense 😭
Im kinda gutted bc the VIBES were there it was just not executed well enough for me
THIS HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL. The first bit of this book was PHENOMENAL. Dark academia. 90s gothic vibe in set Dublin. Student teacher romance. Mystery plague.
I thought this would make it on my favorite shelf easily. Oh boy. The plot and pacing completely lost me. This ended up being a lot of filler for 60% of the book and literally the most rushed, insane ending. The build up of the secret society & plague for the whole entire book to just be messily solved in 3 PAGES??? It made no sense 😭
Im kinda gutted bc the VIBES were there it was just not executed well enough for me
December 7, 2025
4.5⭐️
Such a unique interesting storyline!
This gothic fantasy, is set in Ireland in the 90’s where a mysterious plague has been killing peope for years. It’s super atmospheric and the perfect setting for this gothic x fae folklore story
Atta has been studying this in secret, and becomes a TA for Professor Murdoch who is also part of a secret society studying the plague
Whilst working together they realise this isn’t just an infection or a virus but something much darker
The romance is slow burn and perfect, I loveddd Sonder (professor murdoch) he’s broody and grumpy hates everyone but her vibes ugh loved it
The ending was a bit rushed to me, but I’m excited to see where book two goes
Such a unique interesting storyline!
This gothic fantasy, is set in Ireland in the 90’s where a mysterious plague has been killing peope for years. It’s super atmospheric and the perfect setting for this gothic x fae folklore story
Atta has been studying this in secret, and becomes a TA for Professor Murdoch who is also part of a secret society studying the plague
Whilst working together they realise this isn’t just an infection or a virus but something much darker
The romance is slow burn and perfect, I loveddd Sonder (professor murdoch) he’s broody and grumpy hates everyone but her vibes ugh loved it
The ending was a bit rushed to me, but I’m excited to see where book two goes
Want to read
June 1, 2025I can’t wait to start this one✨
Currently reading
October 22, 2025Keeping up with the Halloween spirit and doing this dark academia set at Trinity College in 80s Dublin. I’m intrigued!
June 13, 2025
While I was very invested in the beginning, this story unfortunately suffered from the kindle unlimited curse of bloated page count. I get it, when you are paid by pages read, you gotta make that a thick book but damn this dragged.
Also the ending was so anticlimactic I literally thought “that can’t be it…right?!” It was in fact it.
Also the ending was so anticlimactic I literally thought “that can’t be it…right?!” It was in fact it.
July 4, 2025
if i had a nickel for every time i picked up a book that turned out to be dark academia with a dark/forbidden relationship, a secret society that's very messed up and involved in some illegal shit, the heroine having her mind set on only one task the entire book - that's always researching in order to save someone , the hero being involved in what she's researching and always knowing more than her in the beginning until the power of love and sex saves him and makes him open up to her and tell her his tragic story resulting in them teaming up and having no more secrets between them , with a huge cast of secondary characters, each one more messed up than the other - then i will have 3 nickels
its not a lot but it's kinda funny how the last 3 MF romances i picked up all seem to be of the same sort.
˚ ✦ . . ˚ . . ✦ ˚ . ★⋆. ࿐࿔
. ˚ * ✦ . . ✦ ˚ ˚ .˚ ✦ . . ˚ . ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶ ✦
I have to say though, this one turned out to be my favorite.
it also felt oddly whimsical and beautiful ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀
As much as i love my romance books, when they say "angst filled" - its never angst filled. But romantasy books always deliver on that front. I love it when the romance only happens on borrowed time between the two mc's - it always adds more anticipation and heat. And that's exactly what happened here, this was my definition of a slow burn. I love a good professor/Student relationship - it's my favorite type of forbidden <3 The relationship between Atta and Murdoch only got more domestic and sweet after they got together. I looooove a book with vibes of an obsessed hero who's wrapped around her little finger.
“Atta,” he said on an exhale, “we need to stop.” But his words were contradicted by his hands finding her breasts. Fuck, he couldn’t take it.
“Why?” she breathed, her fingers untucking his shirt, sliding under it, toying with the dip of his pelvis.
“Because— Oh fuck, I can’t remember.” His mouth found hers again and they were a tangle of limbs, teeth, her fingernails digging into his back.”
like you see what i mean??? OBSESSED, CONSUMED, IN LOVE ₊˚⊹☆
“Should I tell you then that I can’t stop thinking about you? That I haven’t thought of another woman since the first moment I saw you outside Achilles House with a corpse you’d cut open yourself?” He took her chin in his fingers. “Or how I have never thought of a woman the way I think of you?” He kissed her gently on the lips. “How I thought I was destined to be alone, but it turns out I was starving all these years, waiting for you?”
URGH;FJLCBFHARWOUFBWRJBN'WOURGL
AND HE CALLS HER DARLING. NO QUIRKY NICKNAMES MUSE OR BUTTERFLY OR NAIL CLIPPER OR WHATEVER. They became a solid team with a solid group of friends around them going around and exorcising faeries.
“I’m at your command, darling”
AHHHHHHH GIVE ME MORE. GIVE ME THESE VIBES. GIVE ME LOVE. ♡✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I SAW IF WE WERE VILLAINS AND NOCTICADIA IN THE BLURB🫢🫢🫢🫢🫢 SAY NO MORE
its not a lot but it's kinda funny how the last 3 MF romances i picked up all seem to be of the same sort.
˚ ✦ . . ˚ . . ✦ ˚ . ★⋆. ࿐࿔
. ˚ * ✦ . . ✦ ˚ ˚ .˚ ✦ . . ˚ . ੈ✧̣̇˳·˖✶ ✦
I have to say though, this one turned out to be my favorite.
it also felt oddly whimsical and beautiful ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀
As much as i love my romance books, when they say "angst filled" - its never angst filled. But romantasy books always deliver on that front. I love it when the romance only happens on borrowed time between the two mc's - it always adds more anticipation and heat. And that's exactly what happened here, this was my definition of a slow burn. I love a good professor/Student relationship - it's my favorite type of forbidden <3 The relationship between Atta and Murdoch only got more domestic and sweet after they got together. I looooove a book with vibes of an obsessed hero who's wrapped around her little finger.
“Atta,” he said on an exhale, “we need to stop.” But his words were contradicted by his hands finding her breasts. Fuck, he couldn’t take it.
“Why?” she breathed, her fingers untucking his shirt, sliding under it, toying with the dip of his pelvis.
“Because— Oh fuck, I can’t remember.” His mouth found hers again and they were a tangle of limbs, teeth, her fingernails digging into his back.”
like you see what i mean??? OBSESSED, CONSUMED, IN LOVE ₊˚⊹☆
“Should I tell you then that I can’t stop thinking about you? That I haven’t thought of another woman since the first moment I saw you outside Achilles House with a corpse you’d cut open yourself?” He took her chin in his fingers. “Or how I have never thought of a woman the way I think of you?” He kissed her gently on the lips. “How I thought I was destined to be alone, but it turns out I was starving all these years, waiting for you?”
URGH;FJLCBFHARWOUFBWRJBN'WOURGL
AND HE CALLS HER DARLING. NO QUIRKY NICKNAMES MUSE OR BUTTERFLY OR NAIL CLIPPER OR WHATEVER. They became a solid team with a solid group of friends around them going around and exorcising faeries.
“I’m at your command, darling”
AHHHHHHH GIVE ME MORE. GIVE ME THESE VIBES. GIVE ME LOVE. ♡✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I SAW IF WE WERE VILLAINS AND NOCTICADIA IN THE BLURB🫢🫢🫢🫢🫢 SAY NO MORE
June 4, 2025
This book was absolutely incredible, five star, beautiful perfection. No clue I was about to read one of my top books of the last few years. If you like Nocticadia, Ninth House, or anything gothic horror fantasy you will absolutely eat this up. It was one of the most clever and stunning stories I’ve read in recent memory. I truly have never read a book with a plot like this before. So much of what is popular is the same tropes and plot in a different font, but this is 100% new and so refreshing to read. It has the professor/student, enemies to lovers, secret society, hidden secrets tropes but they are done in such a unique way that had me sat the whole time.
Let me start with our brooding professor, Sonder (aka Dr. Frankenstein) goddamn I love this man. He doesn’t like anybody, he spends most of his time with dead bodies, he’s part of a secret society, he’s wildly brilliant, insanely attractive, and he’s obsessed with our fmc, Atta, from first sight. Watching him slowly warm up to her and fall in love was one of my favorite parts of this story. His home and the history of his parents was so captivating.
Atta was such an interesting fmc. She’s incredibly brilliant and capable. She enjoys the macabre and darker things in life. She’s kind of a recluse but her genius and interest in the academics was so interesting to read. I was so intrigued by her migraines and visions and the way her story was interwoven with the folklore. I’m obsessed!
The side characters were incredible and so likable. We got so much personality in a standalone book and I think that’s a true testament of good writing. The folklore, the exorcisms, the intermixing of science and ritual, all of it was so well done. This book was incredible and I cannot speak more highly of this if I tried. If you’re considering it, definitely give this a read!!
Let me start with our brooding professor, Sonder (aka Dr. Frankenstein) goddamn I love this man. He doesn’t like anybody, he spends most of his time with dead bodies, he’s part of a secret society, he’s wildly brilliant, insanely attractive, and he’s obsessed with our fmc, Atta, from first sight. Watching him slowly warm up to her and fall in love was one of my favorite parts of this story. His home and the history of his parents was so captivating.
Atta was such an interesting fmc. She’s incredibly brilliant and capable. She enjoys the macabre and darker things in life. She’s kind of a recluse but her genius and interest in the academics was so interesting to read. I was so intrigued by her migraines and visions and the way her story was interwoven with the folklore. I’m obsessed!
The side characters were incredible and so likable. We got so much personality in a standalone book and I think that’s a true testament of good writing. The folklore, the exorcisms, the intermixing of science and ritual, all of it was so well done. This book was incredible and I cannot speak more highly of this if I tried. If you’re considering it, definitely give this a read!!
November 4, 2025
⋆˚ “You’ve tangled yourself up in my soul like a vine, a stór.”
˚⋆༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆
🎧/🔲┆The Exorcism of Faeries
╰┈➤ ✰┆ ˗ˏˋ 𝟚.𝟟𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ˊˎ˗
╰⪼ ⋆౨ৎ˚┆ 𝓟𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: Another gothic romance? Are we surprised? And yes, November is still spooky season — no judging.
📆┆˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Dates read: 11/1/25 - 11/3/25
𓂃🖊┆𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼:
🍂 Dark academia
🤎 Professor x student
🍂 Secret societies
🤎 Faeries
🍂 Possession x exorcism
🤎 Botanical horror
🍂 Anatomy x post mortum
🤎 Dark gothic atmosphere
🍂 Forbidden romance
🏷️┆𝓐𝓽 𝓪 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮:
➛ Dark academia romance with gothic mystery
➛ Kindle Unlimited - 378 pages
➛ First in a series, although it can be read as a standalone
➛ Trinity College 1990s Dublin, Ireland
➛ Botany student x morbid anatomy professor
➛ Exorcisms, secret societies, plague
➛ Irish folklore x evil faeries
➛ Spice rating: explicit open door 🌶️🌶️
➛ Dual POV, 3rd person
➛ Atmospheric and lyrical writing
📋┆𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼:
She is the daughter of morticians, studying Botany at Trinity College, Dublin. He is her Morbid Anatomy professor. And the Fae are possessing the good people of Dublin. Only Atta and Professor Murdoch can exorcize the fae, but can they fight their forbidden feelings for one another in the process?
🎵 ┆𝓝𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰: ♫ Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone by The Newton Brothers ♪
↻ ◁ 𝕀𝕀 ▷ ↺
0:27 ────|────── 1:04 Volume: ■■■■■□□□
─────── ⋆.˚ ✩ ⋆˙⟡ ───────
💭┆𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
╰┈➤ 📌┆Initial Thoughts:
➛ Hmm... I'm confused and not in a good way.
╰┈➤ 📝┆Plot and Pacing: 2 stars ✰✰
➛ Yikes, so this was a hot mess. The more I think about it, the worse it gets. I didn’t understand much of the plot. The secret societies were not explained, and I never felt their presence to be a sinister, menacing force. While the first half was intriguing with the mysterious plague and hallucinations, the payoff was not worth it and extremely anticlimactic. The ending was incredibly rushed and not at all clear. Atta supposedly saved the world, but we didn’t see that. She just walked through the door to the other world, and then that was all we got. What?? Where is the explanation? There were just so many things missing. There were too many plot holes, and I still have questions, but I quit caring about getting answers towards the end. This was not it, sis.
╰┈➤ 👫┆Characters: 3 stars ✰✰✰
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 🍄🟫🌿┆Ariadne "Atta" Morrow
➛ Atta is a graduate student facing financial trouble. In desperate need of money to fuel her research, she takes a job as a TA for Dr Frankenstein in hopes of saving her tuition at Trinity College. Initially described as mature and a genius, I found this to be disingenuous. I found it really annoying that she couldn't recognize the MMC under a mask! Uh hello?! Someone she interacted with daily, and she could not put two and two together, be fr... Also, why was she so obsessed with her age? Her inner monologue about being older than everyone and thinking younger people are bothered by that? Girlfriend, you're 28, not 50 — *eye roll*. This is graduate school; many students are older. Aside from the aforesaid annoyances, her character was initially intriguing, particularly her hallucinations.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 💀🫀┆Sonder Murdoch "Dr. Frankenstein"
➛ A dark, moody, and brooding professor? Say no further. He was simply scrumptious. I definitely swooned when he started calling her darling or a stór. Nicknames in a foreign language are far superior imo. Sonder won me over quicker than Atta did in terms of believing the romance, that's for sure!
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Romance/Spice
➛ The romance was just ok. I liked these characters for the most part, but the romance fell incredibly flat after they got together. I felt a whole lot of nothing. No passion, emotional depth, or chemistry. Sure, they shared romantic monologues, but it didn’t feel genuine at all! The spicy scenes felt off to me, as if the author were taking up space. There were glimpses of tension and passion in the beginning, but it fizzled out rather quickly.
╰┈➤ ✎┆Setting and Writing: 4 stars ✰✰✰✰
➛ I rather enjoyed the writing as it felt atmospheric and immersive. I appreciated the vivid descriptions and lyrical prose, which had a dark, eerie, and unsettling undertone, blending the natural world with horror. Although at times it was a little over the top. Simple actions were embellished for the sake of pretty prose which can be frustrating for some readers if that's not your thing.
╰┈➤ ☁️┆Themes: 3 stars ✰✰✰
➛ This story is centered around themes of dark academia, body horror, morbid anatomy, and fae possession, all explored through a gothic and romance-fueled plot. The narrative combines the supernatural threat of fae spirits, depicted as a plague, with a scientific approach to fighting them, driven by a daughter of morticians and her professor. It explores the conflict between science and folklore, secret societies, and the struggle against both a supernatural infection and forbidden romance.
╰┈➤ 💕┆Emotional Impact: 2 stars ✰✰
➛ The story stayed the same the whole way through. I never felt invested or worried about what was happening, which made the experience lackluster.
╰┈➤ ✨┆Enjoyment: 3 stars ✰✰✰
➛ Very mediocre at best. While I loved the atmosphere and dark academia aesthetic, the latter half was boring and almost a chore to finish.
─────── ⋆.˚ ✩ ⋆˙⟡ ───────
╰┈➤ 🚨┆𝓑𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶-𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮:
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ The beginning had so much potential, but the story lost steam in the middle. Although the vibes were right, the lack of emotional depth and the confusing plot left a lasting bad impression. Good premise, lack of execution.
➛ ✔ 𝓦𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓘 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭? Can skip this one
➛ 📚┆𝓢𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓪𝓻 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼:
✃ Enigma by RuNyx - 3.25 stars
✃ Nocticadia by Keri Lake - 5 stars
✃ Gothikana by RuNyx - 3 stars
✃ Nightshade by Autumn Woods - 3.5 stars
─────── ⋆.˚ ✩ ⋆˙⟡ ───────
˚⋆༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆
🎧/🔲┆The Exorcism of Faeries
╰┈➤ ✰┆ ˗ˏˋ 𝟚.𝟟𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ˊˎ˗
╰⪼ ⋆౨ৎ˚┆ 𝓟𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: Another gothic romance? Are we surprised? And yes, November is still spooky season — no judging.
📆┆˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Dates read: 11/1/25 - 11/3/25
𓂃🖊┆𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼:
🍂 Dark academia
🤎 Professor x student
🍂 Secret societies
🤎 Faeries
🍂 Possession x exorcism
🤎 Botanical horror
🍂 Anatomy x post mortum
🤎 Dark gothic atmosphere
🍂 Forbidden romance
🏷️┆𝓐𝓽 𝓪 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮:
➛ Dark academia romance with gothic mystery
➛ Kindle Unlimited - 378 pages
➛ First in a series, although it can be read as a standalone
➛ Trinity College 1990s Dublin, Ireland
➛ Botany student x morbid anatomy professor
➛ Exorcisms, secret societies, plague
➛ Irish folklore x evil faeries
➛ Spice rating: explicit open door 🌶️🌶️
➛ Dual POV, 3rd person
➛ Atmospheric and lyrical writing
📋┆𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼:
She is the daughter of morticians, studying Botany at Trinity College, Dublin. He is her Morbid Anatomy professor. And the Fae are possessing the good people of Dublin. Only Atta and Professor Murdoch can exorcize the fae, but can they fight their forbidden feelings for one another in the process?
“Because it was nothing but Juliet’s kiss, Macbeth’s decapitation, the murder of Desdemona. Achilles mourning Patroclus."
🎵 ┆𝓝𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰: ♫ Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone by The Newton Brothers ♪
↻ ◁ 𝕀𝕀 ▷ ↺
0:27 ────|────── 1:04 Volume: ■■■■■□□□
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💭┆𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
╰┈➤ 📌┆Initial Thoughts:
➛ Hmm... I'm confused and not in a good way.
╰┈➤ 📝┆Plot and Pacing: 2 stars ✰✰
➛ Yikes, so this was a hot mess. The more I think about it, the worse it gets. I didn’t understand much of the plot. The secret societies were not explained, and I never felt their presence to be a sinister, menacing force. While the first half was intriguing with the mysterious plague and hallucinations, the payoff was not worth it and extremely anticlimactic. The ending was incredibly rushed and not at all clear. Atta supposedly saved the world, but we didn’t see that. She just walked through the door to the other world, and then that was all we got. What?? Where is the explanation? There were just so many things missing. There were too many plot holes, and I still have questions, but I quit caring about getting answers towards the end. This was not it, sis.
╰┈➤ 👫┆Characters: 3 stars ✰✰✰
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 🍄🟫🌿┆Ariadne "Atta" Morrow
➛ Atta is a graduate student facing financial trouble. In desperate need of money to fuel her research, she takes a job as a TA for Dr Frankenstein in hopes of saving her tuition at Trinity College. Initially described as mature and a genius, I found this to be disingenuous. I found it really annoying that she couldn't recognize the MMC under a mask! Uh hello?! Someone she interacted with daily, and she could not put two and two together, be fr... Also, why was she so obsessed with her age? Her inner monologue about being older than everyone and thinking younger people are bothered by that? Girlfriend, you're 28, not 50 — *eye roll*. This is graduate school; many students are older. Aside from the aforesaid annoyances, her character was initially intriguing, particularly her hallucinations.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 💀🫀┆Sonder Murdoch "Dr. Frankenstein"
➛ A dark, moody, and brooding professor? Say no further. He was simply scrumptious. I definitely swooned when he started calling her darling or a stór. Nicknames in a foreign language are far superior imo. Sonder won me over quicker than Atta did in terms of believing the romance, that's for sure!
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Romance/Spice
➛ The romance was just ok. I liked these characters for the most part, but the romance fell incredibly flat after they got together. I felt a whole lot of nothing. No passion, emotional depth, or chemistry. Sure, they shared romantic monologues, but it didn’t feel genuine at all! The spicy scenes felt off to me, as if the author were taking up space. There were glimpses of tension and passion in the beginning, but it fizzled out rather quickly.
╰┈➤ ✎┆Setting and Writing: 4 stars ✰✰✰✰
➛ I rather enjoyed the writing as it felt atmospheric and immersive. I appreciated the vivid descriptions and lyrical prose, which had a dark, eerie, and unsettling undertone, blending the natural world with horror. Although at times it was a little over the top. Simple actions were embellished for the sake of pretty prose which can be frustrating for some readers if that's not your thing.
“-a hint of the approaching autumn on the wind, stirring the leaves that would soon lose their chlorophyll and show the world how beautiful it is to die.”
╰┈➤ ☁️┆Themes: 3 stars ✰✰✰
➛ This story is centered around themes of dark academia, body horror, morbid anatomy, and fae possession, all explored through a gothic and romance-fueled plot. The narrative combines the supernatural threat of fae spirits, depicted as a plague, with a scientific approach to fighting them, driven by a daughter of morticians and her professor. It explores the conflict between science and folklore, secret societies, and the struggle against both a supernatural infection and forbidden romance.
╰┈➤ 💕┆Emotional Impact: 2 stars ✰✰
➛ The story stayed the same the whole way through. I never felt invested or worried about what was happening, which made the experience lackluster.
╰┈➤ ✨┆Enjoyment: 3 stars ✰✰✰
➛ Very mediocre at best. While I loved the atmosphere and dark academia aesthetic, the latter half was boring and almost a chore to finish.
─────── ⋆.˚ ✩ ⋆˙⟡ ───────
╰┈➤ 🚨┆𝓑𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶-𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮:
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ The beginning had so much potential, but the story lost steam in the middle. Although the vibes were right, the lack of emotional depth and the confusing plot left a lasting bad impression. Good premise, lack of execution.
➛ ✔ 𝓦𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓘 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭? Can skip this one
➛ 📚┆𝓢𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓪𝓻 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼:
✃ Enigma by RuNyx - 3.25 stars
✃ Nocticadia by Keri Lake - 5 stars
✃ Gothikana by RuNyx - 3 stars
✃ Nightshade by Autumn Woods - 3.5 stars
─────── ⋆.˚ ✩ ⋆˙⟡ ───────
“Hamartia.
To err, to have a tragic flaw.
With Sonder standing there in his childhood home, looking at her, she knew in her bones they were both hamartia embodied. The main ingredient for a tragic end.”
June 4, 2025
3-3.5 ⭐️
This book had some insane hype on booktok & as soon as I heard it was 90s Ireland, a plague, a mortician, a professor, dark academia vibes? I signed right up! This was very much the vibes of Noctocadia (I loved that one better).
I’m not sure what to rate this, but I’d say 3.5 because there were moments that things weren’t fully explained, I found it hard to understand what was going on sometimes, almost like the author didn’t fully tell us but did at the same time? Idk. And there was a lot of filler and the same thing happening over and over AND THEN the ending was SO RUSHED. It peaked and ended in the last 5 minutes of the book…. That through me for a loop. It didn’t make much sense at all.
I really did like the FMC and MMC though. They were good characters with a decent arc. Side characters were awesome too although there wasn’t really a “bad guy” in this story. The romance was decent but lackluster for me. He said some romantic shit, but even the 2 spicy scenes were short and weird
Overall, it’s a decent story and I was somewhat entertained but it was not close to a 5 star for me like others are saying! Took me a bit to get into as well. The revelation of the plague was SO WEIRD guys lol, luckily I know a bit about Irish folklore so I understood what was happening a bit but i wasn’t expecting this “fairytale-folklore-fantasy” aspect to it? I thought it was like real life but didn’t feel like it!
Again, the best part was the characters. I know I’m bashing on it but I don’t mean to! I think this just had much more potential ◡̈
This book had some insane hype on booktok & as soon as I heard it was 90s Ireland, a plague, a mortician, a professor, dark academia vibes? I signed right up! This was very much the vibes of Noctocadia (I loved that one better).
I’m not sure what to rate this, but I’d say 3.5 because there were moments that things weren’t fully explained, I found it hard to understand what was going on sometimes, almost like the author didn’t fully tell us but did at the same time? Idk. And there was a lot of filler and the same thing happening over and over AND THEN the ending was SO RUSHED. It peaked and ended in the last 5 minutes of the book…. That through me for a loop. It didn’t make much sense at all.
I really did like the FMC and MMC though. They were good characters with a decent arc. Side characters were awesome too although there wasn’t really a “bad guy” in this story. The romance was decent but lackluster for me. He said some romantic shit, but even the 2 spicy scenes were short and weird
Overall, it’s a decent story and I was somewhat entertained but it was not close to a 5 star for me like others are saying! Took me a bit to get into as well. The revelation of the plague was SO WEIRD guys lol, luckily I know a bit about Irish folklore so I understood what was happening a bit but i wasn’t expecting this “fairytale-folklore-fantasy” aspect to it? I thought it was like real life but didn’t feel like it!
Again, the best part was the characters. I know I’m bashing on it but I don’t mean to! I think this just had much more potential ◡̈
June 12, 2025
2.5⭐️ I’ve found that I really enjoy fantasy/romance books with a dark, gothic academic setting (like Nocticadia), so a dark gothic romance set in 1990s Ireland sounded perfect. I liked the premise of the story and the atmosphere of a gothic college setting, however the story didn’t connect with me.
I compared this book to Nocticadia, which may have been my problem, but that is my standard for this genre of books. I still enjoyed the book, however I expected more build up (and suspense?) going into it. This story felt very fast paced, reasonably so because it’s less than 400 pages, but I personally find a heavy build up in the beginning/middle of stories like this create a much more immersive reading experience for this sub-genre specifically. The story stayed the same the whole way through for me, I never felt invested or worried about what was happening, which I feel like this type of story needs. I did enjoy the story and found it interesting, it just wasn’t fitting my personal criteria for a fantasy gothic academic centered book (which is okay!!) and my personal preferences hindered my experience.
I compared this book to Nocticadia, which may have been my problem, but that is my standard for this genre of books. I still enjoyed the book, however I expected more build up (and suspense?) going into it. This story felt very fast paced, reasonably so because it’s less than 400 pages, but I personally find a heavy build up in the beginning/middle of stories like this create a much more immersive reading experience for this sub-genre specifically. The story stayed the same the whole way through for me, I never felt invested or worried about what was happening, which I feel like this type of story needs. I did enjoy the story and found it interesting, it just wasn’t fitting my personal criteria for a fantasy gothic academic centered book (which is okay!!) and my personal preferences hindered my experience.
August 18, 2025
Yep it was a fun read! The gothic vibes were on point, and I loved the mystery along with the smart, and strong FMC Atta. I also enjoyed Professor Frankenstein "mysterious and broody and completely F-able in the most scholarly way." Just learned this is a duology, which means now I’ve got to wait for book two… why do I keep starting unfinished series?! Either way Im glad I picked this one up!
"Sometimes fear cleanses the soul, Atta. It reminds us to look at the important things we took for granted while at peace."
"If we were never challenged, Atta, we would never grow"
"Sometimes fear cleanses the soul, Atta. It reminds us to look at the important things we took for granted while at peace."
"If we were never challenged, Atta, we would never grow"
September 17, 2025
a hot insufferable moody professor will do it for me every. damn. time. 4.25
November 15, 2025
The Exorcism of Faeries
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑⭑.𝟱
𓏲⋆🌱.* Set in Dublin in 1993, six years have passed since the Irish Plague began, during which victims have been found with mysterious flora growing in their internal organs. No one could determine how it started or how people became infected.
Ariatne "Atta" Morrow, a graduate student at Trinity College's Botany Department, is determined to investigate a plague by studying the cadavers brought into the morgue where she works. However, she finds herself drawn into a secret society dedicated to finding a cure. At the same time, she is being recruited to work for the school's infamous professor of the Morbid Anatomy department, Dr. Sonder Murdoch.
⟢ I honestly loved the thrill, the gothic academia atmosphere, and the entire mystery surrounding the plague. Vampa did an amazing job bringing out the eerie nature of the folktales mentioned, and I was just captivated by her blend of superstitions and fairy tales.
Now, when I say go into this book blind, go into it blind! Honestly, I was drawn in just by the title itself. I came across this book in several recommendation posts, but I had very little knowledge of its premise, which I think definitely affected my reading experience.
The way the study of botany and anatomy was conducted was my favorite aspect of this book. When fae folklore came into play, I was giddy with excitement about how their studies of science and anatomy intertwined with the magical elements of the fae. I really felt like I was with the characters, trying to figure out the mystery and questioning the next clue that popped up. As we went along, I did pick things up quickly, but I was still very engrossed and wanted to see how it played out.
Although there was undoubtedly a physical attraction between the characters, I appreciated how the romance centered on their attraction to each other's intelligence. Atta's expertise in Botany complemented Sonder's knowledge in the Morbid Arts, which I found refreshing. The romance was a bit fast-paced, but I didn't mind it as much since they spent much of their time investigating while getting to know each other.
Typically, we often feel like a book could have been shorter depending on the story itself. But this left me wishing it were longer. When I reached the 90% mark, it felt like there was still 30% more to explore. This book is part of a duology, but the conclusion was honestly seriously underwhelming. Such a shame since the buildup was truly impressive. I wanted to know more about the society, the fae, and an explanation of why certain actions were made at the end. "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა
If you want a Nocticadia-type book with a mix of botanical horror, pick this up now! I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out because I need more of this world and experience more of Vampa's writing. ♡
.𖥔 ݁ ˖
post-read : gdi it’s a duology 🥹
pre-read : first up from my ‘Ten Before the End’ list ⟡
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑⭑.𝟱
₊˚ʚ ❝ Because it was nothing but Juliet’s kiss, Macbeth’s decapitation, the murder of Desdemona. Achilles mourning Patroclus. ❞
𓏲⋆🌱.* Set in Dublin in 1993, six years have passed since the Irish Plague began, during which victims have been found with mysterious flora growing in their internal organs. No one could determine how it started or how people became infected.
Ariatne "Atta" Morrow, a graduate student at Trinity College's Botany Department, is determined to investigate a plague by studying the cadavers brought into the morgue where she works. However, she finds herself drawn into a secret society dedicated to finding a cure. At the same time, she is being recruited to work for the school's infamous professor of the Morbid Anatomy department, Dr. Sonder Murdoch.
⟢ I honestly loved the thrill, the gothic academia atmosphere, and the entire mystery surrounding the plague. Vampa did an amazing job bringing out the eerie nature of the folktales mentioned, and I was just captivated by her blend of superstitions and fairy tales.
Now, when I say go into this book blind, go into it blind! Honestly, I was drawn in just by the title itself. I came across this book in several recommendation posts, but I had very little knowledge of its premise, which I think definitely affected my reading experience.
❝.𖥔 ݁ Poetry wasn’t in life; it was in what we’ve made of the past, lending it romanticism instead of watching it burn and lie in the ashes. ❞ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
The way the study of botany and anatomy was conducted was my favorite aspect of this book. When fae folklore came into play, I was giddy with excitement about how their studies of science and anatomy intertwined with the magical elements of the fae. I really felt like I was with the characters, trying to figure out the mystery and questioning the next clue that popped up. As we went along, I did pick things up quickly, but I was still very engrossed and wanted to see how it played out.
❀࿐ ❝ She was a tragedy, and he was her peace. ❞
Although there was undoubtedly a physical attraction between the characters, I appreciated how the romance centered on their attraction to each other's intelligence. Atta's expertise in Botany complemented Sonder's knowledge in the Morbid Arts, which I found refreshing. The romance was a bit fast-paced, but I didn't mind it as much since they spent much of their time investigating while getting to know each other.
❝ Do you really think revolutions don’t begin with one person? One act? Do you really think change can’t be accomplished by two people? According to some, one man saved the entire world, past, present, and future. According to some, the Storming of the Bastille began the French Revolution, Shakespeare changed the English language, and the Beetles altered music irrevocably. ❞ ₊ ⊹
Typically, we often feel like a book could have been shorter depending on the story itself. But this left me wishing it were longer. When I reached the 90% mark, it felt like there was still 30% more to explore. This book is part of a duology, but the conclusion was honestly seriously underwhelming. Such a shame since the buildup was truly impressive. I wanted to know more about the society, the fae, and an explanation of why certain actions were made at the end. "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა
If you want a Nocticadia-type book with a mix of botanical horror, pick this up now! I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out because I need more of this world and experience more of Vampa's writing. ♡
❝ He shouldn’t have brought her into this, this girl made up of poetry and bones, flowers and viscera, everything beautiful and meaningful in life. ❞ ⋆˚࿔
.𖥔 ݁ ˖
post-read : gdi it’s a duology 🥹
pre-read : first up from my ‘Ten Before the End’ list ⟡
August 22, 2025
4.5 🌟
I LIVE for books like this!! This? My bread and butter, my holy grail. I can feel myself being revived when I read books like this.
Dark academia romance set in 90’s Dublin… a recipe for literary perfection. If you loved Nocticadia and A Study in Drowning, you’ll adore this!
It is SO beautifully written, it’s dark, it’s gothic, it’s atmospheric and eerie but what I loved is how adult and sophisticated it feels.
I loved both the folklore and flora & fauna elements and how they entwined with the plot. The student x teacher romance kept me well and truly fed and I loved both of our main characters so much. Two of my favourite characters I’ve read in a while.
This would have been a god tier read for me, but the ending just felt rushed and I didn’t quite get the level of conclusion I was expecting. But that aside it’s EVERYTHING!
I LIVE for books like this!! This? My bread and butter, my holy grail. I can feel myself being revived when I read books like this.
Dark academia romance set in 90’s Dublin… a recipe for literary perfection. If you loved Nocticadia and A Study in Drowning, you’ll adore this!
It is SO beautifully written, it’s dark, it’s gothic, it’s atmospheric and eerie but what I loved is how adult and sophisticated it feels.
I loved both the folklore and flora & fauna elements and how they entwined with the plot. The student x teacher romance kept me well and truly fed and I loved both of our main characters so much. Two of my favourite characters I’ve read in a while.
This would have been a god tier read for me, but the ending just felt rushed and I didn’t quite get the level of conclusion I was expecting. But that aside it’s EVERYTHING!
November 11, 2025
JAIL to everyone who likened this to Nocticadia!
The atmosphere, tension, and plot were non-existent. The writing focused too much on unnecessary details such as the heroine's clothes, the way she knocked on the door, the way she settled into her new room, etc. 🤷🏼♀️
The reading experience felt as if the author tried to create a certain atmosphere and feeling toward her characters, but achieved the complete opposite, at least for me. The heroine was probably supposed to be this good woman, craving female friendship, but being denied it because other women were "jealous" of her?
Aside from the obvious reasons why this quote sucks, Atta, honey, weren't you the one basically calling your roommate a slut and insulting her intelligence every interaction you had with her? Oh, and let's not forget how you criticized the fact that she was getting male attention "simply because she was blond and had big breasts" instead of you and your "soft thighs"?😬🤡🚩
Speaking of intelligence, Atta was meant to be this scholar type of woman, craving the pursuit of knowledge, yet she was performing autopsies WITHOUT GLOVES and getting the blood of the infected on her hands🙃💀 she ofc says it HASN'T been proven that it can cause infection, but it hasn't been proven otherwise! 🤦♀️
Also, she was given the TA position as a courtesy , because the woman in admin felt bad for her losing her scholarship. The professor, a.k.a. the hero, didn't need a TA because he had been YEARS without one. Yet when he questioned her expertise, and fairly so, because she has no official proof of qualification for the job, her reaction is wanting to slap him and then she goes ahead and calls him a bastard? 🆘😬🤷🏼♀️
This was the official time of death for this book, @25%. I hate this type of heroine!
The atmosphere, tension, and plot were non-existent. The writing focused too much on unnecessary details such as the heroine's clothes, the way she knocked on the door, the way she settled into her new room, etc. 🤷🏼♀️
The reading experience felt as if the author tried to create a certain atmosphere and feeling toward her characters, but achieved the complete opposite, at least for me. The heroine was probably supposed to be this good woman, craving female friendship, but being denied it because other women were "jealous" of her?
"She'd never had a female friend that was a woman's woman. A supporter, not an insecure girl always lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to make your life a living hell out of jealousy."
Aside from the obvious reasons why this quote sucks, Atta, honey, weren't you the one basically calling your roommate a slut and insulting her intelligence every interaction you had with her? Oh, and let's not forget how you criticized the fact that she was getting male attention "simply because she was blond and had big breasts" instead of you and your "soft thighs"?😬🤡🚩
Speaking of intelligence, Atta was meant to be this scholar type of woman, craving the pursuit of knowledge, yet she was performing autopsies WITHOUT GLOVES and getting the blood of the infected on her hands🙃💀 she ofc says it HASN'T been proven that it can cause infection, but it hasn't been proven otherwise! 🤦♀️
Also, she was given the TA position as a courtesy , because the woman in admin felt bad for her losing her scholarship. The professor, a.k.a. the hero, didn't need a TA because he had been YEARS without one. Yet when he questioned her expertise, and fairly so, because she has no official proof of qualification for the job, her reaction is wanting to slap him and then she goes ahead and calls him a bastard? 🆘😬🤷🏼♀️
This was the official time of death for this book, @25%. I hate this type of heroine!
December 11, 2025
4.5/5
Ale świetny klimat, fabularnie też dobry kawał dark academii, cmentarze, trupy i złe wróżki. Romans też super między profesorem a studentką. Tajne stowarzyszenia na uni. Wszystko pięknie tu zagrało.
Momentami miałam przestój i wolałabym jednak czytać niż słuchać bo medyczna i biologiczna terminologia mnie trochę wykończyła
Ale świetny klimat, fabularnie też dobry kawał dark academii, cmentarze, trupy i złe wróżki. Romans też super między profesorem a studentką. Tajne stowarzyszenia na uni. Wszystko pięknie tu zagrało.
Momentami miałam przestój i wolałabym jednak czytać niż słuchać bo medyczna i biologiczna terminologia mnie trochę wykończyła
June 18, 2025
I was so looking forward to this book after hearing so many good reviews, but I honestly can not understand how anyone rated it above three stars. The first half of the book was so interesting, the dark academia vibes were on point, the FMC and the MMC were intriguing, the story had so much potential and then it was like the author had no idea where the story would go and just ended it all without explanation or thought. The romance between the fmc and mmc felt like it just happened and suddenly with very little build up they were just madly in love? What was with her visions? Why did his parents do any of it? Why didn’t she die, what happened to the fae inside of her, what was the door, why is she a daughter of multiple worlds?! Ugh. Honestly I skimmed the last few chapters because it was so boring. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters or the story anymore. The ending was so annoying I even struggle to give this 2 stars. I wish someone would just re-write the second half and make it better.. if anyone does, send it my way to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2025
Dark academia perfection! This genre sets my soul on fire, and I ate up every second of this book 🖤
This is a dark academia romance set in 1990s Dublin, with student x teacher, mystery, secret society, plague, Irish folklore with that old school faerie vibe — and all together it made for a really unique and enthralling plot!
It is beautifully written and so atmospheric, with a setting that is dark, gothic, and mysterious. I loved the portrayal of the faeries in this and the mystery surrounding the plague.
I adored our main characters. Atta is such a strong, intelligent, and interesting FMC! And Sonder, our broody professor, is the most swoon worthy MMC and I love him so much!! The romance between them is fantastic — it has a bit of a slow-burn element, they have so much tension and chemistry, and Sonder’s nickname for her in Gaelic had me MELTING. These two make such a great team. I also really loved the side characters in this book! Especially Gibbs 🥹 they were all so likeable and had so much personality!
The story does wrap up quickly at the end, but I had no issue with it. This book was incredible and a perfect read for me! 🖤
This is a dark academia romance set in 1990s Dublin, with student x teacher, mystery, secret society, plague, Irish folklore with that old school faerie vibe — and all together it made for a really unique and enthralling plot!
It is beautifully written and so atmospheric, with a setting that is dark, gothic, and mysterious. I loved the portrayal of the faeries in this and the mystery surrounding the plague.
I adored our main characters. Atta is such a strong, intelligent, and interesting FMC! And Sonder, our broody professor, is the most swoon worthy MMC and I love him so much!! The romance between them is fantastic — it has a bit of a slow-burn element, they have so much tension and chemistry, and Sonder’s nickname for her in Gaelic had me MELTING. These two make such a great team. I also really loved the side characters in this book! Especially Gibbs 🥹 they were all so likeable and had so much personality!
The story does wrap up quickly at the end, but I had no issue with it. This book was incredible and a perfect read for me! 🖤
October 30, 2025
The dark gothic academia vibes , the student x professor romance, the secret society and plot twist was everything. I loved that this was set in Dublin as well!!
This book was so captivating and so beautifully written I couldn’t get enough of it. I did not want it to end!! I also loved the floura/ fauna plague. It was so interesting, it added to the uniqueness of the story.
I loved that Atta was a strong FMC and A hot, moody, insufferable professor will do it for me every single time.
“You stor, are everything that is right in the world. My world. With all the worlds. And don’t you dare apologise for it.” 🧚♀️
This book was so captivating and so beautifully written I couldn’t get enough of it. I did not want it to end!! I also loved the floura/ fauna plague. It was so interesting, it added to the uniqueness of the story.
I loved that Atta was a strong FMC and A hot, moody, insufferable professor will do it for me every single time.
“You stor, are everything that is right in the world. My world. With all the worlds. And don’t you dare apologise for it.” 🧚♀️
May 26, 2025
The Exorcism of Faeries had such an intriguing concept, and I was really drawn in by the premise. There were parts of the story I enjoyed, especially the darker, magical atmosphere—it definitely had a unique vibe that set it apart from other fae books.
That said, I struggled a bit with the writing style at times. It was a bit dense or hard to follow in some places, which made it tough to stay fully immersed. I also found myself wishing the romance between the characters had been a slightly bigger part of the story. The connection was there, but I wanted more depth, more moments to really feel the chemistry and tension between them.
Overall, it had a lot of potential and some strong world-building, but I was hoping for a bit more emotional pull and clarity in the storytelling.
That said, I struggled a bit with the writing style at times. It was a bit dense or hard to follow in some places, which made it tough to stay fully immersed. I also found myself wishing the romance between the characters had been a slightly bigger part of the story. The connection was there, but I wanted more depth, more moments to really feel the chemistry and tension between them.
Overall, it had a lot of potential and some strong world-building, but I was hoping for a bit more emotional pull and clarity in the storytelling.
October 26, 2025
4.5⭐️ I loved it WAY more than I thought I would!!?? This was so good !!!
The PERFECT gothic academia vibes, a beautiful romance & a UNIQUE plot and story. I absolutely devoured and loved it
The PERFECT gothic academia vibes, a beautiful romance & a UNIQUE plot and story. I absolutely devoured and loved it
October 23, 2025
I WANT TO LIVE IN THIS BOOK FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!! LET THE PIXIE SPRITES POSSESS ME & BURY ME UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE!
Currently reading
November 23, 2025@ the exorcism of faeries by j. l. vampa ◼️🌹
00﹒will start on: 30.11.25
ᡣ𐭩 pre-read + b-r with ishraq <3 !! 🟥🥀
December 23, 2025
5 stars. Dark, delicious, and absolutely devoured—ate it up, left no crumbs. 🖤✨
This book was everything I crave in gothic fantasy: yearning that burns slow and deep, banter sharp enough to cut, tension so thick it’s practically a character itself. JL Vampa knows how to weave mystery and atmosphere until you’re tangled in it and begging for more.
The ending??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN. I’m unwell. I’m pacing. I need book two in my hands yesterday.
Sonder? My god. Swoony doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s brooding, magnetic, and had me weak every time he stepped onto the page. And Atta—my strong-headed queen. I adored her fire, her resilience, the way she owned her space in a world stacked against her. Together? Utter perfection.
This story had me hooked from the first page and gutted by the last. It’s the kind of book you finish and immediately want to throw at all your friends while whispering “just trust me.”
The Exorcism of Faeries is gothic fantasy at its finest. JL Vampa, you have me in a chokehold—I’ll be first in line for the sequel.
This book was everything I crave in gothic fantasy: yearning that burns slow and deep, banter sharp enough to cut, tension so thick it’s practically a character itself. JL Vampa knows how to weave mystery and atmosphere until you’re tangled in it and begging for more.
The ending??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN. I’m unwell. I’m pacing. I need book two in my hands yesterday.
Sonder? My god. Swoony doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s brooding, magnetic, and had me weak every time he stepped onto the page. And Atta—my strong-headed queen. I adored her fire, her resilience, the way she owned her space in a world stacked against her. Together? Utter perfection.
This story had me hooked from the first page and gutted by the last. It’s the kind of book you finish and immediately want to throw at all your friends while whispering “just trust me.”
The Exorcism of Faeries is gothic fantasy at its finest. JL Vampa, you have me in a chokehold—I’ll be first in line for the sequel.
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