Thoughts Be Bloody

by Auden Patrick

A struggling student, a resident golden boy, and the curse that will bring them this queer, trans retelling is Hamlet as you’ve never read it before

Exploring classism, identity, and the true meaning of revolution, this dark academia novel is perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang’s Babel and S. T. Gibson’s An Education in Malice

The summer before his sophomore year, Horatio Bithersea walks into the university library to find Carson Hamlett, resident golden boy and master magician, cradling his father’s dead body. Life at Elsinore, one of the most prestigious universities in the secretive magical world, simply goes on when the professor’s death is ruled an accident—despite the mysterious circumstances and the bloody scene.

 A year later, Horatio is keeping his head down, attempting to graduate without his out-of-control magic harming his classmates. That changes when the ghost of Hamlett’s father appears and places a curse on Horatio and avenge his death by destroying Elsinore and its heart, lest the ghost robs them of their minds, memories, and their very souls.

Elsinore has given Horatio everything—knowledge of his magical ability, an escape from his abusive family, and freedom to pursue his life as a transgender man—and now he’s to be its doom. As the two uncover more of Elsinore’s secrets Horatio finds himself becoming more and more ensnared in Hamlett’s dark but charismatic web. 

The question is not if Horatio will manage to destroy Elsinore. The question is if Hamlett will destroy him first.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Dark Academia, Retellings, LGBT, Horror, Transgender

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

Auden Patrick is an early-30s trans-masculine author and future ghost. As a queer and trans person raised in the American South, he has spent much of his life concerned with hauntings, driving down backroads at night, and chasing magic wherever he can find it.

He was a student at Cat Rambo's inaugural Wayward Wormhole Workshop in 2023, and his work has appeared in Apparition Lit, Beaver Magazine, among others. His work has a strong focus on gender identity, surviving trauma, the nature of monstrosity, and the strangeness of having a body.

When he is not writing, he can be found knitting, obsessing over planner supplies, or haunting the local library.

Reviews

[cyra]

This is either going to be absolute cinema or hot garbage. Place your bets chat

[Gaby | read.onrepeat]

Look at that cover 🤩
Got the ARC! If only life would let me read it now, but human has to work.

[Mora]

WHY CAN'T HAMLET RETELLINGS BE GOOD!

like ok. i know i'm picky. but i really truly believe no one is doing it right. this one was especially irritating because it was actually doing (and possibly doing well, even) something i don't often see, but it was so unreadable for other reasons that i couldn't even appreciate it. i tried to drag myself through to see the payoff but it felt like it was taking me 100 years to even get as far as i did (~30%).

the thing it was doing that i was super interested in was taking themes or metaphors from the source text and making them real and concrete things the characters have to deal with. like, horatio (the main character) is a time magician. i think time is something fascinating to deal with in hamlet thematically, and now there is an actual element of time manipulation! and giving it to horatio, the one who has the most time and is left to tell the story, is really smart and interesting. another thing is dreams and memory - the author has taken several lines from the play and bundled them into dream/memory magic worldbuilding and how characters interact with it. super cool. this sort of careful, close read adaptation of themes and lines is my favorite in retellings and i rarely see it to the degree i wish it were used.

HOWEVER. the prose was unreadable. it's like the author was trying to be meandering and profound and atmospheric and appropriately mysterious and Convey Emotion such as Yearning and Angst but all it did was make it hard to understand what even was happening and also annoy me. the fact that everything horatio experienced was somehow agonizing and profound got old after a while! and i was not convinced everything was agonizing and profound after all! and it made it so hard to tell what horatio was actually thinking in that moment.

and ok there was the unreliability of narration aspect and the "this is horatio looking back" aspect. which could be very cool for hamlet (esp horatio). but i've read books that do that successfully and this book is not doing it successfully.

my other main complaint was that the worldbuilding made nooo sense. i poke it once and there are suddenly 48943 holes. now, sometimes books that just expect us to accept unexplained worldbuilding/magic systems work! this one Did Not At All. so not only did i not understand what was going on, when i did understand what was going on it didn't make sense anyway.

so basically i'm cranky bc i can tell the author understands hamlet and has things to say about it and has thought a lot about it and their book. but the way they've gone about writing it makes it impossible for me to enjoy or even finish.

(if you would like a hamlet retelling i would wholeheartedly endorse, i will recommend the king of infinte space by lyndsay faye)

[Y.N.]

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for the eARC

I'm sorry but I won't finish this one. It's very classical dark academia, with a murder, obsession, first person narration, and magic. And a trans character! Which will appeal to a lot of people.

Unfortunately, I was quite bored. Since our narrator isn't exactly the protagonist in the sense that he is leading the story.

Quite, sad, because queer stories by queer author are such an important addition. Plus, the cover is wonderful.
Hope the book will find its reader!

[Kimberly (Bookblurbist)]

DNF @ 40%

[Jessica Swan]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I went into this with super high expectations because a queer trans retelling of Shakespeare? Sign me up. However, this was not working for me at 20% in.

The narration style. I genuinely struggled with it. I feel like if this was an audiobook I could've probably connected with the story more. That is not a book problem- that is 100% a me problem.
But I was also getting bored at 20% in and didn't feel like continuing either way. Shame since the cover is absolutely stunning. I may try this book again one day if/when an audiobook comes out.

[The Reading Frog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediate thoughts after reading: God, I need a cig and a drink after this (complimentary)

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Thank you to Auden Patrick, DAW & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 4.75/5 ⭐
Re-readability: Yes, it could offer a different reading experience after knowing all the details.
CW: Explicit | Parental loss, grief
Moderate | Blood, suicidal ideation, disregard for own safety, drugs/edible use, trauma responses to past physical abuse, vomit, minor gore, manipulation, dissociation
Mild | Mention of sex, fade-to-black/implied sex, mention of alcohol, past (child) abuse/domestic violence, some restrictive eating habits, murder, minor self-injury, gaslighting
My chosen soundtrack(s): Salt of the Earth/H2ome - Eartheater | It's Ok - Rok Narding

Grief is a funny thing. You think you know it until you’re met with it. I thought I knew grief then. (...) Now I know grief is an ocean. You breathe it in, it fills your lungs, it drags you down. You can kick and struggle and you might get a breath of air but the grief, the ocean, it will overwhelm you. Eventually, you won’t know which way is up anymore. You’ll find yourself swimming deeper, thinking you’re fighting it when you’re just going further down. The weight of it, all that water, all that pain, will eventually crush you unless you learn to breathe underwater.

After his father’s death, Hamlett was drowning for a long, long time.

Representation
╰┈➤ Trans-masc MC, Horatio
╰┈➤ Trans-femme MC, Lia Hart
╰┈➤ Bi/pan MCs, Horatio and Hamlett
╰┈➤ Mental health rep, though not explicitly stated, some behaviours and thoughts could be described as Mania, as well as some suicidal ideation.
╰┈➤ Queer dynamics
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ Poly dynamic
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ MLM dynamic
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ T4T dynamic


Themes
Grief, uncertainty about reality, otherness, social hierarchy, ignorance, identity/sense of self, self-worth issues, jealousy/envy, wanting/needing/yearning, the allure of the forbidden, obsession, parental relations (specifically fathers), impossible choices, the lesser of two evils/lose-lose situations, privilege or the lack thereof, power and what one would do to obtain it, power imbalances, predetermination vs free will, control, agency or the lack thereof, memories, repeating cycles, exploitation, elitism, classism, responsibility, the "False We".

Tropes/what to expect
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Dark academia
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Unreliable narrator
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ "Do I want them or do I want to be them?"
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Murder mystery
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ A character haunts the narrative
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Time shenanigans
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Social outsider x golden boy/girl
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Morally-grey/flawed characters



What I liked/loved
Disclaimer: I'm sorry, this review is long.... I had a lot to say!
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The Narration was definitely one of the most enthralling and unique aspects of this book.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Unreliable narrator. Our narrator gets confused, misremembers, and at times doesn’t remember at all, leaving himself and us to guess what version is the truth, or if they perhaps are all true.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Emotionally immersive writing. My anxiety rose when the narrator’s did, I felt lost in memories when he was, and I got a painful, disruptive reality check each time we were reminded of the inevitability of something horrifying set to happen.

“Somewhere there is a Horatio who did these things. Somewhere there is a world in which I am a bad person. Is it this one?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ A combination of linear and non-linear storytelling. The narrator switches between past, present, and future tenses.

“I knew it even then.
Now?
Then.”

The narrator clarifies, quite early on, that this is a recounting of events. It’s implied that the events described in this story have already taken place. Yet, he slips into the present tense, describing it as something happening in the here and now. Seemingly forgetting that the future is set in stone, doomed to end in something horrifying. I found myself forgetting alongside him, which made it all the more jarring each time the narrator reminded himself and us of this doomed inevitability.

“I see it now. I see all the things that have ever happened or ever will or ever could. I see all the ways things could’ve gone differently, and all the ways they couldn’t. All the knots I can’t untie. I am bound by time the same way it is bound to me.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Unique. I don’t have the right words; it just really was something special.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Writing style
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Quotable lyrical prose.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Great at building tension. The pace of the book wasn’t fast, but it was still able to keep me on my toes.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Somewhat reminiscent of C.G. Drews’ work. There is an intense level of yearning, pining, need, want, and obsession. My God, do these characters hunger. They are starving for things, people, acknowledgement, love, revenge, and power. Which reminded me of ravenous dynamics portrayed in Don’t Let The Forest in or Hazelthorn. Which is a huge compliment coming from me because C.G. Drews is my favorite author.

“There was still the fact that he loved us, both, in his way.
Perhaps he wasn’t just cruel. Perhaps he was simply human.
I think now that he was cruel. I think now that he was terrible. Yet, I love him. I loved him. He was everything I was not.
I loved him. I’m sorry.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Symbolism and imagery that transform along with the story or characters associated with it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Ex. Triangles and circles. Warmth, fire, burnt. Sun, stars, comets, and supernovas. Birds and colors.

"Three is a magical number, I thought.

Triangles are magical shapes. We could be magic, if we wanted. I wanted."

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Mirroring and parallels within events, between characters, and their dynamics. There is a poetic sense to it all.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Amazing character writing.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Complex, intriguing character dynamics. Horatio is somewhat of a social outcast, which contrasts with Hamlett and Lia’s reputation. There is a certain “Do I want them or do I want to be them?” vibe that is enthralling. Horatio constantly compares himself to others, on a multitude of levels: respectability, level of power/skill, social rank, the ease with which others move through society compared to his conscious and continuous effort, and what he regards as ‘the ideal man’.

“I liked the campus most in the early hours when everything was asleep and waiting to be woken up because I liked to think the world was waiting for me to arrive, as if I was special, as if I meant something, as if I wasn’t just a player in someone else’s play. I wanted to be the golden boy, center stage, which is to say I wanted to be Carson Hamlett, though I didn’t know it yet.”

Horatio seems to be obsessed with the golden couple. He wants them, envies them, and sometimes even hates them. Even though this sounds extremely flippant, it is written in a way that makes his feelings understandable and valid.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Well-rounded, intricate, and morally grey/questionable/flawed characters. Are they safe? No. Are they sane? Definitely not! Are they compelling and fascinating to read about? Absolutely.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Queer rep and specifically trans rep done in a way where those aspects are important to these characters, more than just a footnote, without diminishing them to something one-dimensional. It’s a part of them, but not all of them.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Queer romantic dynamics, going into spoiler territory here, so keep that in mind. I myself am monogamous and haven't ever been enticed by the idea of polyamory, yet I was trying to manifest a poly relationship almost directly from the start. I tend to joke, "they should all just fuck each other, it would solve a lot of problems," but I meant it this time. They were a true love triangle, not the version people always associate with it, aka two people being into the same person and fighting to win their heart. No. Everyone was into everyone, and I loved that.
Also, T4T??? Thank you for feeding us so well, Auden Patrick!!!
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Insane yet believable character arcs. Those at the start of the book are drastically different people at the end, yet I did not question its validity.

“I couldn’t do this. (…) It would change me. I knew that much. (...) I would be someone else entirely. But then—wasn’t I already someone else entirely?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Powerful and diverse exploration of grief through multiple characters.

“Did grief make him cruel, the way my father’s pain made him painful too?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Exploration of the concept of power; the lack of it, the allure of it, and what one would do to obtain it.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Unique and well-thought-out magic system. Magic in this universe seems to be a volatile thing; something that keeps changing, always in motion. It reminded me of math in a way. It's like the caster knows the formula and the intended unchanging result required for successfully casting a spell. But the Xs and Ys continuously change, making no two casting experiences the same, only their intended result. The magic system in itself is interesting enough that I would be open to reading other stories taking place in this universe.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Physical magic is the common type of magic that affects any material of the periodic table.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Mind magic is rare and has aspects to it that are considered taboo. It has a sub-type of magic called dream-walking that reminded me a lot of the movie Paprika (2006) and, of course, Inception (2010), which was really cool.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Theoretical magic is all magic that is considered too dangerous to actually practice, which is why it’s only explored through theory. I would love to say more about it, but I can’t without spoiling anything. Just believe me when I say it’s unique and fascinating.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Social/political commentary
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ On an interpersonal level, we explore manipulation, abuse, the "False We" (Forced Plurality), gaslighting, and overall just toxic dynamics.

“ “You just have to do this for me, and then we’ll be unstoppable.”
Do this for me. I did so much just because of that phrase.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ On a structural/institutional/societal level, this book tackles inequality, classism, corruption, elitism, abuse of power, (anti)institutionalism, and privilege.

“Like much of human history, people with power will kill to keep it and those without it will kill to gain it. A lot like money. It can do good, if shared. But no one will ever share it.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ It also touches on a certain ignorance only affordable to those who have grown up privileged, which, in this universe, is people who are ‘born into magic’ in the same way someone can be ‘born into money’ in a contemporary setting.
Horatio doesn’t belong to that category. He is humdrum-born. Which means that he only entered ‘magical society’ recently; he wasn’t born into it. This leaves him with a gap in information, skill, connections, and resources. Regardless of this disadvantage, he still gets measured on the same scale as those who have always had those things. (Sound familiar, huh?) This contrast in lived experience between our MCs makes for some really interesting dynamics and exploration of inequality.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Though this story is a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, prior knowledge is not needed to enjoy this book. It stands strong on its own without leaning on the source material it is based on.



What I didn't like/felt lackluster about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I was a bit overwhelmed by all the character introductions in the first few chapters. I had to take notes on everyone so I wouldn't forget their names and relations to each other while simultaneously learning about the worldbuilding. This is something quite normal in the fantasy genre, so it might not be a book-specific issue but more of a personal genre complaint.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I think for some people the narration style could become dragging, repetitive, or feel slow-paced. I didn't mind it; it helped me stay immersed and grow tension, but this might not be everyone's cup of tea. Though I'd imagine that those who are into character/emotion-driven stories will enjoy it as much as I did.



Conclusion/Notes
This is my second attempt at trying to write a review for this book. There was just so much in there that I love. So many complex and intricate aspects that were just right up my alley.

It's gothic, intense, and ravenous. Its characters are flawed, complex, and undeniably human.

I wish I could say something more concise and profound that could summarize the journey this book took me on, but unfortunately, I'm the king of yapping, especially when I love something.

Just trust me and go read 'Thoughts Be Bloody' once it releases on the 15th of September!!!



⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆



Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on Storygraph.

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[Érica’s chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I want to make it clear that I received this ARC from NetGalley, and while I am grateful for it, I will always prioritize my honest opinions about the book and evaluate it like a normal reader.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Thoughts Be Bloody” is a queer reinterpretation of “Hamlet” in the “dark academia” style, set at a university in the magical world—isolated and deliberately hidden from the “humdrums,” humans without magic—serving as an allegory for classicism, the identity of those who live there, and the seeds of a revolution.

Here, Horatio steps outside his traditional role as an observer. Coming from an abusive family, discovering he is trans, and then learning he has magic, Horatio chooses to abandon his old life—in this case, to be erased from the memories of those he left behind—to become a new Horatio who longs for power and a place in this world, especially when he is a minder, someone whose magic capabilities are more unique and rare, and whose practices are not the same as the others, called physicians. Unfortunately, Horatio’s magic is volatile, and he excels more in theory and the physical aspects of things, separating him even more from the small group of minders in the university. A scholar, like the original, he masters the more human side of learning—knowledge without practice—highlighting how he remains, even against his will, more human than his peers.

Just like the Horatio in the play, it is his having seen the spirit of Hamlet’s father that lends credibility to the actions of both Hamlets, but here he plays an active—and forced—role in Hamlet’s revenge for his father’s death. Horatio is cursed along with Hamlet, and his new association with “the golden boy”—and the world’s second-greatest sorcerer—allows him to gain confidence and develop his powers. To finally belong and have an active role.

What Horatio has always wanted is to be loved and to have power, because that makes him just like everyone else at that university—including the incredible Lia, the school’s other trans student and Hamlett’s girlfriend, and Hamlett himself.
This deep bond and the connections he’s formed with Hamlett are what will drive the story’s major developments. The big question is: will the curse destroy everything, or will it be Hamlet—who’s relegated to a secondary but obsessive role—who will do so first?

MY OPINIONS:

There were several moments when the book’s narrative made it difficult to read. It’s a book you have to keep reading to come to enjoy it. Because of this, there were moments at the beginning—and even up to 40% of the way through—when I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish it. After the first 40%, it was exactly the opposite: I read the rest in less than three hours because the story had become so intriguing.
The ambiguous and complex narrative that had previously bothered me turned out to be a clever device the author uses to provide clues about Horatio in the middle and at the end of the book. Understanding these stylistic and narrative elements—and the reason for the breaks in the narration to insert Horatio’s confused thoughts—made the story so much better. Honestly, I think that was one of my favorite aspects of the book.
I really didn’t expect the direction the story took, even though the author made it clear that things happen not by magic but as a consequence of the characters’ actions—something that’s so human in a university that separates magic from ordinary people, doing everything possible to keep them from knowing about the existence of magic, arguing that, by doing so, they prevent the kinds of actions carried out by humans in the past.

Even though the fantastical element is extremely strong in the book, it is the human experience that will have the greatest impact on its outcome. And even though Hamlett—a powerful magical being, central character, and driving force of the drama—exerts enormous influence on the narrative, making him seem like the true protagonist, it is Horatio’s humanity and identity that make this story his own. Here, unlike in many dark academia books—where the narrator is an observer who dances around the supposedly secondary characters—Horatio possesses such greater strength than the characters who, naturally in this genre, end up controlling the narrative. And this strongly sets this book apart from others: just like his trans identity, Horatio will learn through his interactions with the characters who shape the narrative and, as a result, will discover his identity—which exists simply because of who he is. Something that cannot be denied, just like the fact that he always knew he was Horatio.

And speaking of identity and queerness, I loved that Lia is never an alter ego of Ophelia—the character she clearly references while at the same time denying her. Lia is Hamlett’s romantic partner and Laertes’s sister, a character whose name and backstory are the same as in the play. So, we know Lia is supposed to be Ophelia, but at the same time, she has nothing to do with her—and that’s exactly how it should be. Because even if their paths connect, and their fates do as well, Lia’s identity is unique and defines only Lia. Lia would never be Ophelia because Lia has always had to be Lia. That’s what it means to be queer and trans: you’ve always had to be and remain who you know you are, and Lia knows she isn’t Ophelia—and we know that, too. Lia’s identity is unchangeable.

I don’t have the space or the time to write what I want to write. This is supposed to be a review, not an essay, so I’ll leave you with one last thing before my passion devours this space and turns this into an article:

I loved this book! Even though it’s hard to get into and understand at first, this book is exactly the kind of story that keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat and full of surprises. Because we have an idea of how the story ends. We know the story of the Shakespearean tragedy, and we know that this retelling was bound to follow the same path. It’s fate and a rule that Hamlet will be his own undoing, but you end up being completely swept away to a world where none of the original matters because TBB has its own unique identity. Which is exactly what it was always meant to be. It’s not just a retelling. The book, like Horatio and Lia, is unique and exactly what it’s meant to be. Not a recreation.

I definitely recommend it.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

"I am a student at Elsinore University. I know I am. The lake still won't show me my face."

To say I'm at a loss for words would be an understatement.

I have been waiting for this book for months now. I'm unsure exactly when I first heard about it, but emailed DAW last July about an ARC so it's actually been almost a year now, it seems. I don't think anything could be more worth the wait. I started this book a few hours ago and only put it down when my cat knocked over a stack of books on my shelf.

I'll be honest here and, embarrassingly, admit I've never read Hamlet, nor even know the plot. Yes, I am an English Lit major and, not only that, went through a massive David Tennant and Michael Sheen phase where I watched anything I could find with them in it, yet still somehow evaded Hamlet's storyline.
TLDR, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, and I think that may have been a positive for me.

I honestly think that the hole in my heart where a certain magical world created by a certain TERF was has been filled by Thoughts Be Bloody. Not replaced by, as this has left a much heartier and genuine feeling in my chest. Like the hole was originally filled with hot chocolate made with piss but now it's hot chocolate made with milk and marshmallows shaped into hearts and a sprinkling of peppermint and love.

I don't know where to begin here. I believe that this book truly hit some of my favorite niches of all time:
- dark academia
- trans rep (transmasc and transfem!)
- queer rep
- strange and intriguing narration type/unreliable narration
- mystery
- an intricate and incredibly well developed magic system. like, sheesh holy hell. everything was described and yet also, the magic felt new to any media I've read before

The arc of Hamlett's character and personality was insane. In. Sane. I went from writing in my notes "is Horatio stuck in his own mind and Hamlett his unreality key???" to "why is this freak giving J.D. in meant to be yours" and it was SUCH a naturally developed arc, too. Despite how extreme he was on each side of the spectrum of personality, it didn't feel rushed at all.

I loved Lia. SO, so much. I mean duh, who wouldn't, right? And I especially love the choices made with her character, from beginning to end, and the changes decided upon. It left a much better taste in my mouth, but still hitting similarly.

The developing romance was also incredibly done, especially towards the end when things were all kinda crazy. I loved how it was tied up.

I've since looked up a detailed synopsis of Hamlet and, based off of that, I've never seen a retelling done so perfectly while in an entirely different genre and universe-type, with a new narrative and character types, and especially with explicit queerness like this. I could piece each part of the plot to a part of the book with ease, despite this also feeling like a completely brand new idea and storyline at the same time due to how well-developed and detailed the magic system was set up. Along with the way the POV/narration was utilized to create a very unreliable feeling, not knowing what's real and what isn't, or what is missing (something I ADORE in a book).

Before this novel, I had yet to read a book where the MC being trans wasn't a massive plot point. And that isn't a bad thing whatsoever, I quite enjoyed it about those books. However, reading a book with a trans MC where the plot was intricate and detailed and full of so much without the character's being trans playing a real role in it was so... relieving, I suppose? To see a character like Percy Jackson or Richard Papen or Neil Josten or Melchior Gabor be like me, but not have any of their story revolve wholly around their being trans allowed me to feel so much truer in my skin. Again, not that it would have been bad if that were not the case. But I really loved it. That's not to say his being trans is completely disregarded, either! We learn about magical HRT, he talks about wearing a binder, choosing his name, the camaraderie with another trans classmate.

I truly can't recommend this enough. I apologize for how long the next list will be, but given how much I adore this genre, I have a lot of examples
This is the perfect book for fans of any of the following:
- The Secret History
- Kill Your Darlings (2019)
- Spring Awakening
- Link Click (yes, the anime)
- These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
- Vicious by VE Schwab
- Evocation
- If We Were Villains
- K. Ancrum
- Heathers
- the songs "How Could I Ever Forget" and "I am the One (Reprise)" from Next to Normal
- being trans and wanting to Fuck Shit Up

Thoughts Be Bloody had me captivated at every page, sentence, word. Despite what Horatio fears most, I'll never forget him or this story. I'll probably never shut up about it, either, to be honest. This was a beautiful expression of how grief can turn to pain in many different ways and many different types, and that no matter how many times it feels you've lost yourself, you can always remember. And fuck the powers that be.

[Ana Bucsaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for this e-ARC! This is my honest review.

“He was the sun, the rest of us orbited around him.”

THOUGHTS BE BLOODY is a trans, queer retelling of Hamlet set at the magical university Elsinore. I can’t say I’m a fan of Shakespeare in any way, so if you’re hesitant picking up this book because it’s a retelling, do not fret. This is a review for you.

At its core, THOUGHTS BE BLOODY is a story about a young man, Horatio, who has come into power, who wants power, after not having it his entire life. I have read many books that discuss themes of power, especially institutional one set against a dark academia backdrop, but I’ve rarely encountered a story that delves into the theme of power on such a personal level as Patrick has done in TBB. Usually, power revolves around ruling a kingdom and HAVING power, even in Babel, power is used to fuel imperialism and control colonies. But TBB is about BEING powerful, and all the ugliness, and sacrifice, and ethical dilemmas that come with it.

It was so riveting to experience this theme from the perspective of someone who wants so deeply, and who so aware of the consequences, yet they can’t stop being corrupted by the promise of more. Patrick has expertly woven in Horatio’s backstory and other characters (Hamlet) to make his yearning for power feel natural, and most of all, inevitable. The theme’s exploration reminded me of Blood Over Bright Haven, and while it’s not the same, both stories evoked similar feelings when reading.

This story is a retelling in the end, and while Horatio is the main character of TBB, Hamlet is the main character of the play. It is tricky to follow the same beats of a story while turning Hamlet, who drives those beats, into a secondary character, and turning Horatio, a secondary character who reacts to those beats, into driving force. But Patrick has achieved this effortlessly. Horatio’s aliveness and desires cannot be ignored, and you simply can’t deny that this story is HIS and he is the ruler of this world. (iykyk).

Still, this wasn’t achieved by making the other characters of Hamlet lesser than. Carson Hamlet is such an intriguing and twisted character that you can’t help but be drawn by even though you know you should run far, far away from him. I don’t want to talk about him too much because I feel like everyone should experience him just as I have. But to give you a taste, it was similar to how I felt about Terren when reading The Poet Empress. I knew I should hate him, I knew why I should hate him, but I still felt so drawn to him regardless.

Lia… oh sweet and lovely Lia. Her character was treated with such love and care. I read up on Hamlet after reading, and I simply adore what the author has chosen to do with her character. I will not say anything more, as again, I urge you to experience her yourselves.

“I see everything that has happened or will happen. Or ever could. I see all the things that might have happened.”

One of my favorite parts of this story is the strange narrative. You can tell, from the prologue, that the narration style is unique and kind of twisted. Most of all, I loved it because the narrative choice was not made just to be quirky, but it is a consequence of the plot, and it is purposeful and very well executed. This might not make any sense, but just trust me that it will once you read. If you like the vibes and the concept of the Raven from The Raven Scholar, I think you would really like this book.

Another wonderful aspect that I haven’t encountered in a long time, and have been searching for ever since I read The Atlas Six, was the feeling of being dropped into academic, magical conversations that keep you on your toes and force your mind to expand and accept the addition of magic to concepts where magic has not previously been present. Babel does this, sure, but with Babel it’s more academic, language focused, rather than magical. I wanted the feeling of magic to come first and foremost, and Patrick has delivered. The magic system in TBB is truly unique and very captivating. It’s split between minders and physicists, minders being rare and unique and the more powerful, albeit smaller, group. And the way the magic itself works is very interesting (I will let you learn about it as you read), and deeply tied to the plot and themes, which is always something I look for in books. I personally don’t like it when the magic is there for the sake of there being magic. I want it to be consequential to the plot, for it to be tied to the themes. Again, Patrick delivers.

All in all, I devoured this book. Even though I’m quite busy in my work life and pretty tired once I get home, I finished this book in 3 days, and it will stay with me long after I finished that last page. In my opinion, those are the best kinds of books, and THOUGHTS BE BLOODY is one of them.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth iteration of the Hamlet story that I've read/watched in just over a month, and I think I need a break...

Thoughts Be Bloody is a queer, dark academia retelling of Hamlet. It's technically fantasy, but the fantastical elements were fairly tame, and only one of them actually played a large role in the story as a whole. I just finished taking a Shakespeare class in college, so I was really excited to see a queer, fantasy/dark academia Hamlet retelling, but I personally didn't feel like it hit the mark for me. This book is very character-driven, which I sometimes struggle with, and in terms of connections to the original material, this retelling is very loose. I enjoyed parts of it, and I expect it to find a solid audience, but the pacing and narrative structure didn't work for me.

Horatio Bithersea is finally beginning to feel like he fits in at Elsinore, a prestigious, magical university. That is, until Professor Carson King is murdered, and his ghost places a curse on Horatio and King's son, Hamlett. The blurb frames the plot as a murder mystery, but Hamlett is convinced he knows the killer from the beginning, so it doesn't really have the tension of a true mystery (especially if you're familiar with the original story). This lands me at what the book does right: the lack of action. Hamlet itself is a play about thinking about whether to act, and with Horatio as the narrator of this book, that same effect is achieved. As a consequence, however, I found the plot to be a bit too slow for me. The plot also became incredibly disjointed and chaotic by the end, as a consequence of certain story developments. Though I think this will work for many readers, I struggled to stay connected to what was happening. Most of the large plot points from the original play are adapted into this story, which means that it was faithful (which is good) but lost some suspense for me because I already knew where it was headed (not a complaint about the book, but just a note for those who may have spent the past month studying Hamlet nonstop). I liked the premise, but I wasn't fond of the pacing or narrative structure.

I did really enjoy the character treatments when put in comparison with the original text. As I already mentioned, the narrator is Horatio, specifically a transmasc Horatio who comes from a mundane kind of life without magic. His indecision mirrors the original Hamlet's, and his loyalty is true to his original character, too. I really enjoyed seeing his growing trust with Hamlett and Lia. Hamlett is a truly complicated character; he's both charismatic and unlikable, at least in my opinion. Lia was probably my favorite adapted character. She and Horatio have a special bond, as she is also trans, and I appreciated how she demonstrated her strength both in magic and morals. Ross and Gil are practically inseparable, and Laertes only wants to protect Lia, meaning they all fit their traditional roles. I was intrigued by the treatment of the older characters, Nius (Polonius), Edric (Claudius), and Regis (Gertrude), specifically in their lack of involvement in the plot. Only Edric is really relevant, and it kind of felt like that choice was steering the plot in a YA direction even though the characters are all in their twenties. I just liked comparing the characters to their other forms, but even on their own, I thought they provided an interesting and complex cast.

Thoughts Be Bloody is a queer Hamlet retelling with a fantastical dark academia setting, and I think it can appeal to both fans of the play and newcomers to the story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.5/5

[kilmosnaps · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
Queer Hamlet retelling x magic university x revenge

I generally really love a queer retelling and this one involves magic, so added bonus. There was a lot going on, but it was mostly done well.

The Hamlet play was expertly woven into this story of dark academia x class disparity and the trans experience. These versions of the characters felt like the play characters enhanced just with magical abilities. Famous lines from the play are used incredibly well, that when the MOST FAMOUS ONE is omitted, it’s like what’s up with that?

Having Horatio be the witness but also the unreliable narrator was a great way to add to the class disparity/jealousy aspect to the story.

The magic world building was really well done. The different classes of magic have their own hierarchy as is wont to happen. The thing I didn’t like was the non-magical world were called “humdrum,” so it’s like “I didn’t want to return to the humdrum world.” For a term referenced 30+ times, something should’ve been created. It’s already a word.

This was a wonderful debut novel. I definitely had some reservations over certain technical stuff, but I was absorbed into this world and definitely bawled at certain points. I’ve been thinking about it for a couple days. I can’t wait to see what the author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced reader copy.

Publication Date: Sept 15, 2026

‘I wasn’t the first to find the body, but I was the first to find Carson Hamlett.’

‘The world was spun on its axis, and I realized one thing: Hamlett was no longer perfect. Hamlet was missing a piece. Hamlett was – just a little bit – more like me. Something have been taken from him, making him less godlike. Now he was mortal, like the rest of us.’

‘There’s something strange about the lake at Elsinore University. It doesn’t show me my reflection.’

‘Tenses are hard, these days. I see it all at once, as if everything that has happened is happening now, it’s difficult to tell the moments apart, but I have to tell the story, it’s important that I tell the story, or I’ll get lost.’

‘The way she watched Hamlett was different than the way I found myself watching either of them. She looked at him like he held some part of her she lost. He spent a lot of time looking back like she might be able to save him.’

‘Before Hamlett had come along, Edric was the most powerful magician in the past two centuries. Then Hamlet did come around… It was probably a side effect of having all that magic in his veins. There was no question about it, Edric was powerful, but not as powerful as Hamlett, who, like Edric, didn’t need the gestures.’

‘How much pain would come in the morning.
How much pain comes still, in the morning.’

‘Remember. Remember, remember, remember. I’m supposed to remember.’

“I just need a memory, Horatio. That’s all I need. You can let me do the rest.”
Just a memory. That’s all he needed. I could give him that. It was easy. It should’ve been easy.’

‘It takes three types of memories to summon a spirit – a sensory memory, an emotional memory, and a physical memory.’

‘Listen carefully. Everything I’m telling you is true, whether I was present or not. These are the wheels that were set in motion, the ones we couldn’t stop. These were the beginnings, these were the ends. I am telling you everything I know.’

‘You couldn’t undo another man’s magic but you could deactivate it, briefly and temporarily.

“I know a hawk from a handsaw, Horatio,” Hamlett, said, gesturing for me to be quiet, as if the phrase was meant to soothe me. “I know what’s true and what’s not.”

“But he- he taught us how to remember. He taught us how to remember! Did he not think I would do so?”

“Mr. Bithersea… I think you’ve gotten tied up into a story that isn’t your own.”

“We’re nearing the end, yet. Aren’t we?”
“Yes, I think you’re right.”
We would know soon enough, who was the player, and who was the pawn.’

[monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was something other, and for once, the othering was beautiful.”

now, let me start by saying that i’d been thinking about this book for MONTHS before i even got a chance to read it - and the moment my arc request was accepted, i dropped everything to start it. and i’m happy to say i do not regret it, and it lived up to my expectations.

thoughts be bloody is a queer, dark academia/fantasy retelling of hamlet, and if you know only one thing about me, it’s probably that i’m absolutely obsessed with hamlet - as well as with queer literatury and fantasy, and that i’ll never say no to a good dark academia story. so i am very much the target audience for this, probably as much as possible.

with any retelling, there’s always the challenge of finding a point somewhere between the familiarity of the source text, and doing something new and original. thoughts be bloody leans strongly towards going away from hamlet, especially in the second part of the novel. it’s not a bad or good thing in itself, and sometimes one works out better than the other. and here, it just works really well for the story the author wants to tell.

when it comes to the characters, i felt like they were a mixture of what i’d recognize as shakespeare’s and what was new, but it just made sense. i liked them, in a sense that they were interesting to me, because i can’t say they were always likable as people haha what i want to especially point ou is that i truly appreciate this leaning into not only hamlet’s recklessness, but also cruelty. without giving spoilers, i’ll just say that i haven’t seen it done that way before, and i really enjoyed it.

i’ve read 6… 7? hamlet retellings over the past two years or so, and this still felt really fresh and original. that comes not only from the setting, but also from the choices made for the characters and the plot. it’s definitely one of my favorite hamlet retellings, despite, or maybe because of how much it sometimes diverges from how i understand and think about the characters and the story.

other things i enjoyed: the strange, unrelliable narration; the treatment of time; the approach to and handling of the characters (though in some cases, like with laertes or ross and gil, i would have liked to see more); the relationship between horatio and lia; the magic system; and of course, the queer rep!

things i believe could be stronger: sometimes the pacing wasn’t well balanced, thoguh perhaps it would have had to be a much longer book for that to be completely sorted - it’s the matter of introducing a whole world, magic system and the characters, and at the same time still making it feel like things are moving, and i often notice that in standalone fantasy novels. the writing could also be tighter - i read an arc, so it might still be edited, but some repetitions were a little much. overall, though, it wasn’t so detracting as to ruin the experience for me.

all in all, this was a highly engaging and original take on hamlet, and i enjoyed it a lot! i’m not sure it’s objectively (if there even is such a thing) a 5-star book, but i know i’ll keep thinking about it, and i really appreciate it as a retelling. and so i want to give it 5 stars.

thank you NetGalley and DAW for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trans dark-academia reimagining of Hamlet set within a cursed magical university feels immediately distinctive, and the play’s emotional foundation adapts naturally to obsessive queer relationships, decaying institutions, and the painful process of constructing an identity. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the way Patrick handles its trans themes with genuine nuance and care. They never feel ornamental or purely symbolic. Instead, questions of identity are embedded directly into the story’s larger concerns with inheritance, performance, legitimacy, and self-creation. That integration gives the characters’ struggles an authenticity that feels lived-in rather than representational for its own sake.

I also appreciated the decision to center Horatio instead of Hamlet. It lends the story a fresher perspective than many Shakespeare retellings, particularly because Horatio’s viewpoint introduces a greater sense of vulnerability and uncertainty. His relationship with Hamlett is tangled, obsessive, and emotionally persuasive in ways that often sustain the novel through its quieter stretches.

That said, while the Horatio/Hamlett dynamic is compelling, it eventually begins to feel emotionally cyclical. There are only so many scenes built around mutual fascination, distrust, and self-destruction before the relationship starts to crave a more surprising evolution. Much of the novel remains suspended in yearning, brooding introspection, and heavily symbolic dialogue. In dark academia, atmosphere is undeniably part of the appeal, but eventually the pacing begins to stall. The book spends so much energy cultivating mood that the mystery and political tensions can feel strangely remote.

Even so, I never found the novel dull. There’s real ambition here, and several moments are genuinely striking. I ultimately came away feeling that the book was slightly more enamored with its own atmosphere than with delivering a fully satisfying narrative arc.

Overall, Thoughts Be Bloody feels poised to become a cult favorite among queer dark-academia readers drawn to emotionally volatile relationships, gothic atmosphere, literary allusion, and the creeping dread of institutional horror woven into a single narrative.

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW and Auden Patrick for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4,75 stars, rounded up.

This was such a creative and ambitious adaptation! The concept alone is brilliant, but what impressed me most was how well it executed all its ideas.

The worldbuilding was immersive, especially the isolated, haunted feeling of the Elsinore campus. I loved the magic system as well; it felt grounded, difficult, and carefully thought out, particularly in its themes surrounding restricted magical knowledge and institutional gatekeeping and their consequences for everyone. Small details, like the campus being made up of magically transported buildings from around the world, added so much personality to the setting!

The characters were one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Even knowing from the start that this story was doomed to tragedy, I became deeply attached to all of them. Horatio was such a compelling protagonist, funny, flawed, painfully lonely and incredibly easy to empathize with. His narration felt emotionally immersive in a way that made every moment hit harder. Hamlett, despite all his obvious red flags, was magnetic in exactly the way he needed to be, making the relationships feel believable even when they were unhealthy. Lia’s characterization was especially thoughtful and moving, and her relationship with Horatio was one of my favorite parts of the book.

I also loved the structure of the narrative itself. The story constantly feels like it’s unraveling and blurring memories in a way that becomes increasingly tense and disorienting as it progresses. The writing captured that sense of impending doom beautifully, especially with the way Horatio slips between recounting events as past memories and experiencing them as though they are happening in the present all over again. I just couldn't put it down.

The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me was that the plot became a little too chaotic and disjointed toward the end, and I occasionally struggled to stay grounded in what was happening.

Still, this is such an impressive debut and one I know will stay with me for a very long time!

[Ivana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Horatio Bithersea, a magician, and a friend of Carson Hamlett. It's a queer, trans Hamlet retelling set in a modern world, but at a magical university.

"Listen carefully. Everything I am telling you is true."

The writing was descriptive, and it portrayed the emotions of the characters and the atmosphere perfectly. It gave exactly the dark academia vibe it promised in the blurb. However, there was a lot of repetition of certain phrases, especially towards the end of the book. I understand that it makes sense for the story, and fits the narrative, but it simply wasn't the type of writing I personally like. It's part of the reason why I gave this book three stars.

"Let's rule the world."

Characters are definitely what made this book what it is. There are all of the characters from the original Hamlet, with the author's own spin to them. I've quite liked all of them as they were characterised well, making them mostly morally grey, and not pure black and white. The representation of queerness was also beautiful! There is a good character development in all of the characters, but especially the protagonist.

I personally liked certain tropes, like "and they were roommates", retelling, and queer representation. Retellings are always a little bit tricky as the story is known in advance, and the author has to make their own spin to it, while keeping it interesting and new. I feel like this book did that. It kept to the original story while incorporating the new, unique elements, and character relationships.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves classics, mystery, retellings and dark academia. It was an interesting read for me, but it unfortunately wasn't one of my favorites. One of the reasons was the already mentioned style of writing. Another thing that bothered me was the fact that I felt like something important was happening in the story constantly, while after reading I couldn't really recall most of the encounters and difficulties the characters faced. Other than that, the book was quite engaging and enjoyable.

[Cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We’re going to rule the world, he said. In that moment, breathless and dizzy and one of a kind, I believed him.”

Thoughts Be Bloody is a retelling of the tale as old as time, Hamlet. It mixes this tale with splashes of magic in a blender to produce a very queer, very unique story about a boy in a magic academy who gets swung into trouble along with an irritatingly charming (and deeply troubled) boy who has recently lost his father. All is well for a miserably short span of time until they resurrect said father, and are placed under a curse that threatens to wipe their minds if unfulfilled.

The concept itself was what pulled me into the story, and it provided what it promised. An unreliable narrator just a bit too lost to coherently translate his memories into a proper book, gothic academia and haughty boys, a ghost that looms just behind your right shoulder and taps it the moment you forget about him. It’s not often that I get to read polyamory rep, and rarer still that there are 2 trans parties in the relationship—so I enjoyed the change! It might not have been my cup of tea, but it was a welcome experience still and I loved loved loved Lia (my girl!!)

I think what it is about this book that ultimately stopped me from giving it a higher rating was that it simply didn’t grapple with me was that—I may just be stupid—the writing got confusing sometimes, especially nearing the end, wherein I had to reread some paragraphs, or try to remember very hard what had happened before which was now being referenced. And with all the buildup throughout the novel, sweeping readers towards the climax, my expectations were pretty high. I was sort of expecting Horatio to literally have his mind blown, or be physically destroyed by his own magic with how he was practically asking for it throughout the story, but things just kind of. Happened. Don’t get me wrong, there are twists that surprised me (once I could understand what was going on) but there is also stuff I would have done differently, plot turns which were just a little disappointing compared to what I thought I was being led to.

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for the e-ARC!!!

[korinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts Be Bloody is a book I find difficult to rate. I would rather not rate it at all, because it feels a bit of a disservice. Arbitrary numbers are incapable of portraying my true feelings towards this novel to you. But Goodreads doesn’t have that yet, so 4 stars it is.

If you have any sort of nostalgia for Harry Potter, this book manages to capture similar feelings and filled a Harry-Potter-sized hole in my heart. A magic school separated from a non-magical world, a likable trio, and a mystery. I, admittedly, am no fan of Shakespeare. I have read Hamlet, but I have little memory of it—this is to say, my feelings towards this book come from a rudimentary understanding of the source material it is trying to retell.

Thoughts Be Bloody follows Horatio, a transmasculine teen struggling in school. Hamlet, the school’s poster boy, and Lia, his transfemme girlfriend, gain significant importance as they begin working together to uncover the circumstances behind Hamlet’s father’s mysterious death a year after his passing. Our main trio are all likable and play off each other well. There is some romantic tensions between all of them, and despite not being a fan of poly myself, I was begging and hoping the three of them would kiss.

The book, obviously, isn’t perfect. I think some of the prose that’s trying to feel flowery and emotion ends up feeling stiff, and some of the dialogue choices were a bit strange, but nothing that makes the book unreadable. I do think the criticisms of the other reviewers here are completely valid and carry weight. This was a book I read while bored at work, and it was enjoyable every time, so maybe my opinion is weighted by that, haha, but I genuinely do think it’s a fun time. The story is interesting! And I do look forward to reading it again on my own time when the book officially releases later this year.

If you enjoy Andrew Joseph White, this book is for you. It is a wonderfully imperfect fun time, and I heartily recommend it.

I was given an e-ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title!
This book has cemented itself as my book of the year until proven otherwise for a multitude of reasons, most of which I can't discuss without devolving into large spoilers. I do believe that this story has the re-readability of something such as The Raven Cycle Series, as I think it will add onto itself every time. It will absolutely be something I will be grabbing a physical copy of and going deep into annotating. The things I can rave about come down to representation and an intricate magical system.
Representation wise:
Horatio is a bisexual trans man who grew up primarily in non-magical society and this is intrinsic to his motivations even without these factors of his identity being a major focus. Of course someone who never truly had so much of life given to them will be greedy, it is understandable that he is driven primarily by desire to prove himself to not only his peers but also himself.
He is also not the only trans character, it is established very early on that this school has a small population of trans students (one of which he somewhat knows and relied on at one point in time).
The polyamorous relationship showcased within the novel is one that mirrors a lot of real life dynamics and insecurities that often come with joining an established relationship. I appreciate the fact that it avoided falling into common tropes of the dynamic.

Magic System wise:
The system within the narrative has loose rules and boundaries that are never truly defined or at least not applied to our protagonists. This adds to the magical feeling of the setting and story, as we try to piece together how they defy expectation we start to ignore what those expectations are and why they are set into place. In addition, having a narrator who did not grow up in that system means that some things are never questioned because he never thought to question them or learn about them. It made me as a reader invested in learning more about that structure.

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took a bit to really take off, but once it did, it grabbed my attention and made me not want to stop reading until the end.

As someone who’s read Hamlet before, as well as other retellings, I felt that I knew where the story was going alongside all of the important plot points. However, the author did a great job of subverting expectations in some areas, changing up the methods and means in which certain things happened, and expanding on the story and emotions behind each familiar moment in ways that made it feel fresh and engaging, and so the novel overall never became too predictable.

I also thought that the voice here was extremely unique although at times, a bit too confusing, but as the story went on, it made sense why. The magic system and university setting were decently developed, but I did wish there was a bit more revealed about the magic world outside of school, since aside from a few vague lines, not much was shown of what the characters’ futures could look like.

I found all of the characters to be extremely well thought out and they seemed like real, flawed people. Getting the story from Horatio’s perspective too really required the reader to trust him, but he was admittedly an uncertain and unreliable narrator, which created a mounting sense of unease that added to the elements in the story. The other characters, even the more minor ones, were fully fleshed out and felt original. It was hard to know who to root for or who to trust, as everyone’s motivations flipped between righteousness and selfishness, their desires ever-shifting, which expanded nicely upon the themes from the source material.

Overall, while there were a few minor things that I would have preferred to be different, this is a unique, well-thought out story that doesn’t shy away from complicated and frustrating characters, and I would gladly read more from this author.

4.5 stars rounded up

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up to 4,25⭐

Who doesn't love a Hamlet retelling with queer characters (trans rep!) that makes you question what's actually happening at every turn? Love you some dark academia, magical society and ambiguous characters? Thoughts Be Bloody will deliver you that and possibly more.

The experimental and pretty much disassociating narrative choice was so risky but I personally think it worked so well! At some points it came off as confusing but I could pick up the line of thought soon after and I think that works really well with the aspects of the story.
The first 20% were a bit hard to get into, I think it could use a bit of cleaning up and that's the reason why I can't give it a stellar 5⭐, but after you're familiar with the setting, the author's writing and the characters you just get lost, in a good way, in it. The last 40% makes you devour it without a second thought, you just have to get the prose inside your skin and inhale this story into your lungs.

Humans and their obsessions as a moving force of the story is one of my favorite devices in a book and we have it here in two instances that make this story the banger it is. I think the author utilizes Hamlet's themes pretty way here, it was way adapted into the retelling.

I loved the ending, the building up to that was my favorite part of this whole book. It was suffocating and constraining and low-key maddening. There is no straight to the point here, you have to go with them and enjoy the ride. Trust the narrative will get you where you have to be because it will and it did. The characters remain true to themselves until the end, their development is solid, and the story's ending is truthful to what Auden Patrick ambitiously intended it to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Luca · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I really wanted to love this book, it had everything I thought I'd like - dark academia, magic, queer characters and a Shakespeare retelling. Hamlet is my favorite play of his. And yet I was disappointed by this story.

I think the premise is amazing but it's overdone here. It's overwritten in a way that is messy (and maybe it's my fault because English is not my first language) but I got so lost towards the ending. I'm still unsure about the ending, about to be honest anything. I'm left with more questions than answers and absolutely no energy to reread it. There are sentences and structures overused that make this book simply a bore especially the more you read it. I actually had to force myself to read it - hoping that it would get better towards the end but I feel like it just never really picked up.

The characters also had potential but towards the end I realized they never really felt like their own people - just kind of plot devices convinetly placed where they were needed. Even Horatio (our MC) was a bit of a gray area - where we got little snippets of who he really is but nothing is explored and you're left with too much wanting to really like him. Hamlett was interesting, at least towards the end, he was a fun character but again the way the ending was written I'm unsure I understand what really happened.

I wanted to love it, I loved the premise. But in the end it fell so flat I'm just in pain I didn't like it. Cause it still has all the elements I would have loved. And I'm sorry - I think stories with characters like these are important but everything that was supposed to make it just didn't.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In that moment, breathless and dizzy and one-of-a-kind, I believed him."

Thoughts Be Bloody is a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, a story I haven't read but am sorta familiar with the plot, so I cannot say whether or not this novel does a good job of retelling the story via dark academic genre.

We are introduced to this world of magic that does and doesn't do a good enough job of explaining. Patrick touches on the different kinds of magic and so forth, but it is in an agonizing word vomit in some cases that I find it hard to care. The exposition of everything is not done in a manner I like, so I was mostly whatever about the world set up. I also never want to read the word 'humdrum' ever again.

They're college kids, but Horatio, Hamlett, and Lia felt like school children playing at a game. The plot is probably supposed to feel like a never-ending cycle of figuring it out, but I didn't enjoy it at all. The characters relationship with one another felt a little forced too. I know this is a queer novel, but can it still feel bait-y? Because it did. Horatio's isolation was shown in a way it as giving off 'pick me' and not 'the main character in which we have to view this story through.' Horatio was pathetic and not in a fun or good way. There's no connection for me to the characters. Horatio doesn't feel redeeming, Hamlett keeps Horatio at an arms distance so thus we are kept at a distance, and Lia is just there because Hamlett is.

There were some moments I thought the prose was nice, but that's kind of it. Either the story was ambitious or I just don't get the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the eARC!

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much, DAW and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book early in exchange of an honest review.

The summer before his sophomore year, Horatio Bithersea finds Carson Hamlett, Elsinore's golden boy, cradling his dead father's body in the university library. The professor's death, despite the bloody scene and mysterious circumstances, is ruled as accident.
Now, a year later, Horatio is struggling with his control over his magic, trying to graduate, but everything change when he sees the ghost of Hamlett's father and the ghosts places a curse on Carson and Hamlett: avenge his death by destroying Elsinore and its heart or lose their minds, memories and lives.
Elsinore has given Horatio everything. He was able to escape his abusive father and home, able to transition and live as a trans man and his magic, too. Now, he has to help Hamlett find his father's murderer, slowly ensnared in Hamlett's dangerous web, or lose everything he holds dear.

Thoughts be bloody is a brilliant, magnetic and twisty queer retelling of Hamlet, a dark academia set in a magical school and world. I loved reading this book. Horatio is a magnificent main character, struggling to keep his magic under control and the setting and worldbuilding are amazing and so well written. Elsinore is a magic school and the magic system is intriguing, based on the position of the sun and the moon, the galaxy alignments, and Horatio is part of a minder group, studying mind magic with his classmates. The reader gets to know Lia, Hamlett's girlfriend, Laertes, Lia's twin, Gil and Ross, two best friends, but, mostly, the book focuses on Hamlett, Lia and Horatio.
With care and sensitivity, the author deals with classism, abusive enviroment, identity and revolution in this dark academia. Also a complex and ensaring plot made by Hamlett, determined to find out who kill his father and to destroy everything, ensnaring Horatio and Lia and everyone else in his search for vengeance.
Brilliant, intriguing and well written, I truly enjoyed this book!

[Amelia L · Rating 4 out of 5]

in my opinion, any shakespeare novel retelling is a tall task simply because they’re such well known stories, and because shakespeare is famous for telling them so well *and* telling them in a play format. retelling hamlet, of all the shakespeare plays, seems even harder to me. it’s a complicated play emotionally and thematically, not to mention just being quite long. it’s also my favorite shakespeare play, so with all of this in mind, i had high standards and was hopeful but not expecting Thoughts Be Bloody to blow my mind.

at the very beginning, i felt very tentative, but as the book progressed and it became clear exactly the direction it was going, particularly the narration style and where it took the Hamlet and Ophelia analogues, i couldn’t have any thoughts but (a) hell yes, and (b) oh no, as any good tragedy should be. i really enjoyed the writing style and the weirdness of some bits (tbh i think i would have liked it even better if it was even weirder with pov and tense à la harrow the ninth, but it was really good as is).

similar to local heavens, which i read earlier this year and was really wowed by, i think this is a retelling that stands on its merits, rather than propping itself up on how excellent and widely known the source material is.

obviously i think you should read this if you were a queer freshman in high school obsessing over hamlet like me, but i also think people who generally enjoy dark academia and magic school books like The Magicians or That Devil, Ambition, will also enjoy this.
thank you to netgalley and DAW books for this arc!

[El Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning Hamlet reimagining (some character names, character connection, basic plot lines) with a magic school and dark secrets. The dark academia vibes were intense, and the prose was reminiscent of The Secret History.

I have mixed feelings about retellings / reimaginings, but this felt different enough (while also adhering to the original story to be called a retelling. )The queer elements (trans characters, poly and queer relationships) added enjoyment to the story, as well as relatability. I also feel Horatio being trans added a lot to his character, and allowed for powerful moments where he questions identity and perception.


While overall I did enjoy this book a lot, it could sometimes get repetitive. There were maybe a few to many "getting ahead of myself"'s and "but little did I know"'s—they kind of threw me out of the story. Some timelines also felt kind of mixed up or confusing. This was especially prevalent around Regis' office sequences of which I had no idea what the lead up to was (or what time it was).
While this effect was intentional through some of the book, at some points it was a little too much.



SPOILER

Horatio's spiral into time mess ramblings was so disorienting in the best way- as confusing as it was to read, I knew it was purposeful, and I felt that it definitely added to the story. It also gave this deeper unreliability to the narrator, which is always so fun to read. I spent this whole section on my toes, never fully trusting what was said to be happening.

[wampor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

When my friend told me about this book I knew I had to read it immediately. "Hamlet" retelling? Queer? And the main character is trans? This was written specifically for me, thank you.

I wasn’t on board with the writing at first, but it grew on me the more I read, and I really loved the narration style. It reminded me of "Interview With The Vampire" and "A Separate Peace", which was so fitting for exploration of memories, grief, and what makes us who we are. Seeing how the author transformed "Hamlet" into his own story was exciting and I enjoyed every second of it. I felt the spirit of the play within it. I was surprised by the plot twists many times, especially when I thought I knew what was going to happen next.

I loved the transmasc and transfem rep so much, but the messy bisexual loser rep was especially well done (ily Horatio).
I didn’t care that much for the magic school, just because it’s not my favorite trope, but it was still compelling enough and the magic system was very interesting. What stood out to me the most was the relationships and characters. Horatio, Lia and Hamlett were all broken people who found comfort and understanding within each other, even though their love was doomed from the start.

The ending was devastating but hopefull at the same time and I thought it was perfect for this story. I feel like I’ve read this book at a perfect time, it just clicked for me. And I can’t wait to see what the author does next!!

[sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a queer retelling about the Shakespeare tragedy Hamlet. It is set in a school away from the human “humdrum” world. It’s dark academia, fantasy, and queer. It shows the great lengths of grief, revenge and the need for power.

I personally kind of struggled with this book until the last 40%. The author does a good job at setting up the story and the characters but sadly I was just kind of bored and confused for the most part. I really did enjoy once we did get to the last 40%, the way that Horatio turns to more of an unreliable narrator and you get lost and mixed up with all of his thoughts.

The way that you can see Hamlet start to change and maybe he never really did and was that way from the start makes you question everyone and everything in the story. I think that the little love between Hamlet, Horatio and dashes of the other characters is nice but turns bittersweet in the end when you get the big picture, that sometimes all people want in the end is revenge.

I feel like the main plot was really well put together and interesting in the beginning but the farther along in the story we get the more it falls apart. Which might be what the author was going for since the narrator does get unreliable and losing it but it kind of lost me.

I ended up rating it: 3.5/5 ⭐️rounded down to 3.

Thank you Netgally and DAW for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mag Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the advance copy!

⭐️4/5⭐️

This took me a little bit to warm up to, but I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected. We follow Horatio Bithersea, who is essentially a scholarship student at a magic university, as he gets sucked into the orbit of the charming and vengeful Carson Hamlett. Horatio has a troubled family history, so his home at school means everything to him, even when he struggles with his uncontrollable magic and feels like an outcast. When Hamlett, whose father died under mysterious circumstances, strings him along into a scheme to destroy the person responsible, Horatio is faced with untangling his own identity and loyalty and deciding whether he, too, will become a killer.

I hugely disliked the narrative device of Horatio looking back as he tells the story and constantly saying things along the lines of "I didn't know it then, but ..." Every time this happened, I was yanked out of the story and it really started getting on my nerves. Beyond that, though, I found the characterizations strong and the plot kept me reading. Honestly, I'm not sure if the curse was really even necessary — it would be enough for the characters to want revenge, justice, or just the satisfaction of knowing the truth. But I enjoyed the dynamic between Horatio and Hamlett, and the story works whether or not you're familiar with the source material.

[Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity.

The major aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most was the narration; the meandering prose, the unreliable narration, and the non-linear storytelling were immersive, and it's a personal pleasure of mine to read stories told in strange ways. It was jarring and odd in the best of ways. Admittedly, some parts felt overtly fluffy and stretched out, or felt like "quotable prose," but as an overall experience, I found it to be a relatively fun and fitting narrative tone/style.

A lot of books that draw inspiration from or call themselves retellings of older, beloved stories often fall flat for their inability to add anything meaningful to the story, simply parroting the story under the guise of a "new perspective" or a "progressive retelling." I liked the way the story and concepts of Hamlet were integrated into Thoughts be Bloody. I especially like Horatio being a time magician; very fitting.

I have a special appreciation for the introduction and the cover, Both set a really great, intriguing tone for the book, especially the former. I also appreciate the physicality of magic presented through how the magicians cast their magic and how many different things magic can affect. The magic system is quite well written.

A 4/5 for this from me.