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Monstrous #6
Seraph
I’ve already mentally prepared myself to kill the screaming, murderous monster in the cage outside our camp.
I’m used to it. It’s what I do here. Kill monsters and other people. And this monster, Seraph, is particularly unstable—has been since the moment he arrived from Collector Mary’s monster menagerie to the west, where the military stashed him away.
He’s in pain. I can see it. But he’s not a mindless beast. Not like some of the others think.
When I start guarding him in his cage every night, I begin to see the person beneath the agony that tortures his every waking moment. I begin to see who Seraph could have been if he hadn’t been twisted into this monstrous creature.
I realise that I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to kill him, even for his own sake, but it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s already dying, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Not even when new visitors at our raider camp bring with them secrets about Seraph. Secrets the military has tried to hide.
Secrets that reveal the true extent of the horror he’s been put through.
And now… Now, I will kill anyone who tries to hurt him again.
I’m used to it. It’s what I do here. Kill monsters and other people. And this monster, Seraph, is particularly unstable—has been since the moment he arrived from Collector Mary’s monster menagerie to the west, where the military stashed him away.
He’s in pain. I can see it. But he’s not a mindless beast. Not like some of the others think.
When I start guarding him in his cage every night, I begin to see the person beneath the agony that tortures his every waking moment. I begin to see who Seraph could have been if he hadn’t been twisted into this monstrous creature.
I realise that I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to kill him, even for his own sake, but it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s already dying, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Not even when new visitors at our raider camp bring with them secrets about Seraph. Secrets the military has tried to hide.
Secrets that reveal the true extent of the horror he’s been put through.
And now… Now, I will kill anyone who tries to hurt him again.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2022
754 people are currently reading
4309 people want to read
About the author
Lily Mayne
26 books5,672 followersLily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,368 reviews
September 27, 2022
hello to all my fellow monster fuckers out there.🖤
✦ i wanted Lilac's book so bad ever since we first met him. he is probably one of my favourite humans in this series. something about his whole mysterious, quiet aura just attracted me to him from the very beginning. i do wish we got to know him a little more though, which i do realise is a little weird to say, since the whole book was written from his pov.
✦ this book definitely had some very sad moments. you can't help but feel hearbroken for Seraph when you find out his full story. he is just such a sweetie tbh. i admit i shed a couple of tears for him while reading this book.
"i wanted him just as he was. long, gangly limbs and sharp jutting teeth and the wall of beautiful discordant eyes. all of it."
✦ the relationship between Lilac and Seraph was pretty slow burn, it definitely took a while for any romantic vibes to even appear. the development wasn't the best overall imo, but for some reason, the fact that the relationships between the characters in this series develop so easily doesn't bother me that much overall.
✦ the dynamic between them was very cute and wholesome. i loved how protective they were of each other and how Lilac would have literally done anything to help Seraph. all that hurt / comfort was delicious.
"i could remember him there at my worst moments. always there. a quiet and calm presence that never wavered and never left and never gave up, even when i had no hope myself. he had made me want to fight through it. he had made me want to stay alive despite the pain, despite how close death had come to taking me."
✦ i really liked the fact that so many characters from all the books were in one place. loved all the bonding between the couples.
✦ Wyn is, hands down, still the superior monster in this series. him and his humanity hating ass still own me. i loved all his snarky, murderous comments so much. the way he worships the ground Danny walks on and hates everyone else is just impeccable.
✦ my niggles are the same things that i've mentioned in my previous reviews. firstly, i personally want more monster pov's. secondly, all the monsters are a little too sweet for my liking. i would love at least one monster mc in this series to be truly scary, demonic, fucked up and not apologetic about it, and not all mushy, adorable and cute. however, that's just my own personal preferences coming out. i still love this series and all the characters a lot regardless.
✦ very excited for the novella and the book that are coming out next! 🖤
✦ i wanted Lilac's book so bad ever since we first met him. he is probably one of my favourite humans in this series. something about his whole mysterious, quiet aura just attracted me to him from the very beginning. i do wish we got to know him a little more though, which i do realise is a little weird to say, since the whole book was written from his pov.
✦ this book definitely had some very sad moments. you can't help but feel hearbroken for Seraph when you find out his full story. he is just such a sweetie tbh. i admit i shed a couple of tears for him while reading this book.
"i wanted him just as he was. long, gangly limbs and sharp jutting teeth and the wall of beautiful discordant eyes. all of it."
✦ the relationship between Lilac and Seraph was pretty slow burn, it definitely took a while for any romantic vibes to even appear. the development wasn't the best overall imo, but for some reason, the fact that the relationships between the characters in this series develop so easily doesn't bother me that much overall.
✦ the dynamic between them was very cute and wholesome. i loved how protective they were of each other and how Lilac would have literally done anything to help Seraph. all that hurt / comfort was delicious.
"i could remember him there at my worst moments. always there. a quiet and calm presence that never wavered and never left and never gave up, even when i had no hope myself. he had made me want to fight through it. he had made me want to stay alive despite the pain, despite how close death had come to taking me."
✦ i really liked the fact that so many characters from all the books were in one place. loved all the bonding between the couples.
✦ Wyn is, hands down, still the superior monster in this series. him and his humanity hating ass still own me. i loved all his snarky, murderous comments so much. the way he worships the ground Danny walks on and hates everyone else is just impeccable.
✦ my niggles are the same things that i've mentioned in my previous reviews. firstly, i personally want more monster pov's. secondly, all the monsters are a little too sweet for my liking. i would love at least one monster mc in this series to be truly scary, demonic, fucked up and not apologetic about it, and not all mushy, adorable and cute. however, that's just my own personal preferences coming out. i still love this series and all the characters a lot regardless.
✦ very excited for the novella and the book that are coming out next! 🖤
October 15, 2022
Emotional and heart breaking. "Seraph" broke my heart into pieces. It wrecked me completely. But for the wonderful HEA in the end, I'll happily suffer over and over again.
It may sound cliche and I'm well aware that I had said the same thing after reading "Moth".... however here I am, repeating it, "Seraph" is the best book of the series (and my favourite one) so far.
Lilac is the most interesting human mc Lily Mayne has ever written. He isn't innocent, neither does he have a sunshiny personality. Lilac is a grumpy man who hates socializing and prefers to be alone. He is a protector to the core. Killing comes easily to him. He kills poeple and monsters if the necessity arises. And he doesn't regret his violent actions. At the first glance, Lilac may appear to be little psychotic. But trust me, he is not. Once you get to know him, you would realise that Lilac is perfectly normal. He's just too reserved, too rational and only wants to be left in alone. He's too good at hiding his emotions behind the mask he wears. But Seraph...he brings out all kinds of emotions from this stone man. I loved how protective and caring Lilac was. He was so patient when it came to Seraph. He never treated him cruelly, didn't hold grudge against him even when he was hurt. I just love Lilac. I loved his patience, his loyalty and his unconditional love for Seraph. It wasn't easy by any means. Seraph wasn't any ordinary beasty. He looked too different, he couldn't talk for a very very long time. But Lilac never stopped hoping. He didn't give up even when Seraph did. He fought, he fought for both of them....
And Seraph? Seraph needs to be protected at any cost.
I just wanna hug him. He was so precious. He suffered too much, he was wronged by everyone. He was constantly hurting. He almost died. But he still fought. Lilac was his anchor. He gave him hope and strength. And Seraph kept fighting until he was successful to defy death. Seraph's backstory was also so heart breaking! There are a lot of mind-blowing twists and revelations waiting for you. I'm not gonna spoil it cause dude you NEED to read this series. Otherwise you would be missing out so much. Back to the point, I loved Seraph. He deserves the world. It was cute to see him slowly becoming the adopted son of all the monsters. Seraph's HEA was bittersweet and I loved it.
It may sound cliche and I'm well aware that I had said the same thing after reading "Moth".... however here I am, repeating it, "Seraph" is the best book of the series (and my favourite one) so far.
"I had been wrong before.
His green eyes weren’t dead. He shielded most of himself from others, didn’t let them see much, but when he looked at me, he showed me everything."
Lilac is the most interesting human mc Lily Mayne has ever written. He isn't innocent, neither does he have a sunshiny personality. Lilac is a grumpy man who hates socializing and prefers to be alone. He is a protector to the core. Killing comes easily to him. He kills poeple and monsters if the necessity arises. And he doesn't regret his violent actions. At the first glance, Lilac may appear to be little psychotic. But trust me, he is not. Once you get to know him, you would realise that Lilac is perfectly normal. He's just too reserved, too rational and only wants to be left in alone. He's too good at hiding his emotions behind the mask he wears. But Seraph...he brings out all kinds of emotions from this stone man. I loved how protective and caring Lilac was. He was so patient when it came to Seraph. He never treated him cruelly, didn't hold grudge against him even when he was hurt. I just love Lilac. I loved his patience, his loyalty and his unconditional love for Seraph. It wasn't easy by any means. Seraph wasn't any ordinary beasty. He looked too different, he couldn't talk for a very very long time. But Lilac never stopped hoping. He didn't give up even when Seraph did. He fought, he fought for both of them....
“I w-would do anything for you, Lie-lack,” he told me. “L-like you have done f-for me.”
I flushed, lifting my shoulder in an uncomfortable shrug. “I didn’t really do much.”
“You d-did everything,” he said.
And Seraph? Seraph needs to be protected at any cost.
I just wanna hug him. He was so precious. He suffered too much, he was wronged by everyone. He was constantly hurting. He almost died. But he still fought. Lilac was his anchor. He gave him hope and strength. And Seraph kept fighting until he was successful to defy death. Seraph's backstory was also so heart breaking! There are a lot of mind-blowing twists and revelations waiting for you. I'm not gonna spoil it cause dude you NEED to read this series. Otherwise you would be missing out so much. Back to the point, I loved Seraph. He deserves the world. It was cute to see him slowly becoming the adopted son of all the monsters. Seraph's HEA was bittersweet and I loved it.
"I hadn’t let death snatch me away, even though for as long as I could remember, I had yearned for it just so that the pain would stop.
I had stayed. For him."
November 12, 2022
A few years back, my daughter bought a T-shirt at a local mall. It was black with white, stark lettering, all in caps.
On the back, the letters read:
Not all humans are monsters
And on the front:
But all monsters are human
I can't think of a quote that better encapsulates the essence of this story.
While Seraph is the slowest-paced book of the Monstrous series thus far, it is perhaps the most profound.
When we find out what Seraph is, WHO he is, I was shocked but not surprised.
Seraph is a Christ-like figure: rejected, tortured, and left to die, only to rise again.
In the previous books, Lilac, the assassin, was a mystery. He's a stoic loner with dead eyes. But just like Seraph's true heart hides beneath his grotesque form and piercing screams, Lilac's hides behind a blank mask and nerves of steel.
Only Lilac sees beyond Seraph's shell. He touches Seraph, trusts him, feeds him, and, in turn, Seraph shows Lilac what it means to be vulnerable, what it means to feel, what it means to LOVE.
All the beastie/human pairs (minus Moth & Charlie, although they return toward the end) are reunited in this sixth series installment.
Gloam is careful and methodical. Aury is sweet and shy. Edin is brash and confident. And Wyn is ... Wyn (his softness shines through, no matter how much he tries to hide it).
This is a quiet, relationship-driven story, with a few intense moments. The plot isn't a grand, exciting adventure, and no new characters or storylines are introduced.
What it comes down to is this:
Lilac will kill for Seraph, and Seraph will do the same in return. Seraph just wants to be accepted. He wants to be with Lilac, Together Always.
On the back, the letters read:
Not all humans are monsters
And on the front:
But all monsters are human
I can't think of a quote that better encapsulates the essence of this story.
While Seraph is the slowest-paced book of the Monstrous series thus far, it is perhaps the most profound.
When we find out what Seraph is, WHO he is, I was shocked but not surprised.
Seraph is a Christ-like figure: rejected, tortured, and left to die, only to rise again.
In the previous books, Lilac, the assassin, was a mystery. He's a stoic loner with dead eyes. But just like Seraph's true heart hides beneath his grotesque form and piercing screams, Lilac's hides behind a blank mask and nerves of steel.
Only Lilac sees beyond Seraph's shell. He touches Seraph, trusts him, feeds him, and, in turn, Seraph shows Lilac what it means to be vulnerable, what it means to feel, what it means to LOVE.
All the beastie/human pairs (minus Moth & Charlie, although they return toward the end) are reunited in this sixth series installment.
Gloam is careful and methodical. Aury is sweet and shy. Edin is brash and confident. And Wyn is ... Wyn (his softness shines through, no matter how much he tries to hide it).
This is a quiet, relationship-driven story, with a few intense moments. The plot isn't a grand, exciting adventure, and no new characters or storylines are introduced.
What it comes down to is this:
Lilac will kill for Seraph, and Seraph will do the same in return. Seraph just wants to be accepted. He wants to be with Lilac, Together Always.
"I would do anything for you, Lie-lack," he told me. "Like you have done for me."
"I didn't really do much."
"You did everything," he said.
May 12, 2024
I think I’m getting to all the heartbreaking books in this series. I felt so bad for Seraph!! Especially where he came from like— oml 😭. But getting to read about Lilac saving him mended my heart back together. Because as much as Lilac is a secretive shadow he also has a soft side ☺️. He’s so sweet. They’re both so sweet. I can’t with all these sweet monsters. Speaking of witch, I loved how all the couples were crammed into this raider camp. It was nice getting them all together and it was funny ngl. Other things I liked were getting to learn about Rusty. I think her and Lilac's friendship was a nice touch. And seeing all the monsters eventually connect with Seraph. I’m so glad they're all happy now!
December 23, 2023
Micheal Lesley is KING!!!!
Omg his Seraph voice 😭
Loveddddd
...........................................................
4.5 stars
Who would have thought that Seraph, the Monstrous-est looking monster would be the cutest?
Not me that's for sure.
Why? A couple of examples:
Seraph calls Lilac: Lie-lack
Seraph says lee-tol instead of little.
How cute is that 🥲
This book was also, for me, the most wholsesome.
It is extremely character driven, all about Seraph and Lilac's relationship. How it evolved and how they bonded. It's about Seraph's origin and why he is the way he is. It's about all the beasties and how they are a family with their mates, Seraph and Lilac included.
Wyn in particular was a highlight of course.
We get to see Lilac and Seraph slowly falling for each other, pseudo-dating as much as the situation allows, be intimate and much much more. It was like watchimg a couple get married and have the white picket fence in the Wastes.
It is also about acceptance and tolerance: btween Lilac and Seraph, Seraph himself, Seraph and the beasties and all the camp with Seraph and the beasties as well.
Oh and don't forget the monster pipeage!! This one was most.... inspiring lol.
Omg his Seraph voice 😭
Loveddddd
...........................................................
4.5 stars
Who would have thought that Seraph, the Monstrous-est looking monster would be the cutest?
Not me that's for sure.
Why? A couple of examples:
Seraph calls Lilac: Lie-lack
Seraph says lee-tol instead of little.
How cute is that 🥲
This book was also, for me, the most wholsesome.
It is extremely character driven, all about Seraph and Lilac's relationship. How it evolved and how they bonded. It's about Seraph's origin and why he is the way he is. It's about all the beasties and how they are a family with their mates, Seraph and Lilac included.
Wyn in particular was a highlight of course.
We get to see Lilac and Seraph slowly falling for each other, pseudo-dating as much as the situation allows, be intimate and much much more. It was like watchimg a couple get married and have the white picket fence in the Wastes.
It is also about acceptance and tolerance: btween Lilac and Seraph, Seraph himself, Seraph and the beasties and all the camp with Seraph and the beasties as well.
Oh and don't forget the monster pipeage!! This one was most.... inspiring lol.
April 3, 2025
**Audio re-read review, two years later**
It's interesting, but on re-read I would have given this book 4 stars. I remember adoring it, but this book sandwiched between Moth and Lor, two of my ALL TIME favorite books, Seraph just felt more lacking. I also think that Michael Lesley KILLED this audiobook again (his narration is off-the-chains fantastic), but the voices for the characters weren't my favorite to listen to. Lilac is also just such a unique character. Kudos to Lily Mayne for really going there with him. I just don't think we got to know Seraph enough, mostly because this book is told 99% in just Lilac's POV. I'll leave up my original 5-star rating, but just know that this book is a 2025 4-star.
**see below for my original ebook review**
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
LOVE
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It's interesting, but on re-read I would have given this book 4 stars. I remember adoring it, but this book sandwiched between Moth and Lor, two of my ALL TIME favorite books, Seraph just felt more lacking. I also think that Michael Lesley KILLED this audiobook again (his narration is off-the-chains fantastic), but the voices for the characters weren't my favorite to listen to. Lilac is also just such a unique character. Kudos to Lily Mayne for really going there with him. I just don't think we got to know Seraph enough, mostly because this book is told 99% in just Lilac's POV. I'll leave up my original 5-star rating, but just know that this book is a 2025 4-star.
**see below for my original ebook review**
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
LOVE
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September 2, 2022
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***
Seraph is the sixth entry in the Monstrous series and is by far the most emotionally intense story out of the entire series. There are many poignant moments that are both heartbreaking and beautiful due to the strong bond developed between Lilac and Seraph.
Lilac and Seraph are two broken individuals in pain either physically or emotionally. I loved getting to understand Lilac more from his backstory and learning how he became such a brave, stoic warrior and those traits make him the best person in protecting and guarding Seraph.
Their bond initially begins due to Lilac's determination in helping Seraph while they try to understand how to make him better while stuck in his cage. Lilac and Seraph's dynamic is mostly nonverbal for the first half of the story and watching their interactions show so much depth through body language and specific movements was fascinating to see.
Lilac's instinctive desire to protect the vulnerable Seraph, only deepens their bond and as things develop, you learn more about both Seraph's and Lilac's history and their devotion to one another only grows from there.
Overall I was not prepared for the emotional avalanche that was this book. It took me to places I was not expecting, emotionally and I would say this the most emotionally impactful story due to the large obstacles Seraph and Lilac have to overcome to just be near one another.
The connection and trust that is build is so expertly done that I was so amazed at how much their relationship was built without uttering a single word. Every interaction had so many layers making for such a powerful love story that I could not get enough of.
The Monstrous series is unlike any other. Getting to know more about Lilac and the other raiders is always such a joy, and getting some unexpected guests is always a treat. Overall this is such a fabulous story that it always makes me sad knowing the story will end because this group of characters are such a beautiful family that they instantly warm your heart.
Cannot wait for the next one!!!! I will be waiting patiently for its arrival...
Seraph is the sixth entry in the Monstrous series and is by far the most emotionally intense story out of the entire series. There are many poignant moments that are both heartbreaking and beautiful due to the strong bond developed between Lilac and Seraph.
Lilac and Seraph are two broken individuals in pain either physically or emotionally. I loved getting to understand Lilac more from his backstory and learning how he became such a brave, stoic warrior and those traits make him the best person in protecting and guarding Seraph.
Their bond initially begins due to Lilac's determination in helping Seraph while they try to understand how to make him better while stuck in his cage. Lilac and Seraph's dynamic is mostly nonverbal for the first half of the story and watching their interactions show so much depth through body language and specific movements was fascinating to see.
Lilac's instinctive desire to protect the vulnerable Seraph, only deepens their bond and as things develop, you learn more about both Seraph's and Lilac's history and their devotion to one another only grows from there.
Overall I was not prepared for the emotional avalanche that was this book. It took me to places I was not expecting, emotionally and I would say this the most emotionally impactful story due to the large obstacles Seraph and Lilac have to overcome to just be near one another.
The connection and trust that is build is so expertly done that I was so amazed at how much their relationship was built without uttering a single word. Every interaction had so many layers making for such a powerful love story that I could not get enough of.
The Monstrous series is unlike any other. Getting to know more about Lilac and the other raiders is always such a joy, and getting some unexpected guests is always a treat. Overall this is such a fabulous story that it always makes me sad knowing the story will end because this group of characters are such a beautiful family that they instantly warm your heart.
Cannot wait for the next one!!!! I will be waiting patiently for its arrival...
May 14, 2023
5/5 ⭐ What a masterpiece!
I can claim without a doubt that Seraph is Lily Maine at her best . Gloam and Moth 🤍 were instalments where the action took precedence. The world building come to life from Lily's mind and we could see the magnificence of the Wastes like never before 🌺🌹: canibbal cults, beasties enslaved by humans who have evil monsters on payroll, the barbarities caused by the military at the cities 💀 and Mary's monsters menagerie 👿 amongst other things. Seraph, by contrast, gifts us an intimist love story where feelings become more prominent against action. Characters are more alive than ever and their feelings are the greatest in this series. Hence, my five stars 🌟
◾ Seraph 🖤 is the monster rescued from Mary's monsters menagerie by Rig and Gloam previously on this series. He suffers a lot of pain due to the drugs given by the militaries, but the supplies are running out and Seraph's survival is uncertain. Lilac 💜—machete boy—feels a special connection with him. Both are two broken souls by their past sufferings 💔🥀 and Lilac wants to be able to help Seraph along his recovery journey, in which inevitably they will fall in love❤️🩹
◾ Positives:
✔️ Seraph 🖤 The book has his name and he is the soul of it. His relationship with Lilac is a tremendous slow burn which is well driven by a skilled Lily Mayne ♥️ Step by step, Seraph recovers from his rabid being to his real one: the sweetest of the beasties 🧁
“His chest vibrated under my ear, readying to loose a rabid bellow as his trembling fingers gripped my scalp […] Then he opened his mouth wide, his crowded, sharp teeth glistening, and screamed in my face” 👻
“And then he said another word unprompted, rasping it into my neck as his fingers trailed down my throat. «L-Lie—lack»” 🖤
✔️ Lilac 💜 He is my favourite human being. Does it exist a person more selfless than him? I doubt it, maybe Rig 😚 He does everything for Seraph and everything is underestimate him because of every blood, sweat and tears that this man invests in supporting his beastie 🌺 🌹 He loves Seraph for who he is at present, instead of his past self.
“I thought of him as Seraph, anyway. Who he was now. The person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with” ♥️
“His body was like a work of art. So unique, unlike anything I’d ever seen before. I love every part of it. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone” ♥️
✔️ We know about the raider camp in depth 🐲🌹 The Rycke is the other book in this series in which we stay more time into the camp, but now we get to know more about raiders like Rusty 🏳️⚧️, Nun 🏳️🌈, and the goons' group in which Cutter was the dumbest alpha male 🤡 and now his position falls on Tank,what an annoying dude!
✔️ More doses of gory scenes 🩸 Lilac gifts us with lethal battles against monsters who threaten to harash Seraph 👻 Lilac makes use of his machete to cut them into shreds 😈 Such a badass! We also have a special encounter with Cutter from what I took all my pleasure, yass!
✔️ Sex scenes are the hottest in the series without doubt 🖤 The first time is pure fire, haha 🔥 That tongue should be forbidden, haha!
✔️ Wyn... my favourite grumpy monster 🖤 Thanks to him we have the parasites' comeback! Plus, I like his unexpected friendship with Lilac 🖤 Our grumpy Soul Eater is getting softer and softer due to our favourite human characters, haha.
✔️ Main couples are reunited ♥️ In lack of Moth and Charlie until the end, but we have all main couples living their love into the camp 🌺 🌹 Monster lovers, we are in luck!
Reading this book has been an amazing journey ♥️ My mental balance is crashing on the floor after this, I have no words. I only wish that Lor will be as memorable as Seraph has been to me 🤞🏼
«I w-would do anything for you, Lie-lack […] L-like you have done f-for me» […] «I didn’t really do much» […] «You d-did everything»🖤💍💜
◾ Negatives:
❌The book ends 🥀
Previously in the series:
◽ Soul Eater 3/5 ⭐[Review is coming]
◽ Edin 5/5 ⭐[Review is coming]
◽ The Rycke 5/5 ⭐
◽ Wyn 4/5 ⭐
◽ Gloam 4/5 ⭐
◽ Moth 5/5 ⭐
I can claim without a doubt that Seraph is Lily Maine at her best . Gloam and Moth 🤍 were instalments where the action took precedence. The world building come to life from Lily's mind and we could see the magnificence of the Wastes like never before 🌺🌹: canibbal cults, beasties enslaved by humans who have evil monsters on payroll, the barbarities caused by the military at the cities 💀 and Mary's monsters menagerie 👿 amongst other things. Seraph, by contrast, gifts us an intimist love story where feelings become more prominent against action. Characters are more alive than ever and their feelings are the greatest in this series. Hence, my five stars 🌟
◾ Seraph 🖤 is the monster rescued from Mary's monsters menagerie by Rig and Gloam previously on this series. He suffers a lot of pain due to the drugs given by the militaries, but the supplies are running out and Seraph's survival is uncertain. Lilac 💜—machete boy—feels a special connection with him. Both are two broken souls by their past sufferings 💔🥀 and Lilac wants to be able to help Seraph along his recovery journey, in which inevitably they will fall in love❤️🩹
◾ Positives:
✔️ Seraph 🖤 The book has his name and he is the soul of it. His relationship with Lilac is a tremendous slow burn which is well driven by a skilled Lily Mayne ♥️ Step by step, Seraph recovers from his rabid being to his real one: the sweetest of the beasties 🧁
“His chest vibrated under my ear, readying to loose a rabid bellow as his trembling fingers gripped my scalp […] Then he opened his mouth wide, his crowded, sharp teeth glistening, and screamed in my face” 👻
“And then he said another word unprompted, rasping it into my neck as his fingers trailed down my throat. «L-Lie—lack»” 🖤
✔️ Lilac 💜 He is my favourite human being. Does it exist a person more selfless than him? I doubt it, maybe Rig 😚 He does everything for Seraph and everything is underestimate him because of every blood, sweat and tears that this man invests in supporting his beastie 🌺 🌹 He loves Seraph for who he is at present, instead of his past self.
“I thought of him as Seraph, anyway. Who he was now. The person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with” ♥️
“His body was like a work of art. So unique, unlike anything I’d ever seen before. I love every part of it. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone” ♥️
✔️ We know about the raider camp in depth 🐲🌹 The Rycke is the other book in this series in which we stay more time into the camp, but now we get to know more about raiders like Rusty 🏳️⚧️, Nun 🏳️🌈, and the goons' group in which Cutter was the dumbest alpha male 🤡 and now his position falls on Tank,
✔️ More doses of gory scenes 🩸 Lilac gifts us with lethal battles against monsters who threaten to harash Seraph 👻 Lilac makes use of his machete to cut them into shreds 😈 Such a badass! We also have a special encounter with Cutter from what I took all my pleasure, yass!
✔️ Sex scenes are the hottest in the series without doubt 🖤 The first time is pure fire, haha 🔥 That tongue should be forbidden, haha!
✔️ Wyn... my favourite grumpy monster 🖤 Thanks to him we have the parasites' comeback! Plus, I like his unexpected friendship with Lilac 🖤 Our grumpy Soul Eater is getting softer and softer due to our favourite human characters, haha.
✔️ Main couples are reunited ♥️ In lack of Moth and Charlie until the end, but we have all main couples living their love into the camp 🌺 🌹 Monster lovers, we are in luck!
Reading this book has been an amazing journey ♥️ My mental balance is crashing on the floor after this, I have no words. I only wish that Lor will be as memorable as Seraph has been to me 🤞🏼
«I w-would do anything for you, Lie-lack […] L-like you have done f-for me» […] «I didn’t really do much» […] «You d-did everything»🖤💍💜
◾ Negatives:
❌The book ends 🥀
Previously in the series:
◽ Soul Eater 3/5 ⭐[Review is coming]
◽ Edin 5/5 ⭐[Review is coming]
◽ The Rycke 5/5 ⭐
◽ Wyn 4/5 ⭐
◽ Gloam 4/5 ⭐
◽ Moth 5/5 ⭐
August 1, 2025
4.5
Lily Mayne finally gave me the monster book I wanted. I’m talking like monster monster with a tongue reminiscent of venom’s 🤭. I was exalted, I was sanctified, I was risen.
Seraph was also deeply emotional and beautiful and I loved the relationship they have. A bond forged in pain and then solidified in healing. Lilac is so…he’s always been a fave and I love him even more now. Him and his machete have my heart and I love how he’s just down for killing no matter what. A man after my own heart 🔪 🩸
Y’all know how I complained that the author never quite went the distance with the sex but I have no complaints here. Seraph is a monster through and through and you never forget it. He’s also a gentle giant which is cute or whatever but like you know he’ll rip a bitch apart (I dig that).
Me when I see a flower now….
So amazing seeing the whole gang together (especially my Wyn 🥰) and I just love how they all came together for Seraph. I am so looking forward to their adventures as a group across the wastes. It’s gonna be epic. Overall, Seraph was a great read, surpassed my expectations, and I have no complaints about the monster fucking. I am content 😌.
Lily Mayne finally gave me the monster book I wanted. I’m talking like monster monster with a tongue reminiscent of venom’s 🤭. I was exalted, I was sanctified, I was risen.
Seraph was also deeply emotional and beautiful and I loved the relationship they have. A bond forged in pain and then solidified in healing. Lilac is so…he’s always been a fave and I love him even more now. Him and his machete have my heart and I love how he’s just down for killing no matter what. A man after my own heart 🔪 🩸
Y’all know how I complained that the author never quite went the distance with the sex but I have no complaints here. Seraph is a monster through and through and you never forget it. He’s also a gentle giant which is cute or whatever but like you know he’ll rip a bitch apart (I dig that).
Me when I see a flower now….
So amazing seeing the whole gang together (especially my Wyn 🥰) and I just love how they all came together for Seraph. I am so looking forward to their adventures as a group across the wastes. It’s gonna be epic. Overall, Seraph was a great read, surpassed my expectations, and I have no complaints about the monster fucking. I am content 😌.
May 31, 2023
I fall harder with every book for this series. All the stars!!!
Lily Mayne is amazingly talented author, while Seraph is the 6th book in the series (and I can’t recommend to read them as standalone) each book in the series are different and unique.
This was
- Low angst - or less actions
- Slow( ish) burn
- Emotional with two very sensitive and kind MCs
- Great turn over - character transformation
- Taming the beast
- Kind of kinky
- The main focus on the characters and the relationship development
And like the previous books
- Monster MC with unique anatomy
- Tentative steps and longing
- Found family
- More world building
- Hot
- Possessiveness
- Dystopian setting
- Epic main and side characters
- Surprise cameos
- Together forever and a bit more
- Best HEA with the promise of more of Seraph & Lilac
Lilac was so interesting well before he got his own story, I couldn’t wait to see his real self, because that was clear that what we saw about him was just the tiny part of the whole picture. I loved his personality and how turned his protectiveness from the camp to Seraph. I loved his loyalty and cold determination.
“I liked Seraph. Who he was now. I liked his little beastly sounds—the chuff he let out when he saw me, his snarly sighs of pleasure when he ate or settled under his blankets. His wheezy, snorting laugh. I liked his grotesque smile. I liked his scent and the textured feel of his tough skin. I liked all his eyes, so expressive and interesting to look into. His rangy body and long fingers and wide mouth.”
Seraph is quickly became one of my top favorite monsters. He needs to be protected from everyone 😃 he is the sweetest MC ever, and it’s not surprising that everyone wants him to be safe and happy.
“HE’S WATCHING ME AGAIN THE ONE WITH THE DEAD GREEN EYES HE NEVER SPEAKS I NEED HELP PLEASE”
“I had been wrong before. His green eyes weren’t dead. He shielded most of himself from others, didn’t let them see much, but when he looked at me, he showed me everything.”
The first part of the book was full of uncertainty and I had no idea where the story will take me. And I was tricked so hard by the Author that’s not even funny with one of Lilac’s scene. OMG I felt so rookie 😂 I hope you all will be fooled too. I can’t wait your comments about it😄
The second part was where all the emotions could flower and it was beautiful and very satisfying, in every way.
Lily Mayne is amazingly talented author, while Seraph is the 6th book in the series (and I can’t recommend to read them as standalone) each book in the series are different and unique.
This was
- Low angst - or less actions
- Slow( ish) burn
- Emotional with two very sensitive and kind MCs
- Great turn over - character transformation
- Taming the beast
- Kind of kinky
- The main focus on the characters and the relationship development
And like the previous books
- Monster MC with unique anatomy
- Tentative steps and longing
- Found family
- More world building
- Hot
- Possessiveness
- Dystopian setting
- Epic main and side characters
- Surprise cameos
- Together forever and a bit more
- Best HEA with the promise of more of Seraph & Lilac
Lilac was so interesting well before he got his own story, I couldn’t wait to see his real self, because that was clear that what we saw about him was just the tiny part of the whole picture. I loved his personality and how turned his protectiveness from the camp to Seraph. I loved his loyalty and cold determination.
“I liked Seraph. Who he was now. I liked his little beastly sounds—the chuff he let out when he saw me, his snarly sighs of pleasure when he ate or settled under his blankets. His wheezy, snorting laugh. I liked his grotesque smile. I liked his scent and the textured feel of his tough skin. I liked all his eyes, so expressive and interesting to look into. His rangy body and long fingers and wide mouth.”
Seraph is quickly became one of my top favorite monsters. He needs to be protected from everyone 😃 he is the sweetest MC ever, and it’s not surprising that everyone wants him to be safe and happy.
“HE’S WATCHING ME AGAIN THE ONE WITH THE DEAD GREEN EYES HE NEVER SPEAKS I NEED HELP PLEASE”
“I had been wrong before. His green eyes weren’t dead. He shielded most of himself from others, didn’t let them see much, but when he looked at me, he showed me everything.”
The first part of the book was full of uncertainty and I had no idea where the story will take me. And I was tricked so hard by the Author that’s not even funny with one of Lilac’s scene. OMG I felt so rookie 😂 I hope you all will be fooled too. I can’t wait your comments about it😄
The second part was where all the emotions could flower and it was beautiful and very satisfying, in every way.
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August 6, 2023
I found myself smiling at him a few times when he made that sound. At first he'd cocked his head like it confused him, because realistically, when was the last time anyone had actually smiled at him? But the last time I had done it while popping a pecan into my mouth, he had snorted and hesitantly stretched his already wide mouth even wider, baring all his sharp teeth at me in a monstrous version of a grin.
✧ Seraph must be protected at all costs!! his backstory was so heartbreaking and the way i was so happy when Lilac was all Seraph > everyone else, bc Seraph needed someone who would always put him first and give him the care and love he deserves. <3
✧ THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES. i loved seeing all the couples and their interactions with one another (whether it's human to human, human to monster or monster to monster). the way all the monsters basically adopted Seraph in a way? i LOVED that. as always, Wyn stole the show whenever he was on page. the way he literally hates everyone but Danny lmao, i love his snarky comments sm.
✧ i'm so glad .
✧ could the romance have been developed better? probably. they don't have my favorite development (still goes to Charlie and Moth 😩), but was i invested in their dynamic regardless? hell yes. i just wished we could have had more of Seraph's pov bc i wanted to know what he was thinking during certain moments too. the lil bits we got of his pov had me sobbing, but i wanted more.
✧ the first time Seraph spoke!! 🥺
✧ when Seraph saw what he looked like in the mirror? yeah, that scene broke me. 😭
some of my favorite Wyn (and WynDanny) moments bc again, he always steals the show.
✧ Seraph must be protected at all costs!! his backstory was so heartbreaking and the way i was so happy when Lilac was all Seraph > everyone else, bc Seraph needed someone who would always put him first and give him the care and love he deserves. <3
✧ THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES. i loved seeing all the couples and their interactions with one another (whether it's human to human, human to monster or monster to monster). the way all the monsters basically adopted Seraph in a way? i LOVED that. as always, Wyn stole the show whenever he was on page. the way he literally hates everyone but Danny lmao, i love his snarky comments sm.
✧ i'm so glad .
✧ could the romance have been developed better? probably. they don't have my favorite development (still goes to Charlie and Moth 😩), but was i invested in their dynamic regardless? hell yes. i just wished we could have had more of Seraph's pov bc i wanted to know what he was thinking during certain moments too. the lil bits we got of his pov had me sobbing, but i wanted more.
✧ the first time Seraph spoke!! 🥺
✧ when Seraph saw what he looked like in the mirror? yeah, that scene broke me. 😭
some of my favorite Wyn (and WynDanny) moments bc again, he always steals the show.
June 10, 2023
✰ 5++ stars ✰
this is my favorite book in the series. this is my favorite couple in the series. lilac and seraph are my favorite characters in this series. everything about this book is my absolute favorite . charliemoth were unbeatable in my eyes, i thought nothing could match up to them let alone beat them. but here i am 😃 how does lily mayne do it? i am truly beside myself with how emotional this book made me. i would sell my soul for seraph/lilac because i love them that much.
✦ we know all these monsters in this series are full on touch my human and die , but this book? oh this is touch my monster and die. someone gives seraph a dirty look? someone says something rude to seraph? or someone even lifts a finger towards seraph? lilac will have his machete ready. he does not care who it is, he will end them.
✦ this book has a very sombre feel. seraph's backstory crushed me, i got teary eyed multiple times. in my protect them at all costs squad, seraph is number one. i don't want to say what happened to seraph due to spoilers but because of it, seraph is basically feral and has to be kept in a cage because he is out of control and is in very severe pain. and when people observe him, they can tell something is very very wrong 💔 but lilac was the one person who could soothe him. they have such a special bond and it was one of the most precious things i've read.
✦ lilac is like a silent assassin. he doesn't say much to anyone and he do not trust easily. most people are scared of him and try to stay away from him if they can. he's not afraid of killing monsters or humans. but really, he was so so soft on the inside, especially for seraph. lilac never wanted something deeper than surface level with someone, he'd prefer to keep to himself but that changes once he meets seraph.
✦ this book is the perfect slow burn just like Moth was and seraph doesn't know english. even though there is a language barrier there, you could still feel their relationship transforming into something more and how their love was portrayed through nonverbal communication 🥺 and when seraph does start learning english? it was the cutest goddamn thing ever.
i literally wept my heart out at these quotes 💔
✦ it isn's all sad vibes throughout this story, once you get past finding out everything about seraph, the romantic, happy, and sexy times come in. some more interesting monster 🍆 and seraph's tongue....👀 that's all i'm going to say about that. overall, i loved seraph's character development and how his and lilac’s relationship progressed at the perfect pace.
✦ wyn taking a liking to seraph. how wyn was protective over him and wyn doesn't really get along with a lot of people...so seeing their lil friendship was so cute.
✦ anyway, this book was perfect in my eyes and turned out to be even better than i expected. seraph and lilac's story will be one i'll always come back to in the future (along with charliemoth).
⚡️ my fav/memorable moments (spoilers..) ⚡️
✦ when nun shot seraph in the shoulder, when he said "H-hurts a lee-tol, but not much" 😭😭😭😭 i just about jumped into the book and beat her up myself. i was so mad. but the way lilac was ready to kill her? he was friends with her too and liked her but nope, that did not matter to lilac because someone hurt his monster.
✦ when seraph started doing woodwork and sanding and he made the bowls for the pecans so him and lilac could share? pls i cried so hard you have no idea
✦ seraph calling wyn "smoke man" behind his back HAHAHAHAH
✦ kerr-ot, lie-lack, gloh-wem, and aaau-ree? yall don't even get me started i will start crying again.
✦ "Y-you have m-made me feel like I d-deserve to leave the cage. You have g-given me the r-reason to want to get better.” 😭💔😭💔
⚡️ spoilers end ⚡️
my rankings so far (in order)
couples: lilac/seraph, charlie/moth, danny/wyn, ghost/aury, rig/gloam, hunter/edin
monsters: seraph, aury, wyn, moth, gloam, edin
humans: lilac, charlie, danny, rig, ghost, hunter
Monstrous series
Book 1 - Soul Eater - 5 stars
Book 2 - Edin - 3 stars
Book 3 - The Rycke - 4 stars
Book 3.5 - Wyn - 5 stars
Book 4 - Gloam - 3.5 stars
Book 5 - Moth - 5 stars
Book 6 - Seraph - 5++ stars
Book 6.5 - A Monstrous Christmas in the Camp - 4 stars
Book 7 - Lor - tbr
Book 7.5 - A Collection of Monstrous Short Stories - tbr
Book 8 - Lyri - tbr
this is my favorite book in the series. this is my favorite couple in the series. lilac and seraph are my favorite characters in this series. everything about this book is my absolute favorite . charliemoth were unbeatable in my eyes, i thought nothing could match up to them let alone beat them. but here i am 😃 how does lily mayne do it? i am truly beside myself with how emotional this book made me. i would sell my soul for seraph/lilac because i love them that much.
❝I will never let anyone hurt you again,❞ I told him, my voice hoarse. ❝I’ll kill anyone who tries. Anyone.❞
✦ we know all these monsters in this series are full on touch my human and die , but this book? oh this is touch my monster and die. someone gives seraph a dirty look? someone says something rude to seraph? or someone even lifts a finger towards seraph? lilac will have his machete ready. he does not care who it is, he will end them.
✦ this book has a very sombre feel. seraph's backstory crushed me, i got teary eyed multiple times. in my protect them at all costs squad, seraph is number one. i don't want to say what happened to seraph due to spoilers but because of it, seraph is basically feral and has to be kept in a cage because he is out of control and is in very severe pain. and when people observe him, they can tell something is very very wrong 💔 but lilac was the one person who could soothe him. they have such a special bond and it was one of the most precious things i've read.
❝You are his salvation, Lilac the human. If anyone can get him out of that cage for good, it will be you.❞
✦ lilac is like a silent assassin. he doesn't say much to anyone and he do not trust easily. most people are scared of him and try to stay away from him if they can. he's not afraid of killing monsters or humans. but really, he was so so soft on the inside, especially for seraph. lilac never wanted something deeper than surface level with someone, he'd prefer to keep to himself but that changes once he meets seraph.
✦ this book is the perfect slow burn just like Moth was and seraph doesn't know english. even though there is a language barrier there, you could still feel their relationship transforming into something more and how their love was portrayed through nonverbal communication 🥺 and when seraph does start learning english? it was the cutest goddamn thing ever.
❝Lie-lack,❞ he rasped, then said a few more words before growling in frustration. He snorted, eyes tightening with concentration, before he hesitantly grated, ❝Lie-lack… mine. Seraph tel. Y-yours. Seraph yours.❞
❝He said he hates being apart from you too,❞ he told me gruffly, seeming almost embarrassed to be sharing such an intimate moment with us. It was pretty surreal. ❝He said he wishes he could speak back to you and have you understand him, and he is trying, but please be patient with him. He said you are the only one he wants to speak to. Be near. He said…❞ Wyn cleared his throat awkwardly. ❝He said you make him feel like a person again, not just a thing.❞
i literally wept my heart out at these quotes 💔
✦ it isn's all sad vibes throughout this story, once you get past finding out everything about seraph, the romantic, happy, and sexy times come in. some more interesting monster 🍆 and seraph's tongue....👀 that's all i'm going to say about that. overall, i loved seraph's character development and how his and lilac’s relationship progressed at the perfect pace.
✦ wyn taking a liking to seraph. how wyn was protective over him and wyn doesn't really get along with a lot of people...so seeing their lil friendship was so cute.
✦ anyway, this book was perfect in my eyes and turned out to be even better than i expected. seraph and lilac's story will be one i'll always come back to in the future (along with charliemoth).
❝Good fighter. Lie-lack protect Seraph.❞ My throat bobbed, and I raised his hand to my mouth to kiss his knuckles. ❝Yes. I’ll always protect you, Seraph.❞ He leaned back to look at me intently. ❝I protect you too, Lie-lack.❞
⚡️ my fav/memorable moments (spoilers..) ⚡️
✦ when nun shot seraph in the shoulder, when he said "H-hurts a lee-tol, but not much" 😭😭😭😭 i just about jumped into the book and beat her up myself. i was so mad. but the way lilac was ready to kill her? he was friends with her too and liked her but nope, that did not matter to lilac because someone hurt his monster.
✦ when seraph started doing woodwork and sanding and he made the bowls for the pecans so him and lilac could share? pls i cried so hard you have no idea
✦ seraph calling wyn "smoke man" behind his back HAHAHAHAH
✦ kerr-ot, lie-lack, gloh-wem, and aaau-ree? yall don't even get me started i will start crying again.
✦ "Y-you have m-made me feel like I d-deserve to leave the cage. You have g-given me the r-reason to want to get better.” 😭💔😭💔
⚡️ spoilers end ⚡️
my rankings so far (in order)
couples: lilac/seraph, charlie/moth, danny/wyn, ghost/aury, rig/gloam, hunter/edin
monsters: seraph, aury, wyn, moth, gloam, edin
humans: lilac, charlie, danny, rig, ghost, hunter
Monstrous series
Book 1 - Soul Eater - 5 stars
Book 2 - Edin - 3 stars
Book 3 - The Rycke - 4 stars
Book 3.5 - Wyn - 5 stars
Book 4 - Gloam - 3.5 stars
Book 5 - Moth - 5 stars
Book 6 - Seraph - 5++ stars
Book 6.5 - A Monstrous Christmas in the Camp - 4 stars
Book 7 - Lor - tbr
Book 7.5 - A Collection of Monstrous Short Stories - tbr
Book 8 - Lyri - tbr
September 9, 2022
“I want him to know I was there at the end.”
You guys have NO IDEA how many hours I kept refreshing my KU since morning 😭😂😭😂😂 I swear my timezone freaking SUCKS but whatever, it’s here!! 💜💜💜
It has always so hard for me to pick up a book more than 400 pages, but Lily Mayne has been making it easier since the Debut. One of my fave author too! and fucking finally, I got to have Seraph story after god knows how long! 😩 First of all, I just wanna say, this series has been the easiest five star for me ever since the debut, so I love pretty much everything about it even before it was released 😂, and this is going to be pretty long from usual, coz I am excited! ;)
Ever since Seraph was caged (in previous book) and kept alone in front of their base, I have been looking forward to his story. Damn, I love him already. It’s hard not to love these monsters. Especially when he was hurting the whole time. Gahdamn, give me a flawed supernatural MC and i’ll die immediately.
I love Lilac. I loved how his character was really described without so much of telling in purpose. His personality and behaviour described everything about him. He’s strong and solid and so so independent. Refuse to get anyone’s help and always wanted to be the best. It wasn’t even explained, but the way his character was portrayed, Lilac is a great MC in his own way. He mostly didn’t care about things or always feel unbothered, but then Seraph came into his life and the vulnerability in him starts to grow. Everything was portrayed really well. His character speaks volume and I feel close to him.
Seraph, oh boy 🥺🥺🥺 every single time I think about him, I cried. I cried so much. Poor, poor guy 😭😭😭 He didn’t deserve what happened and I FEEL SO SAD FOR HIM. I’ve never feel so sad for these monster. I mean, I cried for them in every book, but I thought Moth was the saddest. NO! Seraph is 😭😭 Seraph’s character development after what happened was the best. He’s a charmer and protector of Lilac. He’s also super adorable and likes to make corny ass jokes 🤣 What a lucky day, I got a possessive and funny MC today ;) He also pronounces Little as Lee-tol and fuck I was giggling. That was just the most adorable thing EVER. I was questioning his behaviour because compared to others, he was quite unpredictable, but yeah, he was nothing but sweet and adorbs, love him! ❤️
“In a sense, he is a marvel.”
Yes, Seraph is a Marvel 💜
I love the journey of Lilac and Seraph. I think it was the cutest journey amongst all. But that’s just what I said for every book in this series . It was a different specialty and I love them all. The way Lilac was so caring about Seraph comes naturally. It wasn’t forced or insta. It was so realistic on how a human being would connect with a strange unknown supernatural. Their little amount of conversations between them were so fitting and the subtle moments they shared were just believable and perfect. It fits so much so to the pace to the story and It. Was. Perfection.
I loved all of those humorous and cute moments they share when they finally become closer. The barrier and precautions they have to take didn’t stop them from be together, they’re just sweethearts. I couldn’t stop blushing agagagagaga 😭❤️
Seraph’s book was quite different as it revolved mostly around the camp based area and not so much of a journey compared to the others story. However, there were still actions and angsty moment that was icing on the cake to the whole story. I like the uniqueness of this story, despite being little coverage of a plot, the depth from previous story that bring forward into this one and the details were told so in depth.
I like the waiting in this one. As this is a long book, the first half was mostly about them figuring out Seraph. Some people would say, it’s too slow, but I liked it so much. The waiting was what makes the story moves perfectly. It never felt stucked and I always find it amusing of how I couldn’t stop reading them. Always manage to keep me on my toes every second. Or maybe I’m addicted to Lily’s writing. Hahaha isn’t that obvious by now ? :P
Like I said just now, the way they care about each other comes naturally and right after what have happened, I was questioning why would it feel easy compared to what I was expecting, but the reasoning made a lot of sense and the way they connect was so subtle and intense even Lilac noticed.
“It had been turbulent and at times violent, but we had built up an intense bond without me even really noticing.”
And of course the other monsters and their mates appearance always made it so much better! It’s like a family reunion 🥺🥺 And this one was the best because the family is growing now. I also love how their personalities never changed. I have to talk about it!!!
Wyn is still bitchy and smuggy, but funnier in this one. I think he’s adapting his humour with humans now 😂😂 Gloam’s appearance is TOP TIER in this one. Can you believe it we can see Gloam all the time in this!! Everything he did for Lilac, even though Lilac never asked for help, and what he did for Seraph. He’s just adorable how can I forgot about him 🥺 Edin is still smuggy as always and adorable with his Josdo, Hunter 🥰 Aury is still soo caring about people and of course, protective af. And then Moth, not so much of appearance until the end, but still showed how much he hasn’t change. Still a scaredy-cat and shy 🥹 Rig’s friendship with Lilac was soo adorbs too!! It’s giving “Wherever you go, I go.” 😭❤️
Now i’m going to share some favourite details.
MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS. GO AWAY NOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO READ THIS BOOK ;)
Cute favourite details:
⁃ Them eating together every night in silence 🥺💜
⁃ Seraph first time gripping his wrist gently 🥹
⁃ Lilac listens to his life seed by his sternum 🥺
⁃ Seraph wants to share EATING PECANS with Lilac😭😭😭😭😭
⁃ Seraph picking pecan to choose which one he would eat!!! SO CUTEEE 😭😍😭😍
⁃ Seraph’s possessiveness 🤪
⁃ Lilac teaches him ENGLISH 😭😭😭😩😩😩😩🤌🏻
⁃ Seraph likes to share food with Lilac😭😭😍😍😍
⁃ “Lie-lack… mine. Seraph tel. Y-yours. Seraph yours.” FUUUCK THATS SO CUTE😭😭😭
⁃ “Seraph Lie-lack kiritil reeagna.” 🥺❤️🥺
⁃ He made a pecan bowl for him!!!! TO SHARE together 😭😭😭😭😭
May 4, 2023
No fue mi taza de té.
1.5 en realidad
La historia empieza bien. Desde que inicia ya se sabe sobre cuál tropo va y la verdad a mí me gusta y me interesa siempre ver cómo se manejará una relación entre una bestia enjaulada y un ser humano que empieza a empatizar y entenderse con el monstruo.
En todo caso, más pronto que tarde me empiezo a cuestionar muchas cosas y también me empiezan a fastidiar muchas actitudes del personaje principal. Hasta que llega al punto en el que me canso de él y en eso se basa más mi calificación.
Resumen:
𓂏 Me cuestiono muchas cosas de la relación de ellos (no en el plano romántico sino en el sexual y físico). Se hace evidente que no soporté las descripciones y la imaginación de la autora esta vez.
𓂏 Luego, un prota súper agresivo, impulsivo y huraño con todo el mundo al que quería darle patadas. Que luego, sí, sé que es asesino pero al menos tienes que serlo con razones justificadas, no estoy para personajes de moral cuestionable porque me jode mucho la experiencia y más sino eres de mi agrado.
𓂏 Lo poco que me ha gustado y la razón de que no le clave una estrella es porque al menos hay varios cameos y todas las otras parejas de los demás libros están aquí y sus interacciones me dieron vida. Aún así, para mí es el peor de la saga, sobrepasando a Edin y todo por culpa de Lilac. Lo siento. A excepción de Seraph, que es como una mascota a la que quieres mucho.
1.5 en realidad
La historia empieza bien. Desde que inicia ya se sabe sobre cuál tropo va y la verdad a mí me gusta y me interesa siempre ver cómo se manejará una relación entre una bestia enjaulada y un ser humano que empieza a empatizar y entenderse con el monstruo.
En todo caso, más pronto que tarde me empiezo a cuestionar muchas cosas y también me empiezan a fastidiar muchas actitudes del personaje principal. Hasta que llega al punto en el que me canso de él y en eso se basa más mi calificación.
Resumen:
𓂏 Me cuestiono muchas cosas de la relación de ellos (no en el plano romántico sino en el sexual y físico). Se hace evidente que no soporté las descripciones y la imaginación de la autora esta vez.
𓂏 Luego, un prota súper agresivo, impulsivo y huraño con todo el mundo al que quería darle patadas. Que luego, sí, sé que es asesino pero al menos tienes que serlo con razones justificadas, no estoy para personajes de moral cuestionable porque me jode mucho la experiencia y más sino eres de mi agrado.
𓂏 Lo poco que me ha gustado y la razón de que no le clave una estrella es porque al menos hay varios cameos y todas las otras parejas de los demás libros están aquí y sus interacciones me dieron vida. Aún así, para mí es el peor de la saga, sobrepasando a Edin y todo por culpa de Lilac. Lo siento. A excepción de Seraph, que es como una mascota a la que quieres mucho.
September 13, 2022
A book that makes me cry twice already deserves 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really love this book series created by Lily mayne! All the books are wonderful 💕
Serafim was a touching book, I cried with Lilac for Serafim. Serafim is one of the monsters with saddest history, everything that happened to him was very sad 😔
🚫Contains spoilers 🚫
I think Serafim has one of the saddest stories because he was human and put on a bizarre experiment without his permission.
From the beginning, when Serafim appeared, I already imagined that he had been human and that it was the damned military who turned him into a strange creature. For me it was no surprise, it was my guess from the beginning.
I had that part of my theory confirmed! But knowing how it all happened was painful, knowing serafim's suffering made my eyes leak 😭
I did not expect to feel so connected in Serafim and Lilac, unlike other readers, I was not too excited about this book, it ended up becoming one of my favorites of this saga!
Loved the moments of interaction of wyn and the others, all the monsters were wonderful in this book! Witnessing all gathered was very special. Looking forward to their moment going to the other world. It will be amazing!! ❤
It was a pleasure to read Serafim.
Serafim speaking the name of the characters was the cuteest thing, the way he said is cute. Now I just call Lilac lie-lack 🥺😘🥰
I really love this book series created by Lily mayne! All the books are wonderful 💕
Serafim was a touching book, I cried with Lilac for Serafim. Serafim is one of the monsters with saddest history, everything that happened to him was very sad 😔
🚫Contains spoilers 🚫
I think Serafim has one of the saddest stories because he was human and put on a bizarre experiment without his permission.
From the beginning, when Serafim appeared, I already imagined that he had been human and that it was the damned military who turned him into a strange creature. For me it was no surprise, it was my guess from the beginning.
I had that part of my theory confirmed! But knowing how it all happened was painful, knowing serafim's suffering made my eyes leak 😭
I did not expect to feel so connected in Serafim and Lilac, unlike other readers, I was not too excited about this book, it ended up becoming one of my favorites of this saga!
Loved the moments of interaction of wyn and the others, all the monsters were wonderful in this book! Witnessing all gathered was very special. Looking forward to their moment going to the other world. It will be amazing!! ❤
It was a pleasure to read Serafim.
Serafim speaking the name of the characters was the cuteest thing, the way he said is cute. Now I just call Lilac lie-lack 🥺😘🥰
December 22, 2024
Lilac and Seraph 🫶🏻
Favourite couples <3
🥇Moth & Charlie
🥈Aury & Ghost
🥉Wyn & Danny
Seraph and Lilac
Edin & Hunter
Gloam & Rig
Favourite monster <3
🥇Aury 🥹
🥈Seraph
🥉Moth
Wyn
Edin
Gloam
Favourite humans <3
🥇Charlie & Danny
Ghost
Lilac
Rig
Hunter
Favourite couples <3
🥇Moth & Charlie
🥈Aury & Ghost
🥉Wyn & Danny
Seraph and Lilac
Edin & Hunter
Gloam & Rig
Favourite monster <3
🥇Aury 🥹
🥈Seraph
🥉Moth
Wyn
Edin
Gloam
Favourite humans <3
🥇Charlie & Danny
Ghost
Lilac
Rig
Hunter
September 11, 2022
❝come on, my sweet. let’s go reminisce about how i extended your life for several millennia. such a selfless act that surely deserves a reward.❞
❝selfless, my ass,❞ i heard danny mutter as they walked off.
wyn. is. the. best. monster. in. this. series. period. 👏✨
the plethora of wyndanny cameos in seraph brought me the maximum amount of joy. for that, i thank lily mayne.
she obviously gave
❝… um, hi seraph. i’m danny. tiny smoke man’s husband,❞ he added with a teasing smirk.
that said, what about my feelings on lilac and seraph? well … they were nice. however, i couldn't help but feel as though their story could have been so much more.
this is the one book where i think the main pov should have been from the beasties perspective. seraph had the much more heartbreaking and intriguing story. i wanted more from him. i wanted to know his thoughts, his feelings, and the general inner workings of his mind.
i also can't help but feel like the romance was a bit … random? or more like, it need some extra development? idk, i feel like a bulk of this romance developed via lilac and seraph staring at each other. which … yeah ...
also, while i enjoyed lilac's character i wanted a bit more from him? or, gah … okay. look. i liked his character. i like how he was unabashedly stabby and murdery. however, the entire time i read seraph i couldn't help but feel as though i didn't know him? or more like, his one track mindset grated at certain points.
so, yeah … the main emotion this book drew from me was a feeling of more. i wanted a bit more from seraphlilac. that said, i am coming to adore this series and the characters are starting to feel like family.
oh and as i mentioned above, i flat-out adored all of the tiny smoke man content. wyn is my favorite beastie in this series and his cameos had me grinning from ear to ear.
all in all, i can't wait to see what lily has in-store for us.
October 3, 2022
"I hadn't let death snatch me away, even though for long as I could remember, I had yearned for it just so that the pain would stop. I had stayed. For him."
Sooo much love for Seraph and Lilac, oh my goodness!❣️
Seraph is book 6 in Lily Mayne's Monstrous series and this is Seraph and Lilac's story. It is angsty, and heart-wrenching and confronting and totally perfect.
This instalment is much more character-focused than the previous 5 books, in that the story IS Seraph and Lilac, essentially their relationship and Seraph's burgeoning relationships with the other monsters in the camp. We get to see Moth and Charlie again (briefly) and Wyn and Danny make a very welcome visit (not so welcome in the minds of some of the raiders!) to see Edin and Hunter, and of course Aury and Ghost and Gloam and Rig are camp fixtures.
Do make sure you read the author's notes and warnings because there is some content that may affect some readers.
That said, Seraph and Lilac do eventually get their (very hard won) HEA, which makes the whole tumultuous journey worth every single tear 🥲.
Highly recommended.
5 angsty stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sooo much love for Seraph and Lilac, oh my goodness!❣️
Seraph is book 6 in Lily Mayne's Monstrous series and this is Seraph and Lilac's story. It is angsty, and heart-wrenching and confronting and totally perfect.
This instalment is much more character-focused than the previous 5 books, in that the story IS Seraph and Lilac, essentially their relationship and Seraph's burgeoning relationships with the other monsters in the camp. We get to see Moth and Charlie again (briefly) and Wyn and Danny make a very welcome visit (not so welcome in the minds of some of the raiders!) to see Edin and Hunter, and of course Aury and Ghost and Gloam and Rig are camp fixtures.
Do make sure you read the author's notes and warnings because there is some content that may affect some readers.
That said, Seraph and Lilac do eventually get their (very hard won) HEA, which makes the whole tumultuous journey worth every single tear 🥲.
Highly recommended.
5 angsty stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 30, 2022
I received an early copy of this book, but a review was not required. I'm leaving it anyways because holy fuck...it's amazing and deserves every accolade I can give it.
I, and the rest of Lily Mayne's fans, were wondering how on Earth she was going to take the savage, tortured, caged Seraph and turn him into a romance hero. How was she going to build a story around a character who can't communicate? How was she going to take a multi-eyed, sharp-fanged creature and soften him just enough that we could believe he might fall in love?
Well, I don't tell you how she did it, but she motherfucking did it. SHE DID IT!
This book is spectacular. It's long. It's incredible. It's packed full of emotion and heart. There were real tears shed during the reading. Lily just keeps topping herself with these intense, heartfelt stories of romance between creature and human.
Also, weird peen. Yay.
I, and the rest of Lily Mayne's fans, were wondering how on Earth she was going to take the savage, tortured, caged Seraph and turn him into a romance hero. How was she going to build a story around a character who can't communicate? How was she going to take a multi-eyed, sharp-fanged creature and soften him just enough that we could believe he might fall in love?
Well, I don't tell you how she did it, but she motherfucking did it. SHE DID IT!
This book is spectacular. It's long. It's incredible. It's packed full of emotion and heart. There were real tears shed during the reading. Lily just keeps topping herself with these intense, heartfelt stories of romance between creature and human.
Also, weird peen. Yay.
September 11, 2022
I really really wanted to love this one.
Unfortunately, as the book continued on I found myself slowly coming to enjoy it less and less.
The first half or so of the book I had a good time with. The different stages of Seraph's condition are enough to keep the story going and have the interactions be varied. Every small bit of progress between the two feels very rewarding.
However, once communication improves I kind of just lost my investment in them. As others have said, there isn't really much in terms of exciting plot in this book the way there is in the other installments. The story is basically just Seraph getting better and him and Lilac falling in love. that would be fine, if I found the characters to be incredibly compelling, but I just... didn't. Once we get to know Seraph better he feels like just a guy. A guy that has some quirks (both physical and personality-wise) as a result of his trauma, but still just a guy. I did like him, but it felt like the story didn't give him enough time or space to develop his personality.
All the hobbies and the more strong aspects of his personality just felt too similar to Lilac's. He didn't really have anything for himself. Oh, he's incredibly protective of his lover? He is willing to kill readily? He likes working with wood? Those may sound like only a few things, but I didn't feel like we were given much more than that. The other couples in this series all feel quite distinct from their partners. They balance each others traits in a way that often works well. Here, it just didn't hit for me.
Then there's Lilac, who I grew to actively dislike by the end of the book to the point that I was rolling my eyes as I was reading the last few chapters. The way he acted at the camp meeting and after annoyed me to the extreme.
It frustrated me when the monster couples all got so incredibly angry with the camp members who were resentful and pissed over the fact that they were not told about Seraph being let out of his cage. I'm not endorsing the hateful speech Tank was spewing. At all. I hate his character and am not upset he perishes. However, I do think that some of his frustrations regarding Seraph were justified.
As far as we are told by the book, the only thing the camp knows is that Seraph is 'better' as told by word of mouth. They seem to understand his backstory, but don't appear to have been told his current condition. They don't seem to know that he has started speaking. I'm not sure if they are even told what level of sentience he has. They are just vaguely told he is 'better'. The only thing this is supported by for them is the fact that he has stopped constantly screaming. And then he is suddenly, with literally no warning, spotted outside of his cage. I would be frustrated too if I was part of that camp. If it was shown that there was more communication about Seraph's developing status to the camp as a whole then it would truly feel like Tank didn't have a leg to stand on. However, there is not.
Also, I have mixed feelings on the fact that they do not take a new vote on whether the monsters are allowed to stay. Do I think that the monsters should have been kicked out? No, absolutely not. However, according to the text there were enough raiders to call for a new vote. It's established by the camp that the rules would then proceed with that vote. Then Anchor vetoes this, stating that it's already been voted on. I don't know if that holds up for me. It feels very wishy washy, one of those instances of: we'll follow the rules if it's convenient for me. Now, technically this is her and Cat's camp. But I don't think it's established that she has this veto power (that it is part of established rules of the camp), so it feels a bit... uncomfortable.
Tank even admits that many of the monsters in the camp are fine, and calls for a vote just in terms of Lilac and Seraph. This makes sense to me considering Lilac did just threaten to kill anyone who even says one mean word about his boyfriend (this is when I started rolling my eyes) and they feel betrayed by the fact that Seraph was let out of his cage without warning. This is again, just shot down. I feel like they could have brought them out one by one to talk to Seraph or had them communicate with him from the wall (or with some kind of barrier in place). They could have made strides to show the camp how far Seraph has come instead of just dismissing the concerns. If they had done this in the first place they could have avoided having the conflict at all.
Then there's Lilac's conflict with Nun. I think she sincerely apologizes to him at least four times, and he is openly and internally annoyed and furious every time she comes up to him to do so. Do I understand why he feels this way? Yes. She shot his lover, even if it was just an instinctual reaction. However, it's the fact that he is so immature about the situation. He doesn't communicate with her, just glares hatefully. The solution is right there. Just brusquely tell her "I need time" or "I can't deal with this right now. Later... just later." This would be in character and let Nun know that he isn't ready to process her words right now. She needs to give him time to calm down. Fair enough. But he doesn't, he just let's her keep apologizing and keeps getting pissed every single time. This is especially shitty because we know he respects Nun and therefore we are led to respect Nun. It just comes across as incredibly childish.
The last thing that really didn't sit right with me is Tipley. He leaves with Bishop and Tank, but it doesn't feel like he really has the same mindset as them. He is presented as extremely skittish and I think his only line in the book is "I-I don't feel safe here anymore either." If anything, he almost feels likes a more extreme version of Rusty, someone who is scared of monsters. The fact that Lilac and Anchor are so dismissive of him and his life, just makes me like them a little less. Because he didn't do anything wrong. He's just, as far as we are shown, extremely scared of monsters. That is completely understandable considering the world was ravaged by them. We also don't know his backstory, which might have given him even more of a personal reason to be fearful of them.
Overall, I rounded up a score of 2.5 to 3 because I still love the series overall. This book unfortunately just didn't really sit well with me.
Unfortunately, as the book continued on I found myself slowly coming to enjoy it less and less.
The first half or so of the book I had a good time with. The different stages of Seraph's condition are enough to keep the story going and have the interactions be varied. Every small bit of progress between the two feels very rewarding.
However, once communication improves I kind of just lost my investment in them. As others have said, there isn't really much in terms of exciting plot in this book the way there is in the other installments. The story is basically just Seraph getting better and him and Lilac falling in love. that would be fine, if I found the characters to be incredibly compelling, but I just... didn't. Once we get to know Seraph better he feels like just a guy. A guy that has some quirks (both physical and personality-wise) as a result of his trauma, but still just a guy. I did like him, but it felt like the story didn't give him enough time or space to develop his personality.
All the hobbies and the more strong aspects of his personality just felt too similar to Lilac's. He didn't really have anything for himself. Oh, he's incredibly protective of his lover? He is willing to kill readily? He likes working with wood? Those may sound like only a few things, but I didn't feel like we were given much more than that. The other couples in this series all feel quite distinct from their partners. They balance each others traits in a way that often works well. Here, it just didn't hit for me.
Then there's Lilac, who I grew to actively dislike by the end of the book to the point that I was rolling my eyes as I was reading the last few chapters. The way he acted at the camp meeting and after annoyed me to the extreme.
It frustrated me when the monster couples all got so incredibly angry with the camp members who were resentful and pissed over the fact that they were not told about Seraph being let out of his cage. I'm not endorsing the hateful speech Tank was spewing. At all. I hate his character and am not upset he perishes. However, I do think that some of his frustrations regarding Seraph were justified.
As far as we are told by the book, the only thing the camp knows is that Seraph is 'better' as told by word of mouth. They seem to understand his backstory, but don't appear to have been told his current condition. They don't seem to know that he has started speaking. I'm not sure if they are even told what level of sentience he has. They are just vaguely told he is 'better'. The only thing this is supported by for them is the fact that he has stopped constantly screaming. And then he is suddenly, with literally no warning, spotted outside of his cage. I would be frustrated too if I was part of that camp. If it was shown that there was more communication about Seraph's developing status to the camp as a whole then it would truly feel like Tank didn't have a leg to stand on. However, there is not.
Also, I have mixed feelings on the fact that they do not take a new vote on whether the monsters are allowed to stay. Do I think that the monsters should have been kicked out? No, absolutely not. However, according to the text there were enough raiders to call for a new vote. It's established by the camp that the rules would then proceed with that vote. Then Anchor vetoes this, stating that it's already been voted on. I don't know if that holds up for me. It feels very wishy washy, one of those instances of: we'll follow the rules if it's convenient for me. Now, technically this is her and Cat's camp. But I don't think it's established that she has this veto power (that it is part of established rules of the camp), so it feels a bit... uncomfortable.
Tank even admits that many of the monsters in the camp are fine, and calls for a vote just in terms of Lilac and Seraph. This makes sense to me considering Lilac did just threaten to kill anyone who even says one mean word about his boyfriend (this is when I started rolling my eyes) and they feel betrayed by the fact that Seraph was let out of his cage without warning. This is again, just shot down. I feel like they could have brought them out one by one to talk to Seraph or had them communicate with him from the wall (or with some kind of barrier in place). They could have made strides to show the camp how far Seraph has come instead of just dismissing the concerns. If they had done this in the first place they could have avoided having the conflict at all.
Then there's Lilac's conflict with Nun. I think she sincerely apologizes to him at least four times, and he is openly and internally annoyed and furious every time she comes up to him to do so. Do I understand why he feels this way? Yes. She shot his lover, even if it was just an instinctual reaction. However, it's the fact that he is so immature about the situation. He doesn't communicate with her, just glares hatefully. The solution is right there. Just brusquely tell her "I need time" or "I can't deal with this right now. Later... just later." This would be in character and let Nun know that he isn't ready to process her words right now. She needs to give him time to calm down. Fair enough. But he doesn't, he just let's her keep apologizing and keeps getting pissed every single time. This is especially shitty because we know he respects Nun and therefore we are led to respect Nun. It just comes across as incredibly childish.
The last thing that really didn't sit right with me is Tipley. He leaves with Bishop and Tank, but it doesn't feel like he really has the same mindset as them. He is presented as extremely skittish and I think his only line in the book is "I-I don't feel safe here anymore either." If anything, he almost feels likes a more extreme version of Rusty, someone who is scared of monsters. The fact that Lilac and Anchor are so dismissive of him and his life, just makes me like them a little less. Because he didn't do anything wrong. He's just, as far as we are shown, extremely scared of monsters. That is completely understandable considering the world was ravaged by them. We also don't know his backstory, which might have given him even more of a personal reason to be fearful of them.
Overall, I rounded up a score of 2.5 to 3 because I still love the series overall. This book unfortunately just didn't really sit well with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2022
4.5 stars!
What can I say that other readers haven’t already said?
This book almost broke me.
Seraph was WAY more emotional and devastating and I felt every emotion possible while reading. Lilac and Seraph’s stories were heartbreaking but I’m so glad they found their home with each other.
Everything about this book was captivating and Lily gave us just the right amount of reprieve from the heavier nature of the story. I cannot do these characters justice with words. Their connection and passion and love were everything. They were just beautifully written.
Seraph may have almost broken me but the ending made all the pain worth it.
What can I say that other readers haven’t already said?
This book almost broke me.
Seraph was WAY more emotional and devastating and I felt every emotion possible while reading. Lilac and Seraph’s stories were heartbreaking but I’m so glad they found their home with each other.
Everything about this book was captivating and Lily gave us just the right amount of reprieve from the heavier nature of the story. I cannot do these characters justice with words. Their connection and passion and love were everything. They were just beautifully written.
Seraph may have almost broken me but the ending made all the pain worth it.
“I w-would do anything for you, Lie-lack,” he told me. “L-like you have done f-for me.”
I flushed, lifting my shoulder in an uncomfortable shrug. “I didn’t really do much.”
He chuffed, pulling me closer to curl his long limbs around me, enveloping me completely. My eyes slid shut, body relaxing in his embrace. “You d-did everything,” he said.
September 13, 2022
Anyone tries to be mean to seraph
lilac : 🔪
Loved it just like the rest of the series it was so good seeing all the characters again especially Wyn . Everytime he makes an appearance its great.
Love how Gloam is the big daddy of the group lol
lilac : 🔪
Loved it just like the rest of the series it was so good seeing all the characters again especially Wyn . Everytime he makes an appearance its great.
Love how Gloam is the big daddy of the group lol
September 12, 2022
Of course I absolutely adored this. Of course I ate this up and couldn't put it down. Of course Lilac and Seraph were everything I was hoping they'd be.
Almost all of this book takes place at the same time as Moth, over about a 3 month period.
While Charlie and Moth went on their adventure, Lilac, the resident badass and sometimes assassin for the raider camp, does a lot of the looking after of Seraph, the strange monster that none of the monsters know what he is, and who is constantly screaming and in pain and a potential danger to others.
Lilac is such an interesting character. He might read, on the surface, like a sociopath, but we really get throughout this that he doesn't get pleasure from killing anyone, and never really has the urge to do it - *cough*Unless someone threatens Seraph*cough* - but he also doesn't mind doing what needs to be done to survive. Whereas someone like Rig, who is sweet and kind and wouldn't be able to handle killing someone, Lilac is more reserved and tough and stoic, and willing to kill when necessary. He just doesn't go out of his way to do it.
But we get to see so much more of Lilac in this, as basically all of it is from his POV as he looks after this new beastie, and starts to fall in love with him.
As time goes on at the camp, Lilac starts to stay with Seraph more and more, and become more interested in him. Because Seraph has times when he is more lucid and not screaming in constant pain, and those times are when they connect the most.
As they all learn more about Seraph and what's happened to him and where he's come from, Lilac gets more and more angry at the hurt he's been put through and the fact that they've had to keep him in a cage.
Seraph doesn't communicate through language at first, so a lot of their connecting is through actions and Lilac talking - Seraph clearly understands him, he just doesn't talk.
But events unfold as the story goes on that gets Seraph to being able to speak and after that they just fall more deeply in love.
As more of who Seraph really is gets to shine through, the more we see how he's just a hurt, traumatized being who underneath it all is a sweet, kind being.
We see Lilac emote the most with Seraph. It's like with Seraph, he lets down all his walls and he gives in to being more open and happy.
Seraph, I will say, is the most monstrous monster we've had yet. He has about 8 eyes, slits for a nose, and a wide mouth full of razor sharp teeth. He and Lilac can't even kiss in the traditional sense. But just know there is tongue involve and it is...yeah ;)
He also has no hair - so think Venom from that movie, just with more eyes - and he has a long, pointy tongue. He does have genitalia, but it's got some wild stuff going on down there, so it's not your typic cock and balls. You'll see when read it. And I'll just say...Lilac is hot for all that is going on down there on Seraph haha.
Of course there chemistry was insanely good. This author just has a way of writing her characters and relationships that is just so good and always just click on such an amazing level. I haven't been disappointed by a couple yet by this amazing author.
She just really takes her time building up the relationships, writing how they fall in love so well. And these are monsters, so the sex is always interesting and very very hot 🔥
Also, the wonderful possessiveness is just top tier for me. Seraph gets screechy and angry if anyone touches Lilac (and there is more to it as well, that you'll have to read to find out about) and Lilac will do anything and everything for Seraph. He is utterly devoted to him and will go to the ends of the earth for him (is that literally in this case? In all the monster-human couples? Because they're planning to go to the monster world, soooo) and also he will fuck anyone up who messes with his very tall, screechy boo.
Seriously, the moments in this when anyone so much as gives Seraph the littlest slight, Lilac scowls or glares or if it's a big enough offense, he gets physically aggressive. No one messes with his man.
I just, of course gotta say GO READ THIS, because it is just perfection. Obviously you're into some monster sex as you've made it this far in the series, so embrace it and get ready for one of our most monster-y monsters yet, at least physically. Personality wise, Seraph is just a big sweetie pie.
Also this heavily features Wyn, which I adored. Always love getting more of him, and Danny as well. Just getting to see everything that happened while Charlie and Moth were away in their book was a treat.
And now the next book is about Cat, who I've been so curious about for so long. And now knowing he's got a blueberry twink monster (lol) is so intriguing, I can't wait to find out what's been going on with Cat for so long, and why he hasn't come back to the raider camp, even though he's been out of the prison fighting ring thing for months now.
Highy, HIGHLY recommend this wonderful, amazing book and series. Cannot get enough of it, and I hope it goes on forever, or at the very least, a very long time, with all the monster couples. It's just so good, I never want it to end.
All the thumbs up for this. Pick it up when you can, because you won't regret it 🥰😘😍
My Ratings for the Monstrous Series:
🔆 Soul Eater: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Edin: 4.5 Stars (my review)
🔆 The Rycke: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Wyn: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Gloam: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Moth: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Seraph: 5 stars
🔆 Lyri: TBR
Almost all of this book takes place at the same time as Moth, over about a 3 month period.
While Charlie and Moth went on their adventure, Lilac, the resident badass and sometimes assassin for the raider camp, does a lot of the looking after of Seraph, the strange monster that none of the monsters know what he is, and who is constantly screaming and in pain and a potential danger to others.
Lilac is such an interesting character. He might read, on the surface, like a sociopath, but we really get throughout this that he doesn't get pleasure from killing anyone, and never really has the urge to do it - *cough*Unless someone threatens Seraph*cough* - but he also doesn't mind doing what needs to be done to survive. Whereas someone like Rig, who is sweet and kind and wouldn't be able to handle killing someone, Lilac is more reserved and tough and stoic, and willing to kill when necessary. He just doesn't go out of his way to do it.
But we get to see so much more of Lilac in this, as basically all of it is from his POV as he looks after this new beastie, and starts to fall in love with him.
As time goes on at the camp, Lilac starts to stay with Seraph more and more, and become more interested in him. Because Seraph has times when he is more lucid and not screaming in constant pain, and those times are when they connect the most.
As they all learn more about Seraph and what's happened to him and where he's come from, Lilac gets more and more angry at the hurt he's been put through and the fact that they've had to keep him in a cage.
Seraph doesn't communicate through language at first, so a lot of their connecting is through actions and Lilac talking - Seraph clearly understands him, he just doesn't talk.
But events unfold as the story goes on that gets Seraph to being able to speak and after that they just fall more deeply in love.
As more of who Seraph really is gets to shine through, the more we see how he's just a hurt, traumatized being who underneath it all is a sweet, kind being.
We see Lilac emote the most with Seraph. It's like with Seraph, he lets down all his walls and he gives in to being more open and happy.
Seraph, I will say, is the most monstrous monster we've had yet. He has about 8 eyes, slits for a nose, and a wide mouth full of razor sharp teeth. He and Lilac can't even kiss in the traditional sense. But just know there is tongue involve and it is...yeah ;)
He also has no hair - so think Venom from that movie, just with more eyes - and he has a long, pointy tongue. He does have genitalia, but it's got some wild stuff going on down there, so it's not your typic cock and balls. You'll see when read it. And I'll just say...Lilac is hot for all that is going on down there on Seraph haha.
Of course there chemistry was insanely good. This author just has a way of writing her characters and relationships that is just so good and always just click on such an amazing level. I haven't been disappointed by a couple yet by this amazing author.
She just really takes her time building up the relationships, writing how they fall in love so well. And these are monsters, so the sex is always interesting and very very hot 🔥
Also, the wonderful possessiveness is just top tier for me. Seraph gets screechy and angry if anyone touches Lilac (and there is more to it as well, that you'll have to read to find out about) and Lilac will do anything and everything for Seraph. He is utterly devoted to him and will go to the ends of the earth for him (is that literally in this case? In all the monster-human couples? Because they're planning to go to the monster world, soooo) and also he will fuck anyone up who messes with his very tall, screechy boo.
Seriously, the moments in this when anyone so much as gives Seraph the littlest slight, Lilac scowls or glares or if it's a big enough offense, he gets physically aggressive. No one messes with his man.
I just, of course gotta say GO READ THIS, because it is just perfection. Obviously you're into some monster sex as you've made it this far in the series, so embrace it and get ready for one of our most monster-y monsters yet, at least physically. Personality wise, Seraph is just a big sweetie pie.
Also this heavily features Wyn, which I adored. Always love getting more of him, and Danny as well. Just getting to see everything that happened while Charlie and Moth were away in their book was a treat.
And now the next book is about Cat, who I've been so curious about for so long. And now knowing he's got a blueberry twink monster (lol) is so intriguing, I can't wait to find out what's been going on with Cat for so long, and why he hasn't come back to the raider camp, even though he's been out of the prison fighting ring thing for months now.
Highy, HIGHLY recommend this wonderful, amazing book and series. Cannot get enough of it, and I hope it goes on forever, or at the very least, a very long time, with all the monster couples. It's just so good, I never want it to end.
All the thumbs up for this. Pick it up when you can, because you won't regret it 🥰😘😍
My Ratings for the Monstrous Series:
🔆 Soul Eater: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Edin: 4.5 Stars (my review)
🔆 The Rycke: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Wyn: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Gloam: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Moth: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 Seraph: 5 stars
🔆 Lyri: TBR
December 23, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I liked being alone, and I wasn’t all that interested in how other people were feeling.
Seraph is actually the reason I started this series at all. I had seen the cover and blurb all over, and wanted to read it *so* much. In hindsight I’m very thankful that it’s not something I could’ve read as a standalone, because I would’ve missed out on the first five (amazing) books. This one is very different from the other books, and it’s straight up incredible. It’s a beautiful, deeply emotional story. I can’t imagine someone reading this without shedding a single tear. It’s not necessarily a book that will make you sob (it made me sob), but man, you will *hurt* for Seraph so badly.
I was positive that he wasn’t a mindless beast, but constant agony made him seem like one.
There’s emotional moments, suspenseful ones, sexy sexytimes, scenes that will make you laugh, others that will make you kick your feet and giggle. It’s kinda got it all. I’m also a reader who often needs shit to be happening a lot. I get bored easily, but even though a lot of the days we see during this storyline are similar, it doesn’t get boring. The character development, Seraph’s development, is so interesting and important, that it doesn’t need lots of stuff to happen. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t action and exciting and gory stuff happening though. I love it.
I sat there in the dark, in the snow, and held Seraph’s hand as he cried weakly on the floor of his cage.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Former sex worker
Post apocalyptic
Wastelands
Monster/human
Raider camp
Piercings (dick included!)
Tongue job
Sounding
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Sounding
Restraint
Vomiting
Violent situation between MCs
Non-human genitalia
Parasitic infection
Graphic violence
On-page killing
Injured MCs
Explicit sexual content
Brief mentions of family death (off page, past)
Brief mention of transphobia
Mentions of cannibalism
Details of non consensual experimentation
Captivity
Mentions of past sex work
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 24 and 28
Pages: 462
“I thought you might want something other than raw meat.” I didn’t move—didn’t gesture at the bowls—but Seraph’s eyes all blinked unharmoniously before darting to the two bowls on the grass. That single, brief look told me a lot. He was aware. And he understood things. Human things like bowls of cooked food. He wasn’t just a mindless animal.
Rather than take the stairs, the big beastie vaulted over the side of the railing and landed with a booming thud that shook the ground. His kilt fluttered up, revealing everything, and I heard a choked, “Jesus Christ,” from one of the raiders.
“We must go celebrate.” He somehow hefted the huge man into his arms with ease and headed for the staircase at the end of the motel block. I heard Hunter chuckle. “I can walk, scratch.” “Not for long,” Edin rumbled lasciviously […]
When I just stared at him in silence, he huffed and actually rolled his eyes at me, which was a surreal thing to see on someone with so many fucking eyes.
I liked being alone, and I wasn’t all that interested in how other people were feeling.
Seraph is actually the reason I started this series at all. I had seen the cover and blurb all over, and wanted to read it *so* much. In hindsight I’m very thankful that it’s not something I could’ve read as a standalone, because I would’ve missed out on the first five (amazing) books. This one is very different from the other books, and it’s straight up incredible. It’s a beautiful, deeply emotional story. I can’t imagine someone reading this without shedding a single tear. It’s not necessarily a book that will make you sob (it made me sob), but man, you will *hurt* for Seraph so badly.
I was positive that he wasn’t a mindless beast, but constant agony made him seem like one.
There’s emotional moments, suspenseful ones, sexy sexytimes, scenes that will make you laugh, others that will make you kick your feet and giggle. It’s kinda got it all. I’m also a reader who often needs shit to be happening a lot. I get bored easily, but even though a lot of the days we see during this storyline are similar, it doesn’t get boring. The character development, Seraph’s development, is so interesting and important, that it doesn’t need lots of stuff to happen. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t action and exciting and gory stuff happening though. I love it.
I sat there in the dark, in the snow, and held Seraph’s hand as he cried weakly on the floor of his cage.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Former sex worker
Post apocalyptic
Wastelands
Monster/human
Raider camp
Piercings (dick included!)
Tongue job
Sounding
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Sounding
Restraint
Vomiting
Violent situation between MCs
Non-human genitalia
Parasitic infection
Graphic violence
On-page killing
Injured MCs
Explicit sexual content
Brief mentions of family death (off page, past)
Brief mention of transphobia
Mentions of cannibalism
Details of non consensual experimentation
Captivity
Mentions of past sex work
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 24 and 28
Pages: 462
“I thought you might want something other than raw meat.” I didn’t move—didn’t gesture at the bowls—but Seraph’s eyes all blinked unharmoniously before darting to the two bowls on the grass. That single, brief look told me a lot. He was aware. And he understood things. Human things like bowls of cooked food. He wasn’t just a mindless animal.
Rather than take the stairs, the big beastie vaulted over the side of the railing and landed with a booming thud that shook the ground. His kilt fluttered up, revealing everything, and I heard a choked, “Jesus Christ,” from one of the raiders.
“We must go celebrate.” He somehow hefted the huge man into his arms with ease and headed for the staircase at the end of the motel block. I heard Hunter chuckle. “I can walk, scratch.” “Not for long,” Edin rumbled lasciviously […]
When I just stared at him in silence, he huffed and actually rolled his eyes at me, which was a surreal thing to see on someone with so many fucking eyes.
September 12, 2022
This is easily my favorite of the series. Both characters from their original introductions snared my attention and I was salivating for their story and Lily didn’t disappoint.
She gave us an emotional roller coaster littered with an enduring kind of respect that evolved into adoration. I cried, I didn’t just shed tears but sobbed so many times for Seraph and everything he had endured.
The loyalty, possessiveness that Lilac felt for him from the very start stole my heart. When he said he would do anything for Seraph you knew he meant it and he proved that over and over again.
Their friendship quickly evolved into steamy goodness that just got better as time progressed. (Of course Seraph had the most interesting genitalia to date.)
The ensuing drama was enough to keep the story fresh but not take away from them.
Also I just have to pat myself on the back because as I read this with my BR partner in crime aka Cass, I made an assumption about Seraph. So, when I found out I was right you can imagine how stoked I was. Even though that knowledge brought more sadness, really it was no doubt the root of it.
I’m looking forward to Cat’s book but mostly I’m excited to see what the future holds for these beloved characters.
She gave us an emotional roller coaster littered with an enduring kind of respect that evolved into adoration. I cried, I didn’t just shed tears but sobbed so many times for Seraph and everything he had endured.
The loyalty, possessiveness that Lilac felt for him from the very start stole my heart. When he said he would do anything for Seraph you knew he meant it and he proved that over and over again.
Their friendship quickly evolved into steamy goodness that just got better as time progressed. (Of course Seraph had the most interesting genitalia to date.)
The ensuing drama was enough to keep the story fresh but not take away from them.
Also I just have to pat myself on the back because as I read this with my BR partner in crime aka Cass, I made an assumption about Seraph. So, when I found out I was right you can imagine how stoked I was. Even though that knowledge brought more sadness, really it was no doubt the root of it.
I’m looking forward to Cat’s book but mostly I’m excited to see what the future holds for these beloved characters.
December 21, 2024
4.75 stars- Another great book! Seraph himself is a precious, tragic monster with a heartbreaking origin story. He starts as a wild, violent, and terrifying presence but transforms into one of the most beautiful and endearing characters in the series.
Lilac is equally compelling, bringing a fascinating blend of creepiness and kindness to the story. Michael Lesley’s narration perfectly captures his eccentricity, making it easy to imagine Lilac as a man who cares deeply for his people while also being a bit unhinged. This combination makes him the ideal partner for Seraph, and their dynamic is both chaotic and deeply moving. Lilac’s protective nature is particularly satisfying—it’s exactly what Seraph needs to heal and thrive.
Another highlight of the book is the involvement of other beloved monsters and their mates. Michael Lesley’s talent for voicing multiple characters at once truly shines here, adding layers of depth and humor. From Danny’s big news about the time place to Edin’s union-forming ambitions lol, and Rig’s unwavering loyalty as a best friend, the ensemble cast adds richness to the story. Aury’s ability to form friendships with all the monsters is heartwarming and serves as a beautiful reminder of the bonds that tie this world together.
Seraph is an emotional, thrilling, and deeply satisfying read. It’s a testament to Lily Mayne’s skill as a storyteller and Michael Lesley’s brilliance as a narrator.
Lilac is equally compelling, bringing a fascinating blend of creepiness and kindness to the story. Michael Lesley’s narration perfectly captures his eccentricity, making it easy to imagine Lilac as a man who cares deeply for his people while also being a bit unhinged. This combination makes him the ideal partner for Seraph, and their dynamic is both chaotic and deeply moving. Lilac’s protective nature is particularly satisfying—it’s exactly what Seraph needs to heal and thrive.
Another highlight of the book is the involvement of other beloved monsters and their mates. Michael Lesley’s talent for voicing multiple characters at once truly shines here, adding layers of depth and humor. From Danny’s big news about the time place to Edin’s union-forming ambitions lol, and Rig’s unwavering loyalty as a best friend, the ensemble cast adds richness to the story. Aury’s ability to form friendships with all the monsters is heartwarming and serves as a beautiful reminder of the bonds that tie this world together.
Seraph is an emotional, thrilling, and deeply satisfying read. It’s a testament to Lily Mayne’s skill as a storyteller and Michael Lesley’s brilliance as a narrator.
April 1, 2024
Audio 5++++ Stars
Story - 5 + Stars
Story - 5 + Stars
July 30, 2023
1.5 stars. This series has been a somewhat gradual but steady decline of enjoyment for me in a way that star ratings aren’t nuanced enough to express. I really liked the first two books, was disappointed but ok with the third one, more disappointed and less ok with the fourth, kinda-sorta briefly perked back up with the fifth, and then it just… plummeted.
Because man, I was BORED with this. Bored, annoyed, borderline squicked, and semi-tempted to DNF around 80% because I’d just lost interest. I pushed through but it wasn’t worth it.
1) I guess my main issue is how nothing freaking happens in this book. Seraph’s in a cage, the others are in the camp. There’s lots of tromping back and forth between the cage and the camp. Lilac goes to get a food package, then he guards Seraph at night and feeds him. They stare at each other. Then he goes to sleep and wash and eat and some of the monsters go and try to talk to Seraph. Then Lilac comes back to guard Seraph at night. They stare at each other. Seraph gets worse, then better, then worse. They bone. Lots more tromping back and forth, lots of circular arguments, lots of descriptions of food packages and mundane details. Blah blah nothing happens for most of the book, because:
2) Barring some very brief outings, Seraph spends more than 70% of the book in his cage. Outside, in winter, apparently naked? I’ve accepted a lot of glossing over practicalities from this series but my powers of suspension of disbelief end when there’s a scantily (if at all) clad character who is susceptible to cold huddled in a cage outside in winter for weeks, possibly months, and I’m supposed to believe he’ll be ok. Oh, and he’s pooping in a hole in the cage. But is apparently fully prepared, and attractive enough, to bone. Poop-smeared, unwashed, psychotic, only occasionally semi-lucid hypothermia victim: sexy.
3) Speaking of sexy: They flip from nothing to boning like someone flicked a switch. Don’t get me started on the ridiculous logistics of the cage-penetrating boning. More importantly: the consent is iffy as fuck, on both sides. Seraph’s a prisoner who’s only partly in control of his mind, and fully dependent on Lilac. Meanwhile, Lilac gets physically restrained, is asked a question in a language he doesn’t speak, and says yes assuming the question is totally something he’d consent to, when it could in fact be “is it cool if I bite off your balls?” Now, I’d normally be down for dub-con in a series involving monster-fucking, but this author has made it very clear that her humans AND her monsters are cuddly and lovely and morally top-notch, so in that context: nope to the iffy consent.
4) Also nope to Seraph’s whole deal, tbh. I know, I know, I’m impossible to please - I was hoping for him to be more genuinely monstrous than the Jim Henson puppets with dicks we’ve encountered so far, and he’s definitely written as less human . But he wasn’t written like a monster, either. For a large part of the book, he was written like an animal. Like, a literal one. From the way he is described, especially his vocalisations – it’s always chuffing, snarling, barking – and the initial level of even his non-combatant interactions, I was getting captive primate or dog vibes. Meanwhile Lilac keeps threatening to kill everyone who doesn’t realise how smart and beautiful and normal Seraph is; yeah, ok, then maybe stop telling me he barks and growls and turns in a circle before he curls up in his cage. It was weird and discordant, and while he eventually (re)learns to talk and interact, it happened late in the book; the captive animal/compassionate zookeeper vibe was a strong and lasting impression that put me off the relationship entirely. The power balance felt way off.
5) I cannot with an entire camp full of supposedly grown-arse adults consistently referring to an entire group of intelligent species as “beasties.” Make it stop.
6) Author doubled down and down again on my least favourite part of the series: all the human/monster couples hang out together and non-stop overshare about their sex lives or pry into other couples’, and go on and on and on about how in love they all are. Blergh. And of course they’re all going to do the tethering thing where they share lifespans and the humans get to live for millennia. One of the few genuinely poignant things about this series’ premise was that the monsters would outlive their partners in most cases, but nope. A human lifetime is not enough, we must coo and cling to each other until eternity. Ok then.
7) What passes for plot has become gossamer-thin. I genuinely see no reason why Wyn doesn’t just whoosh to wherever Cat is (since he seems able to find anyone, anywhere, within minutes/hours), helps him sort out his shit, and whooshes him and his new monster back to the camp.
8) Anchor has now spent four books rubbing her forehead/nose/eyes and whining about how hard it is to lead the camp, in between bouts of gasps and tantrums and rolling over for any bully that so much as raises his voice at her. Lady, if you hate leading so much, let them freaking pick someone new. You are legit awful at it.
9) WTF is it with the chore distribution in this camp. Daisy and her co-chef are ALWAYS in the kitchen. Seriously, they live there. Ghost is always doing dangerous scouting shit. Lilac is apparently growing all their food AND killing all their enemies. What are the other 20-30 losers doing??
I own one more book in the series and I’ll probably read it, as I gather it’s set in a different era so hopefully we can finally get out of the Smug Married Summer Camp from hell. But I am disappointed, because the author has created a fun premise (of varying plausibility but who gives a fuck) and you’d think one of its strong points would be that it offers a wealth of choices when it comes to writing different types of monsters, different set-ups, different dynamics, different levels of darkness. But apparently the author is only interested in one type of story with minimal variations, so… bored now.
Because man, I was BORED with this. Bored, annoyed, borderline squicked, and semi-tempted to DNF around 80% because I’d just lost interest. I pushed through but it wasn’t worth it.
1) I guess my main issue is how nothing freaking happens in this book. Seraph’s in a cage, the others are in the camp. There’s lots of tromping back and forth between the cage and the camp. Lilac goes to get a food package, then he guards Seraph at night and feeds him. They stare at each other. Then he goes to sleep and wash and eat and some of the monsters go and try to talk to Seraph. Then Lilac comes back to guard Seraph at night. They stare at each other. Seraph gets worse, then better, then worse. They bone. Lots more tromping back and forth, lots of circular arguments, lots of descriptions of food packages and mundane details. Blah blah nothing happens for most of the book, because:
2) Barring some very brief outings, Seraph spends more than 70% of the book in his cage. Outside, in winter, apparently naked? I’ve accepted a lot of glossing over practicalities from this series but my powers of suspension of disbelief end when there’s a scantily (if at all) clad character who is susceptible to cold huddled in a cage outside in winter for weeks, possibly months, and I’m supposed to believe he’ll be ok. Oh, and he’s pooping in a hole in the cage. But is apparently fully prepared, and attractive enough, to bone. Poop-smeared, unwashed, psychotic, only occasionally semi-lucid hypothermia victim: sexy.
3) Speaking of sexy: They flip from nothing to boning like someone flicked a switch. Don’t get me started on the ridiculous logistics of the cage-penetrating boning. More importantly: the consent is iffy as fuck, on both sides. Seraph’s a prisoner who’s only partly in control of his mind, and fully dependent on Lilac. Meanwhile, Lilac gets physically restrained, is asked a question in a language he doesn’t speak, and says yes assuming the question is totally something he’d consent to, when it could in fact be “is it cool if I bite off your balls?” Now, I’d normally be down for dub-con in a series involving monster-fucking, but this author has made it very clear that her humans AND her monsters are cuddly and lovely and morally top-notch, so in that context: nope to the iffy consent.
4) Also nope to Seraph’s whole deal, tbh. I know, I know, I’m impossible to please - I was hoping for him to be more genuinely monstrous than the Jim Henson puppets with dicks we’ve encountered so far, and he’s definitely written as less human . But he wasn’t written like a monster, either. For a large part of the book, he was written like an animal. Like, a literal one. From the way he is described, especially his vocalisations – it’s always chuffing, snarling, barking – and the initial level of even his non-combatant interactions, I was getting captive primate or dog vibes. Meanwhile Lilac keeps threatening to kill everyone who doesn’t realise how smart and beautiful and normal Seraph is; yeah, ok, then maybe stop telling me he barks and growls and turns in a circle before he curls up in his cage. It was weird and discordant, and while he eventually (re)learns to talk and interact, it happened late in the book; the captive animal/compassionate zookeeper vibe was a strong and lasting impression that put me off the relationship entirely. The power balance felt way off.
5) I cannot with an entire camp full of supposedly grown-arse adults consistently referring to an entire group of intelligent species as “beasties.” Make it stop.
6) Author doubled down and down again on my least favourite part of the series: all the human/monster couples hang out together and non-stop overshare about their sex lives or pry into other couples’, and go on and on and on about how in love they all are. Blergh. And of course they’re all going to do the tethering thing where they share lifespans and the humans get to live for millennia. One of the few genuinely poignant things about this series’ premise was that the monsters would outlive their partners in most cases, but nope. A human lifetime is not enough, we must coo and cling to each other until eternity. Ok then.
7) What passes for plot has become gossamer-thin. I genuinely see no reason why Wyn doesn’t just whoosh to wherever Cat is (since he seems able to find anyone, anywhere, within minutes/hours), helps him sort out his shit, and whooshes him and his new monster back to the camp.
8) Anchor has now spent four books rubbing her forehead/nose/eyes and whining about how hard it is to lead the camp, in between bouts of gasps and tantrums and rolling over for any bully that so much as raises his voice at her. Lady, if you hate leading so much, let them freaking pick someone new. You are legit awful at it.
9) WTF is it with the chore distribution in this camp. Daisy and her co-chef are ALWAYS in the kitchen. Seriously, they live there. Ghost is always doing dangerous scouting shit. Lilac is apparently growing all their food AND killing all their enemies. What are the other 20-30 losers doing??
I own one more book in the series and I’ll probably read it, as I gather it’s set in a different era so hopefully we can finally get out of the Smug Married Summer Camp from hell. But I am disappointed, because the author has created a fun premise (of varying plausibility but who gives a fuck) and you’d think one of its strong points would be that it offers a wealth of choices when it comes to writing different types of monsters, different set-ups, different dynamics, different levels of darkness. But apparently the author is only interested in one type of story with minimal variations, so… bored now.
December 3, 2022
+2
“Yo también soy un monstruo, Seraph. También lo es Gloam. También lo son Edin y Aury. En este mundo, nosotros somos los monstruos. Pero eso no significa que haya nada malo en ti”.
Bueno, con este libro, queridos amigos de Goodreads, me pongo al día (de momento) con esta saga. ¿Quién le diría a la Elena del pasado que acabaría enganchada a una saga romántica con “Monstruos” y me tendría leyendo las historias en el ordenador hasta que no pudiera más? La pobre me hubiera mirado mal y con escepticismo y me hubiera dicho que habría perdido las pocas neuronas que me quedaban sanas. La Elena del presente no lo niega, algunas neuronas me faltan, pero no por esta saga, la cual me ha salvado para bien de un bloqueo-momento malo, sino otros factores externos. Muchísimas gracias, Lily Mayne y la compañera de estas redes que me los pasó, Blurryface. No saben cuánto lo agradezco.
“Estás tratando de ayudarlo. Pero, a veces la gente no tiene remedio. A veces, es más amable aliviar su sufrimiento cuando no pueden hacerlo ellos mismos”.
Ahora, en cuanto a este libro en cuestión ha sido una lectura…bastante peculiar. Quienes lleguen a este libro sabrán a qué me refiero cuando conozcan a este personaje. Asimismo, pensé que esta historia me iba a gustar tanto como Moth, sin embargo, no fue así. Cierto, la historia es muy triste y sientes mucha empatía por Seraph pero para mi la autora no supo llevarlo tan bien como otros libros. Me faltó un poco más de relación entre los personajes, igual que me pasó con el segundo libro. Por el resto, estoy bastante contenta, sobre todo por los personajes que aparecen y te hacen sacarte una risa con las diferentes situaciones.
“Me gustaría poder hablar contigo y que me entendieras, lo estoy intentando, pero por favor ten paciencia conmigo. Eres la única persona con la que quiero hablar. Acércate. Me haces sentir como una persona de nuevo, no solo como una cosa”.
Quiero el siguiente pero como suele suceder aún no se ha publicado y me toca esperar por lo menos un año…pero bueno,¡qué por lecturas sea! Además, aun me quedan algunos relatos que leer de mis queridos así que tengo entretenimiento para rato aún.
Hasta la próxima mis monstruitos. Se les quiere.
“Yo…sé que la mayoría de la gente de aquí te tiene miedo, pero tu siempre me has hecho sentir seguro, Lilac”.
“Yo también soy un monstruo, Seraph. También lo es Gloam. También lo son Edin y Aury. En este mundo, nosotros somos los monstruos. Pero eso no significa que haya nada malo en ti”.
Bueno, con este libro, queridos amigos de Goodreads, me pongo al día (de momento) con esta saga. ¿Quién le diría a la Elena del pasado que acabaría enganchada a una saga romántica con “Monstruos” y me tendría leyendo las historias en el ordenador hasta que no pudiera más? La pobre me hubiera mirado mal y con escepticismo y me hubiera dicho que habría perdido las pocas neuronas que me quedaban sanas. La Elena del presente no lo niega, algunas neuronas me faltan, pero no por esta saga, la cual me ha salvado para bien de un bloqueo-momento malo, sino otros factores externos. Muchísimas gracias, Lily Mayne y la compañera de estas redes que me los pasó, Blurryface. No saben cuánto lo agradezco.
“Estás tratando de ayudarlo. Pero, a veces la gente no tiene remedio. A veces, es más amable aliviar su sufrimiento cuando no pueden hacerlo ellos mismos”.
Ahora, en cuanto a este libro en cuestión ha sido una lectura…bastante peculiar. Quienes lleguen a este libro sabrán a qué me refiero cuando conozcan a este personaje. Asimismo, pensé que esta historia me iba a gustar tanto como Moth, sin embargo, no fue así. Cierto, la historia es muy triste y sientes mucha empatía por Seraph pero para mi la autora no supo llevarlo tan bien como otros libros. Me faltó un poco más de relación entre los personajes, igual que me pasó con el segundo libro. Por el resto, estoy bastante contenta, sobre todo por los personajes que aparecen y te hacen sacarte una risa con las diferentes situaciones.
“Me gustaría poder hablar contigo y que me entendieras, lo estoy intentando, pero por favor ten paciencia conmigo. Eres la única persona con la que quiero hablar. Acércate. Me haces sentir como una persona de nuevo, no solo como una cosa”.
Quiero el siguiente pero como suele suceder aún no se ha publicado y me toca esperar por lo menos un año…pero bueno,¡qué por lecturas sea! Además, aun me quedan algunos relatos que leer de mis queridos así que tengo entretenimiento para rato aún.
Hasta la próxima mis monstruitos. Se les quiere.
“Yo…sé que la mayoría de la gente de aquí te tiene miedo, pero tu siempre me has hecho sentir seguro, Lilac”.
September 10, 2022
“Lie-lack… mine. Seraph tel. Y-yours. Seraph yours.”
My brain has officially turned to mush! I loved this book so freaking much I can't tell you. It made me swoon, it made me cry, laugh a little, cry some more and then swoon again cuz lilac and seraph were just so sweet together!! Tho Gloam and Soul eater are still my favorite books in the series this tots takes a close second place...Annd now I can't wait for Orlith's story!
My brain has officially turned to mush! I loved this book so freaking much I can't tell you. It made me swoon, it made me cry, laugh a little, cry some more and then swoon again cuz lilac and seraph were just so sweet together!! Tho Gloam and Soul eater are still my favorite books in the series this tots takes a close second place...Annd now I can't wait for Orlith's story!
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