The Sacrifice and The Spare | BOOKTOK ROMANTASY

[@ReadswithRachel]

The first 500 people to use my link in the description will receive a one-month free trial of Skillshare! Get started today! skl.sh/readswithrachel12241

[@bj71000]

Who was the skillshare teacher that taught the four(or three) C’s?

[@jacobdavis3359]

Why is everything acotar Why is everything instalove Why is everyone straight Why is there no epic magic battles Why is there no worlds making sense

[@anonymoususer9197]

Because romantasy is literally just romance with fantasy sprinkled in so it's not boring hetero shit. But it became so tropy romantasy became boring hetero shit. Way to spice up the boring straight relationships

[@Coyoteari]

Triple emphasis on why is everyone straight ffs

[@frankensteinlives]

All of these questions haunt me daily

[@ABalloonInNeed]

this exactly!!! why is everything LAZYYYY

[@eggdog--]

This is great inspiration 🤌

[@haunting_bluejay]

The way Romantasy could be one of my favourite genres, I love romance, I love fantasy, but the current wave of romantasy is just so boring, vapid and derivative of everything else in the genre. I need good and logical world building, I need genuinely believable characters and relationships, but it just doesn’t deliver on either.

[@hannahdevyor858]

I feel the exact same way! My two favorite genres are fantasy and romance, but every single romantasy I’ve read has the same consistent issues and predictability problems. I will take any suggestions of romance fantasy that aren’t part of the current wave

[@thedarkestkinghtstar]

You might like "The House Witch" trilogy by Delemhach. It has a bridge book (The Princess of Potential) before the next trilogy "The Burning Witch". Given the hints dropped in the final book I'm assuming there will be at least one more book but probably a trilogy. Anyhow, it's set in a fantasy world where there are witches (men are called witches too), mages (people who study and need a mage crystals), and people without magic. The ML is a "house witch" and I love it because he has a more "feminine" power, but his masculinity isn't mocked (too much, he sets them straight lol). He can cook a heavenly meal and clean a room in minutes with his magic. The FL is kickass and ends up saving his ass a few times. I can't say more on either or I'll spoil too much. There's also a cat who is there for more than their cuteness. (As in they feel like an actual character rather than a "hey, a witch needs a cat".) It is a romance but it's one I'd feel comfy reading to both a child and my grandparents lol. As in there is a bit of kissing but it's a fade to black type. So, if you wanted a more visual one, I'd have to get back to you.

[@haunting_bluejay]

@ sounds fun! I’ll have to look into it!!

[@athytee]

@@thedarkestkinghtstar omg thank you so much for the rec! i love the premise and can't wait to check this out!

[@Exudedmemes]

Please read the Blood Mercy series by Vela Roth. It has an intricate but not convoluted magic system and political/court intrigue. It’s horny in some parts but (I feel) still plot driven. It’s got its own version of vampires, hesperines, but with loads of lore and their own twists. The fmc is the bastard child of the tyrannical king who is on a mission to meet the hesperines that did death rights for her sister during a short lived coup. The mmc is a hesperine who comes with a group of his country’s diplomats who seek to renew their treaty with the fmc king father. He shows her there’s more to life than being controlled. She shows him the realities of life in her kingdom to aid in their treaty talks.

[@kbird6208]

Rachel: "Y'all have seven moons??" Me: "what the hell do their tides look like?" Pauses video to contemplate

[@corruption-1912]

Tides would be primarily controlled by the moon with strongest effect (Most likely the largest/closest moon. Large moon can probably affect the tides with the closest moon if they both happen to be close enough) with the latter/smaller moons causing their own little ripple effects. So, needless to say, their water travels are quite the challenge to navigate with waves likely clashing to one another and maybe having effects to the planet's strucktures as well! :D (Don't take the comment too seriously, I am by no means an expert)

[@avalyea4979]

@@kbird6208 i was thinking the same thing

[@MortMe0430]

An excellent point!

[@KMarien]

Why would she stab the brother and walk away from the blood when she was stated as RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY by the maid AND THE BROTHER?! She had an alibi and no reason to waste food.

[@RebeccaNichole]

“The first one would be the ballad of songbirds and snakes” made me laugh so hard

[@theresareads]

I was like “I missed a chapter in that book I think” lmao

[@sydsky8815]

I was so confused imaging Suzanne Collins writing a sex scene

[@xRaiofSunshine]

I mean President Snow could be a type of vampire if you really think about it 😂

[@Andree06]

I was confused thinking I missed something 😆😆

[@KakiOlsenCreative]

43:30 Rachel never thinking about hands hanging down.

[@pauieeepau]

Even when the main woman character is the vampire she's still somehow the character that lacks power in the power imbalance. 😅

[@mirimariana]

Fr

[@Jess_talks_book]

This title trend needs to stop! When a book is titled The noun and the noun you know it's going to be bad

[@joyc.e.7511]

Yeah, this one was especially stupid sounding.

[@definitelynotashark1799]

A blank of blank and blank 🥱

[@commanderkittin1873]

I want to steal this so badly because the idea of a woman getting taken away, made into a vampire, and forced into a marriage would make an EXCELLENT mystery if it weren't also a romance. who is she? what is her past? who is the marriage benefiting and how? THE INTRIGUE THAT /COULD/ COME WITH THAT CONCEPT IS SO JUICY. Make the husband an unknown quantity who could be friend or foe, isolate her on a honeymoon maybe. idk a lot of these videos make me think "what would I do with pieces of this idea that I actually like?" and this one REALLY got my gears moving edit: not to even mention she's coming to terms with being a vampire and learning any new powers that may come with, understanding new strength, becoming a new person entirely basically. there is SO MUCH HERE.

[@arawin25]

The physiological aspects of this would be interesting too! If she has no memory before she became a vampire then she has no recollection of what it means to be human. It would be interesting to see her grapple with the fact the she feels more vampiric while surrounded by humans who hate her when she used to be human just recently too. It would also add depth when/if she ever found out who she was before she became a vampire. If there would be any juxtaposition between who she is then verses who she is now. Coupled with the fact that she is falling in love with a human. 😮‍💨 This could have been sooo good.

[@ATKOtter]

Would have been a lot more interesting if Kallan was the heir and the murder victim, so Bria and Kallan's brother have to work together to figure out who the killer is. Could have gone into why the brother hates vampires (maybe have their father allegedly killed by one?) and could have done an unwilling allies to lovers thing. The mother could even still work as the villain if she was the brother's birth mother. She could have staged her husband's death as being death by vampire, and then killed Kallan so her own son could be put on the throne.

[@jenny5272]

The current state of vampire books is driving me nuts. It could be so much cooler if only publishers had any standards or even one original thought.

[@awkwardhandmovements]

Give Immortal Dark a try! Not heavy on the romance but there is a good back and forth between the main characters. And the male is a vamp. Pretty cool lore too!

[@moominwoo2316]

what i was kind of hoping when you said woman vampire x man prince was that the vamp lady would be the royal with the power in the situation and he’d be her arranged marriage ‘prize’ so to speak. i’d love something like that but alas 💀

[@tbcooper]

THAT'S what I thought too😅

[@moominwoo2316]

@ we can dream i guess 😓

[@petloverspy]

Same!! Why does she think of herself as a monster if she was made by the vampire leader and this is her first time with humans? How tf does this arrangement make any sense if it’s the humans who are offering up one of theirs? The lore that it gives completely contradicts the way the characters act and it’s pissing me off

[@moominwoo2316]

@ what could’ve been really cool is if the two of them spent time in each world. half a year there half a year there type deal, kinda like going on royal tours to show off their unity or whatever. she’s got most of the power as the vampire royalty and just as the physically stronger being, and he has to keep up via scheming and other methods. like switch it uuuup please

[@tbcooper]

@@moominwoo2316 okay, so you write it, I'LL READ IT❤️❤️❤️ Because... YES!

[@kittenskittenskittenskittens]

The way I scream-laughed at A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

[@alyxbarter3155]

I haven't read that yet and my brain record scratch stopped for a hot minute I was like Ballad is NOT what I thought it'd be 😂😂

[@sagathestoryteller7920]

I love the vampire woman and human man dynamic... that's my vampire dnd character's dynamic with her husband. Honestly, I almost wanna write their story as a novella because its cute.

[@shhd2105]

Honestly... all these books are starting to sound the same. Dark shadow daddy, "enemies to lover," touch her and die, the same beauty and the beast story beats, and a TON of H orny smex, like... THE SJM CURSE STRIKES AGAIN

[@IwonaKlich]

The writers just watch like first 17 episodes of Buffy..

[@Darkfyyre]

a murder accusation where there's no solid motive drives me INSANE. maybe it's the crime drama girile in me, but i can't STAND IT when the accused has no concrete motive because that is, in my opinion, the most important aspect for building a solid case against a suspect. means and opportunity just make it theoretically possible, but the WHY is very important!! like, if my brother was found kaput in his bedroom, i would have the means and opportunity + no alibi because i spend all night in the basement, close to the room he sleeps in. but i have ZERO REASON to off him, if anything i've been dying to spend more time with him recently as he's been so busy with school and i therefore don't see him much. by the logic of these weirdos in the book, i'm the only possible suspect?? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!! i'm currently writing a story that involves a "whodunit?" murder plot a la "murder on the orient express", and one of the key sticking points for the characters is the fact that NO ONE has an obvious motive to do the killing. the only people with the means and opportunity + no alibi have no prior connections with the victim, so even though they COULD be responsible, accusing them would be illogical. (the problem turns out to be that everyone - well almost everyone - is ignoring evidence that points squarely to the culprit because they've dismissed the possibility of that person's guilt entirely teehee) so i take murder mystery plots VERY SERIOUSLY and the importance of motive should NEVER be overlooked!!!!

[@joyc.e.7511]

I love your enthusiasm☺️. I don't read mysteries a lot, but when I do, I analyze the shit out of them because EVERYONE has some kind of motive or purpose behind their actions and I like my mysteries to reflect that. Your mystery sounds very interesting, I'd love to read it whenever you finish!

[@tabathaalshalhoub1653]

I also like the inverse, where the WHY is clear but the how/when is elusive. That’s why I liked Monk, because he knows the motive but has to work out HOW they did it. I would love to read your work when you’re finished!!

[@petemcnaughton2482]

17:09 A weird amount of vampire romance authors discount the pure eroticism of a vampire feeding on you. It’s on the knife’s edge of intimate and deadly that it is insane that she didn’t decide to play with that instead of this..really generic flirting and make out scene Edit: just realized half a minute later is does turn into a feeding scene, but it should’ve just been that. Two strangers who just met and are going to get married with him having to learn to trust her to have such an intimate and deadly connection to his neck. Like you can get a ton of mileage out of feeling his pulse, tasting his blood, sensing his fear slowly turn into comfort as he understands that she isn’t going to kill her (and assumingly vampires have some secretion in their fangs that relaxes their prey). Predator and prey is a really neat dynamic, especially when the genders are flipped

[@moodym3319]

ok but when you said "A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" I pictured the Serpent and the Wings of Night in my brain so just know I was on the same wavelength, you are not alone 😂💖

[@awkwardhandmovements]

The Buffy edits made this nonsense tolerable. Thank you 😅

[@JulieTheReader]

Oh, no. I was only listening to the video when you started and heard, “The Sacrifice and the Bear” the first time you said the title. Now I want a gay vampire romance with some body positivity.

[@shaylenwayne9284]

"he has a great room cause he's a prince and likes shadows" Xayden Riorson what are you doing here?

[@Cupidity007]

"I can understand why you're the spare" struck me as such a casual and underrated burn.

[@dandelionpuff]

🎶🎵the wrist bone is connected to the hand bone🎵🎶

[@cozydayzandnightz]

I didn't realize they had both a male and female vampire emoji, I learned something new today thanks to this video! 🧛‍♀🧛‍♂

[@whiteglovian]

i love vampires, but they're all in romance or include a het romance but they're always fem-focused & i'm a bi guy. i might have to relearn how to write and make my own stories to my liking 🧛🏻‍♂️🧛🏻‍♂️🧛🏻‍♂️

[@andiman44]

Definitely write what you wanna read 👍🏾

[@katsuki_fan2465]

There is some bi guy stuff in Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert but it is still fem-focused

[@whiteglovian]

@@katsuki_fan2465 Interesting, thank you!

[@whiteglovian]

@losj3020 Thank you!

[@andiman44]

@@whiteglovian When you say fem-focused, do you mean like women and feminine presenting people as the MC?

[@antheathetiefling8581]

You know what would have made this book amazing, how the instalove, the Vampires agreeing to wedding and the 🌽 make sense? Have the Spare and his bride be the murders Say the prince had been secretly meeting with the Clan and offers them a full alliance in marriage. He wants the throne as much as they want a foothold. Santiago and his daughter agree. But since the brother is next in line they need to kill him. They kill the heir, frame the mother ( her "confession" could be a result of vampire magic) and they get away with it. Everything could have been an act. To evade suspicion and they can already have a connection because the prince and his bride had already met

[@grekoy]

@@antheathetiefling8581 I would love to read that book.

[@allietyri]

I wanted to leave a comment rq, not about this video alone in particular, but all of them! I've been binging most of your content recently, and you really helped shape how I should critically think about my own fantasy world. So thank you for both the feedback and the content!

[@ReadswithRachel]

I am so glad you found them helpful!

[@JulianGreystoke]

Living for all the Buffy clips lol

[@JulianGreystoke]

Man, this would have been awesome if vampires did have some type of persuasion powers, and she planned to use them on him. Then he's so willing that she doesn't, but everyone thinks she did. He could worry that she did, but still stand by her. Think of the drama!

[@idontknowwhatimdoingbro]

"ballad of songbirds and saints" "no!" I'm wheezing 😂

[@chatswithvivi]

It always cracks me up when you show the Goodreads screenshot and your 1 star rating is visible in the bottom left 🤣 it really sets up the rest of the review

[@fluffel8485]

The title of the book really reminds of the title of one of the songs in the FE15 soundtrack: The Sacrifice and The Saint.

[@machinegods]

yay, shadows of valentia mentioned!

[@Allenxoxoxo]

Insta love is one of my least favorite tropes, right next to pregnancy and inc*st.

[@melowlw8638]

the fact that stuff like incest n pregnancy can be called "trope" for books or media is so strange to me 💀💀

[@AlbaPoulzen]

If the protagonist is a young person (max 25), I don't care if it's insta love because I remember falling in love all the time at that age 😂 But if I follow an adult protagonist, I expect them to know how love works.

[@crystalightz]

I can take instalove as long as they build the characters seperately and then show something in common that the two characters have to fall in love with eachother, any quality or their compatibility or similar problems that they're going through making them understand each other... just anything which will make their love make sense... like I can take that.. but atleast build your characters... Unlike this book.

[@crouchingidiot]

Human man x vampire woman is my favorite monster x human dynamic, but it’s never done perfect 😭🧛‍♀️

[@missmishka8379]

6:53 Superb use of a Lestat clip

[@melanieschwarz2181]

Tbh I didn’t even notice when you said Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes instead of the one you meant because THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME NOW 😫 I literally can’t distinguish these books anymore lmao

[@Kellyklienn]

This came at the perfect time! Currently plotting a vampire fantasy book and I’m taking your criticism and questions into my own work. I’m working hard to make sure my world makes sense and the romantic subplot feels natural and earned. (It’s also very queer. Keeping on theme with the history, heehee!)There’s a bunch of crap that I have had to think about and rework and world building to do but it’s so worth it. I would hate for my readers to think my world feels half-assed or the plot makes no sense. Especially since that’s a big part of fantasy to begin with and how my characters even make sense.

[@akisatsuki8444]

I'd read that. What's the title?

[@Kellyklienn]

@ still in the very beginning phases so no title yet. But the overall series name is called Primal. Can’t self promote so I won’t say much more than the fact it’s a fantasy, supernatural vampire book with elements of mystery, horror, and a bunch of political intrigue. Oh, and a few gays here and there ;)

[@CEMonaghanOfficial]

Nice! We really need to normalize making writers (and publishers) actually put the work in when it comes to stories.

[@marieblanchet4653]

literally the only character in this I actually liked is the maid. She really did try to get some blood to feed her even though she was scared! She should have had a bigger part, like if this story had happened over more time (they investigation took, what, a few hours???? the mom immediately folded and confessed??? what???) then the maid could have become friend with the vampire or something. It would have been cute. I'm going to stop now before I outline a 90k novel out of this lmao. 🧛‍♂

[@DumiNihi]

Radiance by grace draven is one of my all time favourite fantasy series.

[@jamiepx9]

Have you read Master of Crows series same author. I really liked that too

[@samanthagreene1286]

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco is a pretty good vampire book with romance. The plot does get kinda sidetracked for spice scenes sometimes but it has poly rep.

[@tsifirakiehl4250]

Honestly, the description of love interests tasting or smelling like abstract concepts bothers me. Like, maybe midnight has the world’s sexiest smell to the author, but a different person who associates times with smells might think midnight smells like cough drops and farts, and everyone who doesn’t have that specific form of synesthesia is just going to be really confused. If your description only makes sense to one specific person, it’s not a good description.

[@katerinamanzhur4462]

i dont like it with smell either, but specifically with vampires who are supernatural creatures i think its fun to play around how they taste blood. it can be disgustingly thick and iron and you can taste what they eat or wether they were ill or maybe you expirience the memories of the victim, like the summer days and midnight thrysts (?) were something the guy expirienced or was thinking about or something or the vampire expiriences it like sweet thick honey IDK IDK i dont think the author did it well, but since its supernatural magic you can be creative with it

[@Flareontoast]

I have a vampire in a story where I use his vampirism as an analogy for trauma and chronic illness and it's about, like, adapting to your 'new life' and finding community and such. The first time he meets his future love interest he is thoroughly baboomzled by how attractive he finds them, because he had been isolated for decades and not interacted with people. I feel reassured that my vampire story that has like four paragraps and a few pages of notes feels somewhat competent in comparison to those books. Then again, I don't write romantasy so it might be a genre thing

[@postpenultimate5777]

As far as the disconnect in the mother's behavior, I can see it resulting from a failure to establish that the crying episode was a common crocodile tears trick? Like perhaps the mother would often use bouts of fake hysteria to manipulate/guilt price what's-his-name? Maybe the author thought that was implied when he had to untangle himself from her? That's the only explanation I've got lol

[@Tomorrow_lauren]

🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️ I read 2 vampire books (both queer!) this year that I *LOVED* - Heart of Stone (reminded me of Jane Austen, if she wrote incredibly romantic, yearning gay vampires) and This Ravenous Fate (black queer women in 1920s Harlem/Prohibition era).

[@stephanieraylove]

While you were talking I was like OMG Rachel read Radiance! Lol ugh that book literally made me laugh out loud it was so cute

[@seraphonica]

if you think you're writing a romance, and you don't think it's necessary to show the wedding between the main characters on page... are you REALLY writing a romance?

[@seraphonica]

like not saying all romances demand a wedding... but if the wedding exists is a thing but not worth showing... are these not your main characters, or is this not a romance?

[@jasminv8653]

It really feels like this author has never read actual books of any genre before. No understanding of mystery tropes or plot beats, no point in it as a romance plot, and not even a good vampire gothic pulp feast. Absolutely bizarre.

[@pauieeepau]

This was compared to Underworld, one of my fave movies that altered my brain chemistry? I'm so scared already.

[@jessicadoneganreads]

Listening while doing chores and had to stop to look at the screen because I was like "wait, didn't Ali Hazelwood write this, and hasn't Rachel already reviewed that?" 🤣 I appreciate your service because it couldn't be me.

[@soavezefiretto]

"Radiance" is really good, I don't usually read romance and/or fantasy, but I enjoyed it a lot. I'd love for you to make a video with your thoughts.

[@ferretly]

not the grammatical error in the blurb 💀

[@Louves192]

I had to rewind a couple of times to make sure I didn't miss anything. It sounds like a chunk of the story is missing. They JUST MET.

[@Multi-Facets]

I might be giving the writer too much credit, but I’d like to think that maybe the main characters have been prepped for a marriage like this at some point, so they’ve come to terms and resolved to make the best of it. I saw something similar in the book “Catherine, Called Birdy”; Catherine was originally in an arranged marriage with a much older man, but when he died, the engagement was transferred to his son, who had a good reputation and sent Catherine a thoughtful gift after the news of the new engagement, so Catherine decided to give him a chance, writing “I am prepared to love him.”

[@patriciagoncalves165]

booktok romantasy = shitty book in every possible way

[@tmd_95]

I LOVE "fiddling with the clam", please keep using it

[@alyxbarter3155]

Alarm bangs, the hand in hand they go to face their future, the lack of keeping track of characters, makes me wonder if AI was involved in this 😬

[@coffeepotoo]

me hearing the synopsis: oh that doesn't sound too bad me with every minute of the video that passes: oh nevermind

[@a.rude.person]

Any day Rachel posts is a good day

[@isaacbenrubi9613]

I'm gonna write a book called "The Sacrifice and the Spare Tire" so I can create a sentient-object romance about the ritual sacrifice of a sexy spare tire from the back of a Jeep. No. It doesn't make sense. What are you trying to say? 🧛‍♂️

[@SofieLoaf]

51:30 - We'll use the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

[@authorjenn]

KZbin is so wacky with their censorship rules. You're one of the best book reviewers. You should be able to talk however you like on here. Either way, good review as always.

[@ryrydh]

The second Rachel slipped and said “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” I’m slamming on the brakes of my car going “wait wait wait I don’t remember this in the book or the movie!”😂😂😂

[@rrs1576]

17:42 Not me immediately thinking 'I don't remember that part of the book' 😅

[@rae3781]

I immediately had to go like "huh???? What???"

[@Feral_Shadows]

As you pointed out, so much of this plotline with the arranged marriage with a spare prince and two different species of people sounds so much like 'Radiance' by Grace Draven, but just done in a speed run and bad. I'm at 72% of Radiance and I really love the slow build between them with a lot of exploration of their feelings towards the situation, each other, and the world around them and the deep respect they have for one another. I hope you do a review of that one and that you are enjoying it.

[@catinthe]

I just started Radiance, too! It feels like actual thought has been put into it (so far), which seems tragically rare in the romantasy scene. Can't wait to hear the rest of your thoughts. Also, the Buffy cuts had me rolling.

[@santiago-n2b3y]

i just wanted to point out that i did nothing wrong, i wasnt even in the book

[@ReadswithRachel]

I am DECEASED

[@study_a_latte]

Your eye make-up today, Rachel is SO BEAUTIFUL.

[@Kruhee]

The phrase 'the predator he made his wife'... I feel like this could’ve been reworked a little. I feel like that _should_ have been reworked.

[@eveellisen]

I literally read it a decade ago, but as soon as you started complaining about them not meeting before the wedding, I *immediately* thought of _Radiance_ !

[@TBCaine]

"fiddling with the clam" now Rachel....

[@ReadswithRachel]

LISTEN I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS WRONG I BEG CLAM-ENCY

[@kbird6208]

You yelling at yourself was hilarious 😂

[@appelsinpiken]

🧄🧄🧄I admire your dedication to the bit with "fiddling with the clam". Also, I was never very much into vampires, yet I've red quite a few vampire romances (and not-vampire yet somehow blood sucking was still involved and was a crucial part of the lore...) and there is always a scene of rather vigorous romping with blood drinking and my brain apparently draws the line there. How is nobody getting their throats ripped out with all that thrusting/pistoning/rutting? That's impossible! Yeah, ✨THAT'S✨ impossible... To some point I liked Elise Kova's "A Duel with the Vampire Lord" for the lore and general world building, but it was so overwritten that I ended up wanting to throw my kindle against the wall. So I guess that's not an actual recommendation 😂.

[@Marie45610]

🧛‍♀ Edit: I was trying to think of a good Vampire romance that I've read, and I can't think of one. But a book that I read that has a sort of romance/flirtation with a vampire character but isn't a romance is City of Nightmares and Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer. It's hard to classify.

[@G.K.Mantell]

"Fiddlin' with the clam" 💀 That just made my entire day 😂😂😂

[@darienwithers2033]

Wow hes litarally a spare tire

[@ReadswithRachel]

Certainly has all the personality of one

[@rayner.6010]

I LOVE RADIANCE. I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE READING IT!

[@roselover411]

the number of buffy clips in this are hilarious, thank you for your hard work XD

[@Amnic2017]

May I offer "flicking the bean" for your euphemism collection 😂

[@PistachioGold]

I cackled at every Spike usage😂😂 🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️ Rachel thank you again for readig these books so we dont have to ❤❤

[@marywren3998]

I haven't read a ballad of songbirds and snakes yet so when you said that i was LOST

[@fionamclary7631]

43:18 🎶 the wrist bone's connected to the hand bone 🎶

[@tsi_lusine]

I feel like the title would be snappier if it was _The Spare and The Sacrifice_

[@theweyrd]

I credit my ADHD and terminal millenialism for recognising each and every Buffy clip just by sound. 😂 You made my day today.

[@emma-i-322]

you had me so confused about ballad of songbirds and snakes for a second lol, i did NOT remember that part

[@ImaginaryAlchemist]

I recently read that book and it really confused me as well

[@kaylacakes455]

"Before the new moon." Which one? There's 7 of them.

[@KRUKOLIBIDINOUS]

An incredible short read I just finished while sobbing, was 'This Impossible Brightness' INSANELY good

[@ImaginaryAlchemist]

52:37 I recently read Alix E. Harrow’s Once and Future Witches and really enjoyed it! If you’ve read it I’ve love to hear your thoughts on it 🧛🏻‍♀️

[@ace_writergirl]

The vampire cut scenes are *chef's kiss*

[@chrismckenzie3414]

No part of this political marriage makes sense! What were the humans supposed to be getting out of it? Why are they not concerned about fall out should the vampire bride be killed? (Or just die, since, as you point out, they had no plan to feed her.) The human land seems to be the powerful one, but how, why...and in that case, why would they ever agree to this marriage in the first place? The set up just makes my brain hurt.

[@ShadowDawn]

The Buffy clips? Chef's kiss.

[@missmishka8379]

Just because I have not told enough people, Jemma Croft's "By the Pint" is a m/m vampire romance that will likely be my favorite read of 2024. It's a bit contemporary urban fantasy that succeeds in all the ways this failed. TIL (total identity loss) is a thing in By the Pint where humans forget everything when they turn, too, but it's so well used & such a point of angst in the story. Dima, a 600+ year old vampire who quilts, reads minds & has telekinesis, falls in love with Casey. Casey is a 39 year old human, former " wingball" player known for his temper who has always wanted to be a vampire & can somehow also read minds when that's usually a vampire or other creature thing, like the fae. Casey does not mean to fall in love with Dima because he plans on becoming a vampire & knows he'll forget all about Dima & may be so changed as a vampire that he'll hate Dima. There's a whole like medical/government process to becoming a vampire & Casey has been waiting for his time for 13 years & when he is finally approved will he do it to fulfill a lifelong ambition or pass it up for a love he never expected to have? The book is 427 pages. It has all the character and relationship building you could ask for. World building is a little weak as it mostly feels like our modern day until someone mentions the three moons or Eight and a Half Kingdoms, BUT this is book 3 in a series & I have not read the first 2 (m/f stories) yet, so the world building could be there. This installment stands alone, though, & I loved it so much. 5 starred, got the ebook free on Amazon during a promotion the author took part in & I've ordered the paperback because I will 💯 be revisiting parts in the future. And not spicy scenes, because there's more thinking about it than doing it on page. The fun & comfy scenes like Dima using telekinesis to cheat at mini golf or the pair watching wingball on tv while Dima works on a quilt. It's not perfect, not everyone may love it as I do, but by Gods do I recommend it if you're looking for a better vampire romance than this.

[@Teajay21]

I went looking for this because it sounds like I would enjoy it but I can't find it, is it an Amazon only?

[@missmishka8379]

@Teajay21 it's available on Kindle Unlimited, so it may be restricted to Amazon for the ebook. They also have the paperback, which is where I got the physical copy, but you may be able to buy the paperback elsewhere.

[@kay12]

It makes me SO HAPPY to know you are a Buffy fan as well.

[@adelakotkova7331]

maybe i should download and edit the vampire romance i published on ao3 when i was 14 since it apparently sells

[@KnitPurlPrint]

When you go to a family gathering with your significant other and they don't respect your dietary restrictions 👍

[@Mochiball10]

There’s a vampire romance book called Kiss Of Night by Debbie Viguie that’s supposed to be “Christian”. I read it years ago and though a “Christian” vampire romance is odd, I remember enjoying it at the time! The series focuses mostly on plot and character development and is more conservative when it comes to the “spice”. Overall it’s an interesting spin on vampire romance lol

[@kikikiera2506]

I’m watching this on my tv but opened up my app so I could comment at how hard I laughed when you said ballad of song bird and snakes, cut to “no. No it’s not??” 😂😂

[@thevillainofthisstory]

I was fully imagining Serpent and the Wings of Night when you said Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I knew what you meant and didn't even question the wrong title 😅

[@fallun9678]

I feel like the murder mystery originally had a different ending, and when they retconned things to make sense with the ending they missed the mom's first scene

[@beea4014]

Wait this book actually managed to surprise me! The guys ISNT the one who’s a vampire?

[@starophie]

rachel: explains that character is named "farrow" not "pharaoh" youtube auto captions: "pharaoh pharaoh pharaoh" lmao

[@21loverose]

Hello and thanks for sharing ☺️