Loud as Bones

The writing was lyrical, but it often felt so focused on the prose that the story became disjointed and the momentum suffered. I also struggled to connect with the main character, whose emotions and motivations felt underdeveloped.

I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author. I sat down to start this, and ended up finishing it in a single sitting. It reminded me of a Dowry Of Blood in a way. But ooh this writing style is so good

Escrita e história precisa de melhoramento.

Um yes. Read this book. At first, I wasn't sure if it was for me, but I'm so glad I kept reading. DG does not disappoint. Its gory, mysterious, and the twist and turns keep you guessing.

Iris’ life as she knows it is decimated when two impossibly deadly intruders enter the isolated estate she shares with her girlfriend in the middle of the night. Killing her girlfriend is only the first course of terror they will inflict upon her in the long months to come. This book is 150 pages of despair with no relief so strap in. It’s literally my worst nightmare (home invasion) but make it vampires. 🧛‍♂️ Gunnar and Ophelia have all the classic vamp traits we reach for these stories for - sadism, cruelty, insatiable thirsts both for blood and each other - and this story focuses on their psychological (among other forms of) torture of Iris. The pair initially appear as an impenetrable front but I absolutely loved how the further Gunnar’s character was explored, it exposed the power imbalance between him and Ophelia, who is also not who she seems. All three main characters are incredibly well fleshed out and none of their individual arcs are sacrificed to further the plot/the other characters which I REALLY appreciate. The title, Loud as Bones, refers to a room of skulls Gunnar has lugged around for centuries, each belonging to a companion he has outlived, and Iris finds they have ability to communicate with her not that they have anything good to say. I absolutely LOVED this concept and the unique take on what human souls can attach to when their life ends. No spoilers but the epilogue I- 🫢 This novella is genuinely stunning to read!! It swallowed me whole with the rich the atmosphere was, I could smell that forsaken rotting house!! 😷

Wow, wow, wow. This is the 3rd ARC book I’ve received from DG Woods and I am absolutely floored. This book was terrifying and beautiful. Very well written, exploring the meaning of what it means to truly love and be loved, but also how loneliness can drive people to do mad things. With spooky season right around the corner this is the perfect book to get you in the mood. Thank you again DG Woods for blessings us again with an amazing book! Can’t wait for the next one !

Loud as Bones is a haunting, gothic vibes, unique vampire story. Iris loses the love of her life to two vampires and becomes their plaything, trapped in the house she shared with her partner. The rooms are filled with bones and the house reeks of death, blood, and despair. The skulls in the house carry memories though and as Iris is spiraling with the life she has to live now and what she's becoming, she can hear the bones speaking to her, telling their story. The story is fairly short but beautifully written and absolutely captivating. There was just enough gore to make the story entertaining without making it gruesome. I actually thought that she was going to end up with Gunnar so the twist caught me really off guard. I loved the way this ended, with Iris and Sylvie's bones. The story was unique and unlike any vampire story I've read before. If you want something dark with gothic vibes and an unsettling, eerie feel.. definitely give this one a read!!

omg. OMG. i haven’t read anything this deeply uncomfortable, depraved, and violent in a hot minute. gothic house. decay, melancholy, death, destruction, praying to false gods or a God not believed in. it’s erotic but cruel. it’s disjointed love and cruel lust. the cutting and taking of blood can be (and should be) a euphemism for sexual violence. some lovely moments of prose right alongside some heavy handed purple. female rage. feminist horror. obsession and oppression. self destruction and self discovery. UNHINGED WOMEN. womanhood. loved this, adored this. content & trigger warnings: ★~ cw/tw // can be seen as spoilers abandonment, abuse, amputation, animal cruelty/death, anxiety, blood, body horror, cannibalism, cheating, confinement, drowning, gore, grief, grooming, injury, rape (mention and on page), sexual assault, suicidal ideation, torture, violence, vomit, toxic relationship

The real vampire book you’ve been waiting for, no capes or sparkling skin, just blood, horror, and the threat of eternal life. Surreal, disturbed, sexy, and atmospheric. A story of tortured love, loss, and desperation. D.G. Woods keeps you on your toes till the very end, because love is more than bone deep and these bones speak.

Books about vampires have a special place in my heart (and mind, of course). But these days I have trouble finding ones that I won’t drop after a few chapters. Some of them are too silly and lovey-dovey (yeah, I’m a “Twilight” hater, don’t mind me), some are just plain boring, some have awful writing and are boring. But this one, oh, this one made me so happy with all its gore and beauty. Like something rotten (probably meat) and delicious at the same time. Well, obviously, it’s very well written, and a huge special thanks goes to the Morpheus mention – this guy is surely underappreciated nowadays. But also, all the scenes were so gorgeously cruel and dark that they turned into pure poetry. I may sound like a simp, but, well, it is what it is. I didn’t have trouble bonding with the characters – I simply didn’t need to. It’s this type of book where you don’t have to sympathize with anyone in order to like it. I was captivated by the story itself, by the beauty of the language, and I just wanted to know what happened next. So Agatha/Iris, Ophelia, Gunnar, Silvy – they all were awful and fascinating at the same time, and I truly appreciate that the author didn’t try to tell me what’s good and what’s evil. Another great thing about the story is that all the Chekhov’s guns were planted neatly and paid off exactly when they needed to. I saw them coming, and that made the experience even more joyful. So to be precise – I haven’t read anything like this for a while, and now I want to have a printed copy for my bookshelf – it’d perfectly fill the space beside “Lost Souls”.