A review by soulfullyalex
The Nightstalker's Mark by Joachim Heijndermans

challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really wanted to love this book but it unfortunately just really wasn't for me. It very much focuses on the toxic relationship of the Carm and Adri. 

This is very much a me problem. I went into it expecting something else and what it gave me wasn't that. I think lots of people would love this and I probably would have loved it more if I had different expectations of it going in. But, it wasn't what I was expecting and that threw me off. The vibes were not what I had anticipated from the start so I spent some of it just trying to figure out why I was feeling the way I was about it. 

Vampires are something I adore in books and I did enjoy the vampire lore that was used within the story. It was different and lore that I don't often see in modern vampire books, so it felt fresh. 

This is a very dark book. There's a lot of abuse and trauma going on here. Some of the characters are just not likeable at all. 

One thing i really didnt like was that the sex scenes, while i could justify didn't really feel necessary to the story. In my opinion the story could have been told without so many, especially for such a short book. It wasn't bad in the least and it didn't feel cringy, it just wasnt something that i felt was useful or necessary in terms of the amount within such a short book.


I think if you like dark, toxic relationships, characters working to overcome their trauma and you can stomach all the gore, this would be a good read for you. 

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