You had me at "Anna Burke (has a new book out)"
It didn't take much for me to want to read this book. Just that Anna Burke wrote it. I didn't read the full title of the book or notice the cover details nor did I read the synopsis, until after I finished it. The four (now five) books by Burke I've read so far have been such excellent reading that seeing her name on an upcoming title is enough for me.
Going into the book blind (not reading the synopsis, not knowing the genre etc) gave me a few extra suspicions and questions from the outset of the story about things that are mentioned in the synopsis but, on reflection that put me on a level of discovery right alongside main character Clara. I was questioning and realizing before her in some cases but for the most part, her reactions were perhaps even more visceral to read because they aligned with mine. I loved the parallel storylines of Clara's present day work cataloguing artifacts and the story those artifacts unfurled in fragments or strings of narrative from the past. That and the mysterious nature of the story kept me interested and on the edge of my seat, reading later than I expected to thanks to a doozy (or two) of a chapter ending cliffhanger. I knew as soon as I finished the book that a re-read was in order because the clues and breadcrumbs to the secrets and mysteries of the story are in there but I didn't catch all of them in a first reading, not knowing what details would be key information later on or how they'd fit together. This is the kind of story I believe will hold up well even after multiple readings, with different details being more apparent each time; it's a vast multilayered story so very well written and told. Be sure to read the acknowledgments (after you've read the story) for some useful info and make use of the endnotes peppered into the story as part of Clara's work; the latter add a layer of authenticity that further sells this fantastical story. Some of the characters were very unsettling but also believable and the relationships between them are understandably complex. I didn't expect to change my opinion of some characters and yet author Burke steered me to sympathy where it seemed an impossibility beforehand. You may find yourself giving side eye to plants and flowers (and other livings things) for a while after reading this book and pondering the pros and cons of historical artifacts being kept in private collections.
This story is a really wild trip so curl up in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage (your choice of beverage may change as you read) and enjoy the enthralling ride. I highly recommend this book and the author's work in general for the quality writing and highly satisfying storytelling. I look forward to reading whatever Anna Burke publishes next as well as catching up on already published titles I have not yet read, and re-reading this one again as soon as I am able to.

Award-winning author Anna Burke delivers the shivers in this daring queer dark fantasy romance teeming with sensuous vampires, dark academia, plant horrors, and terrifying fungal fae.

I'm not a huge fan of dark romance but this book really did it for me. It was well-written, the plot was interesting, and the characters felt real.

📚In The Roses Of Pieria by @annaburkeauthor
3/5⭐️
Available on 22nd August 2023
Publisher @bywaterbooks
-
May contain spoilers (even though I tried not to)
————————————

Clara character at the beginning was a bit of a bore. We don’t have much background information other than her passion for nektopolis, which is what we see from her meanly. We don’t get to see a lot of her life outside her study. This however, seems fitting for Clara has her study is most likely her life and that’s all she ever doing.

Her relationship with Fiadh seemed a bit rushed in the beginning with not much going on between them other then the small walks to the library and back, but hey that’s have some relationships start by doing something small over and over again

The plot and storyline took a while to get going. I understand that we needed context about the letters but it could have been a little bit more interesting at the beginning. However, at the end it seemed to get better but that was in the last 100 or so pages. So I tell this could make some readers to stop reading before the real action start to happen. And because of that the action and the important stuff happens really fast and if you misread something it maybe confessing later on. Overall, I liked the story and the idea and theories that could happen in the next book. This is definitely a good first book in a series that could have amazing world building.

Overall I would recommend this book to a friend.

Mind blown!!

If you have read Anna Burke's books before, you know they will always go beyond your expectations. This book is so much more than what the blurb has revealed. Even though I received an ARC that requires a review, I highly recommend avoiding any reviews and diving into the book blind for the whole experience.

The story is full of mystery in the first few chapters, and I have no idea where it's leading me. But before I knew it, I couldn't put this book down. Anna Burke's writing style is brilliant in so many ways. Her story pacing is patient and every storyline has been crafted delicately. It's an amazing read and I hope there's a sequel soon!

Thank you to Bywater Books/Independent Book Publishers Association and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

Dark academia, research into an ancient civilization as observed through the lens of letters exchanged between two immortals over the centuries intertwined with a modern-day sapphic story, and underpinned with a slow, creeping sense of horror? And also there are cats everywhere? Unparalleled reading experience. If I could give this book 10/5 stars I would.

You know how when you're reading a book and within the first chapter you just Know it's going to be something special? Yea that's how I felt about this book. There has never been a book that was more tailored to fit my tastes. As a PhD student currently, everything about Clara Eden as a character was so incredibly relatable, from her desire to learn everything she can about her field (knowledge for knowledge's sake) to being utterly burned out from the pressures of academia (publish or perish, being completely broke, etc etc) and yet still being so drawn into that world and finding comfort in it still (the way her campus and library are places of comfort for her despite also having so many stressful and terrible experiences there oh my GOD don't come for me like that), to her fury and determination to publish and spread what she's learned as far as she can. I just don't have the words for how much her character rings true for me, although I am in a very different field of research. The way that Clara nerds out over history and Nektopolis is exactly the way I nerd out over my interests, and it was so lovely to see that part of academia and research reflected in a positive light. I honestly forgot sometimes that Nektopolis wasn't real and caught myself thinking about questions I would ask Clara if I had the chance. She felt so real to me, I'm still disappointed I can't actually have a conversation with her (the irony of this given the plot of this book is not lost on me).

Speaking of my area of interest, I am going to need an entire textbook on the biology of the creatures in this book ESPECIALLY those fungal fae. Anna Burke, I want to know every single detail of how you came up with that idea; it's so unique and endlessly fascinating and I need to know everything about them. I just love when magic and fantasy elements are grounded in reality and science. I wish there were more books like that. I'm so excited to see more of this plot unfold and to learn more about the fae in future books. I could honestly write essays about this book.

Anna Burke's prose is haunting and unforgettable- I absolutely cannot wait for the next book but in the meantime I'm going to devour everything else she's ever written.

thank you netgalley for the arc yippee!

"in the roses of pieria" was an excellent read, this is the first book i've read by this author and i was hooked from the start!

the plot seemed interesting from the start, with clara (mc) being a scholar and focusing on a (fictional) city state of nektropolis. with my current education and the field of my degree, i thought that detail was incredibly well done, and i was invested in the history of nektropolis just as much as i was invested in the plot of the actual book. i loved the translated letters between gata and natek as an element of the plot, i found myself just as obsessed with getting the answers and reading what happened next as clara seemed to be.

all of the characters were so interesting, not only clara but fiadh, agatha, and even later characters that get introduced. the take on different fantasy elements and folklores was well done, and i hadn't expected plants and fungi to play such an interesting role later in the book until i got to that point!

all in all, it was an excellent book and well worth the read. i would absolutely recommend reading it, whether you can get your hands on an arc or if you wait until it releases next month (august 22nd!)

i love books about lesbians and vampires and lesbian vampires!

5 Stars
Great read with an amazing plot and characters. was interested throughout the whole book, not a huge fan of dark fantasy romance books but this was amazing 👍

Originally I was intimidated by the longer chapters, but this book had the perfect mixture of romance, fantasy and thrill to it. It kept me captivated for the entirety of the story, and threw twists I didn't see coming.
The language of the story was both beautifully written, and captivating.
I cannot wait for another instalment.

The book is a perfect blend of dark academia, fantasy along with a nice romantic subplot & a cliffhanger endingthat makes the reader anticipate the sequel. Highly recommended!