I read Bunny by Mona Awad and it was so bad that it put me in a reading slump for weeks. I then remembered that one of my favorite authors, Alexis Henderson, had recently released a new book, House of Hunger. Henderson’s other release, The Year of the Witching, was a five star read for me in 2021  so I was SURE her newest book would pull me out of my slump. Unfortunately, it was bad… really bad. This review will have spoilers.

I like to give a heat level rating for all books with romance. If you’re curious about my rating system, you can check it out here.

Synopsis:

WANTED – Bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life’s finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply.

A young woman is drawn into the upper echelons of a society where blood is power, in this dark and enthralling gothic novel from the author of The Year of the Witching.

Marion Shaw has been raised in the slums, where want and deprivation is all she knows. Despite longing to leave the city and its miseries, she has no real hope of escape until the day she spots a peculiar listing in the newspaper, seeking a bloodmaid.

Though she knows little about the far north–where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service–Marion applies to the position. In a matter of days, she finds herself the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger. There, Marion is swept into a world of dark debauchery–and at the center of it all is her.

Countess Lisavet, who presides over this hedonistic court, is loved and feared in equal measure. She takes a special interest in Marion. Lisavet is magnetic, and Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when her fellow bloodmaids begin to go missing in the night, Marion is thrust into a vicious game of cat and mouse. She’ll need to learn the rules of her new home–and fast–or its halls will soon become her grave.

My Thoughts:

• Rating- 
• Heat Level- 

I’m not mad at this book, just so disappointed. I expected (and hoped for) an atmospheric, Gothic vampire story. I guess you could say that House of Hunger falls into those categories but it’s the weakest version possible. For example, the vampires are so watered down. I am all about an author creating something new. I don’t believe that every vampire story needs to meet the same criteria BUT these vampires are pitiful. They don’t have fangs; they put pointed canine teeth over their own teeth. They don’t live forever. They’re not super strong. They really have no abilities or powers at all. They’re simply filthy rich humans that drink blood.

All of the characters were bland and forgettable. I read Henderson’s other book, The Year of the Witching, in 2021 and I can STILL tell you what happened. That book was so good and had such strong characters. I read this book a week ago and I have already forgotten the main character’s name…

As for the setting, it was the strongest part of the book but it still wasn’t great. The House of Hunger was well described but that was it. We’re told that in the North there are multiple grand estates where the nobles live and employ blood maids. I was hoping that these other households would play a part but nope. Almost the entire book takes place within the House of Hunger. I really don’t understand what the point was in even naming the other houses in the North.

This book read like a first or second draft. It could have been great if literally everything would have been elaborated on. I wanted more depth and drama but instead got the most pathetic vampires ever with a healthy dose of instalove.

Final Thoughts:

I really hate that this book didn’t do it for me but I am still excited to read whatever Alexis Henderson writes next. If you’ve read this book, let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading and have a great day!