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Discordant Cultivation

Gale Ian Tate

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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Romance that rhymes with ruin; obsession's a song they're both fluent in. Vale tastes potential...

DARK Contemporary MM Horror Psychological

Merissa (13654 KP) rated Untouchable (Creekside Valley #1) in Books

Oct 17, 2025

Untouchable (Creekside Valley #1)

JT Fader | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

UNTOUCHABLE is the first book in the Creekside Valley series, and the first book by this author I have read. Please take note of the trigger warnings!

We start with a trio of friends moving from Metro City to Creekside Valley, trying to find peace in a world where they have all been mistreated and abused to varying degrees. Rory is the main character here, and was abused in horrible ways by his father and uncle from the age of eight. He hates being touched in any way, suffers from horrendous nightmares, and can't sleep unless he has a lock on the door (understandably!) On his first night in the new place, he meets Denver at the local food shop, which sparks a connection neither of them was looking for or ready for.

This is a fast-paced story where I will admit some things didn't make much sense to me. I get how Rory is able to have Denver touch him (because of the dreams), but for it to be so quickly, with no outside (therapy) help? And to work in a crowded restaurant? How the hell is he supposed to do his job without someone accidentally bumping into him? Maybe I'm nitpicking, but this stood out to me.

This is a dark story with plenty of flashbacks, so please look after yourself first. If you are reading a book about a bear shifter omegaverse, then your reality is already suspended, which works well for this story! I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 17, 2025

Kudos

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Black Bird of the Gallows in Books

Jan 23, 2020

Black Bird of the Gallows

Meg Kassel | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.
"I'm going to sleep!” says reviewer, as she furiously types on the keyboard. The next time she looks up, an hour has passed, leaving her with one less hour of sleep and an 8 am class looming closer.

Obviously, I am a complete night owl because all of my decent reviews (aka my usual self and not some half hearted attempt of I THINK THIS IS A REVIEW BUT MY BRAIN IS CRYING SO I GIVE UP *presses schedule*) are all written after all the other souls in the house are sleeping soundly.

There's only one other soul 99% of the time.

Also, I read this weeks ago and completely forgot about the release date being last week, so I started writing other reviews and reading other books and poor Meg Kassel’s debut just sat there crying at me silently, “Are you going to review me?”
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Five Things about Black Bird of the Gallows</h3>
At the same time, I had high expectations for Kassel’s debut novel, I also didn't, for some weird and odd reason my brain won't conjure up (the brain is strange, very strange). Here are some things to be aware of before/when picking up the book:

Death is a theme, but used differently - the few novels I've read with a death theme always have something in common: there's probably a grim reaper, and the grim reaper collects souls. Kassel uses a similar theme, but it's not the exact same theme. Honestly, I'm curious if this has mythology ties - is it okay if I kind of regret dropping myth and folklore senior year? I sacrificed it for college credit in speech instead (that's okay, right?).

I am in love with gorgeous lines, and Kassel delivers - I mean, they're not enough that I want to draw them (this is a rare thing to happen), but there are lovely lines and descriptions! And there's humor. I think I enjoyed the humor more often.
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Suddenly, I notice the light steam coming off his skin—the same coming from my mouth when I speak. It feels like I’m sitting next to an attractive, boy-shaped wood stove.</blockquote>
There's a music aspect - As a once upon a violin player, music is important! Okay, maybe not important in my life as much as books are, but music books are cute. Music plays a major role in Black Bird of the Gallows when it comes to character development. When we first meet Angie, she's not as confident with her music as she eventually becomes later in the book.

 Birds! (Okay, Crows) - It's probably a bad idea for me to read another book involving birds after Shatter Me, but I'm fine with birds in this one. The crows are also one of my favorite parts of the book - the crows aren't directly involved with death, but they play a role as well.

It gets dark - Black Bird of the Gallows might be less dark at the beginning, but it gets dark, VERY dark near the end. (Secretly my evil little heart likes this. I'm worried.)

Overall: Black Bird of the Gallows is perfect for those who enjoy books about death but are looking for something different than what we usually see.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/black-bird-of-gallows-by-meg-kassel-arc-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>