#six deaths of the saint

[phaedraismyusername]

Do you have any book recs for someone in a reading slump? I always had a book out from the library when I was at school, but fell out of the habit and want to get back into it!

Personally when I find myself in a slump I tend to go for short books and novellas to try and avoid that mid-book slog that can happen when I'm not feeling motivated lol

Some excellent fast reads for me were

- Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E Harrow it's only 33 pages and it is legitimately one of the best stories I've ever read lol

- This Is How You Lose The Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar is less than 200 pages and has some of the most romantic language I've ever read if, like me, you live for the yearning lol

- Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W Moniz is a collection of short stories that comes in around 200 pages and has some of my favourite contemporary lit fic stories I've ever read mostly surrounding the Black female experience in Florida. Just the range and quality of writing are just *perfect*

- The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo currently has 5 or 6 books around 120 pages each and are all excellent examples of Asian inspired high fantasy and are real love letters to storytelling in all its forms (the second one is my favourite though I love the tigers lol)

- Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells are a great choice if you like Sci-Fi, the first one All Systems Red is 150 pages and surprisingly funny and heartwarming considering the name lol. I think a couple of the books are full length novels but the first one at least definitely isn't

- or, if you're more of a horror girlie, Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones, Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum, The Country Will Bring Us No Peace by Matthieu Simard, and Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris are all dark weird little 100 page stories that I ate up in one sitting

Hopefully there's something on this list that appeals to you because slumps are so tough to be in and push through so I hope you you find something that helps soon 😩❤️

[morverenmaybewrites]

I'm about to lose it— Is this not just perfect for all of the suffering blorbos? The ones who have faced so much hardship that their skin has all but turned to iron? The ones who have fought for so long and so hard that they have forgotten what peace is like? Does this not perfectly encapsulate the moment when the reader finally reminds them that they are still human? I'm crying—

[Transcript of the highlighted part: (he) pulled you down beside him in the tall grass and touched you in that heady, secret way that transformed the brutal weapon of your body into mere flesh.]

[bookblr-of-nightingale]

The Six Deaths of The Saint by Alix E. Harrow

[a-tatter-of-crows]

A playlist for the searing imagery of the silent, wild-eyed adversary from The Six Deaths of the Saint, by Alix E. Harrow.

[chalceisdone]

Six Deaths of the Saint is like fanfiction for those people who are too scared to actually go on AO3. That's it, that's how I'm recommending it to my friends. I want to see their hearts destroyed.

[twilightroses]

hot girl reads or whatever

[evvvangeline44]

'I would rather love a coward than mourn a legend' but its pandora to regulus

[mirefireflies]

interview with the vampire & the six deaths of the saint

[aroaessidhe]

faves of 2023: short stories & novellas

Emergent Properties

Mammoths at the Gates

Spear

The Faerie Hounds of York

Feed Them Silence

The Lies of the Ajungo 

D.I.Y.

The Collection Awakens

Untethered Sky

The Six Deaths of the Saint

Muneera and the Moon

Babylove

[beingharsh]

You saw yourself as an unholy triptych, three into one, one into three: she the girl, you the Devil, and I the Saint. And you understood, finally, that there had never truly been a she or a you but only a terrible, lonely I.

The Six Deaths of the Saint, Alix E. Harrow

[avas-poltergeist]

[the-helena-files]

🕯️Recent Reads🕯️

I wasn't sure if I should do another one of these until the end of the month, but I feel my memory deteriorating, so here we go. There will be no major spoilers for the books, just me yapping.

🎨 Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I unconsciously created a one classic a month tradition I guess. This one is a classic for good reason, the writing is tasty and interesting, although everytime I had to read Lord Henry's dialogue I immediately considered DNFing it. Speaks to the worldwide experience of having to sit near an insufferable man at an event and have everyone around you act like the guy is a genius for simply not shutting the fuck up. Four Stars.

🗡️ The six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

This short story was recommended to me by everyone and their mothers. I was skeptical, cause it was like, 30 pages, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I was wrong and now I'm forever hurt, but in a good way. Five Stars.

👐 Undercover by Tamsyn Muir

I have read the entire locked tomb saga and it's one of my favorite book series of all time, so I saw a short story by Tamsyn Muir and got curious. Inside of this 60ish pages there's everything this author is known for doing: toxic lesbians, undead people and an unreliable narrator. Tmuir is also known for sneaking memes into her books but I couldn't find any in Undercover. Anyway, Four Stars.

🐦‍⬛ Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

For a start, I think it would be important for me to say that I haven't read Shadow and Bone and this was my introduction to the Grishaverse, and I think that was for the best. I really liked the setting and the universe, the characters actually made me care, and the dose of romance was just the right amount. Five Stars.

💐 Perfume by Patrick Suskind

This is a weird and funny book. At least I found it very funny because the situations are yes, very dark, but so absurd I couldn't help myself. If you like reading about nasty and gross people that meet terrible endings, this is a book for you. I heard from a friend that the ending was considered shocking for the time, I particularly though this was the best way a book like this could end. Five Stars.

🐦‍⬛ Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Sequels of good books always makes me nervous that they won't live up to the original, but this one really feels like a solid extension. I haven't cried over book characters for 7 years. I cried reading this. Five Stars, and I'm debating reading Shadow and Bone.

🌊 Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke

This is a weird one, but in a good way. There is this whole dark academia-esque decades old plot going on behind it, but our main character is just a sweet dude that loves his labyrinth and cares for the skeletons and birds there, he's just vibing. I love him. Four Stars.

I usually don't have any problems giving books a lower rating, but I do pick and choose carefully the books I want to read so I have a higher chance to like them, and this happened to be a really good couple of months. My askbox is open for recommendations, but it might take me some time for me to respond.

[emmrichs]

THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT by Alix E. Harrow

But you rose, as you always did, and you looked into the pool, as you always did. You saw yourself as a sickly child, and you understood once again who you were, and would be, and are now: a woman following her own footprints, a snake eating her own tail, forever.

[denndrawings]

GO READ THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT BY ALIX E HARROW. IT FEELS LIKE LISTENING FOR THE FIRST TIME TO AN ALBUM BY THE AMAZING DEVIL OR FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. ITS SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD. AND ITS ONLY 30 PAGES LONG BTW.

[boysofbooks]

And you found you did not mind being a devil, so long as you were his.

Alix E. Harrow, The Six Deaths of the Saint

[demure-ladys-library]

The Six Deaths of The Saint by Alix E. Harrow

If I was asked "Is it worth it?" I would definitely say yes. 5 out of 5 stars.

It is a really short story (like really) I'm talking about less than 30 pages. But despite being that short, It absolutely told the story.

I don't want to give in details since it is an absolutely short read and want other people to discover the contents themselves for the full reading experience but let me tell you this. It is gut-wrenching. I've provided inspiration pics based on my perspective about the book. I am at loss for words to say how this 30-paged story took my heart (and it still has it).

I definitely recommend this book and would love to have discussions about it.

I wish all of you a wonderful reading experience on this book

11:11pm // March 25,2024

~ Elizabeth