A Blog of Books and Tea

(Rattle the Stars PR ARC Review)

Tropes:

• Urban Fantasy
• Dark Academia
• British University
• Secret Magical World
• Found Family
• Paranormal Murder Mystery
• LGBTQ+ Rep
• Haunting Atmosphere (Horror)
• Coming of Age
• Slow-burn Romance
• No Spice
• No Cliff-hanger

Stars – 🫖🫖🫖🫖🫖

Synopsis –

Rose Walker has always been able to see the dead.

Determined to leave that part of her life behind, she accepts a scholarship to Banecroft University in England, far from her small, judgmental Colorado town. No one there knows about her gift—or the past she’s desperate to forget.

But when Rose’s roommate, Eleanor, dies under mysterious circumstances, her new beginning shatters. Haunted by Eleanor’s ghost and missing memories from the night of her death, Rose doesn’t know if her friend’s spirit seeks answers—or revenge.

Desperate for the truth, Rose teams up with Dawn, a fellow outcast with a knack for solving mysteries, and Val, a dangerously charming Mage Seeker who forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her abilities, and herself. But when another student is attacked, it’s clear that Eleanor’s death is just the beginning, and time is short.

In this supernatural mystery of self-discovery, first love, and ancient magic, Rose must face the hardest question of all:

Was it my fault, again?

Thoughts –

When initially started reading Death Becomes Her, I wasn’t in the correct headspace to read, so I just read a couple of pages a day. However, when I say this book pulled me OUT of my reading slump – It’s no joke! The magic system. The characters. The atmosphere. The ABSOLUTE nail-biting terror in certain scenes!! *Chef’s kiss*.

The magic system was truly unique, providing a welcome break from the traditional norms that often define the genre. I found myself deeply intrigued by the concept of “seeing” the deaths of others, and ghosts as a power; it brings a haunting yet captivating depth to the narrative. It’s a notion that carries a weight of empathy and reminds us that such experiences aren’t something we typically encounter in a fantasy setting.

I also loved the characters; the friendship between Rose and Dawn was beautiful. The way that both characters truly accepted one another for who they are to the point that Rose saw Dawn as the beautiful woman she is, and was completely unfazed when Dawn informed her that she was Transgender. I think this was a beautiful message of acceptance, and one that is needed in today’s society.

Now… Val… I’m not saying this man didn’t have some issues – ’cause he did! But I also understand that he has some obvious trauma that he needs to overcome. I didn’t like the way he hid certain details from Rose, but I get why he did. In his own way, he was trying to protect his little “rabbit” from the world she was inevitably thrust into. I really hope to see more of Val in the next book – he’s certainly intriguing.

Now I need to talk about the utterly creepy scenes… At one point I was laying in bed reading (at about 2am) and I got to a particular scene… When I say I had to TURN ON THE LIGHT to continue reading, I’m not kidding!! I had goosebumps and seriously felt like I was being watched. That kind of writing is brilliant and Ina did a fantastic job of writing in a way that made you literally FEEL the horror the characters were feeling. I bloody love it!

Overall I think this book was fantastic and would 1000% recommend it to anyone that enjoys a truly creepy murder mystery with engaging characters and witty banter. I cannot wait for book 2!