Book Review: These Vile Hearts by Melody Robinette

[ID: a dark brown book with an illustration of a brown tree with green leaves and long roots that entwine with a dagger and an insulin syringe. A figure with ram horns emerges from one side with a teal winged figure emerging from the other. A red, anatomical heart sits at the center of the tree’s roots with silver wings or branches emerging from either side. “These Vile Hearts” is printed in yellow text. The book sits on another closed book with a brown leather cover on top of a teal skirt that sits on a gray wooden floor. Dark red carnations frame the book.]

Happy release to THESE VILE HEARTS by Melody Robinette! When I heard this adult fantasy book was about a woman with type 1 diabetes who makes a deal with a dryad queen to get healthcare and falls for a cursed prince, written by an author with diabetes, I couldn’t hit “request title” fast enough!

Thank you to the publishers for satisfying my craving with an early look at THESE VILE HEARTS. 

THESE VILE HEARTS follows the story of Maddox, a young woman type one diabetes who, pushed to the brink by a healthcare system that’s happy to leave her for dead, makes a pact with a dryad kill the Redwood King and be cured of the illness that threatens her life. She crosses paths with a cursed fae prince who has made his own pact to break his curse by making a mortal woman fall in love with him… 

My thoughts: One of the things I’ve been missing in the bookish world is diabetes representation and THESE VILE HEARTS completely delivers on fascinating, nuanced rep that makes you ponder and consider. While I don’t have diabetes myself, Maddox was EXTREMELY relatable. (Haven’t we all considered making a fae bargain for chronic illness care and accommodations?) 

I really appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from how broken the US medical system is and how exhausting it is to have diabetes. I feel like often we demand disability rep that’s “pretty” or only focuses on positive affirmation. I really appreciated how THESE VILE HEARTS let’s Maddox be messy, desperate, and passionate. 

The romance was also delicious and dramatic with plenty of shades of gray. I loved that both our main characters have it out for each other. Their cat and mouse game was entertaining to watch. 

THESE VILE HEARTS kept me awake at night demanding just one more page! The cliffhanger ending is absolutely brutal, but it sets the stage for what promises to be a fascinating sequel… I absolutely cannot wait and hope you all will give THESE VILE HEARTS a chance for a dramatic, entertaining read! 

Please note that this book contains mature themes including explicit sexual content, depictions of drugging, kidnaping, and enchanting women for abuse, childhood abuse, and medical trauma.