A huge thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have been a massive fan of Kelly Andrew's work since I first read THE WHISPERING DARK in 2023. The way she ties her disability and life experience into her books is really impactful to readers that might also be going through something similar. Generally I'm not a huge fan of body horror, but the way Kelly writes often makes me forget my fear for a second because I'm so engrossed in the story. I AM MADE OF DEATH was no different for me.

Despite this being a stand-alone book, you can tell it's still set in the same world as TWD and YBMB which I thought was nice. I love a good series of interconnected stand-alones—especially when my favorite characters make a cameo (looking at you Lane and Colton). Things that were set up in book one came more or less full circle here. Which means I'd recommend starting with THE WHISPERING DARK and ending with I AM MADE OF DEATH. That way you don't miss anything with the Easter eggs/cameos.

That said, I love the way Andrew really paints us a picture with her imagery. It's almost like we're right there with the characters going through everything with them. Which, let's be real, I don't think I'd survive in this book. 1. I yap way too much, 2. I can't fight for anything, so one punch and I'd probably be down for the count (unless I surprise myself, who knows), and 3. Thomas would have swept me off my feet immediately (though not as immediately as Colton or Pedyr—she really knows how to write a male love interest).

Thomas was an instant hit for me. Vivienne took a little to grow on me, but after learning her story and why she acted the way she did made me love her all the more. I can't imagine living with some sort of Eldritch horror inside of me. I don't think I'd have made it nearly as long as she did. Not when it felt like my insides weren't my own. But it makes sense as to why she tried pushing Thomas away; she didn't want to hurt him more than she had to. I also want to point out that the secret societies interwoven through these books is *chef's kiss*. Very Buffy. Very dark academia. VERY up my alley.

Overall, this was an absolute hit for me. It's a princess x bodyguard romance with a large dash of Eldritch horror. Andrew is the queer of lyric gothic prose and I will continue to scream about them until everyone I know reads them. Did I mention there's also two absolutely precious Dobermans that nothing bad happens to? No? Well there are. Molly and Judd are the real heroes here, lets be honest.