It's a shame that Phillip is the only one that gets any sort of true character development. Wycliffe, Adeline's brother and one of Phillip's previous marks, is at first as recklessly vengeful but quickly spirals into selfish, weak observer. Lucent, a former partner in crime, we get only hints of outside of his relationship to Phillip. His character arc changes with the wind so that you feel neither anger nor sympathy towards him by the end. Adeline even has a line that sums up her issue: "I don't think you really see me; you see what you want to see instead." Yet the reader can only take what they are given. As for Madame Beatrice, she is painted as a fearsome, untouchable crime boss, but emerges less than intimidating. All talk and no bite it seems. She is subdued so easily that it's a surprise she even lasted as long as she did.

It's safe to say that Part 1 is solid. The characters and plot are established, Phyllis finds their truth as Phillip, Wycliffe is on the prowl, Adeline takes control of her kidnapper, and we're given glimpses into their fantastical world. Part 2 is disjointed, rushed and unfulfilling. There's simply not enough pages for what the author has designed. It deserves proper world building and justice for its colorful cast. But I adored its moments of dark humor and was wholly invested in Phillip's emotional trans journey. This one probably should've been given a three star for its awkward pacing, but it was so delightful and charming in many ways that it earned another half.

This is a really weird book and despite being on the shorter end of things, it has a wild, jam packed plot (these are compliments by the way). Phyllis is a young person with an unusual gift: Phyllis can remove people's body parts. So she (it's complicated because spoiler Phillip is trans and transitions part way through the book but he presents with she as Phyllis through the first half so I am trying to balance this) makes a living with her partner (not necessarily romantic), Lucent, by stealing and then ransoming body parts from the rich. Lucent is a messy, messy man who has some of his own magic and is deeply invested in studying it. They have a rather codependent in a bad way relationship. And then things change when Phyllis steals Wycliffe's nose and suddenly marks become people to him, because Wycliffe is now down a nose and also his sister has gone missing. Phyllis decides to make things right and start improving his life/being who he wants to be by impersonating a duke and trying to find Adeline, the sister, and then things get even more complicated. There is also a terrifying madame that rules half the city. How she fits is really complicated without untying the whole plot.
I loved this weird, weird book. Phillip's growth was great to witness, and Lucent was a surprisingly compelling character despite being a walking trashcan. The magic system was so interesting, and mysterious but in a way that worked well. This queer little book about found family and limb stealing was really really good.
Also, Wycliffe, just Wycliffe. The season's incomparable and the best character of the lot.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

This one's a very hard to review, because I had a really difficult time reading it. What I think it comes down to is a huge potential that wasn't really developed well.

First of all, I could not for the life of me connect with any of the characters. And while there are books where that's completely alright and having a character that's the complete opposite of me is very intriguing, with Phillip, it was more to do with the fact that I could not pinpoint his personality and motivations. He was... hard to understand at times, especially in the second part of the book. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed the parts that focused on his inner thoughts about his gender, his transition and a new identity really made me happy as I thought it would move the story into more interesting places... But the plot led the characters through different arcs. I was excited to see him uncovering Lucent's machinations, but the way he couldn't stop clinging to their relationship was frustrating at times.

Phillip's relationships was what I struggled with a lot. Through the text, he was said to love and care for both Lucent and Adeline, but as the story progressed, there weren't that many moments that would show those feelings properly. It seemed that both of the relationships were deep, but what was it for when Phillip's interactions with the two other characters weren't. The blurb talks about "winning Adeline's heart" but I feel like there wasn't much that would properly establish her as a love interest. I found her to be an interesting character on her own, as the fate she shared with Nyx was lore-wise really good.

The potential the overall plot had... there was something so intriguing about Phillip's magic, about the means of how it came to be, the mystery with missing girls and their fate. But while I feel like the magic part of the backstories was fleshed out nicely, I couldn't really say that the explanation of Adeline's fate was clear to me. Especially when the plot progressed and focused more on Madame Beatrice as the antagonist instead of the marquees. I get that Beatrice was a powerful and scheming woman, but the way the information got revealed about her doings felt clumsy and made her seem not as dangerous.

Still, even with my complaints about the story, I can't say it was all bad. The established lore was definitely my favourite part, along with Phillip's indentity realization. I think there are many readers who would enjoy it, but unfortunately, I wasn't one of them.

4.5

Messy found family in a queer-normative historical-gothic-soft-horror world doesn't get better than this. The magic system is unique without being very intricate — stealing body parts for ransom?? I was sold at the title and atmospheric cover, and the author delivered the promised premise effortlessly. It is always a delight to see a character grow into their real self, and Philip's growth throughout the book was heartwarming.

The mystery kept me glued to the pages and seeing Philip find their little group of friends was beautiful. I also enjoyed the POV change, you mainly experience three different POVs however only the MC's POV is in first person whilst the others are in third person which I found a very cool stylistic choice, one which was executed in a way that didn't throw me off. Lucent and Adeline's stories were well-crafted and their love for Philip was six different from each other. This book is not just a commentary on gender identity, it is a commentary on love and on what it means to find yourself.

If you're interested in a lighter gothic read with multi-POV and a trans MC — this is the book for you.

I LOVED this book. I'm not always big on fantasy-esque novels, but this was strange, weird, and wholly believable. It's hard not to love Phillip's transformation throughout the course of the book as he learns how to love himself, reject unfair love, and use his magic for good. As he navigates relationships new and old, there's never a dull moment--especially when Lucent and the Madame are on his tail.

It's also incredibly easy to love the rest of the characters, even when they're difficult. Wycliff and Lucent are so damaged and often unfair, but it's clear that there's more going on underneath the surface.

I also had such vivid pictures of the scenery, and deeply enjoyed the ways in which Cold tells the story.

Unique and complex novel. This story contains solid prose and endearing characters. I highly recommend it for all readers.

To be fully transparent, I would like to state that I actually did not finish this book (see below), and that initially the book was fast paced at the beginning (also see below).

I wholeheartedly wanted to enjoy this story so much! Especially since it is Pride season. It was my first LGBTQIA+ book of the 2025 review season.

While I stated above, the story started out fast paced and that was only because the reader was thrown into the middle of a confusing and complex story that I’m not even sure if it’s own author knows what’s going on, or which character is speaking, despite chapter titles alluding to the fact the character mentioned in the title is that chapter’s narrator. Not true, and at one point I had to reread a chapter numerous times to figure out who was speaking, much to no avail!

Yet the narration is just the tip of the iceberg that this problematic story features. This story is riddled with formatting and editorial utter failures. It’s almost as if this book was either not edited at all (at least professionally) or the author chose to do their own editing for what appears to be a poorly done juvenile work of literature. At times I was surprised with the vocabulary and sentence structure. Amazed at these depths, but then it came off as either the author resulting in being so pretentious, or that they simply used AI technology to produce this finished copy that feels more like a poorly and barely completed first draft.

Personally I am not a fan of the cover art, but I am well aware most authors don’t have the luxury of choosing their cover art…unless they self published, and if that remains true, it makes this an additional failure upon its author.

While I am an openly gay man, I struggled to read this! I sincerely hoped to enjoy it but just because this story features an LGBTQIA+ storyline does not simply justify its publication.

At one point the titular lead character, who has these magic powers (left unexplained and confusing) could not manage to open a simple cash lock box!?

As mentioned above I did not finish this read, and not because I did not try. I managed to make it 100 of its 175 pages. It felt like a chore to read this book. It feels like an additional chore to write this review.

My suggestion to its author would be to add to the beginning of the story so that the reader can have a transparent grasp on the story, to further detail the characters’ magic powers (what are they, why do they have them, how do they have them,etc), and to be explicit in who is narrating what, or to just scrap multiple narrations and just have the lead character narrate the entire story, since it appears the story revolves around them.

I want this time back in my life. As James Joyce once said, “Life is too short to read bad books.”

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:

This book is fantastic! A beautiful journey of a trans teen’s evolution of stepping into their true identity and fully embracing themselves.

The world is set in a gothic historical world with a fascinating take on magic.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: easy going world building but still packed with lore and a creative magic system.

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: I LOVED Phillip! Well fleshed out and fully developed. The nuances of their personality and their journey through love, self acceptance, and standing up for themselves was well thought out.

𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: wonderful love stories that explore sexuality and gender expression. Intriguing tale, albeit slightly dry in its telling.

𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗦: Wonderfully gothic

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Phillip, a thief with the ability to remove body parts from other people makes his living through extortion. When he accidentally steals the nose of a young man named Wycliff, that he can’t help feeling a strange pull towards, he soon finds himself involved in the search for the young man’s missing sister Adeline. We follow him as he grows and changes, discovers things about himself, his powers and the world and people around him.
An interesting YA gothic horror novel, which in particular explores abuse of power and how to survive in an unjust world. Through the isolation that Lucent forces onto Phillip, the sexual/emotional/physical labor Madame Beatrice demands of Adeline and Wycliff while keeping them captive to the murder and actual doll-ification of Nyx and Adeline by the marquess, the feeling of somebody wanting to pull the character’s strings is constantly, crushingly present. It made this novel feel really claustrophobic and the characters’ actions feel desperate and understandable. I have to say I enjoyed the horror aspects a lot more than the romance/friendship aspects as these felt a bit underdeveloped at times, but since I prefer horror to romance I was fine with that.
The story mostly follows Phillip as he discovers his identity, from his insecurities in himself while he was an egg and the immense joy and relief he feels once he manages to feel secure in his identity. I do wish he had been a bit more affirmed by the other characters, especially since his worry about his trans identity became somewhat overlapping with his worry about lies he told about his past. I would have liked a clearer distinction there. In general this story combines a rather fast paced identity discovery in a world where there are no words for trans people or any other queer communities with a later attempt at passing through the use of magic and focusses much less on the internal struggle and strive of coming out, which I found an interesting approach.
I also wish there had been a bit more of an exploration of the magic system. In particular there is one scene that does not fit with Lucent’s narration of where magic comes from ([spoilers] it is implied that Phillip was able to pop of limbs already as a baby [/end spoilers]), but this interesting storyline is not pursued further and ends up simply ignored, to the point where I wonder if it was just a plot hole, instead of a different approach to the magic system. While it is only a very minor aspect and not a big deal, I found myself caught up in wondering if this was going to be addressed and found myself disappointed when it wasn’t.
I also enjoyed the first two parts of the story more than the last part and found that the story wrapped up a bit too fast and neatly for my personal tastes. However, I still enjoyed reading it and think this was a fun trans fantasy horror YA with interesting pacing, a really fun premise and a good execution, despite my minor issues with some parts.
Finally I want to say that I do think that this book does need an additional trigger warning for suicide, which is not given, but it does play a (very minor) role in the past backstory of a character and another action can be interpreted that way and so I do think this should have been warned for. As always however, I find it very good that the author decided to include trigger warnings in the book, I enjoyed that!

TW: alcohol abuse, abuse (physical, emotional), blood, coercive control, deadnaming, death (on screen), gaslighting, gore, murder (including attempted murder of a child), sexism, transphobia, sexual abuse (implied), suicide, violence

Brilliantly beautiful exploration of the trans experience through a gory lens of magic. I loved the inner monologue of Phillip, the gritty setting and the rich side characters. A heartfelt horror story!

Thank you to NetGalley, TBR & Beyond Tours, and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

The Duke Steals Hearts and Other Body Parts is a wildly original, darkly whimsical fantasy that blends body horror, queer identity, and romance in a way that feels both bold and tender. With its gritty city streets, sharp class divides, and a protagonist who literally pops off limbs with magic, this book is as weird as it is heartfelt—and that’s a big part of its charm.

Phillip is a standout character: a trans teen navigating a world that fears his power and mistrusts his identity, yet who longs for love, belonging, and something more than survival. His dynamic with Lucent is hauntingly toxic, and the slow realization of that, paired with his transformation into Lord Phillip, gives the book real emotional depth. The masquerade-as-a-duke subplot is playful, layered, and surprisingly romantic as Phillip falls in love—not just with Adeline, but with the person he gets to be in her orbit.

The mystery of the missing girls adds a pulpy, Gothic flair that culminates in a satisfyingly eerie twist: the girls aren’t dead… they’re undead. The undead reveal manages to be both grotesque and empowering, echoing the book’s larger themes of bodily autonomy, reinvention, and reclaiming identity.

This is a gorgeously strange, queer coming-of-age wrapped in con artistry, necromancy, and noble disguise. Elias Cole’s debut is not just clever—it’s got real heart (and yes, possibly a jar of them too).

I loved the dark and grungy vibe of this book! It created the sense of being cold yet packed under blankets for warm - if that makes sense. I thought it was a very interesting take on gender and I adored Phillips! This book is truly one of a kind, I could not compare it to anything else while reading it. The character arc and storyline were all very unique and the writing style was humorous and accessible! I can’t wait to see what else this author will write in the realm of YA!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Page Street YA for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was everything I was expecting it to be and more. I'm so happy I decided to read this. Phillip is a tough character, and not what I was expecting the main character to be. But that honestly just made it so much better. The found family in this book is cute, if not a little messy, but what found family isn't? The characters added a variety of layers to this book, and I honestly would love to see a sequel to this book, though I did thoroughly enjoy the ending. Overall I definitely recommend this quirky YA queer fantasy.

I just finished The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts by Elias Cold, and wow—it’s weird in the absolute best way. It starts off wild, like, within the first few pages there’s this intense scene where a girl gets attacked, and from that moment I was all in. The main character, Phyllis, is a trans teen who can magically remove people’s body parts (yeah, it’s a thing) and ransom them back. He’s kind of morally gray but also so endearing? I weirdly loved him from the start—even when he steals some guy’s nose.

The world is gritty and gothic, full of secrets and magic, and the plot kept twisting in ways I didn’t expect. There’s a fake identity, a missing girl mystery, and this eerie turn where you realize the missing girls aren’t dead... they’re undead. Total goosebumps.

But under all the magic and madness, it’s really about someone trying to become a better version of themselves and figuring out who they are. It’s queer, it’s creepy, it’s heartfelt—I seriously didn’t want it to end. If you like stories that are a little dark and totally original, you’ve got to read this one.

I love the concept of this, but personally I did not particularily vibe with the writing style. I can see why people would love it though and I adored the representation in here.

The story focuses on queer character Phyllis or Phillip depending on how they are feeling. They have the very odd ability to remove body parts from other people, hence the title. Hearts don’t get stolen until almost the end and (spoilers as well as a trigger warning) it gets very messy. The MC works with a very toxic immortal character who desperately needs a therapy session and has somehow fallen in love with our MC. Of course, nothing can be easy and the MC has become fixated on what should be their mark, Wycliff and his missing sister, Adeline,
The characters of this book (most of them anyway) need to be protected at all costs. I loved the journeys that they grow through and the relationships that developed. My one gripe with this book was that the world felt small. There is a lot of potential with the depth of the characters and it felt a little bit lacking in world building.
I am definitely looking forward to more work from Elias Cold.

This had some really interesting ideas, but left me wondering if all the plot threads were fully resolved. To start with, I loved the gothic atmosphere of this one, and I think the character backstories (Lucent in particular, and his and Phillip’s toxic dynamic) were really compelling. The writing was well-done. But ultimately, things seemed to come from left field, themes were heavy-handed (even for YA) and yet I wasn’t satisfied the full story had been told. Still, I will look out for other work from Cold, whose storytelling definitely has potential.

✨✨ARC REVIEW✨✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

‼️‼️ check trigger warnings this book can get dark at times‼️‼️

Im not even sure what to categorize this book as. It’s like a YA historical horror drama if that makes sense!
I truly loved this book, I enjoyed how the MC really figured out who they want to be as they transitioned from Phyllis to Phillip it was nice seeing them become more sure and comfortable in their skin and it really benefited their use of magic. This book definitely has an interesting magic system, the MC is able to painlessly remove other people’s body parts and hold them for ransom which was such a funny thought.
I also enjoyed the use of the undead and how the MC falls in love with an undead girl and how they figure out how to make their relationship work out despite her being undead.
If you liked the time period of Belladonna by Adalyn Grace and the overall gothic feeling of that book you’re definitely going to enjoy this book! Thank you @tbrbeyondtours & @esnowauthor for gifting me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! If you want to see more posts about this boook check out the tour link on their websitehttps://tbrandbeyondtours.com/ #TheDukeStealsHeartsandOtherBodyParts #TBRBeyondTours #EliSnow#yabookstagram #bookreviewer #bookrecs

Thank you so much to Elias Cold and Page Street YA for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I would give this novel 3.5 stars. I think the overall story, characters, and writing are quite great. I really enjoyed how the main character's trans-storyline was handled with some beautiful conversations. I found each of the characters to provide a unique aspect to the story and enjoyed that each was given time to shine. This was especially true for Nyx, who was given further background information even if she was not as large a character as others.

I think where I struggled with this read was the pacing at the start of the book. It felt both slow and swift? It almost felt like there was so much I needed to know about the universe before I started reading, to the point I wondered if it was a sequel. The dynamic between Phillip and Lucent for the first half or so of the story was blurred. And then the second quarter of the book was where all of the pieces started to make sense and I started really enjoying the story.

Would recommend to anyone who is looking for a somewhat cozy, emotional story. Especially for those who enjoy stand-alone YA stories.