"I am a student at Elsinore University. I know I am. The lake still won't show me my face."

To say I'm at a loss for words would be an understatement.

I have been waiting for this book for months now. I'm unsure exactly when I first heard about it, but emailed DAW last July about an ARC so it's actually been almost a year now, it seems. I don't think anything could be more worth the wait. I started this book a few hours ago and only put it down when my cat knocked over a stack of books on my shelf.

I'll be honest here and, embarrassingly, admit I've never read Hamlet, nor even know the plot. Yes, I am an English Lit major and theatre kid and, not only that, went through a massive David Tennant and Michael Sheen phase where I watched anything I could find with them in it, yet still somehow evaded Hamlet's storyline.
TLDR, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, and I think that may have been a positive for me.

I honestly think that the hole in my heart where a certain magical world created by a certain TERF was has been filled by Thoughts Be Bloody. Not replaced by, as this has left a much heartier and genuine feeling in my chest. Like the hole was originally filled with hot chocolate made with piss but now it's hot chocolate made with milk and marshmallows shaped into hearts and a sprinkling of peppermint and love.

I don't know where to begin here. I believe that this book truly hit some of my favorite niches of all time:
- dark academia
- trans rep (transmasc and transfem!)
- queer rep
- strange and intriguing narration type/unreliable narration
- mystery
- an intricate and incredibly well developed magic system. like, sheesh holy hell. everything was described and yet also, the magic felt new to any media I've read before

The arc of Hamlett's character and personality was insane. In. Sane. I went from writing in my notes "is Horatio stuck in his own mind and Hamlett his unreality key???" to "why is this freak giving J.D. in meant to be yours" and it was SUCH a naturally developed arc, too. Despite how extreme he was on each side of the spectrum of personality, it didn't feel rushed at all.

I loved Lia. SO, so much. I mean duh, who wouldn't, right? And I especially love the choices made with her character, from beginning to end, and the changes decided upon. It left a much better taste in my mouth, but still hitting similarly.

The developing romance was also incredibly done, especially towards the end when things were all kinda crazy. I loved how it was tied up.

I've since looked up a detailed synopsis of Hamlet and, based off of that, I've never seen a retelling done so perfectly while in an entirely different genre and universe-type, with a new narrative and character types, and especially with explicit queerness like this. I could piece each part of the plot to a part of the book with ease, despite this also feeling like a completely brand new idea and storyline at the same time due to how well-developed and detailed the magic system was set up. Along with the way the POV/narration was utilized to create a very unreliable feeling, not knowing what's real and what isn't, or what is missing (something I ADORE in a book).

Before this novel, I had yet to read a book where the MC being trans wasn't a massive plot point. And that isn't a bad thing whatsoever, I quite enjoyed it about those books. However, reading a book with a trans MC where the plot was intricate and detailed and full of so much without the character's being trans playing a real role in it was so... relieving, I suppose? To see a character like Percy Jackson or Richard Papen or Neil Josten or Melchior Gabor be like me, but not have any of their story revolve wholly around their being trans allowed me to feel so much truer in my skin. Again, not that it would have been bad if that were not the case. But I really loved it. That's not to say his being trans is completely disregarded, either! We learn about magical HRT, he talks about wearing a binder, choosing his name, the camaraderie with another trans classmate.

I truly can't recommend this enough. I apologize for how long the next list will be, but given how much I adore this genre, I have a lot of examples
This is the perfect book for fans of any of the following:
- The Secret History
- Kill Your Darlings (2019)
- Spring Awakening
- Link Click (yes, the anime)
- These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
- Vicious by VE Schwab
- Evocation
- If We Were Villains
- K. Ancrum
- Heathers
- the songs "How Could I Ever Forget" and "I am the One (Reprise)" from Next to Normal
- being trans and wanting to Fuck Shit Up

Thoughts Be Bloody had me captivated at every page, sentence, word. Despite what Horatio fears most, I'll never forget him or this story. I'll probably never shut up about it, either, to be honest. This was a beautiful expression of how grief can turn to pain in many different ways and many different types, and that no matter how many times it feels you've lost yourself, you can always remember. And fuck the powers that be.

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
Hamlet meets Harry Potter meets Inception in a book that leaves marks. Using an unreliable first person narrating character named Horatio, a hidden school of magic devolves into the specific brand of chaos only revenge can stir. Circular in a way that might drive you a little mad while reading, the control needed to keep steering the plot forward is a testament to the author. That being said, some lines and rhetorical techniques did get a little repetitive.

Thoughts Be Bloody is a fantastic book that I would happily recommend. The narration was haunting and strange, and so well done, I fell head first into the story. It could have easily become confusing, but it never did. If I was confused, it felt purposeful, and it wasn't a frustrating experience. Instead, I felt an urgency to keep reading, to untangle the mystery of Hamlett and Elsinore with Horatio.

The writing itself was beautiful and evocative. I always love a story with a good setting and strong sense of place, and I got that in TBB. Elsinore felt like a fully realized (and haunted) school, from the physical buildings to the magic and academic vibes. The magic, too, was well thought out and explored. I always felt that I understood how the magic functioned, without being beat over the head with complicated rules. It felt natural and smooth.

Thoughts Be Bloody held me captivated, from the very first page. I will be thinking about this story for a long time, and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the physical book when it comes out!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc via Netgalley!

This book was absolutely brilliant and I loved every second of it! The story was dark, tense and honestly quite nerve-wracking and the whole book had me feeling all sorts of emotions. By the last 15% I was crying without even realising and then the ending broke me.

I adore the characters- I found them all to be well-written and three-dimensional with very interesting motivations and behaviours. By far the best was Hamlett, and the way he is idolised and adored through Horatio's POV at first until it falls apart slowly and he becomes utterly evil and irredeemable is fascinating- there was such careful and complex development that made everyone in the book seem so real.

I loved both Horatio and Lia, and I found their experiences and realities with transitioning so touching and hopeful and so heartbreaking all at once. Lia may be the best transfem representation I have ever seen in fiction. Even just the small snippets seen when Horatio sifts through her memories were so impactful. I also loved the way transness holds a lot of importance regarding these characters but is also addressed very casually at times, like Horatio not worrying about binding around Hamlett as they grow closer. These characters both get to be themselves in such a beautiful way and the fact that they are trans both matters and does not matter in brilliant ways.

The plot was very tense and unpredictable as someone unfamiliar with Hamlet, and it was placed in a detailed and well-imagined world. So much lore and history was placed into the book, but it never once felt like overkill or confusing, this is just a brilliantly thought-out world that is complex without ever seeming so.

I loved Horatio being such an unreliable narrator, and the way that he repeated and reiterated things to the reader made him feel so much more real. My favourite detail is the tenses changing more and more as the story goes on and he becomes more and more split across time. It really felt like he was lost and uncertain, and reaching the ending and understanding what he has been doing the whole time was so satisfying!

This book has easily become an all-time favourite!

“I was something other, and for once, the othering was beautiful.”

now, let me start by saying that i’d been thinking about this book for MONTHS before i even got a chance to read it - and the moment my arc request was accepted, i dropped everything to start it. and i’m happy to say i do not regret it, and it lived up to my expectations.

thoughts be bloody is a queer, dark academia/fantasy retelling of hamlet, and if you know only one thing about me, it’s probably that i’m absolutely obsessed with hamlet - as well as with queer literatury and fantasy, and that i’ll never say no to a good dark academia story. so i am very much the target audience for this, probably as much as possible.

with any retelling, there’s always the challenge of finding a point somewhere between the familiarity of the source text, and doing something new and original. thoughts be bloody leans strongly towards going away from hamlet, especially in the second part of the novel. it’s not a bad or good thing in itself, and sometimes one works out better than the other. and here, it just works really well for the story the author wants to tell.

when it comes to the characters, i felt like they were a mixture of what i’d recognize as shakespeare’s and what was new, but it just made sense. i liked them, in a sense that they were interesting to me, because i can’t say they were always likable as people haha what i want to especially point ou is that i truly appreciate this leaning into not only hamlet’s recklessness, but also cruelty. without giving spoilers, i’ll just say that i haven’t seen it done that way before, and i really enjoyed it.

i’ve read 6… 7? hamlet retellings over the past two years or so, and this still felt really fresh and original. that comes not only from the setting, but also from the choices made for the characters and the plot. it’s definitely one of my favorite hamlet retellings, despite, or maybe because of how much it sometimes diverges from how i understand and think about the characters and the story.

other things i enjoyed: the strange, unrelliable narration; the treatment of time; the approach to and handling of the characters (though in some cases, like with laertes or ross and gil, i would have liked to see more); the relationship between horatio and lia; the magic system; and of course, the queer rep!

things i believe could be stronger: sometimes the pacing wasn’t well balanced, thoguh perhaps it would have had to be a much longer book for that to be completely sorted - it’s the matter of introducing a whole world, magic system and the characters, and at the same time still making it feel like things are moving, and i often notice that in standalone fantasy novels. the writing could also be tighter - i read an arc, so it might still be edited, but some repetitions were a little much. overall, though, it wasn’t so detracting as to ruin the experience for me.

all in all, this was a highly engaging and original take on hamlet, and i enjoyed it a lot! i’m not sure it’s objectively (if there even is such a thing) a 5-star book - maybe closer to 4 or 4.5. but i know i’ll keep thinking about it, and i really appreciate it as a retelling. and so i want to give it 5 stars.

Hamlet meets Heathers in this retelling of the classic play. I loved this fresh take on Hamlet, from the magic school setting to the romantic entanglements to the hard-hitting themes about the things we sacrifice to become ourselves and step into our power. I found Patrick's Horatio to be a compelling protagonist, and the prose was beautifully and lyrically written. I'd definitely recommend this to others!

If you'd like to read this review with the spoilers censored, make sure to view it on Goodreads (@The Reading Frog) or Storygraph (@the_reading_frog).

Thank you to Auden Patrick, DAW & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

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Immediate thoughts after reading: God, I need a cig and a drink after this (complimentary)

Rating: 4.75/5 ⭐
Re-readability: Yes, it could offer a different reading experience after knowing all the details.
A list of uncensored CWs is included at the end of this review.


"Grief is a funny thing. You think you know it until you’re met with it. I thought I knew grief then. (...) Now I know grief is an ocean. You breathe it in, it fills your lungs, it drags you down. You can kick and struggle and you might get a breath of air but the grief, the ocean, it will overwhelm you. Eventually, you won’t know which way is up anymore. You’ll find yourself swimming deeper, thinking you’re fighting it when you’re just going further down. The weight of it, all that water, all that pain, will eventually crush you unless you learn to breathe underwater.

After his father’s death, Hamlett was drowning for a long, long time."


Representation
╰┈➤ Trans-masc MC, Horatio
╰┈➤ Trans-femme MC, Lia Hart
╰┈➤ Bi/pan MCs, Horatio and Hamlett
╰┈➤ Mental health rep, though not explicitly stated, some behaviours and thoughts could be described as Mania, as well as some suicidal ideation.
╰┈➤ Queer dynamics
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ Poly dynamic
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ MLM dynamic
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ╰ T4T dynamic


Themes
Grief, uncertainty about reality, otherness, social hierarchy, ignorance, identity/sense of self, self-worth issues, jealousy/envy, wanting/needing/yearning, the allure of the forbidden, obsession, parental relations (specifically fathers), impossible choices, the lesser of two evils/lose-lose situations, privilege or the lack thereof, power and what one would do to obtain it, power imbalances, predetermination vs free will, control, agency or the lack thereof, memories, repeating cycles, exploitation, elitism, classism, responsibility, the "False We".

Tropes/what to expect
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Dark academia
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Unreliable narrator
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ "Do I want them or do I want to be them?"
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Murder mystery
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ A character haunts the narrative
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Time shenanigans
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Social outsider x golden boy/girl
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Morally-grey/flawed characters



What I liked/loved
Disclaimer: I'm sorry, this review is long.... I had a lot to say!
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The Narration was definitely one of the most enthralling and unique aspects of this book.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Unreliable narrator. Our narrator gets confused, misremembers, and at times doesn’t remember at all, leaving himself and us to guess what version is the truth, or if they perhaps are all true.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Emotionally immersive writing. My anxiety rose when the narrator’s did, I felt lost in memories when he was, and I got a painful, disruptive reality check each time we were reminded of the inevitability of something horrifying set to happen.

“Somewhere there is a Horatio who did these things. Somewhere there is a world in which I am a bad person. Is it this one?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ A combination of linear and non-linear storytelling. The narrator switches between past, present, and future tenses.

“I knew it even then.
Now?
Then."

The narrator clarifies, quite early on, that this is a recounting of events. It’s implied that the events described in this story have already taken place. Yet, he slips into the present tense, describing it as something happening in the here and now. Seemingly forgetting that the future is set in stone, doomed to end in something horrifying. I found myself forgetting alongside him, which made it all the more jarring each time the narrator reminded himself and us of this doomed inevitability.

“I see it now. I see all the things that have ever happened or ever will or ever could. I see all the ways things could’ve gone differently, and all the ways they couldn’t. All the knots I can’t untie. I am bound by time the same way it is bound to me.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Unique. I don’t have the right words; it just really was something special.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Writing style
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Quotable lyrical prose.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Great at building tension. The pace of the book wasn’t fast, but it was still able to keep me on my toes.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Somewhat reminiscent of C.G. Drews’ work. There is an intense level of yearning, pining, need, want, and obsession. My God, do these characters hunger. They are starving for things, people, acknowledgement, love, revenge, and power. Which reminded me of ravenous dynamics portrayed in Don’t Let The Forest in or Hazelthorn. Which is a huge compliment coming from me because C.G. Drews is my favorite author.

“There was still the fact that he loved us, both, in his way.
Perhaps he wasn’t just cruel. Perhaps he was simply human.
I think now that he was cruel. I think now that he was terrible. Yet, I love him. I loved him. He was everything I was not.
I loved him. I’m sorry.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Symbolism and imagery that transform along with the story or characters associated with it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Ex. Triangles and circles. Warmth, fire, burnt. Sun, stars, comets, and supernovas. Birds and colors.

"Three is a magical number, I thought.
Triangles are magical shapes. We could be magic, if we wanted. I wanted."

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Mirroring and parallels within events, between characters, and their dynamics. There is a poetic sense to it all.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Amazing character writing.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Complex, intriguing character dynamics. Horatio is somewhat of a social outcast, which contrasts with Hamlett and Lia’s reputation. There is a certain “Do I want them or do I want to be them?” vibe that is enthralling. Horatio constantly compares himself to others, on a multitude of levels: respectability, level of power/skill, social rank, the ease with which others move through society compared to his conscious and continuous effort, and what he regards as ‘the ideal man’.

“I liked the campus most in the early hours when everything was asleep and waiting to be woken up because I liked to think the world was waiting for me to arrive, as if I was special, as if I meant something, as if I wasn’t just a player in someone else’s play. I wanted to be the golden boy, center stage, which is to say I wanted to be Carson Hamlett, though I didn’t know it yet.”

Horatio seems to be obsessed with the golden couple. He wants them, envies them, and sometimes even hates them. Even though this sounds extremely flippant, it is written in a way that makes his feelings understandable and valid.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Well-rounded, intricate, and morally grey/questionable/flawed characters. Are they safe? No. Are they sane? Definitely not! Are they compelling and fascinating to read about? Absolutely.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Queer rep and specifically trans rep done in a way where those aspects are important to these characters, more than just a footnote, without diminishing them to something one-dimensional. It’s a part of them, but not all of them.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Queer romantic dynamics, going into spoiler territory here, so keep that in mind. I myself am monogamous and haven't ever been enticed by the idea of polyamory, yet I was trying to manifest a poly relationship almost directly from the start. I tend to joke, "they should all just fuck each other, it would solve a lot of problems," but I meant it this time. They were a true love triangle, not the version people always associate with it, aka two people being into the same person and fighting to win their heart. No. Everyone was into everyone, and I loved that.
Also, T4T??? Thank you for feeding us so well, Auden Patrick!!!
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Insane yet believable character arcs. Those at the start of the book are drastically different people at the end, yet I did not question its validity.

“I couldn’t do this. (…) It would change me. I knew that much. (...) I would be someone else entirely. But then—wasn’t I already someone else entirely?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Powerful and diverse exploration of grief through multiple characters.

“Did grief make him cruel, the way my father’s pain made him painful too?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Exploration of the concept of power; the lack of it, the allure of it, and what one would do to obtain it.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Unique and well-thought-out magic system. Magic in this universe seems to be a volatile thing; something that keeps changing, always in motion. It reminded me of math in a way. It's like the caster knows the formula and the intended unchanging result required for successfully casting a spell. But the Xs and Ys continuously change, making no two casting experiences the same, only their intended result. The magic system in itself is interesting enough that I would be open to reading other stories taking place in this universe.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Physical magic is the common type of magic that affects any material of the periodic table.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Mind magic is rare and has aspects to it that are considered taboo. It has a sub-type of magic called dream-walking that reminded me a lot of the movie Paprika (2006) and, of course, Inception (2010), which was really cool.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Theoretical magic is all magic that is considered too dangerous to actually practice, which is why it’s only explored through theory. I would love to say more about it, but I can’t without spoiling anything. Just believe me when I say it’s unique and fascinating.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Social/political commentary
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ On an interpersonal level, we explore manipulation, abuse, the "False We" (Forced Plurality), gaslighting, and overall just toxic dynamics.

“ “You just have to do this for me, and then we’ll be unstoppable.”
Do this for me. I did so much just because of that phrase.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ On a structural/institutional/societal level, this book tackles inequality, classism, corruption, elitism, abuse of power, (anti)institutionalism, and privilege.

“Like much of human history, people with power will kill to keep it and those without it will kill to gain it. A lot like money. It can do good, if shared. But no one will ever share it.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ It also touches on a certain ignorance only affordable to those who have grown up privileged, which, in this universe, is people who are ‘born into magic’ in the same way someone can be ‘born into money’ in a contemporary setting.
Horatio doesn’t belong to that category. He is humdrum-born. Which means that he only entered ‘magical society’ recently; he wasn’t born into it. This leaves him with a gap in information, skill, connections, and resources. Regardless of this disadvantage, he still gets measured on the same scale as those who have always had those things. (Sound familiar, huh?) This contrast in lived experience between our MCs makes for some really interesting dynamics and exploration of inequality.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Though this story is a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, prior knowledge is not needed to enjoy this book. It stands strong on its own without leaning on the source material it is based on.



What I didn't like/felt lackluster about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I was a bit overwhelmed by all the character introductions in the first few chapters. I had to take notes on everyone so I wouldn't forget their names and relations to each other while simultaneously learning about the worldbuilding. This is something quite normal in the fantasy genre, so it might not be a book-specific issue but more of a personal genre complaint.

‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I think for some people the narration style could become dragging, repetitive, or feel slow-paced. I didn't mind it; it helped me stay immersed and grow tension, but this might not be everyone's cup of tea. Though I'd imagine that those who are into character/emotion-driven stories will enjoy it as much as I did.



Conclusion/Notes
This is my second attempt at trying to write a review for this book. There was just so much in there that I love. So many complex and intricate aspects that were just right up my alley.

It's gothic, intense, ravenous, and tense. Its characters are flawed, complex, and undeniably human.

I wish I could say something more concise and profound that could summarize the journey this book took me on, but unfortunately, I'm the king of yapping, especially when I love something.

Just trust me and go read 'Thoughts Be Bloody' once it releases on the 15th of September!!!


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Content Warnings
Explicit | Parental loss, grief
Moderate | Blood, suicidal ideation, disregard for own safety, drugs/edible use, trauma responses to past physical abuse, vomit, minor gore, manipulation, dissociation
Mild | Mention of sex, fade-to-black/implied sex, mention of alcohol, past (child) abuse/domestic violence, some restrictive eating habits, murder, minor self-injury, gaslighting

This book has cemented itself as my book of the year until proven otherwise for a multitude of reasons, most of which I can't discuss without devolving into large spoilers. I do believe that this story has the re-readability of something such as The Raven Cycle Series, as I think it will add onto itself every time. It will absolutely be something I will be grabbing a physical copy of and going deep into annotating. The things I can rave about come down to representation and an intricate magical system.
Representation wise:
Horatio is a bisexual trans man who grew up primarily in non-magical society and this is intrinsic to his motivations even without these factors of his identity being a major focus. Of course someone who never truly had so much of life given to them will be greedy, it is understandable that he is driven primarily by desire to prove himself to not only his peers but also himself.
He is also not the only trans character, it is established very early on that this school has a small population of trans students (one of which he somewhat knows and relied on at one point in time).
The polyamorous relationship showcased within the novel is one that mirrors a lot of real life dynamics and insecurities that often come with joining an established relationship. I appreciate the fact that it avoided falling into common tropes of the dynamic.

Magic System wise:
The system within the narrative has loose rules and boundaries that are never truly defined or at least not applied to our protagonists. This adds to the magical feeling of the setting and story, as we try to piece together how they defy expectation we start to ignore what those expectations are and why they are set into place. In addition, having a narrator who did not grow up in that system means that some things are never questioned because he never thought to question them or learn about them. It made me as a reader invested in learning more about that structure.

as a theater kid, of course shakespeare had a vice grip on my public school experience in both english and theater. so when i saw a queer retelling of hamlet, i thought i kind of knew what it would be about. maybe hamlet is trans or ophelia is, but when i learned it was from horatio’s perspective, i was intrigued.

knowing horatio’s role in telling the story, i was curious to see how it would play out. i did not realize it was also a magic story.

i will say this: this magic school with a hidden away world from the “normal” (humdrum) world is EVERYTHING JK ROWING (ew) WISHES SHE COULD HAVE DONE. the worldbuilding gives me just a kiss of the larger spectrum of how magic and non-magic interacts, and horatio brings up very valid questions. why hasn’t magic been used to cure cancer? stop wars? end world hunger? he asks questions about time magic and memory magic and how that affects the people it’s used on. this book made me hungry for a world that people wanted harry potter to be but actually makes sense.

the vivid writing also helps me feel as if i’m also falling into madness along with horatio. repeated lines, past and present clashing with each other, certain scenes that i kee getting hit with that make me feel like im being dragged through time. there were a few moments where i had to go back and reread cause i was unsure if id already read that. it gave me the same sense of someone tugging on the strands of time would have if i was brought along for their thought process.

while the romance seemed like it would be a stronger part of the story, i enjoyed the fact that you could see the downward spiral of toxicity, love bombing, and weaving of the threads that hamlett was putting into place. honestly, i would want to reread this again knowing what i know now and seeing what my experience would be.
one of my favorite parts about this story is that i forget it is a hamlet retelling. in the beginning i was like “oh, cute! lia instead of ophelia, hamlett’s father’s last name is king”, etc etc. but it takes a retelling and truly twists it into something that stands on its own, and i found myself forgetting that i know how it ends. or, rather, i thought how it ends.

overall, it was a whirlwind of madness, blood, and manipulation in a lovingly repackaged format, and i deeply want to know what’s next in this world’s story.

This re-telling of Hamlet from Horatio's point of view is smart and wonderfully written -- there's some slowing down in the middle, but the ending is well-worth the work of pushing through. Auden Patrick's writing is impressive, and he has interesting things to day. Definitely a writer I'll be keeping my eye on!

Thoughts Be Bloody is a stunning debut.

This dark academia retelling of Hamlet doesn't require you to know or love Hamlet. It's been thirty years since I read it and this book could stand on its own; that said I am going to go read Hamlet now...

The depth and craft of this book is just so gorgeous and will tear you to shreds at the same time you keep devouring it. Auden Patrick puts you inside a character who is psychologically unraveling in real time and with brilliantly balanced prose, keeps you there without ever losing you. To balance that complexity in a story is quite a feat and I just found it delicious as we spiral down.

And then on top of spot on character development we have detailed layering of complicated social issues that add to rather than distract, and provide depth rather than checking a box. Class, access to good education, privilege, masculine rage, what it means to find your identity as a trans person... All of these are attended to within the depth of the characters so they don't end up feeling hollow or tropey. Instead you feel the stakes because you know these people that are living it.

This is a book with a soul and I am in love.

This is the best book I've read in 2026. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Review Disclaimers: 1) I recieved an e-ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - thanks to them and DAW Books for that. 2) I have the privilege of calling the author, Auden Patrick, a dear friend. I genuinely enjoyed Thoughts Be Bloody very much, but my review would be inherently dishonest, I think, if I did not disclose my biases.

OKAY. SO. I don't read a ton of murder mystery or dark academia stuff, so as far as I can gather, it handles both of those genres well:

I felt like the twists were well-set up and satisfying - you can guess some of them if you're eagle-eyed and/or familiar with the plot of Hamlet. I know some people hate to be able to guess the twists, but I think it's a mark of continuity/deliberateness throughout the writing if you can. What's the point of a mystery if you, the reader, can't join in solving it?

Elisnore is a perfectly dreary and wonky setting - people have said that it reminds them of like, dark Hogwarts, which is a comparison that I understand even as it exasperates me. I liked the soft magic system that Patrick created, which surprised me a little because I generally prefer hard magic systems (Brandon Sanderson may have one (1) right) but I think in a book like this, where the very fabric of time, space, and reality are ambigious (at best), the fluidity of it works better.

Something I DO read a lot of are Shakespeare (and other classics) and retellings/reimaginings, so that's more of my wheelhouse when it comes to Thoughts Be Bloody. Something that is fundamental to any retelling is the question, Why is this not an original work? Usually the answer is, because it cannot exist without the original media it's referencing, and in this case, I think that's particularly apparent. A huge portion of the tension in this book comes from knowing that in Hamlet, everyone but Horatio ends up dead due to Hamlet's quest for revenge. I spend the book wondering, how, exactly, it would escalate to that clusterfuck, and if Patrick would keep to the level of tragedy of the original play. (As a side bar, I do think Shakespeare is especially rich for retellings due to the amount of interpretative space he leaves open. Thoughs Be Bloody is obviously a novel, a creative work, but there strikes me as something inherently analytical about a Shakespeare retelling/adaptation. What do you see as the most important themes, subplots, characters, settings, etc? How do you go about translating them? I think, for example, Horatio's magic makes so much sense in the context of his original role in the play as narrator, and I think the unreliability of his narration in this book says a lot about the presumed unreliability of Hamlet, which is all I will say here because I'm trying not to spoil things in this review.)

Other thoughts, unstructured:
I love you Lia please call me
Trans people rule
Daddy Issues (whether you love him or hate him or both) is relatable content
Cover very beautiful

TROPES:
Dark academia
Trans MC
In love with a murderer
Polyamorous triad

Loved the dissociative prose, the struggle at the heart of the story, and Horatio's crush on Hamlett.

Love:
The setting of Elsinore has been changed to be a mysterious magical university.
Horatio has time magic, which he draws upon to figure out the murder of Hamlett’s father
Horatio had a great voice as a trans man and his crush on Hamlett drew me into the story.
Horatio is a talented magician- love a competent MC! At times, I wondered what it would be like to hear Hamlett’s perspective, since for some major moments, we’re in a dream, or experiencing events through a filter.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Incredible queer, magical retelling of Hamlet. If I was to describe this to a friend I would pitch Thoughts Be Bloody as The Secret History meets Harry Potter meets The Raven Boys, with a hefty pinch of traditional Shakespearean drama. Didn't know I needed that in my life, but, here we are!

Characters were lovable (Horatio & Lia, obviously), and more importantly, hate-able. I love an unlovable character and was drawn to Hamlett right away despite the very obvious red flags. The background characters even felt fleshed out, which is not often executed well, so bravo to the author for that as well.

It had been a while since I had read Hamlet but generally knowing the plot and how it would end (spoiler alert, no I didn't!!) did not ruin the experience for me. Think the author did a great job of tying up the tragedy in a way that made everything feel very satisfying in the end. Exquisite prose and use of tenses throughout to keep the reader engaged and questioning where this story would go, and I am very partial to the use of the second person POV. It came at an incredible emotional high and the payoff intricately weaved throughout the rest of the book was very well executed to reach that one, climactic moment when we find out who Horatio has been speaking to all along.

Do think that some of the world building fell flat, particularly toward the end, as locations and other physically describable specifics often went undescribed and I felt a bit like I was imagining all of the action happening in a padded room. Perhaps that was the author's intent... I suppose you will have to read and draw your own conclusions.

Genuinely I could not put this one down!!!

It’s been ages since I read Hamlet but I saw it on stage a few months ago and remembered how incredible it was so when I saw queer trans reimagining of Hamlet on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it and I was accepted AND IT IS AMAZING THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ARC

Original Hamlet story meets dark academia meets fantasy meets queer and trans MCs meets unreliable narrative with some second person narration and questionable chronology meets visceral manipulation AND I LOVE SO MUCH

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW and Auden Patrick for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4,75 stars, rounded up.

This was such a creative and ambitious adaptation! The concept alone is brilliant, but what impressed me most was how well it executed all its ideas.

The worldbuilding was immersive, especially the isolated, haunted feeling of the Elsinore campus. I loved the magic system as well; it felt grounded, difficult, and carefully thought out, particularly in its themes surrounding restricted magical knowledge and institutional gatekeeping and their consequences for everyone. Small details, like the campus being made up of magically transported buildings from around the world, added so much personality to the setting!

The characters were one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Even knowing from the start that this story was doomed to tragedy, I became deeply attached to all of them. Horatio was such a compelling protagonist, funny, flawed, painfully lonely and incredibly easy to empathize with. His narration felt emotionally immersive in a way that made every moment hit harder. Hamlett, despite all his obvious red flags, was magnetic in exactly the way he needed to be, making the relationships feel believable even when they were unhealthy. Lia’s characterization was especially thoughtful and moving, and her relationship with Horatio was one of my favorite parts of the book.

I also loved the structure of the narrative itself. The story constantly feels like it’s unraveling and blurring memories in a way that becomes increasingly tense and disorienting as it progresses. The writing captured that sense of impending doom beautifully, especially with the way Horatio slips between recounting events as past memories and experiencing them as though they are happening in the present all over again. I just couldn't put it down.

The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me was that the plot became a little too chaotic and disjointed toward the end, and I occasionally struggled to stay grounded in what was happening.

Still, this is such an impressive debut and one I know will stay with me for a very long time!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

“There’s something strange about the lake at Elsinore University. It doesn’t show me my reflection.”

Oh my goodness, where do I start with this book?

I won’t claim to be an expert in Shakespeare or in Hamlet specifically—I studied it in high school for a playwriting class many years ago, and I’m rereading it right now because this book inspired me. But from my (albeit very basic) knowledge of the story, I think this is such a genius and creative adaptation. I mean, a trans & gay Hamlet retelling with a magic school and time travel? It’s literally everything I could want and more!

The world-building is so unique and atmospheric. I adored the isolated, haunted feel of the Elsinore campus and found the magic system really grounded and inventive. In some ways it reminded me of Witch Hat Atelier in how the magic system has a believably difficult learning curve, as well as similar themes about how the gatekeeping of magical knowledge has devastating effects. I also loved the detail that every building on campus has been magically transported there so it’s a mix of architecture from all over the world—so cool!

The characters are wonderful. My heart ached for them as I read the story, knowing they were doomed and yet being endeared to them all anyway.

Horatio is such a lovable and realistically flawed protagonist. Although the story is tragic (it’s Hamlet, after all) I loved Horatio’s voice and the bits of dry humor scattered throughout. From a queer and neurodivergent perspective, I also found him so relatable. So many moments felt like a punch to the gut—how isolated he feels, and how badly the system has failed him, which is why he easily develops an unhealthy attachment to Hamlett.

Even Hamlett, as terrible as he is, is a lovable character in some strange way. The author does an excellent job of showing how charismatic and charming he is, but also how there are hints of darkness in him from the very beginning. You really can’t blame Horatio for falling for him, even seeing the warning signs, which makes the narrative all the more believable as it is heartbreaking.

And Lia… Lia! I loved her dearly. Ophelia is perhaps one of the most widely misrepresented characters from the original story, but this interpretation of her was beautiful and thoughtful in every way. I could really feel all of the love and care that went into her character, and I adored the quiet but powerful trans solidarity between her and Horatio. Without spoiling anything, I’ll say I really really loved the conclusion of Lia’s storyline and the epilogue of the book is so moving that I could read it a thousand times and it will make me weep every time.

Lastly, the story and the narrative structure… wow, wow, wow! Anyone who knows me knows how utterly obsessed I am with time travel narratives and any story with an unconventional structure, and this book delivers so well on both of those things. Again I’m trying not to spoil too much, but I loved how the story seems to “unravel” more and more as it goes on. I especially loved this in the last quarter of the book or so, and I was truly holding my breath as the final events unfolded. There is so much tension in the pacing and the prose especially towards the end, it is truly unputdownable.

In conclusion, this book is so masterfully crafted and such an impressive debut! I already preordered a physical copy and plan to reread (and listen to the audiobook assuming there will be one) when it’s officially released. Truly an unforgettable and haunting story that I will keep thinking about for a long time. Brilliant work.

I’m a big fan of Hamlet, and it’s always nice in a retelling when you can tell that the author actually loves the source material (Along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead). I loved the magic academia setting and the different power dynamics at play. I liked the narrative structure and the way it fragmented. I will be recommending this to all my fellow Shakespeare nerds.

4.5/5 ⭐ | thank you endlessly DAW and Netgalley for this gorgeous ARC!

okay this was absolutely incredible hello?!? from the very first page, I was hooked. The story unfolds with strong momentum, keeping you invested in every twist and turn along the way. Auden Patrick’s writing style was hauntingly beautiful, making it easy to get lost in the story’s tone and layered characters. I also really loved the queer and mental health representation - this book was truly written for me.

Overall, a very VERY strong debut. I cant wait to see what Auden does next!

Thoughts Be Bloody was pure magic in literary form. I've loved every second I spent reading it and I missed it when I couldn't give it my time.

This is an amazing dark academia had a feel of a Gothic horror book !!! It has just the right amount of creepiness to it that I love. It had loveable characters and lots if emotional depth. It was a page turner for sure, I absolutely ate this book up in one setting. I COULDN'T put it down!!! 5 star read

Thank you to Auden Patrick, DAW, and NetGalley for this ARC!


⭐️-Worldbuilding
The magic system was absolutely phenomenal. I loved this separation of physical magic and mind magic, and the various kinds. I also appreciated the explanations of why battle magic is forbidden, and what types of things mind and dream magic can be used for. Most importantly, I loved how the ethics and practical uses for magic were questioned through theoretical magic and why magic hasn’t solved real world problems, especially for humdrums. As always, my favorite parts of any academia or magic academy book is what we learn from the classes, and this did not disappoint, especially when the dream magic lessons especially came in handy as well as memory work.

⭐️-Plot
I really loved how close the story was followed, especially when tracking the death of characters and the Hamlett’s descent into madness. I think it was such a creative way to play around with this story, especially watching certain feats of magic break or kill many of these characters. That being said, it was interesting to see how the story deviated as well, especially with Lia’s character. Most importantly, I think this is one of my favorite uses of A) a character haunting a narrative and B) An unreliable narrator. Both were expertly navigated through the story.

⭐️-Writing
As someone who is part of the queer community, but is cis, I don’t know much about the trans experience. That being said, I really enjoyed the moments that we got from both Horatio and Lia. It didn’t feel too forced or crammed into the book, and it blended seamlessly with what was going on with the plot. That being said I could’ve done without the Emilee character, despite what purpose she served for Horatio’s character development. As well as this, I think in the beginning and halfway through the book, time was wasted re-explaining what we already knew to Lia, whereas other books would skip ahead in this way but still let us know Lia’s thoughts. Aside from this, the first person worked very well as the narrative was justifiably unreliable! The memory work was such a nice touch to ease this along, and the way the story emphasizes Horatio’s pleading to remember and share with his audience is very compelling.


⭐️-Character Development
I think this book really puts into perspective the age old question of Hamlet’s descent into madness, and what is considered an act compared to how far his grief takes him. This book, I would say without a doubt, leans into the idea of Hamlet’s villainy, while still making him charismatic and likable. A lot of Horatio’s inner monologue regarding Hamlet and how he had this aura around him where everyone was pulled into his orbit and willing to do anything for him for his kindness in return reminded me a lot of dark academia that I’ve read. This desire to become the golden character that is prized by the book’s characters reminded me a lot of A Separate Peace and The Secret History in a way I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed the slight exploration of polyamory which isn’t often seen in books, and the idea of Horatio and Hamlet as romantically intwined, which I’ve seen interest in regarding other Shakespeare Scholars. While in a normal YA novel I would potentially want more from this relationship, I think the very brief fleeting romance is a testament to the characterization of Hamlet and how he manipulates as well as uses those closest to him. I also think it was interesting to look at Lia’s character and play with her own sort of madness similar to the play, but also her relationship with Hamlet and bring up the well asked question of whether or not Hamlet ever loved Lia (or Ophelia) to begin with.

⭐️-Personal Enjoyment
As a Shakespeare Scholar, I really enjoyed this piece and I can tell the author both had fun writing it and did the research required to pull this book off well. I will be rereading to catch all the memory magic and work that is set up in the beginning that I didn’t really notice until the middle.

Thank you again for this ARC, it was a pleasure!

Thank you to Netgalley, Auden Patrick and DAW for the ARC.

4.75

Thoughts Be Bloody is a roller-coaster of a book, and has easily cemented itself as one of my top reads of the year so far. This book packs a lot into it: themes of grief, lack of self identity, ptsd, power, elitism and classism, queerness, dark academia, magic, mental health, suicidal ideation, poly dynamics, and obsession. All within what is essentially a murder mystery. I ate it all up.

This is a Hamlet retelling, however I have never read Hamlet or know the plot line so I had zero clue what I was getting myself into, nor can I say how accurate a retelling this book is. But I don't think that really matters, this book stands on its own and it captivated me.

Each and every character is fully fleshed out, but the trio of Horatio, Hamlet and Lia are the stand outs for sure. Horatio and Lia, both trans, were such a breath of fresh air to read. It was easily some of the best trans rep I have ever read, with it being such an important aspect of both of their lives but still addressed so casually and with no semblance of abnormality. I was in tears when Horatio was sorting through Lia's earliest memories.
Hamlet is also written so incredibly and has such an interesting and complex arc full of twists. I do wish we had seen more of Laertes, I had a real soft spot for them by the end of the book.

The magic system in this is also incredible and I am quite happy to have this fill a certain hole left by a TERF magical school writer. But this world is a lot heartier, more fleshed out, the relationships feel more complex and the magic system itself far more developed. Auden Patrick's writing style really helps in this aspect, they have such a lyrical way of writing that had me turning page after page after page until it was 2am and I was spiralling alongside Horatio. These complex characters and the plot lines of this book would not have worked without an author who could write so beautifully.

The only reason I have given this a 4.75 instead of 5 stars is because I found the first few chapters quite difficult to really lose myself in. The number of characters being introduced in such a short space of time had my brain confused for a second but that is literally just me being nit-picky.

Overall, such an impressive book and one I will definitely be getting a physical copy for. I can't wait to read more by this author!