Honor & Heresy was a delightful dive into dark academia with a queer romance that hit all the right notes. The setting was moody and atmospheric, perfect for fans of gothic intrigue and forbidden knowledge. The real heart of this book, though, is the characters. Roy, with his internal struggle to "kiss the bastard right on the mouth," perfectly captures the tension and charm of the romance. It’s witty and it’s passionate - making me root for him and Percival. To enjoy this book, you need to enjoy the characters, and I definitely did. The queer representation was handled beautifully, adding depth and authenticity to the story. The dark academia vibes were strong, but while I enjoyed the journey, it didn’t completely blow me away. 4/5 stars. It was a great read with a lot to love, even if it didn’t sweep me off my feet. I’m looking forward to more from Max Francis in the future. Thank you to @NetGalley and @avonbooks for the eARC! #HonorAndHeresy #Bookstagram #NetGalley

Are you looking for a pretty atmospheric dark academia novel? Roy lives in a world where words are treated like dangerous fire sparks and even the act of thinking feels dangerous. Books have been erased and knowledge survives only in quiet Hidden corners. When he is sent to an ancient library that refuses to disappear, it doesn’t feel like an honor. It feels like exile dressed up as purpose. His task is to uncover the truth about a threat no one can fully name. The story opens calm. The writing leans into atmosphere and reflection, sometimes so much that it feels like wading through something thick and unmoving. It withholds, offering fragments and expecting you to piece them together. That can be frustrating at first, but there’s also a quiet confidence in it. The prose feels like an artwork. Percival is distant and controlled, someone who reveals very little and seems to prefer it that way. What builds between him and Roy is not immediate conflict, but a slow tension (no spice) that keeps beneath the surface. It shifts gradually, almost imperceptibly at times, as they are forced into the same space and the same purpose. The writing mirrors that change, becoming more focused and grounded in their interactions. Their connection grows in pauses and in what is left unsaid. The setting does much of the work. Snow gathers against windows and the world feels narrowed and contained, as if everything outside the library has faded into something unreal.The atmosphere is immersive, almost suffocating in places, and it gives the story a identity. It feels like words are truly being used to paint a picture. The pacing doesn’t always hold steady. There are sections that felt longer than they need to and some other feel a tiny bit rushed. For a debut novel, this a pretty outstanding work.

I don’t really know what was my problem with this book but I just couldn’t feel invested. I absolutely loved the concept, the dark vibes the book was giving and in theory also the idea behind. But somehow I couldn’t care less about the two protagonists. Yes, their bantering was often funny and I absolutely loved to read a mm romance story that was well written but it kinda felt flat and I wasn’t „sucked into“ the story. There were moments especially during the first half of the book where the pacing was absolutely off and I was very bored. Let’s say the book was saved by me not wanting to dnf the second eARC in a row… The second half definitely had a much better pacing, got more interesting and sometimes I definitely wanted to continue reading asap, but still I couldn’t care less about the protagonists. So yes; amazing idea and setting but personally the pacing in the beginning and the kinda two dimensional characters were making it hard for my to really like it. Thanks to netgalley for the eARC!