The Court of the Undead

by F.M. Aden

A stunningly dark fantasy novel set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Castlevania and From Blood and Ash.

From a young age, Yara and her sister Aylin grew up on tales of the vampir whispered to them in the dark by their superstitious nursemaid. It isn’t until the fateful day Yara is kidnapped and brought to the fortress of the Undying King, that she realizes that she is far from the safety of the Ottoman court. Tucked into the high mountains of Wallachia, the court of the undead is home to the trueborn vampir, their sired vampir flock, and their miserable hoard of blood slaves.

While Aylin joins a group of trained hunters to bring her sister back home. Yara finds herself trapped between a set of beautiful and manipulative twin brothers who intend to use her for their own amusement and deceptions. Caught between the free-spirited and obsessive Volkan and the power-hungry and villainous Eldar, Yara must betray them both if she ever hopes to make it back home alive.

As tension builds at the vampir court and the hunters start their march, Yara must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Historical, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance

342 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2023

About the author

F.M. Aden is the author of the YA fantasy novel The Court of the Undead and the adult standalone title The Bride of Death. She has been writing ever since she learned how to hold a pen. She grew up in Toronto, Canada, and is a lover of all things dark, gothic, and romantic. She likes to spend her free time drinking iced coffee and baking. When not reading she can be found traveling the globe and discovering new ways to make her characters suffer.

Website: https://www.fmaden.com/

Find me online: https://linktr.ee/f.m.aden

Reviews

[krys ~♡~ (scarlett's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried writing a review for this book for so long but words js can't describe how much I absolutely ADORE this. Everything about it, the writing, the pacing, the characters, the plot, the tropes, the multiple love triangles.

I loved it all sm.

Huge thank u to the author and netgally for (literally blessing) giving me a virtual arc of this book!



------~~~-------
HOLY FUCK.

rtc

-----~~~-----
It's arc timee!!

Vampires? Love triangle??? Muslim rep???? Gimme gimme gimmeeee 😋

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so here's me about to disagree with the status quo here STRONGLY. The Court of the Undead has had mid reviews, but it's far from a Mid book. Actually, its a legitimately unique take on romantasy and one of the first romantasy book's I haven't hated. This book SLAPS and y'all just have bad taste.

I'm also extremely upset to see SO MANY REVIEWS express irritation at the "confusing" Muslim elements of the book. Can we leave the weird xenophobia back in 2010 please?

Lets get into it.

Overview:

☪️ Muslim main characters
🌍 African Main characters
👧🏿 Fat/heavier MC
♥️ Slow burn romance
🙌 Epic bond between siblings
♥️ Vampire Romance
♥️ Enemies to Lovers with REAL STAKES
♥️ Love triangles
♥️ "Darker" romance
😍 Corruption arc
😍 Redemption arc
🫰 Interesting side characters


⭐⭐Check out more of my opinions on Enemies to Lovers books on my blog Enemies To Lovers Source ⭐⭐


The Court of the Undead is like taking And I Darken and slapping it together with the tropey elements of The Red Queen with a dash of The Vampire Diaries. The book follows two sisters, Yara and Aylin. Yara is a model wealthy Ottoman girl; she is well-behaved, feminine, and respectful. Aylin is a tomboyish firecracker. The two couldn't be more different, but their bond is powerful. One day, Yara is taken by a powerful vampire family as a slave at the whim of two brothers who wish to use her for their own gain.

As Yara learns to navigate the twisted vampire court, Aylin will travel with a band of vampire hunters to save her.

This is a duel POV that focuses on the two sisters but occasionally throws in a third POV of Eldar, a conniving vampire using Yara to spy for him so he can ascend the ranks of the vampire court.

Yara’s POV is easily the favorite, and I think will be for most people. The court politics and twisted relationships the vampires all have with each other are excellently done and very well written. The author sprinkles in a lot of great side characters into her arc. It has elements of romance without being overwhelming and reminds me a lot of popular vampire fiction in the 2000s. I don’t recommend this book to folks uncomfortable with ‘problematic romance’ for this reason. Yara’s story is very dark, and while the elements never fall back on adult “dark romance” tropes, she is flirting with and tempting fate with literal monsters who want to use and abuse her; and this makes her a harder, more complex character as a result.

I have less to say about Aylin’s POV. I still enjoyed it, but it is more of a straightforward adventure story with a slightly healthier/banter-heavy romance thrown in there. Aylin’s POV also shows a few more traditional Muslim and Ottoman elements of the book and is awesome from a representation perspective.

The Court of the Undead’s biggest and best trait is its use of morally grey characters and straight-up villains. There are only one or two truly morally good characters in the story. Some main characters are truly atrocious, and it’s extremely fun to follow them. FM Aden does not screw around in giving you baddies to root for (or against)

All of the characters are interesting and fun to follow with loads of development. Neither Aylin nor Yara are the same person at the beginning of the book as they are at the end. The vampire characters are all sloppy, morally complex people who will surprise you- it isn’t always clear who is the most monstrous person in the story.

I also loved how slowly the romance moved. All of the characters had to earn their feelings for each other, it wasn’t an instant obsession. Even by the end of the book I was unclear who was actually going to get together. The love triangles were masterfully done- providing awesome scenes for the pairings without committing to one in particular. It was a breath of fresh air in a world where most romantasy books are the same carbon copy experience every single book AKA everyone just does a Sarah J Maas and goes home.

I strongly recommend The Court of the Undead to fantasy readers who like dark romance, Damon/Elena shippers that miss their dynamic, readers looking for vampire stories written by women of color, and anyone who loves slow burn stories where the main characters are human beings beyond their romantic entanglements.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

i thought this was marvelous! it went sooooo strong for pretty much 75% of the book and honestly reminded me of like an Afro-Turk version of Folk of the Air, meets something like a YA version of Game of Thrones.

is it perfect? No absolutely not. BUT neither were the two series i'd mentioned above, nor anything else setting fire to the shelves in teen/ya. what i most enjoyed in The Court of the Undead, is that it featured characters who were ethnically diverse, and had personality and dimension beyond the two-dimensional "here be some courtesy BIPOC folk" inclusivity sentences stop-gap that is pervasive in genre fiction.

so, that being said, it was awesome to read! but most importantly, FMA 's narrative didn't shy away from the fact that race relations are always complicated, and for a soft category such as this in general, i thought this rep supported the plot with energy, expansive characterization and enhanced character motivation. the end did succumb to that whole ott teen/ya romantasy vibe, but i expected it because it STILL IS what it is. just with African Turks and vampires.

i loved the writing style, and i would love to see more maturation in the characterizations moving forward, but on the whole i am extremely happy to have discovered this book/series, and storyteller, as FMA adds much needed representation and value to a saturated market whose readership can only benefit from the enrichment of fantasy fiction featuring more diversification.

[acupofteaandabookplease · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.

So much tension in this story! I loved how their relationships grew and changed along the pages and I will definitely read book 2 as soon as it's published as I want to know what happens to each and every one of the characters... because I like them all... even if some are totally loathsome.
The writing is fluid and the story is fast-paced (no time to get bored into long description, which I really appreciated). I would definitely recommend it!

[red · Rating 4 out of 5]

-I don't know why I had been procrastinating so bad considering the fact that I honestly loved this book and i have my footnotes ready with me so bear with me while I take you thru this magical world of vampires, hunters and court politics. now before I start with that lemme just make it very clear that it is hands down one of the best enemies-to-lovers I've read and trust me when I say it is in my top 3 favorite trope and i really hate it when they ruin it by "saying" that two characters hate each other even tho a blind man can see that they're pining for each other from the first page itself. I absolutely loathe that. But in this book you can actually see things progressing from them wanting to tear each other's head off to.....well, you'll see that for yourself!
-the first 2-3chapters are kinda slow but not because nothing's happening infact it sets the mood??settings?? for the upcoming chapters. It just becomes eerie, you can feel it in your bones like haunting but in a eerie way?
-did i mention these guys have so cool names like why couldn't i have such names? i mean yara?? aylin?? eldar??volkan?? extra points for well muslim rep and also yara ain't a "born skinny bitch" like that made me so happy i mean where my curvy girlies at? we being represented, y'all. and the outfits, salwars and kaftans and stuff was really cool. my desi heart be singing ballads here even tho india is nowhere near turkey lol
-the book is mostly said from the dual pov of the sisters (sometimes volkan's or eldar's pov is included). so i think most of y'all will agree with me when i say Yara's was easily the better pov. all the court politics was giving the cruel prince with an interesting love triangle.
-coming to the characters. lets talk guys. Eldar was level-headed, calculative but unpredictable with his moves kinda like Elijah while Volkan was quite the opposite. he was reckless, impulsive just like damon. even went on to degrade and humiliate Yara many times in the beginning.
-now my favourite, the girlies. Yara is so cool you guys, she is just oh so awesome like I don't know whether i wanna be her or be with her. so was Aylin. Both the sisters had dynamite personalities that you can't help but love. Yara more so than Aylin but yeah. I mean Yara, being a human surrounded by blood-thirst vamps had so much better self-preservation than most of the fantasy FMC I've read about. she's what you call "not like others girls" girl and not even in a bad way. what i loved the most about her was that she acknowledged the fact these vampirs are pretty but also predators and went on to work around that rather than being in denial for half the book which ensured the pacing was perfect.
-Aylin's part was good too but there isn't much to say. the adventure was amazing and so was her chemistry with the psycho lover boy. tbh i'm skimming thru it. the only reason i even like domenico is because i've weakness for twisted, damaged, tortured guys in need of fixing. yes, i'm sick.
-Halfway through the book, it felt like Volkan was gonna be "the one" but whether that happened or not you're gonna have to see for yourself. i mean he did soften for her to the point of braiding her hair and applying her kohl. me when? i'm not crying, you are.
-but after a few pages i kinda had a feeling that something will happen and volkan will end up becoming the second lead in the triangle, nothing substantial its just a feeling i had that i picked up from the vibes. like lets be honest, most of the times hatred is more intense than love and Eldar was always the object of her hatred so it had to count for something, right? idk.
i haven't said much about the side characters but that's not because they are bland or anything infact they some complexity to their character which makes this book a short enjoyable allrounder.
-here are some of my footnotes that i couldn't help but type up while reading because i was just so excited.
1)that classic scene where she kisses someone and looks at someone else?? except make it looks at Eldar while Volkan drinks from her neck??????? WTF?????? like that's so intimate.
2)even tho we condemn some of the things that Eldar has done, one thing we do admire is his fierce loyalty to his brother. just like Elijah fr. Volkan won at life.
3)FUCK VOLKAN. ELDAR'S MY MAN. HE IS SO VILE, SO WRETCHED, SO TWISTED, SO DREADFUL. HE REPRESENTS EVERYTHING I DESPISE IRL MEN AND EVERYTHING I LOVE IN FICTIONAL MEN.
4)but also the fact that i kinda predicted that this book would end with Volkan becoming the second lead like-
5)but then again imagine if Yara does accept Eldar's marriage proposal. like that'd be so catastrophic??? not only would she be married to the worst enemy she made in court but also she'll be betraying Volkan by marrying his brother and in the process hurting the only man(or vampire?) who ever cared for her???
6)never mind that was a ruse, that fucking little bitch Eldar. serves him right tho. but then again, what will happen when his own flesh and blood leaves him for the mere mortal girl?? oh this should be fun.
I've tried not to include major spoilers in the main review.
anyways, in conclusion, a 4.5stars. ending could've been better i guess but considering its a series that's okay. it wasn't anything phenomenal but it did kept me on the edge so cheers to that. it's like a breath of fresh air from the annoying vampires and their pathetic little bitches who'd bend over backwards for them. also the love-hate triangle is well-written so i'm happy, infact i'm looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc

[alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 (rounded to 4)

Where do I even begin? For one, this book series has the potential to be incredible. From love triangles to forbidden romances, I felt like the relationships had me in a chokehold. They were one of the main reasons I continued the story when it was dragging a bit.

One of my more significant “issues” with the book is it felt fast-paced sometimes, and other times it felt a little slow. The beginning of the book seemed to also drag on more than I would have liked it to. Books do need set-up, though, so I understand there was world-building that was necessary. It did not seem to pick up for me until about halfway through, but when it did, I was hooked. The first half took me a few days, but the final half took only a few hours.

The relationships, specifically the sisterhood, in this book felt very well done to me. Yara and Aylin had a love for one another that transcended the places where they were. This was an excellent aspect of the book and effortlessly drove the plot. Regarding romantic relationships, Ilyas and Aylin were overshadowed by Yara and her relationships with the vampire brothers, Volkan and Eldar. I thought the balance between the two POVs was great, but sometimes I wanted to speed through Aylin’s POV to get to Yara’s.

With all that being said, I still liked this book! I thought that the pros outweighed the cons (hence the rounding up), and I think many people will enjoy this when it comes out. “The Court of the Undead” is released on December 20th, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley and Northern Light Press for the ARC.

[Krystle Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I want to see my jewels on your throat when you sing for me. I want everyone to know that you belong to
the Demircis.
- Your Beloved”

This book really surprised me! This dark fantasy book is intoxicating, alluring, and exhilarating. This book follows two sisters Aylin and Yara. It also follows Volkan and Eldar, two vampire twins.
I love how much history the author inputs in the novel. It makes the story more believable. I really liked the character development especially Yara. She really came out of her shell and was more bold. I love Volkan! I am waiting for the shoe to drop on Eldar. I really enjoyed seeing a feast for the eyes for vampires. I strongly encourage people to read this novel!!! It left me wanting more!

Tropes-

Enemies to Lovers
Romantic Vampires
Familial bond
Politics
Love triangle
Slow burn
Dark
Muslim representation
African American representation

I want to thank F.M. Arden, Northern Light Press, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

[Azthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Court of the Undead" by FM Aden offers a tantalizing journey through a world teeming with forbidden romances and intricate relationships that grip readers right from the start. From love triangles to the unyielding bonds of sisterhood, this book presents a tapestry of emotions that keeps you engaged even during slower moments.

The pacing of the story presents a bit of a mixed bag. At times, the narrative races ahead, creating an exhilarating whirlwind, while other moments drag, particularly in the initial stages where world-building takes precedence. Though necessary, this setup might test patience. However, once the tale gains momentum around the halfway mark, it transforms into an irresistible page-turner, making the second half a gripping and swift read.

The book excels in portraying the heartfelt connection between sisters Yara and Aylin. Their unwavering love transcends boundaries, driving the plot forward with an effortless grace. Yet, amidst these powerful bonds, the focus on Yara's romantic entanglements with vampire brothers Volkan and Eldar sometimes overshadows other relationships, like Aylin's connection with Ilyas.

The utilization of multiple points of view is well-balanced, offering contrasting perspectives. However, a slight inclination to rush through Aylin's narrative in favor of Yara's suggests a stronger engagement with one character's journey over the other.

In spite of its pacing and narrative imbalances, "The Court of the Undead" emerges as a compelling read. The strengths of its intricate relationships and magnetic romances outweigh the intermittent pacing issues. This book has the potential to captivate a diverse audience upon its release. Set to debut on December 20th, 2023, this novel promises an engaging exploration of love, loyalty, and the supernatural. A special thanks to NetGalley and Northern Light Press for providing the ARC.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I devoured this book, it was so much fun, and an original story while still touching on the popular tropes we see in romantasy. This book is a
dark fantasy which sits on the edge of dark romance without committing to dark romance tropes. Other than its dark themes, I believe it is marketed as YA.

The representation in this book was fantastic including Muslim MCs and a plus size MC. The book is a dual POV predominantly that follows two sisters, one abducted and one on a quest to get her back. The storyline has everything from court politics and intrigue, backstabbing and spying, hidden identity, forbidden love, and more all bundled up in a rich world inspired by the history and rise of the Ottoman Empire which adds so much depth to the story. Also as a prominent love triangle hater I was worried I would hate this book not realising that this had love triangles when starting. However this author threw me through a loop because I am INVESTED. I do not even know who I am rooting for anymore and I am desperate for the next book.

To top it all off this book does not just have you rooting for morally grey characters, but also straight up evil characters. The design and characterisation of the Vampir in this book are so good and so dark that you truly never know who is a friend and who is an enemy.

My only criticism of this book was that I felt like it was maybe a little slow in the first couple of chapters, however once it got going I didn't want to put it down. Those first few chapters were setting the scene and info dumping but as soon as the storyline starts going I did not care that it was a bit slow in those first 3 chapters.

Overall, I felt the story was original, fast-paced, and kept me gripped right until the end. I will be looking out for the next read with bated breath and will be looking into this author for anything else they have written.


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Clarissa Gomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oboi let me see if I can write coherent thoughts aksjdhakjsdhkasjdhkajdshkajsdhkjasd

Ok for starters screw the reviews saying that the book is "difficult to understand or connect to" because of the different culture. That's nonsense. The different cultural elements are explained just fine and you don't need a Deep Comprehension Of Islam/Turk History or whatever to get the book. I'm a Brazilian catholic-raised atheist and understood it all just fine.

And well, yea, the book has no "spice" (as in sex scenes). The make-outs are steamy and there are even scenes not-of-physical-intimacy brimming with sexual tension. But there's not even a fade-to-black implied scene. I personally see no problem with that, but from other reviews it seems people want to know that about the book so there you have it.

And maybe because it's an ARC but there were a few grammar mistakes here and there (mostly misplaced commas).

Now. To the Good Stuff.

Oh my GODS this is good. ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS STANS, EAT THIS UP. Seriously. YOU WILL WIN. WE WILL WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN! WE ONLY GET TO LOSE BUT THIS TIME WE! WILL! WIN!

There are romantic triangles - yes, for both sisters, two triangles - BUT DON'T CLOSE THIS TAB JUST YET, HEAR ME OUT! It's, like, good. Like, all suitors are very possible endgames, and every feeling and sentiment and emotion and relationship between the characters is absolutely earned, and you keep going back and forth in your guesses of who's going to be endgame. It's well written, filled with tension and ambivalence, and won't have you rolling your eyes like romantic triangles usually do. Seriously, these are rare examples of the trope being done right.

And remember when I said enemies-to-lovers stans WILL WIN with this book? Like, 3 of the 4 romantic interests are enemies of the protagonists. And it's TRUE enemies-to-lovers, not merely "oh they were slightly mean to each other once", NO, there are LITERAL MURDER ATTEMPTS. THEY DO BAD THINGS TO EACH OTHER. IT'S THE REAL DEAL. Like, one of the protagonists has BOTH her suitors be her enemies, so, for real, NO MATTER THE ENDGAME, WE WIN.

Oh and, like, the sisters gave me Sansa and Arya Stark vibes. One is pretty and politically savvy and the other a tomboy aspiring warrior. Good soup.

The intrigues and corruption in both the Court of the Undead and the Silver Cross Order are good soup too. Morally grey characters abound! Lots of tragic despicable people to, as we say in my motherland, passar pano (that means to defend/dismiss the bad things they do).

I haven't watched more than a few episodes of The Vampire Diaries but I think its fans are in for a treat (I mean, one of the characters is named Salvatore, a definite nod to the show). Author is apparently a Delena and Damon apologist. So I'm genuinely optimistic for the rest of the series. Can I also get the upcoming sequels as ARCs for reviews? Sorry I'm new to NetGalley and BookSirens but this series is definitely one which I'll gladly follow.

Ok I hope this was in anyway at least a little bit coherent and understandable lol

TL;DR: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS BOOK SLAPS AND YOU WILL WIN NO MATTER THE ENDGAME ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS FANS RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE

[jacky (paperbxcks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bookstagram | BookTok | Twitter


4.5/5. HOLY SHIT. There's "morally grey" love interests, and then there's whatever horrible thing these vile people were. This book makes other villains look like puppies and rainbows. In a good way.

The Court of the Undead follows two sisters, Aylin and Yara, who live in the Sultan's court in the Ottoman Empire. One day, Yara gets stolen by vampir and Aylin sets off to rescue her along with Ilyas, one of the Sultan's soldiers. Meanwhile, Yara gets dragged into the dangerous politics of the court of the Undying King, Dracul, and attracts the attention of two monstrous brothers. The Demirci twins, Volkan and Eldar, claim Yara as their blood slave and want to use her for their pleasure and as a pawn. Aylin and Ilyas, on the other hand, make their way to Venice to infiltrate a Christian sect of vampir hunters to free Yara.

This was Castlevania meets The Vampire Diaries, placed in a fascinating historical setting. While I found the Court of the Undead and its creepy castle in the mountains the more riveting setting, I liked the historical elements in both Yara and Aylin's storylines. Aylin's story, in particular, gives more of an insight into Muslim and Ottoman culture and practices. I found these elements very interesting since my historical knowledge of the Ottoman Empire is lacking, to be honest. With that being said, the historical aspects were not difficult to grasp at all and you don't need any prior knowledge to enjoy this story whatsoever.

The plot and pacing were great, this is one of the rare occasions where I can confidently say that there was never (!) a dull moment in this book. While Yara's story is leaning heavily into the court politics and intrigues, Aylin's plotline is more of a typical adventure story, but I found myself immensely entertained by both. While at first I thought I would favour Yara's character, by the end, I loved both sisters equally. While Aylin is more of a firecracker, Yara is described as the "soft", kind, feminine sister. So Yara's tenacity in surviving a court of literal monsters impressed me and I loved how she didn't cower before them but instead perservered and outmaneuvered them. Aylin was short-tempered and sometimes thoughtless in her actions, I loved her a whole lot and couldn't help but laugh at her sharp wit and insults.

With that being said, with the exception of the sisters, everyone in this book was a vile and horrible person. I'm not being hyperbolic here, folks. These vampires are actual monsters, none of that sparkly Twilight bullshit. Think Castlevania vampires, but so much worse. While we do learn the character's backgrounds and can understand why they are the way they are, some of them were truly sadistic, evil beings.

It feels strange to say I liked the characters, in light of just how truly awful they are, but I will say I was immensely entertained by them. The author truly made you root for villains but yet never excused their behaviour, which I liked. The book fully acknowledged the toxicity of some of the relationships and none of the characters are forgiven easily. Still, sometimes I would laugh at things they said, and then I would feel bad because they're awful. This book is not for the faint hearted, or the lawfully good. But if you love a good villain, you will love The Court of the Undead.

In this light, if you are uncomfortable with darker elements in romance, I'd caution you reading this. In Yara's story especially, there are some questions of consent, since she's often involuntarily bitten by the vampire brothers, being their literal blood slave. When I say this is a villain romance, I am not fucking around. Neither Volkan nor Eldar get a redemption arc, if anything, at least one of them gets progressively worse. They treat Yara much like an object or a pet at best in the beginning, and none of the romantic elements are what you would call wholesome.

However, while I am not a fan of love triangles, the one here was well done. The relationships were very much slow-burns and even by the end, I could not tell you which couple would be endgame. I do have my preferred option, but it honestly could go either way. Comparisons with The Vampire Diaries come to mind, what with the vampire brothers obsessing over the same girl. If you were a fan of Damon Salvatore, I'm positive you will like Eldar. Just having played Baldur's Gate 3, Volkan's story was also really reminding me of Astarion, which was great.

Aylin has another love triangle, where one side is forbidden love and the other is, for lack of a better word, a bully romance. As I said, the relationships in this book are slow-burn and I would even say there's no actual romance in The Court of the Undead, yet. There is obsession, and sexual tension, and begrudging understanding, but the characters haven't fallen in love yet. Which made a lot of sense given the treatment the sisters are put through, so I liked that no one had actually gotten together yet.

As for the writing style, while the dialogue was great and all the characters had distinct voices, there were some instances of telling instead of showing which took me out of the story. Things such as "she felt afraid" instead of showing the fear through heart pounding, sweaty palms, etc. or info-dumping instead of showing the worldbuilding organically. Overall, I found the descriptions and prose to be weaker than the dialogue, but the author still invoked some strong images and the atmosphere was great. Thus, I was willing to forgive some clunky word and writing choices.

All in all, if you love a villain that's actually villanous, stabby women, and court intrigue, I reckon you will love The Court of the Undead. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sofie Haller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
0 🌶️ True YA - no spice

The story centers around two sisters who live at the courts of the Ottoman empire. Yara, the traditional feminine sister and Aylin, the "tomboy" who would rather train than be a lady. They were always told stories as children of the things that go bump in the night, just writing them off until one of the sisters, Yara, is kidnapped by flesh traders and sold to The Court of the Undead, a Vampire Kingdom hidden amongst humans. Yara is sold as a blood slave originally to two brothers. Being raised in the Ottoman Courts, she is no stranger to political movements and seeks to improve her station and possibly escape.

While this happens, her sister Aylin, is the main one willing to search to the ends of the earth to save Yara, knowing something terrible must have happened. Aylin leaves on a journey to join Vampire Hunters in order to save her sister. In order to keep herself safe and alive while training with the hunters, Aylin poses as a boy to achieve her goals.

This book is darker as a whole and makes you question which characters you wish to root for. The Demirci Brothers are the epitome of morally grey and dark, but like real people they do still have redeeming qualities. I adored nearly all of the chapters following Yara within the Court of the Undead, however, I felt like Aylin's chapters were not nearly as entertaining. They do converge towards the end, but it wasn't something I was excited to learn more about mainly as Aylin grows closer to other side characters on her journey.

Muslim Main Characters
YA Dark Fantasy
Vampires
Historical Setting (Ottoman empire)
Dual POV
ENEMIES to Lovers
Love triangles
Bully romance if you squint
Forbidden romance
Political intrigue

“I want to see my jewels on your throat when you sing for me. I want everyone to know that you belong to the Demircis.
- Your Beloved”

I have no clue why there are so many low/dnf reviews on this book. I adored it!

Thank you Netgalley, Northern Light Press and FM Aden for the gifted advance reader copy of The Court of the Undead.

[rosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regret reading this book because now I want Book 2 IMMEDIATELY

I was so hooked on the book, I finished reading it in one sitting [AND I HAVE EXAMS HAHA]

I can’t believe there is many midass reviews. Y’all just haters. Hence, do not hesitate to read because of those lameass stars my dear reading companions.

Anyways, let’s proceed to talk about what I loved about the novel;

Muslim and African rep: I learned so many new cultural terms, and learning new things about culture is always such a delight. The novel ignited a desire in me to read more novels with such rep.

Character Development: The sudden change in our MC’s personality as soon as she is in dangerous terrain is astounding. She knows she isn’t physically strong enough to fight her enemies so she starts playing mind games, making everyone appreciate her. When you first start reading, Yara feels like your innocent kind, most beautiful but average boring girl who wants to please everyone around her. But girl, did she prove me wrong.

Character regression: bombastic side-eye, criminal offensive side-eye @ Eldar but that’s what makes the novel more addicting. Because of his character, it opens the door to many different upcoming plot ideas and keeps the reader’s attention on the series as there are many possibilities on how the novel might end.

Romance and Pining 10/10: I know Eldar x Yara, if it ever happens, will be toxic BUT I AM ROOTING FOR THEM. The sexual tension and pining between them is over the roof. I just love me some pining and foolish actions, even if it is one sided haha.
Ilyas, man tf up or wave goodbye to Alyin.

Strong bond between siblings (and we get both of their pov) : The sisterly bond between the sisters was crafted so well, you could feel it. They are complete opposite of each other but it doesn’t lessen the affection they have for each other. One of the common tropes is making one sister villain and the other hero, one filled with jealousy, the other being docile. This novel DIDN’T have it. The bond between the brothers is also good until [Redacted]

Plot: It’s been so long since I read vampire novels. The plot might not be mind blowing but it’s still refreshing. It creates this tension making you wonder if Yara will be able to escape. The ending ended exactly how I wanted it to. I do hope we get some sneak peeks on the sultan and the prince of the Ottoman Empire.

Poor Yara, she could never see the sun…

Thank you NetGalley, Northern Light Press, and F.M. Aden for granting me ARC of this book in return for my honest opinions.

[F.M. Aden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, I wrote this book and hope you enjoy reading it!

This is the first book in a planned trilogy and some of the elements you can find in this book include:

🥀court politics
🥀a historical setting (set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire)
🥀it is mildly inspired by Dracula
🥀it has a pair of evil twin vampire brothers
🥀it has complex sibling relationships
🥀it is told in dual POV between two sisters
🥀it does in fact have an enemies-to-lovers romance

You can find a list of content warnings on my website.

[h i n d]

🥀 set during the rise of the Ottoman Empire
🥀 vampire/court politics
🥀evil twin vampire brothers
🥀 dual POV of 2 sisters
🥀 enemies to lovers

SAY LESS

[dewi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Northern Light Press for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Court of the Undead takes place at the Ottoman court and follows two sisters, Yara and Aylin. They grew up hearing stories about ghastly, blood-sucking animals and assumed they were nothing more than fairy tales. But after hearing stories that Yara was abducted by a vampir, Aylin decides to search for her beloved sister after she vanishes.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I initially thought I would. The book begins out a bit sluggish and heavy, feeling more like historical fiction than fantasy. Especially since I don't know a lot about Ottoman history it was sometimes difficult to follow without referring to the glossary. However, the story picks up quickly at around 35% which is when things begin to become interesting.

The dual POV didn't bother me as much as reading from multiple POV's usually does. I think since the POV's from both sisters happen in different places, so rather it feels like reading two stories happening at the same time. However, I will say that I found Yara's POV much more interesting than Aylin's, both because she is the one abducted into the court of the undead and Aylin simply didn't feel as fleshed out and was therefore lacking a bit.

All in all, the story has a lot of potential, which I hope will be further explored in a second book of the series.

[Vhicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book. The Court of the Undead follows the story of two sisters. Yara and Aylin. There are vampires, and muslim references. Yara gets taken by vampires and somehow needs to navigate the politics in the vampire court. Aylin then goes on a journey to rescue her sister. The two sisters are involved in their own love triangle, which is a bit frustrating for me… since I keep switching ships up until the end. Lol. I very much enjoyed the last chapters, and i hope there is a sequel because I need to know what happens next.

[Miss Kindly (Sanna) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't you just hate it when a book has elements that you love but the execution don't work for you? This is not your average fantasy romance book and for that I truly commend it. Unfortunately it is also a very flawed book, at least in my opinion. But let's try to figure out if it could be for you.

In The Court of the Dead we follow sisters Aylin and Yara. But honestly I'm not sure if anybody cares all that much about Aylin. Yara gets kidnapped by vampires and brought to their court of their undead. Yara wants to bring her back but does it by a lot of rather boring travelling with her childhood friend and training with soldiers that want to kill vampires. Yara on the other hand decides that she is not going to sit around waiting to be recued. Instead, she begins to scheme for power without hesitating to double-cross anyone if a higher bidder can offer her more in return for her services.

That sounds kind of fun right? At least Yara's storyline? I loved that Yara only grows more merciless the longer she is trapped in the vampire court, that she utilizes the political intrigues at court to her advantage. And I haven't even started telling you about the truly unhinged romance interests. Are they even romance interests or just straight up villains? Even now that I have finished the book I can't quite tell. And I absolutely love that. Some characters starts out as straight up psychopaths only to be kind of redeemed later on, others does the opposite. Pretty much all of them have this creepy obsession with our heroines rather than something as mundane as "feelings". It's definitely dark but also work better because it isn't framed as romantic. That being said, maybe it's a tad over the top that there a three different male characters that individually develop an obsession with one or the other sister. However, if you're going to do a villain romance, this is the way to do it, don't change the entire personality of the villain just because he starts having feelings and have the heroine be just as ruthless.

That's some glowing praise right? So why am I still so disappointed? The actual writing my friends. This is not something new, plenty of popular authors do it to me. There's a ridiculous amount of telling instead of showing, especially in the beginning. There's no build up of tension in scenes that really would have needed it to make an impact. An entire fight to de death can be over in less than a page. Other things just don't make sense. Like ripping someone's heart out in the middle of a dance floor and walking out with it without anybody being able to figure out that you did it. If it wasn't for my fascination with the villain romances and corruption arcs mentioned above I wouldn't have cared enough about anything to want to finish it.

That being said, Belladonna for example is super popular and to me that one have about the same level of writing as The Court of the Undead so it still might be for you. But maybe don't expect any true romance, there's basically just weird obsessions and schemes going on here.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an ARC to review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read... ever. Phenomenal, I am absolutely in need of the next book, I can't think about anything else. Cannot say enough things about this book I loved, above all- the sister's devotion and love for each other made me cry every other page. Aylin, Yara- you will always be famous to me.

[Lenaasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

✨️"Better to be a slave with power than a slave without."✨️

half Volturi fan fiction half arya stark training 😵‍💫

I don't know how many beta readers read this and didn't think to suggest making the three problematic love interests less psychotic? and I don't mean hot psychotic I mean ear chomping, non-consensual physical touch, legit physical assault and emotional abuse love interests. the author saw dagger to the throat trending on booktok and made full on menaces to society

the only good love interest with the perfect amount of tension and banter and protectiveness is pushed aside for the lunatic like be fr

✨️“I’m upset with all men. They are selfish creatures.”✨️

vampire wise, both options are concerning and miss girl's feelings feel so forced and out of nowhere. wdym "I can't stand the thought of anything happening to him" he treated you like a dog and gave you almost-org*sms without your consent pls

other than that I still somehow enjoyed reading it, maybe because I've read far worse or because the writing style is actually genuinely good but it was nice, I just wish the men were less like actual irl MEN and had shorter hair 🫡

✨️“Men will always find an excuse for violence. It is always a war for king, for God, for family. As if justifying the reason for carnage somehow makes it acceptable.”✨️

+ was the waist long straight hair really necessary for the twin vampires?? i cannot NOT picture the volturi guy from twilight

[arc review honest opinion]

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yara and her sister Aylin grew up on tales of vampir. Yara is kidnapped by vampir and Aylin tries to save her sister with a group of hunters. Aylin meets twin brothers Vokan and Eldar... and doesn't know who to trust...

Love the Ottoman background and the magical world in the book. I like Aylin a lot. She's terrific. I like the suspense and the plot too. The plot is a lot though... a LOT of things are happening. I wish that there was more romance though. It's there but I just want more. There is a lot of potential there. Overall, an interesting book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

[Gabrielle Barbettini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally really liked this book filled with hella tension, about two sisters very different from each other. One wants freedom while the other craves power, they also share a strong bond together after their mother died and they were left alone for some time. One night one of them gets kidnapped by cruel monsters looking to inflict as much physical and emotional pain as possible, while the other one is racing against time to find her and bring het home. Along the way both sisters find themselves entangled with two different men with that want have them as theirs. I can’t wait till the next one comes out! Thanks Net Galley for the read before release!

[brisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m surprised the rating on this book is lower than what I would think. I personally LOVED this book. I read it in one day, one sitting. I was engulfed into this world. Aylin and Ilyas gave Matthias and Nina. Yara and Volka were so Jude and Cardan. I loved the world. The writing. I was honestly blushing and giggling at the scenes between Yara and Volka. Five star.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

[reem.☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally!! an enemies to lovers that isn't like other girls 😭

[Mailise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yara and Aylin live a comfortable life in Constantinople with their eunuch father serving the sultan. One day Yara is captured and sold as a blood slave to two brothers in a twisted vampire court. Yara’s sister, Aylin, and her somewhat platonic friend, Ilyas, set out to bring her home. Aylin and Ilyas join a group of faithful vampire hunters and learn how to kill the beasts that rule the night. During this time, Yara becomes entrenched in court politics and learns to navigate the King and nobles while becoming the obsession of the two Demirci brothers. She has to be careful and cunning as she tries to gain her freedom and one day see her sister again.

In terms of spiciness this book is bit lacking and it was hard to get through the first several chapters as the writing felt a bit heavy. Some of the descriptions were drawn out and it sometimes felt as though this were instead a historical fiction instead of a dark romance. I did not know many of the terms being described and would have appreciated if the glossary was listed in the table of contents so that I could refer to it as I read.

Overall the plot was interesting as it follows the Demirci brothers and Yara as they plot for revenge and power at court. I just would have liked more romance, especially from the vampires at court. These dark creatures who have no problem eating each other’s hearts and having blood slaves can at least show some level of affection. I hope more romance is added in the second book!

[Sam Donovan · Rating 2 out of 5]

actual rating: 2.5

this clearly has an audience who love this story based on the reviews so don't dismiss this book if it interests you. my big issues were the writing style (mainly because it took me forever to get into the story and by then it felt too late) and the romance. there is not a lot of romance in this but all of the love interests made me uncomfortable, none of these men were decent or worth wanting. enemies to lovers but the men are just cruel, not for me.

due to the writing style (i usually enjoy whimsical, flowery purple prose) i could not connect with these characters and found myself bored and uninterested in either pov. yara was the better perspective because of the vampires and politics but still didn't work for me. men, ew.

the plot is interesting but nothing new. the worldbuilding wasn't there enough for me. the pacing was off for me, some parts very quick (the ending) while other's that really drag (the first half). but this isn't a bad book just could've used another draft or two to flesh out more. i think this author will only improve from here and i'll be interested to check out some of their future works, i mean cover for their 2024 release is stunning!

[Melissa Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley for the advanced read in turn for an honest response!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quicker read than some books I’ve read lately but I couldn’t put it down!

It’s a bit different for me as I’m not as familiar with African/Muslim/Ottoman (more familiar with Ottoman from university but that was long ago!) backgrounds but it just added to the story to be more intriguing! It did feel like the books I used to read in high school with vampires! I really enjoyed that there was a familiar feel with an entirely new element for me!

I enjoyed the dual POV with the sisters who are almost polar opposites! Their characters really show in their point of views! Yara is classic good girl and upstanding citizen. Aylin is wild and like a tomboy.

The characters are morally grey and the author has you rooting for the villains. I loved this book!

[Maria Cabrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very enjoyable, a homage to old classic vampires, teatrically scary and powerful, far removed of their humanity. Could see Stoker's influence in the author, inevitable if you bring Vlad Țepeș to the story.
I as well enjoyed the historical facet it portrays, as The Court of the Undead describes Ottoman Empire and Wallachia's customs, their court politics, murderous and hungry powered plots. Also, cheers to the muslim rep!
I was more drawn to Yara's POV than her sister, it has more of the horror elements I enjoy in this genere, but it was also entertaining to read the treaterous journey Aylin has to suffer to reunite with her.
The toxic men that surround them like a swarm of bees... It's horrible! They deserve a separate review dedicated to all of them, the only one who escapes my wrath is Ilyas.

[Jamie Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy.

I admit, I struggled with getting into the book at first. Around 35% of the way in I got really invested amd decided to keep going. The beginning has a lot of telling and building before it got into a groove. Very common from a debut book though and it's worth finishing. If you're going to give this book a chance keep going to that point.

The vampire plotline was what hooked me. It grabs you early and the tension between one fmc and the twin vampires I LOVED.

The other sister took me much longer to get into. It sort of swung into van helsing vibes at a point though and became much more engaging.

[Kerry Puckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Okay I don't know why this is only rated a 3.5 on Goodreads right now because this book was SO FUN to read. Evil characters, multiple POVs, a group of vampires that are absolutely terrifying and two sisters trying to find their way back to each other. There is Muslim and African reputation, slow burn, enemy to lover to enemy(?), corruption, redemption this book has everything! Even the side characters were stellar. No confusing world building, most of the story does take place in a castle. The only negative comment I have is that it started out a bit disjointed and slow but holy moly does it get CRAZY! Loved it. I 100% recommend this one for the fantasy lovers out there. Looking forward to the next one👏👏