This Ravenous Fate

This Ravenous Fate #1

by Hayley Dennings

The first book in a decadent fantasy duology set in Jazz Age Harlem, where at night the dance halls come to life—and death waits in the dark.

It's 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in New York. But the Saint family's thriving reaper-hunting enterprise holds reign over the city, giving them more power than even the organized criminals who run the nightclubs. Eighteen year-old Elise Saint, home after five years in Paris, is the reluctant heir to the empire. Only one thing weighs heavier on Elise's mind than her family obligations: the knowledge that the Harlem reapers want her dead.

Layla Quinn is a young reaper haunted by her past. Though reapers have existed in America for three centuries, created by New World atrocities and cruel experiments, Layla became one just five years ago. The night she was turned, she lost her parents, the protection of the Saints, and her humanity, and she'll never forget how Elise Saint betrayed her.

But some reapers are inexplicably turning part human again, leaving a wake of mysterious and brutal killings. When Layla is framed for one of these attacks, the Saint patriarch offers her a deal she can't refuse: to work with Elise to investigate how these murders might be linked to shocking rumors of a reaper cure. Once close friends, now bitter enemies, Elise and Layla explore the city's underworld, confronting their intense feelings for one another and uncovering the sinister truths about a growing threat to reapers and humans alike.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Vampires, Romance, Queer, Historical Fiction, LGBT

457 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2024

About the author

Hayley Dennings is a recent graduate from Loyola Marymount University, where she double majored in English and French with a concentration in diversity and inclusion. Hayley loves stories centered on queer female characters and dedicates her writing to actively resisting misogynoir. She currently resides in the Bay Area, working as an editorial and marketing associate for Fable. When Hayley is not working, she is spending time with her dogs, reading, painting, and baking.

Reviews

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

the vampire renaissance keeps getting stronger and lesbianer and I hope it never stops!!!

This was not my cup of tea, which is disappointing, but I'm on board with this author so I'll pick up future releases.

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➸ 3.75 stars

“It’s easy to do anything when you love someone. Even if it’s the hardest choice you’ve ever made.”

— thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

🩸childhood friends to enemies to reluctant
allies to lovers
🩸sapphic
🩸vampire hunter x vampire
🩸female rage
🩸1920s harlem renaissance setting
🩸slowburn
🩸touch her and you die
🩸mystery

· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·

— I had such a fun time reading this one! I was immediately engaged into this story from the first chapter and could not put this one down! the main characters were definitely my favorite part about this book! as I’m writing this I’m still a bit conflicted on how to rate the book and if it will be my final rating, I definitely enjoyed it and liked but but it did have some things I think could have been better!

— one thing I would’ve loved to see more of was layla and elise being enemies, I felt like it was too short! at the very beginning they were trying to kill each other and it set up an interesting story I was excited for but I felt like that scene at the beginning was the only one where they truly seemed like enemies! around 20% they became reluctant allies and I was just confused on where that desire to kill each other went.

— this next one might be just me not understanding; the mystery… it felt like it was all over the place and I’m not sure I liked the execution of it, I’m still kind of confused on everything that happened if I’m being honest but I think that just might be me!

— the last thing was the ending; it felt very abrupt if I’m being honest and I immediately went to check the authors page to see if there would be a sequel and then sighed of relief when I saw that there was! I am definitely going to read it since there were things left unfinished and I want to see more of elise and layla!

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“She wanted to feel something other than responsibility, she wanted to act without the worry of whether she was being perfect.”

➺ elise saint - I have mixed feelings about her… one moment I found myself relating to her feelings and another moment I would be annoyed by her… I guess some of those moments where her privilege was present can be because of the way she was raised and her fathers manipulation. I was so happy to see her development at the very end and putting an end to the ongoing hurt she was being put though!

“She wanted comfort, but she didn’t want to explain her complicated web of feelings. She didn’t want anyone to know she was not okay. The burden was her own to bear.”

okay where are the cameras because I started to see myself in some parts of elise. her complex family relationships were executed so well! I also loved the amount of care she had for her little sister!

➺ sterling - I’m not going to lie, I loved him in the beginning! I loved the brother-sister relationship he had with elise and her sister so much! that didn’t last long tho seeing as who he ended up choosing in the end and I’m just confused on why. I’m excited to see where this will go in book two but I won’t be very forgiving.

“Humanity was the one thing Layla wished she had.”

➺ layla quinn - I LOVED HER SHE REALLY CARRIED THIS BOOK! she was like the only character to keep everything real and I loved her for that! she stood for what she believed in and she let no one change that or cross her! truly the best character in this book. she’s stabby and murderous but underneath that front she has a soft side and just wants to live life. I felt so bad for her and the way things happened. this girl deserves all the happiness in the world and I hope book two will bring her that!

➺ jamie - I know he wasn’t in the book much but he was one of the best characters, LOL! I love the scenes he was in and how he called his cat his son, I would definitely like to see more of him! his friendship with layla was hilarious!

· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·

“Back to ruin more lives, are you? Mine wasn’t enough for you?”

“Whatever marks she left on Elise—Layla hoped they scarred.”

“I’ve been dreaming of what it would be like to squeeze your heart in my hands. I want to feel your last beat of life seep between my fingers.”

“If anyone kills her. It will be me.”

OKAY THE ENEMIES WAS SHOWWWWING HERE! these two were constantly going at each other with their words and ahhhh I loved it the tension was chefs kiss mwah

“It was as if Elise was made up of stars and the dust between the planets. In her, Layla was certain she would find the whole universe.”

➺ layla & elise - THE ANGSTTTTTT THE YEARNINGGGGGG THE PINING THE TENDERNESS BETWEEN THESE TWO OH MY GODDDD even when they were apart for years they still haunted each others minds and thought of each other at every waking moment I CANNOT. these two are literally the complete opposite of each other; one wishes for the freedom reapers have that she doesn’t and the other wishes for the humanity that she doesn’t have and yet they fit together so so well and know each other from inside and out like no one else and I LOVED READING EVERY SECOND OF IT.

“You put on an act for everyone including yourself. But I see right through it. I see you.”

“Elise wanted to cry. She wasn’t bored, she was exhausted. No one around her had seen that but Layla. A reaper has seen right through her.”

THEY SEE THROUGH EACH OTHER THEY SEE EACH OTHER THEY SEE THROUGH EACH OTHER THEY SEE EACH OTHER ARGHHHHHHH I LOVE IT.

their history together, the stolen glances, the small subtle touches, recognizing each other instantly, seeing through the acts I ATE IT UP.

“You tried to rip my heart from my chest, but you’ve already had my heart; it’s always been yours—“

they are truly each others person, each others safe place. I fear I will never get over them and I can’t wait to see their romance flourish in book two (hopefully… PLEASE MS DENNINGS I NEED THEM SO BE HAPPY)

“You’re my best everything,”
“You’re my best everything too.”

· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·

𓍢⊹ 𖧧 ࣪ 🩸pre-read - vampire x vampire hunter, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, AND sapphic?! I’m so excited to dive into this!!

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

ARC Review

9hrs and 55 minutes later…

Upon finishing this book, something drove me to skim the Acknowledgments’ Page (which I don’t typically do after finishing a book) and I wish that I hadn’t. My heart is just a little sad and somewhat envious that someone on Hayley Dennings’ team was able to read this entire book in one sitting. When I requested this ARC over a year ago (Yes. I am very much aware that this ARC is THAT MUCH overdue. 🤭🤭🤭) I had high hopes that I would be that type of person too. Unfortunately, it took me 5 whole days to read this one and I really wish in the end that I can say that I fell in love with this. But no. I just liked it. I guess.

This Ravenous Fate is the type of book that one has to be very patient with. While writing this book, Hayley Dennings decided to split this book up into four different ACTS (which I am so thankful for). The Prologue-ACT One (Chapters 1-11) is where this story is at its best. These two sections are fast-paced and this is where a reader finds themselves really curious about the direction in which this story could go. And then you enter ACT Two (Chapters 12-27), where everything just slows down. It might take a reader two-three days to finish this section and one might even find themselves bored and wanting to DNF right here (Reason 1 for why I rated this book a 3.5 ⭐️ read). I recommend that a reader tries to stick things out because ACT Three (Chapters 28-39) kind of creeps up on a person and things start picking up again. It is here that a reader will find themselves falling in with FMC Layla Quinn (if one hasn’t already during their reading journey during ACT Two) and constantly judging FMC Elise Saint (given what this chick was going through, one would think that this chick would have a good heart but NOPE!!! Reason 2 for why I rated this book a 3.5 ⭐️ read). It is also here that a reader will start to wonder: HOW IN THE WORLD DID HAYLEY DENNINGS WRITE A BOOK CONTAINING AWFUL ADULTS?!?! And one might find themselves saying: THANK GOODNESS FOR THE CONTENT WARNINGS AT THE BEGINNING THIS READ!!! Because this book is going to drive a reader insane with how the adults both talk to and treat these young adults in this book. Several chapters were just gross and a reader will find themselves either getting mad, wanting to close the book and throw it at the wall, scream their lungs out, or all three. Once a reader has come up for air, ACT Four (Chapters 40-45) arrives and a reader’s heart warms to the point that they find themselves falling in love with both Layla Quinn and Elise Saint individually as well as collectively. Said reader will find themselves rooting for Layla and Elise to take back everything that was stolen from them and hoping that they work together to take down EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. WHO HURT THEM. It is within these last Five Chapters where everything comes together and a reader can’t help but become curious about Book #2 (Our Vicious Descent, which I will be reading and reviewing quite soon).

This Ravenous Fate is the type of book that works really well during Spooky Season as well as during Rainy Weather. For me, this entire week has been overcast and rainy so reading this piece of literature with the weather beaming through my windows and drinking hot cups of tea, on a daily, made my experience some what more enjoyable. I am really excited to take a mini break from this duology just to gather myself and prepare for Our Vicious Descent. No seriously. I really cannot wait to finish these 5 or 6 murder mysteries that are currently overdue at the library and then cuddle under my blankets to begin reading Our Vicious Descent (again with my daily cups of tea. 🤭🤭🤭). I may have only liked this book but I am finding myself very curious on how both Layla and Elise have faired since This Ravenous Fate has been both written and released.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for granting my request of an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen, I love the premise of this book and a lot of the ideas in it - sapphic Black vampires set in 1920's Harlem is right up my alley. But I'm going to echo another reviewer in saying this felt like it needed another round of editing. I really don't fault the author because it's not the only time I've seen this publisher push books out too quickly rather than giving them the developmental time they need. This feels like a book with a whole lot of potential that just needed more time to polish things like dialogue, the twists of the plot, and character motivations.

Thematically it's playing with some interesting ideas about the complexities of racism, class, and wealth. The themes are a little on the nose at times in execution, but again that's something that could have been smoothed out in the editing process. And to be fair, YA books are sometimes more didactic (though they don't have to be). I still think plenty of readers will read and enjoy this, but I feel like the publisher could have done a better job with this. The audio narration also could be better. There's not much vocal differentiation between which character perspective you're in, so I had to guess based on context clues and that was confusing at times. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Aliya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I’d be placing this lovingly next to my copy of Carmilla. Vampires and lesbians just go together, ya know? Unfortunately, I don’t think that will happen.

I loved the atmosphere. It felt beautiful and vibrant but also dark and gritty. Jazz age and crime noir. It did lean a little more towards the latter IMO but it worked. The whole plot is basically a murder mystery.

However, the mystery itself was not mysterious enough for me. It really plodded in the middle and I’m not entirely sure how since the villain was obvious (you get zero points for guessing who). I’m absolutely fine with guessing plot points correctly if the journey to resolution is still engaging, and it was sometimes, but not consistently.

I was a little confused about how there was an agreement for reapers not to kill humans because it would disrupt the balance in the city, but Layla seemed to kill humans all the time?

Speaking of Layla, she was my favorite character. I lived for her anger. Not only is she a Black woman, and an orphan, she’s a reaper, which is yet another layer of violent discrimination she faces. I did want more explanation of her and Elise’s backstory. More flashbacks maybe? I kept expecting a major one that would show the attack when they were thirteen, but that didn’t happen. I was also surprised that she was so down to try an experimental cure when the whole thing was White Doctors Experimenting on Black People 2.0 and she was rightfully wary of everything else.

Elise was also a strong character. I liked her relationship with her sisters and how she became the protective older sister for Josi, like Charlotte did for her. The scenes where she played piano and sank into the music were beautiful. I felt the toxicity with Elise’s father and that emotional abuse; that made me feel really sad for her, and I understood why she kept bowing to her father/abuser. However, her privilege really rankled me at times, mostly in conversations with Layla, but I get that that was part of her character.

The side characters were largely forgettable. I appreciated how Layla and Elise both had strong personalities, but everyone else just kinda appeared and then vanished and I didn’t care. Jamie might have been the most distinct one. I did like him and his son.

I unfortunately had a very difficult time with the writing style and that’s where I take off another star. One thing that bugged me was the use of reporting verbs. Sometimes there’d be long passages of speech and then a verb right at the end, instead of at the beginning where it’s more natural (like “she muttered”), or two verbs in one paragraph (“she said” towards the beginning and then “she said bitterly” again at the end) when only one, or none, was needed.

I also had a thing about the contractions. Sometimes they were used in a sentence along with non-contracted base words (“haven’t” in the same sentence as “did not”), meaning the sentences flipped between informal and formal and sometimes back again. I’m aware these are little grammatical things to focus on that have more to do with editing than the book as a whole, but they kept jerking me out of the little movie being painted in my head.

This had a lot of potential, but I think it needed a bit more cooking

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

i struggled with this a bit, the plot was very slow to where sometimes i felt i had to feel like i had to push through to finish the book, i really wanted to complete it to give it a review. i think the writing is beautiful but the plot wasn’t something i necessarily care for and i didn’t connect with the characters. i do think the flowery writing took me out of the book and i feel like sometimes books don’t need to be written that heavy handed. i understand it’s a crime noir but i just wish that the author just wrote the story instead of all the extra-ness of the writing, especially when the author is telling and not showing. maybe would’ve been better if i had listened to it on audiobook. i’m also just not the target audience (young adult) for this book so i absolutely would still recommend it to teens or anyone that frequently enjoys ya.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good fantasy read and now I'm not going to shut up about the book. It takes place in the 1920's in Harlem and the vibes and setting are so thought out and written well. In this world, there are vampires, reapers, humans, gangs, and vampire hunters. The main characters Layla and Elise are opposites and have a complicated relationship as they are 2 different beings that normally shouldn't work together. The chemistry and tension between them was so good especially them working together to see what was happening to the vampires in their city. I liked how their relationship developed and I'm rooting for them so bad.

There were so many underlying themes in this book like segregation, systematic racism, class differences, and so many things the black main characters in this book had to go through. That added layers to the story and characters and how they developed. I liked the action, lesbian romance, and vampire lore in this though it was slow in some parts of the book. Overall this was a good debut, i enjoyed the writing and characters and I'm ready for the sequel. Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for this arc for an honest review.

[ashley✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first saw this book pitched on Twitter it sounded right up my alley. Sapphic vampire/vampire hunter romance? Sign me the hell up! Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my hype.

There was very little in terms of world-building. The rules of these Vampires, oh sorry "reapers" are never truly explained well enough for me to get invested. There are interesting hints of how they came to be but it's never fully flushed out. It's set in the 1920s but that adds nothing to the plot outside of a couple of mentions of the cotton club, prohibition, and jazz music. Harlem's Renaissance era was such a lush beautiful time in history, that could have added to the overall feel of the book but instead, we're left with a pretty bland setting and two main characters who talk and act as if they have iPhones in their pockets.

The two main characters Elise Saint and Layla Quinn were the most developed of the cast but that's not saying much. The supporting characters felt like cardboard cutouts of old gangster movie troupes. The obnoxious little sister who acts far too childish to be 10 years old. I believe the mother might have been a robot "My daughter is missing and my husband is near death, I surely won't sleep tonight". The dialogue is clunky and so very repetitive. Lines like "Good morning to my beautiful family" and "Elise Saint, daughter of my favorite business partner" had me rolling with laughter because they sounded like something Tommy Wiseau would say.

The writing was a huge problem. The book gave off the feeling of being unfinished. As if these were just placeholder scenes waiting to be beefed up in another pass. It's amateurish and felt like it was just going in circles. The number of times words 'lair' and 'gangster' were used could be a drinking game. She lived in a hotel stop calling it your lair! The romance, which is what I was most excited about just didn't hit. The banter felt forced and awkward. Barely any chemistry. Didn't care or want to see them get together.

The ending was RUSHED and confusing. I found myself rereading parts trying to figure out just what was going on. I still couldn't fully explain it.

This was a great premise that just wasn't pulled off well. I'm sure there is an audience out there for it and with some retooling, it could be good.


Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have very conflicting feelings about this one. The concept itself is good and has great potential. Still, the execution fell short of my expectations and I feel like this could have really used another pass with a developmental editor. Some things aren't fleshed out enough, which means many of the bigger twists/reveals/plot points/whatever-you-wanna-call-them don't land quite like they should.

I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but one thing that bugged me tremendously was that aside from the 2 POV characters (which I think were fairly well fleshed out), most characters were extremely one-dimensional. This is fine for characters who show up once or twice and don't have that much relevance to the plot, but that was not the case with this book.

The book had its positives, however. I liked how the book weaved in discussions surrounding race, class, and privilege, although I would have liked to see more of how certain dynamics played out in terms of the human vs reaper(vampire) population.

TL;DR: Some inconsistencies plot-wise, but I still thought this was a fine, enjoyable read overall and the romance, which is the main focus anyway, was fairly well-developed too.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vampirism is making a comeback, and I couldn’t be happier. There is not a queer vampire book out there that I wouldn’t be interested in reading, and This Ravenous Fate was no different! I saw this compared to First Kill, which was a show I loved and am still mourning. Needless to say, I was very excited to dive into this one.

There was a lot of tension between Layla and Elise that was fun to explore. The trope of enemies to lovers was fascinating because they used to be best friends before they became enemies, which added a whole other dynamic to the situation. There were a lot of mixed emotions between the two; a lot of that went unsaid. This begins to build towards the final act of the novel. The animosity between the two eventually changed to a sexual tension that was well-written, and I definitely think the two had good chemistry. The romance was the highlight of the book, and I enjoyed getting to switch between their different perspectives.

I was intrigued by the different name given to vampires in this story—reapers. I wish the way vampirism worked was explored more, but I enjoyed hearing about the different experiments that were happening towards the end of the story and the whole science of the world. I would like to know more about the supernatural in this world. Are there only reapers or other creatures too, and are they all man-made? I was enticed by one of the villains and wish she took more of a focus from Elise’s father. I’d love to know more about her story as a reaper!

I think this was a strong debut and would definitely recommend it to fans of vampires. I enjoyed the different take on vampirism, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from the author! Thank you to Hodderescape for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was sooooo excited for a 1920's harlem setting but i felt like it was totally underutilized. i was expecting lush descriptions of the hair, clothing, makeup, dance halls, etc. but it was pretty minimal and didn't give me much to visualize. i also thought it was strange that no slang from that time period was used - the dialogue felt like a 90s procedural at times. i would never guess the setting if i had gone in blind except for a few historical event references.

unfortunately, the writing and story left a lot to be desired for me overall.

[K.J. Charles]

Utterly fabulous concept (sapphic vampires in the Harlem Renaissance!) and gorgeous cover but the writing didn't engage me and it felt a bit, IDK, young despite the violence. I dunno, YMMV, just a non click for me.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

2024 reads: 218/250

i received an advanced listening copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.

in jazz age harlem, reapers, once-human vampires, are on the rise. luckily for the saint family, this helps their reaper-hunting business, giving them even more power. elise saint is returning home after five years in paris as the business’s reluctant heir. layla quinn is a young reaper haunted by her past. the night she was turned five years ago is also the night she lost her parents and the saints’ protection. when layla is framed for a reaper attack, she works with elise to investigate the murders and how they might be linked to a reaper cure.

i have been waiting to read this book for soooo long, and it was well worth the wait! i always love the “monster x monster hunter” trope, and i thought it played out well in this book. there was the perfect amount of angst and tension between these two! the plot was also interesting, and i like how hayley dennings put her own spin on vampires.

narration: the narrator, tamika katon-donegal, did a wonderful job of bringing this story to life through her narration! i highly recommend the audiobook.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the vibrant world of 1920s New York, this novel is a thrilling blend of urban fantasy and mystery that had me on the edge of my seat.

The atmosphere Dennings creates is absolutely stunning. I was totally immersed in the bustling streets of New York, with its hidden secrets and dark alleys. While I wished for a bit more detail in the world-building, the overall ambiance was undeniably captivating.

The murder mystery aspect added an extra layer of intrigue to the story, keeping me guessing until the very end. I loved how Elise and Layla, despite their complicated history, were forced to team up to unravel the truth behind the brutal killings. Their dynamic was electric, and I couldn't get enough of their intense chemistry.

Dennings's writing style is kind of poetic. The way she delves into the inner struggles of her characters and explores their growth throughout the novel is truly remarkable. Elise and Layla are both incredibly complex and compelling, with vivid personalities that leap off the page.

However, I have to admit that the pacing was a bit slow for my taste. While I enjoyed every moment with Elise and Layla, I found myself wishing for a bit more action to keep things moving along.

"This Ravenous Fate" is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery with a side of supernatural vibes. Dennings has created two unforgettable protagonists in Elise and Layla, and I can't wait to see what she has in store next!

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

You had at queer vampires, but unfortunately, this was so boring. Chloe Gong stans will probably like this.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calling all the sapphic lovers! This Ravenous Fate is for you!

Harlem Nights meets First Kill in this enchanting paranormal debut that is filled glamour, glitz, murder, betrayal, and best friends to enemies to…complicated.

I loved the fiery tension between Elise Saint, daughter of the Saint empire, and Layla Quinn, the reaper who lost her humanity thanks to Elise’s betrayal. One minute they would be at each other’s throats and the next they would each remember what they meant to each other.

Dennings did a fantastic job of recreating the dichotomous lifestyle of 1920s Harlem by showcasing the exuberant indulgences of the wealthy coupled with the darkness of racial injustice and mafia led crime.

And with that ending…I need book two immediately.

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire & RBMedia my providing a review copy.

[lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

this is written so elementary. there’s YA and then there’s mediocre writing and this doesn’t toe that line, it’s doing the brazilian samba on it. the word building, characters, murder mystery, SETTING (which was supposed to giving 1920s harlem) was developed about as much as my scuba diving skills- nonexistent.

i was here for a Black sapphic vampire romance and was left sorely disappointed. i have the arc for the sequel and im PRAYING it’s written + developed better!

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have nothing good to say about this novel.

I will update this review once I meet with my book club but this was so disappointing.

Like I said, is the Harlem Renaissance in the room with us????

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am absolutely devastated to be giving this book two stars. I genuinely thought I'd love it more. Vampires and lesbians are literally the perfect combination and the prospect of a murder mystery involving Elise (a vampire hunter) and Layla (a vampire, called a reaper in-universe) drew me in like a moth to a flame. And in all fairness to this book, the atmosphere really delivered. It felt exactly like a gritty crime thriller, set in 1920s New York and featuring gangs, speakeasies, and jazz music. It had everything I loved about black-and-white noir movies, not to mention served as an excellent exploration of class and race.

But as a murder mystery and a tale of star-crossed lovers, This Ravenous Fate misses the mark. Elise and Layla investigate the murder of human turned reaper turned human again, and navigate all sorts of high stakes and paradigm shifts because of how such a murder mystery could upend human-reaper relations. However, the investigation seemed almost like a background event, with very little of it happening on page. Not to mention neither Elise nor Layla seemed to show the sense of urgency that such a situation warranted. And finally, the reveal was a bit of a letdown. It was an excellent way to wrap up the book, don't get me wrong—but it was just way too predictable, and almost made me wish for some red herrings here and there. A murder mystery is only as good as its twist, and this twist was supremely lacking.

Elise and Layla as friends-to-enemies-to-lovers didn't work out for me either. Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers is literally my favorite romance trope ever (it's much better for me than plain old enemies-to-lovers, I will not be taking any questions), but I struggled so much with believing how their romance was playing out because of a sheer lack of chemistry. The dynamics of their initial friendship wasn't ever really explored, which left me unable to invest my emotions into their current relationship status. Forced proximity is a great way to build chemistry, but unfortunately I think that trope was severely under-utilized. At best, I can believe that Elise and Layla are definitely physically attracted to one another. But I felt zero emotional connection.

On the technical aspect, I also struggled a lot with the writing. While there were moments where certain phrases and paragraphs were really turned out well, quite a lot of the book felt very clunky, clumsy, and repetitive. Also, I wish there had been more contractions used in the dialogue—the lack of it made me feel like a level of formality was being forced so that I, the reader, would attribute a sense of elegance to certain characters or situations, even when it was unwarranted. It made the reading experience that much harder.

This book had an excellent plot and an important message. In my opinion, it fell a bit short of being truly excellent. I think it just could have undergone a bit more editing or experience. Either way, there's an audience out there for this book as it is and I hope it finds its way into their hands.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC.

[meggy (readsinbloom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lesbians. Vampires. The Roaring 20s. Need I say more?

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings was a fun read! I don’t think it will leave much of an impression on me, but I had a good time. I think this would be a good filler read, especially as it is a quick one.

Story wise, I feel like this book didn’t do anything very unique. It reminded me a lot of “Our Violent Ends” by Chloe Gong. It was also a little slow. I took about a month break in the middle of this book because I didn’t necessarily find myself compelled to pick it up. However, getting the audio ARC helped me a lot. It was easy to pick up after the break, and after some progress I found myself looking forward to reading it again. The narrator of the audiobook did a really good job!

Throughout the book I was eagerly anticipating seeing what would happen with the main couple. I also was intrigued to see where the plot would go.

If you love lesbians and vampires you should totally give this a shot! (and why wouldn’t you!)

Thank you to Netgalley and both the publishers RBMedia and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for ARCS in exchange for an honest review!

[raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ☆

I fully expected This Ravenous Fate to be a new favorite of mine, or at the very least, an enjoyable read. As someone who loves vampires, the premise of this book intrigued me, especially with the combination of feminine rage and sapphic angst. However, I found This Ravenous Fate to be quite disappointing.

I have been following Hayley Dennings’ social media for a while, which fueled my anticipation of the book. She constantly talks about “true enemies to lovers”, among other topics of that nature, and as someone who is often disappointed by that trope, I was hoping her book would deliver. I had quite high expectations for the characters and their relationships, but to my surprise, they were nothing like I assumed the author meant. While there is an enemies-to-lovers plot line and the characters are morally grey, I found them to be superficial at best. Elise and Layla's relationship, which Dennings described as angsty, had the ingredients for such a relationship, yet I felt very little from them. Their dialogue felt inauthentic, and the banter felt forced. It also felt like we were thrown into the book suddenly, with the expectation that we already knew these characters. Their toxic backstory and reason for being enemies were there but weren't fully explored, and I wish there were flashback scenes to help us get to know them and their history better.

When a string of murders is brought to light, Elise and Layla are forced to work together to find out how they died. The murder mystery aspect of the book seemed suspenseful, but there was a lack of urgency. Despite people being murdered, the plot moved at a snail's pace and hardly anything happens. The book is 480 pages long but could have been shortened, given the amount of overwritten and unnecessary scenes. The big reveal and who the villain was wasn't surprising, especially because of the small cast of characters.

Overall, This Ravenous Fate did not live up to my expectations. I was very excited to read about Black sapphic vampires and I had hoped it would be a refreshing read due to the unique premise, but the approach was generic and like plenty of other books in the fantasy genre. Unfortunately, this book was not for me at all, however, it reminded me a lot of Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights, so if you enjoyed that book, you may like this one.

[Romy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 54%

I have been hyped for this book since Hayley went on sub so you can imagine how devastated I am with the fact that I DNFed this book.

I'm sad to say that I was overwhelming bored from the very first chapter (not the prologue, the prologue hooked me then the first chapter released me back to the ocean). Also, this book was pitched to me as a Sapphic Vampire×Vampire Hunter and I don't know how many times I have to say this but I hate when pitches/synopsis LIE to me. Elise is not a Vampire Hunter. She is the heir to a Vampire Hunting company but she has never hunted a day in her life. Also Friends to Enemies to Lovers? I had no reason to believe that Elise and Layla should fall in love. They lacked chemistry and most of their arguements felt like they happened for no reason but to show they hate each other and then BOOM they're fighting some sexual tension before starting another argument? Yeah I didn't believe it for one second.

Also the mystery-solving was another let down. Elise and Laura's mystery solving strategy was so boring and it got absolutely no where so I felt no reason to continue reading this book.

The only thing I could say I think was done properly was the privilege Vs race conversations that happened in this book and even then, that felt a bit lecture like at times.

I really wish I enjoyed this book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

What a fun and horny read.

This Ravenous Fate is considered YA, but I don't know why. This book reads like adult Urban Fantasy. It takes place in the 1920s. So we have Jazz and nightclubs....and Black Vampires. We have enemies to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes.

The only negative I have is that this book is a little too long. I realize that it's short compared to most Fantasy, but I think this book would have been an easy 5 Star had it been under 400 pages.

I really enjoyed this book, and it's making crave more Fantasy....so leave me some recommendations.

I highly recommend this book!

[sigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC on NetGalley on 3/19/2024 in exchange for nothing, because I have no clout, it was just free for like 2 days and I love that for me! 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4. Yes there are spoilers. Final non-spoiler remarks at the end.

The short version:
I like the concepts. I like the themes. I like the characters. I'm ambivalent about the plot. I don't love the execution, but that says more about the editors than it does about the author.

The long version:

The characters:
Elise is a character who is the personification of a fist crumbling under its own grip. I genuinely love this kind of character, I think they're very fun. However, there are many aspects about this character that don't really make sense to me. For example, she articulates and understands her father as loving her so much that it feels oppressive and that seems to be the source of most of her anxieties, particularly the ones around perfectionism. However, every time we see her father he's essentially looking down on her saying how she's such a disappointment outside of music. I get how this is her view and it can be warped but the disappointment and view of her as incompetent is so constant that I genuinely don't understand 1) why she thinks he actually loves her; 2) why he would accept her as the heir to the Saint empire in her younger sister's stead; and 3) why, if he thinks that she's so incompetent, he would allow her anywhere near the "investigation" that the plot revolves around. The perfectionist tendencies that Elise struggles with seems to be talked about more than it is demonstrated, which is a shame because for example it could have come out a bit more in the beginning during her decision to replace her sister as the heir in order to protect her, I think that would be interesting. Also, despite Elise being anxious throughout the majority of the story there were basically zero hints of her OCD until she had an episode which I'm like. The editors should have picked up on that and sprinkled at least some hints yeah? Especially if seven is her number of choice like I feel like that could've been incorporated in some way. I love the character, I wish there was just a bit better execution.

I have less thoughts about Layla, but overall I interpret Layla as a character who refuses to mourn her own death and I like that as a concept. I like this exploration of building her new self while also refusing to really process the loss of her old self until physically confronted with it via Elise (the reminders of how things used to be, how she used to be Elise's best friend instead of Sterling) and via the possibility of a reaper cure. I think her tendency to run (her avoidance of dancing, how she physically runs away from Elise at different points in the story) and wanting a cure so badly that she refuses to consider the suspicious signs makes sense for that. She definitely mourns her family but she doesn't fully mourn herself because she accepts her reaper self but doesn't really linger on how the version of herself as a reaper is distinct from her old self. She hurts because she hasn't healed which I don't know if that was intentional but I have fun regardless. With that said, I do think it could be done a bit better. I like her rage but I think she could be more violent. I also think her relationships with other characters in particular aren't as developed as they could be which is weird because she has a lot of them and on paper they work but not in execution. The main one being of course her relationship with Elise. Speaking of –

– I think the enemies-to-lovers thing between Layla and Elise could have been done better. Even though Layla is more willing to kill Elise than vice-versa (Elise could have shot Layla at a few points but did so only once, which kinda undermines the whole enemies thing). At one point towards the beginning of the book Elise says that she would kill Layla, but I don't actually believe her when she says that. The scene where she starts questioning Layla about blood ("so when you drink blood, do you put sugar in it?" kinda vibes) feels way too friendly and teasing for that stage of their partnership. In order to overcome the whole enemies stage they have to have reasons to like each other. I can kinda get why Elise starts liking Layla again (she had a crush on her before, Layla is being competent which is attractive, Layla is drinking blood which is also attractive, yes Layla tried to kill her when Layla first became a reaper BUT Elise was the one who got Layla's parents killed via her father so it's easier to get over) BUT I do not understand why Layla starts to like Elise again other than Elise is pretty and they used to be friends. Honestly, at this stage I think Layla could do better than Elise which I know is wild to say but I stand by it. To be fully transparent though this is also at least partially informed by my own biases towards enemies-to-lovers. I don't think it's possible to do a true enemies-to-lovers well in the span of a single book, I genuinely think that it's something that can only be done well throughout the course of a series, but that is a personal opinion.

Also I think that the entire dynamic between Layla and Mei fell flat, which unfortunately undermined the emotional impact of her death. Maybe I missed something, but Mei and Layla interact several times throughout the story and there is basically zero indication that they have any sort of more-than-friends or a FWB dynamic until literally the scene where they sleep together and we get some narration about how they kept hooking up. It's sweet that these girls were able to find some comfort in each other in a world that was hostile to them for being reapers and honestly I think that dynamic could have been explored a bit as a source of potential tension. Layla maybe could have reflected on it as she battled her attraction to Elise like "this is so different from how I feel when I'm with Mei," or maybe she could fall into bed with Mei because she's feeling conflicted/frustrated after working with Elise and she's like "I need a distraction/I'm feeling misplaced attraction, let me get with Mei and nip it in the bud," or maybe when she sees Elise at the party she can think to herself like "why do I still feel this way I just slept with someone a few hours ago" but it's just brought up....and then not utilized to its fullest potential.

The plot
I'm ambivalent towards the plot. The whole thing about the false cure and using reapers as weapons is typical fantasy, I don't love it but I don't hate it. The whole "we need to investigate this together" aspect feels a little contrived and the reasoning feels like a handwave in order to get Elise and Layla to interact with each other but I'm ok with ignoring that. The focus is on getting Elise and Layla to get into different fun scenarios as vampire wuhluhwuhs and the plot is secondary, this is a staple of all vampire media and ergo I'm not gonna harp on the plot that much because it is what it is.

I'm a bit more critical towards the ending though, largely just because it was so rushed. For example, something I noticed was that there were more monologues in the last couple chapters compares to the rest of the book, I think largely because everything needed to be summed up. I think that Valeriya's death was incredibly swift and honestly undermines the whole "oh she's one of the oldest reapers she has all this respect" thing she's got going on. She barely plays a role in the story and I know Layla is supposed to have all this respect for her and their relationship is supposed to be of mentor/mentee but it never really feels that way, which means that Elise and Layla's tense relationship at the end also feels a little off. Like y'all JUST got together? I also don't get how Elise is able to show up at her house after the final battle and have that scene where her mom walks in on her and Layla making out and it's all fine but then in the final chapter it says "Elise felt no sense of home when she returned to her family's estate" – the tone shift is weird right? I dunno. It felt rushed and flat but again, I feel largely ambivalent.

The politics:
I love politics in my fantasy. I love political maneuvering and power structures and institutional hierarchies, I think they’re great for worldbuilding and great for plot. Normally I would say it’s impossible to talk about politics in a historical setting like the Harlem Renaissance without talking about race and class. However, this book is not a political history and given the existence of vampires it is more in the authors discretion whether and how to incorporate these topics. The inclusion and exclusion (neither are neutral or less impactful than the other) of race deeply influence political worldbuilding, characterization, and plot — but these topics are used in such a particular way that I’ve dedicated and entire section to it, so here I won’t incorporate it even though normally I absolutely would.

The politics of this world are more like set dressing as opposed to being more woven into the story, which is disappointing to ME specifically but might not be an issue if you don’t care for politics in your vampire fantasy. There are many aspects of the political structures of the Saint empire that do not make much sense. We know that there are Saint soldiers who patrol, we know that Elise’s dad as the head of the empire attends parties and perhaps a political rally (which happens once and has no substantive impact on the plot or any of the character dynamics) but there is very little knowledge about what Elise, as the heir of the Saint empire, would actually be expected to do.

For example, here is a non-exhaustive list of things that are never addressed: 1) what exactly is the cooperative relationship like between the Saint soldiers and the New York police?; 2) What exactly is the manufacturing side of the Saint empire like? The Saints are the ones who created this steel, wouldn’t reapers want to find the factory and shut it down so there’s less bullets on the street that could kill them? Wouldn’t gangsters or rival companies or the state want to figure out how to make Saint steel for themselves rather than continue to let the Saints have all that power?; 3) To whom do the Saint soldiers actually respond to? Because Elise’s dad can’t be the only person making the patrol schedule and there’s no way Sterling didn’t catch any heat for skipping out on his patrol the amount of times he did or for giving away his second pistol to Elise; 4) What is the legal binding power of treaties between reapers and the Saints? Are the Saints employed by the government? Why wouldn’t the state want a representative present during any negotiations between reapers and the Saint empire; 5) What exactly is the hierarchy and power structure amongst reapers? Is Valeriya the head of all of the reapers (except rogues of course) in NYC? Just the ones in Harlem? If it’s just the ones in Harlem then why is Elise’s dad only really talking to her when there’s reapers all over the city and he wants to exterminate them? If she has power over all the reapers in NYC then why does she not have more power? Why is she not more involved with the plot? How is Layla able to defy her so often and piss off the other reapers of her clan but still remain a member of the clan living under that roof? Why is Valeriya, if she’s so powerful, able to be killed that damn easily?

I’m not saying the book HAS TO address any or all of these things. However, if it did, it would help with the immersive experience of the book. Fleshing out some of these aspects helps flesh out the world, the character motivations, and the plot, thus raising the stakes and the emotional impact of the events that transpire. The plot of this book really would benefit from fleshing out the worldbuilding, and one way to do that is to flesh out the politics.

Race and class in the book:
The story is set in 1926 during the Harlem Renaissance. I love this setting, I love the vibes, I wish we had more stories in this era. Going in I was curious about whether/how race or class would be addressed in this setting because there's a lot of options and I'll talk about it here in case anyone is curious. In a sentence: a little clumsy, but not the author's fault, I seriously suspect that it's just the publishing industry being the publishing industry.

Here's a straight summary of how race and class are brought up: 1) Layla brings up how she sees the Saints as sellouts (my wording), how they're ok with being "one of the good ones" (again, my wording) and that they're ok with only thinly being protected by their class as opposed to seeking actual liberation; 2) Elise brings up how spending the last 5 years in Paris meant that she experienced a culture shock at seeing Black people being allowed to perform at jazz clubs as dancers/workers but not attend those jazz clubs as patrons; 3) Elise seemingly entertains some of her father's logic that "if you play the game in a certain way that's how you can get ahead" particularly when it comes to trying to seek answers from the main villain of the story (Stephen Wayne, a rich white man and her dad's business partner), and it's kinda implied that she no longer fully believes that at the end; 4) There is a brief mention/discussion of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, wherein the main villain of this story (again, Stephen Wayne), undermines the massacre by saying it's sensationalized; 5) Sterling (side character, Elise's guy bestie, a vampire hunter) mentions how his uncle (a White man), killed his dad (a Black man) for having a child (him) with his mom (a White woman) and his mom died of grief after taking them both up north, leaving him an orphan that thus attached to Elise's family.

The above list is not itself inherently clumsy. What I do find clumsy though is when and how these things are brought up. They're mostly concentrated in the middle sections of the story but not really in the beginning or end which seems kinda weird. Race and class is also not really brought up in relation to human-reaper interactions, and Elise and Layla either just say what they think to themselves/one of them just talks AT the other, but they don't really have any discussion about any of this. There's something that seems off and I think it's publishing.

I don't say this to be like "this sapphic vampire story should be a treatise of Intro to Racism 101" and I'm also not saying "this book shouldn't have mentioned race at all hyuck hyuck colorblindness supreme" – I don't believe either of those things. This also isn't a critique towards the author at all, I seriously suspect this has to do with the editors and the publishing industry (white as it is) basically being like "yeah don't make this TOO controversial" which results in this. It's trying to thread a needle and to me it reads kinda awkward, but I'm also curious what other people think about it.

Some final questions I have that are silly, inconsequential, non-critiques that I know I should let go but I'm a Virgo so I can't:
1) Why would Jaime, a gangster, slip a letter under Layla's door with instructions about picking up some mysterious package for criminal activity....and write her name on it? If that's found then it incriminates her AND him because she can be tied to him. A little silly.

2) If Elise wrote a letter to the Paris Conservatory rejecting their offer, how did her dad find it? Did she just not send it, and if so, why? If he intercepted it, why would he do that, and why did he wait so long to bring it up?

3) If the people of Harlem are supposed to be on high alert re: reapers, how exactly are Layla and Elise able to travel through the city at several different points in the story while covered in blood without anybody noticing? Relatedly, when does Layla have the time to do laundry? She's covered in blood like...every other chapter. Where is she getting her clothes from?

4) If the Saint empire is known for making steel that is painful to/can actually kill reapers, why wouldn't the rings that Elise and her sister wear be made of that steel? Why wouldn't the guns used to kill reapers also be made of that steel, thus preventing a reaper from ever attaining or using that gun against a Saint soldier in a fight or anybody else? A bullet is a bullet.

5) What happened to Jaime's child? He brought up having a kid and then Layla starts living with him and we only see his cat – is that the child he was talking about?

6) Perhaps the silliest of all: Why do neither of Elise's parents ever suspect that Sterling and Elise would be dating? As a lesbian I do not support heterosexuality on principle (this is a joke), but I find it so wild that neither of her parents even suspects that might be going on when Elise and Sterling are found hugging each other after Thalia's death and after they find Sterling hiding shirtless inside Elise's bedroom.......like the audience knows it's because Sterling has blood on his shirt from having almost died but the parents don't know that! Like come on now.

Final Remarks
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, hope this makes sense. If you are on the fence about reading the book just go ahead and do it. I think that there are things that could've been fixed through like maybe 2 more rounds of edits but I like vampires and I like wuhluhwuhs so it's a good enough time. I'm not sure if I'll read the second book in this series but I look forward to more work from this author.

[Rhiannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would be lying if I said I wasn't genuinely crushed to be giving this a 2-star rating. I was so sure I was going to love this book. On paper, it has everything: Jazz Age Harlem, Black sapphic vampires, female rage, and a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. The execution, I'm afraid, fell a little flat for me.

The main plot of this book centered around our main characters, Elise and Layla, investigating the death of Theo, a human-turned-reaper-turned-human. Despite this being central to the story, it felt more like background noise. Very little of the investigation happened on the page, and it felt like both Elise and Layla lacked the urgency that should have been warranted by the situation at hand. The outcome of the investigation, once "revealed," was a bit of a letdown. While I think the concept—Black folks being used as test subjects and facing horrible outcomes as a result—was an excellent idea, it seemed a little too obvious to work as a mystery or be a big reveal. I wish there would have been a red herring or something to throw suspicion in another direction.

The other focal point of This Ravenous Fate was the relationship between Elise and Layla. The friends-to-enemies-to-lovers premise really drew me in, but I just didn't find a lot of satisfaction in the way it played out. Their chemistry was lacking, largely because the author never really delved into the dynamics of their initial friendship. After they reunited and were essentially forced to work alongside one another, the changing dynamics and the depths of their feelings about one another still weren't fully explored. At best, all I was really able to believe was happening between them was lust, as evidenced by the scenes wherein Elise allows Layla to drink her blood. When Elise confessed that she was in love with Layla and that was why she had struggled so much in the aftermath of their fallout, it felt like too little too late.

On a slightly more technical note, I struggled a bit with the writing in this book coming across as clunky and unnatural at times. The dialogue especially read as a bit robotic, and I think that could've been resolved with some minor tweaks, such as a more liberal use of contractions. I also noticed a lot of repetition within the writing (e.g., the phrase "the Saint heiress" was used on what felt like nearly every page). Unfortunately, these aspects made me feel distanced from the characters, and I had a harder time really connecting with them.

I don't want it to come across as if I hated this book. I didn't. I was, for the most part, just bored and unmotivated to continue reading. Conceptually, this book had a lot to offer, and I think with a little more fine-tuning and experience, Hayley Dennings could write something really phenomenal. There's definitely an audience for this book, and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to enjoy it for what it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ 3.5

This was such a fun read!

I've put off reading this for a bit because I'm not the biggest vampire person in the world. I can enjoy it in very small doses, but I get bored with the concept very easily. However! This was such a breath of fresh air in that regard, I felt like they were handled in a way that humanized them without removing their monstrous tendencies which is a hard line to walk.

The rest of the book itself was really enjoyable and well-plotted. A bit predictable but it's YA so I'm not holding that against it. The first half of the book was my favorite, as it almost reminded me of a dark, aged-up Disney movie. The push and pull of the two characters was fun to read about.

I also appreciated the fact this book didn't shy away from heavier topics. They were spoken about with the gravity they deserved, while still keeping the book YA - another impressive feat.

Overall, I liked this and I look forward to reading the sequel.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels unfinished. It's a brilliant idea, and there are the great bones of a story here. But content editing is lacking. The description talks about things that aren't really related to the book. I'm not sure how this has barely anything to do with the Harlem Renaissance, yet it touts it so loudly in the description.

So it was hard to pick up a book that advertises itself as something it can't fulfill. This is like a trailer for a movie that shows the main good parts, and then there's not a big point watching the movie.

I liked Elise and Layla, but the romance was shoddy at best. There were a couple of well-developed partial moments, but there was nothing to convince me that their actions were ever worth much or that any emotion was behind them.

There are political issues, but they are muddily described. Family issues are the most well-developed, but then they just say the same things several times without a good back story or any forward momentum.

The actions were adults, the dialogue and storytelling were closer to middle grade to young YA.

The reapers were never fully fleshed out, nor were the experiments or a good description of the other side. Where is the science in this?

For the most part, this book could have taken place anywhere at any time. No scene was ever fully brought to life.

So, there are good ideas here, and I didn't hate it. I actually really enjoyed parts of it. But this book was not in a finished, well-edited state to be published, and unfortunately, that means that this story, which could be beautiful and powerful, ends up suffering for it. Hopefully, this can be fixed in the final half of this story.

As it stands. A solid 3 star from me.

[Lance]

E-ARC generously provided by Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

Black vampires in the 1920's... this is gonna be so good!!

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amongst the glitz and glam of 1920s Harlem, darker things lurk in the shadows. While Harlem is fought over by the gangs who run the glamorous jazz clubs and speakeasies in the area, even they are afraid of the reaper clans that stalk the night. Reapers are vampiric creatures who were born from cruel medical experiments conducted in the 17th century. These clans now plague America and have begun to spread across the rest of the world. The Harlem reapers are only kept in check by the Saints, a reaper-hunting empire who manufacture the only bullets that are effective against them.

--

I am a massive fan of slow burn romance, and I will say this delivered. Elise and Layla have a friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant allies-to-lovers relationship which is my favorite. There was some delicious tension and push-and-pull scenes. I also loved their dynamic being musician and dancer, I really wish we had gotten at least one scene of Layla dancing to Elise’s playing. I enjoyed Layla’s POV more than Elise’s but that might be due to have much of a sucker I am for jaded scandalous vampires. I really liked how Layla was not afraid to call out Elise’s prejudices and sheltered opinions. But the inclusion of Elise having OCD was a nice touch that helped flesh out her character.

Despite enjoying the romance, the rest of the plot really fell flat for me. The greatest weakness of this novel is a lack of descriptive imagery. Despite the glamourous and dark setting, none of the scenes truly popped off the page. It was incredibly difficult to immerse oneself into the scenes playing out and it left me wanting so much more. This lack of description paired with overly clunky writing left huge gaps in the story. It often felt as though we were skipping around and jumping over large details. It was difficult to follow along because of this and ruined any kind of flow in the story.

The entire mystery plot was lacking in suspense and buildup. Readers could generally guess what the twist was going to be early on, and the villains themselves were very one dimensional and obvious. Mr. Saint was the biggest let down. At first, the way he switches his moods and demeanor was really chilling as it denoted a level of instability. But the further we got in, the more the contradictory nature of his personality began to shift from his characterization to being clearly a product of the author’s weak writing. Elise was tasked by her father to investigate the killings with Layla and unravel her lies. However, at every turn he was incredibly hostile about their partnership and tried to shut her down constantly when she asked too many questions. It’s obvious that he did not want Elise to truly investigate the crime and simply wanted her to implicate Layla. But Layla had already been arrested for the crime at the beginning of the novel so why not just pin it all on her? There was no reason to allow Elise to begin poking around where she shouldn’t and unravel the bigger scheme around the crimes.

Liam was embarrassing as a character. He was supposed to be a vicious gangster who rose through the ranks at a young age. And yet, he spends most of the book being absolutely useless and empty headed and cowed by others. He got pushed around so much I could not take him seriously at all. A lack of urgency on anyone’s part seemed to be a huge issue. There’s a scene where Layla, Elise, and Liam actively watch a group of reapers EAT another reaper in front of them and barely even question it? Which seemed like a huge red flag to me. So, either an important world building fact was left out or they’re actually clueless.

Also, the entire last 50 pages of this book had so many new elements and plot points thrown in out of nowhere. There was simply not enough time for readers to understand them or to set them up properly for the sequel. Way too rushed and cramped, I felt like I had no idea what was happening.

I wish I could have loved this more as the pitch was everything I’ve ever wanted in a book. But the execution was lackluster and fell short of my expectations. I may tune into the sequel simply for the romance but I hope the plot will be better developed and the world building expanded more.

[Mariana ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

You see: this book wasn’t *terrible*. But *I* personally was so goddamn bored that I cannot give it above a 2,5 *. With all due respect: I just wanted this book to be over. 😭

The premise was good: childhood-friends-turned-enemies (1 is a vampire reaper, 1 is the heiress to the empire that protects humans from reapers) who are forced to work together to uncover the mystery behind the death of a member of that empire. Sounds cool, right?! Unfortunately, though, the book just didn’t deliver. 😬


🩸 PLOT/“MYSTERY”:

I hesitate to call this a mystery because there was barely any mystery here. Some people died and Elise and Layla are tasked with finding out what happened, especially because it seems like 1 of the people went from reaper to human (which is supposedly impossible). It literally takes them aaaages to find anything useful for their investigation. It’s only halfway through the book that they find a 2nd person who seems to have gone from reaper to human (so they realize that could be a pattern). 😐

The investigation in this book is soooooo fucking boring! Elise and Layla basically just go around and talk to some people, sometimes. They don’t seem to have any of the urgency they should have when dealing with a murder (especially when *more* people could be in danger). They’re also pretty bad investigators, and never manage to question the most obvious things (especially Elise). At 70-75% it is “revealed” that the doctor/businessmen/whatever who were looking for a cure to reaperhood had been testing on people (mostly black people). I’m saying it’s “revealed” in quotes because……….. how is that a revelation???? Not only were they OBVIOUSLY the bad guys (it could literally be nobody else; the author didn’t even bother putting more suspects in this story lol), but also… this book is literally sold on the premise of “experimentation on black bodies”!!!! 🥴🤦 How are you gonna write that as a plot twist or big revelation when it’s literally in your marketing material, and you didn’t even set up any other suspects? 😭 I was so confused when the characters were shocked to realize that, because it was obvious from the beginning…

So, the plot was a big miss for me: extremely slow paced (very little actually happens), the MCs are bad at investigating (and seem to care very little about finding answers, idk…), and the bad guys were obvious from the start. Overall: SNOOZEFEST. 🥱😴



🩸 CHARACTERS & ROMANCE:

Layla was a fine MC. She had it pretty rough, becoming a reaper, losing her parents and the people she grew up with. She’s supposed to be charming and sassy, but, at times, it came off kinda stale. But, overall, she’s the most enjoyable character here.

Elise, on the other hand……. Oh boy. She was quite infuriating. Her relationship with her shitty dad was kind of interesting, but it also became annoying when she would refuse to see the obvious because of how blinded she is by her daddy. And like, I get it: it’s supposed to be a toxic familial relationship; but it was still annoying and boring to see Elise ignore her father’s questionable behaviour for the 100th time. It got repetitive, and made Elise an infuriating character to follow.

Elise is just a rich and privileged girl who is completely unaware of her privilege. People always had to explain the simplest things to her (like when Sterling had to explain that he cannot be as reckless as her because the Saint Empire is her family, but it’s his JOB). Don’t get me wrong, it IS an accurate representation of a rich person who doesn’t care about the people around her, but goddamn. It was a bit frustrating to read.

The worst instance of Elise showing her lack of awareness was when she told Layla she loves her. Here’s how that scene plays out: they’re arguing and Layla angrily asks why Elise left Layla to die 5 years ago (when Layla ended up becoming a reaper), and Elise is like ~~“Oh I explained myself in a song I wrote at the time! Because music is the only way I know how to express myself anymore! 🤪”~~, which was already annoying, like….. boo fucking hoo. Elise then starts throwing herself a pity party and Layla THANKFULLY clocks her and says “How dare you talk about loss. You had everything—you still do. Yet somehow, you have managed to pin this on me. How in the world are your feelings toward me my fault”.

Elise then says she fell in love with Layla and monologues about how hard it was to continue with her life after what happened with Layla, which doesn’t explain any of her behaviour, but I digress. When Layla begs her to shut up (which like, yeah please!!! Elise is fucking annoying! I simply do not give a fuck about your pity party!) Elise is basically like ~~“I WONT shut up! I’ve suffered A LOT! 😤”~~…………………………………… Bitch? Layla DIED, became a murderous beast, her family died, and the people she grew up with started hating her for something she can’t control. YOU wanna talk about suffering? SHUT THE FUCK UP ELISE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! This whole scene just emphasized Elise’s lack of awareness. I genuinely don’t know how Layla ended up falling for Elise.

Speaking of which… the romance? Kinda bad, not gonna lie. 😬 I just don’t think the author did a good job developing Elise and Layla’s relationship. Their friendship in the past wasn’t very well established (this could be fixed with some flashbacks). The biggest problem, however, was their relationship in the present. I just couldn’t understand why they started liking each other. The author compared them to Catradora and Caitvi, but I personally didn’t feel any of that tension or buildup. Suddenly near the end they were in love and I was just like…. okay. Sure. If you say so. 😐

Elise and Layla’s ~moments~ fell completely flat. Like, I could tell what the author was going for, but since she didn’t do a very good job establishing the relationship, everything felt awkward and undeserved, and I couldn’t see any reason for them to be in love.

It also didn’t help that the book was filled with the most cliché and overdone things you could possibly think of. Like, yeah, there’s a masquerade ball. There’s a love confession in the middle of an argument. There’s a scene where the human lets the vampire drink her blood and it’s all very intimate, yada yada yada. 😒. I simply did not give a damn about those ~moments~ they shared. Like, yeah yeah of course there would be a scene where the vampire drinks from the human and it’d be weirdly sensual. Let’s move on, shall we? 😪🥱

Long story short: the MCs were meh. The romance was booooooo.



🩸 OTHERS:

🩸 The side characters were mostly irrelevant. Elise’s friend Thalia was in 1 scene and then died (who cares?). Sterling (Elise’s bff) and Jamie (Layla’s gangster acquaintance) were fine, but I’ll forget about them in a week (hopefully). Elise’s mother was barely in the book but came in at the end to cry about not realizing Elise was unhappy (like, okay… sure). The other reapers (like Layla’s friend Mei and Valeriya, the reaper leader) were… there. The bad guys fell flat because, as I mentioned, it was obvious that they were bad from the very start of the book, so…………..

🩸 I feel like the setting (both in terms of location and time period) didn’t really add anything to the story. The author could’ve done a lot with it, but didn’t, so this story could’ve honestly taken place anytime, anywhere.

🩸 Overall, I don’t think this book is terrible, and I can definitely see how other people might enjoy it. To me, however, this was painfully boring, and I dreaded having to pick it up. I genuinely hope other people can find joy in it, though, because I looooove that black sapphics are getting their cheesy vampire stories hehe. Perhaps in a couple of years I’ll check back in with this author. I think she has potential.




ARCs available for everyone to download on Netgalley. (review written on 31/03/2024)

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THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO DOWNLOAD ON NETGALLEY GO GRAB IT GO GO GOOOOO

(18/03/2024)

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"YA historical fantasy duology set in a darkly twisted 1920s Harlem. During the most morally disruptive period in U.S. history, Black bodies are experimented on and turned into bloodthirsty reapers and the Saint Empire is tasked with protecting human life. Saint heiress Elise must kill her childhood best friend turned enemy and reaper, but when a Saint member is murdered, the two girls are forced into an alliance and must keep their confusing feelings in check."

please this sounds so cool + THE ART??? i need this yesterday!!



(27/04/2023)

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oh the title changed from "Bittersweet Poison" to "This Ravenous Fate" okayyy

(06/11/2023)