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Immortal Dark Trilogy #1
Immortal Dark. Peligroso. Irresistible. Inevitable
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy (2024)El nuevo fenómeno romantasy Dark Academia más hot y peligrosamente romántico del momento.
A Kidan Adane, heredera de la Casa Adane, nunca le ha interesado la prestigiosa Universidad de Uxlay, ni su sociedad de vampiros ni sus extrañas casas, y mucho menos sus herencias. Lo único que le importa es encontrar a su hermana melliza desaparecida, June. Pero todo cambia cuando Kidan descubre que Susenyos Sagad, un temible y atractivo vampiro, a quien cree responsable de la desaparición de June, quiere quedarse con su herencia.
Kidan tendrá que infiltrarse en Uxlay y convivir con Susenyos Sagad, quien despertará sus deseos más violentos y la tentará a rendirse ante una vida de oscuridad.
Y cuando un asesinato, muy parecido a la desaparición de June, revoluciona Uxlay, Kidan descubrirá una amenaza que pondrá en peligro su propia alma. Si quiere salvar a June, Kidan deberá enfrentarse a Sagad y a las otras casas de Uxlay, aunque eso signifique matar... o morir.
Perfecto para fans
*Enemies to lovers
*Vampiro x humana
*Dark Academia
*Proximidad forzosa
A Kidan Adane, heredera de la Casa Adane, nunca le ha interesado la prestigiosa Universidad de Uxlay, ni su sociedad de vampiros ni sus extrañas casas, y mucho menos sus herencias. Lo único que le importa es encontrar a su hermana melliza desaparecida, June. Pero todo cambia cuando Kidan descubre que Susenyos Sagad, un temible y atractivo vampiro, a quien cree responsable de la desaparición de June, quiere quedarse con su herencia.
Kidan tendrá que infiltrarse en Uxlay y convivir con Susenyos Sagad, quien despertará sus deseos más violentos y la tentará a rendirse ante una vida de oscuridad.
Y cuando un asesinato, muy parecido a la desaparición de June, revoluciona Uxlay, Kidan descubrirá una amenaza que pondrá en peligro su propia alma. Si quiere salvar a June, Kidan deberá enfrentarse a Sagad y a las otras casas de Uxlay, aunque eso signifique matar... o morir.
Perfecto para fans
*Enemies to lovers
*Vampiro x humana
*Dark Academia
*Proximidad forzosa
594 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2024
4264 people are currently reading
136599 people want to read
About the author
Tigest Girma
3 books1,644 followersTigest Girma is an Ethiopian writer based in Melbourne, Australia. After graduating with a Bachelor of Education, she splits her time between writing and teaching. Passionate about exploring East African characters and myths, her work weaves Black stories with the dark and fantastical. In her free time, she can be found rewatching her comfort shows where the villain gets the girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,993 reviews
September 30, 2024
Oh boy, did I ever struggle to get through this book and not just DNF. When I say struggle- I mean I literally sighed, bitched, complained and dreaded each time I picked up this book. I can't remember the last time I looked at my progress percentage so often in a book and damn did it move incredibly slow. I thought it was never going to end.
Had it been an epub copy and not an audio- I would have given up for sure.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
We follow Kidian our FMC who is trying to track down her sister who's the only family she has left. To get closer to finding her sister she agrees to attend a secret university that's historic and has vampires. When she gets to the school and starts investigating her sister's disappearance, her top suspect is a vampire, Susenyos, her mortal enemy.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
When reviewing an arc, publishers ask for an honest review. Of course, I always give my honest thoughts, but I know that I'm not as harsh as I am with already published books. (Or at least it seems that way to me lol) This time, I just can't. I didn't like anything about this book. Borderline hated it.
The worldbuilding was unclear and muddled. The magic system wasn't explained very well and I found it confusing. The characters were so bland and boring - they were like little cardboard cutouts walking around 'I hate you' 'No, I hate you' 'Rawr I'm going to bite you' ooof, shut up.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ Flat, lacking personality, not fleshed out.
The author's prose tried to be beautiful but it felt like the characters were speaking in riddles without really saying anything at all. It felt forced and try hard. It was exhausting and long winded.
This is one that I really should have just stopped torturing myself with and DNF because it truly never got any better for me.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister. Not an accurate comparison.
༄.ೃ࿔࿐໋✧˖°.☁️𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
╰⪼ Enemies to Lovers
╰⪼ Romantasy
╰⪼ Vampires
╰⪼ Sentient Houses
╰⪼ Morally Gray Characters
╰⪼ Villainous Romantic Leads
╰⪼ Dark Academia
˚୨୧⋆ Many thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Tigest Girma for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. ❤️🧛♀️🩸🖤
Had it been an epub copy and not an audio- I would have given up for sure.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
We follow Kidian our FMC who is trying to track down her sister who's the only family she has left. To get closer to finding her sister she agrees to attend a secret university that's historic and has vampires. When she gets to the school and starts investigating her sister's disappearance, her top suspect is a vampire, Susenyos, her mortal enemy.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
When reviewing an arc, publishers ask for an honest review. Of course, I always give my honest thoughts, but I know that I'm not as harsh as I am with already published books. (Or at least it seems that way to me lol) This time, I just can't. I didn't like anything about this book. Borderline hated it.
The worldbuilding was unclear and muddled. The magic system wasn't explained very well and I found it confusing. The characters were so bland and boring - they were like little cardboard cutouts walking around 'I hate you' 'No, I hate you' 'Rawr I'm going to bite you' ooof, shut up.
╰┈➤˗ˏˋ Flat, lacking personality, not fleshed out.
The author's prose tried to be beautiful but it felt like the characters were speaking in riddles without really saying anything at all. It felt forced and try hard. It was exhausting and long winded.
This is one that I really should have just stopped torturing myself with and DNF because it truly never got any better for me.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥
༄.ೃ࿔࿐໋✧˖°.☁️𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
╰⪼ Enemies to Lovers
╰⪼ Romantasy
╰⪼ Vampires
╰⪼ Sentient Houses
╰⪼ Morally Gray Characters
╰⪼ Villainous Romantic Leads
╰⪼ Dark Academia
˚୨୧⋆ Many thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Tigest Girma for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. ❤️🧛♀️🩸🖤
October 7, 2024
Had so much fun with this one
November 4, 2025
This book was everything I wanted it to be. I finished interview with the vampire recently and I've been craving a book where vampires are as ruthless, violent but alluring as in the show, and I'm pleased to say I found it. Immortal Dark had me in a choke hold and now I don't know how I can wait for the next one.
The characters are all villains or morally grey, no heroes here and that's refreshing, and I just love a story that happens in an academic background with lots of murders. This book was just perfect for me, I loved it.
The characters are all villains or morally grey, no heroes here and that's refreshing, and I just love a story that happens in an academic background with lots of murders. This book was just perfect for me, I loved it.
October 15, 2025
Note: A 3-star rating means="I liked it." This book just wasn't a great fit for my personal tastes. I encourage you to read some of the plentiful 5-star reviews out there.
If you thought Jude and Cardan’s enemy dynamic in The Cruel Prince was ruthless, buckle up because Immortal Dark takes the enemies-to-lovers trope to a whole new level. The passionate hatred between FMC Kidan and MMC Susenyos makes The Cruel Prince look like a cute rom-com.
I really wanted to fall head over heels for this one because I’m all about fantasies with representation. Immortal Dark really drew me in with its premise: a sentient house, rich Ethiopian culture and history, a broody vampire who’s part of the real estate deal, and searing tension that could be hatred or something more. But while the premise was golden, the execution had me trying to get my head around a sea of intricate world rules and plot threads for the first 45%. Some may perceive the execution as an info dump.
With a fragile peace treaty between humans and vampires, ancient artifacts that could cause chaos, the binds placed on vampires, twelve houses with their own rules, a complex power hierarchy, an abduction mystery, a murder mystery and more, there’s a lot to unpack.
Once I finally got the hang of the world, the plot did eventually keep me curious enough and yes, I traded some beauty sleep for this. The slow-burn enemies-to-not-quite-enemies dynamic was mesmerising and pretty sexy. While this is YA and doesn’t venture into explicit territory, it still manages to keep things pretty steamy somehow.
Spice level: 0.5 🌶
Interestingly, FMC Kidan is a whirlwind—brutal, violent and downright cruel when we first meet her. She wants to burn the world down to rescue her abducted twin sister and she doesn’t care if she takes herself with it. Initially, I struggled to connect with her and thought her brash and insufferable, but as her backstory unfolded, I saw the layers beneath her rage. Still, her extreme grudge against Susenyos and vampires, in general, felt a bit too close to real-world bigotry. But hey, fiction is supposed to challenge us, and this book certainly made me question who the real monsters are.
Before diving into this one, it’d be a good idea to be mindful of some of the trigger and content warnings, as it’s quite a dark, gritty and heavy read: Blood drinking, death, gore, murder, violence, suicidal ideation, strong language, one animal death, and parental abuse.
All in all, while Immortal Dark doesn’t gift us with glittering vampires, it does serve up a platter of fabulously unique vampire traits unique to this world that I'm sure Edward Cullen would be envious of. I recommend this one for dark academia, dark romance and paranormal fantasy genre enthusiasts who like true enemies-to-lovers tropes with a bit of bite.
Congratulations to Tigest Girma for a dazzling debut—I'm left both satisfied and curious to see what happens in the next book of the trilogy.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🔹🔹🔹
It's my first vampire book since Twilight 🐀. Not sure how I feel about vampires that don't glitter in the sun, but here for the dark academia + Ethiopian culture.
If you thought Jude and Cardan’s enemy dynamic in The Cruel Prince was ruthless, buckle up because Immortal Dark takes the enemies-to-lovers trope to a whole new level. The passionate hatred between FMC Kidan and MMC Susenyos makes The Cruel Prince look like a cute rom-com.
I really wanted to fall head over heels for this one because I’m all about fantasies with representation. Immortal Dark really drew me in with its premise: a sentient house, rich Ethiopian culture and history, a broody vampire who’s part of the real estate deal, and searing tension that could be hatred or something more. But while the premise was golden, the execution had me trying to get my head around a sea of intricate world rules and plot threads for the first 45%. Some may perceive the execution as an info dump.
With a fragile peace treaty between humans and vampires, ancient artifacts that could cause chaos, the binds placed on vampires, twelve houses with their own rules, a complex power hierarchy, an abduction mystery, a murder mystery and more, there’s a lot to unpack.
Once I finally got the hang of the world, the plot did eventually keep me curious enough and yes, I traded some beauty sleep for this. The slow-burn enemies-to-not-quite-enemies dynamic was mesmerising and pretty sexy. While this is YA and doesn’t venture into explicit territory, it still manages to keep things pretty steamy somehow.
Spice level: 0.5 🌶
Interestingly, FMC Kidan is a whirlwind—brutal, violent and downright cruel when we first meet her. She wants to burn the world down to rescue her abducted twin sister and she doesn’t care if she takes herself with it. Initially, I struggled to connect with her and thought her brash and insufferable, but as her backstory unfolded, I saw the layers beneath her rage. Still, her extreme grudge against Susenyos and vampires, in general, felt a bit too close to real-world bigotry. But hey, fiction is supposed to challenge us, and this book certainly made me question who the real monsters are.
Before diving into this one, it’d be a good idea to be mindful of some of the trigger and content warnings, as it’s quite a dark, gritty and heavy read: Blood drinking, death, gore, murder, violence, suicidal ideation, strong language, one animal death, and parental abuse.
All in all, while Immortal Dark doesn’t gift us with glittering vampires, it does serve up a platter of fabulously unique vampire traits unique to this world that I'm sure Edward Cullen would be envious of. I recommend this one for dark academia, dark romance and paranormal fantasy genre enthusiasts who like true enemies-to-lovers tropes with a bit of bite.
Congratulations to Tigest Girma for a dazzling debut—I'm left both satisfied and curious to see what happens in the next book of the trilogy.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🔹🔹🔹
It's my first vampire book since Twilight 🐀. Not sure how I feel about vampires that don't glitter in the sun, but here for the dark academia + Ethiopian culture.
February 8, 2024
Entirely irresistible. Immortal Dark takes the best parts of vampire lore and brings the undying, violent enmity to full throttle. Tigest Girma pushes morally gray fantasy exactly where it needs to go, and you won’t be able to look away.
November 9, 2024
NEED THE SECOND BOOK IMMEDIATELY 😭
October 8, 2024
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I made it about 3/4 of the way in and I had to DNF because I wasn’t invested in the characters and some aspects of the plot did not make sense to me.
The female main character is very unlikable, impulsive and her motivations were just not clear to me aside from finding her sister she seemed to want to just kill everybody because she is “evil” which felt very forced.
Susenyos was a major letdown for me.
He was written like a 17-year-old boy but was meant to be a 200/300 year old vampire yet he was playing pranks and being childish.
I did like some aspects of the vampire lore but overall it was not enough to keep me engaged.
The female main character is very unlikable, impulsive and her motivations were just not clear to me aside from finding her sister she seemed to want to just kill everybody because she is “evil” which felt very forced.
Susenyos was a major letdown for me.
He was written like a 17-year-old boy but was meant to be a 200/300 year old vampire yet he was playing pranks and being childish.
I did like some aspects of the vampire lore but overall it was not enough to keep me engaged.
October 20, 2024
4.5 ★’s 🤍✨
October 27, 2024
This was my ideal book in writing (dark academia, secret societies, vampires, enemies to lovers, morally grey mmc) but wasn’t in reading… if that makes sense.
February 17, 2025
“You made me your nightmare the moment you heard my name”
Dark and oh so seductive, I was instantly hooked! 🩸
Kidan attends a secret university in order to track down her kidnapped sister, it just so happens her number 1 suspect is the vampire that’s bound to her family’s sentient home. HELLO enemies to lovers in it’s truest form & forced proximity🙌🏼
The dance of morality takes place the entire book, how far would you go to save a loved one? Would you watch the world burn guilt free? Or would the guilt burn you alive ?
“If they burn , I’m afraid I’ll burn along with them” 🔥
“Cry, she ordered her image. Why? It asked. You would do it again…” 🪞
This book has it all :
🩸 Vampires
🖤 Dark academia
🤫 Secret societies
🔪 Mystery & Murder
🔥 Enemies to lovers with allll the tension
🏡 Sentient house
🖤 Found family bound together is the darkest of ways
📕Ethiopian mythology
Extra elements that live in my mind rent free:
🩸The location of the vampire bite reveals different memories or emotions
🩸Each room within the sentient house mirrors different emotions
🩸Not one, but 2 cliffhangers ?! I am prepared to sell my soul to a vampire for book 2!!
“The world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. I plan to worship them.” 🙌🏼
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC & Hachette for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Dark and oh so seductive, I was instantly hooked! 🩸
Kidan attends a secret university in order to track down her kidnapped sister, it just so happens her number 1 suspect is the vampire that’s bound to her family’s sentient home. HELLO enemies to lovers in it’s truest form & forced proximity🙌🏼
The dance of morality takes place the entire book, how far would you go to save a loved one? Would you watch the world burn guilt free? Or would the guilt burn you alive ?
“If they burn , I’m afraid I’ll burn along with them” 🔥
“Cry, she ordered her image. Why? It asked. You would do it again…” 🪞
This book has it all :
🩸 Vampires
🖤 Dark academia
🤫 Secret societies
🔪 Mystery & Murder
🔥 Enemies to lovers with allll the tension
🏡 Sentient house
🖤 Found family bound together is the darkest of ways
📕Ethiopian mythology
Extra elements that live in my mind rent free:
🩸The location of the vampire bite reveals different memories or emotions
🩸Each room within the sentient house mirrors different emotions
🩸Not one, but 2 cliffhangers ?! I am prepared to sell my soul to a vampire for book 2!!
“The world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. I plan to worship them.” 🙌🏼
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC & Hachette for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 8, 2024
Keep in mind that those are just my opinions and reading is subjective. I still recommend reading this book. I’m happy for everyone who enjoyed this one but it wasn’t for me.
This read like a debut that never went through editing. I can usually look past that but it was constantly thrown in my face and the info dumps didn’t help. The info dumps consists of at least 40% of the book which is extreme for YA.
It was extremely hard to be in Kidan’s head. She was self-centered and did the exact acts she was so against. Was it okay because it was her doing it?
As for the characters - Kidan was the only one that was fleshed out. So since she annoyed me so much - it was hard to read. I didn’t end up getting attached to anyone else because they didn’t feel like they had their own personality.
Overall, I think it had some interesting ideas (black vampires, dark academia, magical houses, etc.) but it lacked execution-wise and would’ve benefitted being 300 pages long instead of >400.
This read like a debut that never went through editing. I can usually look past that but it was constantly thrown in my face and the info dumps didn’t help. The info dumps consists of at least 40% of the book which is extreme for YA.
It was extremely hard to be in Kidan’s head. She was self-centered and did the exact acts she was so against. Was it okay because it was her doing it?
As for the characters - Kidan was the only one that was fleshed out. So since she annoyed me so much - it was hard to read. I didn’t end up getting attached to anyone else because they didn’t feel like they had their own personality.
Overall, I think it had some interesting ideas (black vampires, dark academia, magical houses, etc.) but it lacked execution-wise and would’ve benefitted being 300 pages long instead of >400.
December 16, 2025
This book was made up of basically all my favourite things we have vampires, a dark academia setting, morally grey characters, a haunted/sentient house, murder mystery, secret societies, basically it had it all!! Some things I particularly enjoyed was the vampire lore and the location of where they bite being linked to different memories/emotions that both the vampire and person being fed from can see, I also loved the rich history and Ethiopian mythology woven into this story. I will say that I didn't love our FMC and found her whole 'I'm evil I must kill everyone and then myself BUT FIRST I need to find my sister' motive a bit annoying? But the plot was so interesting and felt pretty unique so I could get past that! I also liked that this is an actual enemies to lovers and they actually do hate each other.
July 29, 2024
Immortal Dark is Gothic, decadent tale, riddled with family secrets, bloody politics, and dark magic. Kidan is such a complex character, caring but ruthless (and unhinged), and I loved following her through Uxlay University and watching her develop her views of both the world and herself. There is so much potential here, I'm really excited to see where the author goes.
The romance is a big part of the plot and I found it to be well done and believable, but everything else was so interesting that I didn't much care for it, though I am curious to see how some things will play out given what we discovered in this book. I highly appreciate how the romance didn't take away from Kidan's personality/strengths.
Immortal Dark was my first audiobook narrated by Jordan Cobb but it won't be my last. The performance was incredible; she breathed so much life into the characters. Masterfully done.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.
The romance is a big part of the plot and I found it to be well done and believable, but everything else was so interesting that I didn't much care for it, though I am curious to see how some things will play out given what we discovered in this book. I highly appreciate how the romance didn't take away from Kidan's personality/strengths.
Immortal Dark was my first audiobook narrated by Jordan Cobb but it won't be my last. The performance was incredible; she breathed so much life into the characters. Masterfully done.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.
Want to read
January 7, 2024Black vampires with a dark academia setting? Sold!!!
December 5, 2025
Spice in YA is getting out of hand… https://youtu.be/AXXocwFXYJQ
February 4, 2025
Overview
🎓 Dark academia
💢 Enemies to lovers
👿 Morally grey characters
🦇 Vampires
🤼♀️ Feuding families
⚫ All Black cast
🔥 Slow burn
💋 Enemies And lovers
⭐⭐ Read more of my reviews and get tips on the best Enemies to Lovers books by checking out my Blog, Enemies to Lovers Source ⭐⭐
Immoral Dark is probably the most hyped book i've gotten a chance to early access in awhile! This is a young adult vampire book that in many ways, lives up to the massive enthusiasm placed on it. Tigest Girma is a really talented debut!
Kidan Adane's sister has gone missing, and she knows who took her. Susenyos -The vampire associated her now dead family's great house, sworn to protect them. Kidan has lived her entire life away from a world of vampires and magic, but is willing to brave anything to get her sister back. Even enter the mysterious Uxlay University and rise through the ranks of the vampire world. Even if she has to live with the monster who stole her only family.
The Immortal Dark is very much 1/2 romance and 1/2 dark academia. It's clear the author is a dark academia fan and manages to really bring what fans like from the genre: mysterious universities, secret societies, fucked up rich kids, and tons of studying of course. The setting of Uxlay is extremely well represented and plays a significant role in the story. It mixes African mythologies with various new and old fashioned vampire lore and blends it with traditional academic settings.
At times, the rules and function of the university can feel a little flimsy and silly- but I find that this is the case with a lot of magical dark academia and magic competition stuff, so its pretty easy to ignore.
The story takes up a Secret History style vibe with a complicated outsider joining a group of angry and complicated kids, reading a ton of books, and doing fucked up shit with them.
The plot was the low point for me, but I think others will walk out absolutely loving it. I was extremely engaged with the Vampire academy storyline in the beginning, and Susenyos VS Kidan absolutely SHINES. If you are a Cruel Prince fan, you will immediately be brought back to June VS Carden, only its much more violent and brutal.
Theres two primary antagonist arcs in this book. Immortal Dark is comped to The Cruel Prince and Ninth House, and without spoiling anything, the first leg of the book is much more like TCP, while arc two is much more like Ninth House. After this shift I started getting bored and my enjoyment waned, but I am also a little less into secret society stuff, and that is really important to the story's second act. It felt a little convoluted like it was trying to push too many things into one book.
This book promised morally grey characters and I can't say we were misinformed at all. Kidan is introduced immediately as a murderer, and shes pretty damn cold about it. Her love interest Susenyos is equally cold and cruel when he feels threatened. her new university friends are all willing to do pretty terrible things to succeed in their goals as well. I will say with Susenyos, there are many spots where his character is cleaned up to be "actually misunderstood" and while he has many ruthless qualities, theres a few key cringy moments where the author is trying to give him positive traits that come off as inauthentic and pandering. This is minor spoiler so I won't go into details, but a certain 'service' he provides left me GROANING.
There are truly no real "heroes" in this book dedicated to preserving good morals- kindness is a luxury. Each "main" character is given a specific set of motivations for the horrible things they do, and while this is a single POV book, I did feel well informed about the motivations of all of the characters as they all made each other's lives hell.
While I loved the moral complexity of the characters, I did struggle to connect with anyone besides Kidan and Susenyos, but I do feel like that is something that may evolve as the series does.
The romance was described as a no nonsense enemies to lovers and I think it does shine in that department. Overall the tone of this relationship is on fire. Kidan and Susenyos truly hate each other at the start of the book, and while they are not allowed to kill each other, they make multiple efforts to give each other fates worse than death. Something I respect about Tigest Girma is that she doesn't waste any time with awkward banter: when these two are coming for each other, its for the jugular.
Very minimal moments, especially in the beginning where they have secret little butterflies or accidentally can't help but wanting to PROTECT each other...on no. If anything, its the opposite. Both characters need to bite down the urge to kill and betray each other when forced to work together for various reasons. The issue with it is that there is a bit of e2l catfishing and the tone of hate doesn't remain consistent and has a massive tone shift about 30-40% of the book.
Tigest Girma also does a great job transitioning the relationship through the book. I will say, some of their tension is resolved in some extremely silly ways that annoyed me, but the tone of their connection remains consistent through the book- just two assholes looking at each other and saying "I see you". The mind games. The cruelty. The recognition that there is something dark within them both. Its delightful. Even as tensions lower, this tone is maintained, which I did like.
I recall hearing this book was pitched as new adult but was picked up as YA which affects how graphic it is. Sex and violence have clearly fade to black moments, but the overall tone of the book is much better suited to a young adult VS a teenager. Anyone who loved These Violent Delights (the DA one), The Secret History, Ninth House, and The Cruel Prince will probably really like this. If you are bored of enemies ti lovers being a bunch of silly oppsies and both characters actually being super nice people, The Immortal Dark is a much welcome change of pace! Despite my issues with the books second half and occasional use of corny Romantasy e2l tropes, I am interested in book 2.
EDIT: I adjusted this from a 4 to a 3 upon reflection and discussion of the book, but 3.5 is more accurate.
🎓 Dark academia
💢 Enemies to lovers
👿 Morally grey characters
🦇 Vampires
🤼♀️ Feuding families
⚫ All Black cast
🔥 Slow burn
💋 Enemies And lovers
⭐⭐ Read more of my reviews and get tips on the best Enemies to Lovers books by checking out my Blog, Enemies to Lovers Source ⭐⭐
Immoral Dark is probably the most hyped book i've gotten a chance to early access in awhile! This is a young adult vampire book that in many ways, lives up to the massive enthusiasm placed on it. Tigest Girma is a really talented debut!
Kidan Adane's sister has gone missing, and she knows who took her. Susenyos -The vampire associated her now dead family's great house, sworn to protect them. Kidan has lived her entire life away from a world of vampires and magic, but is willing to brave anything to get her sister back. Even enter the mysterious Uxlay University and rise through the ranks of the vampire world. Even if she has to live with the monster who stole her only family.
The Immortal Dark is very much 1/2 romance and 1/2 dark academia. It's clear the author is a dark academia fan and manages to really bring what fans like from the genre: mysterious universities, secret societies, fucked up rich kids, and tons of studying of course. The setting of Uxlay is extremely well represented and plays a significant role in the story. It mixes African mythologies with various new and old fashioned vampire lore and blends it with traditional academic settings.
At times, the rules and function of the university can feel a little flimsy and silly- but I find that this is the case with a lot of magical dark academia and magic competition stuff, so its pretty easy to ignore.
The story takes up a Secret History style vibe with a complicated outsider joining a group of angry and complicated kids, reading a ton of books, and doing fucked up shit with them.
The plot was the low point for me, but I think others will walk out absolutely loving it. I was extremely engaged with the Vampire academy storyline in the beginning, and Susenyos VS Kidan absolutely SHINES. If you are a Cruel Prince fan, you will immediately be brought back to June VS Carden, only its much more violent and brutal.
Theres two primary antagonist arcs in this book. Immortal Dark is comped to The Cruel Prince and Ninth House, and without spoiling anything, the first leg of the book is much more like TCP, while arc two is much more like Ninth House. After this shift I started getting bored and my enjoyment waned, but I am also a little less into secret society stuff, and that is really important to the story's second act. It felt a little convoluted like it was trying to push too many things into one book.
This book promised morally grey characters and I can't say we were misinformed at all. Kidan is introduced immediately as a murderer, and shes pretty damn cold about it. Her love interest Susenyos is equally cold and cruel when he feels threatened. her new university friends are all willing to do pretty terrible things to succeed in their goals as well. I will say with Susenyos, there are many spots where his character is cleaned up to be "actually misunderstood" and while he has many ruthless qualities, theres a few key cringy moments where the author is trying to give him positive traits that come off as inauthentic and pandering. This is minor spoiler so I won't go into details, but a certain 'service' he provides left me GROANING.
There are truly no real "heroes" in this book dedicated to preserving good morals- kindness is a luxury. Each "main" character is given a specific set of motivations for the horrible things they do, and while this is a single POV book, I did feel well informed about the motivations of all of the characters as they all made each other's lives hell.
While I loved the moral complexity of the characters, I did struggle to connect with anyone besides Kidan and Susenyos, but I do feel like that is something that may evolve as the series does.
The romance was described as a no nonsense enemies to lovers and I think it does shine in that department. Overall the tone of this relationship is on fire. Kidan and Susenyos truly hate each other at the start of the book, and while they are not allowed to kill each other, they make multiple efforts to give each other fates worse than death. Something I respect about Tigest Girma is that she doesn't waste any time with awkward banter: when these two are coming for each other, its for the jugular.
Very minimal moments, especially in the beginning where they have secret little butterflies or accidentally can't help but wanting to PROTECT each other...on no. If anything, its the opposite. Both characters need to bite down the urge to kill and betray each other when forced to work together for various reasons. The issue with it is that there is a bit of e2l catfishing and the tone of hate doesn't remain consistent and has a massive tone shift about 30-40% of the book.
Tigest Girma also does a great job transitioning the relationship through the book. I will say, some of their tension is resolved in some extremely silly ways that annoyed me, but the tone of their connection remains consistent through the book- just two assholes looking at each other and saying "I see you". The mind games. The cruelty. The recognition that there is something dark within them both. Its delightful. Even as tensions lower, this tone is maintained, which I did like.
I recall hearing this book was pitched as new adult but was picked up as YA which affects how graphic it is. Sex and violence have clearly fade to black moments, but the overall tone of the book is much better suited to a young adult VS a teenager. Anyone who loved These Violent Delights (the DA one), The Secret History, Ninth House, and The Cruel Prince will probably really like this. If you are bored of enemies ti lovers being a bunch of silly oppsies and both characters actually being super nice people, The Immortal Dark is a much welcome change of pace! Despite my issues with the books second half and occasional use of corny Romantasy e2l tropes, I am interested in book 2.
EDIT: I adjusted this from a 4 to a 3 upon reflection and discussion of the book, but 3.5 is more accurate.
July 11, 2024
DNF at 72% — it’s all too exhausting for me. The house magic is cool but can we just stop jumping to conclusions and speaking in riddles? I really wanted to love this, but it felt like an inside joke and I was very much on the outside.
November 17, 2024
Kudos to the audiobook narrator. She did it so well it took me a while to realize this book was ass and that I wasn't enjoying it.
Nothing made sense in this. The world building is messy, the characters are even messier and the plot pacing is downright horrendous. We find out what the world is about, how it works through dialogue alone and even then it's not enough to keep interest. Every single thing that happens in the book happens solely to push the mc and the love interest together and it got so annoying because we literally know NOTHING about this world, at least nothing important because the author loved to tell us irrelevant details!! 82% in and I still couldn't have told you what vampires could do. The Cossia day event was the perfect opportunity to finally tell us something about vampires but NO! it was just another ploy to get the love interest to save her.
The way the book is written is actually so bad. There were so many plot holes, I had so many questions while reading. The chapters skip from one place to another, several days/weeks ahead with no transition and I was left reeling and having to listen again multiple times to get myself. Kidan could say I'm going to this place in 3 weeks and then the next paragraph or chapter would suddenly have her there. This works fine in some books, it didn't in this one.
The main characters, Kidan and Susenyos, are a major part of why I hated this too. I did not like either of them one bit. Kidan I hated the most. She's so dumb man😭 The narrative tried to paint her as the brave badass girl who was willing to do anything to save her friends and her sister only to have not use any critical thinking the entire book. She was just impulsive and rash without any thought or goal behind her actions. I do not like when fmcs are stupid and angry. Susenyos was so irritating. There was nothing about that man that I liked. Their entire supposed relationship hd me rooting AGAINST them. Something about the centuries old vampire man falling for the 18 year old girl trope just doesn't sit right with me I fear.
This book fails on all fronts including as a dark academia. I was so glad when I heard the ending credits
Nothing made sense in this. The world building is messy, the characters are even messier and the plot pacing is downright horrendous. We find out what the world is about, how it works through dialogue alone and even then it's not enough to keep interest. Every single thing that happens in the book happens solely to push the mc and the love interest together and it got so annoying because we literally know NOTHING about this world, at least nothing important because the author loved to tell us irrelevant details!! 82% in and I still couldn't have told you what vampires could do. The Cossia day event was the perfect opportunity to finally tell us something about vampires but NO! it was just another ploy to get the love interest to save her.
The way the book is written is actually so bad. There were so many plot holes, I had so many questions while reading. The chapters skip from one place to another, several days/weeks ahead with no transition and I was left reeling and having to listen again multiple times to get myself. Kidan could say I'm going to this place in 3 weeks and then the next paragraph or chapter would suddenly have her there. This works fine in some books, it didn't in this one.
The main characters, Kidan and Susenyos, are a major part of why I hated this too. I did not like either of them one bit. Kidan I hated the most. She's so dumb man😭 The narrative tried to paint her as the brave badass girl who was willing to do anything to save her friends and her sister only to have not use any critical thinking the entire book. She was just impulsive and rash without any thought or goal behind her actions. I do not like when fmcs are stupid and angry. Susenyos was so irritating. There was nothing about that man that I liked. Their entire supposed relationship hd me rooting AGAINST them. Something about the centuries old vampire man falling for the 18 year old girl trope just doesn't sit right with me I fear.
This book fails on all fronts including as a dark academia. I was so glad when I heard the ending credits
January 20, 2025
You have no idea how much I was rooting for this book
POC Ethiopian author? Yes, God Yes
the promise of a strong, morally grey heroine? yes yes yes
African culture inspired? take my money
I even got the two sprayed edges edition, the US and the UK ones
and ......I was not expecting the level of disappointment
by 75% I was just going through to try and find something that would level it up to 2 stars!! but sadly, I didn't
The book started out really well. The first three chapters hooks you in with how much speed the story was going....going downhill that is!!!
Also, who the fuck decided to promote this as a ROMANTACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
where is the romance????????? please, show me the romance!!!!!!!!!!!
It is not even Enemies to lovers, it is Enemies to slightly tolerating you to fucking you
1- The whole book is told from one POV, Kidan - the most unlikable FMC I have read after Feyre. At one point, I really wanted someone to just off her
2- The plot is confusing, the magic system is not clear, the side characters just pop here and there and then die here and there. You don't know half the time what is happening and the other half you are just trying to keep up with all the new information
the whole book read like a prologue!
I didn't understand the sisters' dynamics
I didn't understand their parents
I didn't understand most of the stuff
3- Then there is Susenyos. Our dark, brooding 500 year old vampire acting like a 15 year old. He flips suddenly after the 60% mark from wanting to kill Kidan to all about Kidan. Why? we don't know cause nothing is explained.
4- Kidan was more focused on her new friends than on her mission or figuring out the HOUSE. speaking of which, I was so hyped to see a magical house that thinks for itself. but noooooooooo, all we got was a stupid "figure out the house rule".
I don't think I'll be continuing this series
not worth it
====================================================
Edit: I'm sorry to say this, but this book is heading towards 1 star
I'm 80% in and nothing and everything makes sense? Does THAT even make sense???
The whole book seems like a long prologue to something
Is there even a June???
This book is all over the place
I have mixed opinion on Kidan
I don't know if she is internally smart or just plain stupid
POC Ethiopian author? Yes, God Yes
the promise of a strong, morally grey heroine? yes yes yes
African culture inspired? take my money
I even got the two sprayed edges edition, the US and the UK ones
and ......I was not expecting the level of disappointment
by 75% I was just going through to try and find something that would level it up to 2 stars!! but sadly, I didn't
The book started out really well. The first three chapters hooks you in with how much speed the story was going....going downhill that is!!!
Also, who the fuck decided to promote this as a ROMANTACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
where is the romance????????? please, show me the romance!!!!!!!!!!!
It is not even Enemies to lovers, it is Enemies to slightly tolerating you to fucking you
1- The whole book is told from one POV, Kidan - the most unlikable FMC I have read after Feyre. At one point, I really wanted someone to just off her
2- The plot is confusing, the magic system is not clear, the side characters just pop here and there and then die here and there. You don't know half the time what is happening and the other half you are just trying to keep up with all the new information
the whole book read like a prologue!
I didn't understand the sisters' dynamics
I didn't understand their parents
I didn't understand most of the stuff
3- Then there is Susenyos. Our dark, brooding 500 year old vampire acting like a 15 year old. He flips suddenly after the 60% mark from wanting to kill Kidan to all about Kidan. Why? we don't know cause nothing is explained.
4- Kidan was more focused on her new friends than on her mission or figuring out the HOUSE. speaking of which, I was so hyped to see a magical house that thinks for itself. but noooooooooo, all we got was a stupid "figure out the house rule".
I don't think I'll be continuing this series
not worth it
====================================================
Edit: I'm sorry to say this, but this book is heading towards 1 star
I'm 80% in and nothing and everything makes sense? Does THAT even make sense???
The whole book seems like a long prologue to something
Is there even a June???
This book is all over the place
I have mixed opinion on Kidan
I don't know if she is internally smart or just plain stupid
August 15, 2024
Wow! This was pretty dark and sexy for a YA book but I really liked it. Immortal Dark is a dark academia fantasy with Black vampires and an angry, depressed heroine bent on revenge. It deals with some really intense topics like self-harm and suicidal ideation, so content warnings for that. But the writing is excellent for a debut - it's evocative and sucked me in from page 1. It's also a really interesting and fresh take on a vampire story.
Kidan is an orphan and heiress, but her sister has been taken (supposedly by an ancient vampire attached to the family house) and she's out to find her sister and get revenge. She's ruthless and violent in seeking her ends and ends up having to attend a school in order to officially be the heir to the estate, while living with this vampire that she hates.
This was pitched as Cruel Prince meets Ninth House and I don't think they're far off on that. This is a dark and fairly violent book with an prickly, angry heroine and complex world-building. It easily could have been sold as an adult novel and as it is, it's definitely on the higher end of the age spectrum. But I'm invested and will definitely read book 2. The audio narration is really good- it gives the atmosphere you want and fits well with who this character is. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Kidan is an orphan and heiress, but her sister has been taken (supposedly by an ancient vampire attached to the family house) and she's out to find her sister and get revenge. She's ruthless and violent in seeking her ends and ends up having to attend a school in order to officially be the heir to the estate, while living with this vampire that she hates.
This was pitched as Cruel Prince meets Ninth House and I don't think they're far off on that. This is a dark and fairly violent book with an prickly, angry heroine and complex world-building. It easily could have been sold as an adult novel and as it is, it's definitely on the higher end of the age spectrum. But I'm invested and will definitely read book 2. The audio narration is really good- it gives the atmosphere you want and fits well with who this character is. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
January 2, 2025
I wouldn’t be surprised if Immortal Dark becomes the next big paranormal romance hit. This incredibly atmospheric, dark, sexy book will appeal to a lot of different readers—but here are the three types of readers who I think will be the most likely to devour this book:
Readers who want vampire books with less glitter and more fangs
The characters, the plot, the lore, the atmosphere—everything about Immortal Dark is rich, intense, and violent.
If you’re looking for a story that features an all-black cast of cunning, devious, scheming vampires and humans… this book is absolutely for you. The characters are morally grey, and they each have backstories that tie into the history of the world.
Our main character Kidan is human, but that doesn’t make her any less brutal than her vampire counterparts. She’s vicious and will stop at nothing to get what she needs. She doesn’t make excuses for her cruelty. She’ll claw her way through anything if she must.
Susenyos, the MMC, who is a vampire, is just as cold. The reader is never sure of his intentions (well, actually, this is true about all the characters…). Trying to get to know this character is a wonderful, dizzying rollercoaster. He’s someone who knows what he wants, and will spill as much blood as it takes to get that.
Readers who love the enemies aspect of enemies-to-lovers
This book features a genuine enemies-to-lovers (or, well, enemies-to-something) subplot. Kidan and Susenyos have their own agendas, and are constantly at each other’s throats. There are even a handful of attempts at murder… And all the while, the tension between them is so sexy. The intensity of emotions between these characters is off the charts. There are times when you’ll want them to get together, and there are times when you’ll want them to rip each other’s eyes out…
Readers who want ✨ details ✨
The plot does slow down to give way to world-building every now and then, but I personally appreciated this a lot as someone who generally asks so many questions all the time. The history and lore is pretty elaborate in this one, and it does get a bit intimidating, but everything’s so obviously well thought-out, and the little details are so juicy and add that extra spice to the story.
Do you want a sentient house that lowkey wants to kill you, with rooms that heighten emotions? Of course you do.
Do you think that the location of a vampire’s bite having an effect on what the biter and the bitee relive of the other’s experiences sounds really cool? Yes, duh.
If you find yourself thinking, yup, that’s me! to any of these, definitely give this book a shot!
Readers who want vampire books with less glitter and more fangs
The characters, the plot, the lore, the atmosphere—everything about Immortal Dark is rich, intense, and violent.
If you’re looking for a story that features an all-black cast of cunning, devious, scheming vampires and humans… this book is absolutely for you. The characters are morally grey, and they each have backstories that tie into the history of the world.
Our main character Kidan is human, but that doesn’t make her any less brutal than her vampire counterparts. She’s vicious and will stop at nothing to get what she needs. She doesn’t make excuses for her cruelty. She’ll claw her way through anything if she must.
Susenyos, the MMC, who is a vampire, is just as cold. The reader is never sure of his intentions (well, actually, this is true about all the characters…). Trying to get to know this character is a wonderful, dizzying rollercoaster. He’s someone who knows what he wants, and will spill as much blood as it takes to get that.
Readers who love the enemies aspect of enemies-to-lovers
This book features a genuine enemies-to-lovers (or, well, enemies-to-something) subplot. Kidan and Susenyos have their own agendas, and are constantly at each other’s throats. There are even a handful of attempts at murder… And all the while, the tension between them is so sexy. The intensity of emotions between these characters is off the charts. There are times when you’ll want them to get together, and there are times when you’ll want them to rip each other’s eyes out…
Readers who want ✨ details ✨
The plot does slow down to give way to world-building every now and then, but I personally appreciated this a lot as someone who generally asks so many questions all the time. The history and lore is pretty elaborate in this one, and it does get a bit intimidating, but everything’s so obviously well thought-out, and the little details are so juicy and add that extra spice to the story.
Do you want a sentient house that lowkey wants to kill you, with rooms that heighten emotions? Of course you do.
Do you think that the location of a vampire’s bite having an effect on what the biter and the bitee relive of the other’s experiences sounds really cool? Yes, duh.
If you find yourself thinking, yup, that’s me! to any of these, definitely give this book a shot!
January 5, 2025
“The world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. I plan to worship them”
Whew, what a ride! I’m blown away by this book with it’s amazing world-building, dark academia setting, secret societies, and complex characters. The author’s take on vampire lore/origin was SO interesting with the cultural mythology and I’m so obsessed.
Our FMC Kidan is unhinged, unapologetically messy, rageful, and I adored her development over time. I support women’s rights and I also support women’s wrongs. I found some of Kidan’s internal struggles relatable and, honestly, she and Jude Duarte could totally be BFFs🫶🏼.
The chemistry between Kidan and Susenyos was absolutely addicting and they really matched each other so well🤭. The author nailed the slow-burn, tension, and the whole “I might kiss you/kill you” dynamic so much that I was left wanting even more crumbs of them😩. Some of my fav quotes:
“I will teach you. If you let me, I can teach you a thousand different ways of loving yourself.”
“Your hatred burns like ocean ice. And it’s entirely… mine. I’ve never owned something so completely”
The writing style was very refreshing, vivid, and every scene was so immersive for me while reading (this book would do so well as a TV series tbh👀). I really enjoyed the plot, which was set up nicely and had many dark themes/twists to it. The first 15% WAS a bit slow and I found a few parts about the different societies confusing during abrupt changes in the pacing. But I’m hoping this improves later on. I really liked all the other characters too and I appreciated how involved they were in the overall plot. I do wish a few more faces had more page time but I’m really excited for the next book and glad this isn’t a standalone💜
Whew, what a ride! I’m blown away by this book with it’s amazing world-building, dark academia setting, secret societies, and complex characters. The author’s take on vampire lore/origin was SO interesting with the cultural mythology and I’m so obsessed.
Our FMC Kidan is unhinged, unapologetically messy, rageful, and I adored her development over time. I support women’s rights and I also support women’s wrongs. I found some of Kidan’s internal struggles relatable and, honestly, she and Jude Duarte could totally be BFFs🫶🏼.
The chemistry between Kidan and Susenyos was absolutely addicting and they really matched each other so well🤭. The author nailed the slow-burn, tension, and the whole “I might kiss you/kill you” dynamic so much that I was left wanting even more crumbs of them😩. Some of my fav quotes:
“I will teach you. If you let me, I can teach you a thousand different ways of loving yourself.”
“Your hatred burns like ocean ice. And it’s entirely… mine. I’ve never owned something so completely”
The writing style was very refreshing, vivid, and every scene was so immersive for me while reading (this book would do so well as a TV series tbh👀). I really enjoyed the plot, which was set up nicely and had many dark themes/twists to it. The first 15% WAS a bit slow and I found a few parts about the different societies confusing during abrupt changes in the pacing. But I’m hoping this improves later on. I really liked all the other characters too and I appreciated how involved they were in the overall plot. I do wish a few more faces had more page time but I’m really excited for the next book and glad this isn’t a standalone💜
April 11, 2025
The vibes were cool, and I liked the vampire lore & East African mythology. But the plot & character intentions were so confusing for some reason?
August 24, 2024
A dark and blood-drenched vampire dark academia for fans of Serpents and the Wings of Night, A Dowry of Blood, and Legendborn. A truer enemies-to-lovers than The Cruel Prince.
Hidden from our world, a society of vampires are bound to only feed from select human bloodlines. To ensure peaceful co-existence and inherit their legacy, these human children must study at Uxley university before choosing a vampire companion.
Kidan Adane can only pursue justice by entering the enemy’s lair, the place she has learnt to hate as evil with a raging vengeance. But her sister has been taken, and she is sure the vampire bound to her own House is responsible - Susenyos Sagad. Feared by even his own kind.
To gain knowledge and acquire her inheritance, to keep it out of Susenyos’s hands, Kidan must pass all her courses and survive the nightmares Uxley unleashes on her.
This is TRUE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS.
I have never seen two character despise each other more.
He drew in a slow breath, tracking one pupil then the other. "Your hatred burns like ocean ice. And it's entirely... mine. I've never owned something so completely."
Kidan isn’t here to mess around. Her hands are already drenched in blood and she is willing to drown her soul in order to find her sister.
This covers some dark themes. Triggering topics. It is about loving yourself, forgiving yourself, moving on, trusting yourself, seeking a future and connections.
Wait, this is Young Adult?!
Seek mind above blood, and if you must bleed, use it as ink.
I loved that it was rooted in Ethiopian culture and there was an emphasis on reclaiming lost history.
Thank you to Berkeley for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
Hidden from our world, a society of vampires are bound to only feed from select human bloodlines. To ensure peaceful co-existence and inherit their legacy, these human children must study at Uxley university before choosing a vampire companion.
Kidan Adane can only pursue justice by entering the enemy’s lair, the place she has learnt to hate as evil with a raging vengeance. But her sister has been taken, and she is sure the vampire bound to her own House is responsible - Susenyos Sagad. Feared by even his own kind.
To gain knowledge and acquire her inheritance, to keep it out of Susenyos’s hands, Kidan must pass all her courses and survive the nightmares Uxley unleashes on her.
This is TRUE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS.
I have never seen two character despise each other more.
He drew in a slow breath, tracking one pupil then the other. "Your hatred burns like ocean ice. And it's entirely... mine. I've never owned something so completely."
Kidan isn’t here to mess around. Her hands are already drenched in blood and she is willing to drown her soul in order to find her sister.
This covers some dark themes. Triggering topics. It is about loving yourself, forgiving yourself, moving on, trusting yourself, seeking a future and connections.
Wait, this is Young Adult?!
Seek mind above blood, and if you must bleed, use it as ink.
I loved that it was rooted in Ethiopian culture and there was an emphasis on reclaiming lost history.
Thank you to Berkeley for providing a physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
October 1, 2024
2.5 stars.
The book received a rating of 2.5 stars only for the first half.
I enjoyed the first half of the story, especially the chemistry between Kedan and Susenyos, as well as the plot. However, the second half was a huge letdown. It made me feel like everyone in the book deserved a terrible fate. The humans in the story turned out to be the true monsters, not the vampires. In the first half, Kedan is a strong and captivating character, but in the second half, she loses her charm and becomes a damsel in distress. Her relationship with Susenyos also lost its spark and felt forced, turning cringe-worthy. This change disappointed me a lot. Additionally, her friends were awful. The second half of the book completely turned me off from reading the second book and I lost interest in the world and its characters.
The first half vividly reminded me of The Cruel Prince, with its complex characters, as well as Ninth House, with its dark, atmospheric setting. However, the second half failed to maintain the same level of depth found in these two series, and it felt disconnected from the established tone and themes.
Furthermore, I'm tired of the "I'm lying to you for your own good" formula. It's becoming old and annoying, so can we stop?
The book received a rating of 2.5 stars only for the first half.
I enjoyed the first half of the story, especially the chemistry between Kedan and Susenyos, as well as the plot. However, the second half was a huge letdown. It made me feel like everyone in the book deserved a terrible fate. The humans in the story turned out to be the true monsters, not the vampires. In the first half, Kedan is a strong and captivating character, but in the second half, she loses her charm and becomes a damsel in distress. Her relationship with Susenyos also lost its spark and felt forced, turning cringe-worthy. This change disappointed me a lot. Additionally, her friends were awful. The second half of the book completely turned me off from reading the second book and I lost interest in the world and its characters.
The first half vividly reminded me of The Cruel Prince, with its complex characters, as well as Ninth House, with its dark, atmospheric setting. However, the second half failed to maintain the same level of depth found in these two series, and it felt disconnected from the established tone and themes.
Furthermore, I'm tired of the "I'm lying to you for your own good" formula. It's becoming old and annoying, so can we stop?
did-not-finish
August 15, 2024DNF @ 51%
I try very hard not to DNF arcs, but I just couldn't do it.
I had to keep rewinding my audio arc just to understand the plot points I missed, however minor or major they were.
There was way too much lore dumping that it was hard to keep track of what was even happening on page, much less understand the backstory and history.
With every new chapter, the plot and character building became even more convoluted that it was hard for me to care about what anyone's motives evolved into.
One of my biggest issues was that it felt like the author didn't know if she wanted this to be YA or something more grown-up.
I've read and loved dark YA fantasy, so that part wasn't the issue. The tone felt inconsistent. And the purple prose here and there didn't help.
The whole university and taking classes subplot made no sense to me and felt very contrived. As the book progressed, this became, idk, sillier? There was a school assignment where the human students had to get a vampire to willingly give up a possession/article of clothing? Idek.
The relationship between Kidan and Susenyos made no sense. He's centuries old but acts like a child throwing a tantrum because she's heir to the house he lives in. Bruh.
I did love the Ethiopian influence, but sadly it wasn't enough to keep me going.
By the halfway mark, I just didn't care about the characters, the main plot or subplots, or even the worldbuilding. I just wanted to be done with this confusing mess.
It's a hard DNF for me.
Thank you to Little, Brown Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.
I try very hard not to DNF arcs, but I just couldn't do it.
I had to keep rewinding my audio arc just to understand the plot points I missed, however minor or major they were.
There was way too much lore dumping that it was hard to keep track of what was even happening on page, much less understand the backstory and history.
With every new chapter, the plot and character building became even more convoluted that it was hard for me to care about what anyone's motives evolved into.
One of my biggest issues was that it felt like the author didn't know if she wanted this to be YA or something more grown-up.
I've read and loved dark YA fantasy, so that part wasn't the issue. The tone felt inconsistent. And the purple prose here and there didn't help.
The whole university and taking classes subplot made no sense to me and felt very contrived. As the book progressed, this became, idk, sillier? There was a school assignment where the human students had to get a vampire to willingly give up a possession/article of clothing? Idek.
The relationship between Kidan and Susenyos made no sense. He's centuries old but acts like a child throwing a tantrum because she's heir to the house he lives in. Bruh.
I did love the Ethiopian influence, but sadly it wasn't enough to keep me going.
By the halfway mark, I just didn't care about the characters, the main plot or subplots, or even the worldbuilding. I just wanted to be done with this confusing mess.
It's a hard DNF for me.
Thank you to Little, Brown Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.
November 1, 2025
A BOOK WHERE THE ENEMIES ACTUALLY ENEMIED SO HARD!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!! I’m so obsessed
October 24, 2024
Vampire, dark academia mystery???
3.5.
3.5.
August 2, 2024
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ, literally since 15% I knew this is going to be new fav
Tigest Girma understood the assignment, the enemies were ENEMYING, the tension was so palpable and the plot was genius
main girl is UNHINGED MASTERMIND, I love her, she's so Jude Duarte coded
"- You're dangerously becoming irresistible."
"- You're not contributing to our discussion."
"- I'm distracted by how your dark mind works"
ahhhhhh screaming
and Susenyos oh.my.god. he was so well written, if I were supposed to live with him under one roof I'd immidiately fold like a lawn chair
the plot was enthralling and captivating, left me staring at the wall open-mouthed so many times, I needed to pause the audiobook and process what happened. we have vampires, dark academia, mystery, secret societies, murders, complex characters and so much more
"- Don't judge me." Her tights contracted when he grazed along the muscles with his fangs.
"- I'll always judge you. The day I don't, I want you to kill me."
He smiled against her skin.
"- The day you don't, I want you in my bed."
THE PTERODACTYL SCREECH I JUST LET OUT
bye, this is going to be my personality now, won't hear any criticism about this book
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
Tigest Girma understood the assignment, the enemies were ENEMYING, the tension was so palpable and the plot was genius
main girl is UNHINGED MASTERMIND, I love her, she's so Jude Duarte coded
"- You're dangerously becoming irresistible."
"- You're not contributing to our discussion."
"- I'm distracted by how your dark mind works"
ahhhhhh screaming
and Susenyos oh.my.god. he was so well written, if I were supposed to live with him under one roof I'd immidiately fold like a lawn chair
the plot was enthralling and captivating, left me staring at the wall open-mouthed so many times, I needed to pause the audiobook and process what happened. we have vampires, dark academia, mystery, secret societies, murders, complex characters and so much more
"- Don't judge me." Her tights contracted when he grazed along the muscles with his fangs.
"- I'll always judge you. The day I don't, I want you to kill me."
He smiled against her skin.
"- The day you don't, I want you in my bed."
THE PTERODACTYL SCREECH I JUST LET OUT
bye, this is going to be my personality now, won't hear any criticism about this book
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
September 17, 2024
this is NOT a vampire book. SO LET’S NOT CALL IT THAT! this is a dark academia book which happens to have vampires. do NOT read this if you’re looking for a vampire love story bc you’re NOT going to find it. however, you will find course curriculum, study groups, backstabbing students that care more about their end game than friendship, and just like school you will lose more interest the longer your suffer through this book.
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