Terror at the Gates

Blood of Lilith #1

by Scarlett St. Clair

She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help her: Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he's always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn't sure he can protect her from what's to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook, Adult

495 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

International and USA Today Best Selling author Scarlett St. Clair is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the author of the HADES X PERSEPHONE SAGA, the HADES SAGA, KING OF BATTLE & BLOOD, and WHEN STARS COME OUT.

She has a Master's degree in Library Science and Information Studies and a Bachelors in English Writing. She is obsessed with Greek Mythology, murder mysteries, and the afterlife.

If you are obsessed with these things, then you'll like her books. You can find pictures of her adorable dog Adelaide on her Instagram at @authorscarlettstclair.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards books steeped in female rage. Maybe because real life keeps handing us fresh reasons to be furious. But I digress.

As you may be able to tell, this isn’t your average romantasy. It’s a gritty Lilith re-imagining dipped in neo noir, laced with mafia politics, religious trauma, Romeo & Juliet-esque frenemies-to-lovers grimdark urban romantasy set in a fantasy patriarchal world. Yep, that sounds like a lot but for me, the vibes were immaculate.

But beneath the aesthetic, Scarlett St. Clair gives us a mirror that reflects double standards, institutional gaslighting and hypocrisy and the habit of branding women as “too difficult” when they dare to defy. The world of Terror at the Gates is fictional but if it starts feeling a bit too real life/Gilead for comfort, that’s probably the point.

I must admit, I went into this knowing very little about Lilith beyond the vague “Adam’s first wife who got demonised for being difficult” lore. A quick rabbit hole later, I learned there are multiple origin stories, but the most enduring is that Lilith was created from the same earth as Adam, refused to be beneath him, literally and symbolically, and for that, she was exiled and rewritten as a monster. Misogyny, ancient edition.

(Or maybe she simply walked out of Eden and never looked back.)

St. Clair leans hard into this. Her Lilith isn’t here to be subservient, she’s here to be difficult, to desire, to resist. It's not an empowerment arc with rainbows and butterflies. It’s dark, raw, occasionally nihilistic.

In this fantastical patriarchal world, women inherit magic through bloodlines, but men gatekeep it and get to wield it. Marriage is strategic and transactional. You may notice some characters have internalised misogyny. This is a book that is heavy on fantasy theology and religious trauma, but before you get your knickers in a knot, this isn’t anti-faith or religion.

I interpreted it as a critique of how religion gets twisted and how power-hungry institutions and figures of authority have weaponised doctrine to climb to power and enforce control. It’s a reminder that religion has no place in government. And if that truth makes you uncomfortable, or if you’re not ready to acknowledge how religious systems and religious books/texts have been used to oppress and erode people's basic human rights, this probably isn’t the book for you.

Now, if you're here for the romantasy part, good news. Possibly one of my favourite pairings of the year so far. The slow-burn frenemies to lovers tension between Lilith and Zahariev is toe-curling and when the spice finally kicks in, you may need a bucket of ice.

There’s also a sweet found family subplot, a sapphic bestie and an adorable animal companion who adds just enough softness and cuteness.

That said, this isn’t a light read. There are pretty graphic content warnings to be mindful of so please be aware and read with care. (*TWs included at the bottom of this review).

If I have one quibble, it’s that I wanted more from the magic system. The concept of power being siphoned from women by the men they’re forced to marry could have been richer but it felt underexplored. Hopefully we see that dynamic bleed deeper into the story’s tension and conflict in the sequel.

If you like extremely dark grimdark romantasy where the yearning yearns, the patriarchy gets called out and the heroine refuses to be palatable, this one’s for you.

P.S. Read it before someone tries to ban it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Sourcebooks UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

*Trigger warnings: Off-page child SA specifically by an authority figure in the church (NO on-page sexual assault), child abuse and emotional abuse by a parent and authority figure in the church, religious trauma, pregnancy and birth-related body horror, toxic family dynamics, death of a loved one, misogyny, sexual harassment, violence, murder, swearing.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Sin City noir aesthetic + urban romantasy + patriarchy roast = me awake at 3 AM

[Krisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Novels like these are the reason as to why highly rated books terrify me.

Horrendous would be the word to describe it. My buddy read partner and I were literally looking for one reason as to why we shouldn't dnf this, just ONE. And we found none. It was THAT bad. But considering we were already halfway through, we thought of finishing it regardless. At least that way, we can give this book the rating it truly deserves— one star.

Now coming to the major issues that bothered me were;

➳ The super slow pacing, and when I say super slow, I mean slower than turtle’s pacing.

➳ Feminine rage!? WHERE? There's a difference between feminine rage and unnecessarily being toxic, selfish and rude when the situation clearly doesn't demand. I couldn't stand the fmc. Her favourite person in the world just died and all she thinks about is having sex with the mmc? Wtf? Let's not even talk about how mean, toxic and Insolent she was towards the mmc, when he was nothing but kind and supportive towards her and saved her from all sorts of danger she willingly, or may I correct, foolishly, put herself into. 🤡

➳ The magic system made NO sense. There were so many loopholes and contradictions that weren't backed by any explanations.

➳ World building? WHERE exactly?? We still don't know the kind of world the characters are in. We were never given a larger picture about the set up. There's no information about the working of magic systems, no depth of matters relating to politics taking place in the magical world, and the cities they reside in are described with the depth of cardboard stage prop. No set up, nothing. Just the characters floating in the blank space.

➳ The constant weird nightmares the fmc had throughout the book truly got on my nerves. I could get behind if it only happened once or twice. But she kept getting those stupid nighmares in almost every chapter after the second half and the detailed descriptions of those truly bored me.

➳ Super long chapters filled with a whole lot of NOTHINGNESS.

➳ I was quite frustrated because I shouldn't have to wait every 60 pages for something to happen. And when something finally happened, I knew the rest of the sixty pages were going to be super bland, so at one point, I just set myself up for disappointment.

One star is only for the mmc. Zahariev Zereth truly deserved better than that trashy fmc who never valued him.

Thank youu uswah for buddy reading this with me. Yapping to you made this book so much more bearable! 🤍

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so unique and refreshing. I’ve not been this sucked in by a book in a MINUTE.

LISTEN TO ME AND ADD THIS TO UR TBRS UR NOT GNA WANT TO MISS THIS ONEEEEE

It was the only book I read consecutively for days without reading any other book in between (this might be a given for most ppl but trust me it’s a miracle for someone like me who usually rotates like three books at once). Keeping my attention like this isn’t easy but man am I in love with everything about this book??? Like what do u mean it’s over 😭😭

The characters:

Lilith — how I love her. She’s this mix of strong willed and bratty but is truly a big softy inside. Her character genuinely was inspiring, seeing her not back down from getting what she was owed. It was refreshing having an fmc not being this miraculously all knowing warrior but was just like ur average sad rich girl lmao 😭 she was so relatable. Her struggles made me so sad tho ugh so glad for what happened towards the end tho 😝😝😝 eat shit motherf*

Zahariev — THIS MAN HOT DAMN! If you search my type you’d find this man’s name front and centre 🫦🫦🫦 when he’s patient, caring, has the RIGHT amount of sarcasm and knows when to shut the fuck up?? 🤚 just know he’s made it into my top book bf’s list like that’s how serious I’m talkinggggg

ALSO THE HOTNESS LEVEL IS SCORCHING LIKE IM TALKING TATS ALL OVER HIS BODY AND THICK THIGHS AND WHEN THE SPARKS EVENTUALLY LIGHT UP??? *rolls eyes to the back of my head and bites knuckles*

Miss Scarlett really knows how to write tension 😮‍💨🪭🪭 the way i could feel it vibrating off the pages with their first few interactions and each one after that was so charged that when they finally gave in it made alllllll the impact.

This is not to say it’s all built on lust because these two have genuine feelings towards each other that spans years. Their care for each other made my heart hurt 😭 like ugh their soft moments had me crashing out more than them eventually getting together did. I love their relationship so much I wanna inject it into my veinssssss

No bc I could write essays upon essays of the ways in which this man has usurped my brain space but I’ll leave you guys with a couple quotes to give u an idea what drug I’m on 😋😋

╰┈➤ ❝ “You want me to do something about it?” he asked.
“You can’t,” I said. “Not without starting a war.”
“I would go to war for you,” he said. ❞

HELLO??

╰┈➤ ❝ “Would you ever consider teaching me to drive?” I asked. Zahariev glanced at me. “I’d teach you,” he said. “But let me buy a helmet first.”
“Fuck off,” I said, pushing him.
He chuckled, laughing at his own joke ❞

LMAO THEIR BANTER IS SO PERFECT

╰┈➤ ❝ “You are a coward, Zahariev.” His jaw ticked and his eyes darkened.
“If I were a coward, I would have walked away from you a long time ago.”
“You think you’re brave for handling me?”
“No one handles you, Lilith,” he said. “Good fucking luck to the man who tries.” ❞

STOP MY HEARTTTT 😭😭

╰┈➤ ❝ “I’m sorry I’m only now seeing you,” I said.
His gaze was steady as he stretched over me. “Don’t apologize, little love,” he said. “I could have remained invisible to you, and my devotion to you would be unchanging.” ❞

*falls dramatically to knees and clutches chest*

╰┈➤ ❝ “What does it mean? To be yours?” I asked. He smiled softly. “Whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.” ❞

*cue the cries of injustice over him not being real*

The plot/writing:

This is technically dual pov but 80% of the book is fmc’s pov and 20% the mmc’s. And Ykw the author was fucking clever for doing it in this way. Soooo fucking clever. Kept me hooked with snippets of his pov and I litch would devour every chapter just to get to his at the end like a reward.

The pacing was slow but somehow I stayed interested and hooked.

The themes addressed in this book mainly religion and its impact on politics and women was done with a care I truly appreciated. Seeing religious trauma depicted in many ways through this story broke my heart.

After reading the acknowledgements I grew a newfound appreciation for St. Claire. I could see the detail and research that went into the writing of this book. The lore and fleshed out world that was built, it was genuinely fascinating especially towards the end where my questions were answered and then she left me reeling with more questions bc damn wdym it’s over! I need that next book and this one’s not even out yet 🙏🤧

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and sourcebooks UK for the ARC! ♥︎


─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I GOT THE ARCCCC I AM SO HYPED FOR THIS BOOK OMFDS ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED THIS YEAR

[anh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but it turned out to be one of the most entertaining romantasy books I've read this year!

This book is set in an urban fantasy world. The story follows Lilith, a woman cast aside, stripped of everything, and hell-bent on taking down those who betrayed her. When she finds a powerful blade with dangerous consequences, she's thrust into a world of secrets, magic, and political intrigue. Forced to ally with Zahariev, the leader of the Zareth family, their search for hidden power sparks chemistry between them.

One of the themes of this book and the whole reason that I picked this up is because this is a feminist retelling with feminine rage being one of the most prominent themes. I can say it absolutely delivered for me on that front because reading about Lilith's fury was so raw and liberating. There's something so refreshing about reading feminine rage because, as everyone can see, we live in a world that quite literally tries to suppress and invalidate our anger, and let's be honest—every day there is something out there that makes us angry. Witnessing a woman embracing hers and channeling that into something powerful is incredibly freeing and inspiring.

I wasn't familiar with the biblical Lilith before diving into this book, but the reimagining in this was so entertaining to read about. I had to do some of my own research after finishing this book. In traditional lore, Lilith refuses to be subservient to Adam, leading to her exile. This version, however, is more than just a victim—her anger is deeply personal, stemming from a fierce desire to reclaim what was taken from her. Her journey is so cathartic, as she evolves from a broken survivor to an unstoppable force. The transformation was so satisfying to read about.

Zahariev—this man!! 😮‍💨 Trust me when I say that this man is sooo hot. He's literally the embodiment of "touch her and die," and I'm not even exaggerating when I say he's probably one of the hottest mmcs I've ever come across. His protective nature and tender moments with Lilith provide a perfect contrast to his darker, more controlling side. Also, this book is mostly read through Lilith's pov, but then we'd get small snippets of Zahariev's pov at the end of each chapter—it was just so perfectly balanced out.

The romance is slow burn, and it worked so well! The tension between Lilith and Zahariev simmers for a long time, and it makes every little shift in their dynamic feel so earned. At the end I rooted for them so much, and I love both of them together so much—one of my favourite couples ever.

The pacing I'd say is definitely slower in the beginning, but once it picks up, the book is so immersive. I listened to the audiobook for this and I did not want to stop listening—it was so addictive. It's been a while since I had been sucked into a book like this, so finally picking up a book that sucked me in made me very happy.

The narration of the audiobook was so entertaining as well! I loved how the narrators really portrayed the characters—I could hear Lilith's anger and determination, and the audio made Zahariev sound even hotter. 🤭

The world-building of Nineveh as a place of darkness and danger, where survival is intertwined with power and sin, and the city feels on the verge of collapse, and the political intrigue between the ruling families, the church, and the oppressed masses raises the stakes. I thought the world-building was very immersive and interesting. I loved how it made me feel like there's an ever-present sense of danger—it kept me on edge the whole time. I do have to admit the world-building does feel a tiny bit underdeveloped, but considering this is the first book in the series, I'm excited to see how it'll expand.

I also want to acknowledge how one of the most striking aspects is its exploration of religious and political themes. In Eden, the church isn't just a religious institution, but it's a mechanism of control. The way magic is passed down through bloodlines but seized by men through marriage is a brilliant commentary on how power structures, particularly those rooted in religion, oppress women. I took it as the book critiquing how religion is often twisted by those in power to manipulate and control, especially the vulnerable. I really liked how the political and religious commentary was executed.

Overall, if you're a fan of grimdark fantasy with heavy political and religious themes, this book is a must-read!

Thank you Tantor Audio for the ALC.

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars ⭐
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
so… i didn’t love this book (but dw, i’m not quitting gr—i love this site and all my besties here too much to even think about it) and i personally think it’s overhyped 😪 i tried to keep my expectations in check, but let’s be real—it’s hard not to expect a masterpiece with this much hype around it.

the premise and plot were interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout. in fact, this book was better than most of the romantasies i’ve read this year, but i wouldn’t say it was amazing or particularly memorable.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ characters
♡.ᐟ lilith
a lot of reviews talked about lilith’s feminine rage and how she was such a badass, but honestly? i didn’t see it. no offence, but she felt pretty useless most of the time and all she ever did was cry 😭 that’s not to say i hated her—trust me, i cry at the smallest inconveniences—but i went in thinking she’d be like lana myers from The Mindf*ck Series which was my fault i guess?

♡.ᐟ zahariev
all i have to say about zahariev is that i need him like i need air 😫 i haven’t been this down bad for a romantasy MMC in a while 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

♡.ᐟ lilith + zahariev
i’ll admit they were hot together, but one gripe i had was how little we learned about their past. if i remember correctly, it was only mentioned that they’d known each other since they were young and that zahariev promised lilith’s father he’d take care of her, but how did they actually become close? i needed more of that background to really buy into their bond iygwim.

as for the ending… i finished the book feeling confused and kinda underwhelmed 🤷🏻‍♀️

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
this book was good, but not good enough for me to love it. every time i read a romantasy lately, i feel like i lose a tiny bit more hope in the genre 🫩

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pre-read 🐍🗡️🩸
everyone and their mother has been raving about this book so if i don’t love it i’ll quit gr

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Bailee Latham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Went back and forth between 2.5 and 3 ⭐️ tbh. I think Scarlett’s FMC’s just aren’t for me. The plot thickened at the end, and I did like that, so that’s what made me settle on a 3! I don’t really think I’m going to continue the series, though. We’ll see when book 2 comes out!

[Uswah · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️ Not a DNF, but I hated this book so much that giving it more than 1 star feels like too much 😭😭

‼️ IF YOU’VE LOVED, ENJOYED, OR EVEN LIKED THIS BOOK, YOU MIGHT WANNA SKIP THIS REVIEW 😭 I’M TRULY SORRY ‼️

I’m genuinely sooo sad because everyone else loved this book 😢 and honestly, the beginning was so promising that it caught our attention immediately. My hopes were already high, but after reading the first 3 amazing chapters, my expectations soared even higher only to get backslapped later 🥰

If I were reading this book alone, I would’ve DNFed it already and banged my head against the wall, but our buddy read saved me 😭🫶 Thank youuuu bestie Krisha for hyping me up to finish this book. I literally gave up at chapter 19 with only 4 chapters left, but thanks to bestie Krisha, we chose the middle option 😂 i.e., skimming through the ending. So now I can say that I’ve finished the book 🙂‍↕️

Only God, Bestie Krisha, and I know how we survived reading this 😭 For the first time ever, I was prioritizing doomscrolling over reading 😭 I even thought about sleeping rather than continuing this read 😃

Oh! I forgot to mention, the 1 star is only for Cherub and Zahariev 🙂‍↕️ There won’t be any hate towards these lovely characters from us 🤭 Only his POVs were the best 🤭

Now, onto the issues:
LONG CHAPTERS 💀 It’s not like I haven’t read long chapters before, I have, and I’ve even enjoyed them. But long chapters in this book bored me to death 💀

LOTS OF UNNECESSARY DETAILS 😭 Miss Author, why are you giving us unnecessary details and making it looonger for no reason at all? 😭
That fight scene was so long that halfway through, we had already figured out how you could win against those creatures 😭

OUR LOVELY FMC HAVING DREAMS 🥰
What the hell was that??? Yep, I get it you’re having those weird ahh cryptic dreams, but again and again??? I’m honestly surprised Lilith didn’t get bored of her own dreams 😭
And then there was this one dream that was just so weird 💀
Umm… The girl woke up in a desert (as usual) and saw someone who looked exactly like her but it was a serpent (ok, not too weird yet, but trust me, the next part 💀) She reached towards the serpent, got aroused?? And the serpent had a male body part??? Umm??? Then she had her moment, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, it was Zahariev’s (MMC) face she saw 💀 So weird. 😭

AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT SCENE
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET ME GET STARTED ON THAT SCENE.
Literally, at the ending, when things are not going well for the main character, someone is out there trying to unalive Lilith and mind you, she knows someone is after her. She and Zahariev are supposed to be coming up with a plan but instead, they started “making love” 🥰
Look, I don’t mind such scenes, but at the most unnecessary time?? Nope. Sorry 😭
After finally getting free from “making love,” they wasted a whole chapter discussing “he’s trying to unalive me, so we should make plans and get him instead.” But when the time actually came to make plans, they stopped and started “making love” again 🥰

And to be honest, the plot twist was so predictable that when it happened, it didn’t surprise me at all 😭
The best thing about this read was yapping with bestie Krisha 🫶😭 I had so much fun with her. But I’m so sad that our first buddy read was a disappointment :(
But don’t worry, our next one won’t be 🫂 IT BETTER NOT BE 😭

That’s it, guys. Love y’all 🫶♥️ And once again, sorry 😭 but seriously, this book ain’t for us.

————————————————————
⋆༺𓆩🗡𓆪༻⋆ pre-read ⋆༺𓆩🗡𓆪༻⋆

So excited to start this buddy read with my bestie Krisha 🤭 We’re sooo ready ♥️

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up for the audio!!

THE HYPE IS REAL GUYS!!! This was sooo much fun and such an addictive read! I've seen it being compared to cc1 and yes it does have similar elements with the urban setting but it's not so similar than you keep comparing them the whole time. It actually gave me more of "Supernatural" season 4, 5, 6 vibes and I am OBSESSED with that show😭

The world-building was very well done imo, not info-dumpy at all and very interesting! The book dealt with pretty heavy themes, mainly SA and blasphemy possibly? I think the topic of church and its practices in the book may turn off some readers, especially if they are very devout, so I think some readers should probably proceed with caution here.

The fmc, Lillith, was strong yet vulnerable and I LOVED her. I found myself rooting for her but also calling her out on her stupid behavior sometimes and ykw that's ok because no character will ever be perfect and I appreciated that.

The mmc, Zahariev, was hot what can I say. I am nothing if not a cliché😅 He protected her and always put her first, but I just wish we got his pov a bit more.

One dislike I had was that I wished the burn was slower. The forbidden romance and age gap was delicioussss but I actually wish they hadn't gotten together in this book lmaooo. This is one of the rare instances where I wish the spice was less than what it was because sometimes it felt like too much.. especially in certain situations. Also, I hated the nickname "Little Love", I can't take a nickname that starts with "Little" Seriously pls😭 ..But those are total me issues and really don't affect the book that much..

THAT ENDING!!! JAILLLL!! Book 2 can't come sooner!!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book and OMG... It exceeded my expectations. I devoured it, it was so good!

Escaping her powerful family, Lilith finds refuge in Nineveh, a district devoted to sin. She makes a living stealing, but after she steals a strange dagger, things get complicated. The dagger is much more dangerous than she thought, leaving a trail of bodies behind it. She turns to the only person she can, to Zahariev, the ruler of Nineveh. He would anything to protect Lilith. On a mission to discover the truth, will their connection transform into something else, something more, no matter how forbidden it is...

I loved Lilith, she was strong and incredibly frustrating, but I admired her so much. Her past traumas and the pain they carried were heartbreaking, but I'm so glad she broke away. She wasn't going to play the role the world wanted her to play and I'm so excited to follow her journey...

Zahariev, the man that you are!!!
I absolutely loved him, he is the embodiment of the touch her and die trope. There is nothing I love more than a morally grey character that would burn the world for her. I loved how he understood and protected her. He became her safe place. It was so heartwarming to see. *𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 *

Their "I got you" moments were everything!! But, I loved their fights and banter and the tension and yearning too. All that paid off when they finally got together.. It was so hot!!
I also loved the little found family they and all the secondary characters created. I adored every single one of them!

The pace was slow, but it did pick up. I feel like the world was a little underdeveloped, but it's only the first book. We have so much to learn yet.
I did get confused about the families and their names, but that's probably because I listened to the audiobook, so I got a little lost.
The audiobook was amazing, I loved the narrators. Especially the female narrator, she did a wonderful job. More than 90% of the book is Lilith's pov, which I enjoyed very much. But, I have to say the moments it switched to Zahariev's pov were a little jarring. They were unexpected and short and they messed with the flow a little bit.

While some things were expected, I was also shocked at certain developments..
That one storyline that had me sobbing.. Yeah, that was fun..
I also feel like the depiction of the religious trauma was done right.

That ending though, I need book two as soon as possible!! I don't know why I keep doing this to myself.. I need more..

*Thank you to Netgalley and to RBmedia for providing me with an ALC.*

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

Ahhh I got an ALC!!
I'm so happy right now!!

[Rachel (ravenhairedreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

UMMMM WHAT WAS THAT 🤯🤯🤯

urban fantasy romance, headstrong (but not in an annoying way) fmc, down FEROCIOUSLY bad MMC, mystery, religious commentary, heartbreak, and that ending LETS ABSOLUTELY GO. urban fantasy romance girlies this one is for us, if you like the guild hunters series I realllllly think you’ll love this.

[ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated being so busy that I couldn’t finish this in one sitting because every time I had to put it down, I was still thinking about it nonstop. Lilith???A menace in the BEST way. The female rage? Delicious. She doesn’t take shit from anybody and everyone knows it.

And now… ZAHARIEV. Whew. This man just stormed his way into my top 5 book boyfriends. He’s morally grey, 8 years older, and has a touch her and you die energy that had me feral. His only soft spot is her and he always stands on business. I just KNOW he smells like danger and expensive cologne🤭

I’m taking off half a star because the world building was a lot. Not bad, just heavy in which slowed things down at times. But once it picked up? I felt like I was on a waterslide.

Final thoughts: Gimme book 2 right NEOW


Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[manas (suffering) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ everyone needs to read this, NOW ☆

well, shit. it's time for me to make a quick trip to the UK and give the biggest smooch to my twinnie, iqra. god bless her for forcing me to read this book. i went into this book knowing next to nothing and came out of it gagged. this is how you write an urban fantasy with gripping characters, a unique plot, and an amazing romance. at no point in the story was i bored or wanting to skip ahead to the fast-moving action sequences. that is how you know this is a good book — and hopefully an amazing series. i am so impatient. scarlett, please release the next book. please.

☆ urban romantasy
★ mainly first fmc's pov with little excerpts of mmc's pov
✮ interesting magic system
☆ strong fmc
★ touch her and you die
✮ slowburn with spice
☆ forbidden age gap
★ morally grey characters
✮ retelling with religious and political plot points

i need book two NOW. everything about this hit so hard. i saw a lot of people comparing this to crescent city house of earth and blood which scared me a little, since this is my FAVORITE urban fantasy of all time. i do have to say, this book is nothing like that universe, but it gave me the same feeling while i was reading this. the overall story and plot is very much a religious retelling, which i am not familiar with. honestly, i didn't even think i was going to enjoy this trope, until i picked this book up.

꩜ ── lilith
lilith is such a real character. yes, she is cunning, yes, she has magic, and weapons, but beneath all of that she is just a young woman navigating life. this is what made her such a compelling lead in such a dense story. at no point in the story did i get annoyed with her because her actions — her reactions were consistent with the setting and the plot. scarlett really sets this tone from the beginning of the book that draws you in without overdoing any of the believability. her character carries this soft, yet intense aura that is encompasses this world — the story and the characters — in an authentic way, which i haven't seen much of recently. lilith is not this perfect heroine that is molded into a box to fit an archetype. she is a damaged, impulsive, and heedless woman trying to do right — in the way she knows how to. the purpose of her character is not to adapt or modify, but rather, an opportunity to develop herself into the best version she can be.

꩜ ── zahariev
this man needs an entire dissertation written about him. nothing i write here will ever explain the level of obsession i have with this man — it was instant and i will only get more insufferable when we get the second book. there is such well written dichotomy between how zahariev is with others vs how he is with lilith. this distinction in deportment adds so much profoundness to his character even though we don't have a proper POV from him. one of the more instantaneous aspects i noticed from him was his ability to be baleful and aggressive without resorting to abusive tactics. at no point in this story did zahariev undermine or impede on lilith's decisions. yes, he was very attentive to her and her safety, but never at the expense of making lilith or the readers uncomfortable. the true definition of letting his girl burn the world and supporting her every step of the way. i need to fuck him.

꩜ ── their relationship
smash and then smash again. their romance was easily 40% of the book with about 60% plot, and even the portions where they were off doing side quests — i never felt uninterested. zahariev was such a breath of fresh air for a fantasy MMC who was clearly more powerful and more connected. his ability to balance getting shit done while still allowing lilith to be herself, is the real reason why this became a favorite book mine. the only minor complaint was the two main leads getting together in this book, as i would've preferred a little slower burn that spanned across the series. this, however, does not take away from my rating since i loved everything else about them and their dynamic. bring up normal age gaps. i beg you.

every fucking time i read a new book i get more and more delusional. i would like a tall, tatted, criminally insane man or woman to be obsessed with me.

GO READ THIS. I AM SO SERIOUS.

[ariyel ୭ · Rating 4 out of 5]

── ⋆˙⟡ 4.5 stars! ★
﹒⌗﹒contains spoilers﹒౨ৎ˚₊‧

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “she is the beginning and the end. she is peace and chaos. she is terror knocking at the gates.”

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ my thoughts♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ wow. i really did like this. i did. but! i do have complaints. which i will absolutely be getting to. eventually. but starting off? i knew from the start that i was gonna enjoy this. but i didn’t expect to get this invested. i started this when it first came out, wasn’t in the mood, and stopped reading for almost two months. i’m so glad i didn’t force myself through it then because i probably would’ve ended up frustrated. taking time away and then rereading from the beginning helped a lot. i retained more, connected with the story more, and actually let myself enjoy it for what it was—messy, dramatic, and surprisingly fun.

there’s a lot of world-building packed into this book. some of it felt underdeveloped, but most of it was super compelling. you’ve got a ruling system built around five families, all tied to a religion that’s corrupt as hell, and women are literally forbidden from using their own power without oversight. the whole elohai magic line only works through women, and yet men are the ones in control of it. i actually really liked how clearly the book positioned the church as oppressive. it didn’t try to be subtle, and it worked. same with the way the ruling families used fear, wealth, and power to maintain control—it was a great setup for a world that feels like it’s on the verge of breaking.

what didn’t work was how much of this was told instead of shown. we’re constantly given facts about the families, the politics, the laws, the church’s control—but very little of that is grounded in actual scenes. it makes the world feel broad and ambitious, but also weirdly thin. like the book expects you to just accept the stakes instead of letting them build over time. same with the possession plotline. we got hints, creepy moments, and a clear connection to the gods—but not enough payoff.

i had the same issue with the magic. i want to like it. i do. but it doesn’t make total sense. the whole “your magic only works when someone desires something from you” angle? okay… but why. that’s just not a practical power. especially when it’s barely used. if desire is the trigger but we rarely see lilith actually use it, then what’s the point? if someone doesn’t want something from you, then you’re just powerless? like… that sucks. and it’s not like it’s counterbalanced by her doing anything cool with it. she doesn’t. so we’re left with a magic system that’s both restrictive and underutilized. not a great combo.

but even with all that, the pacing mostly worked. the story moved, the tension was high, and i was never bored. my biggest issue plot wise was that a lot of things felt like setups with no payoff. like the dancing subplot—why spend so much time on her trying to dance at zahariev’s club just for it to never go anywhere? we never return to the club, she never officially dances, and it’s completely irrelevant to the story. that happened a few times—ideas introduced, dragged out, and then dropped. but i never stopped caring about the story. and the last few chapters?? that reveal??? that was actually insane.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ characters♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ lilith… i have so many feelings about lilith. she’s complicated. extremely flawed. and for the first half of the book, i really liked her. she was angry, bitter, disillusioned—and for good reason. her family sucks. the church sucks. the system is rigged against her. she had every right to want freedom and power. and i liked that she was smart and calculating and willing to take risks. but then came the second half… and she really started to piss me off.

she’s hotheaded to the point of recklessness. she acts before she thinks. she picks fights for no reason. and worst of all, she’s mean to the one person who has been there for her from the beginning. zahariev helped her endlessly—gave her a place to live, protected her, backed her up—and she would turn around and accuse him of things or threaten him for literally no reason. like at the hospital when she said she’d make him her enemy if she wanted to. seriously?? she would not have survived without him and she knows it. she’s just always angry and it’s directed at the wrong people. and look—i get that she’s grieving. esther’s death was brutal. it broke her. but the way she handled it? blaming gabriel for it? abandoning him after losing the love of his life? that was cruel.

and it’s not like she doesn’t know how privileged she is. she says it herself. she acts the way she does because of the status she was born into. and yet she uses that same privilege to bulldoze over people and then refuses to take accountability. she’s spoiled. she throws tantrums. and every time someone challenges her, she doubles down instead of reflecting. she makes every situation harder than it needs to be. like going off to “hunt demons” alone right after esther’s death. what did she think was gonna happen? she wasn’t prepared. she had no backup. and surprise! she got hurt. it’s just constant escalation with her. constant destruction.

ৎ zahariev! your honor i love him. he is the only character in this book who consistently uses his brain. he’s cold. calculating. competent. kinda terrifying. but he’s also incredibly patient. and the way he treats lilith? he respects her more than anyone else does—even when she doesn’t respect him. he gives her space. protection. advice. and she throws it all back in his face. constantly. and yet he never retaliates. i think that’s what made him stand out. while everyone else in lilith’s life tries to control her, zahariev never does. he wants her to choose him. and even though she keeps breaking that trust, he stays.

i wish the book went deeper with his character. his past. his relationship to power. how his influence in nineveh is different from his fathers. how he sees the other families. there’s so much potential there and we only got glimpses.

ৎ side characters weren’t the strongest. coco was sweet but underdeveloped. she exists mostly to support lilith, and i wish she got more of her own identity. cassius could be a lot more fun if he gets more focus. i wouldn’t mind him and coco together honestly. gabriel deserved so much better. as for the rest of the side characters? the worst. especially the ones from lilith’s past. fuck all of them.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ romance♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ this is where i got the most frustrated. because in theory? this could’ve worked. there’s so much history. so much tension. the emotional stakes are absolutely there. and zahariev wants her—he just refuses to cross a line. he’s older. in a position of power. he knows that acting on anything would make things worse for her. and instead of respecting that, lilith spends so much of the book trying to break him down.

she pushes. begs. prods. literally throws herself at him and gets mad when he says no. and it’s not hot. it’s not empowering. it’s desperate. he sets boundaries and she steamrolls them. she turns his rejection into a personal offense. and apparently this is something she’s been doing for years. which somehow makes it worse.

and yes, he wants her. yes, he helps her. yes, he cares. but she gives him nothing back. just anger. cruelty. bitterness. and i couldn’t root for that. not when there’s so little balance.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ extras♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
— dancer subplot went absolutely nowhere. why was it even included.
— possession stuff needed way more follow through.
— the gun stuff was so jarring. it doesn’t fit the world at all. we have elohai magic, dangerous artifacts, divine prophecies… and then boom. a glock.
— five districts with different family rulers is actually so cool. more of this please.
— this world has so much promise. i hope book 2 actually builds on it instead of just tossing more at us.
— zahariev >> everyone else
— the wings. the wings!!! i screamed.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ overall♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ i had fun. i really did. the world was cool. the plot had me hooked. the themes were interesting. and the ending??? left me unwell. but the writing itself was a little rough. things were told, not shown. the pacing was off sometimes. the characters needed more depth. and lilith… well. she was something. i didn’t hate her. i just wanted her to grow. and maybe she still can. despite all the issues i had, this was a good start to a series i definitely want to continue. chaos and wings and religious trauma and messy people—yeah. i’ll be seated for book two.


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ ‎ ‎ entry 0341 ❞


☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱
everyone’s been talking about this and i’m nothing if not easily influenced. the setup sounds so good and i’m hoping it actually lives up to it. definitely feeling optimistic.


𓏲 ⟡ blood of lilith ⋆ ꒰ ✦ ꒱
⌗﹒ 01 terror at the gates — 4.5 ☆
⌗﹒ 02 untitled — ?? ☆

[veerali · Rating 4 out of 5]

⁀ ⊹ ₊ But I was the dealer of her justice. Her vengeance was mine.

this book singlehandedly pulled me out of the deepest, darkest reading slump i've ever experienced. call me obsessed, call me pathetic, call me mad, but i will never shut up about this absolute masterpiece. for real. after slogging through what felt like an eternity of 'meh' reads, picking this up was a winner, and honestly, it deserves all the flowers and a parade in its honor.

let's get into the setting first. terror at the gates is an urban fantasy with all the right mystery elements sprinkled in, like the secret sauce that makes everything ✨pop✨. from the beginning, i was hooked. every single page had me intrigued with a chaotic mix of excitement and genuine terror, wondering what fresh hell or delicious plot twist was waiting for me. the world-building is just chef's kiss. it feels gritty, dangerous, and incredibly immersive without being overwhelming.

and for my slow-burn romance girlies (and guys, and non-binary pals!), this book delivers a slow burn that's so exquisitely painful and delicious, you'll be clawing at the pages. absolutely zero insta-lust vibes here, and that's where my brownie points really start stacking up.

𖣠 lilith leviathan

let's just establish something: we have a certified badass fmc in the house, everyone. and when i say badass, i mean lilith doesn't just not follow the rules, she literally makes them. she is strong-headed, fiercely independent, and she’s not here for anyone’s nonsense. she's not a pick-me but she's the pick, periodt. what makes her truly shine is that she's also incredibly vulnerable and, dare i say, quirky at times. she did get on my nerves and behaved childish and blamed others for someone's death which made me want to bang my head against the wall.

⁀ ⊹ ₊ We were not responsible for lust in men. We existed and they desired.

𖣠 zahariev zareth

oh. my. god. zahariev. my man. this dude is so damn delicious, it's almost illegal. from the moment he steps on the page, it's giving "obsessed" and "epitome of touch her and die." the level of respect and admiration he shows lilith, even when she's being a chaotic menace (which is often, bless her heart), is just chef's kiss. he puts up with her attitude, her unhinged decisions, her general lilith-ness, and he should. he doesn't try to dim her light. he just wants to shield her while she's busy setting the world on fire. my panties? gone. evaporated. poof.

⁀ ⊹ ₊ “Whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.”

the plot itself was executed with such precision i couldn’t put this book down. it wasn't too fast, where you feel like you missed something crucial, but it also wasn't too slow, dragging its feet through unnecessary exposition. the chemistry between lilith and zahariev? good lord. the tension was so palpable, i swear i could cut it with a knife and serve it on a platter. i was legitimately giggling, kicking my feet, and screaming into my pillow like a delulu teenager because of their interactions. plus the writing itself is incredibly easy to read. it flows like melted butter, pulling you deeper and deeper into their world without ever feeling like a chore.

and then there's the ending. miss author you need to reveal the release date for book two IMMEDIATELY. the ending was such a shocker, such a jaw-dropping, cliffhanger that it's frankly illegal to leave us hanging like that. i need answers, and i need them, like, yesterday.

a quick but super important note: while this book is a triumph, it does contain elements of religion and delves into themes that can be triggering for some readers. please, please, please make sure to check out the trigger warnings and content warnings before diving in. protect your peace always.

3.5 ─ 4 stars ⊹ (rounded up)

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 ★— I feel like I have to preface this by saying that my only other experience with Scarlett St. Clair was her Hades/Persephone retelling, which I thought suffered from a weak plot and an unenjoyable heroine.

So, I went into this with lowered expectations, intrigued by the prospect of a story that wove in wider Christian mythology. I love stories centered around Lucifer, Lilith, Archangels, and all that, and this story obviously plays with that connection, its world fully anchored in those roots.

After finishing this, I’m feeling very meh on this. On the one hand, because I knew what to expect, my lowered expectations helped me enjoy this as a sort of trashy, unserious read. But, still, I didn’t enjoy it enough to rate it higher, because — damn — I really don’t feel like the author did anything with this book’s themes or plot.

It was just thoroughly mid, I’d say.

World-building
It’s barely there. The author never really painted a picture of what exactly this world is that the characters exist in. There’s some setup — apparently it’s in the desert (mentioned once?) and it’s a seedy, dangerous city? The world is super misogynistic? Somehow Lilith is the daughter of a well-known family, an heir who needs to be married off? And Zahariev is too? But these factors are just thrown in and not really explored.

There’s also this whole weird subplot at the beginning with Zahariev being a club owner and Lilith wanting to dance for him, which is dropped quickly. It’s like the author was doing so much here and somehow nothing at all.

And this ties into the Christian mythology elements too — it all felt really hamfisted. The references to any of it seemed added more for aesthetic and vibes rather than being meaningfully woven into the plot or world-building. The wider mythology clearly took a backseat to the romance drama, and it ended up feeling shallow and underdeveloped.

Feminist Themes(?)
I’m gonna be honest here… I don’t see where the feminist themes are. The FMC has a traumatic upbringing due to this world’s obvious and deeply embedded misogyny, but the author really does nothing else with it.

She’s constantly saying she fled her home to make her own way, to stand on her own… and yet in this story, it felt like she barely managed anything that didn’t end with her being saved by a male character.

She’s constantly surrounded, saved, helped, and coddled by either Zahariev or Gabriel. What exactly am I supposed to find feminist about this? I wouldn’t even mention it if the feminist angle weren’t explicitly mentioned in the blurb and used for marketing. Clearly, I’m supposed to find something feminist here? And it’s just not there.

Characters
Lilith, the heroine, is a woman from a wealthy but oppressive family trying to make her own way, and she just… gave nothing. She keeps harping on about wanting to make it on her own, but as I mentioned before, this doesn’t actually happen.

It really felt like the author randomly dropped the reader into the middle of a story — there are all these connections and characters Lilith supposedly has deep backstories with, but it’s just not well communicated to the reader.

The other characters barely made an impact. The female background characters are basically ornaments in the story and don’t play significant, active roles. We’re told there’s a deep bond and friendship between them and Lilith, but most of the time it felt quite shallow and boring.

Romance
Uninteresting. The FMC doesn’t hide how immediately thirsty she is around the MMC, and after the third or fourth time of her basically begging him to sleep with her, I wanted to stop reading about them.

The MMC was similarly wanting but hid it “for her protection” (ugh). It’s such a tired dynamic. I think I got even more annoyed when she kept denying that he obviously liked her, which every character in the story comments on and is obvious to absolutely everyone.

There was nothing compelling about their dynamic. She was basically a constant damsel in distress and he was the “Alpha nobody-touch-her” guy who kept his distance “for her own good.” They both clearly wanted each other, and there was no real tangible reason they weren’t together.

Since I didn’t care about them, their sex scenes didn’t do anything for me either. I guess they were sorta entertaining, but not much else.

Dialogue
I have to mention this because I read parts of this and listened to the audiobook for other parts, and thus had to listen to narrators say these lines… Wow, was it cringy at times. Zahariev threw around the tired bad-boy Alpha lines left and right, and it squicked me out so much. And Gabriel calling her baby girl every other sentence grated on me — especially in the audiobook. It annoyed me so much.

Audiobook / Narration
Totally apart from the story — the female narrator was great! I really have no complaints there. But the male narrator didn’t really match what I thought of the MMC. He seemed a little too grizzled? Too old? The hero was canonically only eight years older than the heroine, so hearing him narrate Zahariev’s POV chapters after the female narrator (who fit so seamlessly) threw me off sometimes. But maybe that’s just personal preference.

Final Thoughts
I feel like I’m not the target audience for this, but sometimes I like a more fun, no-brainer read to relax. With this, though, I just felt like it didn’t give me anything to really like. The plot felt too shallow, the world-building too thin, and the characters felt flat. And while the mythology and themes had so much potential, it felt slapped on rather than thoughtfully explored.

I didn’t hate it. It was fine as an audiobook, but I’m pretty sure I would have liked it less if I’d only read it. Honestly, the audiobook saved a lot of this for me.

___________________

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks UK for the ARC, and to RBMedia for the ALC, in exchange for my honest review.

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly feel BLESSED I received an ARC copy of this book.. Because it allowed me to witness the birth of an author's greatness & potential. I read the first book in her Hades x Persephone series. While I did enjoy it, I found it to be sort of basic & VERY surface level. Leaving me with little desire to continue on in the series.. THIS on the other hand?!?!?!? PLEASEEEEEE PUT ME ON THE MAILING LIST FOR THE SECOND ONE!!!! .. cause WHAT!?!?.. I almost have a hard time accepting the fact these books were written by the same author!! unlike the story of Hades and Persephone which we've had re told 865,429,001 times, here we have a story of LILITH!! As someone that's big in astrology I'm extra excited to get a story on our black moon 🥹


I don't even know where to START!..☝🏻yes, yes I do actually lol.. Now, I wouldn't just say this lightly OK, Because Crescent City is my FAVORITE God tier series, like "chuck them in my coffin I'm taking them with me" kinda obsessed .. There are definitely Crescent City undertones in this book!! Which made me extra excited! 😭🫠 and it's nice because they TRULY are just undertones. The rest is the author's beautiful originality

We have Lilith who is from the most powerful family on almost like a rumspringa (I'm sorry that the closest comparison I can make) for a year, away from her family.. assigned to keep an eye on her? a hot equally powerful man from an enemy family.. as she's living by herself in the city of Nineveh she needs to do what she has to in order to get by. Which for her is stealing precious artifacts & reselling them. Because her other option is dancing but her babysitter won't let her (even though he runs one of the most popular clubs) However things all change one night when she watches an artifact she's stolen kill the person holding it right before her very eyes.. and it kills others too (besides herself & her powerful hot babysitter) .. As word gets out what she is in possession of, higher forces (like the church) try and take it for themselves. Her babysitter caves & Lilith also gets an opportunity to dance at the club. After all she still does have a rent that's due. However strict rules are set in place for our babysitters "little love".. But these are FAR from Lilith's only problems as the black sheep daughter of a powerful family.

This book had my jaw on the floor a couple times and I HIGHLY recommend it!!

OH MY GODDDDD I DIDNT JUST INHALE THIS BOOK.. I STRAIGHT-UP SNORTED IT!! ❄️👃🏼

Now is this a perfectly flawless read?? absolutely not.. I kinda wish there was more about her experiences dancing..if this were another author I probably would have rated it like a 4/4.5.. but this author's growth from her other series deserves an extra high-five!! ❤️

🌟Edit🌟(because I still can't stop thinking about this one) .. I don't know if the author gets a chance to read all of these. But if I could tell her one thing, it would be to just take your time with this baby! Because you really have the possibility of a brain chemistry altering series on your hands!!🫶🏻






Until next time
Hades
🩵

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

’Forgiveness was an invitation to sin. I witnessed it every week, which was why I’d decided a long time ago that I did not care to be forgiven. I’d rather be a sinner than a hypocrite.’

Rating: 4.75 stars rounded up ⭐️

I won at life reading this book!!! I am obsessed. Finally a book that lives up to its hype!
⋆⭒ Urban fantasy
⋆⭒ A unique plot
⋆⭒ Pure feminine rage and determination, rebelling against a system set up to keep women oppressed
⋆⭒ Actual tension and slow burn with forbidden romance (ugh my kryptonite)
⋆⭒ Interesting magic systems
⋆⭒ Found family
⋆⭒ Cute cat (every important info)

Seriously,I did not want this book to end! I put off picking it up all day because I knew that meant I’d finish it and now I’m left empty that we have to wait for the next book!!!

Lillith is my girl!! What a woman!!! Being the only child to one of the key 5 families, in a world where men rule through their church and see women as something to use and bend to their will.
Funny thing is, women are the ones with the magic in this world… men see that as an opportunity to make them believe it is their duty to marry and give that power to their husbands. But not Lillith, she rebels at every opportunity, to stand as an imperfect but capable and independent person. She carries her trauma and her struggles but is unapologetic on how this has shaped her. Her character felt so real and authentic. The type of FMC you not only route for but you feel her anger and stand by her every step of the way!!!
”I was not a victim. I was not a sacrifice. I was Lilith, a survivor.”

Zahariev: 🫦 Yeah, so I need this man more than I need my next breath!! The small exerts of his pov we got had me in an actual chokehold. He is the definition of touch her and die (like literally), but the respect he has for Lillith is everything. You aren’t even in his head and you know how down bad this man is for her.
Not once does he try to control her, or use her, he isn’t afraid of her strength & lets her be nothing but herself. The kind of MMC who is both gentle but dominant all in one. He will literally go to war for her. Like, I CANNOT!!! I was actually loosing my mind over this man, still am to be honest.
“What does it mean? To be yours?” I asked. He smiled softly. “Whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.”
Oh and his nickname for her is little love and I can’t not squeal about it hehehe.

The tension and slow burn was done so well. I was starting to stress it wouldn’t pay off before the end of the book - I’d have actually started a riot. But the fact these two spent years building a relationship of trust and respect, just made that fuck it moment hit that much deeper.
The way Lillith pushed and pushed and pushed but he never snapped until he knew it was exactly what she wanted. Excuse me whilst I never recover!
Oh, obviously they are hot as hell together. Every time he called her a brat, I lost it.

“You think you’re brave for handling me?”
“No one handles you, Lilith, Good fucking luck to the man who tries.” standing ovulation 👏🏻

The found family was so good in this one too. I had some tears at a few points.
The ending has me so ready for book 2, tomorrow would be preferable. I just have this feeling this will get better and better.
I hope every single asshole meets their end!! Let the feminine rage explode. I am so ready for it!! Honestly this whole story was just so profound and brought up so many different emotions!

Some more quotes that stood out:

“We were not responsible for lust in men. We existed, and they desired. Sometimes that desire was mutual. Sometimes it wasn’t, but men had a hard time wrapping their dicks around the word no, and since our world valued them more, we were the ones who suffered.”

“She wasn’t mine. She wasn’t anyone’s. But I was the dealer of her justice. Her vengeance was mine.”

“I would go to war for you. I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”

“I’d never been the center of anyone’s world before, always more of an inconvenience. I used to think Zahariev believed the same, but now I knew the truth. He hadn’t taken care of me out of obligation or as a favor to my father. He’d taken care of me because I was his entire universe.”

They will call her a demon, but I watched her transform, and I will call her goddess.

BRB GOING TO HAPPY DANCE. I DID SOMETHING GOOD IN A PAST LIFE AND THIS BOOK WAS MY REWARD!! GO READ IT RIGHT NOW! 💃🏻

[kitkat (semi-hiatus ♡︎) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
4.5 stars rounded up
⟢ 𝒂𝒓𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ release: july 8, 2025

✧ “𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.” ✧

- 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 -
this book left me speechless in the best way possible. i hadn’t read a Scarett St. Clair before this, but i can confirm that i’ll be reading her entire backlist. this book is THAT good. it hits really hard emotionally, but there are some parts that are just so heartwarming, as well.

- 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 -

⟢ 𝒍𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒉
so, this woman is badass, okay? she doesn’t take shit from anyone, but she also doesn’t know how to ask for help, which is why it’s so amazing watching her character evolve. lilith also cries a lot, like, we will be filling the entire sea with her tears at this point, but at the same time, it’s also understandable after what she’s gone through. if i had to chose one character that she reminded me of, i’d probably say tory vega from zodiac academy. she has that same “don’t give a fuck” energy, which i absolutely love.

♪⋆.˚ now playing: 𝒘𝒉𝒐'𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕

“𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑦 / 𝑖 𝑎𝑚 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖 𝑎𝑚 '𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒”


⟢ 𝒛𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒗
do not even get me started on this man. there are no faults when it comes to this man. seriously, none in sight. he’s morally grey, he kills people who touch her, he’s a litttttle bit older than her (8 years), and he’s hot. what’s not to like?? honestly, the beginning of their relationship starts out a bit slow, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. part of what happened to lilith is that she ended up running away from her family, but in a way, zahariev kind of becomes her family, which was super sweet. he always had her back.

♪⋆.˚ now playing: 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒆

“𝑖 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 / 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡'𝑠 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑙𝑦”


- 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 -
okay, i think it might’ve been a little slow at first, but it definitely picks up. it’s also a bit predictable at times, but overall, there were a lot of moments where i was in total shock. Namely that one scene that made me cry. if you know, you know my pain. i think a lot of the actual lilith retelling itself will come in the next book, and i am SO excited to see where this series goes. PLEASE check your trigger warnings before reading this book, such as, but not limited to, SA, violence, descriptive sexual content, child abuse, and religious trauma.

features -
✦ romantasy
✧ first person
✦ fmc’s pov with small excerpts from the mmc’s pov
✧ unique magic
✦ violence & death
✧ grief
✦ retelling
✧ morally grey characters
✦ touch her and die
✧ spicy
✦ forbidden romance


>> thank you to 𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 and 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 for an arc - 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 <3

- preread -
i can’t put into words how excited i am for this.

[aeryn rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Yet another BANGER from SSC!!! I have yet to not love one of her books and this is just another testament as to why. This book delivered everything and more!

Lilith…man do I love this woman. I’m not gonna lie I was having slight bisexual panic while reading this book cause the bad bitch that this woman is??? Ya’ll are gonna have to pry me from Zahareiv’s cold, dead hands because I want her all to myself. No, you know what? I’ll take both of them. Why should I have to choose?

But seriously, Lilith had such a badass charm about her that was almost impossible not to love. I really enjoyed how Scarlett added so much depth to her and detailed backstory to make her pop that much more. There wasn’t much of a character arc mainly because she didn’t change; she didn’t need to. She was so confident and no nonsense the entire book and she always knew what she wanted and went after it. I wish more FMC’s were like her, especially when they’re written so well.

And then there’s Zahareiv, the god of a man that Scarlett has blessed us with. This man did anything and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, for Lilith. His unwavering loyalty and trust and love was so beautiful. He is the perfect definition of ‘touch her and I’ll kill you’ mixed with ‘I’m only soft for you’ and I absolutely LOVED IT!! I liked that we got little snippet dialogue from him as well at the end of every chapter. I kept thinking to myself that it would’ve been a gold mine if we got more POV from him but, alas, I’ll settle for what was given.

The side characters were hilarious and surprisingly lovable as well. I really enjoyed CoCo and Cassius and I hope we get more of them in the series to come. Esther…my baby…I love you. She did not deserve what happened and I couldn’t help but feel my heart break a bit. That’s the thing about these characters in general: we don’t have to have sooo much info on them to be able to connect and love them as much you will. That’s just how well Scarlett can write these characters.

Now, if you are a frequent flier about here, you know how much I love mythology and retellings. The thing I love most about SSC’s books is that it doesn’t matter if her books are not completely accurate to true mythology; the woman makes them fun and bingeable and so easy to get fully invested into the story she’s telling. I know a bit about different aspects of mythology, but I don’t go into her books trying to point out the obvious differences. I think the plot is utterly engaging and the story is so easy to become obsessed with. I flew by 467 pages without even realizing it because it was THAT investable.

The only problem I really had with this book was that the beginning was a bit slow. It took me about 100 or so pages to finally get invested, but once I was in, I WAS IN! I honestly think it was more a me issue rather than the book itself, but nonetheless I found it kinda meh at the very beginning but let me tell you…it was so worth it. I could not in good conscience give this lower than a 5 star I just couldn’t.

Overall, SSC is an auto-buy author for me and this is the perfect example as to why. Her books take some getting used to especially with the names and places and world and such, but they are some of the most enjoyable reads I’ve ever had. This book is definitely going up there with my favorites. I’m so sad that this JUST released and now I have to wait until 2026 for the next book. I’m going through with drawl already. I want MORE!! I’ll be sitting here waiting impatiently for the next book. Counting down the days. 😭❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:

When I found out the Scarlett St. Clair came out with a new book I about screamed from the rooftops because MOTHER HAS DELIVERED!!!
The Touch of Darkness series is one of my favorite fantasy/mythological inspired retellings of all time it holds such a special place in my heart so I hope this is a banger ❤️🖤

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”What did you say?”
“I would go to war for you,” he said again. “I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.

🔥 PSA: LOOK UP THE ART, YOU’RE WELCOME

safe to say, i’m down so horrendously for Zahariev. i really loved the world building, it felt unique and the slow burn romance was pure torture (affectionately). Lilith was a badass, sturdy in her rage and using her sexuality and magic to her advantage. the side characters also won me over— loved Gabriel, his wife, Coco and the cat. the way Zahariev was always there for Lilith whether she knew exactly why he was so adamant on protecting her or not.. how he waited for her to confirm that she wanted to be with him, not caring about the consequences or the hell that would break loose? i need one of him for real. i will say that the pacing did drag a little for me, but it ended in such an intriguing spot for the story and i can’t wait for book 2.

”What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m sorry I’m only now seeing you.”
“Don’t apologize, little love,” he said. “I could have remained invisible to you, and my devotion to you would be unchanging.”

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
I'm honestly surprised I finished this. I almost DNF'd multiple times, but managed to push through because I had a SLIGHT interest in finding out where the plot went. AlsoI ended up having time on my hands and picked this up because I didn't want to start a full new book- if not for that, I probably wouldn't have finished it. I was going to try and keep this review more positive but honestly this book disappointed on multiple levels so we're going with more of a rant.

Let's start with the world-building. There wasn't any! Full stop, from start to finish I had no idea what was going on here. We are in the city of Eden, in the district of Ninevah? Eden is ruled by five families, who each rule a district? The women of the five families have magic but maybe other women do too? That's basically all I know. Zahariev rules Ninevah, where most of our story takes place.

The characters here were also underdeveloped. Lilith has established relationships with every side character we meet, but we're never given a SINGLE detail about it. Like Gabriel, who is a sort of security/mafia man working for Zahariev. Lilith is super close with him (and his wife Esther) but we're never told how they met? How they got to be so close? How long they've known each other? She sees this man and his wife as family, and we are given ZERO context to their relationship. Same with her roommate Coco. Lilith grew up in a different district- so how the hell did she meet Coco?

Also every single character in this story solely exists to move around Lilith. Coco only exists to be Lilith's friend. The men who work for Zahariev only appear so that Lilith can argue with them. Even Zahariev himself ONLY exists for Lilith. He supposedly runs Ninevah and is this shady, dangerous man but we don't see any of that. We only ever see him protecting Lilith, cleaning up after her or standing around thinking about her. Even Gabriel- this man went through a huge tragedy and spends the aftermath thinking about how hard it must have been for Lilith. Are you freaking kidding me!?

Lilith was honestly unbearable- she was the main reason I found this so hard to get through. She's a mary-sue from beginning to end with zero self-awareness. She continually stomps her feet and insists that she's not a spoiled brat, while proving that she is in fact, a spoiled brat. I don't understand why any of the characters put up with him to be honest. Every time something went wrong she called Zahariev for help or went crying into his arms, only for her to turn around and insist that she didn't need his help. Then she would usually call him a coward or a hypocrite and be unforgivably rude. But he was obsessed with her? It really didn't make any sense.

Then we have the 'feminist retelling' of it all. Ya'll, giving your FMC a pissed-off attitude does not make it feminist. I think SSC was trying to make Lilith a sort of Aelin/Bryce type- sex appeal and street smarts, always one step ahead with a plan. Let's just say, it was a bit off the mark. Lilith never managed to do a single thing without Zahariev's help. He helped her move districts and paid for her new clothing so she fit in, paid her rent and gave her a job.
And sure, she lives in a patriarchal society where it's near impossible for women to do anything without the permission of a man. But Lilith herself also puts down other women. Her parents BOTH tried to force her into line, and forced society's expectations on her. But of course Lilith only blames her mother. She still gets lunch with her father once a week. She also thinks her boss at the dance club hates her SOLELY because the woman wants to sleep with Zahariev. Yeah, I'm sure that's why she hates you and not because you went over her head professionally and used your family name to secure yourself a job at her club. Must be because she's jealous of you. There was also a moment when Zahariev mentions he's expected to marry- Lilith names a woman we're never given context to and tells him not to marry her because "she's a bitch". Putting down other women to compete for a man is decidedly un-feminist in my books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[rosie (jason todd's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

╰› (⭐4)

⋆｡°✩ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍

this one was definitely different, i'll say that!! i really enjoyed the whole religion theme, and how it was darker and more dystopian. i enjoyed the overall vibe, and how it felt kinda cyberpunk-esque? i don't know how to describe it, but terror at the gates felt like a video game in the best way possible.

thank you so much to anna jane for reading this with meeee!! <3

⋆｡°✩ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕

the plot was a little slow and meandering at times and explosive and twisty at others! i really enjoyed the darker turns it took, and the deeper themes within. the setting felt like gotham city, honestly, and yes that is my DC hyperfixation speaking and YES, it has almost put me into a horrid slump, YES, i am fighting the urge to yap nonstop about it, but NO i will not give in.

the whole thing with esther? oh my god? i was so shocked? lilith was going through so much? like girl i completely understand your tendency to cry almost every chapter.

⋆｡°✩ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔

𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘩 ⭑.ᐟ 🦇

this poor girl omg. she went through too much in her past, and went through even more DURING this book. i can't even imagine what could happen to her in the next book.

that ENDING? omg? how did i not see that coming?

lilith did annoy me a smidgen sometimes when she was so oblivious to zahariev's feelings for her... though i understand why she kept getting upset at him.

𝘻𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷 ⭑.ᐟ 🔪

can we talk about how this man would do literally anything for her... 🤭🤭🤭

the mini chapters from his POV omg... i was literally giggling and squealing. like YESSSS KILL THEM FOR DISRESPECTING HERRR YESSS 👏👏👏


⋆｡°✩ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔

for my first scarlett st. clair book, i'm so glad i enjoyed it! i've heard so much about this one and i'm so glad to have finally gotten to it.

also the afterword and author's note? ugh i already love how this author's brain works.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ pre-read:

buddyreading this with the cutie anna jane! so eager to get into this one, as i've heard soooo much about it! <3

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the Kindle version, a physical version, and the audio version of this book. As always, my honest thoughts and opinions are located directly below.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

This book follows our FMC, named Lilith Leviathan, who is estranged from her family and taking refuge in Nineveh, known as the area of her town of Eden as the area people go to engage in sin.

She uses her magic to steal for a living until she has a run-in with a man while in one of the clubs run by our MMC, named Zahariev, which leads to Lilith stealing a blade that results in the death of one of her normal clients of stolen items.

This leads Lilith and Zahariev on a perilous journey to figure out the origins of the blade, which puts them in direct opposition to the church and the head of the church.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“That was a lie. It was never going to be easy.”

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect but I knew I'd enjoy it all the same because I have loved Scarlett's books for a while now. I'm so glad I gave this one a chance with a purely open mind. I have some religious trauma but decided to open this book anyway and I'm so glad I did.

I know a lot of people with religious trauma like mine will have trouble with this book and I think that should be the biggest trigger warning in of itself. I think people who have been sexually assaulted or have been let down by the church may want to think twice about reading this one.

I think that's the biggest warning I could give about this book from the outset. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the book because I sure as fuck did. I'm so glad Lilith was given the chance to gain revenge for the wrongs done to her by the very people she was supposed to be protected by.

I felt like there were certain points where she was a bit immature but I think that was just because of how she was raised. I think she was just never told no and now she is suffering the consequences of not being able to do whatever she wants. I hate to say it but here we are.

That's my biggest pet peeve about this book. It was really good but I just didn't love Lilith as much as others may have. I felt she was a bit too immature for her age and should have been raised with a bit more structure.

However, I'm not victim-blaming, by any means. She has been through a lot and will definitely need to grieve for what she has been through. I hope the upcoming sequels will give her that chance once all is said and done. Fingers crossed, right? lmao

I would definitely say to go into this book with your trigger warnings in mind. If you come across something you can't abide by, please put the book down and move on. My vibes were high with this one, so it got 5 stars, but the end of this book caught me on a good day.

As much as I didn't like the FMC, I'm looking forward to the remaining books in this series to see how it all ends. I want Lilith to come out on top, obviously, and I can't help wondering how that's going to pan out. Another "fingers crossed" situation, I think.

[mikayla ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ new obsession unlocked. terror at the gates was absolutely delicious. this book had me in a chokehold from start to finish. easily one of my favourite fantasy reads of 2025. it’s escapism at its finest.

the vibes? immaculate. dark, moody, sexy, and gripping - from the intricate world-building to the edge-of-your-seat forbidden romance. i’m equally obsessed with lilith and zahariev. lilith is a badass bitch - my kind of girl. zahariev is the epitome of “touch her and die.” i honestly don’t know whom i love more. the tension? nail-bitingly good. the banter? top tier. these two are straight-up dynamite. i adored their journey from friends to lovers. watching lilith wear this man down was everything. and when zahariev’s self-control finally snapped? the ultimate “fuck it” moment. delicious.

the urban fantasy world-building is unique. religion and the church play a massive role in this world, making it gripping and thought-provoking. that said, the church element may be controversial for some religious readers - something to be mindful of.

the oppressive society hit home. it may be a fantasy world, but the themes of rebelling against societal expectations and female oppression are deeply relatable. as a woman working in a male-dominated industry, witnessing lilith reclaim her power and navigate this world with her “take no shit” energy felt empowering. this isn’t just a fun romantasy - scarlett st. clair has something to say, and it hit hard.

this book holds a special place in my heart - for its romance, its world, its characters, and everything in between.

⋆˙⟡ pre read →
i'm ready to bask in lilith leviathan's feminine rage ✌️

[bee (on and off) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★

“I would go to war for you,” he said again.
“I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”

I was looking forward to this book but I'm feeling kind of conflicted 😭 There were some parts I really liked, and others not so much.

What I liked:
⟡ zahariev—morally grey but caring, respectful and protective
⟡ lilith(for the most part)—realistically flawed and unapologetic
⟡ romance—great slow burn with lots of tension
⟡ zahariev's mini POVs at the end of each chapter
⟡ feminine rage

What could have been better:
⟡ very slow plot that feels directionless at times
⤿ a lot of unnecessary descriptions/filler scenes
⟡ world-building could use more development
⟡ few times I was questioning lilith's decisions
⟡ rushed ending

What you can expect:
🌆𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲
🌆𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
🌆𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🌆𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
🌆𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞
🌆𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
🌆𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
🌆🌶️🌶️/𝟓

I’d say this is more of a read for the vibes kind of book.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t be fooled by how long this took me to read, this was so cool!

The tension, the yearning, the CHEMISTRY! 🔥 I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I absolutely loved the audio of this book! It was unique, entertaining and easy to read. Great characters & plot!

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terror at the Gates is infuriating garbage.

Lilith's friend (described as a sister), whom we're supposed to care for, even though their friendship is never established, is murdered... and all Lilith does (instead of, I don't know, grieving her), is lust after the MMC and the dryer he gifts her and her roommate (for some reason?).
But if you think this is bad, just until you hear about the part where Lilith's father is BLOWN UP, and she turns to the MMC like 5 seconds later and goes "wanna fuck?". I cannot make this shit up.

To make matters worse, everyone in this book is misogynistic as fuck, including (especially, really) Lilith, which, for a "feminist retelling", is... a choice. Oh, and should I mention the MMC, who is older than Lilith (I can't remember by how much, but at least 4 years iirc), is implied to have been lusting after her since she was around 16? Hello? Problematic much?

And somehow they use dollars? American dollars? Canadian? Australian? Alternative world dollars? Couldn't tell you with all the worldbuilding that doesn't happen.

I'll be honest, I wanted to DNF this at the 20% mark, but stuck it out because it was an ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks, for the ARC.

[Kimberlylovesreadingbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody say sike right now 😶....... THAT ENDING .....HER MOTHER????What was happening??? 😭😭

First of all I would like to thank netgalley for the Earc copy of this book ✨🤭. My second Earc of this year 👏🏾🙂.

This book literally CONSUMED my days to the point I didn't want it to end. This is going to be a big hit on Booktok 👏🏾🙂.

Lilith just became a top tier FANTASY BADDIE!!!!!

This book follows Lilith who runs away from her powerful family who are trying to shove their religious beliefs down her throat 💀😐and she finds herself in Nineveh.

I read Nineveh and I was like Jonah!!🤣🤣.

Anywho Nineveh is the district of sin in the city of Eden....which is ruled by Zahariev Zareth. 🤭✨🫦. DADDY ZAHARIEV🤭👏🏾.

Lilith is looking for something to steal so that she can sell it to get money for her rent and she ends up acquiring a knife which ends up fucking her life.😶

I won't forgive Scarlett for the death of one of the characters in this book.😭 I was SHATTERED!!!!!

Lilith is in denial claiming that the only reason Zahariev looks out for her is because of her father....but later in the book she realises that's so not true🤭.

From the moment I met Zahariev I was like yes Lord he's the one 🙈🤭. He's up there on my top tier book boyfriends.🤭✨.

I got Casteel vibes from this man in the way that he never held Lilith back from doing what she wanted to do 👏🏾. THAT'S A MAN RIGHT THERE.

THE TENSION between these two in the beginning?!!!😭 😭. When is it going to be MY TURN😭😭. THE CHEEKY BANTER!!!!

There's a scene here where she wants to work at his club and this man TELLS HER TO DANCE FOR HIM!!!🤭🙈. That scene will live in my head RENT FREE!!!!🤭🫦.

For the Cat lovers there's a cat in here called Cherub 🤣🤣✨ and there's also found family which we all love👏🏾🙂.

Cassius and Coco though 🤭. I see you guys🙈.

This book perfectly portrays the way RELIGION is ABUSED by the so called "religious leaders".🤦🏾‍♀️ And when they're called out, THE SOCIETY or the people of that certain religion CONDEMN you because of how "holy" these leaders are.🚮

In truth some of them PREY on the WEAK MINDED and FEED off of the VULNERABLE and make them do unimaginable things all in the name of "God told me to do this and that". Some of them go even further to call themselves PROPHETS AND THEY START CULTS!!💀

LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT HOW WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEEK AND SHALLOW MINDED!!!!💀🚮. THEY'RE TO BE PURE AND BE BREEDING MACHINES!!!💀🤦🏾‍♀️.

That's why so many people don't believe in religion anymore because people think it's a HOAX 🙄.

This book is so well written and easy to understand and there's no info dump like how other fantasy books fill three whole chapters of world building.

This book just landed itself on my GOD TIER LIST!!!!👏🏾🤭 INFINITY STARS 😍✨♥️

Can't wait for the second installment 😍✨🎀.

There are some quotes on this book that I will put on here when I find time!!!!🤭