The Deathless One

The Gravesinger #1

by Emma Hamm

A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people in this first in a unique romantasy trilogy.

Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.

But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.

Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.

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

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2025

About the author

We all know you don't really care about reading my background. Enjoy Cap instead.

Reviews

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah… no.

I really struggled with the writing in this one. It starts right when she gets killed and you don’t get insight on how she was before her death, or how the world is in general. You pick up bits of information here and there but it was sincerely giving me a headache.

I’m all in for feminine rage - but this was not the right set up for it. You couldn’t make me believe the FMC cared for her people when she didn’t even know 1/16 of the issues they were having. I think 2-3 times it’s mentioned that she was known to her people for being pretty and kind - and her lack of knowledge about them is blatant. So yeah right, there’s no way her primary reason to get her throne back was because she cared about her people lol.

It was insta-lust to the max… and the FMC sincerely felt like a petulant child - so the romance made me feel uncomfortable. And the « shadow daddy » felt like a horny 15yo. He wanted her by page 73😭 please.

I started skimming at page 73 because I bought this book so I couldn’t bring myself to DNF. The writing was truly not it for me and the execution was severely lacking.

[bee (on and off) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ★

Half star for the shadow cat.

Started off fast-paced with potential, but quickly devolved into repetitive writing (lost count how many times inky darkness was mentioned) and shallow insta-lust. Once the main characters met any sort of plot went out the window. Both were irritating—the Deathless One came off as an edgy, angsty teen rather than a god, and Jessamine was whiny. Technically a DNF around halfway but I skimmed to the end.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

find more reviews on my blog

3.5 ⭐️


"What do we say to the God of Death? Not today." -Syrio Forel, A Game of Thrones

Where do I even start with this deliciously dark romantasy? It’s like someone took a medieval zombie apocalypse, tossed in a scorned princess, and sprinkled it with a trickster god who’s equal parts swoon-worthy and suspicious. I dove into this book with the enthusiasm of a kid raiding a candy store, and while it didn’t quite give me the full sugar rush I craved, it still left me giggling, blushing, and occasionally rolling my eyes in the best way. Let’s unpack this, shall we?

First off, the premise hooked me faster than a TikTok video about Goldie’s. Princess Jessamine, our fierce leading lady, gets brutally murdered at her own wedding altar by her slimy new husband. Rude, right? But death isn’t the end for our girl. She strikes a deal with the Deathless One, a god named Elric who’s basically a walking red flag with a devilish smirk. He offers her life and her kingdom back in exchange for his resurrection. Sounds like a fair trade until you remember he’s a notorious trickster, and deals with him are signed in blood. Cue the tension, the banter, and the *slow burn* that had me fanning myself like I was at a Regency ball.

Jessamine’s journey from betrayed royal to vengeful witch had me cheering, especially when she starts embracing her inner dark sorceress. I mean, who doesn’t love a woman who rises from the grave and says, “Hold my crown, I’ve got revenge to serve”?

Now, let’s talk about Elric, because *swoon*. He’s the kind of morally gray bad boy who’d steal your heart and your soul, then offer you a cheeky wink as he saunters off. Their chemistry is electric, and Hamm nails the slow-burn romance.

So why 3.5 stars instead of a full-on five? Well, the pacing tripped over its own feet a bit. The first couple of chapters is a galloping stallion, but somewhere in the middle, it slows to a leisurely trot. I found myself skimming a few pages, muttering, “Come on, let’s get to the good stuff!” The plot gets a little tangled, like my earbuds after a day in my purse, and I wished for tighter focus on Jessamine and Elric’s dynamic instead of some of the side quests. Also, the final battle felt rushed, like Hamm realized she was running out of pages and decided to wrap it up faster than I fold laundry (which is to say, not very fast).

Overall, it’s is a wickedly fun ride for anyone who loves dark romantasy with a side of snark and a whole lot of heart. If you’re into stories that blend revenge, romance, and a touch of the macabre, grab this book and prepare to lose a few hours to its spell.

[Mandy Mod · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unironically said to myself, "Oh thank god that's over," when I turned the page and saw the acknowledgements.

What a BAD book.

I'm honestly not even sure where to begin. The hasty plot points? The childish characters? The unrealistic dialogue? The horrible world building? The bad sex? I think I literally felt myself lose IQ points with each passing chapter.

I'm about 90% certain that the author ripped off the Dishonored games for the entire novel.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this started off as Dishonored fanfiction.
- The main character is named, Jessamine. Jessamine is the name of the empress who is murdered in the prologue of the game.
- The Dishonored world is industrial, gritty, and steampunk, much like this world.
- There's a plague going around that turns people into zombie-like creatures. They're mindless and attack people and travel in packs because of their infection.
- The Deathless One is just a taller, more muscular version of the Outsider. Both are mystic eldritch gods who take the form of a man, live in a shadow realm, and empower witches through the occult.
- There's a confrontation in the last fourth of the novel with a bad guy that is absolutely just the guy who leads the Bottle Street Gang in Dishonored. The book even describes the gang's hideout in a manner that's very reminiscent of the map in the game.

And don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Dishonored games. Thank god the author of this book wasn't on their design team.

But let's pretend for a second that this hasn't been heavily inspired by the Dishonored franchise and talk about the world building.

This book takes place in the city(country?) of Inverholm. The name is only mentioned in the first few pages and never brought up again, but that's besides the point. This city is somewhere in a fantasy world. It's on the edge of an ocean. I think it's a small country? The author didn't really feel like a grounded setting was important to the novel.

The plague is also utterly unimportant to the plot. Though it's framed as the reason for Jessamine's murder and a literal world disaster, it's never really a problem unless it has to be. It's completely arbitrary and exists for the grunge aesthetic and as a plot device. No one knows how it spreads (which I'm convinced is because the author doesn't know how it spreads either) and Jessamine's desire to cure her people comes and goes with the whims of the plot.

There are several other inconsistencies in the setting that took me out of it. The city's districts are split up by very obvious lines (*cough*likeinavideogame*cough*). There's an abandoned mansion that is decrepit and overgrown and yet somehow still has running water? Don't even get me started on the arbitrary magic system.

No wait. Let's talk about the fucking magic system.

There isn't one. The magic in this novel is built solely on the 'rule of cool'. If something would be cool in any given scene to do, magic does it. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it. The funniest part is that the characters themselves seem just as confused about how magic works as I was.

Jessamine is a 'gravesinger,' which is a magic-user that can summon gods. I think? But gravesingers are NOT witches. Witches are more like priests who have to worship gods to borrow their magic. But "worshiping" has nothing to do with any actual dedication, tenants, or rituals. It's more like, 'I said I worship this god once and now I do forever yay I have a club pass now'. Witches aren't naturally born with power. They get their club pass and then funnel their magic through the gifts of gods. (I think??? This isn't clear at allll in the book) Except that Jessamine doesn't get her club pass until the very ending of the book. So how the hell can she cast magic in the first place?

Also, all the magic is based off dark, evil spellbooks, brass bowls, colored candles, and blood. But again, there's no inclination that any of it has any meaning outside of 'a black candle seems witchy, therefore my main character has to use a black candle.' It all feels so.... Middle School. If this book didn't have any sex in it, I swear I wouldn't be surprised if it was written for 13-year-olds.

Jessamine and the Deathless One are also so painfully cringey to read.

What shitty characters.

Jessamine has the kind of girl-boss energy that makes me feel ashamed to be a woman. The entire book feels like feminine rage written by a man.
- Oh no, every single man is a lecherous pig who leers at Jessamine. Isn't that hard for her? Don't worry, she forgives them because she's the better person!
- There's a man in charge after Jessamine is displaced and now all the women in the country are forced to be prostitutes! See, men are evil!
- All Jessamine has to do is remember that she's a queen and tell it to herself constantly to power through any obstacle! Girl power trumps any skill!! (Literally, there's a scene between Jessamine and 2 thug guards that reminds me of the Dance Fighting scene in the Jumanji reboot. Except at least Jumanji was MEANT to be funny.)
- Look, Jessamine gets new clothes that SHE wants to wear. Isn't fashion horrid for girls!

Jessamine has absolutely no substance. Her hobbies are pouting about being bad at magic and sometimes wanting revenge but needing constant pressure from a god to actually try and get that revenge. She's an airhead who constantly needs saving and then pats herself on the back for how well she was saved.

The Deathless One is only marginally better. Marginally.

Firstly, The Deathless One isn't a shadow-daddy, he's a bitch-boy. He may have shadow magic, but he's a bleeding heart who throws himself to the whims of hot women. He literally has a whole backstory about it. He's historically easily manipulated and gets used by greedy women who only want him for his money-I mean magic! (I swear it feels like it's written by a man!) And every time Jessamine shows him a modicum of kindness, he's utterly floored and tripping over himself to please her.

The Deathless One also doesn't feel like a god. If anything, he feels more like a witch than any other character. His power has at least some semblance of structure to it and rules that he must follow. But the way he behaves lacks any of the timeless wisdom that I would expect of a god.

The plot and writing may be the worst part of the entire book, though.

The storytelling is both messy and arbitrary, like a bunch of random ideas that you smash together with Elmer's glue and hope it'll all stick together.

Firstly, there's no set up. Jessamine dies in first 10 pages. We're never given the time to meet her loved ones or her villain of a fiancée. The author doesn't take any time to establish any stakes to the novel, telling us what we need to know instead of showing us and then throwing it all away so quickly that readers aren't allowed to care at all.

The author also makes the curious choice of avoiding the majority of any high-tension scenes by jumping perspectives. For example, at the end of one chapter, Jessamine will be going down a dangerous alley. In the next chapter, the Deathless One knows something is wrong days later. We just skip important scenes in favor of exposition.

New plot arcs are introduced suddenly and randomly. For instance, towards the end of the novel, there's a scene where Jessamine and the Deathless One are all into each other and then suddenly Jessamine says something along the lines of, "oh also I've been listening to gossip for the past several days and I for sure know the name and location of a big villain and I'm going to go there now."

Yes, the plot, the writing, the characters, the world building, all of it is TERRIBLE. But there are 3 last things I want to bitch about. And no one is going to stop me.

The sex sucked. It felt rushed and was confusing to read. It was also tacked on to the very end of the novel, in the last literal 6 pages. Honestly, the make-out scenes were so much hotter.

Jessamine gets a cat familiar and it is FORGOTTEN. The Deathless One crafts a cat out of shadow magic and gives it to Jessamine to keep her warm one night. She names the thing Nyx and then it is only referenced again when other characters tell Jessamine that it misses her. GUYS SHE FUCKING NEGLECTS HER MAGIC CAT. SHE GOT A MAGIC CAT FOR AESTHTETIC AND THEN LEFT IT BEHIND LIKE A WOMAN HAS A BABY FOR HER WHITE-PICKET-FENCE AND THEN LEAVES IT FOR THE NANNY. I can't decide if I want justice for Nyx of if I hate the cat just for being written.

And lastly.

Lastly.

There is an honest to god PLOTLINE dedicated to Jessamine leaving graffiti in alleys to inspire her people. Jessamine sees a city full of people who are sick, starving, and oppressed. She walks out of a tavern where women are forced to be prostitutes for fucksake. So what does she do, you ask? Does she practice dark magic to learn healing arts? Does she use her magic to break into a food store and hand it out to the poor? Does she break into the tavern, kill the men, and liberate the women being raped?

NOPE. Jessamine decides the BEST WAY to help her people is to go into an alley and write, "I am not dead" on the wall and sign it with a fucking BUTTERFLY. And people see it and are inspired by it?!?! And the worst part is that the Deathless One is IMPRESSED by her ingenuity!!! The millennia-old god is impressed by inspirational notes! Fucking kill me.

Jessamine then continues to leave notes for weeks without actually DOING ANYTHING. Because, you know, words without action totally sway a mass populous and inspire them to fight back. The funniest part about any of this is that it's framed as character growth for Jessamine. She's so adamant about being more than a political figurehead with a pretty face. And yet, she objectifies herself, turning herself into 'the princess who lived' without actually helping her people.

----

Don't read this book. It sets a terrible precedence for women, is very poorly written, and, if you want smut, there's so much better out there.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ *]

dnf @ 2%

i’m looking for something that be a 4 or 5 star read and this is just not that

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Emma Hamm and NetGalley for providing me with an arc! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What to expect:
- Shadow daddy
- Revengeful fmc
- Witches (love you Sybil 😘)
- Betrayal
- Gods/Goddesses
- Interesting world/plot
- Spice 3/5 🥵

Wow, how did it take me this long to start this book! Clearly I didn’t realize what a banger I had on my shelf!

What I liked:
Honestly I really enjoyed everything about this book. I personally didn’t find much to complain about. Though the main highlights would be the relationship and characters… call me a character driven plot girlie I don’t care 🤷‍♀️

First off, a shadow daddy GOD who had previous relationship trauma… did this author write him for me? I swear he was pulled right out of my dreams. I absolutely adored Elric, he had the broody bad boy exterior but such a soft cinnamon roll interior, especially when it came to Jessa! I constantly found myself swooning over him… I mean come on he’s a god AND a shadow daddy, what more could a girl as for? One thing that personally stood out to me was his trauma. So often in books the fmc is the one who is afraid of betrayal and heartbreak but not in this one! Finally, we got a mmc who was vulnerable, trust me Emma, it does not go unnoticed!

Okay, enough fangirling, onto the plot. Wow! What a roller coaster! Immediately we are thrust (😏) into the action with Jessa and her family being murdered. Now I will say that a good portion of the book was character driven, personally that didn’t bother me but I could see how some people would easily find that to be annoying. After about the 70% things really start to pick back up again action wise. There were so many reveals and revelations in the last couple chapters I swear I got whiplash! The amount of gasps I let out should be illegal. But hey, that’s what being a reader is all about so I can’t complain.

Honestly loved this book and can’t wait until the second book releases!

10/10 would recommend

[Emely Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuschelt euch für "The Deathless One" an einem tristen Herbsttag in euren Lesesessel, trinkt eine heiße Tasse Tee oder Kaffee und genießt diese düstere und magische Geschichte über eine tote Prinzessin, die vom Todlosen, einem Gott, wiedererweckt wurde und nun mit ihm an ihrer Seite nach Rache aus ist.
Eine perfekte Symbiose zwischen Leben und Tod.

Lange hat mich kein Fantasy Buch direkt so eingenommen. Ich habe es geliebt.

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 33%, 97 pages

Before sharing my thoughts on this book, I want to make it clear that I don’t think I am the right reader for this book. The cover and premise drew me in initially, but upon starting this, I quickly realized this is not a style of writing or genre that I enjoy. Because of this, I want to write this review from my perspective, with the caveat that I am not the intended audience and others may enjoy this much more than I did.

With that said, I did not enjoy this. This reads as unpolished amateur writing that could be found anywhere on Wattpad. I always want to push through review copies and make sure I give the fairest review I can, but when this started veering into AO3 territory, I knew I had to give up. I mean, he peers into her memories to tease her about her “sex magic” book? And the chapter I gave up on read like a shitty porn intro where she gets stuck in her clothes and of course the love interest has to help her while ogling her body.

The characters are so simplistic and near impossible to root for. “The Deathless One” reads more like an overly angsty teenager than an immortal god, and Jessamine, the main character, felt somewhat flat, serving more as a blank slate for the plot and side characters to revolve around. Also, her sudden shift from sweet and bubbly to vengeful killer in just a few pages was jarring rather than compelling.

Finally, the writing is just bland and lacking any substance. There were info dumps on top of info dumps, none of which were seamlessly integrated, just tossed in wherever. I think if you enjoy any and all romantasy this might be more your thing, but if your taste is similar to mine, this one is a hard pass.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Liv - Livslibrarylabyrinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Hamm is so good at writing the perfect slow burn. Absolutely loved Jessamine and felt her very justified rage.

I am very excited to continue this series!

Thank you to Emma Hamm for providing me with a gifted copy.

[Ali]

I got 25% into this, but I genuinely cannot continue because I feel nothing. I am SURE this is good and has its audience, but I was not invested. This was described to me as an adult novel, but it read more juvenile than I would have thought. As someone who reads a lot of YA fantasy [romance], I still couldn't cling to this one. I also don't have a problem with which tense or which point of view it's told in, but for some reason, what I think is technically second-person omniscient, I noticed and couldn't stop noticing.

I wanted more from this story and I'm sure it comes if I keep going, but being a fourth of the way through and feeling 'eh', I realized I didn't care to know how it ends and there are plenty more fantasy romance books I own that can give me 'she falls for the villain' vibes. I wanted our FMC to be brought back to life after her betrayal and go fucking CRAZZZZZYYY, but instead she's just like naw, Deathless One, I'm not doing all of that, I don't even want to worship you. I waNTED HER TO BE LIKE FUCKKK YEAHHH DEATHHHHHHH, and from the 25% mark, she couldn't care less.

it is completely my bad for having those expectations and it is NOT the book at all, unfortunately she is just not for me. When it does release, I may pick up a copy, but for now I'm okay.

(Review based on the advanced reader's copy. This title is set to release on August 5, 2025, from Gallery Books. Thank you!)

[Amoi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her death is just the beginning? Of what!?!? A legacy of impotence? I wanted feminine rage and shadow daddies, at most I got feminine incompetence and shadow toddlers.

I will say the premise was so interesting. I was so excited the manager of my local bookstore emailed me to let me know it was available. I RAN to the store on my lunch break immediately after and perhaps that build up was really what let me down.

Both the main characters irritated me. The deathless one while in the first few pages I enjoyed him being weak and out of it. He basically is unable to do fuck all. He can’t talk to women, he’s got his own traumas that he can’t shake and I just… when I hear shadow daddy I’m thinking this man has it under control. I’m thinking he’s real sly and manipulative. He’s little more than a pubescent boy. Then Jessamine, when I read feminine rage I’m thinking power house fire cracker. Someone who is ready to scheme and ruin peoples lives. I’m more than half way through the book and the closest she’s got to being queen is washing walls. DNFed at Chapter 24. This one was truly painful to read.

[Lotta Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book!

Ok here we go!! I have a lot to say on this one that is for sure…

The first thing I want to say is that I absolutely flew through this book and I will be continuing this series!!

The FMC and the MMC are my jam and I am so excited for the next book!! Perhaps it was a bit insta-lusty in the beginning, but they developed into something great together. Look at this snarkiness:

(MMC ) ‘ “So far, all I’ve heard is bickering and childish snipes. You do remember I am a god? I am busy.”
(FMC) “You’re a dead god. What could you possibly have to do?”
(MMC) “Stare into the everlasting eternal darkness and dream about a time when I wasn’t dead,” he snarled, leaning forward as anger flashed through him. “And I’m late for that appointment, witch.” ’

Or this bit had me rolling:

‘ “So it’s true you were already researching witchcraft long before you came to me?” His featureless face turned … before he pointed out her books. “Some of these are quite wicked.”
She lunged forward as he pulled down a particularly devious spell book on sex magic … “Keep your sticky fingers to yourself.”
“Why should I do that? Some of these books you don’t remember at all … But you remember this one all too clearly.”
Cheeks flaming bright red … “Can we please go back to my memories?”
“We are in your memories. If you were interested in carnal magic, you should have told me.” He leaned closer … “I would be most interested in teaching you that kind of magic.” ‘

I highlighted so many passages in this book!! The relationship between the two main characters is amazing and I really enjoyed their banter. They were such fun!

Sybil was also a great character who served as a surrogate mother to both of the main characters at times.

Look at this interaction she had with the FMC: ‘Sybil reached across the island and placed her hand on top of Jessamine’s. “Maybe while you’re here you just eat, love. Forget all the rules. You aren’t sitting at a table with officials or nobles or politicians. You’re in my kitchen, and you’re hungry. So eat however you’d like.’

What a sweetie!

Now to some of the things that I struggled with.

The insta-lust in the beginning of the book could have been removed I believe by making the POV solely the FMC’s. The early chapters of the MMC were particularly full of this. I think if we had just had the FMC’s POV throughout the book (or at least the first half perhaps) then the MMC would have been more mysterious, which I think makes sense as he is a god.

I also think that this book needed more initial chapters expanding on the FMC’s life prior to chapter one. The scene needed to be set, relationships expanded upon, etc. I needed this information to realise what the stakes were by the end of the first couple of chapters. Perhaps 50 more pages or so would have been great. There should have also been scenes showing Leon as well and setting up his character prior to the opening of the story.

I also had some issues with the motivation of the FMC. I think because we did not have much of her backstory initially it was difficult to understand her motivations.

I also did not feel anything when there were some deaths early on in the book. The reader does not know the history of the relationships so it is not particularly emotionally striking. I also think the FMC does not really show much grieving in the books which could have added depth to her character.

BUT besides all of that, I can honestly say that this book is such a riot! The sassiness of the characters had me belly laughing and I can’t wait for book 2!!!

Just a heads up, this book is a bit spicy with the smut and there is profanity used.

Thank you all for reading!

[Bookish Pengu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Das Buch startet so stark nur um dann ganz schnell eine mächtige Bruchlandung hinzulegen.

In die Geschichte von The Deathless One von Emma Hamm wird man direkt reingeworfen. Sie startet spannend, das erste Kapitel hat mich komplett umgehauen. Dadurch, dass aber so schnell so viel passiert fehlen im Nachhinein viele Infos und Bezüge zu den Charakteren oder überhaupt dem Leben unserer Hauptcharakterin. Das hat bei mir leider dazu geführt, dass ich nicht wirklich mitfühlen konnte.
Wir erfahren weder viel darüber wie Jessamine vor ihrem Tod war, wie die Welt ist, ihre Beziehung zu Personen die später immer Buch ab und an auftauchen. Und dadurch dass man da als Leser nicht dabei ist, fehlt einfach was.

Ein ähnliches Problem hab ich mit ihrer Motivation ihr Königreich zu retten. Sie sagt das zwar immer wieder aber hat eigentlich gar keinen Plan, was bei ihrem Volk so los ist? Über die kleinsten, man möchte sagen normalsten Dinge, wundert sie sich. Und das obwohl sie doch in dem Land aufgewachsen ist? Und dann sagen sie interessiert sich für ihre Leute ist so an den Haaren herbei gezogen... Immer wenn sie mit irgendwem aus ihrem Land interagiert sind die Leute einfach übel dreckig zu ihr.

Da gehts direkt in mein nächstes Problem mit dem Buch über: In diesem Buch gibt es nicht eine gute Szene. Also gut im Sinne positiv, denn es passieren am laufenden Band nur schlimme Sachen, nicht ein einziges Mal was gutes. Und ich muss sagen, da stumpft man im Laufe der Geschichte einfach ab.

Der Schreibstil von Emma Hamm war sehr plumb und hat mir das Gefühl gegeben ich lese gerade eine Fanfiction geschrieben von einer 13-Jährigen. Da gab es so viele cringe Sätze und Ausrufe, da hab ich richtig Gänsehaut bekommen. So redet doch keiner??

Unsere beiden Hauptcharaktere sind leider auch brutal horny aufeinander, und das viel zu schnell. Ich dachte ich hätte es hier mit einem krassen, bösen Gott zutun und nicht meinem Emo-Teenager der noch nie eine Frau gesehen hat.
Auf seine Beschreibungen möchte ich gar nicht so richtig eingehen, das war so eklig meine Güte...

Ich finds so schade, das Buch hat so stark angefangen, hat mich richtig in seinen Bann gezogen. Die düstere Welt, der Totlose, Jessamines Wunsch nach Rache, das ganze Hexenthema. Dazu kommen noch zwei sehr gute Hörbuchsprecher die mich total in ihren Bann gezogen haben. Ich hatte also wirklich Hoffnung für das Buch, hab mir eine düstere Hexenfantasy gewünscht, aber was dabei raus kam ist einfach nur schade.

Der Handlung fehlt leider auch der rote Faden. Wir fangen stark an, setzen uns damit auseinander wie Jessamine ihren Thron zurückerobern will. Nur leider scheint sie das selber immer wieder zu vergessen, muss daran von einem Gott erinnert werden und verstrickt sich in Handlungssträngen fernab der eigentlichen Geschichte und sehr viel nichts-tun. Generell gibt es in der Geschichte zu viele edgy und möglichst cool klingende Gespräche zwischen Jessamine und dem Totlosen aber viel getan wird leider nicht. Und nach der fünfzehnten "düsteren" Ansprache und dem Ausruf, dass man sich nun wirklich rächen wird, wars bei mir dann auch mal genug.
Nicht nur labern, auch mal machen!
So geht das eigentlich das ganze Buch.
Wir folgen unserer Protagonistin durch ihr Königreich was sie selbst kaum zu kennen scheint und landen am Ende an so einem abstrusen Plottwist für den es leider kaum genug Aufbau gab und deswegen das ganze Ende massiv runter gezogen hat. Da hätte es von vornherein Hinweise geben müssen, aber nein, uns werden Sachen nur erzählt, nicht gezeigt.
Als Leser ist man der Geschichte schon arg außen vor.
Und das Ende, besonders die letzten drei-vier Prozent.....Das muss nicht sein. Echt nicht.

Ich könnte noch zehn Minuten so weiter machen aber ich glaube ihr versteht einige meiner Probleme mit dem Buch. So schade, Mensch!


(Digitales Rezensionsexemplar erhalten)

[chloe 🥀📖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc!

The Deathless One is definitely a romantasy for the romance lovers. While there was still a strong and unique fantasy plot, the romance and characters were absolutely the star of the show in my opinion. This is the first installment in a planned trilogy, and it was AMAZING!

We have Jessamine, a princess of a dying kingdom, sacrificed and killed at her own wedding to a cruel man. She is brought back to life by the deathless one, the God of death, so that she might help resurrect him and bring him back into the human realm.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Loved loved loved. The romance was so sweet and a super slow burn. It was absolutely delightful to watch the two main characters slowly fall for each other, and watch the MMC reveal the more vulnerable sides of himself to Jessamine. Considering he is a literal God he is kind of awkward and goofy and insecure which made me love him so much! He yearns for her so deeply that I felt it in my soul.

The banter was amazing, the romance was amazing, I thought the pacing was great as well. There were some slower parts plot wise but I didn’t mind at all because I just loved every interaction between the characters.

This was my first Emma Hamm novel but I absolutely plan on reading her other books now! So excited for everyone to be able to experience this book when it releases in August!

The ending was very satisfying and sets up for the next book well without ending on a cliffhanger!

5 stars!
3/5🌶️

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm STILL recovering from the opening chapters of this book. I was promised a story about a vengeful princess who teams up with a morally gray god to seek glorious revenge against the fools who wronged her. And this book delivers!

This is my first time reading a book by Emma Hamm, and it's already solidified her as an author to watch. These days, I feel like many stories are pitched as having enemies-to-lovers romance and morally gray characters. Which is great... except that the relationships fall flat, and the characters are beige at best. The Deathless One actually follows through with my favorite tropes! And it's so refreshing.

This story centers around Jessamine, a princess determined to find a cure for the zombie-like plague sweeping her lands. Unfortunately, Jessamine's fiancé is more interested in murdering her at the altar and turning her kingdom into a dumping ground for the infected than he is in helping her find a cure. That's where Elric comes in. As the Deathless God, Elric has the power to bring Jessamine back to life and help her reclaim her throne. But all magic comes with a price...

Which brings me to my next point. I like that this book balances romance & fantasy. There's a slow-burn relationship with serious touch-her-and-die energy, but there's also a high-stakes race to find a cure for the plague and schemes to reclaim Jessamine's throne. Jessamine needs to figure out who she can trust and who the real villain in her story is. I'm excited to see how these plot points continue into book two!

The only reason I'm not rating this book higher than 3.75 stars is because I feel like we don't get to know any of the characters beyond Jessamine, Elric, and Sybil (one of Elric's original followers). This made it harder for me to feel affected by the betrayals. However, I think this book does a great job bringing the betrayals full-circle, and I'm hopeful that the new antagonist in the second book will be more complex.

Overall, I think The Deathless One is a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre. If you're someone who likes strong female protagonists, enemies-to-lovers romance, and book boyfriends who are actually morally gray, then you're going to LOVE this book. Make sure to get your copy—this book comes out August 5th!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the author and her publishing team; all opinions are my own.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Hamm's latest venture into dark fantasy romance, The Deathless One, marks a significant evolution in the romantasy genre—one that dares to explore the genuine terror of divine love while maintaining the passionate intensity readers crave. This inaugural novel in the Gravesinger series presents a narrative that transcends typical fantasy romance tropes, offering instead a psychologically complex exploration of power, resurrection, and the dangerous allure of loving something both divine and damned.

A Kingdom Built on Betrayal

The story opens with Princess Jessamine of Inverholm, a character who embodies the tragic archetype of the sacrificial royal while subverting expectations at every turn. Hamm crafts Jessamine's world with meticulous detail—a plague-ravaged kingdom where political marriage becomes the only salvation, yet even this desperate hope transforms into ultimate betrayal. The wedding scene, where Jessamine's new husband murders her at the altar, serves as both a literal and metaphorical death of innocence.

What distinguishes Hamm's approach is her unflinching portrayal of violence and its psychological aftermath. Jessamine's death isn't merely a plot device but a transformative trauma that reshapes her entire worldview. The author's prose during these moments carries a haunting quality that lingers: the blood on white silk, the cold press of steel, the final tumble into unforgiving waves. These images echo throughout the narrative, demonstrating Hamm's skill in weaving trauma into the fabric of character development.

The Deathless One: A God Worth Fearing

The titular Deathless One—revealed as Elric—emerges as perhaps one of the most compelling divine figures in recent fantasy romance. Unlike sanitized supernatural love interests, Elric carries the weight of centuries of torment, manipulation, and genuine monstrosity. Hamm's portrayal acknowledges his dangerous nature without excuse or redemption arc; instead, she presents a being shaped by endless cycles of worship and betrayal.

The god's characterization operates on multiple levels. Physically, he appears as shadows given form, scarred and marked by countless previous relationships with gravesingers who ultimately betrayed him. Emotionally, he oscillates between vulnerability and predatory calculation. This complexity creates genuine tension in his relationship with Jessamine—readers never quite know whether his affections are authentic or simply another manipulation in an eternal game.

The Dark Art of Gravesinging

Hamm introduces the concept of gravesingers with sophisticated world-building that feels both fresh and rooted in mythological tradition. These rare witches serve as conduits between the world of the living and the realm of death, specifically connected to the Deathless One. The magic system operates through sacrifice and connection rather than spell-casting, creating intimate bonds between practitioner and deity that blur the lines between worship and possession.

The author's exploration of this magical connection becomes increasingly sensual as the narrative progresses. The scenes where Jessamine learns to channel Elric's power read like seduction, with magic flowing between them in ways that mirror physical intimacy. This interweaving of magical and sexual tension demonstrates Hamm's maturity as a writer, creating genuine chemistry that extends beyond surface attraction.

Character Development Through Darkness

Jessamine's character arc represents one of the novel's greatest strengths. Her journey from naive princess to formidable gravesinger unfolds organically, driven by necessity rather than convenience. The author allows her protagonist to make morally questionable choices without judgment, presenting a character who embraces darkness not from corruption but from survival instinct.

The supporting cast, particularly Sybil the established witch and Callum Quen the betrayer, serves to illuminate different aspects of Jessamine's development. Sybil represents the potential future of complete devotion to the Deathless One, while Callum embodies the political machinations that destroyed her previous life. These relationships create a character web that feels authentic rather than constructed solely to advance plot.

Romance in the Shadow of Death

The romantic elements of The Deathless One succeed precisely because they acknowledge the problematic nature of the central relationship. Hamm doesn't attempt to soften Elric's predatory aspects or minimize the power imbalance between mortal and god. Instead, she leans into the darkness, creating a romance that thrills through its very danger.

The intimate scenes between Jessamine and Elric carry weight beyond physical attraction. Their connection through the gravesinger bond means that every touch, every moment of passion, fundamentally alters both characters. The author's prose during these sequences maintains an almost ritualistic quality, emphasizing the sacred and profane aspects of their union.

Technical Mastery and Atmospheric World-Building

Hamm's writing style has evolved considerably from her earlier works. The prose in The Deathless One carries a Gothic sensibility that perfectly matches the dark subject matter. Her descriptions of the plague-ravaged kingdom feel genuinely oppressive, while scenes in the Deathless One's shadow realm pulse with otherworldly menace.

The pacing balances action sequences with character development effectively, though some readers may find the middle section slightly slower as Jessamine learns to navigate her new powers. However, these slower moments serve important functions in building the psychological tension that makes the climactic sequences so effective.

Critical Considerations

While The Deathless One succeeds on most levels, certain elements may challenge readers. The novel's unflinching portrayal of violence and psychological manipulation, while thematically appropriate, creates genuinely disturbing moments that extend beyond typical dark romance boundaries. Some readers may find Elric's characterization too morally ambiguous to support romantic investment.

The world-building, while atmospheric, occasionally prioritizes mood over clarity. Certain aspects of the magic system and political situation could benefit from more explicit explanation, particularly regarding the plague that devastates Jessamine's kingdom and the broader political landscape that enables Leon's coup.

Final Verdict

The Deathless One establishes Emma Hamm as a significant voice in dark romantasy, delivering a novel that refuses to sanitize either its violence or its passion. This is romantasy for readers who appreciate psychological complexity, mythological depth, and protagonists who choose power over purity. While not for the faint of heart, it rewards those willing to embrace its darker elements with a genuinely compelling narrative that lingers long after the final page.

The novel succeeds in launching the Gravesinger series with enough unresolved tension and world-building potential to make the sequel, The Heartless One, an anticipated read. For those seeking romantasy that challenges as much as it entertains, The Deathless One delivers a haunting meditation on love, power, and the price of resurrection.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before my review I wanted to thank Netgalley and Gallery books for my ARC!

I'll start with what worked for me. The foundation of the novel--the magic, the gods, the plot of a dead princess coming back for her throne---is all amazing. I was really looking forward to delving into this one! The first 47% (I checked my progress on the ebook) was pretty good. There were some issues, which I'll get into, but I wanted to praise the initial groundwork first. I think the ideas behind the novel are really engaging.

However, it slowly felt like I was being bogged down by the inky realm mentioned in the novel. It just got slooooow. There's a scene in a shop that also made me think, "OH. This is a billionaire and average girl romance, but make it a god and witch."

Why it isn't 5 stars for me:

-The fantasy and old feel of the world is thrown off for me by mention of modern sounding phrasing and words: "pants," "fire escape," "factories," and just a sewer system. There are a few others too, but the mix of those ideas had me wondering just when this would take place.
-I felt let down by Jessamine's seemingly weak nature when she had promised to go on a rampage for her throne. We're promised female rage and a quest for revenge, but it immediately is dismissed when she's back. She is physically weak, which I forgave as she was dead, but this is a constant issue. The denial of who she was was extremely annoying. I was willing to forgive as I expected growth, but it doesn't happen until past the 60% mark, which is a veeeery long time to wait for our protagonist to gain confidence and power. I wanted to spend more time with her confidence and actual moves for her throne. Without spoiling anything, the way she starts letting others know of her survival in the kingdom is very, very weak. It was not the brave and amazing thing that Jessamine was clearly thinking she was doing.
-Jessamine is painted as the perfect princess, but she clearly doesn't know anything about her people. There is shock at the way one district is living, her naivete is exposed. She is consistently saying she wants to claim her throne and help her kingdom, but she was never doing anything for them when she was alive. Jessamine was known for being pretty and nice (taking from a quote in the book). There is no base or evidence that she can actually DO something for her kingdom. Based on the ending, I'm wondering if we'll see the opposite occur in book 2. In fact, I'd encourage that opposite! You don't get to see many villian POVs without them turning into a hero, so I'd be happily surprised with a push in that direction.

The ideas behind this book, the potential to be better and a couple nice spice scenes are what give it 2 stars.

[Nadja]

DNF

For a book that literally starts with the main character dying, this was… so boring. Like, thanks for the shock factor, but I didn’t actually care about anyone, so the big dramatic death just felt like wasted fake blood. We knew who the bad guy was, but there was no emotional punch. Just… splat.

I only picked this up because OwlCrate shoved it in the box, and wow, thank you for reminding me I can save my money. Maybe it gets better later, but I was already feeling the slump vibes by 30% in, and I refuse to let a whiny princess ruin my reading mood.

Speaking of Jessamine — girl, no. You’re not a tragic, noble heroine fighting for your people, you’re a petulant child stomping your foot and going “but I’m the princess!” over and over again. Everyone keeps saying she’s “pretty and kind,” which is apparently all the résumé you need to rule a kingdom in this world. She has no idea what’s going on in her own land but sure, she’s gonna “save her people.” I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my brain.

And then we’ve got The Deathless One. Ancient god? Eternal power? Nah. He reads like a moody teenage boy scribbling in a Hot Topic journal. Constantly changing his motives, whining about witches, dropping a new nickname for Jessamine every five minutes like he’s auditioning for Pet Name Olympics. Shadow daddy? Please. Buddy, get it together. You’re thousands of years old. Act like it.

The writing didn’t help either. Info dumps on info dumps. Words like “dark,” “inky,” and “darkness” repeated so much I felt like the thesaurus was being held hostage. Give me a “raven” or an “obsidian” once in a while, please. Whole pages were either filler worldbuilding that went nowhere or flowery nonsense that explained absolutely nothing.

And the pacing? Nonexistent. We start with a bang, and then… crickets. Nothing happens except god-boy hovering around, smudging charcoal handprints, and calling Jessamine his 100th nickname of the day. Witches are dead but also not, maybe past lives but also not, visions but also maybe memories?
Honestly, the premise sounded amazing — murdered princess resurrected by a god and bent on revenge? Yes, please. Except instead of epic revenge and intrigue, I got the literary equivalent of being stuck in line at the DMV: repetitive, confusing, and deeply unfun.

DNF at 30%. Life’s too short to babysit an angsty god and a whiny princess.

[Drew · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 42 or something like that.

Guys…. The writing is just… terrible. I’m so confused and the first couple chapters are so rushed and confusing?? I tried to like it but as I was reading the sentences I was like “omg this doesn’t make sense” or “omg these sentences are horrid”.

I like the cover tho and the sprayed edges 😭😭😭🫩🫩 that’s about it. Hopefully I can resell this.

[Little Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had very high expectations and unfortunately, this story fell flat for me. Jessamine seemed to lose sight of her mission pretty quickly and instead of that, the book became very romance heavy. The connection between the two characters also felt super insta-lovey, which I really did not like.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I stumbled upon this book a couple of months ago, I was so sure that I would love this. The cover and the description were just speaking to me.
And here I am. Disappointed and confused, because I’m not quite sure what I actually read here.

Personally, I think the book was just structured wrong.
The main plot can be found in the first three chapters, as well as in the last ca. 20% of the book. Anything else are just repetitive monologues from both characters, repetitive & wordy descriptions of the same feelings and thoughts.
Especially in the first half of the book. That was basically a lot of words and, at the same time, a whole lot of nothing. The plot barely moves, if so at all.
It’s clear that while the vibes and the atmosphere in the beginning were really great & promising, the book relied more on that than on the plot.

The first time, besides the very beginning, where I felt something was actually happening was between the 50% and 70% mark. And whatever happened here, should have happened in the first half of the book (which wasn't possible because, as mentioned, that was already filled with all the repetitive monologues..).
The author tried to play with imagery and more often than not it felt like they tried to go more into a literary writing style, which absolutely didn't work for me.

To my surprise, the book is written in dual pov, which worked really well in the beginning, but I did notice how both povs seemed to merge into one pov at some point. This was the first time I had actual issues distinguishing between characters. And I didn't like it.

Jessamine as our main protagonist was whatever. I didn’t hate her, I didn’t love her. What I didn’t buy was her turning into this somewhat more confident and kinda evil-ish/ruthless witch towards the end.
I did however like The Deathless One! He was so unserious sometimes with some comments that it was almost funny.
I also preferred reading from his pov rather than from Jessamine’s.

The relationship between these two was unfortunately not giving.
They barely spent some actual time together and just as much actual conversations happened for me to understand their connection.
Because the pacing was kind of extra wild (I randomly learned towards the end of the book that apparently several months have passed from the events in the beginning to what happened at the end ?!), I’m just gonna assume that a lot of the time they potentially spend together was spent off-page.

Sybil, a witch from a former coven that prayed to The Deathless One, was introduced fairly early on in the book and had the obvious potential to be a great side character! For some reason, the author barely utilises her to the point that I think the book would have worked without her.
I wasn't sure whether Sybil is friend or foe to Jessamine and couldn't really grasp her relationship to the god. It was later mentioned that Jessamine sees her as a friend and again, for some reason, besides the very minimum scenes they had together on-page, most of it was spent off-page.

Anything that got resolved in the last 20% of the book was whatever. Because the book lost me about half way in, I can't say I was particularly invested nor at this point interested or surprised.

I won't be continuing this series.

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Phoebe ❀ ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Deathless Ones is a lush fantasy romance that has witches, ancient gods, and a shadow wielder love interest. I have a lot to say about this one, both positive and negative, but I do have to say the prose is beautifully written.

The world building in the book was somewhat lacking.The beginning was a bit confusing (honestly, confusion was a common theme here) but the gist of it was that Jessamine, heir to the throne of Inverholm, marries in order to help prevent the spread of a plague ravaging their land. Instead, her future husband murders her, and upon her death, encounters the Deathless One, a sinister, ancient god trapped in a realm of darkness. All the other gods are dead (not sure exactly how) and he's the only one that remains. He makes a deal with her. He sees that their futures are entwined, and that she is a witch, specifically a "gravesinger." It's not really explained what that is, only that it means she has the power to resurrect him.

The Deathless One's powers didn't really make any sense -- he can control and use shadows but in a vague way -- he also travels from his realm to the world via shadows? At one point he "sends his mind" down a street through shadows in order to watch Jessamine. He also... ate a shadow that he took out of a witch's body. The use of the word "ink" is constant. The writing was beautiful, but overly focused on imagery to the point where I was frequently confused. The chapters from Jessamine's perspective were easier to understand, but I frankly didn't understand much about the Deathless One and his powers at all.

That said, I really did enjoy his character.
He has a tragic backstory and a rightful fear/hatred of witches, betrayed and killed by the witches he had helped and who were supposed to worship him (one in particular). This weariness and animosity makes for a lot of the tension between him and Jessamine, who is also distrustful of him but also insistent that she's not a witch. I liked how he slowly opened up to her and how their relationship evolved. Especially for Jessamine, who feels a connection for him even though she can't even see his face since he's shrouded in shadows and also not fully corporeal.

I have mixed feelings and wish the book was less vague, but I also loved parts of it. I think if you enjoy fantasy romance and like more vibes than plot and character/relationship driven stories, you could give one a shot!

Thanks so much to Gallery and NetGalley for this ARC!!

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this off of the cover (STUNNING) and the book blurb (intriguing!) but it was a slog to get through. I might’ve dnf’d it but my library ended up getting the audiobook and so I finished it that way.

Unfortunately, it just never really improved. The concept was good but there wasn’t any depth to the characters or any real personality. It was all so vague. The writing felt pretty juvenile, too.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Deathless One by Emma Hamm had a very strong start but lost its drive somewhere along the way. It had a good ending but I don't know if it's anyone for me to want to read the sequel. I liked the characters in general but couldn't get super invested in them. The romance between Jessamine and The Deathless One aka Elric was spicy and I did enjoy reading about them as they got closer and eventually fell for each other. Overall, not the romantasy for me but I'm sure other readers will enjoy it a bit more.

[hollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually love EH’s books but this fell completely flat for me. I hated all of the characters, I couldn’t get on board with the plot and a lot of the world building is never explained. we are told a lot or what is happening rather than been shown and are told about the world as if it’s meant to make sense with no kind of back story or reasoning behind anything.
I overall just struggled to get through it and I hated the romance more than I hated anything else.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Mienreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 25%
This ain’t it

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
A horny Wattpad version of that one Evanescence song with this week’s fantasy romance shadow daddy.

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
A book box pick!

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
What did he stomp? (I've never been patient a day in my life.)

My money’s on poisoned water. (Ask again in book two.)

She's saying she has Marilyn Monroe voice.

Ye olde zombies. How Bonesmith.

Harmsworth is pretty on the nose lol.

Title drop

I smell another Rhysand, and I’m not in the mood. (Y’all need to find a new mans. I am begging.)

Cold water is drugs 🎶

I’m bored. I would DNF. This is poorly written, generic, fantasy romance.

How many times are they gonna tell me that she met the deathless one? Like I get it. I was there.

If this is another author insert coming for her romanticized abusively controlling boyfriend’s shitty ex-girlfriend, I’m not in the mood. (Every time.)

Every character in this is moral without evidence because they’re on the good side and it’s really irritating me. I know the whole kingdom believes this, but I don’t, on nothing because I’m different!

This is such a COVID book. Like there's a plague and sourdough lmao.

Homegirl’s horny on nothing.

Girlypop: im not like other girls. boys are gross. science is my only real love!
A man over 6’ enters the chat:
Girlypop: so is it sir or daddy

It's giving Michael Scott’s both. I want people to fear how much they love me.

God, the info dumping is so bad.

It’s so instalove, I can't.

Shadow puppy?! Oh boo, it's another fucking cat.

What's his name? Kyle the edgelord?

It’s very Edward Cullen watching you sleep.

I'm down for carnal magic.

Another minty boy

A makeover montage, really?

This is really bad.

Stuff your shadow daddy tentacles in me to power me up is a CHOICE.

He definitely could have when he’s literally the only other character with a name.

They’re literally so bad at plans and being ruthless villains.

Literally could not think of someone less fit to rule a kingdom.

A rock in a hurricane???? Rock ME like a hurricane. Oh god, put me out of my misery.

Lmao this political system is a joke.

The writing is so bad and high school.

Not the fun in funerals!

Also, what are the stakes in your book if nobody dies?

Me this whole book: he is just a guy, hit him with your car

No one in this book has an ounce of self-esteem.

Her: I’m just a girl. I don’t want magic. That’s too much responsibility.
Also her: put me in charge of the entire kingdom.

Well, thank god, a man said she could do it.

This book is just a horny version of that Evanescence song.

I like how she was like I can never trust him or worship him or unleash him on the world, and he’s like what if I stick my dick in you, and she’s like I’m listening.

This book is so bad, guys.

Girlypop has no character consistency. It’s really just whatever the author thought was hot, and if it doesn’t fit with her shrinking violet personality, well, who cares? It’s smut time!

I hate that I don’t hate this. She’s like not awful at writing sex scenes I guess.

me: on board, kind of vibing
her: like the monstrous god you are!
Why? Why ruin it for me?

Not the G spot sin.

No baby, I can’t wear the condom-er I mean, do it in the other realm. What if it dulls my senses? Like it’s the same argument. I hate it here.

I want to outlaw the magical orgasm so bad.

KICKED

Don’t think I’ve ever mouth-watered over dick veins.

Oh look, I’ve been impaled.

All I’m picturing is him pulling a Sabrina Carpenter like have you ever tried this one? and yeeting them off a cliff.

This was such a bad book, but it is technically readable, so I am going to give it two stars. But like oh my god, it’s so bad.

This author really said I’m not adding any names into this book unless they’re a big character lmao.

This is the most edgelord shit I’ve read in a hot minute.

Post-reading:
You know, I too sometimes suffer from bouts of undiagnosed neurospiciness and play a song until the wheels absolutely fall off. Thankfully, I don’t write smut books about it. This author probably needs to be banned from listening to Evanescence.

Jokes aside, this is bad. This is some Wattpad-level writing that reads like every other generic fantasy romance you’ve read before. It’s ACOTAR. It’s Quicksilver. It’s Hades and Persephone. It’s whatever shadow daddy of the week has an oral fixation.

The political situation is comically underdeveloped. Plot holes are everywhere you look. Everything‘s just for vibes. Nothing has stakes because we can bring people back from the dead with impunity. Characters aren’t developed beyond their names, and if they have a name, congratulations, they’re gonna be a big player in the series because the cast is minuscule.

The writing is incredibly repetitive. You could tune out for multiple chapters and miss nothing. The characterization is inconsistent. The FMC is a shrinking violet one breath and a deranged killer the next. It’s not character growth. It’s just plot-convenient whiplash. I can’t take a centuries-old death god seriously when his biggest hangup is worrying if he gave good enough head to some girl he met yesterday. It’s not a romance. It’s just more instalove

The smut is… decent. And you know, I respect it. Homegirl said this is my priority, and she almost delivered. Scenes would get a little steamy and then devolve into some cringy line that would take me out of it.

If you wanna turn your brain off and speed run some fantasy, it’s tolerable. It’s not good, but it’s tolerable. If you’re looking for anything resembling depth, head elsewhere.

The book also wants to be some feminist reclaiming of witches, but then is chock full of misogyny and your typical alphahole cliches.

At no point does this book require a sequel. We should’ve trimmed the fat from this one and wrapped it up as a standalone. I don’t recommend this. I wouldn’t pick the author up again. You will hopefully not see me for the sequel, but we’ll see if my completionist ass lets me sleep in peace.

Who should read this:
ACOTAR apologists
Fantasy romance smutty popcorn readers

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Would I buy this:
Nope

Similar books:
* Quicksilver by Callie Hart-dystopian, fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, family drama
* Phantasma by Kaylie Smith-historical, urban fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, family drama
* Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout-dystopian, fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, why choose
* Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier- fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, gods, family drama
* The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, gods
* Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent-fantasy romance, teacher student
* The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning-urban fantasy romance, witches, family drama
* Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto-YA fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, family drama
* The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery-fantasy romance, gods, magic school
* The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall-magical realism, small town, cozy romance, family drama, witches
* Evocation by S. T. Gibson-urban fantasy romance, witches, second chance, why choose
* Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew-YA fairytale retelling, magical realism, horror, romance, cult magic, family drama
* The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott-urban fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, family drama

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Morally Grey Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estuvo entretenido. La prota quiere venganza hacia su prometido y asesino por lo que hace un pacto con el Inmortal (Dios de la Muerte) para revivir, y vengar y salvar su reino.

Me esperaba una protagonista villana por las recomendaciones, pero no, es empatica y misericordiosa.

Y para el Inmortal me esperaba a un hdp re malo, pero nada que ver, es un dulceeee.

Y se cargan con bastante tension en su relación, además que ambos son impredecibles.

Asi que vayan con esas expectativas y les va a encantar. Es un poco lento porque esta narrado en tercera persona, pero le pega perfecto para el tipo de libro que es.

Es un slowburn hot🫦 y si tiene un toque de spicy.

Also, ¿ese adelanto del segundo libro? Compro

[Janereads10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"For all the women who descended from witches who were burned, they weren't witches they were women. And that rage is something none of us have forgotten." This dedication haunted me throughout "The Deathless One," setting the perfect tone for Emma Hamm's darkly atmospheric tale. The simmering rage underneath every page felt almost tangible, exactly what I crave in witchy fantasy.

I appreciated how Hamm reveals her world gradually, like shadows slowly taking form. Instead of information dumps, the myths and lore unfold naturally alongside our understanding of who Jessamine and The Deathless One truly are. By the final page, I felt I'd been initiated into a secret coven myself.

The dual POV storytelling absolutely elevated the experience. Diving into both protagonists' minds created this delicious tension, knowing things each character doesn't yet understand about the other had me mentally screaming at them through several chapters.

This novel packs in everything a fantasy romance reader could want: usurpers plotting in darkened halls, souls reincarnated across time, powerful covens, vengeful gods, and magic that feels both ancient and fresh. All set against a plague-ravaged world that feels oppressively real.

Don't expect instant gratification on the romance front. The relationship builds with exquisite slowness, starting with palpable tension that eventually blooms into something worth the wait.

I listened exclusively to the audiobook, and Kelsey Navarro Foster's performance was nothing short of enchanting. Her voice carried Jessamine's yearning, rage, and power directly into my soul.

The way Hamm intertwines witches and gods with the kingdom recovery plotline has me impatiently awaiting the sequel. This isn't just a romance, it's the beginning of an epic that promises to burn as brightly as a witch's pyre.

3.5⭐️

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my gifted copy. As always, the thoughts shared here are completely my own.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for access to this ARC 📚.

Genre/Themes: Anti-Hero, Betrayal, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Gothic Romance, He Hates Everyone Except for Her, Heiress, Insta Lust, Scarred, God, Witches, Conspiracy, Drowning, Murder, Stabbing, Dark Lord, Forbidden Magic, Paying the Price, Raising the Dead
Positives: good use of dual POV, immersive gothic-style scenes, intriguing MMC
Room for Improvement 🔎 : underdeveloped plot, world-building and FMC
Rating: 🌕🌕🌗

✍🏻 Full Review - RISK OF SPOILERS 🛑

Ah this one frustrated me. There was so much that could have worked, but ultimately this book needed a lot more time in editing. I was a bit shell-shocked when I turned the page and it was over, because it felt like very little had happened. The writing itself was quite lovely and I’d have no qualms reading more from the author, but the sparse plot and world-building left this novel feeling an unsatisfying read.

🧍‍♀️Characterisation:🧍‍♂️
Jessamine was the main character, and I unfortunately found her quite surface level because I was told rather than shown a lot of her personality. She was depicted as loyal and compassionate more than anything, choosing to marry someone she didn’t love in the hope it would strengthen her Kingdom and feeling sympathy for the Deathless God essentially holding her in a debt she didn’t ask for. She struggled with the reality of having to kill or harm people, and understood those that chose to harm her out of fear. She disagreed with the persecution of witches, believing them to be the answer to the plague in her kingdom and not the cause. And yet, with the Deathless One she would suddenly change to a snappy, sarcastic and stubborn ‘nightmare’. She refused to free him because he posed harm to her Kingdom and her goals, and with him she would argue that she didn’t owe him anything because it was his choice to resurrect her. This change didn’t make her feel multi-faceted, it felt sudden and jarring. Especially since she seemed to immediately feel horny around him, even when he was more shadow than person. Her dialogue never felt distinctive or engaging, and again I was always told about her closeness with others but never felt it myself. When she called Sybil a friend I remember feeling confused, because they didn’t seem friendly to each other or close at all. I think they’d only had a couple of conversations by that point. What I did like was it dawning on her how naive and sheltered she had been from the realities of the people she ruled as the novel progressed. She was able to acknowledge her privilege and ignorance and felt embarrassed by it. That was cool, but did pose the question as to why she felt so loyal to her citizens if she actually barely knew anything about them. I suppose it was feeling responsible for her mother’s legacy.
The Deathless One, real name Elric, was far more intriguing even if his insta lust for Jessamine felt somewhat inorganic. I enjoyed watching him having to slowly unfurl his memories again, to remember who he was and what happened to him. I enjoyed reading his inner conflict about loving another witch, and knowing that although being summoned would allow their relationship to flourish it would ultimately end in him betraying her and destroying everything she wanted to re-build. I also liked how he had to slowly become vulnerable in showing Jessamine his past, and we learnt he was very similar to her once upon a time, taking sacrifices for those he loved. He was at least more consistent, pretty much always being a bit grumpy and a bit sarcastic, and slowly warming up to physical affection and realising he wanted to protect his witches out of more than his own personal gain. I adored his longing for the little things that make us human, i.e the senses. But overall I found the chemistry between the MCs a little bit forced. They rarely had anything other than superficial conversations, and yet I was told about this pull and this intensity between them. They just seemed to find each other hot. There was little humour or flirting between them, and because Jessamine felt so underdeveloped I just couldn’t really understand his obsession with her.
Sybil was criminally underwritten. She had somehow survived a kingdom-wide persecution and was clearly lying about being the ‘weakest witch’ in the coven. She had infinitely more patience with teaching Jessamine than Elric did, but their conversations or interactions never strayed outside of that so I struggled to feel the bond that I was told about. The main villain of the novel was Callum, with other brief antagonists being his lackeys. I didn’t feel much peril or tension from him, which was a shame. Because I didn’t feel the genuine bond between him, Jessamine and her mother the betrayal just didn’t really hit.

🗺️World-Building:🗺️
The world-building was where I struggled the most. I couldn’t really envisage any of the settings in the ‘real’ world, aside from the sea which was used as some great symbolism. Elric’s ‘underworld’ was much better, and the dark imagery was genuinely really immersive. The shadows and inky blackness, silhouettes of souls and the lack of any senses was really great gothic writing. But Jessamine’s world was vague, knowing only about her castle and the two districts she visited (I genuinely don’t remember which ones they were. Water and Factory, I think?). Other than fishermen in the water district, I didn’t understand what any of the citizens did in the districts. Factories for what? What were the culture differences between them, if any? I suppose it reflected Jessamine’s own ignorance to it all, but it would have helped to know the history of all these districts when it came to the witches they all feared. Who started blaming them? Who cemented this accusation across the districts? The royal families were vague, too. There was an implication that her betrothed (I don’t remember his name, he became very much a background villain) at the beginning of the novel was abusive, but that Jessamine felt her family’s tie to the throne was waning because of their inability to solve the plague. What about any other royal families? Was this man’s family the only one around? What made them so much more powerful than her family? But the main resounding issue of this novel was the magic system. I can safely say by the end of the novel I was no closer to understanding what a Gravesinger actually was. At first, I thought they were just witches that couldn’t really wield power alone and were sonically bound to their patron God - Jessamine had to essentially siphon magic through Elric - while normal witches supposedly had their own power and simply prayed to their God. But then, Sybil seemed to wield Elric’s power too. He was sacrificed and resurrected over and over again by the witches before her to give(?) or strengthen(?) their powers. So did any witch actually have their own power at all? I don’t even remember seeing Sybil wield any magic without Elric’s. In fact, Callum could wield magic using a grimoire, too, as a normal man. So… did anyone actually have magic other than the Gods? Did anyone need magic to perform it? Then I thought maybe gravesingers just existed to resurrect (‘summon’) the Gods or to channel them, but if that was the case… how did all of the other Gods die? Unless they and their gravesingers were all killed at once in a mass murder, theoretically they could have just been resurrected. It also wouldn’t make much sense to have a type of witch that could only use power when the God was with them. Surely the God would just do it themselves? Jessamine was useful to channel Elric’s power while his physical form was trapped in his dark realm, but once he was resurrected it seemed redundant. The other Gods didn’t have a shadow realm I assume, so they would never be in the non-physical form to benefit from that sort of channelling. So… what was actually the point? What did any of the witches actually use their/the Gods’ powers for? Was Elric the only god with gravesingers full stop? If it was explained at any point it must have been vague because I don’t remember at all. Then the question of the plague being a magical malady was introduced, and again I was left wondering… is it possible for a witch to do that alone or must a God be alive to give them power?

📝Prose/Plot:📝
The plot was ultimately very scarce. It started out very intriguing - an organised mass murder, a takeover of a Kingdom, a plague and a God that had survived extinction but needed someone to bring him back. Then the rest of the book only showed Jessamine trying to find the person behind her murder. Even that was brief. She followed one lead, killed him. Followed his lead, died in the process, was brought back, then found the murderer. She found him pretty easily, by all accounts. Other than all of the sexy times with Elric, that was literally it. There definitely needed to be a more engaging plot in this instalment. The plague people seemed to be quite a minimal source of peril, and the whole ‘kingdom now being ruled by a woman-beater’ was happening in the background with seemingly no real consequence. The magic training with Elric was largely closed-door, and Jessamine leaving quotes on the walls of the Factory District to say she was still alive just… went nowhere. And the absolutely most ridiculous bit was where Jessamine was still alive to mutter Elric’s summoning spell… when she literally had a dagger in her heart . My girl should have been INSTANTLY DEAD. Prose wise, some editing would have been of benefit because there were several sentences that either didn’t make sense or I had to read several times to decipher them because the clarity was lacking. The smut writing was also… not the best. His penis was described as ‘a bar’, and ‘veiny’, and he ‘impaled her’ or ‘split her open’. None of that sounded pleasant at all. Then she had a second orgasm in the space of thirty seconds from the ‘sensation’ of his… ejaculate… inside her. Then he just… kept his penis inside her while they had a conversation until it got hard again. Sigh. How I loathe unrealistic sex scenes. The use of his shadows/tendrils in the sex scenes was erotic though. There were also lots of repetitive word choices. If I got a quid every time Elric ‘growled’ or ‘snarled’ something, I’d be rich. The nickname ‘nightmare’ was massively overused as well, losing all impact. He even shouted ‘where’s my nightmare!’ to an enemy, and I think making that sort of nickname public made it lose its intimacy. He also kept talking about how much he loved her ‘grave’ smell. That doesn’t sound nice. I did like the scars that he and his witches had though, being almost moving or shimmery. I really liked the dual POV of this novel, too, with the plot continuing from where it left off but from the others perspective. Often POVs are different sub-plots, this one did it a bit differently which was cool.
Overall, while I would give the sequel a chance and definitely the author themselves, this particular novel didn’t quite hit the fantasy spot for me. If you like grumpy, powerful, dark MMCs and gothic romance this could be for you.