The Revenant Games

The Revenant Games #1

by Margie Fuston

This Barnes & Noble Paperback Exclusive Edition includes a special cover and brand-new bonus scene!

All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this “urgent action-adventure” (Publishers Weekly) following a teen determined to win the competition held by warring vampire and witch kingdoms, only to develop complicated feelings for the vampire she’s supposed to hand over.

Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games.

Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson.

Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both prizes: resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a choice: her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires, Romance, Romantasy, Witches, Young Adult Fantasy

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[mims ₊ ⊹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I DIDN’T KNOW THE ENDING WOULD BE LIKE THAT AND NOW I’M UPSET 😭

💌 pre-read: back in my fantasy era… there are just too many that i want to read this year 😭✨

[minnie. [reading slump hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Pretend that this is just a dream-that we’re not two broken people trapped in the world that broke us while it celebrated our pain. Pretend it’s just us and we’re really just two people in love in a place where magic is free and blood doesn’t pay for it.»

── .✦ 3.75 stars!

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #3

── .✦now playing:
꒰Training Season - Dua Lipa꒱
0:26 ─〇───── 3:29

⤿ are you someone that i can give my heart to?
or just the poison that i’m draw to?

𐔌🍄 feb 4 ⸝⸝ the hammock scene. that’s all i’m going to say. thank you so much to my bestie margot for buddy reading this with me! i know this review is like a month late, but still. i had the best time ever fangirling with her (kerrigan iykyk). her review here <3

⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 01.04.26 - 0.1.10.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 13+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 1.5/5, no sex scene.
⤿ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: murder + death, violence, sexual content (mild), mild language

⤿ it can be hard to tell the difference late at night...
play fair, is that a compass in your nature?

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 🌱꒱

⤿in a world where blood is the most valuable thing and humans are treated like dirt beneath the boots of witches and vampires, bly spends her life in the gap dreaming of more. when her sister is killed by witches and a death curse is cast on her childhood love, emerson, bly enters the revenant games. it's an annual game between witches and vampires where humans are pawns in the game, and can choose a side (or be a bounty hunter). side with the witches and capture the highest ranking vampire? they will resurrect someone from the dead. side with the vampires and capture the highest ranking witch? the vampires will offer immortality. oh, and here’s the thing: bly wants both.

⤿ or are you tricky?
‘cause i’ve been there
and baby, i don’t need to learn my lesson twice

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 🍄꒱

⤿🍷.ᐟ this book gives the vibes of the hunger games x the cruel prince. the revenant games is a really good book, and i really enjoyed it! i loved how all the characters had legitimate reasons, complex backstories, and realistic motivations. this is definitely a very underrated book, i have not seen it on my feed at all, which i was surprised considering it’s very good. i would recommend this book, and it was very easy to read since it was very intense and fast paced.

«People always choose the fear they know over the one they had yet to face.»

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 🌱꒱

⤿🍄‍🟫 ꒰ bly ꒱ - i really liked bly, i think she is a very strong fmc. she is ambitious, very goal oriented, and honestly relatable. she dreams of more, and feels guilty about it, and she will always fight for those she cares about; she doesn’t choose between them, and won’t leave anyone behind. bly is a dreamer, but life and tragedy forces her to become manipulative and ruthless to save the ones she loves, and her character arc, along with her motivations really made me like her.

«It’s just a dream, Bly. Dream with me.»

⤿🍄‍🟫 ꒰ kerrigan ꒱ - can we take a moment to appreciate how the vampire prince is actually like young and not a millennia old man stuck in a teen’s body? kerrigan is twenty two years old in an eighteen year old body, and he is still very much human, with trauma from his childhood and a harboring yearning for revenge. also i must say that kerrigan is actual husband material because where can i find men like this irl???? he can bite my neck any day any time he treated bly so well and i love that so much, because he’s willing to sacrifice himself for her even after all the trauma he’s faced.

«He wanted eternity. But he’d give it up for her.»

⤿🍄‍🟫 ꒰ bly + kerrigan ꒱ - i enjoyed how the romance was prominent but also knew when to give the plot and the character’s goals the limelight. the romance in this was so delicious and it was perfect. the tension and slow burn was there and it was absolutely sizzling, and im happy to say the slow burn in this book is actually slow burn. bly and kerrigan had their first kiss like seventy percent into the book. not gonna lie half the buddy read was me and margot fangirling over kerrigan…but anyways lemme just say: the hammock scene.

«I can't, he whispered.
What? She could hear the confusion in her own voice.
I can’t stop pretending, he said.»

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 + 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 🍄꒱

⤿🌿 .ᐟ the writing was fast paced and interesting, and didn’t bore me at any time. the world of the novel was beautiful and magical, but i wanted more. i loved that there were both witches and vampires, but the lore, which is quite central to the conflict between the two groups, is only briefly mentioned, and i wanted more exploration of the lore. the description and imagery of this book made me want to live in this world, because the vampire city was deadly and dangerously gorgeous, while the witch city was lush and filled with vivid greenery that gives an illusion of peace and tranquility. overall, a really wonderful balance of good writing, worldbuilding, and plot.

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 🌱꒱

꒰🩸꒱ enemies to lovers
꒰🩸꒱ mortal x immortal
꒰🩸꒱ forbidden romance
꒰🩸꒱ vampires and witches
꒰🩸꒱ the “pretending” trope
꒰🩸꒱ hunger games x tcp
꒰🩸꒱ trials + games
꒰🩸꒱ slow burn

--------------------------------
⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀𐔌🍄‍🟫 preread ⸝⸝ jan. 4th 🌱ˎˊ˗
˖ ࣪જ i mean, there's trials, vampires and witches. you know i'm gonna read it. buddy reading this with my bestie margot! her review here <3

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Revenant Games was incredible. Beautiful writing, desperate characters, a hint of romance, and death curses.

Bly is a dreamer who wants a better life. Her love for her best friend Emerson drives her deep into the forest with her sister in tow. Though the forest is dangerous because of the witches and vampires who lurk there. After her sister touches a death curse Bly vows to win her sisters life back in the games that take place every year. Win for the witches, you can bring back a person from the dead. Win for the vampires, and you can become immortal.

There was a lot of traveling back and fourth in the forest between Havenwhile and Vagaris. Though the writing was beautiful and each chapter serves its purpose. I found myself captivated by characters who, in their emotional brokenness, revealed complex layers. What struck me was how even those who initially appeared villainous were profoundly motivated by their pasts. I particularly found myself loving Donovan’s character. The romance within the narrative is a blend of both gradual and instantaneous; it's an instant attraction tempered by a hesitancy stemming from the characters' self-interests.

The ending was fantastic and fast-paced. I may add spoilers of my thoughts closer to the release date.

I loved it. This is one I predict will be very popular when it releases. I found myself already wishing I could read the next in the series. I will say this seems to be heavily inspired by All of Us Villains, and much less so Kingdom of the Wicked. I did not get KOTW vibes until the ending.

[margot౨ৎ (back at school) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐

'he wanted eternity. but he'd give it up for her.'

an underrated gem.

overview---౨ৎ

society is divided into two kingdoms: witches, vampires, and humans (who are not considered to be a part of either kingdom). humans are treated like dirt, their only value being the fact that witches and vampires need human blood to survive. vampires, for obvious reasons, and witches, to perform complex spells. both kingdoms have agreed not to harm the humans (they must come to them willingly... but like.....) so they have devised other ways to obtain blood, by trading money with the humans.

once a year, the revenant games occur between the witches, vampires, and humans. a human can play for either the vampire's side, witch's side, or both. alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. in turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch.

enter bly: after her sister elise dies in the woods at the hands of witches, and her best friend emerson gets cursed to live for only one more year, bly decides her and emerson will enter the revenant games to try and win both prizes.

kerrigan, a vampire prince (yes you heard that right boys 😼) offers himself freely to Bly as a prize for the witches so she can win the game. his motives remain unknown, but something starts to form between the pair as they spend more time with each other ....

tropes---౨ৎ
☆ enemies to lovers
☆ trials + games
☆ forbidden romance
☆ mortal x immortal
☆ slow burn

thoughts---౨ৎ

i wanted to start this portion of the review saying how UNDERRATED this book is. you're telling me it has less than 10k readers? i refuse to believe it. add this to your tbr immediately so we can spread the hype x

KERRIGAN, i.e. an absolutely delicious mess. 🤰 whenever he took a step towards bly, i was at the edge of my freaking seat, and the slow burn between him and said bly was absolute chef's kiss. the way the author built up the tension, from stolen glances to lingering touches? +1000 aura idgaf. however, he does come from a very dark place, and when i found out his backstory i just wanted to wrap home boy in a hug, tuck him into bed, and let him suck my blood. nothing too much? 👹

chapter 18 is forever engrained in my soul. 💋

"we're just pretending, right?"

"yes," he said, voice hoarse. "and the stars are still watching us." she felt him swallow. "we wouldn't want to give us away."

GOODBYEEE 👅👅

when he called her love:



side note but whenever a man's eyes go black with hunger it does something to me. idc i'm pulling out all the amo to get this man to be with me.

and the all the pretending moments.. oh my gosh !!

"please pretend you liked that," he whispered before pulling back.

"you're perfect," he said loudly. then, quieter, he added, "but i'm better at pretending."

"pretend with me," he said. "pretend that this is just a dream- that we're not two broken people trapped in the world that broke us while it celebrated our pain. pretend it's just us and we're really just two people in love in a place where magic is free and blood doesn't pay for it." his voice broke a little. he wasn't as good at pretending as he thought he was. "it's just a dream, bly. dream with me."

"i miss our pretending." his voice was barely a whisper.

finally, he looked at her, eyes pleading. "pretend with me a little longer?"

"i can't," he whispered.
"what?" she could hear the confusion in her own voice.
"i can't stop pretending," he said.

real photo of me trying to contain my giddiness:



I CAN'T I LOVE THEM SMMM

fireflys are attracted to true love according to the witches and who am i to deny this lovely tidbit of information x

also fucking finally! a slow burn that is actually a slow burn. ladies and gentlemen, that bar is in hell bc wdym so many enemies to lovers these days kiss at 40%? i refuse to accept that, sorry not sorry. however, kerrigan and bly have their first kiss after the 70% mark, and i love that. i WANT to feel the tension bubble up until it can't be contained no more. i want the fuck it moments. i want the kiss to be passionate and worthwhile the wait. 💘

SUCK MY BLOOD PLEASE 🙏



bly's character development is also so fun to see unfold, and i have a feeling it's just going to get better in the next book? omg?

the plot wasn't the most intricate, but i think that worked with the author's writing style and the characters. that doesn't mean the plot wasn't interesting, though.

now onto my complaints.

i've had this at the forefront of my mind the entire time i've been writing this review: emerson's dry, salty, crackly, boring, defenseless ass. he's such a forgettable character. i did not care for his backstory with bly at all. in fact, i was CHEERING when he found kerrigan sucking on bly's neck, like yes mf you see that?

the setup at the beginning was also a tiny bit slow, but as soon as kerrigan arrived i was locked tf in so i guess i can't complain too much 💋

i will admit that the lore and worldbuilding seemed rushed. i would have liked to get more information than "they drank from a lake and got powers" (ok i'm overexaggerating, we did get more but it didn't seem like enough). since it's the first book, i can excuse this for now. don't let it put you off at all! lads, it's still a super duper wuper funsy magical time

quotes---౨ৎ

i promise you i'm onto this i just can't be bothered rn tbc

bottom line---౨ৎ

he can suck my blood anytime 🥹

special thanks to minnie for reading this with me. thank GOD i had someone to yap about the hammock scene with or i might have combusted. ilysm 🤭🪽

------

that ending? omg.... RTC ‼️

------

pre read: all i know about this one is that there are trials and.... vampires? the average rating of 3.7 scares me a bit... but we move past 🤭 buddy reading with a bsf, minnie. happiest buddy reading to us my sweet girl! 💘

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a freaking cliffhanger! I need the next book to magically fall into my lap right now. I need to know what is going to happen next.

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, Bly was an idiot, the games made no sense and were boring as hell, and the ending was so jumbled I couldn’t keep anything straight. Definitely will not read the sequel.

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, had I caused the events of chapter one there would be no book because I would've k***** m*s***

[disz · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ 2 stars

Thanks to myself, I didn't have high expectations for this book. The plot was meh, the games were so confusing and not intriguing. I didn't like the romance aspect either because the love interest was just so dull and lacked chemistry. There is also a shocking twist, but I guess it didn't surprise me. I can't say this book was okay because there are a lot of misses and lacks in the plot and I can't tolerate it.

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things you need to know about this one right off the bat:

1. It starts off kind of slow, but it definitely gets better.
2. There is a place called "The Gap" and I kept thinking the characters were referring to the store and then I would get confused because it didn't seem like the kind of world that would house mid-range preppy clothes, but alas.

So if you, like me, find yourself a bit underwhelmed at the start, it really does pick up. And if you, also like me, can't remember that there can be more than one place referred to as "the Gap", then let's be weirdos together! Anyway, we meet Bly, who feels like crap because she got her sister killed. That'll do it, right? And her bestie Emerson, who she's kind of in love with has been a little distant. So she decides she is going to enter this vampire-witch game that will likely end up killing her but probably not because this is the start of a series.

Emerson, despite his insistence that this is a bad-bad idea, won't let Bly do it alone, so they come together to try to win. They end up needing to play both sides, in order to save everyone's lives (and reincarnate Bly's sister) and end up getting themselves very involved in vampire and witch politics, and basically ending up in the midst of a war between the factions. They make some friends, some enemies, and some frenemies along the way. It is fun! It is an adventure! There are twists and turns galore! A few of them I saw coming (especially the "big" one) but there were plenty that I didn't! I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel because this definitely got interesting!

Bottom Line: After a bit of a slow start, I became fully invested in this story, and I have a feeling you will too!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"People always choose the fear they know over the one they had yet to face."

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speedy review before I head off to work - let's see if I can get this done in 8 minutes...

What we have here is 17-year-old Bly, a teenaged girl who lost her younger sister Elise to Witches a year ago. Witches, Humans and Vampires make up the three races, with Humans naturally ranking at the bottom. However, they have a chance to scrape a higher position if they win the Revenant Games, a Witch v Vampire combat trial featuring Humans as fighters

The description of the Games was SUPER confusing and by far the weakest part of the book. I consider myself of average intelligence for a reader, and I couldn't make heads nor tails of Bly's convoluted plan to win against both the Vampires and Witches. Basically, she wants the prizes for both - the Vampire prize is to gift someone with immortality (like her best friend she's in love with, Emerson) and the Witch prize is to resurrect a dead person (like Elise). Playing both sides is supposed to be a big no-no, but there's nothing really stopping anyone from doing so? So yeah, I was kind of confused, but I rolled with it.

Bly is a good heroine overall - you can see her transformation from aspirational dreamer to hard-boiled manipulator over the course of the book, and I liked that she didn't let anything sway her from her goal. There's hardly really a romance in this book, but what does exist features a dandyish vampire prince with a yearning for death. I don't remember his name (except that it starts with a K) but I do appreciate how he's not some jaded centuries-old aristocrat. He's only 22 in reality, and 18 physically. His scenes are definitely the best even if the romance overall is weak.

Hit eight minutes now, so I'll finish off by saying that there's a relatively strong climax and I think I'll read the sequel. Or at least, I'll add it to my TBR...

[Karlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I enjoy it? Technically, yes. Emotionally? That’s a mess we need to unpack. It felt like the story dared to keep me there, throwing logic straight into the garbage disposal and laughing while it sparked.

I spent most of my time aggressively suspending my disbelief to pretend the plot made even a whisper of sense based on the world the author was portraying. The main character had so much plot armor that every Shonen protagonist should be filing for copyright infringement.

And the endless back-and-forth between directions? Girl, come on. At this point, they should be earning frequent flyer miles or teleporting out of sheer narrative exhaustion. The “games” were giving GPS possessed by chaos. There is no economy in storytelling—just vibes.

Now, the cliffhanger? Oh, it got me. Not because it was brilliant, but because I’m now spite-invested. I need answers. I need closure. I need therapy. It’s like being held hostage by my curiosity.

Bottom line? The math ain’t mathing, the plot’s doing somersaults in traffic, and I’m sitting here with a raised eyebrow and needing a stress snack. With precisely zero trust in the next book.

2.5 ⭐️ / 5⭐️

[Victoria Alyesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Cruel Illusions, get ready to devour this next adventure by this absolutely amazing author. I fully devoured this book from the very first sentence to the very last in which I might of a little bit at that ending and just a warning now I will physically curse anyone who gets in the way of me reading the next one, just wow. The author has outdone herself, and I have to say this is one book that I am adding to my full recommendations list for anyone who is even considering reading it. Spells, which is, vampires, and a completely amazing potline that has caught my mind and a small amount of darkness in me from start to finish.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot waittttt for this!!!!!

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first saw The Revenant Games on Instagram, and when I read the premise, I knew I needed to read it. I love YA dystopian romances, and I was so intrigued by the paranormal elements. The story follows Bly as she enters a deadly game with other humans, vampires, and witches, determined to win at any cost so she can bring back her deceased sister and save her best friend.

Set in a society divided between humans, witches, and vampires, the world is a dark place to live, and it sets the tone for the story. Each group lives separate from the others, and fear rules, especially among the more vulnerable. I was fascinated by the dystopian elements, especially in the world-building, and the author highlights a society where people are dehumanized, freedoms are restricted, and some have definitive power over others. It is a world on the brink of unrest, and the tension permeates the pages and adds to the already intense plot.

The majority of the story unfolds as Bly, Emerson, and others enter and compete in the games. It’s a brutal competition, one Bly would not ordinarily enter. However, she proves that she will do anything for those she loves. The story has strong messages about love and relationships, and many different connections are developed over the course of their journey. I particularly liked how the author focused on siblings, and we see two very different sibling relationships, both bound by love and loyalty.

There are other relationships of note, too. For example, there is a bit of a love triangle, which isn’t my favorite, but Bly has major chemistry with one (Kerrigan) while she has a friendship with the other (Emerson). There’s a lot of angst and tension between her and Kerrigan – much more so than she has with Emerson, in my opinion, but I’m a sucker for a moody, broody hero. There are several scenes and swoony declarations that made my heart melt. And it also feels like there might be another love triangle, which I have a feeling will be more significant in the next book.

Overall, I thought this was an immersive and entertaining start to the story with a few surprising twists that I didn’t expect. And with that surprising cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait to pick up the next book!

[The Book Ferret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start my review by saying that I did have a really fun time with this book and it didn't take me long at all to finish it.

However I did have a few issues that knocked my rating down to 3 stars.

First up while the world building is intriguing there's not nearly enough of it. The magic system in this book sounds so cool but there's no explanation.

Secondly Emerson was useless. Seriously what did he do?

Third everything just felt a little rushed. The plot had me hooked but everything happened so quickly there wasn't enough build up and the ending was so confusing. Too many people with too much going on being crammed into such a short space of time.

So yeah overall it's a fun time with a couple of issues that can be overlooked. The ending shocked me enough to have me read the second book.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meinung:

Vielen Dank an den verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!

Der Hunger trieb die meisten Menschen früher oder später an den Waldrand.

Das Cover finde ich echt schön. Es ist düster, man sieht Blut, welches für die Vampire steht und die Pflanze, welche für die Hexen steht, somit hat man eine schöne Brücke zum Inhalt.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin war sehr gut und angenehm zu lesen, ich kam schnell weiter in dem Buch. Geschrieben ist es aus Sicht von Bly, wodurch man sie am besten kennen lernt. Ich mochte die Beschreibungen der beiden Städte am liebsten, denn die konnte ich mir richtig gut vorstellen.

Zu Beginn lernt man Bly kennen, die an den Spielen der Vampire und Hexen teilnehmen will, denn zu gewinnen gibt es bei den Hexen einen wichtigen Preis. Sie könnte ihre tote Schwester zurückholen. Emerson, ein Freund von ihr in den sie heimlich verliebt ist, will ihr dabei helfen, doch weil er mit einem Todesfluch belegt wurde, brauchen sie auch den Preis der Vampire um ihn unsterblich zu machen.

Der Einstieg in das Buch hat mir wirklich gut gefallen. Es startet mit einem Rückblick zu dem Moment, in dem Blys Schwester Elise gestorben ist und man erfährt, wie es dazu kam. Das hat meine Neugierde geweckt und ich war gespannt, was die Autorin daraus machen würde.

Bly mochte ich gerne, sie würde alles für ihre Schwester tun und nimmt sogar die Spiele auf sich. Ihre EInstellung zu Vampiren und Hexen war von Anfang an deutlich, doch mit der Zeit merkt auch sie, dass nicht alles so ist, wie es scheint. Ihre Wandlung fand ich im Laufe des Buches etwas schnell, denn zuerst ist sie von ihrer Meinung überzeugt und dann ändert sie sie sehr schnell. Was ich aber cool fand war ihre Skrupellosigkeit. Ihre Schwester bedeutet ihr alles und sie würde sogar über Leichen gehen.

Emerson konnte ich lange nicht einschätzen, irgendwann habe ich ihn einfach toleriert. Er blieb für mich blass und alles was er tat war, Bly zu helfen und ansonsten hat er nicht viel beigetragen oder allgemein geredet.

Kerrigan hingegen mochte ich schon mehr. Von der ersten Sekunde an fand ich ihn interessant, da sein ganzes Auftreten anders als das der restlichen Vampire war. Ihn lernt man erst langsam kennen, aber er hat einen ausgeprägten Sinn für Gerechtigkeit und das merkt man immer wieder. Ich mochte seine Einstellung und seine Art an sich.

Ich beginne mit dem einzigen negativen Punkt. Ich habe die Spiele nicht verstanden und es wurde auch nicht gut genug erklärt. Man weiß, wieso die Spiele existieren, aber den genauen Ablauf habe ich bis zum Ende nicht verstanden. Es gibt den Hexenpreis und den Vampirepreis, was dafür zu tun ist ist klar, dann gibts noch Prämienjäger und Menschen die rumrennen und andere einfach töten. Aber die Erklärung von den Spielen habe ich nicht verstanden und auch den Ablauf fand ich etwas schräg. Während der Spiele ging auch alles etwas schnell. So dauert es mehrere Tage um von einer Stadt zur anderen zu kommen, und die spazieren da fröhlich hin und her. Dann frage ich mich, wie lange die Spiele eigentlich gehen, wenn sie so schnell hin und her wechseln können. Vielleicht habe ich es einfach nicht gut genug gelesen, aber meiner Freundin ging es auch so.

Ansonsten kann ich mich aber nicht wirlkich beschweren. Die Geschichte hat mir wirklich gut gefallen und die Idee dahinter war auch toll. Zuerst hatte ich die Befürchtung, dass es ein Panem-Abklatsch wird, was aber gar nicht der Fall ist. Bly und Emerson sind wild entschlossen beide Preise zu gewinnen und ihre Reise dahin fand ich interessant. Man ist mit ihnen zusammen in der Vampirstadt und auch in der Hexenstadt, die unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten. Bei den Vampiren dreht sich alles um Spaß und sie schmeißen Bälle zu den Spielen, scheren sich nicht wirklich um die Menschen und legen keinen Wert auf die eigenen Sicherheit. Bei den Hexen geht es etwas gesitteter zu, wobei man schnell merkt, dass sie skrupelloser sind als die Vampire. Ich fand den Konstrat wirklich gelungen und man kann als Leser keine Seit wirklich mögen.

Es gibt auch eine Liebesgeschichte, die es für mich gar nicht gebraucht hätte. Die Entwicklung war für mich zu schnell und auch nicht immer nachvollziehbar, die Charaktere haben darum dumme Entscheidungen getroffen und das hat am Ende zu einem riesigen Drama geführt. Ich finde, man hätte das weglassen können und dann wäre es genauso gut gewesen.

Das Ende selbst hat vieles von dem Buch gerettet. Zuerst war es schon so, ja ok, ist halt so, aber dann kamen noch so einige Wendungen, mit denen ich gar nicht gerechnet habe und die mich dazu bringen, dass ich Band zwei lesen will. Manches konnte man sich als Leser denken, aber vieles eben auch nicht und meiner Meinung nach sollte jedes Buch noch ein paar Überraschungen bereit halten.

Fazit:

Ich mochte die Geschichte rund um Bly sehr gerne. Im Mittelteil hat sie mich etwas verloren wegen der Spiele, die ich nicht zu 100% verstanden habe, aber das Ende war dafür umso besser. Die Darstellung der Vampire und Hexen war interessant und anders als in anderen Büchern. Obwohl ein paar Charaktere blass blieben war die Geschichte doch gut gemacht und ich freue mich auf den zweiten Band. Von mir bekommt das Buch vier Sterne.

[Alessa ✪ ( on semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ✨️

I rounded it to 5 because it has everything I love in a YA fantasy book.

If you feel nostalgic and want to read smth like old 2010 YA dystopian books pick this one.

It brings all the awesomeness from 2010's books but adapted to a more whimsical world.

Our heroine starts shy and as a daydreamer but ends being a total manipulator 🤣 the likes of Jude Duarte from The Cruel Prince.( loved her !!! She sticks to her plan no matter what )

Like every good 2010 YA there is a love triangle , with the right amount of angst I would say and a well executed plot that sometimes takes first place in the story leaving the romance a little bit behind ( but ALWAYS present and guiding the heroine decisions at each scene )

I thought at first this was a standalone but nope, is a first book in a series and the definition of a "set up book "for upcoming ones.
It ends in a cliffhanger, there is a strong character development for all the main characters abd a nice set up for the next book.

Vibes : OUABH definetly in the writting. Shatter me , Rook from Enchanting of Ravens, Kingdom of the Wicked ( first book ) and the Cruel Prince.

Why people are comparing this with twilight is beyond my understanding..( vampires eyes get dark when they are thirsty and thats about it )

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

This was honestly about to be a 4.5⭐️ read before the ending. What was that? I am seriously pissed off. I was honestly loving this book until what happened at the end. The romance was going good, the games were going good. Everything was going pretty good, I mean, of course there were problems but it’s a fantasy book and also you need problems for it to be interesting of course so I was expecting a plot twist and a cliffhanger since I knew that this was in a series, but that just basically ruined it for me I’m not sure what to think of this otherwise though I really did like this but I think that just needs to stop screwing up everybody else’s lives. She talks about how she wants to save the person but she literally is just screwing up everyone else’s lives and not even getting what she wants. That annoyed me a lot, I think I will be continuing this series though because it was pretty good otherwise, I hope it gets better from here…

[Toya (thereadingchemist)]

DNF at 46%

Awesome premise. Absolute slog of an execution.

[Eve Howarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[KASSY · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most glaring issues is the lack of character development. The protagonist, Emerson, feels completely irrelevant to the story, offering little to no contribution to the plot. It was as if the author couldn’t decide what to do with him, so he simply floated through the events with no real purpose or depth. The attempted love triangle felt forced and unconvincing, lacking any real emotional stakes. It seemed like it was added it in for the sake of drama, but it didn't feel necessary or wanted in the context of the story. The dynamics between the characters were weak and didn’t add any meaningful tension to the plot.

Most disappointing of all was the lack of focus on the actual games. The excitement and intensity of the competitions were barely touched upon, leaving me wanting more. The author missed a significant opportunity to create a thrilling and immersive world around the games, which could have elevated the entire book.

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! I love YA fantasies with the trial/games aspect so that was fun- and a cliffhanger!

But I did think it lacked a little in some places...if it was in first person and had shorter chapters I would've ate it UP

And the love triangle 😑 don't get me wrong I do like a love triangle sometimes..but it has to be done right. In this case it was so painfully obvious that there was really only one option but the author forced there to be a triangle. For what???

[Abby Mallek · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, I’ve read lots of YA books that were still well written enough to be enjoyed by adult audiences, but this book is not that. The premise sounds interesting but I couldn’t get through the weird narration and Mary Sue main character.

[Lyndsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ now that I’m back on my bimonthly wrap up game, I’ll share my full thoughts in my April/May video on YouTube! 💜

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was going to be 3.5 stars but I missed my flight because I was reading this in the airport so I think that constitutes bumping it up.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot.

Summary says All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked. Not having read either of those, I couldn’t say if that’s true. But for me, for fear of scaring some away, this very much gave me Hunger Games meets Twilight meets Cruel Prince vibes.

It took a while for me to put my finger on the Cruel Prince vibes. But once I did, it’s difficult to miss. The dynamics between characters, Bly’s growth through the novel, the ruthlessness of some of the characters, how Vampires and Witches treat and interact with humans, it very much feels like Holly Black’s portrayal of the Fae (conniving, manipulative, arrogant, etc).

In any case, I definitely recommend it and am excited for what comes next!

[Megan Eastman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the plot of this book, but I do wish it had more explanation and detail. Both the love story and the explanation of the games were very underwhelming and lacked depth. It made some parts of the story feel too cheesy or random. The love story between Kerrigan and Bly felt very surface level and lacked chemistry. I wished we got to know more about their characters, especially Kerrigan, before they “fell in love.” Overall this was a real struggle to get through. This is the first and last book I will read of this series.

[Jacob Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book had me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book. The world was really interesting - a great magic system even though it’s morally awful. I enjoyed the depth of the major characters and the twists went different ways than what I expected. Super awesome book, give it a read!

[Onnah C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cliff hangers suck
Overall a really great read! There were times it felt like nothing was happening and other times it was going to quickly but by the end I was eating it up and need more! Now I'm crying over having to wait.