Clara Wagner has always known that monsters are real, and that the worst of them is Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg. For years the prince has treated his people as livestock to sate his thirst for blood. But when he decides it’s time to marry, Clara inadvertently finds herself at the centre of his attention.
Abducted and forced into a betrothal against her will, Clara would do anything to escape her fate. And so she is given an lift Raleigh’s vampiric curse before the end of the year or become his bride for eternity.
Vow of Eternal Night is a gothic, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about the lengths people will go for love, and the many faces monsters can wear.
'It’s rare that a gothic romance surprises me, but Vow of Eternal Night did. Fun, gripping, and desperately goth. One of the best I’ve read all year.' - T. Kingfisher
Oh I can’t wait for people to lose their minds over this
This was so compelling!! A fantastic blend of traditional vampire myths, Beauty and the Beast, and the magic of Howl’s Moving Castle (plus a cheeky nod to the Van Helsing film which I LOVE), I devoured this (haha) in about two sittings.
Move aside poorly written vampire romantasy, there’s a new sire in town and she’s kicking your ass
I haven’t read much romantasy, but I’ve been in a very vampire mood recently so when the ARC arrived at my workplace I picked this up so fast. I’m so happy I did because I’ve been having trouble getting through books recently but couldn’t put this one down till I had to everytime I’ve picked it up!!!
I adore Clara as a main character, she reacted to things in such a relatable way to me. I loved going through her whirlwind of emotions throughout with her. Since I was so invested, whenever she felt something was unexplainable I felt the same way and so learning about the world through her experiences felt all the more rewarding.
I can’t wait for it to be out so I can gush about everything more and bring it up whenever someone asks for a fantasy recommendation!! (and so I can send it to all my vampire loving friends.)
Vow of Eternal Night transported me straight back to that feeling I had as a kid discovering fairytales for the first time. It’s whimsical, dark, and deeply romantic, with a slow burn so delicious that it’s almost painful.
While the inspiration from Beauty and the Beast is unmistakable, this story never feels derivative. Instead, it takes those familiar bones and reshapes them into something uniquely its own - a beautiful, moody, and enchanting interpretation that honors the classic while creating an entirely new story. The world-building leans into classic vampire lore but introduces fresh twists that make the setting feel alive rather than borrowed.
The characters are where the book truly shines. They’re wonderfully complex in ways that feel real. Flawed, layered, and just the right amount of chaotic. We love a soft, bisexual king!! The MMC was kinda goofy and I loved that about him. Both main characters were incredibly endearing. And because the story is told entirely through the FMC’s perspective, the reader is left to gobble up crumbs and read between the lines. I was invested from the first lingering look. We love a man that YEARNS!!
And the best part? It’s a COMPLETE STANDALONE. No cliffhangers, no waiting years for the next book. Instead a completely immersive story that begins and ends exactly where it should.
I can’t wait for more from Lily!
Final rating: 4⭐️ 1🌶️ Thank you Penguin for the ARC.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! And I really want a krapfen! 🤭
Vow of Eternal Night, inspired by beauty and the beast, is a gothic romantasy story that follows Clara, who is abducted and forced into a betrothal with Prince Raleigh von Rostenburg, a vampire who has treated his people like livestock for years.
I think (please correct me if I’m wrong) this is a standalone book and I found the pacing to be perfect. I loved that it ebbed and flowed and that it packed such a punch at several times throughout the book.
I absolutely adore the characters! Clara is brave, gutsy, strong and determined. Raleigh is a monster. But is he really? He would rather people think he’s a monster than see Clara hurt at the hands of real monsters. Yann, I really didn’t like for most of the book but I think he was done very well. Moira and Enrique… I absolutely adored them! Moira is a badass.
The world building was done really well. I was able to visualise and create the world in my head quite easily and I really love when a book does this. Being a creative person, I really need a book adequately world building and VoEN had no issue doing that!
We have enemies to lovers AND WE HAVE A SLOW BURN. We actually have a standalone romantasy with a delicious slow burn. If that alone doesn’t tempt you to read this book, then I don’t know what will.
I think the only thing I would have liked is a little more history on Raleigh’s side. I think Clara’s life, upbringing and discoveries really create a clear picture of a lot of her life, whereas Raleigh, I feel I wanted to know more history to really solidify that connection.
Overall, this is an amazing debut novel by Lily and I’m super excited for this to be out in the open.
Thank you to Rebekah at @penguinbooksaus and Lily for the gorgeous PR box and the chance to read early.
This is one of the best vampire books and debuts I have read in a long long time, I devoured this book in almost one sitting.
The writing and world building were lucid and atmospheric, I loved how considered every element was from the setting to its history to the political and historical events happening around it, because of that the world in this story felt so alive.
The characters were also refreshingly well fleshed out. Clara and Raleigh were both compelling as characters because of their strengths and their flaws which Crozier carefully wove into their actions, motivations, desires, and mistakes. I also loved Crozier's take on vampirism.
This book gave me the same magical feeling as Howl's Moving Castle, the Emily Wilde series, and of course Beauty and the Beast but was also original enough that it stood on its own. If you like any of those books and movies though this book is absolutely perfect!
Overall, this was an incredibly impressive debut and I can't wait more of what Crozier writes, she is an immensely talented writer!
Thank you Penguin Books Australia for sending an ARC copy!
Back with another ARC review!! I am so excited to have gotten the chance to read Lily’s debut novel! Both a local Aussie author, and content creator who I love!
In this Beauty and the Beast inspired romantasy, Clara is stolen away from her fiancé and home by the notorious prince Raleigh of Rostenburg to his gothic castle in the mountains. But Raleigh is no prince charming, and is rumoured by town superstition to be something much worse….
Trapped in his castle, Clara is forced to face Raleigh as he truly is, but also must come head to head with the truths of her own family and her own home. Everyone’s secrets must come out eventually…
This is a story featuring deadly vampires, gothic castles, court intrigue, town secrets, and of course an arranged marriage romance. What more could I ask for…🤭
With its classic romantasy set-up, engaging characters and fun, fast-paced story telling, this is a book to be absolutely devoured. I genuinely nearly read the whole thing in one sitting.
I would recommend this for all lovers of Elise Kova’s ‘Married to Magic’, LJ Andrews’ ‘The Ever Seas’, and book 1 ACOTAR. Or anyone looking for a whirlwind, vampire, enemies-to-lovers romance.
My critiques of this book would be that the story is in no way unique. It relies on a lot of tropes, and character archetypes that we have seen before. Thus the story was very predictable. That being said, the book did what it set out to do, was a fun and easy read, and I had a great time reading it!
This book was enjoyable, but it didn’t fully convince me. The slow burn was a little too slow for my taste, with little chemistry between the characters, and the action takes a long time to start. It was OK, but it didn't work for me