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Deck of Scarlets
Eighteen-year-old Remi Watson had no intention of attending college after high school. In fact, she would rather work for her family’s business and run carefree in the streets of New York City than be a part of some cliché system. But when her Grams passes, her will states she will attend Columbia University—to keep the tradition alive.
Before her arrival, Remi receives an invitation in the mail from the Order of the Scarlet Quill, a society on campus that only invites elite candidates to accept. She soon discovers that the society is secret and trains demon hunters known as the Scarlets.
Remi will uncover more than just a secret society; she will soon discover her family has been involved from the very beginning.
But nothing surprises Remi more than her best friend’s boyfriend, Josh West, known as a Tutelary Saint and a guardian. Her guardian.
She will learn that demons are real, and the world is at risk of falling into the hands of an unknown, dangerous predator.
Deception, enemies, and forbidden lovers. Remi will need to learn how to navigate her new life to save the ones she loves.
The Order of the Scarlet Quill is nothing without their Scarlets.
But who will save them?
Before her arrival, Remi receives an invitation in the mail from the Order of the Scarlet Quill, a society on campus that only invites elite candidates to accept. She soon discovers that the society is secret and trains demon hunters known as the Scarlets.
Remi will uncover more than just a secret society; she will soon discover her family has been involved from the very beginning.
But nothing surprises Remi more than her best friend’s boyfriend, Josh West, known as a Tutelary Saint and a guardian. Her guardian.
She will learn that demons are real, and the world is at risk of falling into the hands of an unknown, dangerous predator.
Deception, enemies, and forbidden lovers. Remi will need to learn how to navigate her new life to save the ones she loves.
The Order of the Scarlet Quill is nothing without their Scarlets.
But who will save them?
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2024
23 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Sinatra
10 books227 followersInternational Best Selling Author of the Hollow series
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
September 10, 2024
HOLY MOLY!! This book should be made into a movie. I was on the edge of my seat and now my heart has to wait for book two to release!
This is one of the most unique books I have read tying in a secret society within a church that is actually trying to do good… or so we think! The plot twists, the slow burn, the thrill is all perfection!
🔥 Secret Society
🔥 Slowwww burn
🔥 Forbidden romance
🔥 Best friend’s boyfriend
🔥 Magic, demons, unique fractions
This is one of the most unique books I have read tying in a secret society within a church that is actually trying to do good… or so we think! The plot twists, the slow burn, the thrill is all perfection!
🔥 Secret Society
🔥 Slowwww burn
🔥 Forbidden romance
🔥 Best friend’s boyfriend
🔥 Magic, demons, unique fractions
August 25, 2024
3.8
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you to the author and haylingbookstorm for the opportunity!
This is a pretty interesting series starter, about a young woman named Remi following her grandmother’s last wishes as per her will, to attend a certain college, for unknown reasons. Remi receives a strange invitation beforehand for what she assumes is a fraternity/sorority, but then finds out it’s for a secret order that fights demons.
I’m honestly not certain if this categorized as YA or adult fiction, but personally, it felt very YA to me. Some of the characters felt incredibly immature (if you guessed Nicki and Jeremy, you are correct). Even the friendship drama between them and Remi felt very high school-ish.
Josh and Remi…truly had no charisma. Remi only seemed attracted to Josh because he’s got muscles. He was really rude in their interactions, and I’m supposed to feel that they have a big forbidden romance? It just didn’t feel like there’s been any kind of buildup of any kind of feelings other than grudging toleration.
If you like secret society books, or demon hunters, then you will probably enjoy this book. If you’re looking for a big sweeping budding romance…maybe not so much. It’s a good enough story that I will likely check out the next book in the series whenever it comes out.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you to the author and haylingbookstorm for the opportunity!
This is a pretty interesting series starter, about a young woman named Remi following her grandmother’s last wishes as per her will, to attend a certain college, for unknown reasons. Remi receives a strange invitation beforehand for what she assumes is a fraternity/sorority, but then finds out it’s for a secret order that fights demons.
I’m honestly not certain if this categorized as YA or adult fiction, but personally, it felt very YA to me. Some of the characters felt incredibly immature (if you guessed Nicki and Jeremy, you are correct). Even the friendship drama between them and Remi felt very high school-ish.
Josh and Remi…truly had no charisma. Remi only seemed attracted to Josh because he’s got muscles. He was really rude in their interactions, and I’m supposed to feel that they have a big forbidden romance? It just didn’t feel like there’s been any kind of buildup of any kind of feelings other than grudging toleration.
If you like secret society books, or demon hunters, then you will probably enjoy this book. If you’re looking for a big sweeping budding romance…maybe not so much. It’s a good enough story that I will likely check out the next book in the series whenever it comes out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2024
I loved this!
Great work Amanda!
Great work Amanda!
September 4, 2024
I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book because omg it was so good. The story starts off with our main Female character, Remi, who’s out partying with her two friends before going away to college. Remi never had the plan of furthering her education but that changes due to her Grandmother’s will.
You get the hint that there’s more to things when Remi starts hallucinating but blames it on drugs and alcohol while she’s out. Soon she gets an invitation of some sort before school starts, she later on confronts another student about it and finds out it’s a secret organization.
I really loved the storyline and it was very interesting and kept my attention. I didn’t care for Remi’s friends, I thought they were rude and I honestly didn’t like their characters much. I also didn’t care much for Josh as a person but I thought the relationship dynamic between him and Remi was well written.
I would definitely recommend for someone just getting into romance books.
ARC REVIEW
You get the hint that there’s more to things when Remi starts hallucinating but blames it on drugs and alcohol while she’s out. Soon she gets an invitation of some sort before school starts, she later on confronts another student about it and finds out it’s a secret organization.
I really loved the storyline and it was very interesting and kept my attention. I didn’t care for Remi’s friends, I thought they were rude and I honestly didn’t like their characters much. I also didn’t care much for Josh as a person but I thought the relationship dynamic between him and Remi was well written.
I would definitely recommend for someone just getting into romance books.
ARC REVIEW
September 11, 2024
I received this book as part of the ARC team in return for my honest review. Thank you Amanda and team for letting me review early!
The book is slow in the beginning. However, I am so GLAD I kept on. At the end of the book the author says the story changed in her mind quite a bit and that is obvious in the first 100 pages. There was a lot of filler that could have been removed. There are also a few plot holes that I had to second guess. (Like at the end of the book something huge happens but we have to wait 1.5 months before we can do something about it ??🤔🤔)
Overall, I will definitely read the next book when it comes out. Would have been a 5 star read if the beginning was a little quicker paced and we got rolling a bit quicker! Will recommend to my friends to read!
I am excited to see where Remi and Josh’s story goes.
4/5 ⭐️
0.5/5🌶️
The book is slow in the beginning. However, I am so GLAD I kept on. At the end of the book the author says the story changed in her mind quite a bit and that is obvious in the first 100 pages. There was a lot of filler that could have been removed. There are also a few plot holes that I had to second guess. (Like at the end of the book something huge happens but we have to wait 1.5 months before we can do something about it ??🤔🤔)
Overall, I will definitely read the next book when it comes out. Would have been a 5 star read if the beginning was a little quicker paced and we got rolling a bit quicker! Will recommend to my friends to read!
I am excited to see where Remi and Josh’s story goes.
4/5 ⭐️
0.5/5🌶️
September 11, 2024
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book is amazing if you like fantasy. I was hooked from the very beginning! Amanda Sinatra does a good job of world and character-building.
It is kind of slow at the beginning though, but still very engaging in my opinion. Once you get past that, it’s very exciting.
I liked this book and I’m excited for the next book to come out!
This book is amazing if you like fantasy. I was hooked from the very beginning! Amanda Sinatra does a good job of world and character-building.
It is kind of slow at the beginning though, but still very engaging in my opinion. Once you get past that, it’s very exciting.
I liked this book and I’m excited for the next book to come out!
September 5, 2024
{2.75/5}
CW: violence, gore, alcoholism/substance @buse, referenced death of family, some spice
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Deck of Scarlets” releases September 10, 2024.
The ideas are there; the execution just falls a little short.
Following the death of her grandmother, 18 year old Remi is given no other choice but to attend the college her grandmother chose, and paid for, prior to her passing. As the summer draws to a close, an invitation to a secret society on campus arrives in Remi’s welcome packet. Despite her complete lack of desire to attend either the college or the society’s meeting, Remi’s life is forced down a path she never picked, revealing demons far worse than her personal coping mechanisms.
I couldn’t find a good way to fit it into my own little blurb up there, but it’s demon hunting. The secret society does demon hunting. And it’s not a spoiler if the book’s info section would tell you anyway. The premise is good— secret society hunts demons, our begrudging protagonist is naturally involved, cue the paranormal urban fantasy montage. This should have been a story I really, really enjoyed. Except, it never quite hit the mark.
Let’s start with the characters. Remi, specifically, is kind of a mess. Even if we put aside the whole stereotype of ‘damaged high schooler/new graduate copes with family problems by partying, casually hooking up with strangers, and substance @buse’ (which, to be fair, was kind of a staple of a *lot* of teen-oriented tv dramas, for some reason?), she’s a disaster of a person. Her friends suck (they’re an entirely different kind of mess), she’s solidly determined to only evoke an ‘I’m too cool for this’ vibe, and rarely did we see the girl actually sit down and use her brain to think about what was happening. Somehow, her character comes across as both unlikable and overused. The other characters range from decently tolerable, if a little whiplash-inclined, to completely detestable, and that’s if they even get enough page time to let you form an opinion about them.
Structurally, the book was all over the place. The dialogue, particularly early on, felt stilted and awkward, almost cliche or even immature (for the characters’ ages). The flow got a little better later on in the story, but there were frequently times when it seemed like the characters made leaps that the reader never had the information to make alongside. This happened both with conversations and with actual plot-related content. There were several continuity errors, the pacing was inconsistent, and the overall execution made it difficult to relate to or care about the characters.
Finally, we have the plot itself. While the overall premise of the story was really interesting, I think the actual execution was trying to do too much in not enough space. Combined with the aforementioned character and structure issues, and the whole thing just fell apart for me. Now, this isn’t a short book— it comes in right around 380-400ish pages, putting it at about average for a fantasy title based on my experiences. So there should have been plenty of space to really get a feel for what our MC is dealing with, what her experience with the society is, her interpersonal dynamics, all of that, and with plenty of room to actually proceed along the storyline. Somehow, though, we’ve been left with very little in the way of actually understanding the MC’s motivations, she’s experienced almost no discernible personal growth (and, trust me, she needs some), there’s no clear picture of the society or what it’s actually doing or any of its real history, etc, and we won’t even get into how muddled the interactions are between literally all of the characters. About half the time I found myself wondering why, exactly, the MC was acting in a certain way because it just made no sense whatsoever. The *idea* is there for a potentially really interesting story; it just got lost in all the alcoholism and pining for her (sh!tty) best friend’s boyfriend.
The more I wrote for this review, the more I realized how disappointed I was by the book’s execution. It had so many elements that could have worked really well together, and it just didn’t get there. Obviously, these are just my personal opinions on the story, and you should always judge a book for yourself, but this one was not it for me.
CW: violence, gore, alcoholism/substance @buse, referenced death of family, some spice
Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “Deck of Scarlets” releases September 10, 2024.
The ideas are there; the execution just falls a little short.
Following the death of her grandmother, 18 year old Remi is given no other choice but to attend the college her grandmother chose, and paid for, prior to her passing. As the summer draws to a close, an invitation to a secret society on campus arrives in Remi’s welcome packet. Despite her complete lack of desire to attend either the college or the society’s meeting, Remi’s life is forced down a path she never picked, revealing demons far worse than her personal coping mechanisms.
I couldn’t find a good way to fit it into my own little blurb up there, but it’s demon hunting. The secret society does demon hunting. And it’s not a spoiler if the book’s info section would tell you anyway. The premise is good— secret society hunts demons, our begrudging protagonist is naturally involved, cue the paranormal urban fantasy montage. This should have been a story I really, really enjoyed. Except, it never quite hit the mark.
Let’s start with the characters. Remi, specifically, is kind of a mess. Even if we put aside the whole stereotype of ‘damaged high schooler/new graduate copes with family problems by partying, casually hooking up with strangers, and substance @buse’ (which, to be fair, was kind of a staple of a *lot* of teen-oriented tv dramas, for some reason?), she’s a disaster of a person. Her friends suck (they’re an entirely different kind of mess), she’s solidly determined to only evoke an ‘I’m too cool for this’ vibe, and rarely did we see the girl actually sit down and use her brain to think about what was happening. Somehow, her character comes across as both unlikable and overused. The other characters range from decently tolerable, if a little whiplash-inclined, to completely detestable, and that’s if they even get enough page time to let you form an opinion about them.
Structurally, the book was all over the place. The dialogue, particularly early on, felt stilted and awkward, almost cliche or even immature (for the characters’ ages). The flow got a little better later on in the story, but there were frequently times when it seemed like the characters made leaps that the reader never had the information to make alongside. This happened both with conversations and with actual plot-related content. There were several continuity errors, the pacing was inconsistent, and the overall execution made it difficult to relate to or care about the characters.
Finally, we have the plot itself. While the overall premise of the story was really interesting, I think the actual execution was trying to do too much in not enough space. Combined with the aforementioned character and structure issues, and the whole thing just fell apart for me. Now, this isn’t a short book— it comes in right around 380-400ish pages, putting it at about average for a fantasy title based on my experiences. So there should have been plenty of space to really get a feel for what our MC is dealing with, what her experience with the society is, her interpersonal dynamics, all of that, and with plenty of room to actually proceed along the storyline. Somehow, though, we’ve been left with very little in the way of actually understanding the MC’s motivations, she’s experienced almost no discernible personal growth (and, trust me, she needs some), there’s no clear picture of the society or what it’s actually doing or any of its real history, etc, and we won’t even get into how muddled the interactions are between literally all of the characters. About half the time I found myself wondering why, exactly, the MC was acting in a certain way because it just made no sense whatsoever. The *idea* is there for a potentially really interesting story; it just got lost in all the alcoholism and pining for her (sh!tty) best friend’s boyfriend.
The more I wrote for this review, the more I realized how disappointed I was by the book’s execution. It had so many elements that could have worked really well together, and it just didn’t get there. Obviously, these are just my personal opinions on the story, and you should always judge a book for yourself, but this one was not it for me.
September 10, 2024
I received an ARC of Deck of Scarlets in exchange for my honest review.
Oh boy, where to begin? There was a lot if stuff I liked about this book. Remi, a recent high school graduate, receives a full ride to Columbia University thanks to a provision in her grandmother's will. While school isn't a huge motivator for her, Remi goes and is instantly entangled into a secret society surrounded by mystery, prophecy, and intrigue. And oh, yeah, they fight demons, too. After surviving the Blessing and officially being inducted as a Scarlet, Remi finds herself saddled with Josh, a Saint of the Order, and her very own guardian. Unfortunately, Remi's growing feelings for Josh are complicated by the fact that Josh blows hot and cold and is also dating her best friend, Nickie. That, coupled with the rising occurrence of demons where they shouldn't be and Order members being sketchy, forces Remi to the brink. Then the unthinkable happens and two people Remi care deeply for go missing, perhaps because of their relationship to Remi and her relationship with the Order. We leave off with Remi and Josh bring tapped to accompany Father Benedict to an international Order gathering where Remi hopes to find a long lost weapon that might save the world.
I liked the premise of this book. The idea of the Order and the Scarlets and Saints and their fight against evil gave me major Shadowhunters vibes. I sort of liked Josh and appreciated his struggle to support Remi as her guardian and his struggle to resist his feelings for her. There were a lot of little tendrils of plot that I think will make the rest of the series really interesting. But I'm not sure how quickly Remi will forgive him because she is so volatile. I really liked Baron's character. I expected Josh to be more like him, but I'm interested to see how things shake out between Remi and Josh through the rest of the series.
All that being said, there were many things left to be desired in this book. Remi is annoying and immature. She often acts on information she shouldn't know, and it doesn't seem purposeful. For example, she immediately believes the invitation to the Order is dangerous and scary, but literally nothing even points to that at all. The whole issue of speaking to Heather about it was completely contrived in Remi's head. She also kept going back and forth about whether to commit to the Order. While that in itself is not an issue, she would be seemingly okay about things but as soon as she breathed fresh air she was ready to quit again. It just didn't make sense.
There were also continuity issues with details and scene blocking. There were some parts that had excellent writing, but other parts were cringy. The only characters I actually liked were Chloe and Baron. And sort of Josh. All the others acted immaturely, especially Nickie. I hated that we never got details where it mattered. Remi's emotions were all over the place in a bad way. She was overly dramatic and she didn't really show growth even though we're told she accepted her role as a Scarlet in the end (even after all the resisting).
I really wanted to like this book. It has all the bones for something great. But I found myself annoyed rather than enjoying the reading experience. Overall I have to give this 3/5 🌟.
Oh boy, where to begin? There was a lot if stuff I liked about this book. Remi, a recent high school graduate, receives a full ride to Columbia University thanks to a provision in her grandmother's will. While school isn't a huge motivator for her, Remi goes and is instantly entangled into a secret society surrounded by mystery, prophecy, and intrigue. And oh, yeah, they fight demons, too. After surviving the Blessing and officially being inducted as a Scarlet, Remi finds herself saddled with Josh, a Saint of the Order, and her very own guardian. Unfortunately, Remi's growing feelings for Josh are complicated by the fact that Josh blows hot and cold and is also dating her best friend, Nickie. That, coupled with the rising occurrence of demons where they shouldn't be and Order members being sketchy, forces Remi to the brink. Then the unthinkable happens and two people Remi care deeply for go missing, perhaps because of their relationship to Remi and her relationship with the Order. We leave off with Remi and Josh bring tapped to accompany Father Benedict to an international Order gathering where Remi hopes to find a long lost weapon that might save the world.
I liked the premise of this book. The idea of the Order and the Scarlets and Saints and their fight against evil gave me major Shadowhunters vibes. I sort of liked Josh and appreciated his struggle to support Remi as her guardian and his struggle to resist his feelings for her. There were a lot of little tendrils of plot that I think will make the rest of the series really interesting. But I'm not sure how quickly Remi will forgive him because she is so volatile. I really liked Baron's character. I expected Josh to be more like him, but I'm interested to see how things shake out between Remi and Josh through the rest of the series.
All that being said, there were many things left to be desired in this book. Remi is annoying and immature. She often acts on information she shouldn't know, and it doesn't seem purposeful. For example, she immediately believes the invitation to the Order is dangerous and scary, but literally nothing even points to that at all. The whole issue of speaking to Heather about it was completely contrived in Remi's head. She also kept going back and forth about whether to commit to the Order. While that in itself is not an issue, she would be seemingly okay about things but as soon as she breathed fresh air she was ready to quit again. It just didn't make sense.
There were also continuity issues with details and scene blocking. There were some parts that had excellent writing, but other parts were cringy. The only characters I actually liked were Chloe and Baron. And sort of Josh. All the others acted immaturely, especially Nickie. I hated that we never got details where it mattered. Remi's emotions were all over the place in a bad way. She was overly dramatic and she didn't really show growth even though we're told she accepted her role as a Scarlet in the end (even after all the resisting).
I really wanted to like this book. It has all the bones for something great. But I found myself annoyed rather than enjoying the reading experience. Overall I have to give this 3/5 🌟.
September 4, 2024
♦️”Deck of Scarlets" {arc}♦️
4⭐️
🌶️🔥
♦️This book was really good! I was intrigued from the beginning, it did start off a little slow but it does pick up!
This paranormal , urban dark fantasy takes place in "present day" New York City and follows MFC "Remi" a privileged college student who is struggling with family issues, addiction and just trying to find her way. The author did a great job writing the FMC because I really didn't like her negativity throughout most of the book! But my view of the FMC did change towards the end.
She gets an invitation to join "The Order of the Scarlet Quill" a secret society that fights demons.
With the help of her “Guardian “ MMC Josh she goes through intense training and soon starts to let her doubts go and accept her fate and birthright.
Loved the forbidden love/ slow burn between “Josh & Remi” and I’m curious to see how their relationship progresses in the next book ( hopefully their constant bickering stops lol 😂)
There is some “Religious aspects “ in this book ( which I’m not a fan of) but it didn’t hinder me from wanting to continue reading this book.
Overall if you like a Dark Urban Fantasy, dark academia,Demon hunters, forbidden love, A broody “MMC” , a difficult/ moody MFC , Religious reps. Then I would recommend this book ! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
4⭐️
🌶️🔥
♦️This book was really good! I was intrigued from the beginning, it did start off a little slow but it does pick up!
This paranormal , urban dark fantasy takes place in "present day" New York City and follows MFC "Remi" a privileged college student who is struggling with family issues, addiction and just trying to find her way. The author did a great job writing the FMC because I really didn't like her negativity throughout most of the book! But my view of the FMC did change towards the end.
She gets an invitation to join "The Order of the Scarlet Quill" a secret society that fights demons.
With the help of her “Guardian “ MMC Josh she goes through intense training and soon starts to let her doubts go and accept her fate and birthright.
Loved the forbidden love/ slow burn between “Josh & Remi” and I’m curious to see how their relationship progresses in the next book ( hopefully their constant bickering stops lol 😂)
There is some “Religious aspects “ in this book ( which I’m not a fan of) but it didn’t hinder me from wanting to continue reading this book.
Overall if you like a Dark Urban Fantasy, dark academia,Demon hunters, forbidden love, A broody “MMC” , a difficult/ moody MFC , Religious reps. Then I would recommend this book ! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
September 10, 2024
Deck of Scarlets is an urban fantasy set in NYC mainly at Columbia University. Remi is “forced” to go to Columbia University by her recently deceased grandmother and the full ride education provided in her will. Before moving into her dorm, Remi receives an invitation to what seems like a sorority called the Order of the Scarlet Quill. She couldn’t care less about it but soon the mystery of the secret society pulls her in and she decides to check things out. Remi is immediately thrust into the world of demon hunting and all that it entails.
This read was fast paced, had great descriptions, and the forbidden romance provided a lot of steamy tension. In my opinion, the FMC Remi, was very frustrating and annoying at times. She constantly had her guard up and thought the worst of people. She was a little over dramatic for my taste but I did appreciate that the author wrote Remi to be full of layers and dealing with hard hitting subjects like grief and alcoholism.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and will be continuing with the series once the 2nd book is released.
🗡️Moody Male Guardian 🗡️FMC Anxiety Rep 🗡️Forbidden Love 🗡️Set In New York City 🗡️Secret Society 🗡️Open Door Spice 🗡️Demon Hunters 🗡️Dark Urban Fantasy
This read was fast paced, had great descriptions, and the forbidden romance provided a lot of steamy tension. In my opinion, the FMC Remi, was very frustrating and annoying at times. She constantly had her guard up and thought the worst of people. She was a little over dramatic for my taste but I did appreciate that the author wrote Remi to be full of layers and dealing with hard hitting subjects like grief and alcoholism.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and will be continuing with the series once the 2nd book is released.
🗡️Moody Male Guardian 🗡️FMC Anxiety Rep 🗡️Forbidden Love 🗡️Set In New York City 🗡️Secret Society 🗡️Open Door Spice 🗡️Demon Hunters 🗡️Dark Urban Fantasy
September 10, 2024
‘I will always find you.’
Oh man, the chokehold this book had on me was strong! 😳
I really liked how this book puts you in the moment. You can imagine how everything feels, looks, and sounds. The descriptive imagery was truly amazing! This gave me Buffy vibes but not vampires. it’s a secret society on a college campus fighting demons to save the world. There’s prophecies and so many secrets. Our FMC knows nothing so we learn as she does.
From the very beginning, I was hooked. I particularly loved the FMC because she was kind of unlikable. 😅 She was kind of rude and strong willed. She def seemed like she was stuck in her own little world at first. I liked how she wasn’t afraid though. She wasn’t afraid to help her friends and she wasn’t afraid to ask questions. I liked her. She’s a baddie.
To stay mostly spoiler free, the forbidden romance was 🔥! I salivate for this type of tension. And then the epilogue in his POV! I’m dying for book 2. I need it immediately, please and thank you.
Honestly guys, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I loved every sentence of it.
Oh man, the chokehold this book had on me was strong! 😳
I really liked how this book puts you in the moment. You can imagine how everything feels, looks, and sounds. The descriptive imagery was truly amazing! This gave me Buffy vibes but not vampires. it’s a secret society on a college campus fighting demons to save the world. There’s prophecies and so many secrets. Our FMC knows nothing so we learn as she does.
From the very beginning, I was hooked. I particularly loved the FMC because she was kind of unlikable. 😅 She was kind of rude and strong willed. She def seemed like she was stuck in her own little world at first. I liked how she wasn’t afraid though. She wasn’t afraid to help her friends and she wasn’t afraid to ask questions. I liked her. She’s a baddie.
To stay mostly spoiler free, the forbidden romance was 🔥! I salivate for this type of tension. And then the epilogue in his POV! I’m dying for book 2. I need it immediately, please and thank you.
Honestly guys, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I loved every sentence of it.
September 24, 2024
♠️ Secret Society
🩸 Demons
♠️ Slow Burn
🩸 Forbidden Romance
♠️ Mysterious Magic
This was interesting and touches a lot of heavy themes - underaged drinking/alcohol addition, illicit drug use, grief. I respect the author for bringing awareness to the addiction part and how it’s specifically tied in to Remi’s grief as a coping mechanism. The monsters were terrifying and I’m glad most of us are oblivious to them because if they are real, I’d give in to my flight response lol.
I’m really intrigued with the history of the society and its secrets and what exactly was the reasoning behind her grandma’s secrecy when she was a legend in that world. I feel there are lots of unanswered questions still and I’m just as lost as Remi is. Hopefully we get better answers in book 2.
The romance feels like a forbidden romance blended with foreshadowing of a love triangle. At first I thought Kal was it, but then there was Josh who turned into an a**h*le so now I’m shipping Kal even though I know Josh is endgame..
I didn’t like how this is tied to religion and having a God be the almighty choosing who to allow into the society.. it feels very cultish and it’s not my cup of tea but I did like the females being more in power in an otherwise patriarchal group.
🩸 Demons
♠️ Slow Burn
🩸 Forbidden Romance
♠️ Mysterious Magic
This was interesting and touches a lot of heavy themes - underaged drinking/alcohol addition, illicit drug use, grief. I respect the author for bringing awareness to the addiction part and how it’s specifically tied in to Remi’s grief as a coping mechanism. The monsters were terrifying and I’m glad most of us are oblivious to them because if they are real, I’d give in to my flight response lol.
I’m really intrigued with the history of the society and its secrets and what exactly was the reasoning behind her grandma’s secrecy when she was a legend in that world. I feel there are lots of unanswered questions still and I’m just as lost as Remi is. Hopefully we get better answers in book 2.
The romance feels like a forbidden romance blended with foreshadowing of a love triangle. At first I thought Kal was it, but then there was Josh who turned into an a**h*le so now I’m shipping Kal even though I know Josh is endgame..
I didn’t like how this is tied to religion and having a God be the almighty choosing who to allow into the society.. it feels very cultish and it’s not my cup of tea but I did like the females being more in power in an otherwise patriarchal group.
September 6, 2024
I got the pleasure of being picked as an ARC reader for the Deck Of Scarlets!
The book started off a little slow but it definitely picked up and turned out to keep me on the edge of my seat with an ending I wasn’t expecting!
The book follows FMC Remi whose gram died and put in her will that she would attend college even though remi never wanted too. She is a young girl who’s trying to navigate this thing called life, addiction and family problems all while getting invited to a secret society that takes place in a church training demon hunters that are trying to do some good in the world. Along the way she meets the MMC Josh who is definitely a forbidden love interest but pushes her to be the best she can be and watching them both grow throughout the book was super entertaining there is spice, action and adventure everything a fantasy reader looks for in a book!!
I’ve never read an urban fantasy before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it surpassed all my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait for book two to come out so I can continue Remi and Josh’s story.
If you like
🔥Moody Male Guardian
🔥Forbidden Love
🔥Secret Society
🔥Open Door Spice
🔥Demon Hunters
🔥Dark urban fantasy
This is definitely the book for you and completely worth the read!!
The book started off a little slow but it definitely picked up and turned out to keep me on the edge of my seat with an ending I wasn’t expecting!
The book follows FMC Remi whose gram died and put in her will that she would attend college even though remi never wanted too. She is a young girl who’s trying to navigate this thing called life, addiction and family problems all while getting invited to a secret society that takes place in a church training demon hunters that are trying to do some good in the world. Along the way she meets the MMC Josh who is definitely a forbidden love interest but pushes her to be the best she can be and watching them both grow throughout the book was super entertaining there is spice, action and adventure everything a fantasy reader looks for in a book!!
I’ve never read an urban fantasy before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it surpassed all my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait for book two to come out so I can continue Remi and Josh’s story.
If you like
🔥Moody Male Guardian
🔥Forbidden Love
🔥Secret Society
🔥Open Door Spice
🔥Demon Hunters
🔥Dark urban fantasy
This is definitely the book for you and completely worth the read!!
October 28, 2024
This book pulls you in from page one! The rich, immersive descriptions make every scene feel vivid, almost like you're right there. The story has a Buffy-esque vibe but without vampires; instead, there's a secret society battling demons on a college campus. There are prophecies, secrets, and our FMC who knows nothing at first, so we learn alongside her.
She’s definitely not the typical, likable character—she’s strong-willed, a bit rude, and unapologetically herself, which I loved. Her bravery, her questions, and her willingness to help her friends make her a true baddie.
The forbidden romance? Absolutely 🔥. The tension was perfect, and the epilogue in his POV left me begging for the next book. If you love romantasy with a thriller twist and complex characters, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I loved every bit of it—cover and all!
She’s definitely not the typical, likable character—she’s strong-willed, a bit rude, and unapologetically herself, which I loved. Her bravery, her questions, and her willingness to help her friends make her a true baddie.
The forbidden romance? Absolutely 🔥. The tension was perfect, and the epilogue in his POV left me begging for the next book. If you love romantasy with a thriller twist and complex characters, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I loved every bit of it—cover and all!
September 16, 2024
“Deck of Scarlets” by Amanda Sinatra whisks you away to a world brimming with dark academia vibes and supernatural intrigue. After her grandmother’s passing, eighteen-year-old Remi Watson is set on honoring her family’s tradition by attending Columbia University. But her college life takes an unexpected twist when she receives an invitation to join the Order of the Scarlet Quill, a secret society dedicated to training demon hunters known as the Scarlets.
Remi’s journey is a rollercoaster of twists and turns as she delves into her family’s hidden past and navigates the complexities of becoming a demon hunter. Expect some romantic tension, too, with a love triangle involving Remi, her best friend’s boyfriend Josh West, who is also her guardian, a Tutelary Saint.
If you’re a fan of detailed world-building, secret societies steeped in tradition and rituals, and a supernatural twist, then this book is definitely for you.
September 11, 2024
♠️♥️Deck of Scarlets♥️♠️
This was such a fun read and I'm definitely going to need book two to pick up on the cliffhanger!
I'm curious to see Remi's character development & who she becomes as the series goes along. She's still young with a lot to learn but I have a feeling the author has big plans for her!
I would love a bit more detail in some areas, other than that I really enjoyed this book!
I've been reading a lot of heavy spice lately so this was a good pallet cleanser that I needed!
Tropes:
🗡️Slow Burn
♠️Dark Urban Fantasy
🗡️FMC Anxiety Rep
♠️Forbidden Love
🗡️Secret Society
♠️Demon Hunters
This was such a fun read and I'm definitely going to need book two to pick up on the cliffhanger!
I'm curious to see Remi's character development & who she becomes as the series goes along. She's still young with a lot to learn but I have a feeling the author has big plans for her!
I would love a bit more detail in some areas, other than that I really enjoyed this book!
I've been reading a lot of heavy spice lately so this was a good pallet cleanser that I needed!
Tropes:
🗡️Slow Burn
♠️Dark Urban Fantasy
🗡️FMC Anxiety Rep
♠️Forbidden Love
🗡️Secret Society
♠️Demon Hunters
August 30, 2024
This book had me in a chokehold all the way to the end. I need to know what happens next. I was not expecting for it to go the way it did. The slow burn between Josh and Remi is soo strong. The book was wll written and it kept my intrigued every step of the way. If I could reread this for the first time I wouldn't hesitate one second. I highly recommend if you are looking for Forbidden love, secret society, demon hunters etc this would definitely be the book for you!!
September 5, 2024
I don’t even know where to begin.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Everytime time I picked it up I could not put it down. I loved the characters, the storyline and the TENSION?? 🥵
I just really cannot wait for book two!!
I really enjoyed reading this book. Everytime time I picked it up I could not put it down. I loved the characters, the storyline and the TENSION?? 🥵
I just really cannot wait for book two!!
September 27, 2024
This book took me a while to get into but it ended up being really good. This had the perfect amount of drama, suspense, and the slow burn between the FMC & MMC was so good it drove me insane. 3.75 stars!!
August 26, 2024
Packed with adrenaline this book had me on my toes! The FMC Remix is impulsive and when she feels something she feels it hard! The MMC josh gave me golden retriever vibes😅. I'm excited to experience their growth and their experiences over this series! It is a must read for lovers of demon hunters and secret society dark academia!
September 14, 2024
Sometimes I’m really glad that I do judge books by their covers, and this book is a perfect example. Let me start off by saying that I fell in love with the cover design the second I saw it, and I just knew I had to read it. I’m so glad to say that I enjoyed it even more than I expected!
I would say it’s romantasy with elements of thriller, aka a combination I adore, which made it a very easy and fast read for me. Moreover, the story deals with problematic characters and their no less problematic relationships. I really can’t say that the characters are loveable, but at some point you start understanding them. I was really annoyed by FMC overreacting so much, but then I realized I probably would be even worse in her situation, so good job on keeping things realistic.
Generally, this novel’s world building has reminded me of the Shadowhunters series (and, if you know me, you know that’s the biggest compliment I could give). They’re definitely far from being the same, and I can’t even call them similar, it’s just the vibe.
The story had an adequate level of predictability, and, most importantly - it had slow burn romance which is one of my all-time favorite tropes. And exactly because of this mix of the things I enjoy in a book, I can safely say that I LOVED IT AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR PART 2.
I would say it’s romantasy with elements of thriller, aka a combination I adore, which made it a very easy and fast read for me. Moreover, the story deals with problematic characters and their no less problematic relationships. I really can’t say that the characters are loveable, but at some point you start understanding them. I was really annoyed by FMC overreacting so much, but then I realized I probably would be even worse in her situation, so good job on keeping things realistic.
Generally, this novel’s world building has reminded me of the Shadowhunters series (and, if you know me, you know that’s the biggest compliment I could give). They’re definitely far from being the same, and I can’t even call them similar, it’s just the vibe.
The story had an adequate level of predictability, and, most importantly - it had slow burn romance which is one of my all-time favorite tropes. And exactly because of this mix of the things I enjoy in a book, I can safely say that I LOVED IT AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR PART 2.
September 3, 2024
I absolutely loved this book it was very well written and the character development was done amazingly.
September 10, 2024
4.25 🌟, 1.5 🌶 . This is a really good start to an Urban Fantasy (not sure if that is the correct titlefor this genre). I didn't give it 5 stars because the first 30% was a little bit slow for me but when it got going it was getting me hooked. FMC starts college and finds out she is called to be part of a demon fighting group to protect humans and save the world. She resists it as long as possible but her destiny awaits. But everything is not as it seems and unknown forces are working their will. This battle just became very real and I expect many twists and turns. So looking forward to book two. Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read your book. Now please I need the next book. 😆
No pressure.
No pressure.
September 14, 2024
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Deck of Scarlets before its release, and it did not disappoint! This fantasy novel is set in current-day New York and masterfully blends themes of Christianity with the thrilling presence of a secret society that fights demons. While the main character annoyed me at times, I absolutely loved her strength and the fact that she wasn’t afraid to be a little vicious when needed. The world-building was easy to follow, and the supernatural elements fit seamlessly into the modern setting. The plot twists kept me engaged, and the cliffhanger has me eagerly awaiting the second part of the series. If you enjoy strong female characters, intriguing themes, and a fast-paced, gripping storyline, this one’s for you!
September 11, 2024
I'm so grateful to have received an ARC copy of Deck of Scarlets. I remember signing up for it and being so intrigued by the blurb. The book did not disappoint. I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but the world-building that was written was incredibly easy to follow. I loved every aspect of this book. You follow the main female character, Remi, and her journey of being accepted into a secret demon-hunting society. She's definitely a fierce character that you end up rooting for, and I admire her determination throughout the book. The chemistry between her and the main male character, Josh, was so fun to read about. Things aren't as they seem though, and I can't wait to read book two. I loved all the characters in the book, and I have a feeling this book had a lot of hints and clues for what's to come. I can't wait to read more about Amanda!
December 13, 2025
I received this book as an advanced reader copy of this book in its initial publishing, and went in with zero expectations. Thank you so much to the author for allowing me this opportunity.
When I finished I literally yelled, "Why aren't there more pages?" And I mean that in the best way. As the story played out - especially those last two chapters - I wanted to keep going. I was prepared to stay up all night reading before work! But alas, there are no more pages and though some questions were answered, I was left with SO many more.
It is a really good story and a fun, interesting take on the biblical fight between Heaven and Hell. There are tropes we know and love with the secret society and school setting. There was a moment of some hot open-door spice, and some absolutely delicious angst that made me go through a range of feelings. The end of the story sets up for more of those good tropes, plus some additional ones that us fantasy romance fans are suckers for. I won't tell you which ones look be coming, because it would honestly be spoilers.
The FMC, Remi, starts off the story as a high school graduate, using poor coping skills from the grief of losing her grandmother and heading off Columbia University per said grandmother's will. Sometimes she pissed me off with the way she acted as she learned about the Scarlets and the secret world they inhabit. The author did a great job of writing her journey in that way, the reader should get mad at the stupid choices and stumbles someone makes when their life is irrevocably altered.
The MMC, Josh, was mysterious throughout the book. His motivations are unclear, and his relationship with Remi's best friend Nickie even less so. But I feel like we're going to get the tea on that in the next book - and I cannot wait. I alternated between finding him hot as hell and aggravating enough to want to hit him myself.
And Remi's bestie Nickie? She's toxic and something about her makes me give her the side eye. But we have all had that friend at one point who was not the best to us, that we wanted to defend to the bitter end.
The rest of the characters in the story - Father Benedict, the other Scarlets and Saints, Remi's b**** of a mother - I thought were a good supporting cast. Their interactions with Remi and her journey added good depth and opportunities for exposition. There were no huge info dumps and I loved that.
Overall it was a such a fun read and I can't wait for book two. I did take one star away for some grammatical and editing points that I think need a bit closer look - but nothing that took me out of the story. Just more of "hey guys, you missed a few things" that were glaring at me. Still loved it and will keep reading this series.
***NOTE: If you're in my age range reading this (mid-40's), remember that these are 18-20ish year olds and they do act accordingly. I mention this because I see a lot of older readers picking up books like this and making comments like, "Oh the FMC was soooo whiny!" and try to make this a point of contention for whatever reason.
Reality check my older friends - we were all melodramatic and obnoxious at that age, too. We made some poor choices and messed up constantly. And compared to Remi fighting literal demons, the ones we most often fought were our questionable partners and poor fashion choices.
Just sit back and enjoy the story - and remember its not your drama this time!
When I finished I literally yelled, "Why aren't there more pages?" And I mean that in the best way. As the story played out - especially those last two chapters - I wanted to keep going. I was prepared to stay up all night reading before work! But alas, there are no more pages and though some questions were answered, I was left with SO many more.
It is a really good story and a fun, interesting take on the biblical fight between Heaven and Hell. There are tropes we know and love with the secret society and school setting. There was a moment of some hot open-door spice, and some absolutely delicious angst that made me go through a range of feelings. The end of the story sets up for more of those good tropes, plus some additional ones that us fantasy romance fans are suckers for. I won't tell you which ones look be coming, because it would honestly be spoilers.
The FMC, Remi, starts off the story as a high school graduate, using poor coping skills from the grief of losing her grandmother and heading off Columbia University per said grandmother's will. Sometimes she pissed me off with the way she acted as she learned about the Scarlets and the secret world they inhabit. The author did a great job of writing her journey in that way, the reader should get mad at the stupid choices and stumbles someone makes when their life is irrevocably altered.
The MMC, Josh, was mysterious throughout the book. His motivations are unclear, and his relationship with Remi's best friend Nickie even less so. But I feel like we're going to get the tea on that in the next book - and I cannot wait. I alternated between finding him hot as hell and aggravating enough to want to hit him myself.
And Remi's bestie Nickie? She's toxic and something about her makes me give her the side eye. But we have all had that friend at one point who was not the best to us, that we wanted to defend to the bitter end.
The rest of the characters in the story - Father Benedict, the other Scarlets and Saints, Remi's b**** of a mother - I thought were a good supporting cast. Their interactions with Remi and her journey added good depth and opportunities for exposition. There were no huge info dumps and I loved that.
Overall it was a such a fun read and I can't wait for book two. I did take one star away for some grammatical and editing points that I think need a bit closer look - but nothing that took me out of the story. Just more of "hey guys, you missed a few things" that were glaring at me. Still loved it and will keep reading this series.
***NOTE: If you're in my age range reading this (mid-40's), remember that these are 18-20ish year olds and they do act accordingly. I mention this because I see a lot of older readers picking up books like this and making comments like, "Oh the FMC was soooo whiny!" and try to make this a point of contention for whatever reason.
Reality check my older friends - we were all melodramatic and obnoxious at that age, too. We made some poor choices and messed up constantly. And compared to Remi fighting literal demons, the ones we most often fought were our questionable partners and poor fashion choices.
Just sit back and enjoy the story - and remember its not your drama this time!
December 18, 2024
So I will say that this book had such great themes. Especially about Remi’s alcohol dependency. I just wish that was explored a little bit more.
I think what really got me was that everything just seemed a little surface level to me. For example:
1. Any relationship that is seen between Remi and another character. ESPECIALLY Josh. There was a lot of bickering, but no actual getting to know each other or tender moments. The relationship between Remi and Nickie was childish and they never had good heart-to-heart moments.
2. Everything was kinda thrown at the main character (which is joked about). She goes to school, discovers the secret society her grandmother was in, gets initiated, and then it’s like next week she’s fighting demons.
I will say, I liked the imagery a lot in the book. I loved the anxiety representation and felt that it was important to showcase. I liked the secret society aspect as well, it made it more interesting.
I am excited to see where this series goes, maybe the surface level things I discussed earlier would be expanded upon more.
Update on review: after thinking it through and comparing this book to previous books I’ve read this year…. This book fall’s especially flat. The characters had mood swings and the plot had no flow to it at all. It seemed a little to juvenile for my taste. 2 stars✌🏻
I think what really got me was that everything just seemed a little surface level to me. For example:
1. Any relationship that is seen between Remi and another character. ESPECIALLY Josh. There was a lot of bickering, but no actual getting to know each other or tender moments. The relationship between Remi and Nickie was childish and they never had good heart-to-heart moments.
2. Everything was kinda thrown at the main character (which is joked about). She goes to school, discovers the secret society her grandmother was in, gets initiated, and then it’s like next week she’s fighting demons.
I will say, I liked the imagery a lot in the book. I loved the anxiety representation and felt that it was important to showcase. I liked the secret society aspect as well, it made it more interesting.
I am excited to see where this series goes, maybe the surface level things I discussed earlier would be expanded upon more.
Update on review: after thinking it through and comparing this book to previous books I’ve read this year…. This book fall’s especially flat. The characters had mood swings and the plot had no flow to it at all. It seemed a little to juvenile for my taste. 2 stars✌🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2024
Secret Society and Monsters
I love getting to go along with Remi, learning as she is, about a whole world right under her nose. The Secret Society is interesting and different and I just keep having more and more questions.
The tension between her and Josh is amazing.
I can’t wait to see how everything fits together. Dying for the next book release date!
I love getting to go along with Remi, learning as she is, about a whole world right under her nose. The Secret Society is interesting and different and I just keep having more and more questions.
The tension between her and Josh is amazing.
I can’t wait to see how everything fits together. Dying for the next book release date!
September 9, 2024
Thanks so much to Amanda Sinatra's marketing team for the ARC! This releases tomorrow, and I hope it goes great for you :)
Remi Watson gets inducted into a secret society operating on Columbia University's campus, and with that society comes a whole new world of demons, magic, and a host of complicated feelings.
The story at the heart of this book is a good one, complete with a character who has a lot of personal demons to conquer in addition to the ones she's destined to fight as a Scarlet (certifiable anger issues and alcoholism, to name a couple). The world that unfolds around her promises to be rich, and I think the direction in which the second book is going will make for an even more vivid setting if it's done right. There are some lovable side characters who I was interested to learn more about as they got pulled into the orbit of the Scarlet Quill.
"Okay, that sounds great, but why'd you rate it 3 stars then?"
Funny you should ask. There were a few major problems that made it hard to fully immerse myself in this story, although I never exactly felt like I didn't want to pick it up anymore.
1. Remi is INSUFFERABLE. I know she's riffing off of the stabby heroines that have gotten popular lately, but it gets tiresome hearing about how sad she is that her friends are in trouble while it seems that, for weeks on end, she's forgotten about them entirely. Whenever they finally come back on page, they're quickly whisked away in favor of demon hunting, with no on-page consequences for the fact that Remi often ditches them without even trying to make a reasonable excuse. This was an opportunity to explore tensions between her two worlds, but it never came back around to that. She's incredibly mean to anyone who challenges her in the slightest and constantly talks about wanting to kick people in the teeth or something along those lines. Girl, you're not a badass, you just need to learn to deal with conflict like an adult.
2. This one's a bit of a spoiler, so I'll tag it as such.
3. There were a fair number of obvious typos and spelling mistakes. By no means did it make the book unreadable, but they did disrupt the flow of the story.
Overall, there's a lot of room for growth in Remi's story, and Sinatra selected an interesting mix of mythologies on which to base her work. I'm hoping that Remi's character experiences some growth in future installments--I'd especially like to see some reflection on her problems when comparing her old friends and her new ones (e.g., Nickie is a big-time enabler with drugs and alcohol, while the Scarlet Quill people try to support Remi in staying sober).
If you're interested in picking up Deck of Scarlets, you can get it on September 10th!
Remi Watson gets inducted into a secret society operating on Columbia University's campus, and with that society comes a whole new world of demons, magic, and a host of complicated feelings.
The story at the heart of this book is a good one, complete with a character who has a lot of personal demons to conquer in addition to the ones she's destined to fight as a Scarlet (certifiable anger issues and alcoholism, to name a couple). The world that unfolds around her promises to be rich, and I think the direction in which the second book is going will make for an even more vivid setting if it's done right. There are some lovable side characters who I was interested to learn more about as they got pulled into the orbit of the Scarlet Quill.
"Okay, that sounds great, but why'd you rate it 3 stars then?"
Funny you should ask. There were a few major problems that made it hard to fully immerse myself in this story, although I never exactly felt like I didn't want to pick it up anymore.
1. Remi is INSUFFERABLE. I know she's riffing off of the stabby heroines that have gotten popular lately, but it gets tiresome hearing about how sad she is that her friends are in trouble while it seems that, for weeks on end, she's forgotten about them entirely. Whenever they finally come back on page, they're quickly whisked away in favor of demon hunting, with no on-page consequences for the fact that Remi often ditches them without even trying to make a reasonable excuse. This was an opportunity to explore tensions between her two worlds, but it never came back around to that. She's incredibly mean to anyone who challenges her in the slightest and constantly talks about wanting to kick people in the teeth or something along those lines. Girl, you're not a badass, you just need to learn to deal with conflict like an adult.
2. This one's a bit of a spoiler, so I'll tag it as such.
3. There were a fair number of obvious typos and spelling mistakes. By no means did it make the book unreadable, but they did disrupt the flow of the story.
Overall, there's a lot of room for growth in Remi's story, and Sinatra selected an interesting mix of mythologies on which to base her work. I'm hoping that Remi's character experiences some growth in future installments--I'd especially like to see some reflection on her problems when comparing her old friends and her new ones (e.g., Nickie is a big-time enabler with drugs and alcohol, while the Scarlet Quill people try to support Remi in staying sober).
If you're interested in picking up Deck of Scarlets, you can get it on September 10th!
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