Slayer

Slayer #1

by Leia Stone

They told me turning eighteen meant freedom. They never said it might kill me.

All I wanted was cake, candles, and a fresh start after aging out of the group home I’ve been stuck in for six years. What I got instead? A vampire crashing my party and trying to drain me dry.
Apparently, vampires are real and I can sense them.

Right before I become dinner, a gorgeous, broody vampire hunter named Asher swoops in and saves me. He tells me I’m not just some orphan with a bad attitude… I’m a legacy. A born Vampire Hunter. And now I’ve got a full ride to Nightguard Academy, a secret school for hunters.

Training to kill the undead? Kinda savage.

Except there’s one I’m hiding a secret so dark it could get me staked before graduation. And in a school full of monsters, secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Perfect for fans of Vampire Academy, Buffy and House of Night, this twisty, slow-burn supernatural romance will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult, Vampires, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2026

About the author

Leia Stone is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple bestselling series including Matefinder and Wolf Girl. She's sold over two million books and her Fallen Academy series has been optioned for film. Her novels have been translated into five languages and she even dabbles in script writing. Leia writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with sassy kick-butt heroines and irresistible love interests. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband and two children.


Follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/leia.stone

Reviews

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG IT WAS SO GOOD!! She is one of my favourite authors of all time and I was really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint!! Loved every second of it that I couldn’t put it down!!! I don’t know how I’m going to wait till January for the next one!! 😭😂An absolutely amazing book and would definitely recommend❤️❤️

[Brandi · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This was an amazing fast paced story that gave me major Buffy The Vampire Slayer vibes. And I desperately need book two!

If you grew up watching and loving Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will love this. It’s about an orphaned teen, Stella, who on her 18th birthday discovers vampires are real and she’s a vampire hunter. She finds this out from another vampire hunter in training, when the club & friends she is celebrating her birthday with, is attacked by vampires. She must escape to another dimension to be safe, at the vampire hunter academy. There she will attend and learn how to fight and hunt vampires. But there’s obviously way more to the story that you’ll just have to find out for yourself about.

I will say it’s YA so there’s no spice in it but it’s such a fast paced, almost nostalgic story that I ate up every single word of, and flew through this in less than a day.

I wish this was two or three times longer, to be honest, because it’s such an entertaining story. There’s so many more details that I want to know about but obviously this is just the first book. And there’s going be more books in this world based on the ending.

And this is also my first Leia Stone book and I will definitely be checking out more of her work from now on and anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent start to a new fantasy series! I loved following Stella in this story as she is thrust into the world of vampires and hunters on her 18th birthday. This was a fast paced read that I didn’t want to put down. I was immediately invested in the story and the characters and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I liked the vampire hunter academy setting as well as the entire cast of characters. I’m can’t wait to read the next installment of this series!

Read this if you like:

📖 Vampires
📖 Academy setting
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Found family
📖 Slow burn

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy.

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Leia Stone and Bloom Books for having sent me a #gifted PR package of Slayer. Of course I love all things fantasy/romantasy so I was definitely looking forward to reading this one since I have never read anything by Leia yet and she did not disappoint. You get to follow the main character Stella who gets to deal with Vampires and Vampire Hunters and a whole lot more and of course this is another enemies to lovers story which Enemies to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes! Stella gets to attend an Elite Academy (another great trope- dark academia) where she gets to learn to train how to fight the vampires/undead.
This definitely was a fun and fast paced fantasy paranormal read that I think many will enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all Mortal Instruments and Buffy lovers!
If you’re craving a YA urban paranormal academia romantasy then look no further! A fast pace read that kept me addicted till the very end. I love this new world that Stella stumbled upon on her 18th birthday. She discovers that vampires are real, and vampire hunters also exist.

I was so giddy with this book that I read it in a day! As the story progresses more is revealed about Stella, and this world that exists. I love the way that the vampire hunters travel, magic, and Nightguard Academy. Everything was easy to follow and I never felt confused. There’s so much I want to say but I don’t want to spoil it. If you’re looking for a vampire hunter book with heart, be sure to check this one out. So many secrets and mysteries to uncover. Eeek!

A very special thanks to the author for the gifted arc.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For your average teenager, turning eighteen might mean waking up the next morning with a hangover. For orphan Stella, it means discovering that pretty much everything she thought she knew about her life is wrong and all her dreams and plans for the future are changed in an instant. Who could’ve thought a simple trip to a nightclub would end up with her rescued by the mysterious Asher and them both being chased across the city by people with seriously creepy eyes. Then come the bigger revelations but mainly that vampires are real, and she’s a legacy, destined to hunt them…... fortunately, unlike Buffy she’s not the only one. But first she has to survive her training at Nightguard Academy.

This was my first book by Leia Stone, and I really enjoyed it. Slayer felt like a fun mix of what it would’ve been like if ‘Buffy had gone to Hogwarts,’ with the supernatural academy setting and the world of Veil Haven, vampires, friendships and found family thrown into the mix…... not forgetting lots of dangerously delicious secrets. What worked particularly well for me was the character of Stella herself. She has every reason to be overwhelmed by everything happening around her and has a lot to adjust to. Watching her find her place at the academy while figuring out who she could trust made for an engaging read but while she does adapt to her new life, she doesn’t suddenly become completely confident. She’s still wracked with doubts over if she’s good enough and struggles to believe that the people around her genuinely want to be her friend. She’s also keeping secrets that she’s been told might just be dangerous enough that they’ll get her killed. All running alongside the trials and tribulations of student life. There are also plenty more secrets surrounding Stella yet to be revealed especially the mystery surrounding her dead mother and just who her father was – I have my suspicions here, and I liked how these added another layer to the story without giving everything away too quickly. There’s a strong cast of supporting characters including a potential boyfriend in Asher although to be honest he’s not impressing me too much with his attitude and personally I’m thinking he’s jealous of Stella as it seems like she’s shaping up to be the ‘chosen one’ a slot he’d earmarked for himself

Overall, Slayer was an easy, entertaining read with an intrepid heroine, a strong sense of found family, an intriguing new supernatural world to navigate and enough mystery to keep me turning the pages. Definitely a fun start to the series.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for the YA lover in your life especially if they are a huge vampire/Buffy fan. The overall premise is really fun with Stella discovering another world on her 18th birthday and now getting thrust into it.

I do wish some of the scenes and writing were more flushed out. There were parts and scenes that jumped around quickly and the transitions were more abrupt that I cared for. However, I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing all the twists come to fruition, I definitely have theories.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Slayer is the first installment in author Leia Stone's Slayer series. It is a fast, nostalgic vampire-hunter academy romance aimed at readers who grew up on Buffy, Vampire Academy, and House of Night, and it largely delivers on that promise. Stella Adams turns eighteen and ages out of Washington’s foster system with a modest plan: keep the library job, start community college, become an ultrasound technician.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Jenna🦇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

i loved this one!! i loved learning about the lore, not heavy world building but a decent amount. plot is very good & characters are fun. this is a perfect read for spooky season! vampires, vampire slayers, a slow burn romance brimming with tension, and a mystery history involving them fmc?! sign me up!! i cannot wait for book 2!

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down and read it in one sitting. This has massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes so if you enjoyed the show, you will very likely enjoy this. The world is intriguing so I can’t wait to jump into the next book.

[Booo · Rating 5 out of 5]

´ཀ`Goodreads Giveaway ´ཀ`

🗡🧛🏻‍♀️Stella, an orphan who discovers she belongs to an ancient bloodline of vampire hunters, is rescued by a good-looking hunter named Asher during a vampire attack on her 18th birthday party. She is then taken to the hunter's realm where she is trained and starts to discover her mother's dark secret....

🗡🧛🏻‍♀️I devoured this book. I could had finished it within a day but adulting gets in the way. This is a fast-paced book and I love that. We get straight to the point and so many twist and turns. I can't wait for the second book. I need the second book already!!

🩸YA Romance
🩸Vampires vs. Hunters
🩸Runes/magic
🩸Legacy
🩸Academy
🩸Buffy the vampire slayer/mortal Instruments Vibes

[Devika · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆.
Every time a new Leia Stone book is announced I am excited right away. Her books are really awesome, and I was very excited for her most recent release called Slayer. This is a perfect read for fans of Vampire Academy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As you might be able to guess, this book will feature vampire slayers, but what will I think of it?
This book is mainly a big adventure. There is a small romance subplot, but the focus is on family and friends. Stella has to go through lots of new developments and she finds out more and more about her family. Nevertheless, she also really stands for her friends and her past as orphan which is a really nice add to her personality.

Check out my full review on my blog Boekensteeg

[Cassandra Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Teen/ YA.
Vampires 🧛‍♂️
Vampire Hunters 🏹
Magic 🪄
Interdimensional Travel 🌌
Vampire Hunter Academy 🏫
Mystery, Intrigue and Buried Secrets 🤫

I thought this was a very interesting take on Vampires. As well as an interesting magic system that included abilities, runes, and wafers (edible power boost/ability givers).
There are some plot holes but eh its a Fantasy I try not to dwell on the mechanics of things too much in make believe worlds.

I did enjoy the fact that the main character was not instantly good at being a vampire hunter, it takes almost the entirety of the book to get there which is more than some. The training scenes were brief and not overwhelming to the point that it drug the pace of the story down. I'm not one for insta love/lust and even though our main characters make it through most of the book before making a move, the MMC is instantly smitten and goes into savior mode. I would've prefered for the relationship to develop slower. There are a number of side characters and I think we will get to explore them more in the next book. I DID not see the Cliffhanger coming, I really thought it would go a different way.

It was a quick little read it only took me like 2 days to finish. In closing Slayer offered a different take on vampires then the norm, it had a unique magic system, an acadmey setting, and plenty of mystery. If the above themes are your vibe pick yourself up a copy.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent start to a new fantasy series! I loved following Stella in this story as she is thrust into the world of vampires and hunters on her 18th birthday. This was a fast paced read that I didn’t want to put down. I was immediately invested in the story and the characters and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I liked the vampire hunter academy setting as well as the entire cast of characters. I’m can’t wait to read the next installment of this series!

Read this if you like:

📖 Vampires
📖 Academy setting
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Found family
📖 Slow burn

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strong start to a new fantasy series. This was a fast paced read that follows Stella as she is exposed to a world of vampires that she didn’t existed on her 18th birthday. This story was action packed, heartfelt and mysterious with a paranormal academy setting. I liked the incorporation of rune magic and portals to and from this other world. This was a very engaging read and I can’t wait to see how to series continues.

Read this if you like:
🩸 Vampires
🩸 Found family
🩸 Academy setting

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy of the book.

[Caleb Avendano · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you turn eighteen, you become an adult, gain a little more freedom, maybe go to college, and possibly experience a few hangovers. But for Stella, turning eighteen means discovering that vampires are real, and that she comes from a lineage of Slayers.

Growing up in the foster care system has already taught Stella how to survive, but nothing could prepare her for what happens at her eighteenth birthday celebration. One minute she’s with her friends, and the next they’re being attacked by bloodthirsty vampires. Just when it looks like she might not make it out alive, she’s rescued by Asher, a dark and mysterious hunter who pulls her into a dangerous world she never knew existed.

I had so much fun reading this book! Stella is such a strong protagonist. She may have a tough exterior, but underneath it all, she just wants to be loved and accepted. I especially loved that she isn’t the cliché orphan with a mysterious dark side. Instead, she’s open to letting people in while simultaneously kicking some seriously bloodthirsty demon butt.

The entire cast brought something exciting to the story, and I loved watching Stella slowly find a family in this chaotic supernatural world. The world-building was also one of my favorite parts. Hunters and vampires each have their own unique abilities, which makes every confrontation feel unpredictable and raises the stakes even higher.

My only issue was that we’re left with unanswered questions, especially when it comes to Stella’s parentage. Yes, I know this is the first book in a planned duology, but that ending had me ready to start demanding explanations immediately.

Leia Stone’s Slayer is Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Divergent and Hogwarts. It quenched my thirst for vampires, slayed from beginning to end, and definitely had a lot at stake!

Slayer was a thrilling supernatural ride with badass characters, deadly secrets, dangerous powers, and an ending that leaves you desperate for more. I’m ready to sink my teeth into book two.

4.5⭐️

[Adele Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5
Tropes/themes: YA, romantasy, vampires, coming of age, academia fantasy, mystery

Stella has just turned 18, aged out of the social services system and is going to live with another orphan friend who aged out a few years ago. The day she moves in, Stella goes out to a club with her friends and once there discovers that vampires exist! Stella finds out she's a vampire hunter legacy, moves to another (safer) dimension, and starts attending vampire hunter academy.

Stella starts to make new friends, studying and training hard to catch up to the other students, and grieving the loss of the mother she never knew she had. But the vampires keep infiltrating the campus, some of which seem to be coming for Stella specifically, and there's a mysterious letter from her dead mom she's trying to figure out.

This book FLEW by! It's so well written, and keeps moving along, I wanted it to last longer! Stella's reactions were exactly how I would also have reacted, so entirely believable and relatable (except for... you know... the vampires). I loved how the relationships between Stella and her friends and her mentors starts to slowly crack the shell she has built to protect herself. A lifetime of feeling unloved isn't going to be overcome in that short amount of time, though, which was as it should be. I loved Stella as a character!

Asher, however, bugged me. He definitely has his own hangups and issues and trauma, but unless her and Stella have a 'fated mates' kind of thing, she definitely should have told him to fuck all the way off. I guess his reactions tracked with the book being YA, but he was surprisingly immature for such a hot, dangerous vampire hunter.

And that cliffhanger!!! Brutal! I WANT BOOK 2!

[Booksbystarlightandshadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great fast paced YA read. Stella is a likeable FMC and has had a plan for her future following her childhood in foster care. That all goes by the wayside though when she goes out for birthday drinks and inadvertently ends up caught between vampires and hunters. Leaving everything Stella knew behind, she quickly finds out not only that these things are real, but that she herself is a legacy in this world.

This is fast paced and although there is a romance plot, its slow burn. The miscommunication trope is lurking though and it looks like it's going to continue into book two. Asher may be the MMC but Stella's relationships with Luna, Harper and Celia were the ones which stood out. The return trip to see Linda too was incredibly sweet. Although there are some pretty epic battles, it still feels YA with the characters reading as actual late teens rather than characters who act like they are much older.

Life at the academy is relatively angst free until vampire attacks start spiking. There is also danger coming from the mystery surrounding Stella's mother and what happened to her. I have a feeling there is going to be some kind of connection between what happened to Asher and Daphne's parents too. The cliffhanger isn't too painful but definitely seems to have drawn a line in the sand - I'm interested to see how that is going to be unpacked in book two!

My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read

[Cara A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella discovers on the day she gains her freedom and turns eighteen that vampires are real. What was supposed to be her new start leads to a whole new adventure where she is a from a legacy vampire hunting family. She enters Nightguard the secret school for hunters where she meets another handsome hunter and many new friends. There is just one thing in the way of this new start and that's secrets that have been long buried.

I love the world that she enters at Nightguard Academy. There we get so much supernatural intrigue, vampire fighting training, hidden enemies and new secrets that keep popping up.

Stella has been through many challenges in her life but the one thing she has never had is someone to be there for her and care about her. It is such a wonderful ride of emotions that we go on with Stella. She meets new friends and begins to feel connected but there is still that fear and with new these new relationships. As Stella grows and makes these connections she learns of a dangerous secret that could put her life at risk if it is found out.

Let’s not forget the slow-burn romantic connection with Asher, who is fiercely protective of those close to him, yet there’s an undeniable amount of pining and tension between them.

I can’t take this anymore, Stella,” he said, “I lie awake at night thinking about the sound of your laugh, and I wake up wondering what you look like in the morning. Every time I see those lips… God help me. I want to kiss you.

This book is packed with vampire hunters, supernatural academies, and enough mystery and twists to keep you hooked until the very end. I highly recommend that you add this book to your TBR.

[Dominique (The Diary of a Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had WAY too much fun with this book.

Slayer gave me that slightly nostalgic feeling of the vampire books I used to absolutely devour, and apparently that is still very much my shit. 😂 Vampires, a secret academy, hidden family secrets, a broody vampire hunter (I love broody men)... I never stood a chance.

And this was so damn addictive. It's YA, but honestly, it never felt YA to me. The writing was easy to get lost in; I loved the worldbuilding around Veil Haven, and the further I got into the story, the more questions I had about Stella, her mother, and all those little threads Stone was quietly weaving into the background.

My only problem???

STELLA.

Girl. Please.

She was so frustrating in the beginning that she literally cost this book half a star. I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her more than once.

Except...then she started growing on me.

She starts letting herself consider that maybe she doesn't know everything she thinks she knows. She lets people in. She starts realizing that she actually likes having people around her and maybe (just maybe) she doesn't have to be alone.

And now I have a problem because the character who cost the book half a star ended up having an arc I actually really enjoyed.

So do I give the half star back?

IDK, now I think I owe Leia Stone an apology 😂

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Leia Stone for providing me with a copy of Slayer to read and review.

Full review on my blog The Diary of a Reader.

[Tara (The Starlit Shelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! I don’t read a lot of vampire stories, but this one completely surprised me and was honestly perfection.

Stella’s 18th birthday takes a very unexpected turn when her party is crashed by vampires. Enter Asher, a vampire hunter who whisks her away into the hidden world of vampire hunters, where Stella begins attending Nightguard Academy as a legacy. Of course, she’s carrying a massive secret that could change everything.

One of my favorite parts was the relationship between Stella and Asher. Their banter, chemistry, and tension were EVERYTHING, and I’m always a sucker for a good slow burn. 🔥 The friendships and found-family relationships were another highlight for me. Stella’s friends and her mom’s best friend become such an important part of her life, and I loved watching those relationships develop. They added so much heart and depth to the story while also helping move the plot forward.

I was completely entranced by this world and genuinely didn’t want to leave it when I reached the end. Between the paranormal elements, academy setting, found family, banter, secrets, and slow-burn romance, this book had so much of what I love in a story. I NEED the next book ASAP!
If you’re looking to dip your toes into vampire books or want to try paranormal romance, I think this is a fantastic place to start!

[Lanae (findmeonsmutlane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back all the nostalgia of the paranormal books I loved reading in high school. It's very "Buffy the vampire slayer" meets "Mortal Instruments" and I ate up every second of it.

You have an orphaned FMC who on her 18th birthday finds out not only are vampires real, but that she is a legacy vampire hunter and must now go train to become a vampire slayer.

Cue, new friends that become found family, cute boy that will def be the long interest (after of course all the tension and angst), and secrets upon secrets between the world of vampires and vampire hunters, and the past of FMC.

I enjoyed the plot a ton, the pacing was perfect. I loved that it was fast paced and the plot moved swiftly and there was not a lot of filler. The characters were fun and relatable, and I can tell found family is going to be a big aspect of the story.

My only complaint is, the story started off feeling more upper YA to new adult, and then mid-way to the end, it did feel like it devolved a bit and became a lot more YA. The characters felt like the became a little more immature, and high school? I wish it had worked in the opposite.

But I still ate up every second of the book and I will definitely be continuing the series!

[Donna’s Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Vampire Slayer!! I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer so much! This kind of reminds me of that, except different. Imagine an Academy in a different realm where Hunters are trained and if they pass certain tests they get runes which label them as whatever their strengths show them to be. There’s a whole explanation of how this works as you read the book. Then they are chosen into teams to work together to find and take out Vampires on earth. These hunters get way more training than Buffy did, and there’s more than one Slayer. There is so much that is cool about this world!!

The FMC, Stella, was left as a baby at a hospital with runes on her arms. Nobody knew what they were and they disappeared. But because of this no one wanted to adopt her. She grew up in a group home, and when she was eighteen went off to start her own life, only to find she wasn’t from the mortal world. Stella is pretty bad a$$, but she makes a lot of bad choices. She can’t help it, she came from a very hard background and didn’t really learn to trust people. She’s definitely very relatable.

I was SHOCKED when it ended!! Not only because it ended on a cliffhanger, but because it flew by!! I loved the escape of getting lost in a book like that!! Can’t wait for book two!!!

[Crystal0503 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stella thought she was getting freedom on her 18th birthday when she signed the paperwork with Linda and saw that heavy word adult, she would no longer be in a group home or have to allow anyone to make her choices again. Yet her 2 year plan was interrupted when she went out that night with her friend Rae to celebrate not only her birthday but her freedom to find out she was nothing like her friends, and because of it she needed to start a whole new life.
Stella had always known she had been given away she was a ward of the state, but going from nothing to having everything is unsettling to say the least. And you find yourself having people when you are so used to being alone, how do you know they won't leave you too? As Stella grapples with her new reality it becomes even more difficult when she receives a letter her mother left for her telling her not to trust anyone, so now Stella is in a new place alone and unsure how to proceed. Do you take the words of a woman you never met when she may have betrayed everyone? Or do you trust the people who took you in and have helped you get on your feet to help you figure it out and hope that's the right answer, knowing that it could lead to your death?

[Amber Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a fun time with this vampire hunter YA paranormal romance!

Tropes:
🩸 Unknown Identity
🩸 Coming into Power
🩸 Found Family
🩸 YA Paranormal Romance
🩸 Vampire Hunting Academy

Stella has been a ward of the state all her life. But now she’s 18, and she’s ready to take on the world. Her friends take her out for her birthday, and all the sudden vampires infiltrate the club, and vampire hunters show up. When one of them, Asher, notices she can see the vampires, he informs her that she must be a lost vampire hunter, and should join them in their realm to become what she’s always meant to be.

This book was a lot of fun! I enjoyed that it leans a lot more to the middle of YA and New Adult with the maturity the characters had. I found the concept of people being born vampire hunters with certain abilities that unlock when they complete their challenge and enter the vampire hunting academy. The character intro, build, and the cliff hanger ending was so good. Like, I pulled up when the next book was expected to come out because I was that *gasp*

No 🌶️

Thank you so much, Leia, for sending me a copy of this book!

[Kelsey Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much Bloom Books for a gifted advanced copy of Slayer! 💜

I’m honestly so pleasantly surprised by this book! It’s a YA vampire hunter story and I think I just expected all the cheesiness or maybe a YA that really should have been NA, but this was really good!

Stella has been an orphan her whole life so when all of a sudden she’s taken to another dimension and told she’s a vampire hunter, she’s a little more than skeptical of this new world. But what I loved about it was that she got to redo so many things she missed out on in life! Having a family who cared for her, friends to just be a teenager with, getting to go to school dances and being seen and taken care of 💕

I mean not to mention she now gets to train to be a vampire hunter, like that’s pretty cool too. And the whole mystery about her mother was a cool twist too because even though she has this new world, she still has to watch her back and keep secrets.

I’ve never seen Buffy or Vampire Academy but I imagine this is the same feeling I would get from watching those! I can’t wait for book 2!

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read, this YA romance kept me engaged from start to finish.

Slayer incorporates all the things I love in a paranormal academy romance; a strong independent FMC, new friendships that become a found family, secrets to unlock, and a fight against a powerful enemy.

I enjoyed the pacing of the book as the secrets of the past were revealed, and while I could anticipate the direction it was going, there is still much left to be uncovered moving into book 2. I am excited to see where this series goes.

The organic world building of Vampires and Hunters, is constructed for the reader through Stella’s experiences, rather than a long detailed exposition. I think this worked well, especially for a YA level romantasy.

And Slayer is definitely a YA book, with attraction and angst, but no spice. The publisher lists this book as 14+ and I agree. This would be a great read for that age group, and adults too!

I received and advance copy from the publisher and am sharing my honest review.

[Kelly Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love YA Paranormal romance then this is the start of a new series for you! Leia Stone is queen when it comes to fantasy books and this just adds one to her kingdom.
We jump right into the story where we meet Stella, our heroine. She’s newly 18 and being thrust into the “real world” as she ages out of foster care. She has no idea what “real world” she’s stepping into. In one night, vampires, hunters and things from fantasy books are actually real…and she’s a part of it. A handsome rescuer, blinding truths, a different realm and an academy??? She’s beyond confused and thinks she’s officially
lost it. We travel along with her as she learns to navigate this new world, new friends, family and secrets that aren’t supposed to come to light. There’s danger, fear, a slow-burning romance, feelings of hurt and dishonestly- it’s jammed full of all the things! It’s fast-paced, filled with action, quite unique compared to other vampire stories and filled with enjoyment. I devoured quickly and I’m looking forward to find out what happens next.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella has always felt out of place and never loved. She jumped from foster home to foster and eventually aged out of a group home on her 18th birthday. This is the day her whole entire life changes! Stella always thought Vampire were only found in stories and boy was she wrong . She soon learns there is a whole nother world out there and finds herself at Nightguard Academy.

I loved all the fun twists and turns and I still have so many questions especially around Stella's heritage and family dynamics. I loved the found family trope and Stella's new friends.

PS if you love a blonde MMC then you are going too love our boy Asher. He originally seems all broody but as we get to know him more its clear he has a big heart and wants to protect those he loves. Both Asher and Stella have been through a lot amd I'm curious to see how they navigate certain secrets especially after that ending.

Thank you Leia for sending me a copy of your book.

✨️4.5 rounded up

[⋆Aree⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🧚🏻‍♀️✨

Me gusta mucho que los libros de Leia se leen super rapidos, por eso me gusta leerlos, son muy buenos para pasar el rato o cuando termino de leer otro libro que fue muy intenso y necesito algo que despeje mi mente jaja.🧘🏻‍♀️
Este libro tiene muchas vibes de shadowhunters y vampire academy (mi fav), y tambien me hizo recordar al 2015/16 jaja la manera en que esta escrito, me gusta eso, este libro es muy entretenido.🧚🏻‍♀️
Una chica que al cumplir los 18años se entera que es una cazadora de vampiros y tiene que ir a una escuela a entrenar para poner conseguir sus runas de cazador? AMO
La historia es muy facil de seguir y tambien hubo muchas revelaciones, accion ,drama adolescente, escuela, un nuevo grupo de amigos (Luna, Harper y Stella me encantan), slow burn (Asher quiero patearte jajaja) y drama con secretos familiares….🫣

definitivamente tengo que leer el siguiente libro porque QUIERO SABER MAS.


Thanks leia for the arc✨