Death Wish: A Supernatural Love Story

by Lilly Lu

A jaded reaper falls for the soul who got away—a vampire dying for something new—in this supernatural sapphic romance filled with yearning, fated love, and hope for the future.

It’s been over a century since Amory Ng woke up in an office with no memory of her life (or death). Now she’s the reigning Best West Coast Reaper, floating through the veil and ferrying souls to . . . whatever comes next.

When Amory is granted two nights a week in the mortal world, she decides to take a pottery class. She feels alive being around humans and creating something with her hands—even if her bowls are a little lopsided.

Then Amory comes face to face with Clementine Lim, the only soul she failed to reap, and somehow, Clem can see through the veil and Amory's facade.

Clem has lived a full life as a vampire, but now she’s ready to move on. Which is exactly why she tracked down the reaper who didn’t finish the job.

Tempted to erase the one mistake hanging over her head, Amory agrees to help, but killing a vampire isn’t easy—especially when she starts to enjoy Clem’s company.

The pull between them only grows stronger as Clem shows Amory how to live her afterlife to the fullest while they search for answers. But when they learn that Clem’s maker, a murderous vampire, is running rampant, it’s up to them to stop him.

Genres: Lesbian, Fantasy, Romance, Queer, Vampires, LGBT, Adult

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 26, 2027

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Death Wish is book about life, second chances and your place in the world.
It features multiple queer characters that I loved getting to know, a friend group and quite a bit of history.
This book is packed with social commentary, and I love that so I ate it up. There's much talk about racism, misogyny and sexuality. Our protagonists are strong women that are unapologetically themselves and I found it very refreshing.
It is a love story as it says on the cover, but it's also a lot more than that. There's also ace characters, which I appreciate VERY much.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

[Celine Ong · Rating 5 out of 5]

romance is dead (complimentary)

[Mai T.]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ANHPI TBR

Pride TBR

Valentine's Day TBR

[Bec]

I don't need to know anything other than it's sapphic and has a vampire

[tiff]

DNF. I was excited for this read given the premise, but this book fell flat for me. The writing felt superficial, the worldbuilding was pretty flimsy (a supernatural organization that hinges on discretion allows one of their members to room with a human because…she needed a place to store her pottery…???), and the romance didn’t feel at all compelling.

[Chaotic Wildflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ballantine|Dell ARC via NetGalley
Death Wish by Lilly Lu
🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you're looking for a book similar to the movie "The Lost Boys" (1987) where a vampire isn't a "full" vampire until they feast on human blood, but want it to be sapphic, involve a depressed grim reaper, and beautiful but heartbreaking Asian culture representation and reality with lots of emotional yearning, then this is the book for you! And massive bonus points if you have feminine rage and love a good mystery.

I am genuinely shocked that this is Lilly Lu's debut novel. The writing was poetic, there was yearning and tension, rich backgrounds provided for the two main characters. The pacing was top tier, too.

The mental health representation touched my soul so deeply and the way that the author tackled that heavy topic was so well written. She did it in a way that removed the stigma surrounding depression but also made sure it was important enough to highlight.

Lilly Lu did a fantastic job with the way she delivered the representation. She handled the "harder" topics with care but did not diminish the realities. Something we all need to read and remember that the world is so much bigger than our little group of close-knit friends and families. As a white woman, I understand that I will never know the plight and oppression that other marginalized communities live with every day, but listening to others and reading books that I can't inject my own self in really does help with educating myself.

This is an ARC that was gifted to me without requesting, and to be honest, I might have skipped over it if I had looked. But I am SO happy it was sent to me and that I gave it a chance with an open mind.

I always read the acknowledgements, and I loved that the author also stated that in theirs. I love knowing who all supported the author during such a scary time of putting your work out into the world, but my most favorite "thanks" might just be from this book.

"An anti-thanks to the gen-AI companies trying to steal our work: You can go to oblivion"

✨TROPES✨
Sapphic Vampire x Reaper
Feminine Rage
Revenge
Depression/Mental Health Rep
Lots of Commentary
Exploration of Sexual Identity

[Siavahda]

Hi yes wow wonderful GIMME!

[Em ☽✦ღ · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I had such a good time with Death Wish!! The premise was what initially caught my attention, particularly the idea of reaping being treated almost like a corporate job. There’s something so interesting about taking something as enormous and existential as death and turning it into a workplace with its own systems, expectations and bureaucracy (workplace burn out for real)!!

I also really appreciated the wider supernatural world Lilly Lu has created. With vampires, ghosts and other supernatural elements woven into the story, the setting feels like it exists beyond the immediate experiences of Amory and Clem. I always love when a book makes me curious about the wider world its characters inhabit, and there’s so much here that I would happily explore more of.

One of my favourite aspects was the way the story explores mortality, what it means to be alive and the possibility of second chances. When death is literally your job, it raises some fascinating questions about how you value life, and what makes an existence meaningful. It made Amory feel especially relatable as we watched her try to find her place in a world that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to belong.

While I did feel that some elements could have been developed further, I was genuinely invested in the premise and the characters. There were moments when I wanted the story to dig a little deeper, especially given how much potential there was in its themes and supernatural setting, but I still came away feeling that this was a really enjoyable read with a lot to offer!!!

Overall, Death Wish was a fresh and imaginative take on the supernatural, with an intriguing central concept and some lovely ideas about life, death and everything that makes the time we have matter. I’m really glad I picked this one up, and I’d love to spend more time in this world!

Thank you so much to Lilly Lu, Dell Romance and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

[Chii ✨ · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

“Humans can change their fates, can’t they? Then why not us?”

This was a cute, low-stakes (in my opinion) palate cleanser for me in between my usual fantasy reads and I liked it. Do I think some of the world-building didn’t make complete sense? Just a little bit, so I wished there was a bit more deeper dive into that, but overall I had a good time with this one.

I enjoyed the way how Lu explores mortality. I liked how she went about how what it meant to be alive, questioning how one values a life and how second chances aren’t normally granted. I also will never not love our AAPI Rep and deep dive into Asian cultures in written works. I think I may have enjoyed all the other parts of the story more so than the sapphic romance itself (very push and pull, but the slow-burn was well!) and the conclusion was a bit too fast for my tastes. Overall, it was still a good read.

Thank you random house & ballantine for the earc

[Quilted.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this one! A sapphic romance between a reaper and the vampire she was supposed to reap? Yes pleaseee. Add in a pottery class, a century old mystery, and a whole lot of yearning and I was completely hooked.Amory Ng has spent over a hundred years as a reaper after waking up with no memories of her life or death. She’s gotten pretty good at her job, but she’s also pretty jaded so when she gets a little time in the mortal world, she decides to take a pottery class and experience some of the things she’s missed.Then she sees Clementine Lim the one soul she failed to reap.Clem is a vampire who has lived a long life and is finally ready for it to end, so she tracked down the reaper who let her escape. Amory agrees to help her, thinking it will finally fix the mistake that has been hanging over her for all these years. The problem is killing a vampire is complicated and falling for her is even worse.As they spend more time together, Clem starts showing Amory that even after death there can still be reasons to feel alive. But when they discover that Clem’s dangerous vampire maker is still out there causing trouble, their little search for answers turns into something much bigger.I loved the supernatural romance, humor, yearning, and hope in this story. Amory and Clem were such a great pairing, and I especially loved the idea of someone who has spent so long dealing with death learning how to actually live again. This is definitely one for my sapphic romance and paranormal romance lovers.i am obsessed.

[kienn · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUPERNATURAL SAPPHIC ROMANCE!!! REAPER X VAMPIRE!!! THANK YOU FOR THE ARC!!!

paranormal cantonese american sapphics in OC.....
Amory is a reaper who is also enduring depression regarding her role and purpose. spends some time with pottery to recover. and learns what GL shows are LMAO
Clem wanted to be an actress. Now she's a vampire who wants to die. She has Magnetism. I love their dynamic. "Thanks, angel." AAAAAAAAAA
Some light moments that still make a statement. Amory shows up to reap and one of the souls is racist af and goes "You're Asian?" HELP MEE
lots of more examples. addressing the fetishization of asian (specifically japanese in this age) culture
the flashbacks were great pieces to accompany the main narrative. a parallel between historical social dynamics and how they persist. haunting and tragic
but yes. cw racism. but it's a part of our reality and the book explores social commentary and is expressly "anti racist", the intersectionality of being an asian woman, the whole villain and the pain inflicted on generations
with regards to the reapers, very discworld death vibes and a cozy approach to soul reaping, though not without darker moments and as an example of frustrating work structures
the writing is very contemporary and fun, a paranormal romance at its core and witty with its social commentary
a tale of fate and revenge, two characters filling in each other's gaps, an emotional ride with a bittersweet end...

⚰️ reaper x vampire sapphics
💋 feminine rage and revenge
🥀 depression and rediscovering meaning in life
♥️ discussion and exploration of queer identities
📢 social commentary

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear me out, if you loved/want more in the vein of:

- The Fox and the Devil: but wish the distance and yearning could be replaced with sardine-can levels of proximity.
- For whom the Belles Toll: but the copious on-page sex becomes even more Hell-ish office admin.
- Everything about The Good Place, including the amazing twistiness.

Run don't walk to pick this book up.

(If it wasn't abundantly clear all of those were highly complimentary.)

Death Wish follows Amory and Clementine. The former has been working as a reaper with the hopes of earning a retirement in whatever the next life might bring. The latter is a vampire who's life and afterlife becomes increasingly intertwined with Amory's as they go on the hunt for the supernatural serial killer who has been mercilessly killing POC women under the very noses of the organisation intended to protect death itself.

All wrapped in a frankly entirely unrealistic allegory for bureaucracy's apatheticism toward anything that isn't the bottom line (/sarcasm).

Death Wish is everything I want from a genre-smash between serial killer thriller (yes yes I'm a poet) and paranormal/fantasy. For a book thick with plot honestly some of my favourite bits was sheerly the lore and the amount of imagination that went into producing... everything. It was fascinating, from the reapers to the lives beyond to the people who run things behind the scenes (picture Wizard of Oz reveal but cranked up to like an eleven). All sewn really authentically into an incredibly intimate story all things considered.

I have neither the words nor the crayons to describe how much I adored the characters of DW.

Amory and Clementine had unbelievable levels of chemistry to the point where I think we need to relable the Periodic table the Amorentine table (yes I've coined that, yes its awesome). They move very quickly but Lu made the eventual relationship feel really earned despite being a relatively quick turnaround. Watching them potter (see what I did there?) around Los Angeles was some how every bit as thrilling as the actual investigation, which is nothing short of hella impressive all things considered.

I HATED their ending. Which safe to say means I loved it and will be drafting several AUs to mend my hurting heart.

Even the ensemble cast is thick with development and emotional impact. Mortimer was an especial stand-out for me. There were so many easier ways out for this character, but he was a breath of fresh air as both a jaded and caring mentor. All the immortal characters felt genuinely ancient and dangerous.

There's no way to talk about the villain without tonnes of spoilers. But he worked so well as a genuinely dangerous but realistic supernatural dickhead. His comeuppance was so beyond satisfying.

There was about 800 pages worth of plot and person in this book, but somehow both the pacing and the exposition never felt like an issue. I practically flew through this book.

Also, random but this book's depiction of flight had me giggling at points.

If you're looking for a pacy, gut-wrenching and queer-focused fantastical murder mystery. Seriously this is one I can't recommend highly enough.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sapphic romance where the soul that got away comes back to the reaper who messed up her death. It takes place from the POV of Amory, a highly femme Chinese grim reaper who is really good at her job. Except she’s burnt out. She has been top tier for so long, and has only ever made one mistake. A soul slipped from her fingers one night long ago, and no one else knows about it. Other than that escaped soul.

Clementine wanted to be an actress and give Chinese women around the world something to hope for. She is strength and beauty all in one. The only flaw she has is that she’s a quasi vampire. When she died, something went wrong, and it left her stranded alone in a half life.

Tropes to look forward to:
Grim Reaper vs Vampire
Revenge & Justice
Sapphic Romance
Fated Love / Second Chances
Grumpy & Sunshine

I absolutely loved this book. It brings together not only Chinese queerness (lesbians and demisexuals) but shoves a big middle finger at the fetishization of these same women. The big baddie is totally one of the creeps that exploits rather than helps women, especially ones of ethnicity. It reveals the depth of racism that this particular fetish holds, while keeping the hope of a better life for these women front and center.

I also adored the supporting characters in this one. Amory’s mentor was perfectly what I thought a disgruntled, jaded grim reaper would be. Then there’s her human roommate who reads tarot and believes in the mysteries of the paranormal. There was even a place for the “karens” to show up and shine.

What I didn’t like was the unbelievable ending and the inner dialogues. The inner thoughts from Amory felt way less mature than she was depicted as being, even during the present. It was as if there was no separate inner dialogue for the past when she was a teen/young woman to the grim reaper who’d been around for hundreds of years. Combined with a lot of Amory’s inner thoughts pointing out the classism, racism, and fetishization of her people rather than letting the reader sort those out for themselves it made the overall writing weak.

I also did not believe that a “cooperation” like the afterlife would treat Amory so well at the end of it all. How could they, when she was nothing but an overworked cog in their perpetual machine? It was too far a stretch for my enjoyment of the book.

Content Warnings:
Major - Murder, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Violence
Moderate - Medical content, Stalking, Sexual assault
Minor - Homophobia, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

A dark, atmospheric supernatural romance centered on the unlikely connection between a vampire and a reaper, exploring themes of death, desire, loneliness, and the possibility of finding love in unexpected places. The premise is easily one of the book's biggest strengths. The idea of pairing a vampire with a reaper is original and immediately intriguing. I especially liked the contrast between Clem, who has grown tired of immortality and longs for an end to it, and Amory, whose existence revolves around death but who is beginning to question her own purpose. Their differences create an interesting dynamic, particularly because both characters have complicated relationships with life and death.

There is also some emotional depth in the questions the story raises about mortality, loneliness, purpose, and what makes life worth living. The idea of someone who cannot die desperately wanting to, while someone who spends her time surrounded by death is searching for meaning, is particularly compelling. It gives their relationship an interesting foundation and opens the door for some thought-provoking moments.

That said, the concept of a vampire and a reaper is so intriguing that I found myself wanting more from it. As original as the premise is, the story doesn't always take full advantage of its potential or explore the possibilities of this unusual pairing as deeply as it could. There was room to develop the supernatural elements and emotional complexity further, leaving me wishing the story had gone a little deeper with an idea that had so much promise.

Overall, Death Wish was a fun read. Is it perfect? No, but it's entertaining, and sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for. The premise is creative, the supernatural elements are enjoyable, and there's enough heart beneath the romance to make it worthwhile. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a supernatural romance that's fun, interesting, and has a little emotional depth.

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might just be my favorite read of the year.

Holy moly. I need this book nominated for awards. I need a physical copy on my shelf STAT.

Very few books make me cry, and I can count on one hand the amount of media that has made me cry like Death Wish has. It made me cry so hard I had to reread a paragraph four times so that I could understand what it meant through my tears.

Death Wish is possibly one of the most loving and beautiful books I've read in a long time. The writing is excellent, well polished, and evocative. The world is well built, and the characters are so well fleshed -- I fell in love with nearly every one of them.

The plot was perfectly paced; I kept glancing at the page count, sure I would be further in the book and scared of it, only to be assured I had plenty left to read. It kept me on tenterhooks, unsure of what would happen next, fearful for the characters -- and joyous when they were, too.

Clementine and Amory's relationship was perfectly written, with pacing that felt realistic, and that satisfied me wholly. Simone was an unexpected and much adored addition, and they might just be one of the coolest characters I've seen in a while.

The ending was perfect. I cannot say much, as I do not want to spoil it, however it left my heart raw and bleeding, and I thank Death Wish for it.

I am instantly following author Lilly Lu, and reading anything else she has up at the moment. Death Wish has singlehandedly made me a lifelong follower of her career, and I hope to see many more stories to come. I also hope to get the absolute privilege of reading their ARC'S, as I did today.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for this ARC. Thank you Lilly Lu, for the emotional journey it took me on. I want to forget it and read this book all over again.

[Meagan · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out January 26th 2027.

Death Wish by Lilly Lu follows Amory Ng, a Reaper, and Clementine Lim, a vampire, as they meet and fall in love, all the while trying to stop their immortal killer from striking again.

I absolutely love the concept for Death Wish, it’s so creative and the message at its heart is so important. I also liked that Amory is stereotypically feminine and dressed in pink - it’s a nice parallel to her life as a Reaper which is usually portrayed very differently. I was fond of Amory, Clem, and Simone.

Despite the things I liked, overall I don’t think Death Wish is a very strong book. The writing feels very much like Lu is still finding her footing as a writer. It felt overly simplistic, with weak world building and flat writing that didn’t always land. I would love to feel like I understand how the world of Reapers works, or even be able to picture it, but the world building is incredibly bare bones.

I also felt like the novel read younger than it was. If you told me that this started as a Young Adult novel and then was aged up, or that Lu has more experience with that age range, I would definitely believe you.

The weakest part of this book, though, has to be the ending. Amory’s fate truly came out of nowhere and was hard to believe after how little care the afterlife had shown her previously.

While I think the message of this story is a vital one and it’s wonderful to see lesbian Asian women as the heroes of a supernatural romance, it definitely could have benefitted from being more thoroughly developed. I don’t think Lu is a bad writer but I do think this book could have been improved with more work.

I'm going with 3.5 stars because I did still enjoy reading it! I just think it could have been a lot stronger.

[Faiz · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Death Wish is a unique take on the grim reaper and bravely asks the question “What if the grim reaper was a demisexual Chinese femme?” Amory is our main POV character and she will speak a lot to people who have depression and/or spent more time working than feeling like they’re actually living. She has a big emotional arc throughout this novel that really challenges the modern ‘grind’ culture. Her love interest is Clem, a half-vampire also disillusioned with the monotony of life. Clem is a suave Chinese butch who breathes a lot of life into the story (and Amory’s life). Fate brought them together briefly once, and it’s putting them on another journey now. This novel also has a remarkably beautiful ending that is foreshadowed very strongly, yet still has you on the edge of your seat thinking ‘please let it happen. please work out in the end’.

I think the concepts of this novel are very strong. It has hard-hitting ideas with everything it wants to say. It’s about racism, queerness, challenging the status quo, and challenging capitalist mindsets. I, however, also think it needs to trust the reader a little more. While it’s good to name racism and fetishization, I wish the internal thoughts on it felt more like Amory was thinking them rather than pointing things out for the reader. I also found the first act to be weighed down by the amount of exposition Amory needed to learn for the plot to really start moving. Both of these things are more markers of this being a debut rather than inherent flaws in the premise. I would be excited to read Lu’s future works as she improves her craft.

[Brittany Unwin · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I liked this story. Amory is a grim reaper, but she's a little more pink and frilly than the reapers we usually think of. She doesn't remember most of her life and is surprisingly innocent and naive for an immortal being. She's been reaping for a long time, though, and is feeling burnt out. She requests a sabbatical in order to return to her work rejuvenated. Fate has other plans for her, though, and she ends up finding how much she's missed the world and the life she never really got to live. She is able to make friends, find love, and find purpose. Unfortunately, all of those things turn out to be somewhat fragile and completely at odds with the corporate structure of the afterworld. Amory needs to decide whether she can survive an eternity of existence without the loved ones that make life worthwhile.

This book was sweet. It's very queer-forward and our main characters all have slightly different relationships with that label. It's a coming of age story and a book about first love, but it's also a vampire novel. The main characters come from Asian families and the book does a nice job of showing the unique challenges that presents in today's fetishizing world without making anyone appear weak or disenchanted with their choices. While it was very simple, there was more to this book than first appeared. I liked these characters and enjoyed my time with them.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love gay vampires. We love gay reapers. We also love a thinly Veiled (see what I did there?) criticism of capitalism. Amory Ng is a talented Reaper who prefers things neat, tidy and by the book. Until she meets Clem, a vampire with a past that intertwines with her own, at which point the rules go out the window. With their trusty human side kick, who balances both grad school and the knowledge that her roommate is a celestial being with a surprising amount of nonchalance, the girls work to piece together their past. Personally, I love that queer romance messes with the time and space balance, because it absolutely should. This could have been a generic trope story, and it definitely was not. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Lenna Rae · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

ARC Review! 🤍

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are absolutely amazing and strong. I loved EVERYTHING about this book, I mean, Sapphic Paranormal Anti-Racism Reapers and Vampires? PERFECT! 🌷

Amory is very relatable and I adored her little pottery classes, genuinely such a beautifully written character! And Clem? She’s just perfect and I might be in love with her. The little nicknames she called Amory were just the sweetest! 💗

The Epilogue was beautiful, and yes, I cried.

Will definitely be grabbing a physical copy once this book is out! Author Lilly Lu, you’ve gained another loyal reader. Absolutely love your work! 🩷

“Even if I could only be out in the moonlight, it’ll have been worth it to see you, beautiful like this.”

[Aidyn Long · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

thank you Netgalley for this arc!!! It was an adventure reading it.

I am giving this book 3.25 stars. Ive been going back and forth with how I feel about this book because overall I did enjoy it but I am also very dissatisfied with it. I do not feel like the author trusts their readers to understand the point of this book and has routinely smacked me over the head with The Point of it all

the word 'stereotype' is used six times in this book. the point the author is making is point blank stated multiple times throughout the book. And what made it so much more dissatisfying for me was the topics introduced and critiqued were often just Poked At and not really explored all that much. Maybe I was expecting too much. I did not feel like I was trusted to understand the story and felt rather like my intelligence was a bit insulted. truly my hand did not need to be held this ENTIRE book

I feel like there was very little nuance to be found in this book and where nuance was introduced, such as with the character Priscilla, it eventually fell flat. We find out she, an Asian woman, is working with the evil racist white supremacist vampire who fetishizes Asian women and Simone gives a textbook reasoning as to why she would, and then were just not given much else until she untied the ropes at the end to free the captives after the evil racist white supremacist vampire calls someone else special

she literally says "I thought I was special..." the dialogue was killing me the entire book. from the beginning, the dialogue was a pain. Simone literally says "im not your stereotypical academic." PLEASE.

I was struggling the entire time with some of the writing choices present throughout the book. were told the Reapers job is basically capitalism and a business and yet our main character is given not only time off for a pottery class AND allowed to have a ROOMMATE despite all these very strict rules around humans not being allowed to know about them and what a coincidence that the roommate is also studying the Gothic and does tarot and has superstitious grandparents and thinks their roommate is a vampire. for a company so hellbent on making sure the Rules are Followed they sure were playing with fire for a random Reaper who had been at the job for less than 100 years

some of the writing is just not consistent throughout the book. some of the plot points were very obviously where the author Twisted the Rules for the sake of Plot. As a writer, I know when I see it done especially as ive done it myself lol. some of these things Should Not Have Been Done if the author followed her own rules. if a character is doing something bec Plot Says So im gonna be :/ about it

all that being said i enjoyed the characters for the most part. BIG fan of Clem and also Simone. I wish we saw more of them both as people. both kinda felt a bit like yes men who were there to just support the main character and act as a therapist and tell her she was valid. I would have loved to see Amorys thoughts challenged, to see nuance

we have a scene with Amory and Clem after Amory finds out Mortimer lied to her about the Reaper job and the potential to find peace and move on. Amory is understandably upset about being lied to but then Clem mentions that Mortimer is ALSO stuck in the capitalist hellscape that is the Reaper Land and Amory just isnt willing to listen. Clem is very "your feelings are so valid" and then its dropped all together and 2 chapters later Amory more-or-less forgives Mortimer. I was so frustrated

I LOVE that our main character is demisexual and that Simone is also asexual and they have a conversation about it. i love that the whole cast, more or less, is very queer. id have LOVED to see what that queerness looked like for Amory and Clem in their respective time periods during their lifetime

overall, this was an okay book. I think I went into it with far too high of expectations and as long as you're not expecting depth into the nitty gritty details im sure you'll probably like it. Perhaps id have liked it more if I had adjusted my own expectations. I do wish the author the best of luck bec I can tell they love the topics they wrote about but unfortunately the book just isnt for me

[nelle]

Thank you for the arc net galley. What I love:
- Witty sapphic yearning
- Learning about Asian American history through Clem and Amory’s search
- Anti racist love story
- Amory’s lopsided pink bowl
- Pink scythe
- Sky metaphors for emotions, again filled with yearning
- Pottery tips being lifesaving
- The yard sale 🥹🥹

What didn’t work for me:
- That it’s over :(

Honourable mention:
- Tarot is like “telling yourself a story about yourself”
- Depression metaphors that felt beautiful and accurate, hauntingly resonant
- Clayvoyant 🔥

[LZDubbs_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Death Wish by Lilly Lu follows depressed grim reaper Amory and Clementine (Clem), a soul who Amory failed to reap decades ago and is now a vampire. Amory agrees to successfully reap Clem's soul this time. Unfortunately for them, a serial killer is on the loose, and the Council of Reapers Amory works for is tightening their rules. As Amory and Clem spend more time together, will they be able to achieve all of these goals and find love together?

I absolutely adored this story! Amory, a rule follower, started out as a dead reaper unfulfilled with her job. I enjoyed seeing Amory's growth throughout the story! She and Clem complemented each other really well, and I fully bought into their romance. There were some wonderfully written side characters as well, especially Simone, Amory's grad student roommate who studies Gothic lit and uses tarot cards. Amory's reaper mentor, Mortimer, was an endearing mentor towards Amory, and his interactions with Amory were some of my favorite platonic moments. Amory's demisexuality was wonderfully woven into the story, and I found that Amory's demisexuality allowed the romance to evolve organically. Between Death Wish (demisexual bi Cantonese-American MC) and Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez (grayace lesbian Mexican-American MC), I seriously need more sapphic ace romances with BIPOC/racialized MCs!

Along with the romance, I thoroughly appreciate the themes of the novel. This novel was anti-racist, and the depictions of racism showed just some of what various Asian Americans had to put up with. Without getting into too many spoilers, one of the true villains of this novel was racism against Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans on the west coast. One of the marketing phrases of this book is "hunting racists", and I can confirm that this is very accurate. As a Chinese American adoptee who's heard her share of racist sentiments, it was really nice to see the racist villain get their just deserts. This novel was additionally anti-capitalist. Grim reapers are not immune to the corporate grind and burn out, as Amory can attest to. A huge theme of this novel is to live and find joy, not just be beholden to a job. I believe that the outcome Amory found was very fitting.

The romance, the themes, and even the lore of the Reapers was all delightfully well-balanced. Some flashbacks to the past and a dig through history in LA, especially Cantonese American history, were super intriguing! Ultimately, I think that this is a timely, hopeful novel that celebrates joy, Cantonese Americans, and love. I fully believe that everyone should try reading this story once. For those like myself who don't normally gravitate towards the romance genre, the presence of amazing themes, an aspec MC, a mystery, a sapphic romance, and the historical dive might hook you in and not let you go. For those who are queer and American-born Asian, especially Cantonese American, I hope that you see yourself in this story. For first gen-immigrants and adoptees like myself, I hope that you also enjoy seeing a depiction of previous generations who helped us secure rights in the US.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Wish is a supernatural romance where second chances truly can change your life.

Initially, I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover but the story was amazing. This book was so interesting and so unique.

You really fall in love with the characters and the journey they go on. This has me laughing, smiling and crying and was one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full ARC Review to come!

[Shouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE AN OTHERWORLDLY BEING WHO JUST WANTS TO BE GOOD AT HER JOB

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! Perfect sapphic vampire romance.

[Nicole Zelniker · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Humans can change their fates, can’t they? Then why not us?”

Oh, this book is absolutely gorgeous, and funny, and heartbreaking all at once. A treatise on all the painful, messy, scary, and beautiful things that make us human.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Full review to follow closer to release date as per publisher's preference.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Wish by Lilly Lu was such a beautiful love letter to Los Angeles. Our main character, an emotionally constipated Grim Reaper, falls in love with a soul she can’t reap. Lesbians and vampires? Count me in! This had everything I look for in a novel, compelling worldbuilding, relatable characters, and beautiful writing. The imagery and descriptions of LA had me in a chokehold, I loved it. I especially enjoyed the themes of fate, racism, and the intangibility of time. Trauma warps time, and this novel did a great job of showing that (although I didn’t love the flashbacks, probably the weakest part imo).

This novel is cute and heartfelt, I really enjoyed every moment reading it. While the language lends itself more to YA, I didn’t mind. It actually works really well here. (I can’t really end a review with ‘idk i just liked it’ but dang, i loved this one) 5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this ARC.