Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I absolutely loved the blurb of this first book in the series.

The setting is very unique and the world building well executed.

I enjoyed the character relationships and the tensions between humans and non-humans. I do believe some of the side characters could have been given more depth, however I did find the mysteriousness of the Hierophant interesting.

The plot is paced just right with enough information given in small chunks dispersed throughout the book without the feeling of cluttering or info-dumping.

This is a good start to an interesting series and I will definitely be continuing to see how the plot progresses.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Short review on Litsy
https://litsy.com/p/cHBBWWRVMEhU

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A good start to a promising new series. Unique setting and fascinating world-building, the world of Sullivan's work is gripping with enough fast-paced action and tension to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sci-fi isn't really a genre I read a lot of anymore (that was mostly my high-school self). I wanted to read The Hierohant's Daughter, though, to remind myself why I enjoyed this kind of books once upon a time. It did that for me, kind of. Because while I liked some aspects of the novel, it also made me realise I'm just not the biggest fan of a very dense writing & complicated world-building. And there's an abundance of both here. It's not a bad thing, per se, but one should be aware going into this book, that the first few dozens of pages will be confusing. The author throws readers in deep waters and doesn't pause to explain things, instead counting on readers figuring out stuff for themselves. It's an interesting approach, definitely, although it is rather tiring.

Another aspect of the novel that wasn't ideal for me and I didn't realised will be the case before starting this adventure: there's a lot of gore here. Now, I'm someone who doesn't handle this kind of thing too well, I'm a bit squeamish, I suppose. I powered through, but didn't enjoy that.

Other than that, though? The world Sullivan created is pretty fascinating, the characters extremely well developed & the whole novel is truly gripping. Even with those little bumps along the way that I just mentioned. So if they throw you off, give it another shot. It's worth it in the end.

3.5 stars.
This is a very interesting book, with unique characters & a very creepy “villain” (the type who would feed you hot chocolate you know is poisoned & acts like it’s totally normal).
I feel like there are some flaws in the world building. For instance, we’re never given proper context, & I kept trying to figure out whether this is modern day or in the future or in a post-apocalyptic future or how any of this came to be. The characters also travel to so many completely different countries but I kept forgetting where they were at any given time because where they are isn’t presented any differently.
I also felt that there were some things about the writing that could be improved. Most importantly, people are referred to interchangeably as their name and some title like “the governess” or “the general”. Even once it was obvious who these titles were referring to in that scene, it was so annoying for someone to be a name in one sentence & a title in the very next sentence.

REALLY lore heavy, perhaps the appendix should be first? However, i was missing books with that HUGE wordbuilding and sense that you are -somewhere- else, a compelling sci-fi read, would recommend!!

DNF at 41%.

The setup is interesting, but the pacing of the plot, worldbuilding, and writing style aren't really working for me — I'm feeling more frustrated than intrigued by the slow build. While I appreciate how sensitively this book deals with issues of prejudice and discrimination (most notably same-sex relationships and religion), acknowledging complexity and systemic power imbalances, as [almost] always there's room for improvement: for example, geishas were not prostitutes, no matter how many people seem to think the terms are interchangeable, so although this is a sci-fi setting, that usage was the last straw for me.

I was drawn in by the description of this book, and as a fan of SF&F I had high hopes. I can usually deal with the worldbuilding infodump vocabulary and nonsense flavor but this was particulalrly heavy on the jargon.

I'm sure the depth is there for the folks who want to dive in, but unfortunately this just never caught my attention.

There's being dropped into the deep end of the swimming pool and then there's being waterboarded by a tidal wave of insane world building, rambling exposition, reams of characters who all sound the same and literally no context whatsoever for any of it all within the first ten pages.

This was not for me. Too much, too fast, too nonsensical. I admit I gave up after the first couple of chapters.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Imagine a very different future where some humans have become immortal & established a new system of power in the world. Dominia is a military general with a history of violence who has just lost her wife and is fleeing from her family.

I am not quite sure how to rate this book. In some aspects it was brilliant: world-building, alternate history and richness of detail was fantastic. However the novel left me confused in many instances, the characters could have been a bit more believable and I would have definitely needed more of an introduction in the beginning. It was just too much at once and I think I missed so many great things because I was trying to figure out what was going on.

If you like alternate histories, Philip K Dick and Science-Fiction, you might like this novel. But be aware that it'll hit you full front with an immense world-building.

I am looking foreward to part 2. But I could have given 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars depending on where I was in the novel and how confused I was. 3,5-4 Stars it is!

I am a fan of the dog btw. Cutie. ;)

DNF (did not finish) at 30%

The Hierophant's Daughter is like jumping into the middle of a historical documentary without any knowledge of the context, types of people (or even species/breed) involved and political climate. It genuinely took me a few pages just to realize that martyr's were vampires (or a version thereof).
M. F. Sullivan has set-up a very complex alternate history for humans and woven in the (eventual) dominance of the martyr's by 2035(ish). This is the point at which we come into the story.

Characters
Even figuring out who the major players are and how they relate or connect to one another is difficult. Not only can one martyr have multiple names (they live hundreds of years I suppose it's fair) but they can also have many titles (i.e.: General, Lamb, etc.), plus then their relationships (i.e.: daughter, lover, spouse, etc.). All of which are used to refer to the same person at any given time. I had to read many paragraphs or phrases multiple times to figure out if the character referenced was the same as the one I thought had been talked about in the paragraph before.

Visceral
I'm not sure how else to describe the descriptions and general 'ick' factor of Hierophant's Daughter. Except perhaps to say that it's icky, visceral and a bit too graphic for me. I tend to stay away from gory movies but usually a gory book doesn't bother me. Descriptions of decapitation, torture, infections, etc. have rarely phased me before. However the details that Sullivan gives regarding an eye impact (and the nerve connections) or the description of a child being (more or less) eaten struck me as a bit much. Maybe that's hypocritical of me to say given it's a vampire book but I just didn't need all the detail given.

Boring Narrative
The biggest issue I had was not the confusion or detail in which this novel is written; but instead how utterly boring it was. Do I really need/want to read 6 pages about a new eye implant being given to someone? Or do I need two pages of description of a house? Instead of showing, I found Sullivan was telling me things; and given they weren't that interesting to start with (or a bit too graphic) I just couldn't keep my attention on the story.
That's the other issue is I'm not sure what the plot is. After 30% read I think the plot is that the 'daughter' is trying to escape but I'm unclear on why or who or what her ultimate goal was. Without at least some semblance of direction or motivation it made the convoluted history and characters feel even more disjointed.

Overall
Hierophant's Daughter is a complex alternate history of Earth where vampires (martyrs) have taken over. There is a lot of science fiction elements to future Earth that are also focused on. Perhaps underneath all of the narration, descriptions and confusion is a solid political intrigue story; I just couldn't find it and didn't have the patience to keep slogging through.
It may be that this is a brilliant piece of work if you're willing to put in the time and effort to really focus 200% of your brain and time to it. For me that is too much effort for fiction. I'd rather read elaborate non-fiction physics (where at least what I'm reading has basis in truth) than navigate a fictional narrative that feels very indulgent.
Overall I feel like Sullivan wrote this from a place of self-indulgence. They wrote for themselves, to get the ideas on the page and not for the enjoyment of the reader. The Simarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien is similar in that it's not really for the reader; it's more to get the history and facts down so they can be referenced. Perhaps a character driven story or plot inside this elaborate world is possible by another writer but I think Sullivan's investment in this alternate history is so deep they can't claw their way back to a story that most readers want to sit down and enjoy.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and BookSirens. This is an honest and unbiased review.

One could look at Sullivan's latest fantasy/sci-fi/horror novel as a kind of retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula--only now we're in a dystopian future that may or may no have aliens (or extradimensional beings) who feed on teh blood of humans and subsequently rule the world. A cabal of royalty dominate the planet as various godheads vie for power--that is worshippers. This is probably one of the most creative, literary, and bonkers novels of the year. Sullivan is quickly becoming a master of speculative fiction.

Some families you are born into, some you choose. And some families are chosen for you. The Hierophant's Daughter, Dominia, has the third sort of family. Raised to rule over the human race she once belonged to, she is a warrior above all. But what a story that creates. Full of vivid imagery and convoluted relationships that defy description (but are well described nonetheless), this story is rich on many levels. And there's a dog!

It reminds me in many ways of Elizabeth Bear's Jacob's Ladder Series (not the same in plot or location, etc, but very much the same in flavor)

Some books begin slowly and simply, with the story gradually unfolding, and gently building. THE HIEROPHANT’S DAUGHTER conversely, hits the ground running, amidst a series of unfamiliar, intriguing events already in progress. A sci-fi/cyberpunk tale, with elements of fantasy and horror, it’s a thinking person’s thrill ride, revealing layers of complexity and backstory, amidst a series of fast-paced, globe-trotting twists and turns, all told in rather lyrical prose.
In modern science fiction and fantasy, with some authors it’s hard to really picture the world the story takes place in, beyond the events of the story. And if we think too much about the workings of that world, it all falls apart, because the author never fully fleshed it out in the first place.
However, in some lucky instances, we as readers may stumble upon an author who dreams up a complex, fully functioning world and society, vastly removed from our own, who imagines it all the way down to trivial details, then once the world is created, sets about telling a tale (or series of tales) within that world.
Reading THE HIEROPHANT’S DAUGHTER, it becomes quite clear rather quickly that author M.F. Sullivan put a wealth of time and effort into fully fleshing out the world - a radically different, future Earth - in which the events take place. And this might be the book’s greatest strength.
Despite its fast pace, this isn’t some quickie, one-off tale. This is the beginning third of something bigger, with (I’m assuming) more to be revealed and explained at a later point.
As the story unfolds, there is a lot to absorb. Some readers may find it challenging to stay caught up with what’s going on as events unfold (and occasionally flash backward), exploring an unfamiliar world, and an unusual supernatural element that is key to the story. Also, being the first in a trilogy of books, not everything is explained, and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. This to me is a strength. Others may want a more self-contained, fully explained tale, but me I like the intrigue of what’s withheld, and the knowledge that there is clearly more to come in this story.
There is an appendix at the end of the book, with a timeline leading from the 20th century, all the way up to the far-future events of the book. It may potentially be more helpful to some readers to consult the timeline before beginning the book proper, but I don’t encourage it unless you feel completely lost. For me, the timeline works better as a reveal than a preface.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. And honestly I loved this book. I very much look forward to the next chapter in this saga.

This was a great read and I love the cover! I also adore the LGBTQ+ rep! I look forward to more from this author.

I loved this book and the author makes it so easy to fall in love with the characters even though at the same time you can't believe this might happen. The book seems so legit and you can see this happening easily if such a protein was discovered.

I had high hopes for this book as the premise sounded fascinating.
The story was quite confusing and I wish I'd have know about the timeline at the end of the book earlier.
Personally I found it an entertaining read . If you enjoyed The Passage by Justin Cronin or Stephen King books you might like this one.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

The Hierophant’s Daughter is beautifully violent, reads like a fever dream and has some of the best worldbuilding I’ve ever seen in sci-fi. Cannot wait for this series!

The cannibalistic, alien (?) dominating world that has taken over the Earth as we know it ended up being a lot less interesting than I was hoping for, but perhaps that is because this story is written so densely and so quickly paced. I could never get into the characters or the plot because everything was happening so quickly, but with the overload of details, there was never enough time or room for world-building. It felt as though I was reading the sequel to a story I had no experience or familiarity with; nothing made sense and with the characters constantly referred to be their titles or occupations instead of their names, within the same sentence, it became very confusing deciphering who was who. Fans of Conrad's Heart of Darkness might be fans of this story just because of its dense style, but sadly this science fiction world just wasn't for me.

This book was AMAZING. A great dystopian cyberpunk horror taking place far into the future with humans and Martyrs. Both are the same buuuut also not the same. You see, humans have the gruesome option of eating other humans
(mostly in desperate situations or they're either sick in the head) but Martyrs MUST eat humans in order to thrive. Oh, and avoid the sun.

Our leading lady is one of these Martyrs. Once a Governess, Dominia escapes from her "family" after a disastrous event which kills her beloved wife. She is strong, she is gay, she is flawed, and she is awesome. The other characters were such a delight as well (which is such a relief since most horror books I read stray away from giving minor characters a smidge of a personality)

OH, and the worldbuilding! It was so unique and such a fresh take on a futuristic Earth. It can get confusing at first; I personally suggest to read the timeline located towards the end of the book to get a clearer view of things that happen.

I highly reccomend for those interested in LGBT relationships (particularly f/f), dystopian horror, creepy worldleaders, mixture of ancient and future religions, great writing, and immortal cannibals.

The Hierophant's Daughter by M.F. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Word to the wise:

This novel has a ton of great worldbuilding... as in, the grand majority of your reading pleasure may very well be in the worldbuilding going on here. My recommendation? Skip to the appendix first, give it a brief, probably delighted, gander. Then, read the timeline. Do not skip the timeline. This will give you all the proper context to go into the novel proper. :)

But wait, Bradley, is that REALLY necessary? I mean, even Peter F Hamilton can be read without that long, long, detailed timeline at the beginning of his novels.

Yes, certainly, you can, but I would caution you to be patient because the full import of all the things that happen in this Future History skipping forward 2000 years is full of scientifically created vampires in a full cyberpunk world having undergone civil wars, vastly altered political landscapes, and herds of human meat ready for the dining pleasure of the "Martyrs".

Is this vast tapestry of bloodsuckers well thought out? Hell yeah. Right down to the ongoing mystery of where the Hierophant came from, the cult that sprang up around him, the general social and socioeconomic landscape, scientific progress, and so much more.

But what about the story?

Pretty damn fun. It has a good number of twists but the core is an immortal daughter's rebellion. :)

This is NOT your standard horror or SF epic. Or UF, for that matter. This is a fully realized future history with a fully explained SF core for every horror element here. Nicely done, I might add.

This is not a light read, overall, but it isn't particularly difficult, either. It is, however, worth investing a lot of effort. Well done.

In the future there are two kinds of humans in the world, and one of them eats the other. Dominia is a Martyr, but after the death of her wife, she is disillusioned with the way things are run and decides to defect to what amounts to a resistance.

I very much enjoyed this mix of cyberpunk, not-vampires, and the apocalypse. I think it does something a bit different with those elements, and I am here for it. The main character, Dominia, is fully realized and believably flawed, while also being likeable and fun. The side characters are amazing, especially the dog. I hope to see lots more of Basil in the future. The plot is tight and the prose is really beautiful and thoughtful throughout the book. This book left me wanting more, and I can't wait to read the next in the series.