3.5 stars rounded up.

This was much better than beyond the black door! Still some technical issues but the shadow magic teased in BTBD was prominent here. I had a feeling Strickland would be able to write a fantastic shadow magic book and this didn’t miss on that front. I loved how the blood magic, shadow magic, and death magic were all interwoven in the story and seeing how they worked together. That was my favorite part.

In the Ravenous Dark is a epically fantastic standalone fantasy that I simply adored! It’s not often that a standalone (especially fantasy) doesn’t leave me wanting more. This book gripped me from the VERY first chapter and kept me pretty much until the end. It was very twisty and VERY FULL of amazing lgbtq representation that was just so fantastic and expertly written. Specially the main character is pansexual and finds herself wanting to very different yet both very amazing characters and I’m just plain old obsessed!

I will say this book took a turn towards the end that I didn’t see coming and wasn’t sure how I felt about it but in the end it worked out for me. There were also little parts I wasn’t sure about the writing style, something felt off here and there but I seriously loved this story and the completely unique magic system had me devouring the pages to find out more!

This book was also VERY dark and FULL of trigger warnings, like seriously, check them out. This was one of the darker YA books I’ve read but I truly loved the story and the found family in this book had me smiling ear to ear. Rovan, the main character, also has a very excellent character arc and really pulls through and I just love her!

HIGHLIGHTS
~Everyone cool is queer
~not-gory blood magic!!!
~ghosts can be hotties too
~poly + found-family FTW

In The Ravenous Dark is pretty boundary-pushing for YA Fantasy – this is one of the first times I’ve seen a pansexual main character, for example, and while it’s not quite the first polyamorous YA Fantasy I’ve seen, it is only the second. Strickland is quite happy to go where few others dare to tread, and I applaud it.

But as much as I wanted to, I didn’t end up loving this book.

And in total fairness, I don’t think it’s because it’s a bad book. I think it’s me. I’ve been struggling more and more with YA lately, and it might be time to call it quits. Because the things I didn’t enjoy about In The Ravenous Dark are all more to do with YA styles and conventions than anything else, and those aren’t flaws when the book is, you know, YA. They’re features, not bugs.

So I’m going to break this down, being as objective as I possibly can.

The Good
The cast was great. It was a nice if disorientating change to have a main character who drinks too much and is also illiterate; Rovan does not walk onto the stage as an all-powerful badass. She has a temper, she can be nasty and vicious, she can act without thinking. All of these things make her interesting, and they make her feel very human. Lydea, Rovan’s female love interest, had plenty of dark-and-sexy vibes, and gradually let Rovan inside her defenses in a way that worked for me. Ivrilos, Rovan’s male love interest, was conflicted and complicated and really Not a Nice Guy, which earns him points in my book.

And of course Japha, Rovan’s best friend inside the palace, was absolutely the star of the show: an asexual, nonbinary fashionista who always manages to look fabulous, say something clever, and be there when you need them. I will be surprised if most readers don’t walk away from In The Ravenous Dark with Japha as their favourite character; they were certainly my favourite!

The found-family vibes Are Strong In This One. The developing relationships tying Rovan, Japha, Lydea, and Ivrilos together made my heart melt, and seeing them repeatedly back each other up and stand together was beyond heart-warming (although you should be warned: it takes a while for Ivrilos to get on board). But I also enjoyed the fact that it’s not all smooth sailing; there are misunderstandings and thoughtlessness and outright fuck-ups that cause tension and pain. Theirs is a very unconventional set-up, and it’s not easy to bring it all together – but it’s so worth it, because the end result is priceless.

And on that note: Strickland is not afraid to go there. Although the story never got very gory (thank goodness, I don’t do well with gore) it definitely gets plenty dark, emotionally, and Strickland doesn’t pull their punches. The lines most authors won’t cross? Get crossed here. And it’s very difficult to talk about that without spoilers, so let me just say that I was and am impressed that Bad Things Happen, even to people we like, even in ways that we are trained, as readers, to expect will work out okay. I spent a good chunk of this book thinking well, that would be bad, but it won’t actually HAPPEN because the worst never happens in books so it’s fine – and then The Thing would happen.

Nobody’s safe, and I think that’s a good thing. It’s brave and it’s interesting and it keeps the reader on their toes.

I’m also a terribly shallow person and loved the glimpses we got of Skylea, the homeland of Rovan’s father, because it was all just so pretty. Cities in trees! Magic-coloured hair! White tigers! There were definitely some elven/fae vibes and I would have loved to have gotten to see more of it.

The Bad
I found the second half of the book a bit rushed, and the twists and turns and reveals were mostly pretty predictable. That said, they were predictable in a vaguely YA way (I have no idea how to better explain what I mean, readers who read both YA and Adult will hopefully understand???) so if you enjoy YA Fantasy in general, I don’t think it’ll bother you.

The worldbuilding initially looked like it was going to be really interesting, but then it kind of faded out. The magic systems = awesome; the worldbuilding, not so much. I always have so many questions when underworlds/afterlives/Realms of the Dead are involved, and they were not answered here. Again, it’s difficult to discuss without going into spoilers, but I found the underworld and how it worked incredibly simplistic.

I also wasn’t really interested in any of the villains. One of the more minor ones revealed some unexpected depth at the last moment, but then is promptly Taken Out, so. The rest, the Big Bads? Were just…blandly evil. No complex motivations or even an interesting set of goals. They were also extremely misogynistic, which was never explained. Don’t get me wrong, the misogyny helped me despise them and the system they’d built, but I would have liked to know why they hated women so much. Blegh.

Finally, as much as I loved Lydea and Rovan’s relationship and how it developed, Rovan’s relationship to Ivrilos – which is initially pretty damn complicated, with power dynamic issues and betrayals and lies all mixed up together – turned romantic…not out of nowhere, but I wasn’t super happy with how the Issues that made Rovan dislike and distrust Ivrilos were all kind of brushed aside more than resolved once it was Romance Time. Although under the circumstances I very much understand why Ivrilos makes his declaration of love when he does, I had a hard time believing that Rovan would immediately forget all the crap he’d pulled previous to that point.

(I did immensely approve of the fact that Ivrilos just makes heart-eyes when Rovan goes full-on scary-monstrous. Give me all the guys who adore their terrifying girlfriends, please!)

The Extremely Not-Great
The first sex scene in the book, which takes place between two women, is a fade-to-black. That’s fine with me; I rarely enjoy explicit sex scenes, so I’m perfectly happy when the narrative decides to skip them.

…What’s less cool is when the F/F scene is fade-to-black, but your F/M sex scene is explicit. Because then you’re treating the two kinds of sex – I don’t want to say ‘queer sex and straight sex’, because the F/M scene is not straight sex, at least one of the participants is queer even if they are, at that moment, engaging in sex with someone of the opposite gender. Doesn’t matter, doesn’t make them straight.

And I want to be charitable and say that maybe Strickland wasn’t confident in their ability to write F/F sex, and that’s why it’s not there. But in that case, both sex scenes ought to have been fade-to-black. Fading to black on one but not the other…it reads as, ‘this kind of sex is Not Suitable for Young People to read about, but this one is totally fine’. It’s like saying F/F is dirty or only suitable for porn, whereas sex between a man and a woman is healthy and fine and nothing to worry about. Otherwise, why would you ‘censor’ one but not the other?

I seriously doubt Strickland intended to make it feel that way, and I am deeply suspicious that someone in the editing process insisted on a F/F sex scene being cut if the book was going to be published – we’ve seen that before. But however and whyever it happened, it left me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

In Conclusion
All in all, I did enjoy this, and I especially loved how so many aspects of it push convention (I desperately want to write an essay on how Strickland totally subverts the Bury Your Gays trope!!!) I wish it had been written as Adult rather than YA, but as a YA novel, it’s a great standalone fantasy with some fab non-traditional queer rep, that goes places I’ve rarely seen YA Fantasy go. My personal feelings might be a bit mixed, but I did enjoy reading it, and I definitely recommend it if a dark, queer, YA story is what you’re looking for.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for a digital ARC of In the Ravenous Dark.

Content Warnings: death, violence, blood

I’ve been in a wicked reading slump the past couple of months but this book has put an end to that. This story has just about everything I look for in a book: a strong yet imperfect main character, queer rep (pansexual, lesbian, nonbinary, asexual, polyamorous), POC rep, found family, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers, and lots of magic. On top of all that, we get thrown into this Greek-inspired world and all the royal politics that come with it. The world-building accompanies the plot development, which I greatly appreciate over a giant info-dump and it helps insert us into Rovan's journey.

This story managed to be both dark and humorous, exploring relationships in life and death. While the content may not be for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and its satisfying ending.

I have no idea how this book is labeled as young adult. I'm not sure if it's a marketing thing to get it to sell more but it was certainly more violent and sexual then many "Adult" books I've read. Up until recently the fact that it was labeled as young adult would have been a turn off for me. However as of a few months ago I realized how much of an idiot I was being. Since then I've read several "YA" books that ranked up there with some of the best fantasy, horror and science fiction books I've ever read. Anyways, this book reminded me very much of Giden the Ninth and I expect a lot of comparisons to be made. It also kind of reminded me of The Golden Compass. However, it was also very different and very much its own thing. Its queer, involves blood magic and had a main character that is a total badass. Rovan is forced to hide her powers to avoid being linked up with a spirit and joining an army. It will make sense when you read it. Her father actually died to protect this secret. However due to a heroic act of kindness her cover is blown. Stuck in a palace with a watcher of sorts (no spoilers) she quickly tries to figure out what's going on with the help of a (adorable) new best friend and a (also badass) princess. Read this book! 5 out of 5!

I'm always on the look for queer fantasy, so I was very excited to pick this up. plus it has a gorgeous cover!

characters:
- great rep! (pan, poly, lesbian, and non-binary)
- loved all of them!
- wish Rovan's romantic relationships had been given more time to develop, the chemistry was there, I just prefer a slower burn

writing/plot:
- pacing is kinda off, the beginning is great, middle is slow, and end is rushed
- im a sucker for world building and this book is no exception. the amount included in the book is perfect, but the world is so interesting that i just want to know more

overall thoughts:
many of my biggest issues about this book could have been resolved if it was a duology instead of a standalone. I wish the characters, plot, and relationships had just been given more time. But, overall, this book was amazing and I highly recommend it.

This book exceeded my expectations when reading it. It reminded me of From Blood and Ash, but for a Young Adult style audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book with a pansexual female main and polyamorous presentation in a healthy, non-conflict manner. And Japha stole the show! I fell in love with the fact they were nonbinary and asexual. It made them a unique and interesting character that I couldn’t help but develop an emotional attachment.
I think my only complaint is that I wish it was more than one book. I would have loved to see this book as a trilogy instead. It would have allowed for slowing down and enjoying some of the simpler moments in the book. However, the pacing is strong, and I finished the book satisfied with the ending. I just wanted to linger in the world a little longer for my own sake.

*Review contains mild spoilers* I was so excited to be approved for an early copy of this book. The description made the book sound so unique and a new and fresh contemporary fantasy. I read a little over 100 pages before I decided to DNF because while I found the world interesting and the magic system unique, I wasn't a fan of the writing. To me, the dialogue was very cringy at times and there was no conviction behind anything the characters did. I loved the prologue; I thought that was the best part of what I read, I wanted more badass bloodmage scenes, and I know being within the royal palace is a main part of the plot, but it was pretty boring. I'm super sad I didn't end up enjoying the part that I read, but I know many of the other early reviews are stellar, so if it sounds interesting to you then definitely check it out regardless of my opinion!

I love a good dark fantasy book, so it’s no surprise that I ate this one up! Rovan is a bloodmage but has hidden her powers since her father was murdered in front of her. She hated what magic brought, what it represented to her. One thing leads to another and she is exposed. Her exposure leads to being bound to a keeper… and finds out that maybe the magical world isn’t quite what she thought but she’s the perfect one to upend everything when secrets come out.

Love, love, love this book! I didn’t feel like the book dragged at all; the storyline just kept chugging along and there was plenty of action. Rovan is such a tumultuous character and yet seeing the journey, the inner struggle added to the plot. There were several other stand-out characters with their own personalities you may love, hate, or love to hate. Overall, quite the adventure!

This book offers readers a fast-paced dark fantasy with action, sexual tension, and deep characters. It is also an own voices, lgbtq+, and polyamory read. I very highly recommend it!

What a great book! In the Ravenous Dark is a story of a girl who is hiding that she is a bloodmage so that she won't be taken by the king to be a soldier. In the first chapter she watches her father killed by the guards for being an unwarded bloodmage, and then we flash 12 years in the future when she is found out herself. In this land, all bloodmages (people with magic) are warded to a spirit to protect themselves and the people around them.

This book was so much fun to read. Not only do we have a great cast of characters but the plot took me places I never thought I would go! The worldbuilding was also fantastic, I felt like I could see so much in this book, even of the places we never got to travel to. Each character was written so diversely and felt like they worked great together, even if they were enemies. Our main character is pansexual, but there are also characters that are gay, trans, ace - and it didn't feel like lgbt+ bingo.

We also have the age old favorite trope of Enemies to Lovers - which actually worked great here. Also an arranged marriage. And a healthy polyamorous relationship.

The pacing felt a bit off. The first60% of the book seemed to have a steady pace, not the fasted but not horribly slow either. But the last part of the book felt like it was trying to shove too many things into it. Around 75% a big twist happens, and I felt like I was suffering from whip lash the rest of the book because of it. I hate to say it because I love standalone fantasy books, but I really felt like this could have really succeeded as a series, especially with how much went down at the end.

I would recommend this book to 14-17 year old fans of YA fantasy. There were some one page sex scenes but they were very much fade to black; and while there was some gore/blood it was described in a way that didn't make it gross. I think most people would enjoy this story, it fell into some ya fantasy romance tropes, but was never to the point of making my eyes roll.

My final thought is the last chapter wrapped everything up too perfectly for my taste. I understand that that is something I don't like, and that many people will be happy with how it ended.

In conclusion - I really loved this book. The writing was easy to read, but not too easy, I fell in love with the characters, and the plot was unique and interesting. I totally recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Blood. Magic. Death. Kisses upon kisses upon kisses for everyone who wants them. A girl and her ghost buddy, tag teaming against the universe, killing those alive and in the afterlife. In the Ravenous Dark has it all. If you like books with kissing, just imagine one where everyone gets kissed and GUESS WHAT? No one gets jealous. No one gets angry. Everyone is happy to share the kissing and the love.

It's not very often you get a book like this, that loves LOVE and doesn't try to hide it. Moving well past the YA novels of the late 2000s/early 2010s where love triangles and jealous lovers were the trend, In the Ravenous Dark shows us the future: where books can be downright bloody and dark, but also blissfully unapologetic in their romance. Strickland shows us just how diverse books SHOULD be, where it's not even an afterthought, or even a major plot point, but just part of the novel's worldbuilding, feeling as a natural as anything else.

I will post the natural CW of: blood, mentions of rape, mentions of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and death. However, it's all done tastefully and not gratuitously. Strickland knows their craft well and handles each with care.

Within In the Ravenous Dark, Rovan quickly finds out her father is still alive and that the bloodline and magic she has inherited from him may be stronger than anyone has seen before. She is capable of more than anyone, even the Skylleans (where the bloodlines originated from) expected. When she is forced to accept her fate far earlier than she wants, she's bound to a four hundred year old guardian named Ivrilos, which she won't deny is kind of easy on the eyes, even if he isn't corporeal. Throw on top of that a newfound relationship with the Princess and a betrothal to someone horrific and Rovan is throwing herself head on into the chaos of Thanopolis' chaotic world. The deeper she gets involved and the more she discovers, the faster she realizes the fate of the world, and those she loves, is at stake. It gets heartwrenchingly dark, but follows it up moments of romance so touching, you too will want to cry tiny droplets of blood without realizing that's something you're capable of doing now, as well.

It's made me a beggar for more books with kissing, between everyone and anyone. The world needs more kisses and I hope this novel is the start of that trend. Too much of life is spent being jealous. Kiss who you want to kiss, you know?

In Thanopolis, bloodmages are prized possessions of the King. They’re bound to guardians from the underworld to both protect … and to control them. Rovan’s father died trying to save her from this very fate, so she has spent her life having to hide her magic. However, when she accidently reveals her powers, she’s captured and thrown into a court of intrigue.

Be still my heart. As soon as I heard In the Ravenous Dark pitched as a story about a pansexual bloodmage, I was sold instantly. I love any book related to necromancy, so the blood and death magic components were completely up my alley.

I also really enjoyed the characters and the relationships in this book! Rovan is great as an MC. She’s flawed, impulsive, and filled with sass and wit. Not to mention, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Rovan and her ghostly guardian was probably my favorite aspect of the book.

However, I do feel like this book suffers from serious pacing issues. The story starts off incredibly strong with a fantastic hook. Then it suffers from a mid-novel slump with balls and tutor lessons, and by the second half, it becomes kind of a hectic mess with rushed character and plot developments. To be honest, I feel like a lot of my main gripes would have been resolved if the story had been told as a duology instead of a standalone—especially since it feels like the story also has 2 separate climaxes.

Pacing issues aside though, In the Ravenous Dark is an enjoyable queer fantasy filled with multi-faceted characters, delicious dark magic, and a steamy ghost romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

In the Ravenous Dark piqued my interest with the first lines of the blurb: “pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.” Yes, please! Add to this that the world is unapologetically queer friendly for the most part, even featuring a polyamorous (MFF) relationship, a non-binary supporting character, and other characters representing myriad shades of the LGBTQIA + rainbow.

Rovan is exactly the sort of protagonist that intrigues me: complex and messy. She’s dealing with the fallout from her father’s murder, caring for her mother, and hiding her identity as a bloodmage. I loved her arc over the course of the story, as she builds a new found-family around her and rebuilds herself.

And I really enjoyed both of her love interests. Her relationship with Ivrilos does have a bit of a power imbalance, but she holds her own very well. And while I did feel that the relationship with Lydea was a bit instalovey, I still enjoyed them together for the most part. And it’s so nice to read a YA that doesn’t make the lead choose between the two love interests for the sake of prolonged drama, when both are valid options.

While this appears to be stand-alone, I’m interested in what Strickland writes next, especially if it’s just as queer. If you’re looking for a dark queer YA/NA fantasy, I think you’ll love this one.

I was really excited about this book and it did not disappoint.

**Trigger Warning...There is a lot of blood. If Blood magick is not your thing, this is not your book.**

Do not miss this amazing new read! Fast-paced with great character building and a wonderfully developed world...it will for sure take you on an adventure.

"A pan-sexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead."

Yep, that sums things up pretty well! In the Ravenous Dark is a decadent morsel of a book. Fast-paced, deliciously dark and bloody, filled with magic and death....highly recommend. Especially if you enjoy "unlikeable" heroines who refuse to fall in line, fight to their last breath, but are secretly soft with the people they truly care for. Rovan is exactly that and I love her, flaws and all.

In Thanopolis those gifted with blood magic must be controlled, and ever since seeing her powerful father die as a young girl, Rovan has been hiding her true nature. But a horrible mistake lands her in the sights of the royals. I don't want to give a lot of details because this is a book you just need to experience, but I loved it. It takes on misogyny and patriarchy, has all the queer rep, from a fabulous non-binary side character (ownvoices) to our pansexual, polyamorous heroine and more. It was a fantastic page turner of a book with some solid twists and a satisfying ending, as well as a good bit of angst, longing, betrayal, kissing, and more (note that there is some on-page sex though it is not explicitly described). I loved it and definitely would recommend. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

And because this author is the absolute best, they have provided a review with thorough content warnings! Check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
May 6, 2021
Rep: pansexual MC, lesbian LI, non binary ace best friend, polyamory (m/f/f), queer side characters

In the Ravenous Dark is fantastic standalone novel with romance and lots of blood! I must say, I did not expect to love it this much but it was morbid, creepy and absolutely spectacular.

The world building is really rich and intricate and I love casually queer the book it. Rovan is a great main character and one that is easily relatable. Her sassy one-liners were so good! The entire book is from her POV except for a chapter. I devoured this book!!!

The relationships in this book are one of my favourites. I really loved Rovan's relationships with Lydea and Ivrilos. But I think Japha might have stolen my heart! Their fashion *chefs kiss*

Rovan, Lydea and Ivrilos with Japha has a an amazing bond and if you love found family, polyamory, stunning world building, blood magic, dark fantasy and a romance that transcends death, then this book is perfect for you!

This is a new adult romance with a gripping plot that makes you addicted! It is a long book but the fast pace setting and beautiful writing made me fly through the pages.

CW: Blood, gore, mention of suicide, threat of rape, death, violence, alcohol

*ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

I started reading this the same day I got it because I've been so excited for this and it DELIVERED. There are so many things I want to talk about, but they're spoilers, so instead I'll say that this is one of the gayest books I've ever read - a pansexual lead! An f/f couple! An asexual, non-binary character! There's some polyamory! This book is NOT HERE TO PLAY when it comes to The Gay Agenda.

But it's also so dark. Rovan starts out as this alcoholic, slutty, queer weaver who's trying to grapple with her father's brutal murder by the government and keep her and her mother going while hiding that she's a bloodmage and things get REAL INTENSE from there. It's goth and bloody and dark. There's a hot dead guy. There's a major mystery. There's a really intricate family tree.

And through it all, Rovan finds her family. She finds love and acceptance and figures out pieces of herself. Her character arc is truly extraordinary in ways I can't fully explain without spoilers.

On top of that, Strickland keeps this humor throughout the story. Things were bloody and grotesque and I'm cringing away, but then Rovan makes a joke that's so true to her character - and the way a lot of us handle difficult things - and I'd laugh. It's a difficult line to walk when you're writing a book that gets so dark to still bring in this humor and this light, but Strickland does it.

This is truly one of the most special books I've ever read. It's so unique and so groundbreaking for YA and I cannot wait for y'all to read it.

Thank you for the e-arc!

This was spooky and dark and full of vicious queers... which is my favorite type.

Must read!

Thank you to Fierce Reads for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the Ravenous Dark follows pansexual bloodmage, Rovan. Her father died when she was a child, and she's spent the years since with her mom in Thanapolois, hiding her bloodmage gift. Until one day she falls off a roof with the girl she's been seeing and saves her with her bloodmage gift.

But in Thanapolis, those with the gift are bound to a spirit, a guardian. And when she arrives at the palace, she is forced to learn her abilities and live amongst royalty, falling for a princess and her brooding guardian.

So, first of all, the magic system in this world is AMAZING, and it's so well written, It was explained so quickly and thoroughly, which was a nice change of pace for a fantasy! I loved the LGBTQIA+ rep and how open everyone seemed to be about, despite the gender roles of child bearing and court.

Ivrilos was such a well written character, and I love his dynamic with Rovan. Overall, I thought all of the characters were well flushed out, and the world building was fantastic. And honestly, i love that it was a standalone! I will say quite a bit of it read as adult. If NA were a genre, this would fit right in. Overall just above a 4 star for me, but not quite 5.

CW: blood and death

You can pretty much summon me with blood magic, ancient Greek influences, and queer fantasy. One of my favorite elements of In the Ravenous Dark was the queerness. Not only is Rovan pansexual (YAY!), but there are is so much casual queerness all across the spectrum and also features a polyamorous relationship! Major win on that front and it was also just so lovely to read about this queer accepting fantasy world. The characters in In the Ravenous Dark have to my favorite element with my faves being Rovan and Lydea.

Rovan's character development, while I would have liked a bit more space for it to bloom, was one of my favorite elements. As readers we are able to see her grow, make mistakes, and find fuel for her fire. Embrace your power and let it all burn - is the mantra I have for every book basically. Especially in a system where women are used and hides dark secrets in every corner. I also loved the found family that Strickland highlights, and celebrates. I also really loved the, what I thought was, Greek inspirations in the world!