Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review!

Where to begin but HOLY SHIT! This book had all of my favorite things, a magic school system, morally grey characters, a murder investigation and my all time favorite queer vampires!
This book did an incredible job melding everything together and making something truly beautiful! I’ve been in a super bad reading slump and have not been able to get through any book, but this one I flew through! It was captivating and interesting from the first page and only got better.
I thought I knew where this book was going and who are killer was gonna be and I truly didn’t see that ending coming. That alone made this book 5 stars for me!
The queer aspects with Fin were weaved in so beautifully to the story that it felt completely natural and didn’t take anything away from the main plot. I also loved how the gender nonconforming characters used their shape shifting magic so their body matched their gender identity. Whether that was being completely androgynous or switching back and forth between being super masc to super femme it was a beautiful thing to see!
Speaking of the magic I loved the magic system in this book! I also absolutely loved that we got different vampire houses with different specialties! Also that it was set up in a school type setting where we got to see the different courts teach their abilities! My favorite of course was the chaotic blue court with Kashire as the teacher!
This book is a very fun read and I highly suggest it!

I was very down for this book because I love vampires. However, I couldn’t stick with this book very much. The world felt too slow and confusing for me at times, and I didn’t really love any of the characters. The story itself had some good groundwork though. Not my cup of tea, but that’s just me!

WOW. Thank you a million times over to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC. Court of the Undying Seasons was SUCH an amazing read. The pacing was steady and the characters well rounded. I wanted more, and will keep this author on my radar! Formal review will be available on GoodReads, socials & Amazon.

This is a great dark fantasy/romance, definitely living up to the high level A. M. Strickland set with 'In the Ravenous Dark.' The worldbuilding was great throughout, and the tone/vibes were very eerie.

(Special thanks to @netgalley and @macmillanusa for the eARC in exchange for a review!)

Right off the bat, this book was spectacularly queer. I can’t think of a single member of the main cast that wasn’t, and there was a lot of diversity in gender and gender expression, which is refreshing to see. The main character is sapphic, but the main romance is m/f, FYI.

In terms of the actual content of the book, I definitely struggled in some areas. It was an easy, quick read, but I found that it was almost too juvenile/YA in some places. The book has its fair share of bad cliches, from the typical “bad boy” to a female narrator that at times made you want to bang your head against the wall. It also divided the vampires into different factions, similar to a book by a joanne that I will not name (change the names and the courts could very obviously be certain houses). At the same time, there were a lot of darker, grim elements, including torture and body horror, and it was difficult to reconcile these two characteristics with each other.

Honestly, the second half of the book was way better than the first. There’s some trippy twists and it moves much more fast-paced, diving deeper into the actual lore, which is why I ended up giving this book 4 stars when I originally was feeling more like 3. (I might have scored it higher if Marai had been the mc, but oh well.)

Overall, a fairly engaging queer read.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the characters, the story, and the politics. I couldn't stop reading, and wish it went on longer. The book is very well-written with great pacing and amazing characters.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had AM Strickland on my radar since Beyond the Black Door (for the ace rep) and enjoyed it, then absolutely LOVED In the Ravenous Dark, so I was super excited to hear about The Court of the Undying Seasons and even more to read it.

The Court of the Undying Seasons follows Fin (a demi-girl) who volunteers to be taken at her village’s Finding, where court vampires come to pick the next generation initiates, and is whisked away to a vampire finishing school with only two outcomes: pass and become a vampire, or fail and become a thrall. Fin has to deal with opposing vampire factions, being coached into their newfound powers, and a brooding and sexy vampire maker, but if that wasn’t enough… a string of murders all revolving around Fin, that hint at a dark ritual.

It’s bold, it’s bloody, and it’s full of betrayal.

I think that this book could have EASILY fell into a boring and basic finishing school story, which made me slightly apprehensive of this when I read the synopsis, but it didn’t. It never failed to be exciting, indulgent, dark, and unashamedly queer. I loved the heat and tension of the romance (this is a YA though so don’t expect erotica) the push and pull of their attraction and wondering what each would do next. Aside from the main character being a demi-girl and pansexual, many other characters were attracted to multiple genders, or sapphic, or fell under the trans umbrella.

Both In the Ravenous Dark and The Court of the Undying Seasons just WORK for me in ways I cannot really explain. They are delectable standalones that stand apart from other young adult books, and reading them feels like eating a luscious dessert. I would LOVE to see this author write an adult fantasy novel.

Thank you to Macmillan for the eArc; the thoughts that follow are completely my own.

When I tell you I GASPED. I clutched my PEARLS. I drank this in - pun intended.

It has LGBTQIA+ rep, dark academia vibes, found family, and vampires, so what’s not to love? Admittedly, it took me a long time to like Fin, but I don’t hold that against the author or the book. I think I’m just a bit beyond relating to or connecting with YA characters, which is the most terrifying reminder that I turn 30 soon. What really drew me in was Gavron, because of course he did, because I clearly have a type, and that type is dark, mysterious, and dangerous. Let me tell you, Gavron and his character arc did not disappoint. Aside from Fin and Gav, the author is a master in creating compelling, entertaining, and well-developed side characters, which is what I also adored about In the Ravenous Dark, and they did a lot of heavy lifting carrying me through the repetitive nature of the sections of the book. I understand why the sections and their plot points cycle the way that they do, it just became tedious as a reader until section four, and that’s the main reason this is a four star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Court of Undying Seasons is a busy book. The story follows Fin, a young human in process of becoming a vampire despite their reluctance. There is a lot of representation in this story and a strong lgbtq element which is always nice to see. From there it’s a bit of a mess though. Fin goes from love to hate and back again so many times in the process of solving a string of murders among the houses of vampires. The end feels rushed and anticlimactic. If I didn’t know better I would assume this is a first time author. I’m not sure if this is meant to be a series but I wouldn’t read a follow up novel.

Court of the Undying Seasons starts out like many other stories of arranged sacrifice and training in a new world, to become something else. And then it becomes so very much more. Fin pulls a Katniss and takes Silveas spot, and that's where everything starts to go wrong. The story kept changing direction, revealing components that completely changed everything....just like its characters. Both characters and story itself were masterfully done!

Gavron is a mystery, a very well designed one. I could not get a solid pin on him until near the end. I want to love him, but then something changes and I hate him. Kashire is similar, but I hated him first. His character has so much depth and charisma, he's the perfect dangerous beast. I love the bond that Marai and Fin share, and it plays into the rest of the scheme so beautifully.

So many, many twists, each more surprising than the last. The shock of realization at who Fin's mother is...perfection. The ending was not what I expected at all, but made complete sense with everything else. An evolution of story, characters, and an entire race. I do wish that we got to see a bit more of the new possibilities for and between Gavron and Fin though.

Overall, definitely recommend!

This was an amazing story but I wish there was more to the it. It dragged on a bit and there could've been more to the story as a whole. The main character felt very alive while the rest seemed a bit 2D to me.

Very good book I couldn’t put it down it has so many twist it kept me on the edge of my seat. This was a really cool take on the whole vampire thing I really enjoyed it and I hope there are more books to come. I have never read this author before but I am definitely a fan now.

I really loved this story's premise!

Unfortunately, the writing in this was too juvenile for me. There was a huge info dump in the beginning that I feel could have been done better, and although some of the characters were fun to read, there was far too much telling rather than showing. I would have liked a lot more description.

Thank you so much for approving me for this ARC.

I love anything that A.M. Strickland writes and this did not disappoint. The plot! The characters! The tension! The romance! If I could, I'd give this more than five stars if I could.

I found the worldbuilding in this book to be very confusing. Any information given was very rushed, probably because it's a standalone, and I feel like it could have been fleshed out a lot more. The magic system was confusing, and I also felt like the beginning in particular was extremely rushed. I did like the writing style otherwise, and I think I would definitely try out a series by Strickland in the hopes that it would have a bit of a slower pace in order to fully explain all of the context.

Another wonderfully queer book by A.M. Strickland but this time with sexy vampires. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE in this book was queer in some way or another and it was so lovely to read about. I loved how everyone was an enemy, then a friend, then both actually, but also everyone was hot. Truly a dream world.

The only issue I did have was the main character was incredibly one-minded, to the point where multiple times I was actively skimming because she was choosing to ignore all evidence pointing one way and acting against her (and everyone she cares for's) best interest. But I just chalked it up in the end to her just being a lil dumb and hey, can't we all relate to that.

Overall, this was such a fun and atmospheric read that I very much enjoyed.

4/5 stars! As a rule, I don't like when any book totes it is the next SJM story. I feel like that's a cop-out from letting your work speak for itself and everyone and their cousin wants to feel connected to the SJM franchise. That being said, this story is a strong fantasy entry and has great queer representation. I really enjoyed getting to know Fin. The vampire school was a mix of many monster high schools I've read, but still pleasantly unique. Overall, I liked this book and would pick up more by this author, although the writing was juvenile even for a YA story at times.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I received an ARC copy from netgallery for an honest review. All opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.

Where do I start with this book? It is a unique type of Vampire story and one I haven't heard before. These characters and the plot are so amazing! These vampires are hard-core and trust me they don't sparkle. I loved the twists and turns in this book. The characters grow on you and even after I finished this book, I can't get it out of my head. The author creates such an amazing world that you love to be in it and hate to leave it! This is one story you don't want to miss!

Goodreads review in link. Thank you for the book!

This book was very enjoyable to read. I don't think there were any spelling errors but some of sensory language was weird, it didn't really make sense.

I love vampire stories, especially ones with sexy vampires, and this book delivered on that front! What first drew me into the book was the cover, although I’ve never read her other books, A.M Strickland ALWAYS seems to have beautiful covers that catch your eyes. Court of the Undying season is about nineteen year old Fin, who takes her crush’s place in the Finding which means she has to go to Castle Courtsheart and begin her journey to become either a vampire or thrall. This begins Fin's journey for revenge for her mother, who was taken to the finding.
I enjoyed the plot of this story immensely. Fins hunt for revenge, and trying to learn how to kill monsters was intriguing. I wondered the entire time if she would find her mother and was trying to figure out if maybe one of the characters she had met happened to be her. I also loved the addition of romance, I yearned for the romance and I got it. The storyline progressed superwell also and I wasn’t disappointed!
Character development in this book also was good! I love how Fins character progressed along with her friends. Although I wish some characters had different outcomes *ahem* Claudia, I’m super satisfied with how everyones characters made sense at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group & Feiwel & Friends for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.