My main issue throughout the time I was reading was this book was that it seemed to have a pacing issue. The beginning of the book felt so rushed and therefore there wasn’t really an understanding of the relationships. The one between Aylin and Ilyas was hard to get to grips with because there were whole years skipped. It wasn’t clear how exactly Yara and Aylin were as sisters because of the missed years and a lot seemed to be made of them being very different but it wasn’t clear why. Another issue I had was that I preferred what was going on in the Court of the Undead and I wasn’t really invested in what was going on with Aylin. Even then there was still a pacing issue and everything seemed to escalate very quickly.

I did enjoy the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire and I did like the vampire lore of it and there were moments of greatness in parts of it as well but overall I felt a little bit underwhelmed by it all.

The Court of the Undead is book 1 in the Trueborn series.

Aylin and Yara are sisters who have been brought up in the Ottoman Court. One day when Yara is kidnapped and sold in the Court of the Undead, Aylin decides to join a group of hunters in the search for her sister.

This book had a little bit of a slow start. I think both the sisters were a bit rash and made stupid decisions. The twin Vampire brothers were fun and interesting too and I was of course reminded of The Vampire Diaries and the Salvatore brothers.

I was surprised when I realised they were Muslims but then I thought it would be okay, but I don't think vampires and Islam should be mixed, for various reasons.

This was giving me Red Queen vibes but with vampires! I loved the love between Yara and her sister Aylin. These two grew up on tales of the vampir whispered to them in the dark by their superstitious nursemaid. Yara is kidnapped and brought to the fortress of the Undying King, that she realizes that she is far from the safety of the Ottoman court.

I love seeing a muslin representation in this book. Also it's nice seeing a plus size female character portrayed as well! There is also forbidden romance and a love triangle or two.

This book started off very strong. I was loving it, but then it started getting a little too flat for me. I didn't mind the use of other languages but I feel like it needs to also be brought up the definitions sometimes because I am very forgetful.

ALL THE TROPES IN THIS BOOK. i love!! the writing was incredible, the plot kept me invested, the love triangles *chef’s kiss*. it was truly a breath of fresh air.

how could you not love this book plssss i ate it up

The story had potential and started off okay but fell flat pretty quick. I could not get into this story no matter how hard I tried. I just couldn't get into it, it was confusing at some points. It wasn't for me. I also didn't like all the different languages and having to look up some words to make sense of some stuff.

I just reviewed The Court of the Undead by F.M. Aden. #TheCourtoftheUndead #NetGalley

Worth the read!! Fun, great characters, great world building, supurb storyline.

This was such a good, fun read and something different then the genre I usually read I really enjoyed it

In this bloodthirsty, action packed, kick off to a series surrounding a hidden court of vampires, we follow multiple perspectives. One is Yara the beautiful sister of Aylin, she always just wanted to marry for love one day. Yara ends up getting captured from the Ottoman court as a blood slave for the court of the undead. Our other main perspective is from Aylin who will stop at nothing to get her sister back, even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join an order of vampire hunters. The vampires are cruel and care nothing of the humans, Yara has to use the skills she has learned in the Ottoman court of political games in order to survive in a court of monsters. I really enjoyed this read, I mostly loved the hierarchy of the vampire court, all the political aspects between different vampire clans. There is romance in this as well, but it’s rather more I’m not sure on who my team is in this book. I had an array of mixed emotions with what happens with the potential love options. I’m super excited to read the next book and see where things go with the Undying King.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot intrigued me, and it exceeded my expectations. The writing style captivated me, and each chapter held my attention. The romance sets the stage for the next installment, and the fantasy elements are masterfully woven. I eagerly anticipate the next book in this promising fantasy romance series.

The vampire political intrigue novel of my dreams, Yara and Aylin's story is full of the kinds of twists and turns that keep a reader on their seat. Aden excels at lush descriptions and creating high-octane tension in a setting that is truly unique. This is a fabulous debut and I'm excited to see what's next for the sisters (and--of course--the absolutely INCREDIBLE love interests).

Gosh, this was so good. Just don't start reading it on a night, you will be awake all night reading it. I love gothic flavoured books but this wad so different. I loved the relationship between the sisters, their back stories and interactions with the other characters. I cannot wait to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! this was definitely a hard one to get through. Muslims and vampires are sure quite an insane combination that u cannot put in the same sentence... and it pissed me off so bad i did not like the representation in this one, it was not executed well whatsoever, first half felt so dragged i almost dnfed. i liked the characters they were interesting to read, there were a lot of good elements but the execution was just terrible.. see idk if the author is muslim or not but muslims certainly dont drink blood...

unfortunately, not for me

5 stars

I devoured this book, it was so much fun, and an original story while still touching on the popular tropes we see in romantasy. This book is a
dark fantasy which sits on the edge of dark romance without committing to dark romance tropes. Other than its dark themes, I believe it is marketed as YA.

The representation in this book was fantastic including Muslim MCs and a plus size MC. The book is a dual POV predominantly that follows two sisters, one abducted and one on a quest to get her back. The storyline has everything from court politics and intrigue, backstabbing and spying, hidden identity, forbidden love, and more all bundled up in a rich world inspired by the history and rise of the Ottoman Empire which adds so much depth to the story. Also as a prominent love triangle hater I was worried I would hate this book not realising that this had love triangles when starting. However this author threw me through a loop because I am INVESTED. I do not even know who I am rooting for anymore and I am desperate for the next book.

To top it all off this book does not just have you rooting for morally grey characters, but also straight up evil characters. The design and characterisation of the Vampir in this book are so good and so dark that you truly never know who is a friend and who is an enemy.

My only criticism of this book was that I felt like it was maybe a little slow in the first couple of chapters, however once it got going I didn't want to put it down. Those first few chapters were setting the scene and info dumping but as soon as the storyline starts going I did not care that it was a bit slow in those first 3 chapters.

Overall, I felt the story was original, fast-paced, and kept me gripped right until the end. I will be looking out for the next read with bated breath and will be looking into this author for anything else they have written.


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book, I'm not a big fan of love triangles and there are two in this book, Yes you read that right two! one love triangle for each sister. So if you love a good love triangle you should read this. It did take me at least 40% before i really became invested in the story and my god did the last 35% pack a punch!

0 - 🌶
4 - ⭐️

Not my cup of tea, but it was an interesting story. Fans of “Stalking Jack the Ripper” and “Hunting Prince Dracula” (both by Kerri Maniscalo) will likely enjoy this book as well. It has a similar vibe to that series, but this book also has an element of family and the fierce bond between sisters.

Where do I start? This book series has incredible potential, with love triangles and forbidden romances that had me hooked. The pacing was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and the beginning dragged a bit. But once it picked up halfway through, I couldn't put it down after I was around halfway done with it. The relationships, especially the sisterhood, were well-done and drove the plot effortlessly. Yara and Aylin's bond transcended distance. While Ilyas and Aylin's romance took a backseat to Yara's connections with the vampire brothers, the balance between perspectives was great. Overall, despite its flaws, I still enjoyed this book!

I hate that it took me so long to read this. I was instantly drawn in by the cover and it did not disappoint. Took a while to get into but by the end I was hooked!

This wasn't my favorite book. It started off okay, but then it just fell flat for me. It had interesting moments like the vampire court was nice but other than that; it was extremely flat, boring, and overdramatic for me.

This book has two things I love; vampires, and kidnapping trope. Add that to it being MMF? Sign me up. I've been long over due for a vampire book and it just rekindled my love for the supernatural romances. It does have a couple of possible triggers- canniblism, human trafficking, violence. But the writing was well done and it make it hard to put down. It was not a spicy read, but it didn't need it. I give the book 4 stars, definitely would recommend it to anyone who needs a vampire pallet cleanser.

Thank you to Northern Light Press and F. M. Aden for an arc copy of The Court of The Undead to review.

I’ve not read many vampire-themed books this year, which is not like me. I love a good vampiric story with clever intrigues and twists. But, the vampire market has felt a bit lacking in variety in 2023. The Court Of The Undead caught my eye with its unique angle on Netgalley, luring me to take the plunge. Basing the book during the Ottoman Empire and interweaving the history, culture, and politics of the time through the POVs of the characters and plot brought an intriguing fresh twist to the classic vampire legend.

The Court of the Undead is based on the classic gothic romance story style. Set in the historical backdrop of the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Principality. The premise focuses on humans being kidnapped for the use of a Vampire court ruled by Dracul for blood and vice, vampire court intrigues and politics, the battle between vampire hunters stalking creatures of the night, and the lengths a person will go to save their loved ones from danger.

The plot starts a little slow – there are a few odd chapters introducing characters and heavy world-building (a lot of telling elements) to wander through first. Around 20%, the story ramps up into fast action with political intrigue, menacing double-crossing, dark obsession love triangles, creepy intentions, and some eye-rising villainy. If you are a big Vampires Diary fan (like I was in my teens before the TV series), you will see influences and some Easter egg nods to L. J. Smith’s books and her characters Damon and Stefan.

Yara and Volkan seem to be the two characters who have solid character development within the story. They are growing and evolving as the plot points unfold. Yara gets swept up into vampire court life as she tries to manipulate parties to earn her freedom, becoming more ruthless and merciless on her path to darkness. Volkan is the reserve – his arrogant and dismissive attitude changes as he grows to care for Yara, she inspires him to be gentler and even tender with her, though he would still unlive anyone who harms her. I am hoping Ilyas and Aylin get more development in the second book, but I felt their whole purpose in the story was the discovery of Yara’s location and the vampire court. I’ll leave readers to make up their minds about Eldar, I’m in two minds on him as a character.

I am a little nervous that this book is listed as YA, it's very dark at points and more suited to an adult audience. Perhaps it's intended for a New Adult (18 +), but it needs trigger warnings for abuse, murder, and unhealthy relationships.

In the end, I thought this book was a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 read. Some of the writing could have been a little more refined at the start and middle of the story, but something is alluring about the plot that will keep you reading from reaching the vampire fortress. I think vampire lovers will find a story to sink their teeth into meeting Eldar and Volkan for the dark romance elements and morally grey cards.