Thank you to Entangled Teen for an eARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get into it. I also found it felt really long. Some of the plot points seemed to be introduced only to be forgotten about for a large chunk of the book. I was expecting more of the Slayer Academy aspect, and I found it to be very minimal. I was also expecting more of Raven and Khamari being partnered to uncover secrets, and that also felt like it was only a minimal part of the story.
Instead what happened was a bunch of different plots that seemed kind of crazy and intense all happening one after another. I think that the book could have benefited from having some of this cut out, and introduced later.
The parts about Raven and Khamari’s history felt like they were thrown in just to create a past and tragedy. I liked their relationship and how it was developing until that was dropped. I also felt like both Raven and Khamari ran hot and cold and were back and forth a lot on their feelings and actions. Khamari’s POV was interesting, and I liked seeing more of the vampire powers and politics.
I did like the way that the author wrote the action and fight scenes. I thought they were intense and exciting, and the book really picked up around the 70% mark for me and I couldn’t put it down. I also liked the way that the author explored the character dynamics and relationships. I thought Charlotte was intriguing, and I liked seeing Rose challenge Raven’s views. I wish that more had been explored with some of those characters, but I did like the secondary characters.
Overall I liked this one and I’ll probably be reading the sequel to find out what happens with the Alexander plot and discover more secrets about slayers.

A colleague of mine sent me this because of the Full Metal Alchemist and Vampire Diaries tagline. That is probably the most accurate description of this book. It is a little dark at times but all around very well written.

Give me anything with Vampire Slayers and I'll gobble it up. I loved Harris' take on this genre and this kind of story. It was fresh and unique.

Apparently the leap from Marching Band to Vampire Slayer Academy is not that big for some people, specifically brand-new slayer, Raven. She is my kind of heroine – quick-witted and a certified butt-kicker!

I had a lot of fun reading Sign of the Slayer. From the hilarious, snarky one-liners and dialogue to the 90s/early 2000s pop culture references to the code names. The world building that included vampire lore and a hi-tech slayer academy are easy to latch onto and you find yourself wanting to learn more right along with Raven.

I also feel like it wouldn’t be a proper slayer story without a little romance with the supposed enemy. I enjoyed watching the dynamic between Prince Khamari and Raven aka Texas unfold. Especially since she has trust issues with him being a vampire. And I’m liking the flavor of a possible love triangle blossoming too.

I’m looking forward to this being a series!!!! If you grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you are definitely going to want to check this book out.

This book is advertised as Fullmetal Alchemist meets The Vampire Diaries ad that feels pretty accurate. It’s also what drew me into the story. That’s my favorite anime after all. Add in that the main character is Black and I was sold!

The FMA influence is strong. And there were some things about the vampires that I really liked. Like vampires that were made by being bitten are called ticks (derogatory) and I adored that! It was smart, it was funny.

Now, I will say this book suffers from having a lot of ideas in it. To the point where some things aren’t explained very well and that left me feeling a little lost but context was always enough to get me back on track. The unfortunate thing is that happened a few times. I feel like some of the ideas could have been streamlined.

Now where this book absolutely shines is character voice. I was laughing hard while reading. I highlighted so many lines. This character is funny. Very funny. And it was so refreshing to read a character who I could see myself in. Who talked like me and my family.

While it has some issues, I’m giving this a 4 out of 5. The character kept me reading, even when I was tired. I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks so much to them and the publisher.

I really liked the storyline and plot of this story, as well as Raven. Sometimes main characters just can be a hit or miss, but I enjoyed her. I also really liked the worldbuilding and the Slayer Society!

I loved everything about this book. Alchemy, Egyptian mythology. Historical parallels. Revenge. Secrets. Forbidden love.

I ended up dnfing this book. the writing style just wasn’t for me. however i really liked the mc and the whole concept of the story! i’ve been thinking about attempting it again!

Talk about a thrilling read! Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris sees the introduction of two different societies mixed with classic tropes, urban fantasy staples, and tons of actions.

Meet Raven. Her world is turned upside down when her friend is murdered. By vampires. Then, she discovers she’s a vampire slayer. She is pulled into the Slayer Society and is planning to seek vengeance, but she has a lot to learn. She has to work with a Prince to gather intel on disruptive vampires. What could go wrong?

I adored Raven and her personality. Harris was able to engage me throughout the story and I loved the different elements of the magic system. I was also here for the Buffy references! As someone who watched the show, I found them to be warm hugs when I least expected it. My biggest nod to Harris is for the historical and present-day elements of Southern and Black culture that was woven throughout the story. Three cheers for Harris and a terrific read!

I love it when books call to me. It’s a sign that I’m going to be invested in the story and really like it, if not love it beyond words. Sharina Harris’s Sign of the Slayer was truly everything.

Eighteen-year-old small-town Texas girl, Raven is simply trying to survive high school and overcome her past. The bright side is she’s currently the section leader of her high school band’s saxophone section. The downside, her life as she knows it will be changed forever when the band bus gets into an accident and she gets thrust into a world she didn’t know existed. Good thing her Grandma Lou taught her how to fight.

The bus accident was no simple accident, thanks to the vampires who attacked it. When Raven sees a man fighting off the vampires, she’s compelled to help him. When she survives the attack, he tells her that she’s now a slayer and takes her to a rundown motel. Leaving her there, he says someone will come to help her. That someone turns out to be Charlotte, co-leader of the Slayer Society, and her boyfriend Richmond who happens to be the Maximus, the strongest of vampire slayers. Raven is then taken to Atlanta, Georgia, and the Tria Prima Academy where she will live and be trained. Unfortunately, this means that she isn’t able to have any sort of communication with anyone from her past. That includes her Grandma Lou.

At slayer academy, Raven excels and quickly becomes an unofficial trusted leader. So much so that she gets welcomed into the inner sanctum. She soon learns that her mystery stranger is none other than Khamari St. John who isn’t just a vampire, but a prince and the future king of the Ankh clan. While Khamari is an ally of the slayers, there are others in the clan who frown upon this. Especially when there is something big in the works.

Sign of the Slayer is an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance. I thought I was going to get a Buffy/Angel type story. Nope. This story was so much better than I ever could have imagined. Raven is smart, determined, fierce, and snarky. There’s so much more to her and her story than she even knows. Khamari hides a lot of secrets, but his feelings for Raven aren’t one of them. Their banter is oftentimes fun. Sharina had me glued to the pages of this upper young adult fantasy that’s full of betrayal and mystery. There are so many twists, turns, and surprises in this story. Intense is a very good word to describe this book. You will be left with so many questions and theories. I can not wait for the next book. Because “The war has yet to come.”

It should be noted that this story contains death and violence. Check the publisher’s website for more warnings.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Your mind and imagination are your greatest weapons.”

“The more you learn, the better your odds of survival.”

“There are no victors in war.”

“You are something else. Something special.”

“I think you can achieve anything you direct your energy toward.”

“I’m stronger than you think.”

“A mother’s love is too strong.”

“You’ve got to have faith.”

“It’s never too late. Don’t give up.”

“Don’t be afraid of who you are. Trust the voice inside of you.”

“You’re everything.”

I loved the writing style and how Raven came across the page. She felt like a real person especially with her thoughts and dialogue. I didn't really love the plot, for so much going on it felt slow still? I got about 40% through before I just wasn't interested in picking it back up. I really loved how the characters were written though so I won't totally write this one off.

When I first started reading Sign of the Slayer I had some trouble staying focused on it. It felt like it was trying to do too much too fast, but as I kept reading, I saw the world that Sharina Harris was building and found myself unable to stop reading. Raven's journey into the world of the slayers is unique enough to keep you immersed but self-aware enough to make jokes about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though many of the "reveals" were telegraphed pretty far in advance (if you were watching for them), they still gave the story the necessary umph to launch into the next part. By the time the novel ended, I wasn't ready to leave the world Harris had created and I look forward to seeing where she takes her slayers in the future.

Enjoyable, but for me not one I would reach for again!

The pacing was a bit slow, and then all over the place, but that kind of fits with Ravens chaotic journey!

I loved the geeky pop culture references, and definitely recommend if you’re a dark academia lover with some vampires and supernatural vibes mixed in!

Sharinaaaaaaaaa!!!! 👏🏾 Do I have a new favorite author?! Abso-freaking-lutely!! This book was amazing!! AHMazinggggg! It’s like Legendborn and Vampire Dairies had a baby and made this beautiful work of art! *chef kiss*

First of all, Mrs. Sharina got me with the Prairie View reference! Immediately hooked! Immediately! Because duh, Prairie View A&M is a fine institution! One of the finest! And I was laughing throughout this book! Like wheeeeeezing! Had my husband looking at me like something was wrong with me 😂

I loved Robin/Texas and I related with her so much! Her snarky comments, her nonchalant demeanor; Robin didn’t care who she was talking to, she showed her 100% self, 1000% of the time and had no problems letting anyone know what was on her mind!

I loved the characters and their development throughout the book! The plot unfolded so well and there was a wonderful amount of action from the jump! I loved that I didn’t have to wait for world building or explanation of the slayer society for the action to pop off! And Robin was getting in some vampire ass immediately! I just loved it!

I am no Sherlock Holmes, but I predicted a few of the twists in the book. I am a-ok with that because it did not take away from my book experience at all! I stayed up until 4am to finish this book, and it was well worth it!

I cannot wait for the next book, and I would love to meet Mrs. Harris in person! Ma’am, when are you coming to the DFW area! I want to give you a hug and take a picture with you! Also, where can I get a signed book?!

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Another YA fantasy set in high school. This reminds me of the manga Vampire Knight. The FMC, a highschooler vampire slayer who met a Vampire Prince that turned her world upside down.

With the threat of an ancient curse, her and the Vampire Prince needs to work together to break it else, all hell breaks loose.

Though certain clichés were observed all throughout, there were still some unique use of action scenes that subtly made my heart jump once in a while

thank you to Entangled Teen Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review ♥️
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first, let me warn y’all right now that this book ends on a cliffhanger.

now that that’s out of the way, let me just say poor Raven was really put through it. she lost her friends after her band was attacked by vampires. she was recruited for a society of vampire slayers almost immediately after losing her friends. and she couldn’t even contact her granny or she’d risk putting her in danger. thankfully, she now has people that she can trust to have her back during all of this. even a vampire 🫢

speaking of vampires, say hello to Khamari. he’s powerful, talented, charming, and literally a vampire prince. he’s also been through quite a bit. he lost his parents and he had a rough upbringing. but now he has his grandpa and his brother. despite him being a vampire, he also has Raven. and they were too freaking cute y’all. well, when she wasn’t pissed at him lol. now he definitely did some things I wasn’t a fan of and he wasn’t my fave at first. but he really did grow on me.

circling back to my girl Raven right quick. she’s different from a lot of the other slayers. she has this darkness (as she calls it) inside of her and man…homegirl can really tear you UP if she lets it out. she’s so powerful, and at such a young age. it’s so much she can do and yet still so much I think she has to learn. especially controlling the darkness…

overall, this was an interesting story and baby the plot twists were plot twisting! if you read this…be mindful of who you trust and who you think have good intentions. oh and be prepared to experience at least 5 different emotions. it’s definitely giving I’ll be reading book 2 cause I’d like to know what happens next 😭

15 Thoughts……..
1. High school/HBCU band vibes from the beginning!
2. Love all the pop-culture references! Blerd Content in full affect!!!
3. This reminds me of a cross between Vampire Huntress Legend Series by LA Banks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Very nostalgic!
4. Family/Friend ties are very important to the main character.
5. Things escalate quickly from the start.
6. Raven is literally a magical young black women with secret powers that are even more advanced than her peers.
7. Raven, you in trouble girl, with this vampire?!!!
8. This story veers very close to new adult paranormal.
9. Raven is a funny and relatable character.
10. There is an emphasis on mental health and self care that is apparent throughout the book.
11. The chapter development and magical system is nuance and complex but easy to follow once you get the handle of the plot.
12. There is disability representation in here that is pretty awesome.
13. The action/paranormal scene are very vivid and action-packed. You will be cheering for Raven throughout this book.
14. Raven has an amazing support system at school and also with her love interest, showing the importance of community and friendship.
15. This will be an AWESOME miniseries! There are a few actors/actresses that can really bring this story to life? U can’t seem to narrow down the choices. Put suggestions in comments?
Amazing book and highly recommended. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Thank you @hearourvoices your for letting me be apart of the cover reveal and book tour!!! #HearOurVoices #HOV #signoftheslayer

I want to express my gratitude to Entangled Teen and @hearourvoicestours for giving me the opportunity to dive into Sign of the Slayer early!

Sign of the Slayer kicks off with a bang as Raven and her bandmates are attacked by vampires. Little did I know that Raven was destined to be a slayer with some jaw-dropping powers that needed mastering at the Slayer Academy. And the enigmatic and hot guy who saves her turns out to be none other than the vampire prince – her sworn enemy. The premise of the story had me hooked from the start.

However, as I delved deeper into the book, my interest took a dip. My main gripe lies with the characters, who unfortunately fell flat for me. It seemed like we were being told about certain relationships rather than witnessing them develop naturally. The romance, in particular, felt forced, lacking the authentic spark of attraction or strong emotions between the characters.

Another aspect that didn't quite hit the mark for me was the dialogue. At times, it felt like a condensed version of the story, failing to provide the depth and complexity needed to fully engage me as a reader. Some of the interactions came across as somewhat juvenile and didn't effectively convey the high stakes of the narrative.

However, despite these setbacks, I can't deny that Sign of the Slayer still managed to deliver on its promise with some impressive plot twists and a captivating history that added depth to the overall story.

I just finished this absolutely thrilling read, and I couldn't resist sharing my thoughts with you all! So, our girl Raven finds out that vampires are real - yep, you heard it right. And here's the kicker, she's a vampire slayer. 😱 Her life takes a wild turn when she's whisked off to a slayer training academy. But all she has on her mind is revenge against the bloodsuckers. Things get complicated when an ancient evil rears its head and she needs to focus on saving the world instead of her vendetta.

This book was a rollercoaster ride! 🎢 Funny, action-packed and filled with lovable characters. Raven is such a relatable protagonist (well, minus the whole vampire slaying thing 😂). The story was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down! And let me tell you, the plot twists were mind-blowing!

But hey, no book is perfect right? There were bits that left me slightly confused - like different types of slayers and vampires? A glossary would've been super helpful! Also, there were some loose ends which I hope get tied up in the sequel.

One particular scene did bother me though. Early on in the book, Raven's best friend Deidre (who's white) expresses her desire to attend an HBCU and Raven applauds her for it. It felt a bit off to me but thankfully no other scenes gave off that vibe.

All in all, this was an amazing read and I'd give it 4/5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you're looking for your next adventure packed with magic and vampires - this could be it! Just remember: don't judge a book by its genre - it might surprise you! 😉

I received a free copy of this book via Hear Our Voices Tours and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Raven thought the extent of her worries was her rival for Drum Major in her high school marching band. But one night on the way home from a football game, her bus is attacked by vampires. A mysterious man saves her and the next thing she knows she’s being sent to a slayer academy where she will learn about her latent powers. She wants to take her anger out on every vampire in existence, until she meets the vampire prince and realizes that not only is he attractive, but he seems genuinely nice. When they’re forced to work together to uncover a secret and dangerous plot, Raven realizes that her feelings for him may be much more complicated than she wanted.

This story is told from the dual POVs of Khamari and Raven. While I quite liked Raven’s POV, I found Khamari’s POV to be weak until near the end of the work. It wasn’t necessary for the first half of the book, but by the end provided relevant information for some of the background conflicts that had been going on. That meant that most of his POV near the beginning was him obsessing over Raven, someone he’d met once. I didn’t find this to be compelling.

The book started off quite strong, and I even wrote in my notes during the first part, “This is exactly how I want these books to be.” The plot was compelling and entertaining, I loved the premise, and the protagonist felt quite relatable and genuine. But as the book went on, the characters and the plot became less interesting. One of the things that didn’t work for me was that the protagonist went from having zero clue as to what she was, zero strength, etc. to becoming the absolute best over the course of a couple of chapters. This wasn’t compelling growth and didn’t keep me engaged in her character arc. The extent of her character development was also “snarky and doesn’t take crap,” which grew tiresome over the length of the work.

I also disliked how predictable things were; I can’t mention specifics without giving away “spoilers,” but it was very clear where everything was going as soon as a slight conflict or issue was introduced. This made it where the reveals were bland and didn’t pack any real oomph. Honestly, the longer I read this book the less enchanted I became with it. The worldbuilding was also lacking. It felt like the author had a lot of ideas with plenty of potential, but rather than focusing on a few of them and going in depth, she instead included everything at a surface level.

I wanted to enjoy this one and was disappointed that it didn’t quite work after such a strong start. If you enjoy YA urban fantasy with vampires, an overly strong and angsty female protagonist, and okay romance, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Entangles Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.