Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I really enjoyed this book, it was nice and refreshing to read, I really liked the plot and the characters where easy to read. Highly recommend 4 stars

3.5 Stars

Get this book if you’re looking for a fiery female protagonist that slays with sass almost as well as she slays vampires.

Get this book if you’re looking for a diverse lead with internal demons and trauma that that threaten to overwhelm but make the protagonist stronger and more real.

Get this book if you LOVE Buffy the Vampire Slayer but were never a perky cheerleader, instead, you were the girl in the school band, a little rough around the edges, with a hidden dark side.

Sign of the Slayer is the vampire book I was waiting for in theory but unfortunately it did not deliver in execution. The kind that is NOT entirely centered around romance-this definitely has its share of steamy, mature moments, and flirty banter- but the growth of the main character and world-building. This reads like an urban fantasy geared towards a younger audience. I was insanely intrigued by the world-building in this book. The mix of mythology with history and ancient cultures was fascinating and mixed well with the alchemy elements. Honestly, the science nerd in me would have loved more alchemy. There was A LOT going on with the history of vampires, slayers, other paranormal beings and their origin stories and instead of the reader being eased into the world and given time to adjust, it jumped from one revelation to the next. There were some components that had tons of explanation and others that were mentioned and then hopped over. There are a handful of vampire clans and different types of slayers and not enough of a breakdown to truly get a feel for the differences between each group. Had these been explored a little more, the politics and why each sect hated on each other would have been stronger. At the same time, Raven aka Texas is living in a chaotic and ever-changing environment and we are learning the intel as quickly as she does. This creates a sense of urgency and confusion for both the reader and Raven.

The characters are developed and have interesting back stories. I would have liked to see more of Raven’s story before she entered the Slayer Academy. The story literally starts with Raven at a high school event, getting attacked by vampires, and then her new life begins. There’s not a whole lot about Raven before she was thrust into this world and I feel like a lot of who she was is lost because of this. Raven mentions dreaming of becoming a composer and loving her time in band, but there’s really not a lot about her other than her trauma and her love for her grandmother Lou. While Raven has an extremely sarcastic, witty, and compelling voice that kept me laughing and wanting to read more, we don’t get a sense of the Raven before, only who she’s forced to be. I think these aspects of her character would have made her seem a little softer, a little more human, and built a connection with the reader.

What shines in this story is love for family and friendship. The deep and compelling desire to protect loved ones at all costs, and the sacrifices that inevitably will need to be made when stakes are so high.

The romance. Where do I even begin? It reads like instalove but as the story progresses it evolves into something more (no spoilers here). Khamari radiates sex appeal and has a charming, sinful way about him that burns through the pages. The interactions between him and Raven are a series of fire and ice, of temptation and resistance. This tug of war is fun to read and definitely on the mature side. There’s a lot of sexual tension and a handful of adult scenes.

Khamari’s character has many layers. On one hand, he’s torn between his devotion to his brother and his role as the prince of his clan. His love for Raven further complicates things. While some might have been turned off by the dual POVs in this story, I loved Khamari’s internal dialogue. It really helped to wade through his reasoning behind his actions.

The secondary characters were lively and developed enough to be memorable and make an impact on the reader-they weren’t just filler characters like in so many books lately.

Despite the urgency of the situation, the plot kind of lagged. I had to really push through some parts. It wasn’t for lack of interest, but maybe too much going on at one time? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why it felt that way. It also seemed like the timing was rushed. Raven accelerates fast and then like next day is on a mission and then this potentially world-ending event occurs and then they’re being whisked off to another continent.

Overall, this was an action-packed, fun read with a fierce main character, diverse cast, and interesting world-building.

This book just goes to show that I’m not a vampire girly. I just simply don’t enjoy books that center around them.

The book is advertised as Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries which I felt was a fair description. You have academia, vampires, vampire slayers, witches, and other worldly being. The plot had a good pace and the world building was fairly easy to understand. Raven and Khamari are the perfect main characters. I loved their dynamic and the fact that we got dual POV was an added bonus. We were also given a well rounded group of supporting characters.
There were parts that were predictable, but there was still so much mystery that I did not feel like it took away from the story. Raven is 18 years old and speaks like an 18 year old. It could get annoying at times, but it was mostly humorous. All in all, it was a good first book. We weren’t left with a cliffhanger, but we were left with enough questions to make you want to continue the series.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I would recommend Sign of the Slayer to readers who enjoy YA Urban Fantasy featuring vampires, an academia setting, a snarky female lead, and with a sprinkle of Egyptian mythology. Sign of the Slayer gave me CW vibes.

So, at first, Sign of the Slayer worked well enough for me. It was entertaining, and the concept was incredibly interesting. I found that the characters acted genuinely to events and other characters around them. The characters had relatable qualities. There were some intriguing twists. The story is told in dual perspectives.

I think the writing style didn't work for me. I can't pinpoint when the writing style stopped working for me, though. The more I read the story, the more I no longer felt engaged. I think it was because the story felt familiar to me.

I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy through Entangled Teen Publishing and Netgalley and I give my honest review voluntarily. My review is my own thoughts and opinion; my experience in reading this story.

If I hadn’t been curious about content that baited us in the beginning, I probably would have DNFed this read.

Sign of the Slayer was a read I was incredibly excited for - how could I not be? There are vampires, vampire slayers, possible werewolves, and more! So many of my favorites. Unfortunately, I found myself equally overwhelmed and underwhelmed by this read.

Pacing and world-building are probably my biggest complaints here. The world-building was overly complex, but not explained well enough to understand. We were still doing world-building by the end of the book and personally I think the reader should have a solid grasp by 25%, maybe 40% if it’s needed. The constant need to add to the world made for a slow-paced read and that’s always a struggle for me.

I found that the dual point of view, while great in a fantasy, left me more confused and disconnected from the characters. When I’m Khamari’s POV, we were still left out of so many of his thoughts and intentions. But I think the biggest part of this was that both Raven and Khamari read so similarly that there were times I had to double check which I was reading.

Lastly, this book is advertised as a young adult read; however, I found there to be many shifts between a true young adult voice/content and a new adult voice/content. This kind of gave me whiplash, but also the new adult content was completely unnecessary to the storyline.

I did like this read. Don’t take my critiques and personal thoughts as me just hating on it. I loved the casting - the variety of personalities, cultures, and ages really made this fun to read and the banter even more playful. Grandma Lou is easily one of my favorite characters - for many reasons - and she is who I stuck around for. The growth that Raven is forced to face was good, though vague at times. And I was SO intrigued by the use of historical figures in this world - it kept me baited throughout the book.

This was not a favorite read, it had some good qualities, some bad, but honestly can’t bring myself to regret reading it. Take that as you will.

2.25/5

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the copy of this book!

I’m currently in my fantasy era, and was PUMPED to start a vampire slayer / romance book.. Sharina Harris writes an incredible cast of Black characters and sets up the magic system much like Legendborn - sourced in the darkness of generational trauma. There’s lots of action in this book, especially in the last 20%, which sets us up for the next book in the series. While some of the plot was easy to predict, it was really entertaining to watch it play out. However, the structure of the book was a bit chaotic - it went back and forth between YA and NA, had inconsistent world / magic system building, and many scenes and plot points very similar to Harry Potter.

eceived an ARC of this book and just recently finished it!

If you loved watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and if you love a bada*s FMC, you will love this book!
For me it had a different view on the world of vampires and a whole new whole of vampire slayers.
I loved the main male character, Khamari, flaws and I, I still rooted for him.
The book left me wanting to read more and the cliffhanger has me looking forward to book #2!
I definitely recommend this book!

This was an interesting and engaging book. I thought it was good at sucking me in wanting to read more. Anything with vampires is a must read for me. Give it a try!

I’m a total sucker for vampire books, and was so excited to read this one!

Short Synopsis:
Raven is living her best high school band life until one tragic night that sends her to a school for vampire slayers. She learns to fight while also falling for the vampire prince.

My Thoughts:
The overall story was so fun. It gave off Twilight/Vampire Academy/Vampire Diaries vibes in all the best ways. I found the pacing to be off sometimes though.

Read if You Like:
🧛‍♂️ Buffy the Vampire Slayer
🧛‍♂️ Forced Proximity
🧛‍♂️ YA novels
🧛‍♂️ Vampire Academy
🧛‍♂️ Enemies to Lovers

I had mixed feelings about this book. Usually, it takes me a while to get into a book. This time, it was the other way around. I got into it pretty quickly but they lost me somewhere along the way. Raven's boldness drew me in, but at a certain point, it started to get on my nerves. There was one twist I totally didn't see coming, but the other I saw coming from a mile away. It reminded me of a similar twist in the first Vampire Academy book

Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris is an incredible young adult fantasy novel that I absolutely LOVED.

Raven is such a strong protagonist. One minute, a normal girl on a bus and next minute her and her friends are attacked by vampires. Next thing she knows, Raven is a powerful Vampire slayer.

The characters were fun and multi-faceted and diverse.

Tropes that sucked me in: forbidden love, instalove , vampires (is that a trope?)!

Being a Buffy the Vampire fan, this is the perfect read, with so much action.

Raven has to protect society from Vampires now and she relocates to ASS: American Society of Slayers.

I absolutely LOVE the spark between Raven and Khamari, insta love!

The story was perfectly crafted with fantastic complex characters.

I really loved this book, and I am so glad it is going to be a series.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

This is the new slayer. I do hope that this one becomes a series because I have so many questions. This would be great for fans of the show that we wish would get picked up again on the screen. It was a time when friendships and family were at the forefront of tv. This book was laugh out loud funny at times and had everything I was looking for. My only issue with it was that the beginning was on the slow side.

Content Warning: violence, blood

Raven is just a regular girl, riding a bus when all of a sudden she and her friends are attacked by vampires. From there Raven is thrusted into the world of vampires and vampire slayers. She’s a vampire slayer apparently and a powerful one at that.

I liked that the story is fast paced and filled with a lot of action and vampire slaying. I thought the cast was a nice diverse set of characters and the story about Alexander the Great being the King of Vampires is a fascinating take. But I think there were a few things that was rushed and there was definite insta-love or should I say insta-lust? But it’s a forbidden love between a vampire and a slayer, which is always a fun trope. I’d have liked a bit more world-building. I thought it was so quick how Raven went from being attacked on a bus and then boom, accepting her fate as a slayer and being a leader. I didn’t feel as connected to the story but I thought this first book has so much potential.


As for Raven she does kick ass and she has a strong personality but I want to see some growth. It would be interesting to see what happens to her in the next book.


Tropes: forbidden love, insta love

Why you should read it:
*you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer
*there’s a lot of action

Why you might not want to read it:
*not into vampires

My Thoughts:

There is a lot to like about this one especially if you are into Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think teens and young adults will enjoy this one a lot and it’s a great read for Fall!

*3.5 stars rounded up*

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to review Sign of the Slayer. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sign of the Slayer is perfect for Buffy the Vampire fans. When Raven's marching band is attacked after a football game, her life is changed forever. Not only has she lost her friends, but she also learns that she is a slayer. Her job is now to protect humankind from Vampires and other monsters that go bump in the night. When she is moved to the American Society of Slayers (AKA: ASS) she must navigate her new world and the rage that resides in herself. When a scientist and previous alchemist is murdered, the investigation sets of a chain of events that may change the history of humankind and slayers forever. Can Raven figure out who is behind this before it is too late? Can she survive partnering up with the future vampire king?

I enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little slow but once it picked up, I was hooked. I enjoyed finding out about Raven's powers and learning more about the American Society of Slayers. This book definitely had comedic moments that had me laughing and some references that Buffy the Vampire fans will enjoy. The chemistry between Raven and Khamari had me invested in their relationship even though they were fighting on opposite sides. I hope to see more of their interactions in the sequel. The ending left me with so many questions and was surprised to see that this will be a series (not exactly sure why I thought this would be a standalone). I am excited to see what will happen next and will be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

sign of the slayer is a YA novel about vampires, being a teenager, and which are the hardest to deal with at the moment. when raven’s friends are attacked by a vampire, her slayer powers activate. she becomes a vampire-killing machine (aka slayer). she is then taken to the american slayer society’s school (hahaha ASS is their acronym).

i think this book was really interesting, but at the same time kind of hard to follow. the mythology and the lore behind the origins of vampires, the alchemists, all that stuff was incredible! but there was SO much of it that i got lost. the dialogue was absolutely hilarious, though. a couple of my favorite quotes: “of course the chosen one is a mediocre white man”, and my personal favorite, “you’re not sticking your dream peen inside of me.”

while this book wasn’t my favorite, i think the concept and writing were enough to make it a book i would recommend to anyone who loves YA fantasy with a bit of love and a lot of vampires sprinkled in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for sending me this arc.

I'm going to rate this book a 2.5 I love the slayer idea. I love a good brooding male love interest as well. Definitely had some buffy vibes but I couldn't get into a lot of it. Lots of pop culture involved. I don't want to compare it to Vampire Academy because that is my favorite YA series and this one fell short of being compared to that particular series.

What would you do if you found out monsters were real and that you were a slayer?

That is exactly the world Raven is plunged into after being violently ripped out of her normal life as a high schooler in marching band. A darkness follows her, a hot vampire prince keeps appearing, and there are a whole host of rules and magic in this new world. As much as Raven sometimes struggles to adapt to how much her world has changed, she clearly belongs as a slayer.

Sign of the Slayer starts a fast-paced, Young adult paranormal fantasy series. Great for those who like vampire romances, feminine rage, training academies, and a secret underground world of monsters.

Although there are strengths in the story and some parts I really enjoyed, there were also weaknesses in the world-building. The different types of vampires and slayers and powers were sometimes unclear, and the world of slayers needed clearer development. There were so many plot lines, and side points that it over-complicated and sometimes confused the story. Despite there being some weaknesses in development, Sign of the Slayer is a fun YA vampire book perfect for those who wished Buffy the Vampire Slayer never ended.

Sign of the Slayer- Sharina Willis

I want to thank @hearourvoices, @netgalley, and @sharinawrites for the ARC copy for an honest review!!

First of all let me give a disclaimer. I am not a paranormal/fantasy reader. Everytime I have tried to read it, I get bored and uninterested and I DNF those books. So I wanted to give this a chance to see if I could overcome that uninterest.

I read the synopsis of this story and thought about he movie “The Underworld”. I actually enjoyed that and Cate Beckinsale’s character and this great vampire slayer. So this story was not that far from what I could get into. As soon as I started reading this story- I WAS HOOKED!!!

Y’all, let me tell you- I LOVED this story. It started out with some action and some crazy events happened. With these events happening early on, I was able to get invested in this story and try to piece together what the hell was going on with these vampires. This was definitely the best course of action for me because many fantasy type books take too long to world build or my liking. With this, you got the events and the historical facts that go along with the world as you uncover other things. This was a huge plus for me.

I never understood how humans fall in love with vampires but honey, Khamari aka Pretty Boy helped me understand. His description and characteristics had me believing that he was indeed fine. Standing at 6ft 3in was all I needed. But not only that, I am glad that we were able to get his background as well so that we can understand why the decisions he made too place.

I had a love hate relationship with Raven, aka Texas. She seemed to be unwilling to listen and follow directions most times and very defiant. She acted like she knew more than the ones who were trying to help her and that got on my nerves completely.

There were some plot twists that had me like whoa..what?? I enjoyed those surprises. I thought that the references of Egyptian gods and other known figures gave depth to this story and I thoroughly enjoyed this. The ending I was not too happy with as I had so many questions left unanswered. I sure hope there is a part 2 coming with this. I give this a 4.25/5.

I received an ARC for this book but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't usually read vampire themed books but I really enjoyed reading this book from the beginning! Raven was easy to relate too as I was also a band-geek in high school. Her internal dialogue was witty and kept me entertained. This story had many plot twists and I could not wait to get to the ending. However the ending left many questions for me and I really hope that there will be a 2nd book soon! However, I felt the book moved fast at times and was a little slow at others, thus I have rated it 4 stars.