How far will one girl go to save her sister? Kidan Adane knows she's a danger to the world, but she's willing to unleash the full force of her fury until she finds her missing twin sister, June. After torturing and murdering the one person who should have kept her safe, Kidan is surprised by an invitation to the place she believes June has been taken to - Uxlay University. The catch: She'll have to live in her family's ancestral home alongside the vampire she believes kidnapped June. But as Kidan adjusts to her new world, she begins to question everything she once believed to be true. Will she be able to untangle the mysteries of Uxlay before it's too late - for both herself and everyone she loves?

A fresh take on the dark academia and romantasy genres, Immortal Dark features a cast of Black characters steeped in Ethiopian tradition, vampires, and a steamy (though certainly tame enough for a high school audience) romance. Fans of ACOTAR and Twilight alike are sure to lap up this first in a planned trilogy from debut author Tigest Girma.

A very wild ride. I loved the complexity of this story and its characters. Though it’s my first time reading a vampire story from an Ethiopian folklore perspective, I was very impressed with the richness it added to the actual progression of the story. I wish different aspects of the world Girmw built were preferred better in some way, but I understood most of the specific cultural nuances.

An absolutely amazing dark academia vampire book! One of my favorite YA reads this year! I loved the true enemies to lovers vibes and the mouth on the MMC had me swooning - and his mouth wasn't always the nicest! Haha

This is the best vampire story I have ever read. So much fantastic world and lore-building for this story. The dark academia atmosphere was everything I was hoping for and I fell right into it. I tried to space my reading out so that I could live in the world a little longer.

I loved that we got some Ethiopian mythology woven into this story and as an explanation for how vampires came about and how Uxlay University came to be with humans and vampires coexisting in the world. The enemies to lovers relationship between Kidan and Susenyo is very much a slow burn, but their progression throughout feels so natural because the two of them have every reason to hate and be suspicious of each other throughout most of the story.

Thank you to @tbrbeyondtours & @tigestgirma for my copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Immortal Dark is a deliciously dark, morbid and bloody beginning to a fantasy series that will keep you hooked.

This book gave me the extremely validating feeling of finding a needle in a haystack; Immortal Dark is a true enemies-to-lovers.

Kidan Adane is an unlikeable character. Her moral compass goes nuts the moment her sister goes missing. She has no lines she wouldn’t cross to get her sister back, and her desperation to be reunited with her feels truly genuine.
Getting her sister back is Kidan’s justification for everything she does, so her relationship with her sister has to feel co-dependent and deep as the crimes she commits in her name. It won’t feel believable otherwise.

Susenyos’ character was… a lot. He’s a vampire who’s 500 years old, and has more secrets up his sleeve than I can keep count of. If you are a fan of characters from Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent or The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh, then you will find that the relationship between Kidan and Susenyos is a more vicious version of those.

The world-building around the vampires and the laws built around them also felt extremely unique and different than anything I had ever seen done with vampires before. The magic system is well-established, and the “house rules” system is a great example of that.

Most of all, I love stories where the houses seem to be characters on their own. The way they are written, they come alive not just in our imagination but in the story. Adane House is close to a sentient being with its own powerful magic.

The book also highlighted the uncomfortable feeling of being separated from your culture, roots and language, and how alienating it can be. Kidan was forced to stop using her native language, and was kept away from any knowledge of her ancestral history.

It’s moral questioning is almost reminiscent of The Secret History- the way its characters a re driven to murder and then fall into tragic regret afterwards.

Another that is a recurring feature of dark academia books is a the friend group, which Immortal Dark also delivers on.
The friends are crabs trapped in a bucket, dragging each other down when someone tries to leave, and they incite each other to murder like a bunch of high-schoolers peer pressurising each other to smoke cigarettes. It was more entertaining than I ever imagined.

Overall, I had a great time with this book, and I highly recommend it if any of those things sounds interesting to you.

PLAYLIST:
🎶 Ophelia Wilde ~ Reflections
🎶 Ruelle ~ Game of Survival
🎶 Johannes Bornlöf ~ Nocturnal Waltz
🎶 Astyria ~ Darkness Inside
🎶 Oscar Mallon ~ The Melody of the Heart
🎶 Witchz ~ Wicked Game
🎶 The Chamber Orchestra of London ~ The Secret History

•••••••

The first book in a brand new trilogy, we’re introduced to our human FMC, Kidan Adane, who infiltrates a private university to find the vampire, Susenyos Sagad, who she thinks kidnapped her sister.

Gothic Academy Vibes.
Family Secrets.
Vampire Lore.
Dark Magic.
Enemies to Lovers.

I feel like this is a fantastic start to a new trilogy that is deeply passionate and darkly portrayed.

𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: AVAILABLE NOW
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

Loved this book! I can’t believe it’s a debut! Tigest’s ability to create such an intricate world while centering the relationship Kidan has with June through Kidan’s actions and memories is insane (I’m the best way possible).

Dang! This was an intense story. I’m absolutely thrilled for a sequel - note, this isn’t for the faint of heart. It is a dark anti-hero kind of story. I enjoyed the world and the characters, and those twists and turns, but…. Definitely not for the faint of heart or those easily susceptible to rage/depression.

If you're a fan of dark academia and fantasy def give Immortal Dark a chance! I am a big fan of Ninth House and I believe this book gives off the same vibes. I really liked the way this book was written and liked that this book featured an all black cast. The world and magic system was fascinating.

Koran starts off this book with blood on her hands. Her sister has gone missing and the only way to get her answers is to live in the house she's set to inherit with the vampire she believes took her sister. I felt her character was complex and a treat to read. Her relationship with Susenyos is a true enemies to lovers that had me in a chokehold! The ending ahh I can wait for the next book!

A Fantastic debut novel. Thank you @tigestgirma @netgalley
@littlebrownyoungreaders for the copy.

Wow when they said enemies to lovers, they really meant ENEMIES. I was honestly surprised these two didn’t kill each other, and I think it was partly just because one is a vampire and the other is the last of her line.
If the following sounds up your alley — vampires, dark academia, houses (like royal houses), enemies to lovers, morally grey characters— READ THIS BOOK!!
It’s so good. Like our FMC is out on a quest to find her sister and will bend for NO ONE, not even the most feared vampire. In fact, she pushes him to his limits. He fights back to in his own way. Eventually they discover that the enemy is really elsewhere and form a bit of an alliance but there’s always that undertone of distrust, though the desire starts to seep out.
My heart broke over some characters, and I’m glad that this is a series because I need some answers after things that happened in that third act!!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for the physical copy, and having me on the tour! Check out their website for the rest of the tour 💕

September is for dark academia, so I knew that I had to read Immortal Dark immediately.

We have dark academia vibes, the murder, the mystery, a missing sister, sentient houses, vampires, and four misfits who band together.

Uxlay University is hidden, and it’s riddled with vampires. This is where humans and vampires coexist, it’s the law. Each house has a dramaic or vampire. The houses each have a rule.

I loved the weird courses. I loved that every single character is morally grey. This felt very TSH but with the added elements of fantasy. Cossia Day was where this book truly came alive and we get to see vampires unrestrained for a single day.

I loved so many of these characters for different reasons. Also, did I mention that this has a true enemies to lovers that will make you want to scream?

Now I just need to get my hands on a hardcover to add it to my dark academia collection!

I highly recommend reading this in October. The vibes will be perfect! 🍂 🕯️ 💀

Fantasy is not my usual genre, but when I heard that this book combines dark academia, vampires, Ethiopian mythology, and a diverse cast of characters, I knew I had to read it!

Turns out this Black Vampire story includes so much more!!
✨A Full Cast of Morally Grey Characters: I mean, every.single.one!!! I loved Kidan Adane, our FMC. She’s consumed with rage and hatred as she seeks ruthless revenge on those who have taken her sister. She loves fiercely and hates even fiercer! Don’t cross this woman!
✨Uxlay University: Girma constructs this Otherworld by drawing from the students' history, mythology, and Dranacti classes, as well as incorporating the Sentient House rules, Uxlay Laws, and the Three Binds rules. While this may initially feel like an information overload, hang on! The pace intensifies when Kidan unveils a secret society with buried secrets and hidden agendas.
✨Enemies to Lovers: Kiden and Susenyos (our vampire) dance from hatred to passion to hatred to passion. Their cycle is dizzying, intriguing, and quite often brutal. The mind games these two play 🔥

I absolutely love this audiobook by Jordan Cobb. Her narration brings the story to life, and I especially love her voices of Kidan and Susenyos. Cobb creates the perfect love-hate relationship between the characters.

I am thoroughly impressed with this debut book! It's the first of a trilogy and the comparison to Ninth House holds up—Kiden definitely reminds me of Alex! Now I can't wait to read book 2!

Immortal Dark is a dark, suspenseful, and seductive Dark Academia vampiric fantasy mystery with more than a touch of romance.

We follow Kidan as she infiltrates Uxlay University to seek vengeance and to inherit her house and the vampire bound to it, Susenyos. I loved this enemies to lovers relationship and how incredibly high the stakes are. From the start you know Kidan is going in to find her sister and bring a violent reckoning to anyone that has harmed her. She is somewhat haunted by her mistakes and past actions, which makes for some unsettling sequences that are driven by psychological torment. Similarly, Susenyos experiences these nightmarish visions as the house very much becomes its own character and brings a hellscape of its own to these characters. I love the Gothic concept of a place absorbing the violence enacted in it and this seems to be the case here, as well as reflecting the torments of its inhabitants. The dynamic between the two is delicious and grows fairly naturally, with the chemistry sparking off the page. At first this is fuelled by a mutual hatred that reluctantly dissipates as they are forced to work together, before turning into something else entirely. The entire way through it is charged with something electric and enticing and there remains the very real possibility of betraying everything at a moment’s notice.

As one of the many who are obsessed with the Vampire renaissance happening within the YA at the moment, particularly with diverse representation coming to the forefront., this would sit so well with This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings, Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright and A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. Long story short, vampires are back and bloodier than ever. There is just something fascinating about the figure of the vampire and that insatiable hunger for something, which can be translated to all sorts of metaphors and messages. Authors have so many potential avenues to explore, which is why it is exciting to see a wider range of viewpoints examine this mercurial shadow of the night. Girma places vampiric history as originating from Africa, changing this often Westernised viewpoint into something different instantly. It opens up further conversations about forgotten or silenced history, something which is a prominent theme within the book. I loved the exploration of archaeology as a way of preserving a people and culture.

This is a dark tale about revenge and the lengths to which we might go to right the injustices in our lives. I loved how unapologetically bad these characters could be at times. Their actions are horrific, but have an understandable context to them that makes you know why they justify these to themselves. It’s a step beyond morally grey into downright dark territory and I loved it. Humans are messy, flawed and capable of terrible things and Girma shows this to full effect. At the same time you empathise with and connect with the core group of students as they are pushed to extremes to survive. It is primarily a story of vengeance and seeking your own justice.

The Dark Academia themes are incredibly strong as well, unpicking these power structures and their inherent imbalance. This is a place that will protect its own and its legacy at any cost. Within this, there is of course a secret society for us to learn more about and how they pull the strings behind everything. There’s an interesting throughline about inheritance, classism and legacies that weigh on the characters’ shoulders. By making these elite families the only approved companions to these vampires, it creates a power system that is almost impossible to topple. We see the Old Boys style of secret society come to the forefront of the narrative but also how this may be shifting and changing. Everything here is a power move in a much wider game than we initially realise.

Immortal Dark will be your new obsession and trust me, you’ll be left craving more.

This book is such a dark, angst-filled read, perfect for spooky season. I’ve been on a vampire kick lately and this one did not disappoint. Dark academia, enemies to lovers (kinda???), secret societies, murders, morally grey main characters, a sentient house, and so much anger. There were so many little details interwoven into this story. I had no idea where the relationship between Kidan and Susenyo would go and am still not sure if they will end up killing each other eventually 😂 I fully expected this to be a standalone but when I got to the end, my jaw dropped! Looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to Little Brown for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Immortal Dark has been high on my list of anticipated reads, and it didn't disappoint.
A secret society, vampires, a missing sister, and houses with power are just some of the things you can expect in this young adult dark academia.

I enjoyed the suspense and mystery and found the take on vampires/dranaics to be something new, and I loved it!
This book is heavy on the worldbuilding and history of the characters. It reminded me of The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. There are journal entries and secrets that all kept me guessing.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut since the characters are so well written. The sentient house, the house laws, and the vampires - it was all so amazing. While Kidan is very much focused on finding her sister, the side characters and other scenarios were a welcome distraction, and it added to the tension of the story.

Add this book to your TBR! You will not regret it. I have a feeling that this book is going to be something that everyone's going to talk about, and it deserves all the hype. Susenyos Sagad has all the morally grey vibes, and I would love to see character art of him.

•Please be sure to check the TW for this book before reading.

This slow burn human and vampire coexisting book is a massive slow burn with Shockwaves scattered throughout.

I couldn't get past the vampire and human anger for each other.

TL;DR: Immortal Dark was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases and I'm thrilled to say that Tigest Girma did not let me down. She slayed with this stunning debut! While I'm not a dark academia girlie, I loved exploring the vast history of Uxlay University and the complex relationship between dranaics (vampires) and actis (humans). The writing is lush, the world-building richly detailed, and the characters delightfully wicked, complicated and so very morally grey. Despite the pacing being on the slower side, it allowed me to completely immerse myself in the gothic setting and by the time the action kicked off in the latter half, I was fully invested and wowzer, I did not see some of those surprises coming! Girma leaves readers with a double whammy that has me *aching* to get my hands on the next book immediately. I feel like this is going to be a hit! 4.5 stars rounded up

I was equally terrified and excited to start reading this book because let's just say my track record with anticipated releases and debuts in 2024 has been rather abysmal. I know that this book won't be for everyone but I'm so happy that I wasn't disappointed by it! If this is Girma's debut I honestly can't wait to see how her writing evolves as she releases more books. 😍

The world-building is vast and complex (this is a word I'll use *a lot* in this review but IMHO, it perfectly sums up so much of this book... Sorry, not sorry)! From the history of the university's establishment to the history of the complicated peace between dranaics and actis spanning millennia, there is so much to uncover about in this world. I will admit that the richness of it, especially establishing the world and its "rules", meant that the pacing of the story often fell on the slow side but the overall journey made it worth it. I loved how Girma also weaves Ethiopian mythology into the storyline as it's not something I've much about before. I enjoyed learning about the terms of peace between dranaics and actis and the unique element related to their feeding which I don't think I've read in a vampire story before. Depending on where the dranaic drinks from the actis, both parties will experience a different emotion or event about the other, which of course can get tricky. 😉 I thought this was a fascinating element and it played fantastically into upping the tension between our two main characters, Kidan and Susenyos.

I also liked that we learned about all of this alongside Kidan as she studies Dranactis as part of her goal to rescue her missing sister. It was refreshing to read so much of the academic part of the dark academia subgenre and between attending Dranactis classes, the study group sessions, and Kidan's independent study, there are plenty of these moments to enjoy. I don't think lovers of this aesthetic will be disappointed! Another element that the author did brilliantly is the way she set the atmosphere. The setting is extremely gothic and that mysteriously dark tone is present not only in the way the setting is described but also in the emotions depicted by our characters. I especially loved how House Adane was given a life of its own. This house that, quite literally, controls your emotions, projects your nightmares, and whose walls are steeped in your greatest fears was deeply unsettling but also, amazing. I would not want to spend a night there though, that's for sure! 🤭

As much as I loved the setting though, it was the characters and their relationships that that made this most enjoyable. Aside from our two main characters, there are several side characters we came to know and who I grew to love as well, which made some of the later scenes particularly heartbreaking! The story is told from one POV, Kidan's, and we go through quite a journey with her, as she navigates the reality of being surrounded by the "creatures" she passionately loathes. She's not very easy to like (although she doesn't have to be likeable to be great!) and she is morally grey and Machiavellian to the extreme, but I came to love her heart, ferocity, strength, and willfulness; even if that willfulness drove me up the wall at the beginning, lol. Honestly, Kidan is unlike any other MC that I've read before in both good and bad ways! There's so much darkness that envelopes her and it feels rather oppressive at times. She's rough around the edges, emotionally volatile, and has a thirst for blood and death that I found at turns discomfiting and alluring. It's almost as if she's obsessed with death and dying, and as if she yearns for its embrace—which she proves time and again when she throws herself into life-or-death situations with little thought or care for the consequences. She certainly won't be everyone's cuppa but the complexity of her character steadily grew on me!

Our other main character, who unfortunately doesn't get a POV, is Susenyos. He's the dranaic of House Adane and to say Kidan hates him, and vice versa, would be an understatement. Her relationship with Susenyos was complex, to say the least, and combined with their contrasting personalities, it made for some great tension but also created a deliciously dark and angsty enemies-to-lovers romance. I was disappointed when I realised that Susenyos wouldn't get a POV as I feel like it would've added more dimension to the story (not like it doesn't already have enough of that, lol) and I think it would've also helped speed things along in the initial set up. There's a lot of mystery surrounding his character and I loved uncovering more of his complex past to better understand what's happening between him, Kidan and House Adane in the present. Ngl, I still have so many questions but with how book one concludes, I know we'll be getting many of those answers in the second book. What I loved the most in how the author wrote about their relationship was their opposing natures. While Kidan is an actis obsessed with death, Susenyos is a dranaic who is obsessed with life. As much as it seems like she would do anything to die, he does everything in his power to stay immortal. There is so much delicious tension in their interactions as they fight (sometimes literally) to understand each other's motives and it just made each scene between them so good because you never know what the other is going to do next!

Now, for all of you readers who came here at the mention of "enemies-to-lovers" romance, buckle up because you're in for an incredibly tense ride! When it comes to this favourite trope, I'm always prepared to be disappointed by the "enemies" aspect but I should've known that Girma would not disappoint! This isn't a miscommunication or misunderstanding between the two. No, Kidan and Susenyos tread a very fine line between "like" and hate, and for the majority of the book they do anything in their power to hurt, humiliate, sabotage, and enrage each other. Some moments had me questioning if a romance even made sense but again, the author does a fantastic job of weaving the emotions and reveals to create a believable connection between them. This is one of the darkest and best enemies-to-lovers romances I've read in a very long time and I loved every moment of it! I also wouldn't say this gets "steamy" (as it's YA) but there is one bigger intimate scene that is depicted but not in detail. I will also say this tends to read more like New Adult rather than Young Adult or the older end of the YA range.

I could go on gushing about this book but I'm going to stop here. I will just say please read it and then come talk to me about it because this is a story that I would love to talk to other readers about! I would also say sorry for the long-winded review but I'm not. I do hope that most of it makes sense though because this is full-on word-vom of the thoughts in my brain but it doesn't even cover all of it! I think it's safe to say that Immortal Dark is my favourite debut of 2024 so far and it's making it onto my top reads of the year!

This dark academia fantasy book had me in a chokehold! It features Ethiopian rep, Black vampires, and lots of tension between our two main characters. I was very intrigued right from the beginning of the novel about the politics in this world between humans and vampires. The mystery of June's disappearance also had me hooked (although I was able to guess what really happened with June's disappearance). The middle part of the novel was a bit slow for me, but I found the chemistry between Kidan and Susyenos in the last 25% of the book as the best part of the novel. Seeing their slowburn tension build into more was very gratifying, and I can't wait to see where their relationship goes in book 2!

What I love the most about this book is the lore it builds regarding vampires, called dranaics. The history of how the houses and companions came to be, the constant exchange of immortal life, how biting a human in a different part of the body creates a different experience because of the memories or desires it shares. It’s unlike any other vampire story I’ve read in the best way. I can’t wait to keep reading and see how everything continues to build.

I could read a whole history style book about the lore the author develops. Everything was constantly peeled back, adding in more and more information until you think you understand everything there is to know, but that’s never the case. Honestly, I need to reread it I think to fully wrap my head around everything, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way about a book.

I honestly struggled to get through this book. I went into it with a little bit high expectations, and was majorly disappointed. I really, really wanted to like it. But it just felt like there was too much going on. Like with the school: I felt like the courses, etc., could have been expanded upon. Instead it is mentioned she has to take certain classes, but it doesn’t really follow up with them. I just felt like there were many missed opportunities.
Another thing that felt odd was the strong hatred Kidan has for Sussenyos, and how Sussenyos responds to it. He’s acting like he has some huge secret, but there really wasn’t anything too surprising ever revealed. It just all felt too forced.

I’ve seen so many others like this book, so I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum. I would still recommend others to try it, since I seem to be in the minority.