The world building in this was absolutely fascinating (a little too expository at points, but that is to be expected in a book that is re-writing the vampire myth in a really interesting way!). The suicidal ideation of the main character was difficult to read about at certain points. The cast of secondary characters were strong and added depth to the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

Oh. My. God. I didn't realize how much I was missing fantasy like this. The world building was great, but what really got me hooked was the absolutely delectable true enemies to lovers (??) that was exquisite to read. And it's not like "oh they just don't like each other" no they actively try to kill and hurt one another. On top of forced proximity? and a beautifully morally grey (errrr more on the violent side) characters??? AMAZING.

The ending killed me. I need the next one now............

5/5⭐️

“I hate you”
“As long as hating me leaves you on my lap, I can bear it. Hate me for eternity.”

Oh my goodness, I ADORE this book so much. I binged it in 24 hours and cannot stop thinking about it. Immortal dark is a dark academia paranormal fantasy. We follow an orphan heiress that has to go to this school to train to take over her families legacy while simultaneously trying to find her missing sister. It’s set in a society/school full of humans and vampires who have to coexist with each other peacefully…. but is it *really* at peace??

This is a TRUE enemies to lovers and one of my favorite dark academia books I’ve ever read. It is a diverse read full of African history as well as a super unique magic system.

The writing was absolutely phenomenal and the plot was great! I cannot recommend this one enough. PERFECT fall read but can definitely be enjoyed year round.

I want to say, that ending!!!!!!! Ahhhhh 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

Everytime I have figure out this book, and when I’m like liking characters. BOOM! Surprise! Either dead, or a freaking twist! lol I’m sorry, but this is such a good book. I could not put down, you literally kept me on my toes, and wondering if I’m going to get it right, everytime WRONG!
The cliffhanger on the ending!!! Like I did not see that one coming! What I thought it was going to be, nope. But thank you, for sharing this book with me, thank you for writing it, and I so can’t wait for the second book.

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.