I was so excited to read this book! I love vampires. Unfortunately it fell short, I didn't really connect with the main character. And it all felt a bit tedious.

The Hunter's Gambit is a fun, quick read, definitely entertaining if you love vampires and magic. This book has strong characters, both human and vampire, and a strong start, which I appreciated. However, as the story progressed, the plot  unfortunately didn't seem to strengthen. Kazan is a blacksmith who specializes in forging weapons and swordcraft. As she journeys to another village with the intention of selling some of her crafts, her caravan is attacked by vampires. She is then taken to the Citadel to become their queen for three days. Her queen's title is more that of a captive, with a promised death by the end of the three days.

The pacing is quite fast, which I enjoyed, however, with the majority of the book detailing Kazan's three days in the Citadel, I would have expected more action. Majority of the book is her roaming around, trying to find a way to escape. She does have a sexual connection to both Adrius and his seneschal, Remy, however, it wasn't built up in a way I would have preferred. Unfortunately, it felt like the plot was underdeveloped, which is disappointing because this story had so much potential.

Thank you NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Ciel Pierlot for this ARC!

I love the concept of The Hunter’s Gambit. The vampires are exactly as I imagine vampires would be. They live a life of opulence and they are truly vicious. Their annual mock coronation highlights their cruelty and disregard for human life and that aspect of the story is well-done and very effectively conveys the vampires’ callous nature.

I liked Kazan and was invested in her character, but I wish we had a better understanding of why she lies. I wanted to understand her better and I think the book could have benefited from a deeper exploration of her relationship with lying. At one point, she agrees to something, then changes her mind and apologizes for lying. But that wasn’t a deliberate attempt to deceive and I’d like to understand why she saw it as a lie. Otherwise, I loved how tenacious Kazan was and her defiance of the vampires and will to live in the face of incredible danger was admirable.

Adrius has a compelling backstory and his status among the vampires adds depth to his character, but I feel Reya could have been a little more developed, though I loved that she was a bit morally gray.

There was a spice scene that was several pages long but wasn’t as explicit as I thought it would be (because vampires are known for their debauchery) and personally, I liked that. It really worked for the story though and one of my favorite parts was that there was a question of consent/preferences before things got too hot and heavy.

Despite a couple personal issues I had the book, there are still aspects that resonated with me and made the story enjoyable, and I think complex world-building really makes The Hunter’s Gambit stand out.

This was a really excting read has the perfect balance of seductive and dangerous in a vampire.

I would have put a tiny bit more of world building

This book is a quick read. It was okay, but it's nothing groundbreaking or outstanding. It's just another vampire book with morally grey characters. The best thing about it was the dedication at the beginning that literally made me lol.

It kept me entertained, and the pacing was quite quick, which kept my interest. However, I couldn't really connect with the characters. They were fairly one dimensional. Even the backstory for Kazan, the FMC, wasn't very deep, which didn't help me to connect to her.

The worldbuilding wasn't very in depth either. I would have liked to have seen more of that.

I feel that this book could have been so much more than it was.

If you're looking for a dark vampire read that doesn't shy away from anything, you found it! I loved the story arcs for all the characters and that ending! It also has some spice which was a nice bonus.

“She can still play to win.
She wants to make them pay. She wants revenge, she wants to humiliate them as they've humiliated her … Yes, she is trapped in here with them. But they are also trapped in here with her.”

When vampires are involved you know it’s gonna be fun. And it absolutely was. A human woman finding herself the next feast for a group of crazy vampires but she has to act as Queen first for three days straight. Two vampires that are very intrigued by her and how ferocious she can be despite her frailty. A coup that is under way but as yet to be uncovered. Some fun with the spicy scenes and some frustration but overall an enjoyable plot and some interesting characters. Vampires do have a way to make the romances and the fantasy books feel more feral, in a way. And I felt it through the pages of the book, though maybe not as much as I would have wanted. ON the other hand though, there was a surprising sweetness to the whole plot that felt needed, considering the conditions our FMC finds herself facing in this world. I liked the action and I liked the challenges she posed. Plus, the book felt so easy to get into, I almost read it in a day !!! I’m so glad I got a chance to!!

Firstly, thank you for letting me read this ARC

I overall really enjoyed this book, it is a twisty, turny, primal, fast-paced tale of Vampires and love/lust! I also loved having a bi-sexual love interest throughout with Kazan, as this is not something often seen within Vampire books to this extent... loved it.

However, the plot itself felt a little lacking, I am hoping this is going to be the start of a series and this could be why... fingers are crossed. Some of the characters felt like they were cliche versions of what people want a vampire in a book to be, but I found them to be fun and light-hearted in the context of the story so I enjoyed them on the whole.

I would recommend someone who is looking for a fun vampire read pick this book up, as I read it pretty much on a weekend, and didn't want to put it down, even to get a coffee.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the eARC! The Hunter’s Gambit was a pretty fun and wild read overall. I finished the majority of it in one day because there were so many twists and turns and I needed to know what happened!

That said, the reason I’m not rating this book higher is because I felt that the overall plot was underdeveloped. There was also a lot of convenience with the main character Kazan eavesdropping and two of the vampires taking such an interest in her so quickly. Plus, I feel like the beginning of the book to the bulk of it were two completely different stories rather than exposition setting us up for rising action. The ending also felt very convoluted and that the book should have finished up much sooner than it did.

This did have some badass and frightening vampires. Some of them felt like caricatures, but I was also okay with that. It gave charm to a really dreary premise haha. I also appreciated Kazan and her two love interests being openly bisexual and exploring that with one another, though the romance did happen quite quickly.

Overall, I’d definitely read another book by this author, and this book is a refreshing one in the world of vampire literature.

Sexy, primal, and visceral. Perfect for readers who hate sanitized vampires and want a little more gore and decadence.
The first half of the book felt a little slow, while the second half felt a little rushed.
The relationships between characters could have been developed more strongly.

I loved the description of the book and had had high hopes. The FMC was difficult to connect with. She was self aware of the fact that she wasn’t a good person, that she had no true qualms putting herself first including letting people die and only cared when it served her.
The writing was good and for the right reader, it might be enjoyable. However, the entire time I read it I just kind of hoped it would start to pull me in. I think I’d have been just as okay not finishing the book.
I think it was also misleading that this is tagged as a romance fantasy because it is not. There was a single threesome that felt awkward because one of the three felt so disconnected from it and the actual ‘romance’ was not involving the FMC. She just seemed like a random throw in to the actual couple’s moment to spice things up but the romance was not in the room with them.
The end of the book was so underwhelming for me.

❗️Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.❗️

4.25 stars for this vampire adventure where the plot was PLOTTING (Leah this ones 4 u)

I absolutely ate this story UP! Kazan is a human blacksmith who adventures away from her small town to sell her finest sword to the High Warden in a town to the south...but is unfortunately captured by sadistic vampires on the road and made into the "Vampire Queen." This mockery of a title essentially means that the vampires are playing with their food for three days while she completes the rituals that will end with her blood spilled at midnight on the third day. But Kazan is too headstrong to allow herself to just lay down and die, or get drunk and ignore what's to come- instead she forms strategic alliances around the vampire citadel and works to change her fate.

From the first meeting we see of Kazan with a vampire, the enigmatic and infamous Adrius de Vere, we can see she is fascinated by their kind and doesn't want to fear them the way the rest of the humans do. She catches his eye, and the eyes of his close ally and lover in the citadel, and the fascination seems to go both ways (if you know what I mean). Seeing the differences in the ways she is treated by vampires that see her strength and personality vs the vampires that see her as prey helps us get a true picture of Kazan and what she values. Her independence, her freedom of choice, her willfulness, her strategic thinking all make her such a fascinating main character!

I love a romantasy book, don't get me wrong, but when a book has the plot that holds up without the romance aspect added in, I feel like that's a sign of a great book. I was so absorbed in the world and following Kazan's struggles and schemes to escape with her life, that the romantic subplot was just a nice lil fun treat (three-at ;)) on top of an already existing wonderful story!! With the way this one ended, it could be a standalone- but I have to hope that we will get more story following a certain change of heart!!

Thank you so much to Ciel Pierlot and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely love vampire novels, but I felt like I couldn’t connect with the main female character in this one. There was some disconnect as she went through the story.

The cover and title of this book caught my attention. The synopsis captured it and I really thought I was going to love this book. The dedication alone had me pretty sold.
Though, I found it was a toss between feeling the story was dragging on or rushing. The beginning was intriguing but I found once we got to day one it was beginning to drag. It started really picking up after Kazan has a moment with the love interest. Though, it picks up too quickly and I find the ending to be rushed.
I thought the love interests were an interesting twist but I wish it went more into an emotional connection as well. It just seemed a bit odd to me that a lot was risked and there were so many lies being told and yet the only connecting really holding it together was some brief kisses, one steamy hook-up, and almost like infatuation… just seemed like so little compared to the risks.
I didn’t dislike the book but I didn’t love it. It’s an interesting read especially if you love vampires. I really enjoyed the magic and I wish they went deeper into the world building. For me personally, the book fell a little flat but I still enjoyed it.

Kazan created a powerful sword, capable of killing vampires.  On her way to find a buyer, her caravan is overrun with the creatures who then take her to their castle and make her their "queen".  Its not the honor it sounds like because after three days, she becomes their next meal.

Thoughts 💭
This book seemed like an interesting take on vampires, a topic that was once my favorite to read about. Kazan is a little morally gray and interesting.  She is talented enough to craft weapons to kill them after having a previous encounter. The vampires are gruesome and terrifying. It had the makings of a fascinating story but fell short for me.  There wasn't a whole lot of world building and it seemed like it was missing something.  Despite the interesting idea, not a lot happened.  The majority of the book is Kazan trying to escape a castle full of vampires.  It sounds more interesting than it was to read about.  The book dragged for me.  I recommend skipping this unless you can't miss a vampire story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Title: The Hunter's Gambit by Ciel Pierlot
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: June 25, 2024

🩸 Vampires
🥀 Morally Grey MCs
🩸 LGBTQ+ Representation
🥀 Why Choose
🩸 3/5🌶

Kazan, our stabby human blacksmith, meets Adrius, our Morally Grey vampire MMC, during a party thrown by an dealer of exclusive goods. Though a deal couldn't be made, the dealer sends Kazan and her special weapon on a trip to someone who might be interested. Things on the road don't go as planned and Kazan finds herself in the vampire citadel, crowed "Vampire Queen," with only a few days before she's sacrificed in a ritual to keep it from crumbling.

My Review:

I didn't care for our FMC who made being a pathological liar her entire personality. I liked Reya though! The writing was fine, but I just wasn't invested. It's one of those books that you read and then forget what happened.

3/5

Thank you so much NetGalley and Angry Robot for the digital review copy. ❣️

Thank you for this arc I appreciate it. I do feel like there were a handful of plot holes. I couldn’t get behind the throuple. I feel like I wanted to love adrius and Kazan together but I feel like while the chemistry was good in the beginning it kinda died off. Reya never intrigued me as a character. I think the 3 day time period was hard to wrap my head around. Realistically these vampires aren’t gonna care about a human after 3 days. But overall a fun quick read and I appreciate the arc! Thank you

One of the things I liked most about this book was the FMC, Kazan. I always like when the morally grey is the woman and she killed it in that point, she's the type to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

The idea of ​​the book is good but I feel like it could be developed a lot more, I also didn't feel much chemistry in the romance part but in a way I was entertained so is it not a bad book, just needed some improvements.

If you like vampires and badass FMC’s I would highly recommend this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the second half where interesting things finally started happening. Although the beginning is very good, I would have liked the world-building to be handled better, as it was addressed superficially. However, this does not detract from the story's interest.

In the first half of the book, I noticed that Kazan talked about escaping but did not show any signs of developing a plan or starting to take action. Fortunately, this improved in the second half, where we finally see a plan for escape being executed, which managed to redeem the book for me.

I loved all the characters, but especially Kazan; it’s always refreshing to have a morally gray protagonist. The ending left me with high expectations, and I hope there will be a short novel about our protagonists' reunion.

I really wanted to like this book. The concept was really interesting and unique and the world and characters had a lot of potential. Unfortunately it all fell flat for me.