I'm a little unsure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I was really enjoying it for the most part, even if it took me a long time to get through it. On the other, by the time we got to the ending, there was so much happening in so little time and in such a confusing way that I finished the book completely dumbfounded.

So, here's a little breakdown of my thoughts:

I enjoyed the main characters and their friends to enemies to lovers slow-burn romance. Even though we still didn't get much on the romance front (points for the slow-burn, because we're all tired of "enemies" that stop the hate part at the 25% mark of a book), I enjoyed what we got. There was real hurt and yearning and complicated feelings between Layla and Elise, and it was the high point of the book for me. The pain of a broken friendship, the tension from being on opposite sides of the reaper-hunter war, the years of suppressed feelings coming to play... It was good. We love some sapphic yearning mixed with Jazz Age Harlem vampires, we need more of that.

The other characters... Well. So, everyone apart from our main characters sucks. That's fine. It's not usually a problem for me, I get that we're looking at a world where everything and everyone is corrupted and twisted in some way. Except for the fact that all these other horrible characters weren't that complex or well-developed, they just sucked. Besides, the other people that don't completely suck also [died horrible deaths (hide spoiler)] so there was no escape. In some ways, it was interesting, because Layla and Elise are also not exactly good people, right? But by the time [Elise injected Sterling (aka her former best friend) with a venom that I'm pretty sure she didn't know exactly how it worked, only that it KILLED people, and led him on a murderous spree of all the other reapers (who I'm guessing you wouldn't call innocent but who are also not guilty of anything), I was just asking myself if not being exactly good people meant being downright evil. Except, this is never quite questioned by anyone as a bad choice, or an evil one, even thought for me it was the worst thing she did in the entire book. It was horrible and (hide spoiler)] I didn't get it. Which leads me to:

The plot was slightly convoluted to the point where the ending was just plain confusing. I'm telling you, I was okay with everything that was happening, with the many players on the board, with the shifting alliances, with the characters constantly being offed when I started getting attached. It was fine for most of it. Until we got to the last 20% stretch where everything started happening at the same time. I stopped following, I'm so sorry. It was so mind-boggling, I read those last chapters with my brain only being able to produce question marks. There were so many confrontations that didn't seem to lead anywhere, [people shifting alliances and then on the next chapter trying to blame it on someone else (Valeriya saying she wanted the reapers gone and later saying Layla is the one who betrayed them? What? Did I miss something?), Elise constantly aligning with Layla and then GOING BACK HOME as if nothing happened, stupid decision-making and killing people left and right without going after the ACTUAL guilty (why are we killing the doctor and not the white man?) and honestly just the fact that suddenly Sterling is evil and unable to see what Tobias Saint was doing as wrong. I truly didn't understand that. (hide spoiler)] I'm curious if I'm the only one that felt this way (please let me know if you also couldn't keep up), but this is what brought the rating down for me. I won't give spoilers, obviously, but like... What?

This Ravenous Fate had me hooked on every page. It's genre-breaking use of vampirism to highlight every day horrors is one that left me contemplative, reflective, and wanting more. I fell in love with both Elise and Layla, and in love with their heartbroken twisted love for each other. I'm very excited for its sequel!

Set in Jazz age Harlem, This Ravenous Fate is a must-read for those who love period pieces and vampires! 3.5/5

My Rating: 4.25 stars



I received a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review



CW’s: violence, suggestive content, racism, drinking/substance abuse, racism (allegorical and literal), threats/calls for genocide by side characters.



The book started off really strong, and the atmosphere of the book really, really intrigued me from the get go. It usually takes me longer to get into a book, but this time I was able to really dive into it almost immediately.



Right off the bat, I thought the mythology and world building was pretty good, it was a bit info-dumpy, but I think it’s really hard to avoid info-dumping in fantasy novels.

I loved the two main characters right off the bat as well.



I think it’s key to point out their relationship here. It was somewhat cheapened by the “miscommunication” trope but I’ll admit to liking a bit of angst.



There’s definitely some graphic scenes, but it isn’t gratuitous or unnecessary to the plot, it’s just a lot to read when I’m not particularly into reading about violence.



Elise and Josi’s sisterhood was a bit bizarre, I don’t know if I’d be so close to my sibling, maybe it would be different with neglectful parents.



The setting was incredibly vibrant and immersive. Jazz age Harlem came alive in the book.

I loved the mentions of natural hair too!



The reason behind Layla’s hatred for Elise was, honestly, really conflicting. Part of me gets it, but I think blaming Elise for what happened was wildly unfair. I get what she went through, but I just think it’s unfair.



The issue of race was really well done too, especially for the time period. The author is BIPOC, so it doesn’t surprise me how well she handled race and how much time and effort was put into realism with the historical background. The era was well represented and proved to be pretty on par with the era, even the dialogue felt very genuine.

As for their relationship, it was sweet, no matter how much Layla claimed to hate Elise, the moments where she thought of Elise and her before the murder of her family, before all of the pain, were happy ones. She also calls Elise “My Saint” which was adorable. I love a protective GF. Doesn’t work so well with men, but women? Wonders

The writing was definitely the star of this book, it was just so beautiful and intoxicating. It felt like a lot of the old YA books about mafia’s and gangs in paranormal romance, fantasy, and dystopian settings that I loved so much. I shouldn’t find teen romances so swoonworthy, but the way they truly cared for each other, no matter how much they hated each other.

All in all, the author did a wonderful job with plotting, characters, and writing. I did find Josi a bit annoying, and some of the plot points felt like they dragged, but a 4-star read nonetheless.

Good introduction of Hayley Dennings' craft with Layla being a gem of a character to read. Jazz Age Harlem + Black vampires is a delicious recipe and beside this lavish setting, there's a serious story that has issued real world issues both modern and historic. Excited to read the second book when it arrives.

I read this book last year and i ABSOLUTELY loved it !!! I now have the physical copy , I've gave this book 5 star rating , if i had my way i would have given it 6 star rating .

I went into this book hoping for that perfect mix of lush world-building, swoon-worthy romance, and characters I’d be thinking about long after I turned the last page. And while it didn’t fully hit every mark for me, there were definitely moments that kept me hooked.

The writing has that almost lyrical quality that reminds me of We Hunt the Flame, pulling you into the world with vivid descriptions and a touch of mystery. The main character—while frustrating at times—had a compelling arc, and the love interest? Let’s just say there were some moments that had me kicking my feet a little. That said, I wish the pacing had been a bit stronger in certain parts, especially in the middle where things dragged more than I expected.

There are some deliciously sharp dynamics here, though I wouldn’t say the political intrigue is as strong. If you love fantasy with an emotional core and a romance that slowly burns (but maybe not too slowly), this is one to check out. While I had a few mixed feelings, I can see why this book will definitely find its audience!

Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 8/6/24

Thank you @netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, the setting and the sapphic theme. I think this story had a lot of potential to be great.
Sadly, the writing was not great and hard to slog through. It felt like a high schooler wrote it, and while that might work for a younger audience- it was not for me.
This book was a DNF @ 30%

I guess I'm really not a reader for historical vampire romance. In addition to that, the prose in this book was too flowery that it takes me out of the setting.

Very intriguing story! I especially liked how Dennings subverted the vampire x vampire hunter story into something completely new and refreshing

This one was a bit of a slog for me—like wading through literary molasses. The writing? Beautiful. The plot? Snail-paced. There were definitely moments where I had to will myself to keep going just so I could write a fair review.

I didn’t really click with the characters, and the story itself just wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe the audiobook would’ve helped? Or maybe I’m just too far out of the YA demographic to fully vibe with it. That said, I totally see how younger readers or die-hard YA fans might love it, so I’d still recommend it to the right audience!

Hayley managed to keep me guessing every step of this book. I’m so excited for the sequel this year. I loved the characters relationships they were so enjoyable. The hints of found family were super fun to see. And Elise and Layla I love them so much.

This one might have been on me, but also I don;t recall seeing anything promoting this as a YA book. I went into it thinking it was an adult book, hence the disappointment and I was not able to finish this book, much to my own disappointment. Although I can appreciate what it was doing, it just wasn’t targeted to me.

OHHHHHH THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING!!!! IT WAS SOOOO SOOO SOOO GOOD!!!! GOTTA LOVE ME LESBIAN VAMPIRES! Counting down the days until second book! Amazing job for a debut!

I feel bad but this book wasn't for me. It had a lot of compelling factors that I had to read. The setting is really cool, the characters are intriguing and the conflict is a classic. I am struggling to think about what didn't work because the book dragged, perhaps the writing style which wasn;t bad just not clicking with me. It would such a amazing live action though given the aesthetics.

Black vampires in 1920's Harlem? A sapphic romance subplot? Yes please! I loved this take on a vampire story. Plenty of tension, mystery and suspense. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this arc. All opinions are my own.

A strong debut that scratches an itch me, myself, and I have. Vampire, Black people, and jazz. Dennings sets a decadent scene and I cannot wait for the sequel!

This book was everything I needed!! A queer black vampire set in a Gatsby-esque 1920's setting. It was fantastic. I cannot wait for the second book. I love where this story is going.

An excellent queer vampire romance set in 1920's New Orleans! A setting that needs to be used more often - honestly just such a breath of fresh air that I will be recommending this fairly often.

I was excited to read this book set in the jazz age- it seemed to be dark and gritty and unlike other fantasies.

Overall, the mood and the world building were done well, but the plot fell a little short for me. There were some confusing elements about why Layla killed humans all the time when there is an agreement in place that reapers wouldn't, and the pacing of the mystery seemed to drag in several places.