Stars: 3.5/4.0

I was so excited for this book and I'm glad to see that this is just book 1 in a series! That being said, I do hope that there is another round of edits for the next book in comparison to this one. It was a good book, but there were some elements that I didn't enjoy/wish were done differently.

Overall premise, loved the idea of 1920s Harlem with Queer Black vampire/human enemies to lovers in which also complex topics such as systemic racism and class issues are explored. I wish the plot twist wasn't something I had already seen within the marketing of it, but it was a good way to explore a real life fact (sorry I'm trying to keep it vague, but give some context!) Besides that fact, we get to watch the developement of Layla and Elise through the story as they interact more with their society around them (and in this leads to other topical conversations).

This also may be just a personal preference, but if a book is in a series and it is enemies to lovers, I wish we can explore more time in the "enemies" before we progress into other stages. It felt like we had barely any interaction between Layla and Elise before we see their dynamic change. Actually, as a whole, the pacing is what primarily needed another round of edits.

All of this being said, this was a good debut and I'm now once again testing my ability to be patient for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This Ravenous Fate was an interesting debut. Bold in its decision to use vampirism as a vehicle for commentary on race, class, and scientific experimentation on the Black community to advance whites’ position of power. It managed to do this quite effectively, and I also appreciated the sense of community between those excluded and segregated from mainstream society. The writing itself was quite good, especially for a debut novel. I wouldn’t have thought it was the author’s first published work whilst reading.

However, I did have some issues with the characterisation. I don’t think many of these characters were well fleshed out, which means it made it difficult to be invested in their stories AND made their relationship dynamics with others less complex. I think the story could have been richer had they established the dynamics a bit more strongly at the start - particularly those between Elise and Josi, Elise and her father, Layla and Valeriya. This could have given us a lot more insight into the context of the world, and primed us for different perspectives and dynamic shifts later down the line. I also think we could have built up the Saint empire a bit more at the beginning to truly understand the weight on Elise’s shoulders. The scenes between her and her father all seemed to be repeated of each other without giving us further depth in any of them. Her relationship with Josi was her main driving factor during the book and yet I was not convinced. There were multiple opportunities sowed within the story for Elise to grow and her worldview to expand and by the end, it did not seem like she learned anything about her privilege. Layla’s pov was a lot more full and enjoyable to follow. Her friendship with Jamie was more natural than Elise’s with Sterling. Her perceptions of the world were insightful and thought-provoking and she was a fun character to follow around.

I am optimistic that the sequel will show improvement in some of these areas. The writing and storyline are strong, we just need to delve more into the characters to pull out their full potential.

*Note: Page 296 has a typo: “we’re” instead of “were” in the sentence “He might have been honest about wanting to protect us, but his means to do so were just as sinister as his fear of losing us was intense.” This may have been corrected in the final published copy.

For me this book is a new adult, queer friendly, paranormal fantasy romance with a PG-13 rating in terms of level of spice. Thanks to the publisher for letting me read this early.

I quite enjoyed reading this book. I literally flew through the first 40% in about a day however, the latter half of the book began to get a little confusing. There were many instances of time jumps made keeping track of the timeline of events a little difficult. I somewhat enjoyed the two main female characters. There villains that presented themselves throughout the book were super one dimensional. The side characters were entertaining. The plot was able to weave in mentioning realistic events that happened in the area and around America during the 1920s.

Sometimes the steamy situations that happened in this book, which is why I’m calling it a new adult over a young adult book could be distracting to the overarching plot. The characters are 18.

I do enjoy the fact that this was written in third person point of view. It was very refreshing because sometimes the plot got wild and I was just as confused as the characters were and it just worked for me. I do think the book could use a little sprucing because the book didn’t need to be over 400 pages.

I got to read an early copy of this, and it's fantastic! A sapphic romance between a vampire and a vampire hunter = the ultimate enemies to lovers, and as a bonus, it's set during 1920's Harlem. The author also gives her vampires a unique twist, as they're the result of a government experiment gone wrong, now in search of a cure. A gripping read!

Story: 3.5⭐ (rounded to 4)
Spice: .5⭐ (Kissing/Touching, closed door)

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Fire for the approval of this ARC of This Ravenous Fate.

I had a hard time rating this book. I'm currently in a slump and I'm not sure if I'm reviewing based on how I feel or the story. I really loved the 1920's Harlem setting and the unique spin on vampires. Like, really enjoyed the vampire part. It was just so different then all the other vampire books. I also liked the subplot of romance, but it feels like the middle of the book was just kind of boring. I would also check your trigger warnings as there is a lot of gore (obviously) but also emotional/mental abuse (by a parent).

If you like 1920's Harlem, Sapphic romance, vampires, and unlocking mysteries then look no further!

3.5⭐

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing free advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Overall I think this was a solid fantasy debut. It's definitely a slow burn, with a more fantasy & lit fic focus that marketed, but overall I really enjoyed the story and themes!

I think one thing that will hurt this book was the way that it was marketed. This was pitched time and time again as a sapphic enemies to lovers romance. And while that is *technically* true, there is little to no actual romance in this first book.

Instead the focus is really on the themes of racism, classism, and privilege with the backdrop of 1920's vampires.

Elise is back in New York after running away to France to study music after the loss of her sister and best friend. And she is determined to save her youngest sister from having to take over the family business. She sacrifices her own future to take the title as heir, finding herself in a sea of mystery, lie, and deceit.

And it all becomes worse when she has to team up with her ex-best friend Layla, who is the vampire that nearly killed her 5 years prior.

From friends, to enemies, to reluctant allies, to attraction - these 2 get caught in dark mystery about what is happening to the vampires, is there a cure, and who is behind it all.

The plot itself is very slow moving and deeply explores who society chooses to help and how.

I loved the discussions and themes, I really loved how brutal and dark this book got at times, and I even enjoyed the progression of the girls' relationship. But the actual reveal was lackluster and honestly disappointing. Since it's the exact person you think it's going to be from page 1....

While this isn't going to work for everyone, I did have a good time reading this and do plan to continue with the series.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this, as well as the setting. Alternate history coupled with POC main characters and vampires is a great combination. I liked the main characters and their push and pull romance. Layla is pretty awesome and definitely the star for me. She's been making the best of an awful situation and I admired how much she cared for her friends.

The mystery was kind of confusing and a bit unclear. The pacing is slow at times and I think the story could have been a bit shorter overall.

I enjoyed reading this and will check out the sequel in the future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy.

I believe I let the hype get to my head on this one. I wanted more from the atmosphere and the characters. I wish it would have given more into the Harlem Renaissance era. It's mainly what drew me to read this, but it was only briefly given a few mentions.

I wasn't a fan of any of the characters here and that made this a chore to get through. Elise and her family were too much and all she and Layla did was fight and kind of make up. I didn't feel any chemistry or like them together.

All in all, this was not a winner for me.

This was a good fantasy, an interesting plot line and some very interesting concepts and characters. But I'm going to echo another reviewer in saying this felt like it needed another round of editing. I really don't fault the author because it's not the only time I've seen this publisher push books out too quickly rather than giving them the developmental time they need.

This Ravenous Fate takes the glitz and glamour, and the secretive edge, of the New York Jazz Age and adds the bloody violence of vampirism.

This sapphic dark fantasy gives you all the tantalizing and dark features we know and love from traditional vampires, and throws them into the seedy underbelly of a gang-ruled New York. I loved every second of it!

No matter how you think this story will end, these pages may surprise you, as they did me. The writing is lovely. The action is heart-pounding. The romance is exciting! And the commentary on historic racial issues is poignant, but not overwhelming.

In a beautifully built world that weaves fantasy and history, This Ravenous Fate is a vicious delight. Dennings writes tension you’ll want to sink your teeth into. This book is a gory masterpiece wrapped in the decadence of fringe and sequins.

2.75

I wanted to love this so badly. It's sapphic vampires in a 1920s alternate NYC with a friends to enemies to lovers romance. On paper, it was going to be a new favorite read. Unfortunately, while the ideas are all there, I think this needed another round of edits.

I like a lot of what this is doing thematically. Dennings is able to pull in a lot of conversation related to race and class and wealth and privilege, which are all relevant to today but were also big topics of conversation during the Harlem Renaissance. In that respect and in the way Dennings was able to build a believable historical Harlem that had vampires, I was completely sold.

That being said, there were some writing choices and plot/pacing choices that left me feeling pretty meh about this book. For one, I mostly listened to the audiobook which might have caused me to notice it more than I would have if I read the ebook, but there was a repetition of "character name said" that became grating and made the conversations sound stilted. Though in some cases it felt necessary because the audiobook narrator didn't differentiate much between the voices. I also found some of the plot development felt a bit stilted. There were moments were a person's reaction felt super out of left field and then there would be something in the text indicating what changed to cause that reaction and I would have rather seen the event than been told about it later. I also found the ending incredibly rushed and rather disappointing despite what should have been a major cliffhanger.

I don't think this is a bad book, but I don't think it met my expectations and I had some pretty major issues with the execution. Most of my issues can probably be chalked up to being a debut, so while I probably won't pick up the sequel/finale of this duology, I would be interested in seeing what Dennings writes after this.

Vampires are not always my favorite to read about, but the premise of This Ravenous Fate drew me in. The 1920s Harlem setting, set the a perfect tone for the story. The fantasy, the mystery all worked well together to create an interesting story that kept me guessing while also rooting for Elise and Layla. It also interwove themes of racism and classism in this supernatural mystery that made the stakes higher in the story.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I still have to read the last 30% of the book (mood reader things), however I’m really enjoying the FMC Layla and Elise. Tobias is a yuck for me. Do not like him at all. I will be leaving my full review up on Goodreads when I complete the book!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the early review copy! I commend the author for the inventive twist on oft-trodden ground, but I unfortunately never felt fully invested in THIS RAVENOUS FATE. That said, I do think some high schoolers I work with may fall into Dennings' prose, blood-soaked terrain, and the promising development of the sapphic friends to enemies to lovers arc in the sequel.

In an alternate 1926, vampires known as reapers are on the rise in New York. The Saint family hunts them, giving them more power than those in organized crime. Now home after five years away, eighteen-year-old Elise Saint is the reluctant heir and target for all of the Harlem reapers. Layla Quinn became a reaper five years ago, betrayed by Elise herself. Some reapers are turning human again, and they leave brutal killings behind. When Layla is framed for one of these attacks, the Saint patriarch offers her a deal she can't refuse: work with Elise to investigate how these murders might be linked to shocking rumors of a reaper cure. Now the former friends must work together to discover the truth behind the threat that endangers them all.

This Ravenous Fate is the first book of a duology, with a world where vampires are hurt by specific kinds of steel and they're an everyday menace for police and hunters to deal with. Elise is traumatized by the attacks that sent her to France, but she refuses to allow her ten-year-old sister become the heir to the Saint empire of bullets and research into reaper treatments. The Saints want to eradicate all reapers, and the human-reaper alliances will fall if they get their way. In addition to the difficulties of reapers, there are prejudices and outright racism against Black people, the poor, and those that stand in the way of those with something to gain the most by the reaper cure. It doesn't help Elise's anxiety that her father is austere and interested in results and his empire. There are secrets that her father keeps, that his associates keep, and that the older reapers keep as well. Elise is caught in between too many people, and her emotions are used against her to keep her in line. The various plots are all in play, and Elise knows very little about most of them. This is a bloody, dangerous world, and the love Elise and Layla develop here isn't enough to keep the worst of it at bay. It's likely the next half of the duology that will.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness, where do I even start with this book? From the absolutely gorgeous world building to the plot twists, it truly has everything you could wish for! Oh, and don't forget the Black girl magic and sapphic enemies to lovers vampire story. Like, how can a story honestly have it all?!

I think my favorite part of this book is how unique it makes the world of vampires (reapers in this story). It takes such a familiar (and sometimes overdone) story idea and turns it into something so glittery and new that I truly could have convinced myself this was my first vampire book. That was incredibly refreshing and made me enjoy everything all the more.

My complaint was that it did feel like it started a bit slow, but it really got going once the girls were finally working together. I feel like it might have gotten a bit more interesting had they been forced together sooner. And then the ending threw me for a loop a bit, and I'm not sure in a good way. It felt so rushed that I truly didn't get the full impact of the plot twist at the end and the ensuing arguments/tension.

I loved the romance though and the way that the angst just makes it all the more intriguing. I feel like I can't say much without giving things away, but trust me when I say that you will be swooning! Not to mention the self growth that they both go through and the commentary on worthiness and love for yourself.

This was a wonderful debut and I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!

Vampires are on the rise and I am living for it. This was a fabulous historical debut with some complex characters at its core. The dynamic between Layla and Elise makes this so intriguing, with the will they won't they of their past and current animosities. Very much looking forward to the sequel!

I read a great deal of this book so i feel like I can still review. Ultimately it got to be a chore to read so I decided to DNF. This had all the great pieces to be a delicious addictive novel but unfortunately the slow burn was way too slow. I feel like the pacing could have been better but honestly there was nowhere to improve because this whole novel is slow.

The characters *sigh* ok so the two MC’s names are totally different. One is a reaper and the other is human, but why couldn’t I differentiate between the two? Could it be for lack of character depth and personality. No one was likeable bc quite frankly who are these people?

The setting, this felt like now. Instead of the 1920’s and for one of the greatest moments in Harlem history the most exciting thing was the cotton club.


This fell short for me, and U hate that because this seemed so great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the Kindle ARC of this book. If you like a YA Fantasy/thriller that takes place in the roaring 20’s with reapers (vampires) this book is for you.

Reapers are a big problem in NYC in 1926, and the Saint family empire is trying to keep them under control. The Saints have w some scientists working on a cure without luck so far, then a young man just turned reaper seems to turn back to human. Did that happen when he died or before?

Young Elise Saint, the heir to the empire is asked by her father to pair up with her once best friend, Layla, who has been a reaper for 5 years to investigate what is happening in the city. Elise and Layla hate each other - or do they?

Layla is a young black gay woman trying to survive in a world she never wanted.

Looking forward to more from this author..

DNF — I really wanted to love this! The concept sounded right up my alley, but I just couldn’t get into it. I found the beginning a bit confusing. I stuck it out for a bit, but I wasn’t feeling invested in the characters.