I received this book as a digital arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Thank you!

1920s sapphic vampires? Sign me up! Loving the new resurgence of vampires in the literary world.

While I loved the representation and the backdrop of Harlem, I didn’t enjoy myself as much as I had hoped. The pacing was all over the place, world building was a bit lacking and some of the choices made by the characters left me scratching my head in confusion and taking me out of the story.

I’m still curious where the story will go next, so will probably pick up the sequel when it comes out. Definitely recommend if you enjoy dark, vampire romance.

This was such a dark read and I loved it! It was a very exciting read as it is full of secrets, death and romance.

Black sapphic vampires set in 1920s Harlem, this books premise was fantastic but the execution was a little bland for me. It features childhood best friends to enemies to lovers, an interesting mysterious storyline and how the 2 MCs reconnect after being estranged for 5 years.

I’m interested in seeing where this duology will go. 3.5 stars.

this was an absolutely stunning debut, i feel like i'm back in the resurgence of vampire novels, there really needs to be more 1920s vampire novels

As a mostly contemporary romance reader, this book was definitely outside of my usual comfort zone but I decided to give it a try when it was available on NetGalley for everyone a few weeks back. I'm really glad I read it but ultimately this book ended up being a bit of a miss for me. This may have partly been because of my own inaccurate expectations but I was expecting a bit more romance from this book, and unfortunately the romance that was there just wasn't quite believable to me. I was left wondering why these two characters cared or were invested in one another, especially when I found one of them quite annoying and insufferable for most of the book. The pacing was also a bit off for me, where the middle part of the book was a bit tedious and some elements of the ending happened in a rush. The main plot of the book is focused around a mystery that Elise and Layla are required to team up to solve but the actual mystery elements of the book happened so slowly that I started to lose interest, even though I was intrigued at the outset. I also thought some elements of the worldbuilding were a bit lacking or underdeveloped though I did find the atmosphere and setting of 1920s Harlem really interesting and vibrant.

All that being said, I may still read the second book in this duology as I will be curious to see where the author takes this story; I think the writing itself is strong, and the themes she is working with here are interesting. I think there's a lot of potential for this author to grow and develop in her craft. I have added my review on Goodreads here and will also be posting about it on TikTok closer to publication date.

This is an author & book I have been following for a year now. When this book became available on Netgalley I actually think I cried tears of joy!!!

I absolutely love the setting of this book. I love the characters, & the trials & tribulations they had to go through. Parts of this book had me yelling at the pages, other parts had me smiling soooooo widely my face was cracking.

Absolutely loved & I cannot wait to devour whatever Hayley comes out with next.

DNF'd at 18%.

I really wanted to love this book - I was so excited to read it. The idea of 1920's Harlem vampires was promising and the multi 3rd person POVs pulled me in.

The writing though, is a bit choppy and lacked world building details. There is hardly anything that set the stage in the beginning to make us feel like we were really in Harlem. I usually complain of too many details, but this one gave nothing. We hopped to quickly from one event to another.

I have been in a bit of reading slump so that may be affecting my opinion but I just can't get into this book.

Rated 2 stars. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Set in the vibrant world of 1920s New York, this novel is a thrilling blend of urban fantasy and mystery that had me on the edge of my seat.

The atmosphere Dennings creates is absolutely stunning. I was totally immersed in the bustling streets of New York, with its hidden secrets and dark alleys. While I wished for a bit more detail in the world-building, the overall ambiance was undeniably captivating.

The murder mystery aspect added an extra layer of intrigue to the story, keeping me guessing until the very end. I loved how Elise and Layla, despite their complicated history, were forced to team up to unravel the truth behind the brutal killings. Their dynamic was electric, and I couldn't get enough of their intense chemistry.

Dennings's writing style is kind of poetic. The way she delves into the inner struggles of her characters and explores their growth throughout the novel is truly remarkable. Elise and Layla are both incredibly complex and compelling, with vivid personalities that leap off the page.

However, I have to admit that the pacing was a bit slow for my taste. While I enjoyed every moment with Elise and Layla, I found myself wishing for a bit more action to keep things moving along.

"This Ravenous Fate" is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery with a side of supernatural vibes. Dennings has created two unforgettable protagonists in Elise and Layla, and I can't wait to see what she has in store next!

received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This Ravenous Fate is a historical novel about two former childhood friends, now bitter enemies who must work together to solve a murder.

I liked the prose and the way the author described every single thing, I'm pretty sure I'd read her grocery list too WOW. I liked the topics of minorities and privilege, and whether to be satisfied with the bare minimum or demand more.

And lastly, I LOVED the enemies-to-lovers plot. This is how you write it. There is so much betrayal and anger and fear between them and watching them fall in love was *chefs kiss*

Overall, this was again, another solid five stars.

I wouldn’t ordinarily rate a book I didn’t read much of but I feel like the issues I found should be known, and NetGalley won’t let me post without a *.

I was so excited to read this but the writing style is just not for me. Its constant short sentences and too much punctuation, this takes away from the flow. it just felt so broken up and I quit after 20 pages.

Wow this was a thrilling read with twist that I didn't see coming and I was shook for much of it. i never thought I needed another vampire book, but this proves how wrong I was and I am utterly obessed with this book now.

Thanks sourcebooks fire and NetGalley for this ARC.

Where do I start? It's 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in New York. But the Saint family's thriving reaper-hunting enterprise holds reign over the city, giving them more power than even the organized criminals who run the nightclubs. Eighteen year-old Elise Saint, home after five years in Paris, is the reluctant heir to the empire. Only one thing weighs heavier on Elise's mind than her family obligations: the knowledge that the Harlem reapers want her dead.


A book with this premise and has a queer black protagonist? Are you even kidding me? I cannot tell you how high my hopes were and how quickly I finished this book. Every page in this fantasy whodunnit is filled with descriptions of a world that we know as the age of excess through Scott F Fitzgerald… and every page in this book just hooks you to read the next. I think if I could give it more stars. I would. I cannot wait for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

2.5 stars.

This Ravenous Fate promised me everything I've ever wanted: sapphic romance, BIPOC main characters, childhood friends to enemies to lovers. And who could say no to vampires? When I found the author's reels on Instagram I was, to put it mildly, excited out of my mind. Unfortunately, as willing as I was to love this book, I don't think this was for me.

Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the writing style. I believe the author is very talented, but I wish a lot more things were left up to reader interpretation. It felt that there was a very distinct lack of subtlety. The readers weren't allowed to figure things out for themselves, as most of the information was spoon-fed to us. This is a problem I've seen a lot in recent fiction, so this is not just an issue I found in this book, but it severely impacted my reading experience. I think this also makes the race discussions not as in-depth as I would've liked as well, especially due to the period this novel is set in. I didn't come into this expecting a historical fiction novel, obviously, but I wanted more life to the setting. Also, a lot of words or phrases were repeated, and I believe the novel would have improved vastly with a few more editing passes.

The plot didn't make much sense to me, either, until I realised I'd guessed the villains immediately and had (incorrectly) assumed everyone else had too (because there were quite literally no other suspects). There was barely any mystery to investigate, and I wish more effort had been put into why our main characters had to work together because that sort of informs a lot of their relationship development (and the plot overall).

Speaking of the main relationship, I was so excited for Layla and Elise. The premise of their relationship is so interesting and was one of the many reasons I enthusiastically picked up this book (so enthusiastic that I signed up to NetGalley and got an ARC for it). I believe that as separate characters they have a lot of potential, but this did not feel fully realised and, thus, neither did their relationship. Layla's anger was lovely, and I liked the hints towards Elise's OCD and her issues with her father, but I wish we got more of it. Elise in particular had a lot of issues in terms of her character. I so desperately wanted to love her, but I ended up almost thinking she and Layla shouldn't have gotten together. Elise's apology did not feel earned nor sufficient for the severity of what had happened, so when everything was resolved and they started dating the pay-off wasn't quite what I wanted. This ties into the greater issue of the ending feeling rushed overall. Too much happened at once, and this led to a lot of monologuing to exposit information, among other issues. The pacing overall felt off.

I think This Ravenous Fate's issues all go back to that lack of subtlety. If readers were allowed to infer certain things from the text, we could have a lot more space for nuanced characters and discussion. None of this is the author's fault; I truly believe she is a talented writer. I genuinely look forward to what she will write next, and am considering picking up the sequel when it comes out. I do highly recommend picking up this book and forming your own opinions on it, as it is very much worth the read. Its issues stem more from what the publishing industry currently prioritises -- easy-to-digest, "marketable" novels -- which means this book isn't given the space and time it requires to properly cover the full scope of its topics.

I WAS SO HAPPY I GOT THIS!!! The story is so unique but so universal in all its themes I never knew I needed black sapphics in the 20s till I got them in the 20s. I wish some parts were a bit more fleshed out as the beginning drags but it picks up beautifully in the end

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks for the arc! I had seen the author promoting this on TikTok for so long I am so happy to have finally read this. Sapphic vampire is all I needed to hear but with every update I was more excited and I was not disappointed!
This was a very strong debut that was an absolute blast to read! The setting, character dynamics, and commentary are all very strong. In particular, Layla was such a fantastic character to read (especially all her yearning). She was flawed, strong, and vulnerable and I loved all her POV’s.
My only complaints are some instances that could have been more show and less tell and some short stints where it was a bit harder to feel invested.
Overall, I am very excited to continue the series and follow Dennings’ career as a whole!

I love reading vampire inspired novels so I was excited to be approved for this title. I didn't read much about this before diving in. Unfortunately, this ended up being a disappointment. While I typically enjoy the 1920's setting, this book failed to deliver. The world building was very low and underdeveloped and I feel like it could have added so much more allure to the book. The characters were unlikable and their relationship was also extremely underdeveloped. I had a hard time following the plot because, again, underdeveloped. I did not enjoy this and will not be reading the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This Ravenous Fate is set in Harlem during 1926. Except, there are reapers—once-human vampires who are rapidly growing in population in New York. They’re blood-thirsty and vicious, waiting in the dark and in bars for prey. Elise Saint is the daughter of the man who rules Harlem, thriving with his reaper-hunting business. Elise is home for the first time in five years after studying music in Paris after a tragic event sent her away. But she wants to protect her sister even at the risk of return as the Harlem Reapers want her dead. Layla is one such reaper—she’s haunted by her past with Elise as the night she turned, she lost her parents at Elise’s betrayal. But when some reapers become human again only to leave mysterious and brutal killings, Layla is framed and Elise’s father offers her a deal: work with Elise to investigate the murders linked to this potential reaper cure. The two girls hunt the city’s underworld for answers as their bitter hatred for each other turns into something more while a threat against reapers and humans rise swiftly.

I am a huge sucker of 1920s New York and vampires! This was the PERFECT combo! The setting and vibes of this book are immaculate and the details were so well done. The writing is gorgeous and captivating and I was entirely enchanted while reading. I loved the reapers/vampires and the author’s take on the creatures. It was familiar yet unique and perfect for the setting and time period.

I loved the characters. Elise and Layla have such vivid personalities and strong character arcs. They go through so much together and separately throughout the novel and they have my heart. They’re both so strong and fierce, morally grey and villainous at times. They’re incredible!! Also, there are really strong side characters that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about—especially Jamie and his son!

The plot was so engaging and I was hooked instantly. Especially when talks of a cure and experiments going on started. It was so fun to watch Elise and Layla go around Harlem. I loved all the investigating and dealing with bootleggers and gangsters. The whole premise was super interesting and I did not guess the ending whatsoever. I was completely invested until the very end and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Highly recommend if you loved The Diviners or if you love vampire stories, especially ones set in the past!

I am absolutely feral for Hayley Dennings's writing!! Can’t wait to finally hold this book soon and see it become the next big thing!! (& to get the sequel ofc because wOAH—)

You see: this book wasn’t *terrible*. But *I* personally was so goddamn bored that I cannot give it above a 2,5 *. With all due respect: I just wanted this book to be over. 😭

The premise was good: childhood-friends-turned-enemies (1 is a vampire reaper, 1 is the heiress to the empire that protects humans from reapers) who are forced to work together to uncover the mystery behind the death of a member of that empire. Sounds cool, right?! Unfortunately, though, the book just didn’t deliver. 😬


🩸 PLOT/“MYSTERY”:

I hesitate to call this a mystery because there was barely any mystery here. Some people died and Elise and Layla are tasked with finding out what happened, especially because it seems like 1 of the people went from reaper to human (which is supposedly impossible). It literally takes them aaaages to find anything useful for their investigation. It’s only halfway through the book that they find a 2nd person who seems to have gone from reaper to human (so they realize that could be a pattern). 😐

The investigation in this book is soooooo fucking boring! Elise and Layla basically just go around and talk so some people, sometimes. They don’t seem to have any of the urgency they should have when dealing with a murder (especially when *more* people could be in danger). They’re also pretty bad investigators, and never manage to question the most obvious things (especially Elise). At 70-75% it is “revealed” that the doctor/businessmen/whatever who were looking for a cure to reaperhood had been testing on people (mostly black people). I’m saying it’s “revealed” in quotes because……….. how is that a revelation???? Not only were they OBVIOUSLY the bad guys (it could literally be nobody else; the author didn’t even bother putting more suspects in this story lol), but also… this book is literally sold on the premise of “experimentation on black bodies”!!!! 🥴🤦 How are you gonna write that as a plot twist or big revelation when it’s literally in your marketing material, and you didn’t even set up any other suspects? 😭 I was so confused when the characters were shocked to realize that, because it was obvious from the beginning…

So, the plot was a big miss for me: extremely slow paced (very little actually happens), the MCs are bad at investigating (and seem to care very little about finding answers, idk…), and the bad guys were obvious from the start. Overall: SNOOZEFEST. 🥱😴



🩸 CHARACTERS & ROMANCE:

Layla was a fine MC. She had it pretty rough, becoming a reaper, losing her parents and the people she grew up with. She’s supposed to be charming and sassy, but, at times, it came off kinda stale. But, overall, she’s the most enjoyable character here.

Elise, on the other hand……. Oh boy. She was quite infuriating. Her relationship with her shitty dad was kind of interesting, but it also became annoying when she would refuse to see the obvious because of how blinded she is by her daddy. And like, I get it: it’s supposed to be a toxic familial relationship; but it was still annoying and boring to see Elise ignore her father’s questionable behaviour for the 100th time. It got repetitive, and made Elise an infuriating character to follow.

Elise is just a rich and privileged girl who is completely unaware of her privilege. People always had to explain the simplest things to her (like when Sterling had to explain that he cannot be as reckless as her because the Saint Empire is her family, but it’s his JOB). Don’t get me wrong, it IS an accurate representation of a rich person who doesn’t care about the people around her, but goddamn. It was a bit frustrating to read.

The worst instance of Elise showing her lack of awareness was when she told Layla she loves her. Here’s how that scene plays out: they’re arguing and Layla angrily asks why Elise left Layla to die 5 years ago (when Layla ended up becoming a reaper), and Elise is like ~~“Oh I explained myself in a song I wrote at the time! Because music is the only way I know how to express myself anymore! 🤪”~~, which was already annoying, like….. boo fucking hoo. Elise then starts throwing herself a pity party and Layla THANKFULLY clocks her and says “How dare you talk about loss. You had everything—you still do. Yet somehow, you have managed to pin this on me. How in the world are your feelings toward me my fault”.

Elise then says she fell in love with Layla and monologues about how hard it was to continue with her life after what happened with Layla, which doesn’t explain any of her behaviour, but I digress. When Layla begs her to shut up (which like, yeah please!!! Elise is fucking annoying! I simply do not give a fuck about your pity party!) Elise is basically like ~~“I WONT shut up! I’ve suffered A LOT! 😤”~~…………………………………… Bitch? Layla DIED, became a murderous beast, her family died, and the people she grew up with started hating her for something she can’t control. YOU wanna talk about suffering? SHUT THE FUCK UP ELISE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! This whole scene just emphasized Elise’s lack of awareness. I genuinely don’t know how Layla ended up falling for Elise.

Speaking of which… the romance? Kinda bad, not gonna lie. 😬 I just don’t think the author did a good job developing Elise and Layla’s relationship. Their friendship in the past wasn’t very well established (this could be fixed with some flashbacks). The biggest problem, however, was their relationship in the present. I just couldn’t understand why they started liking each other. The author compared them to Catradora and Caitvi, but I personally didn’t feel any of that tension or buildup. Suddenly near the end they were in love and I was just like…. okay. Sure. If you say so. 😐

Elise and Layla’s ~moments~ fell completely flat. Like, I could tell what the author was going for, but since she didn’t do a very good job establishing the relationship, everything felt awkward and undeserved, and I couldn’t see any reason for them to be in love.

It also didn’t help that the book was filled with the most cliché and overdone things you could possibly think of. Like, yeah, there’s a masquerade ball. There’s a love confession in the middle of an argument. There’s a scene where the human lets the vampire drink her blood and it’s all very intimate, yada yada yada. 😒. I simply did not give a damn about those ~moments~ they shared. Like, yeah yeah of course there would be a scene where the vampire drinks from the human and it’d be weirdly sensual. Let’s move on, shall we? 😪🥱

Long story short: the MCs were meh. The romance was booooooo.



🩸 OTHERS:

🩸 The side characters were mostly irrelevant. Elise’s friend Thalia was in 1 scene and then died (who cares?). Sterling (Elise’s bff) and Jamie (Layla’s gangster acquaintance) were fine, but I’ll forget about them in a week (hopefully). Elise’s mother was barely in the book but came in at the end to cry about not realizing Elise was unhappy (like, okay… sure). The other reapers (like Layla’s friend Mei and Valeriya, the reaper leader) were… there. The bad guys fell flat because, as I mentioned, it was obvious that they were bad from the very start of the book, so…………..

🩸 I feel like the setting (both in terms of location and time period) didn’t really add anything to the story. The author could’ve done a lot with it, but didn’t, so this story could’ve honestly taken place anytime, anywhere.

🩸 Overall, I don’t think this book is terrible, and I can definitely see how other people might enjoy it. To me, however, this was painfully boring, and I dreaded having to pick it up. I genuinely hope other people can find joy in it, though, because I looooove that black sapphics are getting their cheesy vampire stories hehe. Perhaps in a couple of years I’ll check back in with this author. I think she has potential.

I've been looking forward to this book ever since Hayley first mentioned it on booktube!
I couldn't put this book down. I didn't know I needed a sapphic vampire book in my life until now. I loved the pacing of the book, the ending felt a tiny bit rushed but I still loved that last page and can't wait for the sequel. Elisa and Layla are strong and empowering. I loved the commentary on race as well. Overall, I think this is a very strong debut and see so much potential in Hayley as a writer and story teller!