Intrigued enough to continue the series and appreciate the cool 1920s Harlem, rich Black vibes with vampires.

Such a fantastic read! I couldn't step away once I got started! Thank you to NetGalley for providing this fantastic ARC!!

Vampirism is making a comeback, and I couldn’t be happier. There is not a queer vampire book out there that I wouldn’t be interested in reading, and This Ravenous Fate was no different! I saw this compared to First Kill, which was a show I loved and am still mourning. Needless to say, I was very excited to dive into this one.

There was a lot of tension between Layla and Elise that was fun to explore. The trope of enemies to lovers was fascinating because they used to be best friends before they became enemies, which added a whole other dynamic to the situation. There were a lot of mixed emotions between the two; a lot of that went unsaid. This begins to build towards the final act of the novel. The animosity between the two eventually changed to a sexual tension that was well-written, and I definitely think the two had good chemistry. The romance was the highlight of the book, and I enjoyed getting to switch between their different perspectives.

I was intrigued by the different name given to vampires in this story—reapers. I wish the way vampirism worked was explored more, but I enjoyed hearing about the different experiments that were happening towards the end of the story and the whole science of the world. I would like to know more about the supernatural in this world. Are there only reapers or other creatures too, and are they all man-made? I was enticed by one of the villains and wish she took more of a focus from Elise’s father. I’d love to know more about her story as a reaper!

I think this was a strong debut and would definitely recommend it to fans of vampires. I enjoyed the different take on vampirism, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from the author!

unfortunately i was unable to complete this arc. i couldn't get into it, there needed to be further revisions and edits prior to publishing. it just felt incredibly juvenal

This Ravenous Fate is a queer vampire novel following Layla and Elise, ex-friends during 1920's Harlem renaissance. As a debut, I was impressed with the intricacies of the plot. We example heavy topics like racism and classism and for a YA novel, I believe it was done sensible. The dynamic between our two main characters, Layla and Elise, is very interesting. There is a clear history between the two and the tension it brings to the page is palpable. The complexity of their relationship and their perspectives is unique and what is truly special about this book.

I loved the richness of Harlem, the clear racism and classism.
The writing just went to all over the place for me. Lots of repetition- Layla's anger is a major focus of the plot but overdone.

really wanted to love this but it fell flat for me. i found layla pretty infantile and annoying and the other mc kind of uninteresting, although her backstory has potential. i don't really care for her friend or her family dynamics/politics, nor was i invested in layla's den or her friend. it was also wildly similar to these violent delights but maybe that's just the harlem renaissance setting and family rivarly? considering the harlem setting, political rival family dynamics, history between the two mcs, plot of wanting to solve the illness spreading throughout the city and having to work with your old friend/enemy to do it, being the daughter of an influential group/company, etc--but without the spark. i wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt but i just wasn't invested. i kept waiting for it to get interesting or even just intriguing but when <spoiler>the two mcs begrudgingly agreed to work together to solve the mystery, i realized i wasn't going to enjoy the romance because i found their interactions soo annoying. i just don't care for any of the characters or stakes and i rolled my eyes every time layla spoke or had a pov. i did appreciate the idea of the exploration of the underbelly of 1920s new york and the almost exlusive cast of black characters though! it also had a few striking one liners about the complex topics the book strives to tackle (but i didn't make it far enough to see it happen). hopefully it finds its audience!

I appreciate getting this advanced reader copy from NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Fire! It was a little difficult to get through the beginning, not going to lie. The author seems to have created each of these separate scenarios, yet there were awkward transitions between them. This made it difficult to follow along and really absorb what was going on. The beginning of the story didn't seem to flow properly to me. The author should have included additional descriptions to make it more enjoyable and easier to understand. It was challenging to fully empathize with the range of feelings these characters were experiencing. In the middle of the book, it started to pick up its pace. I would recommend this book to vampire lovers and those who are looking for sapphic content. I give this book a 3/5; it just wasn't the book for me.

DNF at 30%

I'm sorry, I really tried with TRF, but I just couldn't do it. I was BORED and it was such a chore to pick this up and it took me months to read a chapter so yeah, I really should've DNFed it sooner by I was - and still am - rooting for a Black author to get their bag, so I figured I would read it and recommend it on my social accounts so that more people go out and buy it, but this book is already out in the world and I'm not even 50% in.

Might give it another read one day, but for now, I have to make way on my shelf for new ARCs I'm sorry

Duuuuude a great sapphic fantasy romance!!! This book is set in the Jazz Age in Harlem which was such an interesting topic to read about!! It also has vampires which is perfect for spooky season. One of the complaints I did have was that it needed definitely another round of editing. Rated 3.5 stars

3.5 but will round up for review

I finished this book feeling a tad underwhelmed. Although I want to read the next book I don’t quite feel excited based on how things ended and I think may have something to do with the writing rather than the plot. The ending points made sense and I am genuinely curious what each girl plans to do next. I think conflict between the friends to enemies to lovers made sense and was a good breaking point for each of their developments. I think my biggest problem with the writing is that several parts of the story felt like I had to make inferences. Things weren’t explicitly stated which isn’t always bad but it did require me to stop reading to ask myself “how did we get here??” In the next story, I hope things are a little more direct.

I did enjoy the setting of this story. The use of gangsters, vampires,
Prohibition and many others elements of the 20s were cool and well done. I will say some “slang” or old language would’ve helped the story a bit more. I liked the characters especially Vex. I found myself laughing at his ridiculousness. I look forward to seeing how Elise and Layla further develop and finding out what the hell happened to Sterling.

Overall it’s a solid debut.

3.5 ⭐️

I really wanted to love this book, and while there were aspects of it I quite liked, overall it was a bit meh for me.

what I liked:
🥀 1920s New York vibes
🥀 vampires
🥀 sapphic romance

what I didn't like was the storyline overall. I know it's a series so I hope it will get better but I feel there were many plot holes in this first one, and it didn't grab my attention as it should have.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m torn on what to rate this book. I enjoyed the plot but the characters fell kind of flat for me. I would have love to see more of Layla & Elise being enemies. It felt like that was all tell not show. I also could not stand Elise. She felt like a spoiled rich girl and the author could have done so much more with her character!

With all this being said, I will be picking up the next book because sapphic Black vampires is something I will not say no to.

big thank you to netgalley for the arc of this book.
this story is set in 1920s harlem and it was such a fun blend of vampires and the 1920s. this book has the friends to enemies to lovers trope and is dual POV. it follows a vampire hunter and a vampire and their dynamic is so good and theyre forced to work together to solve a murder.

I did a combo read of listening to the audiobook and reading my copy. I did find the concept of this book intriguing. A sapphic vampire story set during prohibition in New York.
While I did enjoy the story, I felt so aggravated at the amount of miscommunication between Layla and Elise. Every time they would begin to get along, it would go right back to old fights. Honestly that was my main gripe.
I also didn’t realize it was going to end on a cliffhanger and was like NOOOOO…..but hey there’s a chance at redemption in the second book in the duology.
A solid 3.5/5 for me.
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

For some reason I thought I had written a review for this already and now I’m kicking myself because I can’t remember half of what I wanted to say about it.

I did like this one quite a bit…until I didn’t. First of all, I know this is set in the Jazz Age but I think sometimes the historical setting didn’t feel like its time period and I know, not something really to get hung up on considering there’s literal VAMPIRES, but sometimes I got so distracted by the setting and context of the world that I just couldn’t feel myself getting lost in the story.

And that’s another thing…the world building was good but often confusing, especially later on in the book as the author attempted to bring in twists and reveals…the whole in text historical context with characters backgrounds kept getting muddled and trying to keep track of it was a task.

The best part are the characters Layla and Elise themselves. Both are standout protagonists, unique in their own way, and I thought they had great chemistry with each other. However, I do think they got over the whole enemy thing a tad bit quickly considering everything that went on.

The ending was just messy and confusing and poorly paced which was disappointing as I think the book started off strongly. I will be picking up the sequel as I think this book has its merits and Dennings has lots of potential as a writer, but unfortunately this book didn’t meet expectations and fell quite flat for me.

4.75⭐ This book had an amazing concept and it was executed in such an enjoyable and original way. It took all the elements I love in a book and melted them together so well. The characters were diverse and very layered, it had mystery, the rules for the vampires were unique and put in a setting reflective of our world, there was angst and politics and complicated dynamics- and romance! It was sooo fun. The character growth and overall story was also satisfying yet there is still so much left to discover for the remainder of the series which I can't wait for. Overall, I'm so glad that I read this and I thoroughly recommend it too.

Thank you to net galley for the advanced reader copy.

I am conflicted with this book. I enjoyed several aspects of the book; however, I feel it could have benefited from another round of editing and maybe a few extra chapters. The premise of sapphic black vampires in the USA during the 1920s sounded incredibly fun. The book features a variety of different themes, such as race, gender, wealth, and class, and I feel that each one was handled fantastically.
Plot: Set in Harlem, New York, during the prohibition era. We follow Elise Saint, Reaper hunter heiress and her reluctant reaper ally Layla as they investigate the rise in reaper attacks and clear Layla’s name.
What I liked: I loved Elise and Layla’s relationships throughout the book. The author gave us friends to enemies to reluctant allies to lovers very well. Each scene they were in together was interesting, dynamic, and fun. I really understood both characters and their reactions to the events that took place in the book. I found that they were both quite rounded characters who didn’t revolve around just each other; they had personalities, which I liked.
Elise Saint, one of our main protagonists, is very interesting throughout the book as she continuously strives for her father’s approval and almost collapses under his intense pressure. I sympathised with her greatly and enjoyed the pacing of her finally achieving her freedom from her family and family business of hunting reapers.
Layla Quinn, Elise’s reaper ex-best friend, was an incredibly sympathetic character who I adored. From the beginning, the reader feels her pain, anger, and longing for Elise. The book drifts from both characters’ points of view seamlessly. The characters have distinct voices and stories that we can follow easily. I loved seeing both sides of the slow burn, and I hope the author does the same in the next book. I am looking forward to reading it.
What I disliked: Sadly, I think the book could benefit from another round of editing; the mystery and investigation felt slightly convoluted, and when we reached the end of the book, I didn’t find the answers to my questions. I also found that Elise’s father, Tobias Saint, was difficult to understand. I didn’t understand what his motivations were or what his end goal was as a whole. I hope this is rectified in book two.

Unfortunately this didn't work for me but it's definitely interesting and there's a lot of potential so I'm looking forward to the sequel!

The selling point definitely lies in the pitch—Black lesbian vampires in 1920s Harlem is such a unique concept, and provides such important representation for so many young readers who may not have seen themselves in this genre before. There's also depiction of mental health (anxiety/panic attacks) and complicated familial dynamics (emotional abuse and grief); with so many nuanced topics at play, Dennings still manages to write an engaging story with an interesting world and active plot. In terms of actual story, it was largely very standard YA fare, reminiscent of Chloe Gong's THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS with simpler prose. The relationship between the characters felt a bit unearned, but the pacing is not atypical for the genre and age category. I also found the plot twist predictable and the ending a bit jumbled, but it leaves off with enough a hook for readers to look forward to book 2. Overall—not necessarily spectacular, but a fun time nonetheless!