Vampires. Secrets. Smut. Vampire school with a new set of rules. All of these elements made this a great little read for me. I’m loving vampires at the moment so this was perfect! A little cheesy at times and not the most well written book I’ve ever read, but thoroughly enjoyable!

I liked the premise, but God, I hated the execution. It felt like it was a Wattpad fanfic. The “friends” were so mean to each other, and no character felt realistic or even likable. I had a hard DNF of this book by the 15% mark.

I was really in the mood for an easy vampire book that I didn't really need to think about and this gave me that so I really enjoyed it.

Had I not have been in that mood I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this quite as much as I did, but then I don't know why you'd pick this up if it wasn't what you were looking for anyway.

I skipped all the smutty scenes as generally smut gives me the ick, but that's easily done without missing any of the plot.

I don't really think I saw the real appeal for romance between the characters other than vampire, but to be fair I think that's pretty much every vampire book ever so I wasn't exactly looking for that when I picked it up.

Thanks for the ARC for my honest review, it gave me exactly what was said on the tin and I'm even intrigued by the next book next time I'm in a Vampire mood.

Thank you to Sapir A. Englard, Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I am a sucker (get it) for vampire novels and have read so many in some very different styles. So I'm heavily biased and will tend to forgive some things that I might not do so for other books. As soon as I saw 'Vampire' on the cover, I knew I would love it.

I am going to have to stop being such a snob and just admit I like romance novels as I read this book in one sitting. The chapters are a good length and it moves pretty quickly, with the whole story taking place over the space of three months.

It has everything that will allow it to do well on places like Bookstagram or Booktok. It's an enemies to lovers plotline with a dash of spice in a fantasy supernatural setting. It's following trends of the time but I know that if I read it at any other time, I wouldn't think it was dated.

There are some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book which I found a little intimidating, but grateful that they were there. I like to know what I'm getting into so I'm not so surprised when the sex does happen.

However, if you're reading a vampire book, I feel like it's a given that there will be some sexual content and some level of sexual 'deviance' so even without the trigger warnings, it wasn't so much of a surprise to me that there's a lot of graphic sex in this book.

There's always been something sexual about vampires, but we're in an age of literature where it's more overt. Spice in books isn't something I would seek out, but I'm okay with finding it there as long as it's done well. My boyfriend and I were laughing though at all the funny names for genitals - we especially like 'entrance'.

Lots of modern vampire fiction with eschew the old folktales especially when it comes to their vulnerabilities. This allows for authors to create vampires in a new image and I'm always happy to find a new twist on them. For example, the vampires of this world still have to eat like humans, but they just drink blood in the same way we drink water. Englard builds a world for the vampires that is interesting and refreshing, but with all the darkness and seduction we come to expect from vampires.

The main character has a mysterious past that is alluded to several times and we get a little bit of background, but I was left with a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in the next book. I would also like more of Ragnor's POV please.

I love getting to read books before they come out, but now I'm left with a new problem of loving a book and having to wait even longer to find out what's next.

I give Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard 5 stars!

This review will be posted on my blog clearly reads on May 17th 2024.

A society of vampires that few people know about, and those that do want to become a vampire.
I loved the idea of this story and how it started out, but as we got farther into the story it just seemed to drag on for me. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and other than being told that Aileen had a dark past we didn’t learn anything about it until the seventy percent mark. The reasons for why Ragnor imprinted her were never really clear nor was it clear why he continued to reject her while still wanting her.
This book is a first in a series, and because of that we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger. At the end of the book there are more questions than answers and even though this is a series I would have like to have at least a few answers to help better connect to the characters.
However, if you like vampires and vampire society this might be a book you’ll enjoy.

This is one of those times I really wish NetGalley, Publishers, and authors would give the content warning somewhere on the internet before requesting or even purchasing the book! The book sounded great...I still think there is potential in the series, and I'll read the next to find out what happens next!
Tropes listed on IG: Steamy Romance, Dark Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Vampires


In case you are interested, here are the Trigger Warnings:
physical abuse, blood play, kidnapping, bullying, cutting, servitude, noncon, parental sexual abuse!

I'll start with some neutrals that may be a pro or con depending on the reader:

- This is a low fantasy novel with a class structure within the vampire community that I have not seen before in other vampire novels.
- It is set in a college-like training/school setting, so if that is something you enjoy in a fantasy novel, this might be for you.

I am personally not a big fan of fantasy novels set in schools, but that wasn't a deal-breaker for me.

I DNF'ed at 18% for the following reasons:

- The main character's personality is inconsistent in the first several chapters, particularly after being turned into a vampire (quickly into the book).
- I also found her difficult to sympathize with - I imagine that if I stuck it out longer, there is a backstory to explain her general attitude, but in the first several chapters she was unpleasant and lacked depth.
- The way that all the characters interacted felt superficial and hostile in a way that I thought was too exaggerated to take seriously. It read like a caricature of how college students might speak to each other if they all hate each other.
- I personally was not gripped by where the story was heading.

I am giving it two stars as I do think it's readable, just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.

I want to thank NetGalley for sending me the ARC for Cloak of the Vampire.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
I throughly enjoyed this book! This was an easy book to read, and I was hooked from the first chapter. It’s about a woman who has a secret dark past, and ends up getting turned into a vampire against her will. She wakes up with other new vampires and finds out that all of them were on a waitlist to get turned into a vampire. This makes her angry because she realizes she was the only one that didn’t get a choice. She makes it a goal to seek revenge on the man who turned her into a vampire.

A few things I didn’t like was how many times the word “noob” was used in this, and just some of the words that our main character would use bothered me. The FMC’s personality for the first 20% was non-existent, but then she starts to come out of her shell and we get to learn more about her.

At first I didn’t think the plot was all that original, but then the last 20% of the book changed my mind. I was not expecting that ending and was so upset it was over — I wanted to keep reading! Safe to say that I recommend this book, and I already can’t wait for the next book to come out!

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

This book was a very quick read. It was written like an adult wattpad story. I have very mixed feelings on this book and sadly more negative than positive.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this arc.

I have not read a book that captivated me so much! Like if I didn’t have a husband and children I know for a fact I would have finished this book in less than a day.
This is such an amazing book.
It’s about this girl name Aileen and she gets turned into a vampire lord. She has to figure out how to survive in this new life she has now. The new vampires are auction off and she hopes to stay where she’s at.
🌶️🌶️🌶️ on spice
All I have to say I so can’t wait for the second book. I just wanted to keep reading more and more. Thank you soo much again.

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved Millennium Wolves by the author on Galatea app, however, this book missed the mark for me. Vampire/paranormal books are my go-to. This book is like all the cookie-cutter versions on the pay by chapter apps where the author got her start. I was so hopeful because the Millennium Wolves series really was great, if not poorly edited, but that’s to be expected on those apps. However, this is a published book. It really doesn’t even feel like the same person wrote them. The plot is confusing and her description of Aileen is contradictory to how she acts after being turned. She’s described as shy and almost meek, but is certainly not meek after she’s turned. She doesn’t have a clear personality. She pivots between wanting to be a hero to being weak and submissive.
There’s also apparently some sort of vampire school with leagues like Hogwarts almost, but it wasn’t well explained. Aileen was more concerned with whether her awful friend Cassidy was okay rather than figuring out what was actually going on. I didn’t understand the significance of Ragnor’s full name being dropped at the end. Really this book just leaves me with questions that I don’t care to have answered in book two.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Its hard to create something new in the Vampire genre (that I haven’t read anyway) that’s exciting and unique enough to pull you in before getting to know the characters. This concept of Vampire lords who turn, train, buy and sell their creations is so interesting! Our main character Aileen remains a mystery even to the reader, even if we know objectively the motivations for her actions and behaviours that the other characters don’t. The constant betrayals she experiences on an already fraught past makes me ache for her. Our lord Ragnor is his own enigma- drawn to Aileen in a way he’s not even sure of, the two can’t seem to stay apart. But he’s her Lord, and she has secrets no one can know. And at the end of the day- he’s going to sell her at the end of her training. It’s drilled into her multiple times throughout the book.
The book leaves me desperate for more, more information, more time and more chances- look forward to reading this once it’s out, as I definitely recommend. Already looking forward to book 2 😉

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an eARC of Cloak of the Vampire in return for my honest opinion.

This book has a lot of potential, I just think it still needs a bit of work/refining. The concept is cool, I just think I struggled to connect to any of the characters. The main FMC Aileen’s personality is a little chopping, but to be fair I think this is due to her past trauma/upbringing. However her past is only kind of touched on, there’s still a lot that’s unknown that I assume will be explained in further books and will make it easier to understand why Aileen is the way she is. Aileen’s “friends” in this book are absolutely horrible to her, while the author does acknowledge this, it was still hard to believe that Aileen would want to be friends with any of these people (especially Cassidy).

The relationship between Aileen and Ragnar is ver clique and again, had potential, but just misses the mark. It’s a whole lot of spice and no depth, I really wasn’t rooting for these guys to get together, I thought there was more potential with Logan her ex to be honest. That would be a great enemies to lovers (also I’m still a little confused about what went down between these two).

The word “noob” is mentioned 23 times in this book… It felt like way more than that, but that’s 23 times too many for my liking. I have grown to absolutely loath that word and could happily live my life without having to come across it again. The overall writing style of this whole book is a little awkward/off.

Overall a great concept but it just misses the mark unfortunately.

Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard is a thrilling and dark novel that takes readers on a journey into the supernatural world of vampires. The story follows Aileen Henderson, an unassuming woman with a mysterious past who is suddenly thrown into a world of bloodlust and betrayal when she is turned into a vampire by the powerful and ruthless Ragnor Rayne. From the first page, the author immediately draws readers into Aileen’s world with her vivid descriptions and seamless writing style. The character development is superb, and Aileen’s transformation from an ordinary woman to a powerful and determined vampire is both compelling and believable. Aileen’s struggles with her newfound abilities and her thirst for revenge make her a relatable and complex protagonist. The world-building in this novel is exceptional. The author has created a unique and detailed vampire society that is both intriguing and terrifying. The Auction, where vampires bid on humans to turn into their own personal blood slaves, is a particularly chilling aspect of this world. The political intrigue and power struggles between the vampire Lords add an extra layer of depth to the story. One of the most impressive aspects of this novel is the author’s ability to balance action, romance, and suspense seamlessly. The fight scenes are intense and well-written, and the romantic tension between Aileen and Ragnor adds a layer of complexity to their relationship. Overall, this is a must-read for fans of the vampire genre. Englard has created a gripping and immersive world with well-developed characters and a fast-paced plot.

This was ridiculously good. That cliffhanger RUINED my life lol. In the best way! I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time and I seriously cannot wait already to read the next!

Aileen is a girl who has a mysterious past, but strived to live a normal life. She worked a boring job, and had two select friends which kept her relatively happy. Everything changed when she tried to help one of her friends that found themselves in a bad situation. She ended up flung into a world and life she didn't want.

My thoughts on this book are complicated. There are parts that I really liked, but then found other parts lacking.

Imprints weren't part of any vampire story I've read before, so it was a fresh take on an old story line. However, I didn't feel like the story of how Aileen received her imprint made sense. I don't fully believe that Ragnor couldn't help himself by giving the imprint to Aileen. No other vampire had done it before, and there wasn't a believable enough back story to make it feel like he genuinely couldn't help himself.

I liked the little snippets of information given throughout the book about Aileen's past life. Yet, it wasn't enough to keep my attention. I wish there was more information given regarding the Morrow Gods and the Children of Kahil. I found myself really lost at the end when they draw the connection between the two. I honestly couldn't remember what had been previously said about the children of Kahil, and had to search the text to reread.

Most of the time I was reading this story I felt it would be a two star read for me, but the ending captured my attention enough that I bumped it up to three stars. I now want to read the next book to see how the author draws everything together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sapir Englard, and Montlake publishing for granting me access to an advanced reader copy of Cloak of the Vampire in exchange for my honest review.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 stars

This book started off slow and I almost DNF it. But after reading other reviews I kept pushing through. I don’t read much fantasy but the world building was interesting and Aileen’s backstory being kept under wraps is what mainly had me continue reading. Tbh I didn’t think the book got good until the very end which is the only reason why I gave it 3.5 stars otherwise I’d give it 2. I’m curious to see what happens in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I asked for a copy of this book on a whim, I had never read anything by this author and the premise sounded interesting.

This book was interesting because sometimes I enjoyed it, and sometimes it irritated. So I am not quite sure how I feel about it. This book could have been fantastic, but some of the characters just kinda fell flat. The best friend is also mind numbingly annoying. I also felt the chemistry between the main characters was a little off…..and I found myself annoyed with them as well. The world building was okay, but again, not great.

I am sorry if my review feels a little harsh, but the book description made this one sound like it would be really great, but then it was just alright. I may be just finding myself in a book slump, but this is not one that will break it. It is an alright read, but maybe I am being so hard on it because I felt like it had the potential to be amazing.

I really enjoyed this book, I think it’s a fresh take on vampires. You’re imprinted and then given a job and have to take a class that’s essentially vampire 101 (cleverly called CNC), I’m interested to read what happens next to Aileen as much of her story is still a secret.