<b>Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book. Here are my honest thoughts and review.</b>

<I>“My weakness is also my strength.”</I>

This book was a pleasant surprise that kept me on my toes from start to finish. The ending? I could NEVER have predicted it—it took me by surprise in the best way possible. This is a perfect read for late teens or early adulthood readers who enjoy a mix of fantasy, intrigue, and personal growth.

<b>The Plot</b>
Emelia Raven, born from the union of two vampires but entirely human, is the heir to the Raven throne. Despite her status, she has been sheltered her entire life and is unprepared to rule a world dominated by vampires. As her coronation day looms, she is assigned a bodyguard, Kyle—who also becomes her love interest. Along the way, Emelia uncovers shocking truths about how humans are mistreated by vampires and faces a choice: step into her role as the Raven heir or abandon it all for the chance at a normal human life.

<b>Tropes</b>
Human x vampire 🧛
Forbidden ♥️ love
Forced proximity
Royalty👸 x bodyguard

<b>World-Building</b>
At first, I had so many questions about the world and why we (as readers) knew so little about it. By the end, I realized this was intentional. The limited perspective reflects Emelia's own lack of knowledge, which I thought was such a clever narrative choice. The world unfolds gradually, allowing the reader to learn alongside Emelia. This approach made it easy to connect with her and experience her growth firsthand.

<b>The Romance</b>
The relationship initially felt very insta-lust, with a heavy focus on physical attraction. However, as the story progressed, their dynamic deepened, and the fast-paced escalation made sense within the context of the plot. There’s a reason behind the rushed nature of their connection, and it tied into the story nicely by the end.

<b>Foreshadowing</b>
The author sprinkled in plenty of foreshadowing, which helped me form some theories about the rebellion (who was behind it, why it was happening, etc.). However, I was completely wrong, and the plot twists genuinely surprised me. It was refreshing to be caught off guard, especially since I often find mysteries in fantasy books too easy to solve.

<b>Characters</b>
<u>Emelia Raven</u>: As a blood-borne human heir to a vampire throne, Emelia starts off as somewhat obnoxious. She complains despite her privileged life and high status. However, she undergoes significant growth over the course of the book. Betrayals, secrets, and heartbreak push her to finally find her strength. By the end, she’s a mature, badass woman determined to use her unique position for good.
<u>Kyle</u>: The dark-haired, brooding vampire bodyguard and love interest. His loyalty is tested in ways I can’t discuss without spoiling the book. Let’s just say his arc kept me guessing.
<u>Michael</u>: (Blonde alert!) Michael appears toward the end of the book, and I LOVED him. Based on his dynamic with Emelia, I’m very excited to see more of him in what I assume will be a sequel.

<b>Pacing</b>
The pacing was well-balanced overall, allowing me to immerse myself in the story and world. I especially appreciated the short chapters, which made the book so much easier to read (long chapters tend to put me off). The last few chapters, however, were a whirlwind of action and revelations. While it felt slightly overwhelming, I enjoyed the fast pace—it gave the book a strong, exciting finish and left me eager for more.

<b>Final Thoughts</b>
I need the next book already! There are so many unanswered questions, and I hope the sequel will deliver the answers I crave. This book leans toward the simpler side of fantasy, making it perfect for younger readers. If I’d read this when I was under 19, it probably would’ve been a 5⭐️ read for me.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a romantasy. If that’s your expectation, adjust accordingly—or you might want to pick up something else.

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read that was easy to follow and has left me yearning for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

I am left reeling, trying to find words for my emotions. The twist was twisting, literally crushed my heart with hers but after everything it was like a butterfly releasing from its cocoon, or a raven finally leaving its cage. It was such an emotional read to me. I absolutely loved it.

Wonderful atmosphere, but I’d love to have had more world building. Also would have loved some more tension and buildup with regards to the relationship. I don’t mind instant love usually, but more tension leads to me wanting to root for them. Perhaps the tropes and characters would have lended themselves to a contemporary romance over fantasy… as without the world building it all falls flat.

God I wanted to love that book it was one of the book I was the most excited about, I was promised a book for fan of twilight I mean being a millennial I was so down for that bad boy. But it felt flat and I god I’m upset about that one. The world building is none excitant I thought it was a fantasy set in a vampire world but they wear skinny jeans for f*** sake. They have phones and laptop (which I won’t be surprise are all apple btw) and I know it could be fine if not the plot they have problem with security but have technology but no cameras in the castle …. Make no sense to me ! The romance jeez I don’t like instant love in contemporary romance but in fantasy I think it’s just a hell no !!!!! The plot made no sense again and the ending seriously I have to say I jump to the ending wanted to see if that was true what people were saying and yes what a way to kill a book in 5 chapters 😂😂

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the forced proximity trope, and I don't see it too often in a fantasy type story. This was a fun new story on vampires apart from the vampire craze from years ago.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. The writing was not very good, and the characters were not very likeable. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, but this one was a little hard to get through, which was disappointing. The world building was also a little confusing and I don't understand why they gave the FMC such responsibility at such a young age.

Instalove is an immediate turn off for me and whilst there isn’t a HEA, it is a duology after all the instance love was a little too much.
The world in which this is set is a little conflicting, it feels dystopian, Middle Ages based in some scenarios but then modern technology and conveniences in some scenes. Vampires having a human heir is different but why would they, there needed to be a reason why there couldn’t be another heir for them.
Emilia is whiny, naive and childish, whilst this is the character and needs to be that to some extent it does not make for a FMC to root for and enjoy.
Overall I did like the book and enjoyed the narration, I’ll most likely read book two, with hopes some of this may get answered / improved upon.

It’s a 3.5star rating really.

I received this book as an ARC and provide and honest review

REVIEW: The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is a decent start to a new series, offering a unique blend of vampire lore and forbidden romance. The premise is intriguing: a human heiress to a powerful vampire family navigating a world of shadows and secrets. While the world-building is lacking, the fast-paced plot and unexpected twists keep the reader engaged.

However, the character development feels rushed, particularly for the main character, Emelia. Her quick transformation from a rebellious teen to a determined leader is jarring. The insta-love romance between Emelia and Kyle, while passionate, lacks depth and chemistry.

Overall, The Last Raven is a promising debut with a strong foundation. With further development of the world and characters, the series has the potential to become a captivating dark fantasy read.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Ok let me start a the beginning the concept of a human born from vampires is wild. I love it though like ooo could i be from vampires too lol (let m live in my fantasy world) I do feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit more in terms of world building but I didn't hate it. I just wanted more I guess

I love a vampire romance book however….Kyle and Emilia and two of the most irritating characters I’ve ever read!! One minute they’re all over each other, then they aren’t…then they are again. Not a lot of character development or story development. I didn’t find any of this book original and unfortunately I just didn’t like it very much, sorryyyyyy!

I was really excited to dive into The Last Raven. However, unfortunately, it ended up not being for me. The FMC Emelia was so whiny and complained and fought everything. The MMC is named Kyle, and I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm going to be excited about a Kyle. I felt like this book was reminiscent of lots of other books, so it just didn't hit on being unique. I felt like I had heard this story before. The pacing is super fast, but I felt like it was too fast at times. There was a lot happening, but nothing was given enough detail to drive things home. This seemed forced, and there was no real build-up to Kyle and Emelia's relationship it just happened right away and fell flat. As for the plot twist at the end, to me, it felt a bit forced and predictable. It didn't wow me. When I read a book, especially a fantasy, I need major world and character building so I can "see" it, and this just didn't do that for, and I really, really wanted it to. I think this may be a good "intro" to fantasy if you are just starting into the genre, but if you are a seasoned reader of the fantasy/romantasy genre, you may not  love it.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Although the first half of the book was not the best in that there was not a lot of action, the second half of the book definitely made up for it! I loved the ending and the plot twists but would have loved it if the book was a bit longer and we got to see the lead up to Kyle and Emilia's romance as it seemed a little too fast.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book as it is one of my top reads.

DNF at 23%. I really tried to get into this and finish the book but could not. FMC was far too immature. MMC does not act like he wasn’t given a high ranking position guarding the FMC. I’d understand off-putting or uncomfortable but professional but he seems untrained and mean. Did skip towards the end to figure out some of the plot details and conclusion and I’m so glad I didn’t finish.

Vampires, forced proximity, enermies to lovers - need I say more.

I have this in paperback but preferred reading an ebook.

The writing style is very YA in my opinion,

I wish there had been more worldbuilding and understanding as to the human vampire politics and interactions.

However is a fun and easy read and is more romance than fantasy.

The Last Raven had a promising setup but ultimately didn’t deliver on its potential. The story follows Emilia Raven, heir to the vampire kingdom, struggling between loyalty to her family and the brutal reality of vampire rule. However, the world-building fell short, blending modern Earth elements like jeans and phones into the fantasy setting in ways that felt out of place.

The pacing was another downside, with rushed chapters and a lack of depth in crucial scenes. The romance lacked development and felt more like insta-love than a genuine connection. Emilia’s character, while initially intriguing, became frustrating as her decisions felt random rather than intentional.

Overall, The Last Raven struggled to balance its romance and fantasy elements, and the chaotic world-building and lackluster plot left it feeling disconnected and ultimately disappointing.

The Last Raven is fast paced and it had a few unexpected twists which I did not see coming. The ending surprised me but there were a few instances throughout the story where I struggled to get invested in the plot. I prefer more of a slow burn when it comes to romance so I thought the relationship between Kyle and Emelia was a bit too full on from the beginning but if a slow burn isn't your thing then the romance in this story would be right up your street. I did find myself getting frustrated with Emelia at times but the character develops a lot throughout the book and I actually really liked her by the end.

Overall, I thought "The Last Raven" was an interesting approach to the vampire fantasy / romance world and really enjoyed the world building and tension throughout the story. This book is a solid 3 stars for me!

I was really excited to dive into The Last Raven, especially since it promised a thrilling mix of romance and fantasy. Unfortunately, I’m left a bit disappointed. The pacing is fast, which kept me turning pages, but I felt like it was too fast at times—like a lot was happening, but nothing was given enough space to truly hit. I enjoyed the romance at first, mainly because Kyle was a compelling character, but as the book went on, I just stopped caring about the relationship. It felt like the connection was there in the beginning, but it got lost along the way.
Now, about that "plot twist"... Yikes. It definitely didn’t land for me. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say it felt a bit forced and predictable. At that point It wasn’t a shocking revelation, and honestly, it didn’t do much to enhance the story and it kinda felt unnecessary?
The world-building was also a huge letdown. For a fantasy book, I need the world to feel rich and immersive, but here it just didn’t live up to expectations. The world was mentioned, but it didn’t really feel alive, and that took away from the stakes of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read The Last Raven.
A unique human in a world of vampires. This was somewhat boring for me, honestly. I have read this type before. Suddenly there is something about the FMC that is all changing in her life and knowledge of herself.
Not a bad read, just slow and repetitive.

I found this to be a really refreshing take on the typical vampire story. The whole idea of safe camps for humans was interesting and I liked how it felt almost dystopian at times. Emilia was a good main character and I liked seeing her navigate through everything as a human among vampires. It was compelling seeing Emilia battle between her dislike for vampires and her love for her parents.

This book is pitched as a romance but honestly I didn't really care for the romance at all - it was too fast paced for me and I didn't buy the connection between them at all. The politics and world building were definitely the highlight of the book for me even if there were a couple of things I wish were explored in more depth.