The Last Raven is an "enemies to lovers" vampire romance between the human heir to the Raven and her bodyguard. I really wanted to like this book because the writing style is incredibly consumable but it just fell short. Our main characters are only enemies for about 2 paragraphs and then basically together, very rushed in my opinion. I wanted the story to pull me in a bit more but just didn't keep my attention.
Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollinsUK for the ARC in exchange for an honest content review.

Screw some of the other reviews—I really liked this! I think it deserves more credit than some of these reviews are giving. A lot of people complained about the world-building, but I found it perfectly adequate. The story is set in a world where vampires have taken over the world with the US and UK under the Raven rule, and the other regions controlled by different vampire families. Humans are now confined to Safe Zones like livestock. This isn’t a high fantasy with a complex magic system, and I didn't expect it to be. The setup was clear enough for me, and I appreciated the dark, dystopian vibe.

Now, I get the critiques of Emelia, the FMC. She definitely came off as bratty and petulant, especially in the beginning. Honestly, around the 18% mark, I thought about not finishing the book because she was grating on my nerves. But at about 20%, she started to grow as a character, and by the end, I was a fan. It’s a slow burn in terms of character development, but it definitely pays off.

As for the MMC—yes, he's got red flags. A lot of people complained that they didn't like him. That the insta love was too quick. That he was condescending...but maybe they didn't consider that it was because he was indeed condescending? First loves are tricky....

At its core, The Last Raven is a story about the quality of life, human slavery, and fighting for the meek and helpless. It has deeper themes that I think some readers overlooked. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the author does with the next book!

The Last Raven takes you on a thrilling ride from page one. This book was so good; the fast-paced narrative had me gripped right at the start. The twists and turns kept my heart racing, and the characters were vividly brought to life.

ARC Read - Releasing in January 2025 - thank you NetGalley for the chance to get a sneak peek! This was a perfect book for a fall read - gothic, vampire vibes. Emelia is the Heir to the Vampire throne of Raven. Child to the current vampire leaders, she is unique as she is a human. An anomaly, an abomination. Unsure why and a rarity, her parents hid her away and kept her from society to protect her. Now, with her time to take the throne and lead Raven approaching, Emelia realizes all she wants is to lead a normal, human, life. But has she been fantasizing and seeing human life through rose coloured glasses? In this world, humans are cattle, they are the stock for vampire consumption. Emella also gets a new handsome guard, Kyle, who is tempting her to stay and showing her a new side of her sheltered life. When the time comes, will she run or will she rule?

Unfortunately DNF at 30%. I gate it a good go, I really did.

Unfortunately I think thus book was way too rushed from the get go. I'm 30% in and the MMC and FMC "enemies to lovers" are already lovers. There was absolutely no build up of romance and the relationship just feels shallow and unbelievable.

The premise is brilliant and I was looking forwards to the story unfolding but the world building is nearly non-existent other than the odd tidbit of lore here and there. 5* story idea with poor execution.

I found Emilia shallow and a little stupid and tbh I just didn't care what happened next and I knew it was time to DNF when I just didn't want to reach for it.

This was an okay read, but it wasn't great. I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and the story felt rushed. For a minute there was a hint we might go for a love triangle, so glad it didn't went there. Having instant-love is bad enough. I probably won't continue the series.

I loved the new world this book has built. The theme of humans being secondary to vampires and the issues that brings was great. The twists were good. Not a bad start.

This was a good beginning for a series, and I believe I would have liked it more if I could have read another book immediately after. However, it wasn't very successful as a stand-alone book or the first in a series. It felt unfinished because it was only setting the stage for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpercollins UK for the E-ARC of The Last Raven. I love romance, fantasy and vampires so I thought this would be a home run for me. The love connection felt very insta love and the two characters were together very early on in the story. The ending was pretty predictable but how it played out made it feel like a lot of the story line was wasted.
Overall it was an okay book.

“Blood borne, because my parents are both vampires, yet not a vampire at all”

Not bad at all. Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I absolutely did. Did I think it was the best. Not necessarily but I had a great time getting through Emelia’s story and her struggles. A vampire fantasy book with a princess born of two vampire parents but still totally human. She is the heir of the Raven family. She is supposed to rule. But how can other vampire take her seriously when she has never left her home because her parents were afraid she might have been hurt? She is just a human after all. But then a guard comes by (very Hawke of him) and suddenly everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Kyle is different. And I fell for him. But the rebellion and the political intrigues pushed my mind away for a bit from the romance blossoming and the human/vampire dynamics were so interesting, I couldn’t stop reading !!! Plus, it is a pretty flowing book two read so it doesn’t come as a surprise that I read it in one sitting !!! And after those last 30 pages … I’m pretty sure I’m in need to read more about this world and what is waiting right there on the horizon for Emelia Raven!!!

“Can you help me do it? I counter. He smiles. “For you, anything”

Emilia, a human girl born to vampires. Heir to raven, heir to half the world. Then she meets a handsome vampire and the trajectory of her life changes.

This reads as a young adult novel and that wasn't what I was expecting. The spice is almost non existent, just one small scene. I would recommend it to a bit older young adults.
That being said the writing was fine, just as the books was fine. There were really interesting and fun plot points. But at the same time a lot of plot points didn't make sense. Furthermore the behavior of the characters in the beginning of the book didn't make sense.
Besides that I called the big plot twist. The way it was resolved on the other hand I have almost never read and I loved it! Something else I really loved was the fact the parents of the main character are prominent in the book and they truly love their daughter. A big change from a lot of other books in this genre.

This book is a real mixed batch for me. I do recommend it to people who like powerless and the romance in that book. You will love this one.

This book is a Rollercoaster.

I had high hopes when I saw this book first pop up - vampires!? Yes! I've not read a vampire book in a while, perfect for Halloween.
This book was definitely enjoyable and entertaining enough - there wasn't the most in-depth lore and world building which I did find lacking. But it was fun. I think there's so much potential for more in the setting and depth of the story - more tension, darkness, romance, more about a vampire kingdom!
I definitely recommend this as a read if you want a fun and enjoyable vampire read for the October/Halloween season. But other than that, it was lacking world building for an in-depth fantasy, and a bit bland in the romance for that to draw you in alone.

I had such high hopes for this book. It has everything I love but I felt like it fell incredibly flat for me

I enjoyed this one.Quick and easy read !The story is filled with relatable characters facing real-life challenges, making it easy for readers to connect. Glynn Jones’s writing is clear and engaging, creating a vivid world that draws you in. The themes of love, loss, and personal growth resonate throughout the book. Overall, it's a fun and entertaining read!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

“The Last Raven” was a lackluster read for most of the book until the final 100 pages. I really couldn't find a good connection between Kyle and Emilia and I found both characters too flawed to find likable. Both way too whiny but the ending is so good I just wished it got good like at the 45% mark.

Thank you so much One More Chapter, Harper Collins Uk and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book!

This book is for all the people that love Twilight and still watch it more than once a year. The vibe of this book is immaculate and perfect for this time of the year.
This book has it all, a vampire x human relationship, forbidden love, a brooding bodyguard, and a rebellion that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

I enjoyed this book, it fits perfect with the season and it is an easy read. I was not a huge fan of the insta love trope and at times, the FMC felt a bit too juvenile and childish. I also was confused with the setting, at times the book seemed to be set in a more medieval time but the MC had access to the internet and laptops.

There was definitely things in this book that weren’t to my liking but this being said. I think the book is perfect for the season and it’s an entertaining and interesting read.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Once again, thank you so much Netgalley and Haper Collins Uk and One More Chapter for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc, but The Last Raven was just not for me. I ended up DNFing because I couldn't get into it :(

I was excited to read this and I did enjoy it but felt there could have been more in regard to tension, dark forces, the rebellion, romance, etc. It felt as if those elements weren't strong enough (for me) to rate higher. Maybe I've read too many darker books so have higher expectations?

In saying that, I did finish this, and am curious what Emilia does next.

~~~~~~

BLURB:

I’ll be forced to take the crown, simply because of who my parents are. Never mind that my skin, my eyes, the way I move, everything will give me away for what I am.

Human.

In a world ruled by vampires.

As sole heir to the House of Raven, there is nothing Emelia can’t have. The only problem is, she doesn’t want it.

But when the mysterious Kyle enters her closed-off existence, she sees a way out. As rebellion and dark forces swirl around her, Emelia has a choice to make – leave everyone she loves behind, or stay and accept her destiny…

Thank you very much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is such a good read! I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot is fantastic, the characters are perfect! I loved it.

Thank you for an early copy. This is the first book. I believe it's was a great start up and it's promising for a continuation of this series.