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.

Okay so I feel like there’s a lot of hate for this book but honestly I loved it. Were there times I was pissed while reading? Yes. Did it end on a massive cliffhanger? Also yes. But still, I’m excited for book two and isn’t that the whole point?
I liked the FMC. She’s young in the book so I feel like it makes sense that she occasionally makes immature decisions but she had growth and that’s what I’m here for. As for the MMC? (Dead so idk if that still counts as an MMC😂) I should’ve freaking known with a name like Kyle he’d end up a total douche. But that betrayal hurt and I wanted to punch him on behalf of Emelia. He got what he deserved though so all is right in the world.
Overall, I feel like this book set things up really well for book two and I can’t wait to read what happens next.

When someone says a book is giving Twilight, you know I'll be there for it. However, I expect it to be better than Twilight if it's published in 2024, because the expectations are way higher and there's plenty of quality content to draw inspiration from nowadays.

The characters have no personality or defining traits, the dialogue is clunky, the narration was tell instead of show. I didn't like the writing style either, nor the constant arguing between characters; there was no point to any of it and it did not serve its purpose for world building or character development.

There's insta-love which I could overlook if there was any kind of chemistry between the MCs, but there's nothing. On the cover it says "Her blood is all he craves" but there's nothing about that in the book (yes, I care about those details) and they say "I love you" without even knowing anything about each other.

The twists and turns are predictable as soon as each character is introduced, so nothing surprised me except when the FMC finally made a wise decision for herself and that's when I decided to rate this book 2 stars instead of 1.

Maybe with some editing this book could be slightly better, but not by much. I didn't like the writing style either, but from my understanding, this is an unedited ARC. (seeing what an unedited copy looks like actually gives me hope of becoming an author)

I hate giving low ratings, especially for a book that I wanted to love, but I was tempted to dnf this one multiple times because of how bad it is and that almost never happens to me.

When someone says a book is giving Twilight, you know I'll be there for it. However, I expect it to be better than Twilight if it's published in 2024, because the expectations are way higher and there's plenty of quality content to draw inspiration from nowadays.

The characters have no personality or defining traits, the dialogue is clunky, the narration was tell instead of show. I didn't like the writing style either, nor the constant arguing between characters; there was no point to any of it and it did not serve its purpose for world building or character development.

There's insta-love which I could overlook if there was any kind of chemistry between the MCs, but there's nothing. On the cover it says "Her blood is all he craves" but there's nothing about that in the book (yes, I care about those details) and they say "I love you" without even knowing anything about each other.

The twists and turns are predictable as soon as each character is introduced, so nothing surprised me except when the FMC finally made a wise decision for herself and that's when I decided to rate this book 2 stars instead of 1.

Maybe with some editing this book could be slightly better, but not by much. I didn't like the writing style either, but from my understanding, this is an unedited ARC. (seeing what an unedited copy looks like actually gives me hope of becoming an author)

I hate giving low ratings, especially for a book that I wanted to love, but I was tempted to dnf this one multiple times because of how bad it is and that almost never happens to me.

This book wasn't for me. I probably would of DNF'd if I didn't receive it as an ARC.

Unfortunately the characters were very surface level to the point where I was annoyed at both the <spoiler>Insta Love and the Betrayal - Both were out of the blue and annoying</spoiler>

I did like the concept about the world, how the vampires have changed it and how they treat the humans. There were just a lot of holes in the plot that I cannot ignore and the ending was anticlimactic.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An easy read for those who like Fantasy/Romance! I enjoyed the new take on vampire/human relationships and the development of both characters. Troupes include: surprising plot twists, bodyguard and instalove.
Really looking forward to the next book!

As much as I wanted to love this, I just didn't.

*Spoilers*

First of all, if you're expecting an enemies to lovers trope from this book, you'll end up feeling disappointed. There just isn't one. Emelia feels slightly irritated because Kyle'd be following her around and that's literally it. After one conversation with him, she claims he hates her (ten pages in, mind you)💀 And it's not even that he put a knife to her throat or anything, he only used sarcasm because she was acting immature when he was supposed to escort her to her room.

Another thing is the lack of character development. I just felt like Emelia was constantly whining about something and acting like a spoiled child. Her whole personality depended on whether she wanted to flee the house or not.

When it comes to the writing style, I think it simply isn't the type of writing I enjoy. Too much telling and not enough showing. I also thought it to be easy to predict the plot twist since it felt like it was handed to me on a silver platter.

Although, if you're looking for escapism, you might find it here. The story's short, fast paced and focuses mainly on an insta love kinda relationship rather than the fantasy itself.

Emelia Raven is a rarity is this world, she was born human, from 2 vampires and is the heir to the throne of her people. She has grown up very sheltered, she hasn't seen the world and has been afforded every privilege. But as her 18th birthday draws close, and with that her coronation she must start to be seen and known. She is assigned a new guard, Kyle, and even though they get off to a rough start they both quickly learn to trust each other. As rebellion rises throughout the human, Emelia is starting to realized she doesn't know where she belongs and what she stands for.

The concept of this novel is so cool. I always love a twist on a vampire book. I am excited to see where this series goes, and what comes of these characters. The writing does need a bit more to it but was a good start. A solid debut with a lot of room to grow and become a beloved series.

-2.5 stars-

Like many dystopian books, The Last Raven has an amazing premise, but unfortunately a not-so-amazing execution.
As a lifelong lover of any kind of vampire literature, i was very excited to read this one, especially after seeing the (very pretty) cover. The opening paragraph to the book only cemented my hope that this would be at least a four star, but i was soon disappointed.
One of the strongest points of this book was the writing. Easy to read and very engaging, i think i ended up finishing the entire book in one day. There were also some very well written lines throughout (such as the aforementioned opening paragraph) and i feel as though the author has great potential.
Moving onto things i didn’t enjoy as much, i think my biggest issue was how inconsistent the plot felt. At times there was barely anything happening plot-wise, and the romance seemed to be the most prevalent theme, while at others everything (and i mean everything) was happening all at once. Some of the characters felt inconsistent at times too, but this could also be attributed to how the world building felt a little underdeveloped.
For instance, the main character, Emelia, felt very childish to me. I am more than aware that this is a YA novel, and she has been sheltered for much of her life, but her personality ended up coming across as 90% teenage rebellion instead of actual care for the struggles other humans faced.
Yet, by the end of the book, she has grown up in more ways than one, and becomes almost entirely unrecognisable to the person she was at the start. I am all for character development, but in ways that feel natural and with a steady progression, unlike what was shown here.
However, even though i didn’t really enjoy it, The Last Raven was still a fairly entertaining read, and for others i can truly see it becoming a favourite.

This story follows Emelia, a human who is heir to the vampires. Due to the risk of being a human amongst vampires, Kyle is assigned to be her body guard. While Emelia contemplates excepting her fate or leaving to live another life she falls for her body guard. I did enjoyed this book, however it wasn’t too high fantasy. It is an easy to read and fast paced with plenty of twists and not too much world building. If you’re looking for an entry to romantasy definitely give this a go!

I could not finish this book because the FMC and her bodyguard both fell flat for me. I needed more depth from her and I didn't understand their weird, mean to each other but attracted to each other relationship. Not for me.

<i><b>“My family name protects me, but that's all. Without that, I'd probably be long dead.”</b></i>

Emelia Ravens is the sole heir to the House of Ravens, in a world ruled by vampires. But there’s one thing different about her… She’s human..

When a new guard is tasked with protecting her, she learns to open up to him about not wanting to be heir. She wants to be free and live among humans. Can she trust Kyle and can she convince him of her plan?

A rebellion is coming… Emelia may find danger where she least expects it.

<i><b>"The North Wind will blow.”</b></i>


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Where do I start.. I was blown away by this novel and became hooked with wanting to know what would happen next!

At first, I had difficulties at the start because I dislike the guard but I did continue on and am so happy that I continued!

I loved Emelia so much and understood how she felt to feel different. She definitely made me proud towards the ending at how you can be different but be strong!

<b>Thank you so much NetGalley, Helen Glynn Jones, and HarperCollins UK for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

This sadly just wasn't a book for me.

The premisie was interesting, however, I was put off by the romance being very insta-love & I found the writing quite clunky. At times it felt like actions were almost bullet pointed.

Because of the above I just couldn't get into the book as much as I had hoped.

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is a rollercoaster of suspense, dark secrets, and jaw-dropping twists that kept me turning pages late into the night! From the first chapter, I was hooked. Jones has a real knack for pulling you right into the thick of things, and her characters are complex and so well-drawn that you feel like you know them (and maybe wish you didn’t!).

The plot unfurls with such clever pacing, keeping you guessing and second-guessing where it’s all headed. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out – bam! – Jones throws in a twist that leaves you reeling. It’s like being led down a dark hallway with only a flickering candle, each page casting just enough light to keep you going but never enough to reveal the whole picture.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller with an emotional punch. Huge thanks to NetGalley – The Last Raven is one you don’t want to miss!

"When I was born, my father tried to kill me."

Wow. Great hook because I was immediately curious and wanted to keep reading to find out why. The blurb gave me From Blood and Ash vibes (I love Poppy and Casteel!!) and I was excited to start this book. The premises are similar, the FMC is someone of "power" and the MMC is a guard. Emilia and Kyle's relationship was marketed as enemies-to-lovers but it was very very brief. They were kinda instantly attracted to each other?? There also wasn't much spice and I couldn't really feel the romance but I think it will definitely be more developed in the next book. Some of the premises were confusing (why is Emilia the heir when's she so young AND a human??) but again, I'm hoping it'll be explained in the next book. Overall, I think it was a light read that sets the scene for upcoming books.

This books was great! I absolutely love the cover. It is one of my favorites of the year. And the story was great! I loved the main couple together!

Tropes: Vampire x Human, Forbidden romance, forced proximity, Bodyguard

Emilia is a human in the world of vampires and heir to the Raven throne. She is supposed to have coronation on her 18th birthday but she is reluctant to take Raven crown and making a plan to escape to human world. Kyle is appointed as her personal bodyguard in view of growing tensions between vampires and humans.
I enjoyed reading this book as it fast paced and engaging, but I can’t say I loved it though. The world building is confusing like why a 500 vampire couple has an only daughter who is a human ? Emilia & Kyle connection seems to be instant but the fact that the author sprinkled an enemies trope for a bit baffled me which didn’t even last a chapter and they made up.
While all the plot happened in last 5 chapters seemed rushed to me. The betrayal cut deep but it is kinda predictable.
However I am curious to see what Emilia does next !

This book had a unique plot, but the execution was not well done. I do look forward to reading book two, I just wish the pacing was better. I thought the character's arcs were unjustified and fell flat.

However, I look forward to seeing where Emelia and her love interest go next. Thank you HarperCollins UK, one chapter for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I wish the author much success.