Member Reviews
Immortal Dark was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and unfortunately one of the most disappointing for me. The writing was lush and the setting vivid, but the characters felt at times intriguing and others incoherent, particularly our main character, which was frustrating as the world filtered through her. I was looking forward to a book about rage and revenge, but it was difficult to immerse myself when it felt like characters made decisions with very little reasoning or context. I'm not sure how much the narration affected my perception of the plot, as it too was at times passionate and others repetitive; it made it difficult to immerse myself in the story. Overall, I did not enjoy this, but I finished it, and I can see how others may definitely like it. I think it was a case of once I noticed one issue, I couldn't stop noticing it.
As per my policy, I will not post this review on social media. Thank you very much for the chance to read and review this book.
Thanks to Hachette Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!
I devoured the audiobook! I was immediately intrigued by this dark vampiric world with Uxlay University at the center thanks to Jordan Cobb's narration. She made Tigest Girma's writing easier to parse through and understand, to feel Kidan's grief and anger as well as her wants and desires. Cobb's narration made it easier for me to differ between the characters in any given chapter so that I would never feel lost. Even though Kidan made rash decisions, I never thought she was annoying. I quickly understood her grief and sorrow for finding her sister and losing her will to live without her. Susenyos was the most intriguing character for me. He held so many secrets, and I felt frustrated for Kidan because of it. Although, I could hate him because he kept challenging Kidan in her worldview of vampires, darkness, and herself. Reading Kidan and Susenyos' back-and-forth was really entertaining and intriguing.
The world-building was well explained and one of the most unique ways to add vampires into a dark academia setting. My main issue with this book as a whole was its pacing. There were many scenes and chapters where I felt like there was something missing in between. Not much was seamless between scenes, so it was jarring to go from an emotional scene to a scene full of dread in between chapters. Overall, this was a strong debut novel and a great start to a trilogy. I look forward to "Immortal Dark #2"!
A very creepy book with amazing description and an immersive world. I appreciated the new take on vampires and the way they might integrate into a human society. I have never seen anything like this before, and I love how it really set the stage for a discussion on power dynamics.
I always thought I would only be able to get enemy to lovers in high fantasies, which I no longer read, but then this book came along and gave you an insane backstory between these two and family dynamics. I was gasping as they progressed.
Above everything else is the way this book took something I'm familiar with (dark academia, vampires) and incorporated elements I didn't know. By incorporating Ethiopian culture into the world building and the story, it gave it an edge over other vampire books that came out because it was so new to myself and that really helped engulf me in the world building.
DNF @ 12%
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I could immediately tell that I didn't like the main character, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of it.
This on the as a bit of a flop for me. Flat characters, lacked world building and pacing was all over the place. I didn’t like that the only way we found out information was from dialogue alone and I think it really hindered the world building. The characters could have been fleshed out way better. Overall I was just bored and lost interest so quickly every time I hit play.
I did think the narration was good though.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in advance.
First of all, Trigger Warning. If you have trouble with suicidal ideation, self harm, murder, gore, or abusive relationships, this book isn't for you. No ifs, ands, or buts. This book is rough and brutal and the characters do not shy away from their violent tendencies.
When Kidan's sister is kidnapped, she doesn't have to guess who did it. She knows without a doubt who was the culprit- the only remaining Drain Ache in her family's ancestral home, Susenyos Sagad. In order to get the answers she needs, we follow Kidan as she infiltrates the Human/Vampire academy to discover the truth behind her sister's disappearance; even if she has to join forces with the enemy to do it.
This book does a great job of giving our main characters duality as well as making them unlikable. Our characters Kidan and Susenyos have issues that can't be solved with a "woo-sah" and are willing to do that needs to get done to get what they want. They are no-nonsense characters and that's how I like it.
The story was easy to follow even in the parts that were more philosophical. The author made sure that even if we didn't understand what was being said, someone was reiterating it in a manner that was more palatable.
Can't wait to see what might be in store for these characters.
I tried and tried with this one really! But this book was not for me. It was childish and our FMC was very annoying to me. She wouldn't stop and listen and take in what was actually happening around her.
However, I LOVED the narrator. They really were able to convey all of the emotions in the book. which made me really solidified in my distaste of the book. This was a DNF but no on the narrators part. If it was not for the narration I wouldnt have been able to get through as much as I did.
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is an intriguing and atmospheric tale that blends supernatural elements with deep emotional exploration. Girma’s haunting prose creates a dark, immersive world, while her complex characters navigate themes of identity, immortality, and belonging. This novel is a gripping journey for fans of dark fantasy with a touch of introspection.
A captivating and chilling read that will keep you hooked until the last page.
Immortal Dark an enthralling blend of dark academia, romance, and gothic intrigue. Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane plunges into the perilous halls of Uxlay University to rescue her missing sister, June, facing a ruthless underworld of power and betrayal. Standing in her way is Susenyos Sagad, the cruel yet captivating vampire tied to her family, whose wickedness tempts Kidan toward her own dark desires.
With a richly atmospheric setting, morally gray characters, and a simmering “enemies to lovers” dynamic, the story masterfully explores themes of identity, vengeance, and the seductive pull of darkness. Fans of A Dowry of Blood and The Atlas Six will revel in the novel’s intensity, razor-sharp prose, and unexpected twists.
I really enjoyed this one. The audio mixing was fantastic, and the narrator did a really fantastic job of convey what was going and imparting personality to the characters they were voicing. My biggest frustration is probably the fact that this was marketed as YA, with the context of the book I feel that it probably should have been marketed as NA instead. Very much looking forward to the sequel
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced listener’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a slow blooming flower, the world building in the beginning felt hefty and blunt and was honestly hard to get through but as you go through the book, reaching the 30% then the 40% mark it absolutely sucks you into this dark and fun world made for those people who’ve always wanted main character to just takes power for herself. For those people who’ve thought that the MC should become the villain and just stop being a goody two shoes about everything, that’s who Kidan is and while she was hard to love at first, she has my whole heart now. She’s a messy character who sabotages herself just as much as she sabotages her enemies but that soon became half the fun of watching the mystery of Immortal Dark unfold.
Jordan Cobb really did an amazing job the whole book, embodying the seething rage hiding around every corner and keeping the ambiance present and heavy. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and am excited to see where the series takes us.
Most addictive novel ever!!!
I flew through this audiobook so fast. I just needed to know what was gonna happen next all the time!
A real page turner. Characters were amazing, the whole plot fabulous, twists were crazy!
If you love vampires you need to get your copies!!!
A promising start for a YA series that is all vampire fantasy and (sort of) Dark Academia.
This book’s best selling point is perhaps it’s very intriguing, very complex characters, many of whom are morally gray and flawed without feeling like they were drawn that way to created a contrived, tropey antihero. Girma gives us a heroine we want to root for whose actions occasionally make us uncomfortable, perhaps mostly because we don’t disagree with her.
This is mostly a vampire novel rather than Dark Academia, and I wish it had leaned more into the fact that it could be both. The early chapters are excellent on the DA front, but all that stuff disappears about halfway through the book. What comes after is solidly plotted and narrated fantasy, but I wish the author had hung in there on the DA, especially since the book has been billed as being very much of that genre. The plot allows for the story and the setting to get back to this in the next installment, and I hope that’s what happens.
Otherwise I think the world building in this is very good. The”rules” are a little wonky and probably don’t hold up to close scrutiny from a logical perspective, but it works for the story and has some interesting complexities to it. It reminds me a little of Vita Nostra. This is less intellectually demanding, but also on the whole a better book.
A lot of credit to Girma for both character development and original world building in a genre that doesn’t see much of that anymore. I’ll be curious to see where the series goes.
This was one book that sounded good in the description, but it failed in execution. The short summary: Kidan’s sister disappears, and she sets off to a university that educates vampires and has a haunted/personified house to investigate. When she starts to suspect one of the vampires there, things get complicated.
Perhaps this book would have made more sense if I had read the actual book and not listened to it on audio, or perhaps there is just too much going on, but either way, it didn’t hold my interest and I had to try too hard to figure out who was who and what was going on. The enemies to lovers subplot was too abrupt–I couldn’t figure out why they were all of a sudden making out–and more background information was needed to flush out a lot of the plot in general.
4.5 / 5 stars
Kidan Adane has been holed up in her apartment awaiting her murder trail and leaving only to see whether she has received word from her Aunt Silia. Kidan is desperate to hear news of the whereabouts of her missing twin sister June and hopes her only living relative will have the answers she seeks. Instead, Kidan receives news that Silia has died and now Kidan must return to her ancestral home to prevent the vampire Susenyos Sagad from inheriting her family's legacy.
Kidan agrees to return to House Adane and the arcane society of vampires and human companions from which her parents fled. But not because she has any interest in inheriting a home or a fortune. But because Kidan's murder victim named Susenyos Sagad as June's captor.
I was incredibly impressed with the amount of world-building that was accomplished in this book. Immortal Dark blends familiar tropes of dark academia and vampire lore with elements from African folklore and tradition. The Twelve Houses and their ties to Uxlay was well-established and explained. The concept of the physical house being emotionally tied to Kidan and Susenyos was particularly interesting, and I'm glad that the author was able to use it to such great effect. On top of the vampires and magical houses, there is also the university system and the classwork that Kidan is taking. The elements all blended together so nicely to make a cohesive whole.
The people and vampires that populate the world are also very nicely developed. Morally gray characters are fun when they're well done, and they are well done here. Kidan is not a very likable character, but she does grow over the course of the story. The vampires are ferocious and sensual, and the book has erotic scenes that are tantalizing but not hardcore explicit.
I was so glad to have listened to the audiobook for portions of the book. Jordan Cobb provides excellent character voices and helped me establish proper pronunciation for so many words and names in this book. I never would have known how to pronounce Susenyos Sagad's name correctly, which is a shame because it is a thing of beauty.
I don't usually love vampire books, but I really enjoyed this one! I am looking forward to reading the next book to see how the story progresses! Tigest Girma is an exciting new voice and I'm so glad to have had an opportunity to have read this debut!
Daringly dark, utterly unhinged and incredibly ambitious, this was such an exciting introduction to Tigest Girma’s voice.
What I enjoyed:
• The fact that Tigest was all like ‘what if I made everyone the bad guy?’ and totally pulled it off.
• The way Tigest just said ‘you get to die and you get to die and you? oh yeah, you totally get to die’ without any qualms.
• It was completely unafraid to let the dark be dark.
• The ~vibes~ were vibing and super atmospheric.
What I struggled with:
• The way the world and vampire/human relationships worked. I just couldn’t quite get a grasp on it.
• My brain is far too small to understand what these kids were working on in their philosophy class.
• The romance just didn’t quite work for me. It was so hot and cold in extremes that I didn’t find there was enough time to have groundwork/chemistry.
• The 13th. I think I might have just missed something here but I didn’t get their motives/goals.
Overall, this was a great read and one I really enjoyed my time with. I just wish there has been a little more explanation of certain aspects or my brain was big enough to understand it a little better.
WOW is all I have to say, I loved this book from start to finnish and the only thing I would change is that it comes to an end and I want more. The writing is superb and the characters kept me engaged and interested the entire time I didn't want to put the book down. Again did I say WOW?
The first half of the book was amazing, packed with mystery.. However, as the story progressed, I found it difficult to follow the plot. It felt all over the place, with several plot points seemingly going in different directions. I understand this may be setting the groundwork for the following books in the trilogy, but the pacing in the latter half felt rushed. Many scenes felt like they were thrown in solely to keep readers guessing about what’s next, sacrificing the cohesion of the story.
The violence in Immortal Dark was also a bit overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. While I appreciated the action and had expected a darker tone, it became repetitive, to the point where it lost its impact. There were instances where it seemed like violence was the only resolution, and at times, it felt like character deaths were used as convenient ways to sidestep potential plot challenges.
Regarding the characters, I struggled to feel any connection with them. They seemed almost like variations on the same character, without enough distinct personalities to make them truly stand out. Even the enemies-to-lovers subplot fell flat for me; the banter lacked the tension and angst I usually enjoy in such tropes, and the relationship felt more like a extremely unnecessary prolonged hate-fueled standoff than the typically enemies to lovers trope that I was used to.
That being said, the lore and the magic system of the houses and vampires are the best aspects of the book. The exploration of family secrets, the dynamics within the sentinel houses, and the supernatural elements had me wanting to know more. It was these elements that kept me turning the pages, despite the issues I had with pacing and character development.
Overall, Immortal Dark started strong but fell flat for me in the latter half. I hope that Book 2 will address some of the multiple plot points and further explore the lore, as there’s great potential here.
Thank you Hachette Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this book! If you like dark, academia and vampires, you will definitely enjoy this one! The narration was easy to listen to as well!
This book was great on audio. The narrator was great. The story just felt drawn out and took forever. I could have done without so much descriptive detail. It made it hard to stay involved in the story