I have to say, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I was expecting more dark academia, which I tend to not enjoy. However, this was more about revenge and finding allies. I had a difficult time settling into the writing style but once I did, I devoured every word. I really enjoyed the vampire aspect of this story and the companion storyline. Everything came together so well in the end. I am almost sad that I got an ARC from NetGalley, ad it means a longer wait for the next one because I need it now. 😆

Enemies to lovers is such a messy trope and this book pulled it off nicely.

As usual with a 3 star rating from me it means I liked the book. I had a great time and I’d still recommend it.

I enjoyed most of the book but some parts left me wanting more. I needed more about the school, do the people living in these ‘houses’ have jobs? Do they leave the grounds for work? Did I miss part of the book that explained that? What else does this school teach? Are they all teens? Is the school just teaching them how to be blood bags? Why am I so obsessed with the school? Because it seems so cool and could honestly be cooler.

Most importantly. Where are the queer vampires? We can’t have a vampire book with all straight assuming characters. I WANT to imagine that some of the characters are queer but this book didn't give me anyone to root for.

LOVED that the Kidan (the mc) was just a trash human trying to save her sister. She even destroys historic artefacts to prove that she's a monster, leaving the vampire looking like the actual good guy, which he definitely is not. There is no actual good person in sight. Everyone is dodgy as fuck.

Will I continue the series? Fucking yes. As this is a debut novel, I can’t wait to see what this author gets up to next.

The audiobook narrator was top notch and deserves so much praise. There's so many characters in this book the narrator made it really easy to distinguish between them all. Not sure if I could have done that with a non audio copy.

eBook/Audiobook supplied by Hachette via NetGalley All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

My feelings are mixed for this book: on the one hand I enjoyed the characters and worldbuilding, but the prose was a bit too purple for me and the narrative was all over the place. I wish that the author would have given more time for us to connect with the characters instead of having so many plot points. But the narrator was really good and made it easier to follow!

This book absolutely shocked me, I loved it so much. The characters were extremely dynamic and the story just kept evolving. The life lessons intertwined within were so heavy and thoughtful and weren't assigned to just one character. The beautiful representation of culture and history was refreshing and I loved to see it. Also the hate to love dynamic was perfection. This was no whimpy "you suck" to "love you 5000" it was deep and beautifully done. I wish this trope was exhibited like this more often. The writing is beautifully lyrical but not overdone. Overall, I don't have enough nice things to say about this and I look forward to the next one, especially cause that cliffhanger left me spitting curses.

Wow!!! This was a blast to read!! In this story, we follow Kidan as she searches for her missing sister and ends up at a college for Vampires and people who will choose them as lifelong companions. However, because of her family's history with this society, Kidan actually hates vampires and has no desire to be a companion. In comes our MMC, Susenyos, who is all vampire, darkness, strength, brooding, mysterious, and an obstacle to Kidan's immediate goal. Suffice to say, these two hate each other and embark on a true enemies-to-not complete enemies-to I'm attracted to you-but I'll still kill you, journey! These two must work together to solve the mystery while conqering all the other complications thrown their way.

This book was a fast-paced whirlwind of fun, in which I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience! I got everything I love in this book, including a rich African based history, specifically, Ethiopian lore for this installment. This book will definitely get a re-read from me so I can annotate (I was having way too much fun to pause). I know this book just came out but I'm already looking forward to book two! Read this book if you like dark academia, vampires, morally grey characters, a mystery plot, forced proximity, found family, enemies-to-not complete enemies! Trigger warning for violence and mention of physical abuse.

As usual, Hachette Audio does them damn thing!!! The narrator did an excellent job!! I was so immersed in this story and did not ever question which character I was listening too. The varying emotions each character experienced was conveyed so well. The narrator's tone was very in-sync with the tones and pace of the story at every turn!

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio, for providing an advanced copy of this book.

2.75
I really thought I would love this as there are a lot of interesting ideas, but unfortunately, this fell flat for me. I didn't buy the main romance, and because there are some very important events that happen off page (before the start of the novel), I struggle to understand the FMC's motives. I think the story would've been more compelling if she slowly descended into brutality and violence, instead of being brutal and violent from page one. I think we lost out on her character arc and, since she's already committed a murder from the beginning, her future actions have a lot less of an impact.

Kidan is enraged when a vampire kidnaps her sister and so she enrolls in a mysterious, magical school to save her sister and enact her revenge. While there, she becomes entangled in political machinations and faces intense academic challenges. She must make alliances with members of other houses and coexist with the very vampire she suspects stole her sister in order to succeed.

They weren't lying when they said this was the perfect book for fans of The Cruel Prince and Ninth House.

Kidan and Susenyos were giving off strong Cardan and Jude vibes, but instead of faeries, make it vampires. This is a true enemies to lovers, and not some watered-down dislike to lovers that we typically see passed off as enemies to lovers these days. If you're looking for spice, look elsewhere, but know you'll be missing out on an awesome book if you do.

If you loved the university setting and the paranormal hoa hoa hoa hoa vibes of Ninth House, you'll find it again with this book. Kidan has to make it at school while simultaneously unraveling the mystery of her sister's disappearance. She runs into enemies and newfound allies, as well as the occasional secret society.

I really liked Girma's writing and found it easy to follow while not being too simplistic. Please tell me there's a sequel... it can't just end like that!

I honestly struggled to get through this book. I went into it with a little bit high expectations, and was majorly disappointed. I really, really wanted to like it. But it just felt like there was too much going on. Like with the school: I felt like the courses, etc., could have been expanded upon. Instead it is mentioned she has to take certain classes, but it doesn’t really follow up with them. I just felt like there were many missed opportunities.
Another thing that felt odd was the strong hatred Kidan has for Sussenyos, and how Sussenyos responds to it. He’s acting like he has some huge secret, but there really wasn’t anything too surprising ever revealed. It just all felt too forced.

I’ve seen so many others like this book, so I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum. I would still recommend others to try it, since I seem to be in the minority.

I did love the narrator, though. If I didn’t have the audio of this book, I definitely wouldn’t have finished it. So thanks to the narrator and everyone who made the audio version of this!

Audio narration 2⭐️
- I strongly disliked the audio narration and had I not also had a print copy I would have DNFd. This is one to read in print, not listen to imo.

Print Book 3.5⭐️
I will start this by saying I think a lot of people are going to absolutely love this book. It has so many of the elements that we crave. Overall it is an excellent debut! If you're vampire obsessed this is one you'll want to pick up!

I absolutely despised out FMC from the very begin of this book, which might be what the author was going for, because the FMC hates herself too. I learned to like her a little more as she learned to like herself. The character development and arc of the FMC is probably the most well done aspect of this novel.

Whats to love…
- A fresh take on vampires! Vampires originate from Africa and are bound to humans in such an interesting way!
- Dark academia setting
- morally grey FMC, feminine rage.
- found family
- a sentient house where different rooms mirror different emotions
- mystery and intrigue
- some A+ enemies to lovers tension

What kept this from being a 5⭐️(p.s. some of the below statements are more venting than anything else…)
- info dump, excerpts from texts, letters, etc and “teaching” are my absolute least favorite ways to world build and this book relies heavily on all three.
- the world-building style makes the first 35-40% is a slog to get though
- I was legitimately confused whether some statements were supposed to be metaphors and lyrical writing, or if it was actually happening. Most of the metaphors and similes added more confusion than style.
- There were some aspects where it felt like the author stretched the limits of previous scenes to mold to the new narrative she needed.
- I cannot get over how the entire book made it seem like an impala horn is some hard to come by object. It’s a modern world, order one off the internet and have it delivered.
- underdeveloped side characters, honestly most of the characters lacked depth.
- A major flaw imo, was the lack of backstory and relationship representation between the FMC and her sister. I didn’t feel any strong connection between them and it made all of the FMCs actions seem blown out of proportion because of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for sending this book (audio ARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Any story advertised as dark academia and Ninth House meets Twilight is going to automatically be added to my TBR and this did not disappoint. I liked that this had a different take on vampires and academia, and the uncovered mystery throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Young Readers for the e-arc!
It's an absolute masterpiece. Dark, dramatic, seductive, and violent! This is one of the best vampire books I have ever read. In this book we follow Kidan as she infiltrates a vampire school in order to find her missing sister. Her only lead is the vampire Susenyos who is as tempting for her as he is dangerous. Their violent tempers clash as both try to master the house and each other. This book really dives into humanity and the idea of falsely perceiving goodness and evilness.
This is is a textbook example of what I want when I say I want dark academia. The story is violent, cruel, and beautiful, with seams of humanity, death, and loss masterfully woven through. Kidan is willing to do anything and everything; she truly is a vengeful and ruthless woman, and I adore her for that. Her journey throughout the story is seeped in cruelty, anger, and temptation. Every twist and decision leaves you needing to know what she's going to do next. But she's not only that. She is narrow-minded and ruthless to a violent extreme, but she is also human and damaged. One of the things I love about her character is that it shows both sides of her humanity. The book shows that she is willing to do anything to protect those she deems worthy, but its impact on her soul is still there. NOW FOR THE TENSION. THE CONNECTION. THE HATRED BETWEEN HER AND SUSENYOS. This is enemies to reluctant allies to enemies to back to allies to lovers to back to enemies and so on. Their relationship is everything. They are so drawn to each other because of how well they mirror each other's brutality, savagery, and desire.
Overall I did really enjoy the plot! There were some twists that I didn't expect, and there were some that I totally guessed, but it was a solid mix of both. There were some plot holes or plot issues but generally, I enjoyed the story. Mainly it was some things that were said to be an issue, either not really an issue or things made into an issue seemingly for a reason.

I also have to add while I do really like this book as an audiobook the narrator was not my fave. There were times where I feel like I had to rewind and relisten. I felt like I was constantly having to change the speed on the book as the pacing wasn't as consistent as I expected. This is a pretty small issue as I did enjoy the audiobook regardless but I did want to note that.

Immortal Dark

This vampire story mixes academia with romance, revenge plot, and heroic quest.

Kidan and June become orphans after their parents were killed by vampires. In this world, human blood tastes like poison to vampires, but they still need it to survive. There are specific families that have unique blood to serve specific vampires. June and Kidan are both members of a family with the unique blood. They are raised by their aunt away from the danger that their heritage and blood brings them and strive to feel secure and safe.

Kidan’s sister, June, goes missing and she is convinced the same vampires that murdered her parents are behind it. She investigates and returns to her roots at Uxlay University, where students study how to be friendly and exist together with the vampires. June leaves behind video messages about her fears, her faults, and more to help, but Kidan needs to go all in as a student at Uxlay to find the answers she seeks.

As a student, Kidan is quickly surrounded not only by humans, but by vampires. This experience reveals secrets of their world and her parent’s past. Kidan begins to study vampire and human relations and has an internal struggle with what she thought to be true and what beliefs may have been misguided.

Her family’s will requires her to live in a house with a vampire during her studies. This is where we meet the number one suspect for June’s disappearance, Susenyo Sagad. She finds herself in a fight to keep her family’s house (I think??? This part was confusing to me…and I’m not entirely sure why they needed to live together)

A gist of the world building - vampires were running the world and humans had no power to defeat them, except for sages, but they became extinct. Right before this, they created the three binds- one of those being that the population of vampires would never grow to large to do the damage it had before. The last sage also gave power to the 80 families over the houses, each house sets the law. Laws and houses were like separate countries, with every man for themselves. Vampires would also join these houses. Where Uxlay is different is that 12 of the houses came together for a universal law to protect them. No unauthorized person can even find Uxlay if they are outside of one of the 12 houses. It is key that Kidan takes control of their family’s house and to keep it out of the hands of Susenyo who could change the law and start the takeover of vampires in their community. All he would need to do to claim the house would be to live there for 28 days, but Kidan can interrupt that by living there while she attends Uxlay.

In summary- Kidan has to live with the enemy, stay alive, and keep the house out of the enemies hands to avoid vampire takeover of the humans once again. Oh yea, and she needs to find her missing sister. What can go wrong?

I enjoyed the premise of the story and how the characters developed. However, I found myself lost at times and confused about why the characters were fighting or what the background story was to make the scenes relevant.

Themes of dark academia, vampire, gothic romance, enemies to lovers. Narrator was engaging and expressive ! Did a great job with voice differentiation with various characters. And I need the next book NOW. Ends in a cliffhanger so not happy about that….

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Out 9/3/24!

Hmmmm, I’ve really struggled with this one. I think I really, really wanted to love this one and enter into my “soft goth” era (big talk for a 40 something year old). I love that our FMC will do anything for her sister and has opted to place herself in an extremely dangerous situation just for a glimmer of a hope of finding her.

Here’s the wall I keep running into (and this is mostly because of my preference in stories): This book is much darker than I was prepared for or in the mood for. I kept searching for a word to describe our FMC and saw someone else use the word, “ruthless,” and that is such a fitting description. She is narrow minded and ruthless - and we know from the very first line of the very first chapter that she has no intention of making it out of any of this. Then everything becomes a trigger either sending her into a rage or leading her to interrogate just about anyone (friend or foe). I felt on edge the entire time and dreaded reading what she would do next. Again, this is a preference because I don’t like being on edge when I read.

The vampires suck (no pun intended) and are cruel. The non-vampires just resolve to deal with their behavior rather than do anything. I think if I was able to disconnect the story/plot from my feelings, I would have enjoyed it more. The author is talented and the concept was interesting. The level of ruthlessness and vitriol was just hirer than what I enjoy.

I received an audio arc from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

A darkly romantic dark academia novel which really digs deep into the themes of desire, trust, family, and belonging. I loved this take on vampires set against the backdrop of an academic setting and think Girma did an amazing job integrating both of them together!

“He was the blade, and I the whetstone. Together, we were a sharpened edge, deadly and inevitable.”

4.5 stars rounded up! Dark academia with vampires and a true enemies-to-lovers plot?! Gimme gimme gimme. Our FMC, Kidan, and our MMC, the vampire Susenyos, have an undeniable slow burn love interest with banter and violence along the way. There are some points where I really thought they would kill each other.
Kidan is no Mary Sue and truly morally grey, and you cannot help but root for her. She makes foolish mistakes, she is not perfect, and yet I AM ON HER SIDE!
Tigest Girma knocked this debut book out of the park. I’m hooked and want more.

I highly recommend the audiobook to help you with pronunciation. The narrator was incredible and kept me very well engaged.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review- all opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio! I am eagerly awaiting book two!

Thank you Hachette Audio | Little, Brown Young Readers for this ARC Audio Copy! 3.5 Stars

I have been looking forward to this book for a long time and was so exited to finally read during spooky season and it is absolutely a spooky season type of book. I wanted to love this book so much but I just had a really hard time staying interested to the story and got lost and had to start over several times. I do not blame the book at all, but instead I think it was because it was just too much for me to process on audiobook so I plan to read again one day because the story was really interesting.

3.5 ⭐️

First of all, thank you for the ARC. I’m indeed intrigued to read based from it’s synopsis where I think the story seems interesting, and I can already imagine the atmosphere and place setting from it, which seems darkly delightful.

I dive in with a bit of high expectations, which of course, hardly learn that fault. The plot was too slow / flat / not in a smooth line here and there for about 70% of this book. It’s hardly get my attention and interest in place for long even when I solely focus on the story. I can’t really set where it went wrong, but it just hardly stick with me, too bad because I really want to like the plot from the start and I do think it does have lots of potential. I think perhaps it’s too lengthy at most part, almost feels like unnecessary for most, which made me kept on checking how many percent to go and dreading. Some scene almost had it best but then lost it charms.

The narrator sounds fine, although I have to change the speed a bit since the plot is dreading. Yet I like it when it’s at around 75% till the end of the book, where things get interesting and have bit of pressure to the plot and the characters becomes way more alive. I wish it could be like that from the start though, but really glad that at least it does get interesting towards the ending. Yet the ending, I’m not sure if it’s because there’ll be second book for this, or it’s just like, leave it to our interpretation? It’s like, kinda hanging but kinda not, do you know what I mean?

Overall, I like when it’s almost end, and I do like both Susenyos & Kidan together, I want more of them after the ending. I’m hopeful for the second book to be way better since towards the end here it’s already getting better, so yes I do wanna read what’s next since I don’t get enough closure and need more of them.

Honestly, this book has so much that I loved about it!! The school/academia vibes of humans living and being companions to vampires felt so Vampire Academy. I love the magical systems! I mean houses for each family that had their own magic and connected to them? Super cool!! I love the slow burn romance between our two main characters. It’s a true “enemies to lovers” & it felt scary good sometimes!! The fall/spooky academia vibes were here though.

All that being said, there was equally as much that I disliked. The MFC felt 🥴 annoying most of the time. She got better but just was way too hung up on the wrong things. The plot felt all over the place? I felt like the point of the story wasn’t ever clear but kept moving around to different things. There also multiple points where I wondered if any character had redeemable qualities. Felt like they all made horrible moral decisions and made me wonder if we were supposed to be cheering for them. 😂 I wanted just one person who hadn’t murdered someone, but atlas this probably wasn’t that book!

I definitely wanted to love this book more! It gave me all the things I should want but felt that the MFC & the murkiness of the plot kept me from rating it higher.

I’d give this book 4⭐️
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Id give this book a 5 ⭐️ if the character names weren’t so confusing to me. They were so hard to understand that half the time I was confused on who they were talking about but I really enjoyed the concept of the book and the enemies to lovers trope. I loved all the secrets that were exposed. I highly recommend this book but be prepared for the names to get ya.

The story was quite boring.
It seemed like the author was using the enemies to lovers trope to drive the plot. I was not believing their love affair. I also didn't like the back and forth of sabotage the two main characters did. It all felt forced. Her friendships at her school were underdeveloped and the characters themselves were underdeveloped.