Sam is vampire stuck working as a palace maid for the first lord of Lightfall. She was forced to work there after losing her father, mother, and sister to this man and she is dying to get out. This book is a multiple POV novel that follows Sam as she meets an underground organization that is trying to take down the higher ups in society. This book is fantasy, political intrigue, and a whole lot of fun. This book is fast paced and action packed.

Thank you for the e-arc. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I've been a fantasy reader for many years but somehow always turned off by vampires and wolves. This was not a turn off at all. It was so much fun to read, ends in a cliff hangers and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next! Please keep us posted!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ed Crocker for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Lightfall: Everlands coming out January 14, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Like most girls, I really love vampire and werewolf stories so I was excited to check this out. I really love the murder mystery aspect of the book. I also love the royalty aspect of the book. I think I got lost in the world. It was a little hard to picture some things that were going on. It was hard to relate to some of the characters. It felt slightly long. I just don’t read books that are long because I don’t have as much time. I would check out other books by this author!

This book was a very unique take on immortal beings, I loved it all. The world building was complex but understandable and Crocker managed to not just leave it with a one time explanation. You get to explore all the world building aspect throughout the book and immerse yourself deeper with each page.

Lightfall by Ed Crocker is an exciting and refreshing take on the world of vampires and werewolves, The vivid world-building and the fresh perspective on these iconic creatures make Lightfall a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and supernatural fiction.

Lightfall by Ed Crocker is an exciting and refreshing take on the world of vampires and werewolves, unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Crocker introduces a unique mythology, bringing these classic supernatural beings to life in a way that feels entirely new and unpredictable. The storyline is filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and a cast of characters that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The vivid world-building and the fresh perspective on these iconic creatures make Lightfall a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and supernatural fiction. It’s an exhilarating ride that will leave you eager for more!

Lightfall is an absolutely mesmerizing debut! Ed Crocker weaves together a world of vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers in a way that feels fresh and exhilarating. With its high-stakes intrigue, rebellious characters, and unexpected alliances, this epic fantasy will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Fans of Jay Kristoff and Richard Swan will be enthralled by the vivid world-building and Sam's fearless journey through power, conspiracy, and survival.

I absolutely did not enjoy this one and ended up DNFing. I was excited about the vampires and werewolves, but they somehow didn’t work for me.

*Lightfall* by Ed Crocker is an exciting and fresh take on vampires, werewolves, and sorcery! The world-building immediately pulled me in, especially with the sharp divide between the vampire nobility and the rest of the city. Sam, the bold and clever palace maid, quickly became a favorite as she took charge of her fate, joining forces with an intriguing cast of rebels to uncover a dangerous conspiracy.

The fast-paced action and mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. Crocker does a great job balancing dark fantasy with moments of cleverness and rebellion. If you’re a fan of stories with epic stakes and unlikely heroes, *Lightfall* is a thrilling and satisfying read!

I like to thank the publisher for a read.

You know those books you feel as if you're missing a huge chunk of plot. Or, you have a race (this being vampires) that you think is gonna act like vampires?

That's this book. I made it 50% into it before abandoning it. A book where there is a murder mystery but it is one big slog and takes ages to get somewhere. Where the characters are boring and doing nothing but allowing their first person narrative thoughts drag you on and on. As of 50% I felt like I learned nothing about the Duke's son, nothing about the group that is rising in rebellion, and werewolves may be involved but the character(s) weren't acting like werewolves.

I'm so sorry, but I could not get through this book. I had to DNF at 25% (about 100 pages in), which is crazy because I really try to push through books. Unfortunately, I could not force myself to finish this.

The concept of Lightfall is immaculate; a society of supernatural creature who were forced to leave a city they all thrived in because a strange army of things called Grays showed up and started to hunt them down. The story mainly follows Sam, a palace maid who is determined to jump ranks of vampire society to have a better life, and access to better blood. When the prince of her city is killed, she finds clues in his room that leads her towards a rebel group that have had their eye on her for a while.
I'm sure later on in the book the reader would figure out exactly what the Grays are, and what happened to the prince that led to his death. I, however, just could not get past how tedious this book is. Crocker's writing style is not my favorite, and the amount of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors is something I'd expect to see in a first draft rather than an ARC that is to be published in about four months. The actions performed by the characters were narrated in first person, but in such a formal way that it almost seemed like the book should have been in third person.

I genuinely wish the execution of this book went a little smoother, because like I said, I was really interested in the idea of this book. Different types of blood causing different effects on a vampire, different levels of vampirism, sorcerers and werewolves?! Sounds like at least 50% of the content I consume. I am super disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC

Lightfall by Ed Crocker is a wonderful fantasy story that takes place in a time where there are no humans, only vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers. The three factions all interact and align to battle with the Greys, a mysterious group of people who they know little about. This battle separates the three clans into three different cities. Lightfall takes place in the vampire city and is mostly about the lives of the vampires within that city. The city itself is greatly detailed but the towns in the city could have been given better names because it was hard to distinguish between Southwestfall and Northwestfall. However, the characters where vast and well described. I loved that Sam was smart and spunky and courageous. I loved that Alanna was such a badass. I love that Sage lived up to his name with his wise and insightful ways. Jacob was a hoot with his humor and sass. The plot was action packed and full of twists that were unexpected. I cannot wait until book two of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This was an interesting twist on the supernatural. Starting with a murder mystery and spinning into something so far beyond.

This is not the book for me. I’m generally not a werwolves and vampires type reader, but the description sounded like this would be a fresh new take on the old monsters. Well, new isn’t always good. At least not to me. Beyond these issues were the issues of clunky/inorganic dialogue, a bizarre first-person present tense narration that felt like sexting without the sexuality, and a strange framework changing points of view throughout. I struggled with whether to give this a 3(because to be fair this type of book is just jot my thing) or a 1 because of everything else AND it is not my thing, so I decided to be fair and give it two stars.

Thank you to the author, Ed Crocker, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I hope you find your intended audience.

Ed Crocker has created an intricate world with a unique vision of vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, and the mythical mortals. Although the world building felt complex at the beginning of the novel, Crocker does a wonderful job revisiting these ideas throughout in order to help the reader feel grounded in the world of Everland.

Although our characters aren't mortal and they are caught up in a war of political intrigue, their emotions and life experiences are what draw you in and compel you to care about them. You feel their pain, happiness, fear, and success. And most importantly, you want to be a part of the found family that they build along the way.

As with any first engaging book in a series, Crocker leaves you floored with the plot twist and wanting more with the breadcrumbs that are dropped in the last pages.

This isn't my usual cup of tea, but it was really good! I liked the speed of the story, the worldbuilding, and the characters were all really interesting. I don't think this will be a story I read again, but I'm really glad I read it and enjoyed myself.

This epic fantasy gripped me from the start. With its plot twits, world building, and non stop action I was unable to put it down. If you love vampires, werewolves, and others you’re going to love this wonderfully written book!

Not all vampire fantasies are the same, some create an alternate history, or alternate earth, that is familiar to us, but with vampires living among mortals hidden or not, in positions of power or wielding the reigns behind-the-scenes; some romanticize the immortal and others paint them as creatures of horror; but all of the vampire tales I have read have had vampires living in the world with mortals, all of the tales until Lightfall, that is. Lightfall starts with this different premise, in a world of immortals, with vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers, and creates a world and history that is unique and vivid. The story blends elements of romance and horror, adding a mystery and political intrigue into the plot all told in first person alternating with approximately seven different central characters' viewpoints. I would have though that it would be jarring to have so many voices especially when there are chapters with multiple narrator changes, but the writer handled it masterfully. Full of interesting characters and a plot that pulled me in, and kept me hooked until the last page, the is book was an entertaining read. And not so much ending the story but portending of the continuation, I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Ed Crocker's Lightfall is a captivating debut that plunges readers into a richly imagined world of vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers. The author's vivid prose and intricate world-building create a compelling atmosphere that is both dark and alluring.

The story follows Sam, a palace maid who yearns for a better life. Her journey from a lowly servant to a rebel leader is both exhilarating and dangerous. Crocker's portrayal of Sam is nuanced and compelling, making her a relatable and sympathetic protagonist.

The supporting cast, including the enigmatic sorcerer, the deadly werewolf assassin, and the cunning countess, adds depth and complexity to the narrative. Their interactions with Sam are filled with tension, intrigue, and a touch of humor.

The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. The exploration of the vampire society, with its strict hierarchy and oppressive rules, is thought-provoking and relevant to contemporary issues.

If you're a fan of dark fantasy with a touch of political intrigue, Lightfall is a must-read. It's a thrilling and imaginative debut that promises great things to come from Ed Crocker.

Imagine a world with no humans; just vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers, everyone immortal and, for the most part, staying away from each other. Until there is a magnificent city made where all of the immortals come together and even the rigid social hierarchy of the vampires starts to become more flexible. Now, imagine that world crumbling each race fleeing back to their respective strongholds only to watch these too crumble. With no choices left, the vampires and werewolves enter an uneasy peace to fight off an enemy far stronger than both of them, maybe even combined. In this last Vampire stronghold there is a young woman by the name of Sam, she is on the lowest tier of the vamp hierarchy, dreaming of being so much more she stumbles across a secret one that will change worlds and one that proves that the very worst of enemies come from within.

I was not going to finish this, the first few chapters I found there was little difference between each characters personalities, the plot seemed predictable, and it just kind of felt like it was almost a fan fic of just a bunch of fantasy books thrown together. Omg am I so glad I didn't make that mistake! This went from boring and predictable to I'm sorry wtf just happened in the span of like three chapters. And look the plot twist at the end, the last fight when Sage pulls out his stunt (I am not giving this away) this alone was worth every tedious moment! I have read a ton of vampire fantasies never in my wildest would I think anyone would have tossed this straight up should not work at all but somehow is the very best thing ever plot twist into a vamp book!

Outside of the amazing plot twist, the world building in this is really excellent as well. It's why I kept reading this. Crocker does an excellent job of weaving this worlds history into the story without dragging the present down. And it's honestly just a really original world. There are just no humans. None. They may have existed, but that's just a myth. I loved that humans become the boogie man because hey we freaking are.

What really ends up putting this over the top, though, are the characters, the ones I actually couldn't stand at first. Somewhere around the midway point, each of them just shine. Sam and Sage, I love, of course, as the main characters, but Jacob is my absolute favorite character in this whole book so far. And like I'm even mad because we don't actually get to meet Red (the First Lord's son and the reason this is all happening), he just sounds well amazing. Like, I'm *mad* at the characters that took him away from us as readers, I feel cheated. The bad guys are just as excellent, not so much Saxe but I don't think he was meant to be, but Rufous was the absolute perfect spoiled rotten, sociopathic, Noble brat who you would happily punch in the face. On a scale of One to Joffrey, he's a Joffrey.

Overall, this easily makes my top 10 this year (which puts my top 10 at about 40 books now), what really looked like just a straight forward conversation about a rebellioj of serfs becomes this insanely massive story that will ultimately end up encompassing the whole world, if the bomb that was dropped on Sage at the end actually comes to pass.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eArc!