Inesa was from an almost-sunken town that thrived on credits handed out by corporate monopoly, Caerus. Anyone crossing the red debt line would be hunted and killed by Angels.

Angels were mutated humans specifically designed to hunt those who crossed their credit limit. Their hunt would be streamed live, as a deadly game called Gauntlet, for millions to watch. Caerus, the mastermind behind the twisted game, reaped profits through these streams.

Inesa and her brother ran a taxidermy shop that catered to the upper class in the City. They barely made ends meet with their shop’s sales, but their mother never cared for her kids plight and was delusional to blame her problems on Inesa.

Inesa gets nominated for Gauntlet by her mother. She is blindsided by this, but deep down she knew her mother would throw her under the bus and spare her brother if push came to pull.

Inesa has twelve hours to prepare before the Angel arrived at their legal residence; twelve long hours of dread and helplessness to map her escape route.

She and her brother escape into the woods to get an head start in the game. No matter how far she goes, the tracker chip in her neck would reveal her location to the Angel and the viewers.

Melinoë is the Angel tasked to kill Inesa for Gauntlet. She can’t afford to lose since it’s a matter of her survival at test too. She has been through a rough past. With her previous Gauntlet echoing her of failures, she is determined to see this one through.

Mel is half human and half machine. Her human side was always at war with her machine side. Although she was programmed and honed to be a weapon, she becomes more vulnerable and humanised as she gets trapped in an abandoned woods with Inesa.

Angels were forbidden to behave human like. Their only purpose was to kill, but with Mel hesitating to kill Inesa, it became an anomaly in their prey-predator dynamic.

Drawing heavily from the Hunger Games, the plot is ultimately about survival of two people, from extreme end of the spectrum, fighting for love and family.

The book is also a commentary on climate crisis, automation, virtual world, class divide and other issues affecting us this day. Through Caerus, it etches the length to which corporate companies would use their power to control common people. It’s a portrayal of a dystopian world that remotely echoes a future we are headed towards.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for the review copy of the book!

This is my first five star read of the year. From the beautifully tragic prose, to the doomed narrative shadowing over the characters, it was hard to put this book down. I genuinely hope there is a second book!

This sapphic dystopian stand alone is filled with a Hunger Games-esque Gauntlet, a killing angel assassin, the chosen sacrifice prey, land that will kill without a thought, people just trying to survive, and a company which controls everything.

I enjoyed this very fast paced story from the introduction of Melinoë with her memory issues, and Inesa's selection as the new Lamb for the Gauntlet. Parts of this remind me of the Fallout video game franchise, mixed with water focused disaster movies/books, reminders of why you don't go off the trails in Appalachia (this takes place in the Catskills of New York), and all the what ifs when it comes to radiation.

Recommend for those who like fast paced dystopian fantasy, who want a lunch sized story rather than the 5 course meal series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This is my first book by this author. I’ve always wanted to read her books and this was a good one to start with. I thought the dynamics of this world were nightmarish. If your parents are in debt you can just sign up your kids to fight to the death? Over something they didn’t even do?! That is so wild. I liked the design of the Angels and can’t even imagine what they go through. It sounded very tragic. Inesa and Luka had such a sweet sibling relationship and I really liked seeing them help each other. My only thing was the Mom didn’t suffer enough. Like I wanted to see Inesa tear her a new one. The only other thing I didn’t really like about this was the insta love. It always seems more like trauma bonding and less like real love. It makes some of it feel unbelievable to me. The ending was so sad and I was so worried about how this was gonna end and it just hits you in the face. More of the story is id never survive in any of these dystopian worlds and I get anxiety just going outside sometimes. Televised executions? I could never.

This was my first Ava Reid and it definitely made me want to pick up their other works. I enjoyed the apocalyptic world and everything about it. It was fascinating to read more about it. I also loved the romance. It wasn't the main plot point and slowly came together. The whole read was slow but in a good way that made you want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

Another absolute BANGER from Ava Reid, who never disappoints. Hunger Games inspiration is clear, but Ava’s first YA book is unique, excellent, and a must read for young (and older) adults!

It has been quite awhile since I have picked up a dystopian book, but I saw a couple people comparing this book to the hunger games and I just had to see for myself. I don’t think this book is as good as I was hoping for though and maybe I had too high expectations going into it. This book tries to do a lot in such a small amount of time and it suffers for it. The commentary on the evils of our world ends up feeling heavy handed throughout and doesn't let us figure it out for ourselves. On top of that the romance felt rushed and I didn’t feel it was believable. The events of this book take place in just a couple of days and in that time they go from enemies who are actively trying to kill each other to lovers. It was not enough time for me to be invested in the relationship. I do think this was entertaining and enjoyable though, I just had some issues with it. If I was still into dystopian I think I would have enjoyed this more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In university, I was taught that media’s beginnings were rooted in one of two things: violence or perversion. Bonus points if it had both. And regardless of what you chose, it was always created for the eyes of men.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid tackles this topic, among many others, in such a beautiful, eloquent way. Ava’s writing has a master quality, to the point where they can make even the most minute of scenes burst a multitude of emotions within me.

Fable is a dual-POV story. We first have Inesa, a compassionate, empathetic girl forced to don a hard exterior to help her family pay the bills by working at a taxidermy shop. Then, we have Melinoë, a Caerus assassin built and programmed to be heartless and ruthless, but really, has strong memories and emotions just waiting to break through. Inesa is selected as a Lamb for the Gauntlet, an assassination livestream event, to pay off her mother’s debts. Melinoë is the Angel who must kill Inesa in order to prove her worth to Azrael, her handler.

But when the cameras are off, something beyond love blooms between the two. The need for survival. The desire to break away from the corporate chokehold Caerus has on both of them. The hope that they are more than they had originally believed. But separating from a society so deeply rooted in capitalism and violence proves difficult.

I want to touch upon this last part more deeply, because it’s what really resonated with me the most. Melinoë fears that if she fails the Gauntlet, she will be decommissioned and sent to serve as a trophy wife to one of Caerus’ elite, just like one of her friends was. Caerus’ foundation is built upon this idea that women are meant to be beautiful and are meant to serve. Anything else is deemed undesirable. Melinoë, along with the other Angels, undergo numerous surgical experiments to “perfect” their bodies, and Azrael performs Wipes on their memories to remove anything unwanted. When they participate in Gauntlets, the viewers cheer on their demise. They want to see blood. They want to see bruises.

They want to see a woman beaten down.

Azrael frequently tells Melinoe that she is his perfect creation.

And when they can no longer perform to the degree that Azrael and Caerus wants them to, they perform a final Wipe--a permanent memory removal so that the Angel is nothing more than a doll, an obedient girl victim to the whims of her arranged Caerus-elite husband.

Returning back to my first paragraph, Caerus is rooted in two of man’s desires: violence and perversion.

Violence--Angels slaughtering Lambs, and Angels being beaten up by Lambs.
Perversion--Angels being deepfaked onto 18+ websites. How the cameras don’t cut, and rather zoom in, when an Angel is naked. Plastic surgeries to make an Angel more physically appealing.

Caerus doesn’t care if you’ve laid your emotions bare, that you were honest with them about how you feel and how much they’ve damaged you. They only care if you’re beaten bloody or if you’re beautiful enough for 18+ content. It’s what makes them money after all.

It’s incredible how Ava Reid is able to connect with something I feel about so strongly and something so deeply rooted in modern-day society. I had to set the book down for a moment to just process everything I read. It was such a rollercoaster. I feel so out of breath. I am broken, crying, yet feel so whole by the masterpiece Ava Reid has gifted us this year. They are proving once again why they’re my all-time favorite author, and why their books always rank so highly on my favorites.

Please read this book. I hope it touches you as much as it touched me.

The dedication called this a "love letter to early 2000's teen dystopian novels" and it did not disappoint. Giving this a 4.5 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is Hunger Games meets Fathomfolk meets Terminator and I am here for it. In a world ravaged by environmental disaster and political BS (much like our current timeline tbh), individuals rack up debts to the corporation running the country just trying to get by. And when those debts becoming too much, just sell off a friend or family member to enter The Gauntlet to be hunted down by a gorgeous, enhanced woman trained to kill.

The world is dark and the story and its protagonists try to find the little glimmers of light in this world. The world itself is described in such detail that it is impossible to not picture it in your head and want to cry for the loss of nature as we knew it. But Inesa also finds the beauty in the mutated nature that humans have brought on themselves. The mix of nature and technology is really intriguing.

The ending did give The Giver vibes, so I am hoping there will be more stories in this world.

Ava Reid is an auto-read for me — no questions asked, just take my money and my feelings. Her vibes? Immaculate. Her worlds? Usually so luscious and immersive I want to pack a bag and move in (despite the near certainty I’d be immediately cursed or eaten).

Fable for the End of the World, though, wasn’t my absolute favorite of hers — which, honestly, might be a me problem, because my expectations for Ava are sky-high at this point. That said, this queer, sharp-edged love letter to teen dystopian fiction still gave me a lot to chew on.

I’ll be real — reading this in gestures vaguely at the world around us was not easy. It holds up a mirror to our current political dumpster fire and then asks, “Hey, what if we just followed all this to its natural, oligarchic conclusion?” (Spoiler: It’s not great!) But even with that darkness, this story has sweetness woven into its bones — like if The Hunger Games and Dollhouse had a weird, tender baby who believes love and community might still save us, even as the world burns.

Is it hopeful? Is it devastating? Is it both? Yes.

It’s not the book that stole my whole soul the way her others have, but it’s still a smart, gutsy story that knows exactly what it’s doing. And I’ll still be first in line for whatever Ava writes next, no question.

A giant thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5

I am so honored to receive an Ava Reid arc! I literally screamed when I got approved.

This book was just amazing. The only reason why I knocked half a star off was because of the ending. Without spoiling it, it was very open ended. So I hope that there is going to be a sequel because I don’t know if I can handle there not being one! I’ll even take a novella!

I was not a huge fan of The Hunger Games because it’s all too realistic, just like The Handmaid’s Tale and other dystopian novels, with the way our world is, especially now, it COULD happen! But I love Ava Reid so I gave this a go, and I am glad I did! It was beautifully written, the story was great, (not too blood thirsty), and we had a romance between BOTH badass FMCs! What else could you ask for?!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC! The book releases TOMORROW! And there is a gorgeous special edition with my name on it! Can’t wait to get it!

OMG! Loved this so much! Honestly was not really sure what to expect going into this. I’m not sure I ever really read the book’s description. Just got a general vibe from the authors IG and knew it was YA dystopian and that’s historically been my jam!

You can definitely see all the inspiration the author had from the golden dystopian age - like hunger games and maze runner and uglies etc. - but this still felt very unique and set itself apart, which I think a lot of books these days fail to do unfortunately.

My only qualm with this whole book was the ending :( Sometimes I can really appreciate an ambiguous ending - don’t get me wrong I did cry - but I just wanted so much more 😭 like give me a book 2! I need them together! Get them to New England! Just something!! I need more more more ☹️ and something hopeful please I beg 🥲

Minus the lackluster ending, I really did love this and I think Ava Reid hits on a lot of topics really close to home right now - capitalism, environmentalism, how woman are viewed by/in society, the wealth gap, etc. I unfortunately don’t see us too far off from her made up world becoming a reality 🥲 (which is also why I personally NEEDED a happy ending 😩)

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, Ava Reid is never a miss for me. They could publish their grocery list and I'd throw money at it. Getting to read a sapphic dystopian from Reid was the icing on an extremely great week for me. I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelf!

Some stories are loud and propulsive, but Ava's books are less of a storm and more of a steady tide that harbors so many secrets in the darkness below the surface. Before you even know what's happened, you're drowning and gasping for air. Ava's beautiful, bloodthirsty prose and deep, impactful themes hold a mirror to society and the reader. When you're not flying through the pages, you're exploring your own beliefs and questioning what you could be doing differently. This is one of those books that isn't afraid of hurting your feelings, and I enjoyed every second of the heartbreak.

On the surface, this book is a love letter to dystopian fiction. It draws from inspiration that has dystopian lovers kicking their feet in pure joy. But it is also a reflection of the world around us and the horrifying impact of capitalistic greed. It's difficult to discuss in depth without spoiling the book, but this is a story that stays with you long after you've reached the end. If you're looking for a tale that will open your mind and leave you hungry for change, look no further.

There's a certain quality in writing that I personally label as "Blockbuster". Much like it's visual counterpart these stories are big, explosive, and ever so addictive. They are the kind of tales,crafted in such a way, that they demands their readers to devour them in one go. I found Fable For The End of The World to be such a book. Yet, in the deft hands of Reid, it's much, much more . It's a nostalgic love-letter to dystopian genre, it's a timely look at the socioeconomic divide and the greed it can breed, and at it's core, it's an exploration of perseverance and clinging to one's humanity in the darkest of times.

This gem might not be for the "wrap it up with a pretty bow" crowd....but to be fair that's never really been the authors style.

This book hit all the points of the nostalgic dystopian era!!! You have a “reaping” of sorts, a crooked and broken system, and a battle of morality.

This book has strong Hunger Games vibes with a dash of Fifth Wave and I just really enjoyed it.

This was not my favorite book by Ava Reid. To me there was just overall not a whole lot of spark that kept me reading. It was really hard for me to get through this. I did like the hunger games aspect as that was one of my favorite books growing up but mostly this book just fell flat for me.

A Fable for the End of the World is Ava Reid’s love letter to the dystopian fiction many of us grew up with, and it feels both nostalgic and eerily relevant to today’s climate. In true Reid fashion, she leaves us hanging with an ending that begs for more. I can only hope this fable is just the beginning of another unforgettable adventure that we will get to continue!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

Other reviews that I read compared this to the Hunger Games and while that’s accurate to a certain extent, there is so much to this book that makes it stand out on its own merit.

Climate change and nuclear war has decimated the country and animals are mutating to survive, which has made food scarce. Most of the population- primarily in the suburbs/country- wrack up debt to get their most basic needs met. This debt can get so crippling that people make the decision to “nominate” a family member to be hunted on live television to help pay it off.

Inesa is nominated by her mother, and the “Angel” Melinoë is sent to hunt her down. When Mel is injured, they end up needing to rely on each other to survive and enter an uneasy truce that develops into more.

It’s a very timely story, considering everything going on in the world. We’re seeing the effects of climate change, the wealth gap, and the attacks on the queer community. But there are themes of hope, love and acceptance, which makes this story so beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Harper Collins for the advance copy of this book.

Ava Reid did it again. I will be haunted by this novel's commentary until the day that I die.

Synopsis:
New Amsterdam is controlled by Caerus, credits, & debts. Every two months, Caerus hosts a Gauntlet campaign featuring one Angel & one Lamb. Angels are government-crafted assassins programmed to hunt & kill. Lambs are the sacrificial offering of those so far in debt that the only way to pay is with a life, but no one ever offers themselves for their own debts. In thirteen days, either the Angel will have hunted the Lamb or, more uncommonly, the Lamb will manage to escape death. For this Gauntlet, Inesa is the Lamb & Melinoë is the Angel, but who will survive?

Spoiler-free Review:
This book opens with a quote by Leonard Cohen: "There's a lover in the story, but the story's still the same." This book is so incredibly multifaceted that this epigraph resonates so thoroughly with the ideas portrayed throughout the story. This is a story about love; not only romantic or platonic love, but the unconditional love for one's neighbor. Love for humanity. Love that transcends the casual cruelness of the world.

This is a YA dystopian novel that requires the reader to take the time for introspective contemplation; to think about their relationship with power, money, generosity, & humanity. This is a story of kindness & gentleness in a crushingly ruthless world that has uncanny parallels to our modern society. Mixed with the 2010's dystopian-era atmosphere, Reid perfectly blends nostalgia with something new, creating a powerful, unforgettable story of caution, love, survival, & the human condition.

Just like in her other novels, Reid holds up a mirror to her readers & makes us reflect on ourselves & society. This novel begs the question of what conditions we place on our love for each other that should come unconditionally.

This book has been compared endlessly to The Hunger Games, but I believe this book stands firmly on its own while paying homage to the genre that shaped many of our youths. Fable echoed those books with perfect nostalgia.

It is hard to discuss Fable without spoiling it, even minorly, so this is where I am going to leave it: this is a story that everyone needs to experience for themselves. From the writing style to the atmosphere that is created in this suffocating, freedomless dystopia to the character arcs that allow the reader to see the world through different lenses, Fable for the End of the World is a thoroughly heartbreaking & poignant story.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing via NetGalley for the eARC of Fable for the End of the World in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts are my own.

Review: Do you ever come across a book that makes you think “wow, if I’d had this book in high school, it would have changed my life.” This is that kind of book for me. It high school Amy, trying to figure out her bi-sexuality Amy, obsessed with The Hunger Games Amy had this book, she probably would’ve used the word “bisexual” out loud a lot sooner than my early/mid 20s. I loved this book. I devoured this book (230 pages in one sitting, helloooo). This book devoured my right back. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think “my god, this could happen. this could happen and it would go just like this.” Do yourself a favor and grab this book asap. I can already see a reread in my future✨

Synopsis: By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.