I had this ARC in both print and audio, and I will say that even though I enjoyed the story, the narration was very difficult for me. The male voices were so unpleasant and uncomfortable, and the 20s gangster accents felt very overdone.

4.5 stars!!!

I was super excited when I was approved for the ARC of this since it was one of my most anticipated books of the year! And I gotta say, this book did NOT disappoint! I think I'm a true enemies to lovers girl and this book really scratched the itch I had for an incredible fantasy romance. The banter between the love interests had me giggling and kicking my feet, which is everything anyone ever wants from a romance. I loved that the romance was also kind of forbidden, it added high stakes to the characters spending time together. I can't wait to read more in this series, it was so much fun and I always had a hard time putting it down everytime I picked it up to read. The only reason it's lowered 0.5 stars is because I felt like things lagged a little bit in points. I wanted the action and romance to continue faster, so it's definitely more of a me thing than a book thing. I really enjoyed the narrator's voice in this audiobook. I think it really fit the characters well and she did a really great job showing the character's emotions through her tone of voice. I had a little trouble figuring out which characters thoughts we were following at first but I eventually got used to it.

I enjoyed the narrator. She did an amazing job with the different characters. The story vampire wise was great. Romance wise not the best. If that is what you are looking for it was seriously lacking. It did end with me wanting more and looking forward to the next book however.

Wow! Hayley Dennings should be proud, this is a wonderful debut. I flew through this. The narrator did a wonderful job narrating this novel and really bought the story to life. Dennings did a wonderful job transporting readers to 1920 Harlem. The story is unique, gripping, has an intoxicating atmosphere, and features diversity. We follow Layla and Elise who were once friends turned enemies turned complicated as they work together to solve a mystery. This Ravenous Fate is the perfect fall read or listen and is a must read is you are a fan of vampires, specifically sapphic vampires!

Vampires vs the saints. It’s almost like a Romeo and Juliet. Neithe one should be together but they find a way and kindle what was there.

Layla is framed for murders she did not commit and this up to her old friend Elise to prove her innocence. However, Elise Layla because when Layla first turned, she tried to kill Elise. Little by little things do not add up to Elise and she finds the real root to the problem and try’s to fix it even if it kills her.

Friends to enemies to lovers.

In 1926 Harlem, the reapers, vampiric creatures born from medical experiments, stalk the night. The Saint family hunt the reapers, keeping them at bay. 18 year old Elise has returned home after spending 5 years in Paris to reluctantly take over the family business. Layla is a reaper, who was turned 5 years ago. Layla is accused of a reaper attack, and enlists the help of Elise to clear her name.

I was really intrigued by a lesbian vampire x vampire hunter romance. I really wanted to like this, but something about it just didn't work for me. This was quite slow in my opinion, it took me quite awhile to get into it. I think the world building was lacking in this. I liked the childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant allies-to-lovers aspect, but wish the enemies aspect lasted a little longer. I also wish we got more of a glimpse into their initial friendship before they become enemies. I liked Layla, and thought she was an intriguing character. Her anger and rage was the best part. I loved how she would call Elise out on her bullshit prejudiced views and didn't let her get away with anything. Elise was a little harder for me to like. I think she was complicated, but a bit blind to her privilege.

Really cool vampire origin story couched in the systemic racism of America and the slave trade. Now in the 1920s tensions after the Civil War are high with the added pressure of Reaper violence and discrimination complicating everything. But there’s power there, too. In all this, our FMCs also navigate their own personal betrayals and feelings.

I really loved the atmospheric friction, the slippery secrets, and the cool worlds building. A great start to a compelling series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I loved the world building in 1920’s, the setting and the intentionality of the book to address bigger topics like race and trauma in a world of vampires and black culture. However, it honestly took me awhile to get into this book...I’m not a big fan of historical fiction in general but I know it was needed for this book. Elise and Layla have a great story and with slayers it should have been a win but I didn’t connect to them like I wanted to. I think that the world building and story got confusing at parts. I will also preface that I listened to the audiobook and while I appreciated the authenticity and voice of the audio talent, I feel like reading the physical or ebook version would have been a better fit for me at least. I will reread and test this theory soon.

Either way, it’s worth a listen and definitely a read. I wanted to give it a 5, but there’s more to the series so I have high hopes for the next installment.

Thanks to #netgalley and #rbmedia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

big thank you to netgalley for the arc of this book.
this story is set in 1920s harlem and it was such a fun blend of vampires and the 1920s. this book has the friends to enemies to lovers trope and is dual POV. it follows a vampire hunter and a vampire and their dynamic is so good and theyre forced to work together to solve a murder.

Well the angst and the family drama was on 100, and never really let off the gas.

But the vibes were right. The yearning, the plot, the characters were all really great and made for a really atmospheric read.

I think my only issue is that both Elise and Leila sounded a lot a like (there was only one narrator), and sometimes it was hard to parse whose brain we were in, but other than that, it was really good read and I enjoyed what I think is a great read to start the fall, October vibes.

Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for an audio copy.

🌑✨ I just finished This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings, and wow, what a journey! This dark, gothic fantasy kept me hooked from start to finish with its atmospheric writing and intense plot, and reapers, aka VAMPIRES! Elise and Layla’s struggle with fate, curses, and inner demons was captivating, and the world-building was beautifully eerie. This was set in 1920’s Harlem, I loved that! If you’re into stories that blend supernatural elements with deep emotional struggles, this one’s for you. Can't wait to see where Dennings takes us next! 🌒🖤

Thank you NetGalley and Recorded books for the ALC!

- I loved the concept and atmosphere-friends to enemies to lovers + sapphic + vampire x vampire hunter + 1920s Harlem Renaissance? Count me in!
- I struggled a bit with the mystery. The mystery itself was a bit all over the place, and it didn’t feel as urgent as it seemed it should. The resolution felt a bit abrupt, and a bit cartoon villain, but this could be expanded on in the next book!
- The audio helped a ton with the pacing, and I highly recommend it! The writing is so well done, so the audio let me focus more on that without getting distracted by the slower pace.
- The world building for the vampires was a little confusing at times, but I thought the ideas behind it were so interesting and not ones I’ve seen in other vampire books!

This one was slow going at the beginning. Lots of exposition dumping mixed with some bloody vampire rage that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. The book does pick up about 1/2 way through for a while. I was able to become invested in Layla and Elsie even though I didn’t really like either of them. But things start to. fall apart again for me towards the end I think this was just too much and not for me

I was able to listen the audiobook and that kept me impressed involved. I enjoyed listening but still struggled to follow all the dynamics toward the end.

Thanks to recorded books and NetGalley for access to ALC for review.

Really good! I loved the characters; they felt so dimensional. The book explored themes of racism, sexism, medical experimentation, etc while combining it with the fantasy element of reapers (vampires). I do feel like some of the actions and dialogue didn’t quite fit with the 1920s but I have to imagine that obviously in a world with reapers things may be different in that way too.

Hmmmm what to say about this book.

ON PAPER
This book has it all. Black Vampires in Harlem during the 1920s?! PERFECT. The premise is golden and was bringing me back to my reading vampire YA days.

However,
Something fell flat. I had a very hard time connecting to the characters and even really understanding what was going on? Like I got it but like the pacing was just a little TOO clunky for my taste. Characters all felt a little 2D to me. Could be because it literally is a YA novel and I am in no way the target demographic but...

This was such a unique concept for a book and I enjoyed it! I didn’t love the narrator, and it did take away from the book a bit, but overall I enjoyed!

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings is an intriguing mix of historical fantasy set in Jazz-era Harlem, with a dash of forbidden love and lots of action. The story centers around Elise and Layla—former friends who are forced to team up amidst a chaotic world of reapers, vampires, and family drama.

The world-building is rich, and the plot is fast-paced, keeping you on your toes from start to finish. While the enemies-to-lovers romance between Elise and Layla is a slow burn, it adds depth to the story without overshadowing the action. However, Elise's character development felt a bit slow at times, which might leave you wanting more from her.

The highlight of the audiobook is definitely Tamika Katon-Donegal's narration. She brings the characters to life with distinct voices and emotions, making the listening experience more immersive. If you're into complex characters, intense power struggles, and a touch of magic, this audiobook is worth a listen!

3.5 stars

When I read the description of the book I needed to read/listen it. It takes place in New York Harlem in the 1920s. There is a conflict between the reapers and the Saint family. I did not feel invested in the characters which made it challenging to get through the audiobook. I didn’t understand why Layla and Elise didn’t act on their hatred earlier because their romantic interest was unclear until about 60% in. At 70%, my perspective changed. I was invested in the storyline and wanted to know what would happen next. This is a perfect book for the fall/spooky season. The narrator made the story come to life. I will be reading the second book.

Thank you, RBmedia and NetGalley, for an advanced ARC of this book as an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Let's begin:

"sapphic /vampire /romance/friends-enemies-lovers"
This is how I would describe this book on a surface level.
Vampires are back, and not only are they back, they are vicious now. 

Just to clarify some things, reapers are a type of vampire that were made in a laboratory. Basically, people were experimenting on Black people with some weird chemicals, and the result was reapers.

The book takes place in 1920 where racism was very popular and Black people were criticized for breathing . Like imagine being a reapper ( who is basically trash ) and black :| like damn .

We have two main characters in this story: Layla (who is my favorite) and Elise. Elise is back from France and is ready to take over her family business. People and reapers are turning up dead, and it's her job—and Layla's—to find out what is happening.

I loved the fact that even though Layla is a reaper, she is not sorry that she kills people for blood. This is who she is now, and she is trying her best to survive. She might not like it, but that's her life now.

Elise will do anything for her family, especially her little sister. I found her very annoying and naive at times, but she grew on me by the end.


I liked it. I liked the characters and the plot wasn’t something i necessarily care for .

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Elise, musical prodigy and eldest living child of the Saint vampire aka reaper hunting empire. She returns home from studying piano in France to visit her family to find Harlem more dangerous than when she left. Her father has named her younger sister heir to the empire, but Elise wants nothing more than to protect her sister, so she makes him a bargain he can't resist. This puts her in harms way and back in touch with her former best friend Layla who was turned several years ago. Layla has a vendetta against the reapers, but when she is framed for a crime she didn't commit she must work with Elise to uncover what is going on in reaper territory and causing chaos on her turf. The former friends uncover more than they bargained for as they learn about what happens behind closed doors between the reapers, the Saints, and those with deep pockets to keep the city running.

I found this to be a bit too long, and while I can appreciate a longer book with a slow burn plot this didn't keep my interest. There wasn't enough action, character development, or paranormal elements to keep me invested in listening to the book. This had all of the elements of a novel I would normally be very interested in vampires, a mystery element, morally grey characters, a romance; however the execution didn't work for me. I didn't feel the chemistry between Layla and Elise, I would have preferred the repair their friendship before delving into a romance.

Overall, I think this has all of the elements to be a great book and series, however it missed the mark for me. I think younger readers will really enjoy this. I think the slower pace paired with the author trying to tackle alot of topics in one book made it hard for me to focus on what was going on. The author does tackle some heavy and important topics, but I lose track if there are too many at once. This book reminded me quite a bit of These Violent Delights as it has some similar elements and is about the same length. I really enjoyed These Violent Delights, and while there are some major differences between the two tales if you liked one of these you may enjoy the other.