This Ravenous Fate is the first book of a historical fantasy duology sets in the Jazz Harlem era, packed with lots and lots of actions, angsty forbidden love enemies-to-lovers, complex family dynamics, power struggles, and magic. I'm glad I got to try the audiobook because the narrator was amazing. She sets out different tones and different voices for each character. Through the narrator, I could feel like I was in the story and watching all the events untangled in front of my eyes, I could feel the suspense when a reaper lunged at someone, the longing heartache between the lovers, and the chilling atmosphere. It was a wild ride.

This story was packed with actions from the start, making the romance as a subtle sub trope, which I liked. Instead, this book gave more stage on the world building, the multi-layered characters development, and the fast-paced plot. Although, I must say, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance hits the hardest.

Elise's development was too slow for my liking. I often found myself wanting to slap her to reality because she is the one causing my favorite character, Layla, the roughest pain. But, making me worked up on a character showed how well the author and the narrator were. In this book, we saw more of Elise's character development, but honestly, I enjoyed Layla's side of the story more. I hope to see more of Layla and Sterling in the second book. Josie annoyed me a bit to be honest, but I'm looking forward to her development in the second book.

Though it has lots of actions, the story could feel dragged at certain parts, making me double the speed of the narration. The writing and the narration were beautiful, but somehow it was not immersive enough for me. Perhaps it was because certain parts felt dragged.

Vampires in Harlem, in the 1920's... YES PLEASE!
This book was beautifully written, though the plot seemed to become skewed at points. The multiple conflicts, political, strained family situations, forbidden friendship/love. There was a lot going on but I was locked in. I do wish that it moved along a bit quicker..the pace became slightly stressful, it could totally be because I was so committed to finding out the ending.

I was given an audio ARC and enjoyed it. The narrator doing all of the voices made me chuckle...she is NOT good at male voices..lol. This is not a deal-breaker however, Tamika Donegal did a great job!

I can't wait to see what book 2 will bring with it!

Thank you Netgalley, and Haley Dennings for the ability to review this book and give my honest opinion.

Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for a free advanced listener’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

A rich historical fantasy set in 1920s Harlem. The vampire and vampire hunter love story is a tale as old as…well the invention of vampire hunters probably (I’m looking at you 2004 Van Helsing Movie) but This Ravenous Fate, I think, really leans into that proper friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope that sucks me in. In a 1920s Harlem where reapers (the vampires of this world, victims of antebellum human experimentation) stalk the night, Elise Saint is the heiress of a vampire hunting empire that manufactures vampire killing bullets. Meanwhile, on the other side of this war, Layla Quinn, a young reaper and Elise’s childhood friend, is suspected of a gruesome murder. Even worse, the victims were human. Now Elise is assigned to solve the case to earn her place as the Saint Family’s true heir and Layla is helping to clear her name even though the two girls are…not friends would be putting it lightly.

Denning’s interpretation of the homoerotic friend break-up with a magical twist was definitely present through all of Elise and Layla’s interactions but from the beginning it felt like something was missing. The two girls always felt like they were on different pages and there wasn’t much done to clue the reader in on why that is. Their initial banter always felt both too aggressive and not aggressive enough and I think that weird feeling was attached to the lack of stakes to the venom between them beyond the vague explanations given. As the mystery of the story built, though, I became much more invested.

I loved the conversations around privilege that come about due to the existence of reapers and the conversation around what makes someone human, particularly in a world where your humanity can be taken from you so violently. Our window into the lives of reapers is already biased, seeing as Layla is wrestling with her desire to be human so, even in her narration, she’s kind of tugging the reader back and forth. She hates being a reaper and the monstrosity forced upon her but she’s very defensive of reaperhood particularly when faced with prejudice from Elise. Elise, on the other hand, was easy to understand both in personality and goals and it was easy to root for her even though she wasn’t perfect. An artist who has become a reluctant heiress to her family empire in order to save her younger sister from such a fate; she’s naive and well intentioned and privileged in many ways but under privileged in others and her growth is easy to map throughout the book. Layla isn’t so easy, and I had to sit with her a while more. She was hard to pin down particularly because of her inner struggles and how monstrously she paints reapers and their existence while still finding sympathy for their plight, her own plight.

The audiobook version of this book, in particular, was a must for me. I feel like the extra personality given by the narrator, Tamika Katon-Donegal, really helped me get invested in the story during those unsteady beginning bits. She also has such a way with action scenes and the force behind her line delivery during fights made one of my least favorite aspects of any book really enjoyable (it was also helped by the fact that they were vampire fight scenes).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book for its mystery and its creative storytelling. I think it’s a perfect read for this upcoming fall season to get you into that gothic horror or noir mystery mood!

loooved this! I'm not usually a huge historical fan but I thought this was so much fun and I love childhood friends to lovers!

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Jazz Age Harlem, this gripping fantasy novel intertwines historical ambiance with supernatural intrigue, crafting a tale that's both thrilling and evocative. The story plunges readers into a 1926 New York where power struggles among oligarchs, gangsters, and vampires—known as reapers—create a dangerous, alluring world. The narrative revolves around two young women, Elise Saint and Layla Quinn, whose past friendship has soured into bitter enmity.

Elise, the reluctant heir to a powerful reaper-hunting family, finds herself thrust back into the violent, politically charged world of her family's empire after five years abroad. Her inner conflict and the heavy weight of her legacy are palpable, adding depth to her character as she navigates a city that is both her home and her enemy. Layla, a reaper with a tragic history, carries her own burdens, not the least of which is the pain of Elise's betrayal. The tension between the two former friends-turned-enemies forms the emotional core of the story, driving both their personal journeys and the overarching plot.

As reapers begin to regain parts of their lost humanity, the mystery deepens, drawing Elise and Layla together despite their tumultuous past. Their investigation into a series of brutal murders and the possibility of a reaper cure forces them to confront not only the dangers around them but also the unresolved feelings they have for each other. The narrative expertly balances romance, action, and the complex social dynamics of a richly imagined world.

The author's depiction of Jazz Age Harlem, infused with a dark, fantastical twist, is vivid and immersive. The setting acts almost as a character in itself, with its nightclubs, shadowy alleyways, and the looming presence of both human and supernatural threats. The clash between tradition and progress, humanity and monstrosity, plays out not just in the broader world but within the characters themselves, making for a story that is as introspective as it is action-packed.

Overall, this novel is a must-read for fans of historical fantasy and paranormal romance. With its rich atmosphere, complex characters, and a plot that keeps readers guessing, it offers a unique take on the vampire genre, blending the glamour and grit of the 1920s with a dark, supernatural undercurrent. Whether you're drawn in by the intrigue, the romance, or the beautifully rendered setting, this book promises an unforgettable experience.

I received a gifted audiobook ARC of this through Netgalley. I voluntarily read this book and am leaving an honest review.

I was very excited for this book for months prior to reading it, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. I enjoyed the characters, but there were issues with pacing and it left me questioning much of the flow of the plot...

I loved the idea of this book and will likely be willing to read more from this author in the future, but unfortunately I do not think I'll be continuing this series.

This series probably could be good for someone who really loves both vampires AND prohibition era stories.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book was exactly what I was in the mood for; a Sapphic Black vampire book set in 1920's Harlem. Unfortunately, I felt let down by this book. I liked that this book tried to tackle complex themes like racism, class, and wealth. But I think this book could have used a little more editing.

I enjoyed it enough to finish and give it a 3 star rating but I was hoping for a 4-5 star read.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.

To summarize the book: sapphic vampires in Harlem 1920s with devious plots from everyone.

I think this book does a great job at pacing, complexity of characters, and having a natural way of evolving the stats of enemies to lovers. Much of it is character driven plot, but every event and chat was impactful to the overarching story.

Not only will I 100% be interested in listening to the next installment, but I am actively looking forward to the next story.

I really struggled to get through this one. The only reason I probably did finish was because it was audio, and I was driving a lot this month, so it wasn’t that big of a deal to just put this on.
I love vampire books normally, but I don’t know- there just didn’t seem to have enough going on to really hold my interest. I also felt like it was almost 200 pages too long. I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately it just fell really flat.
I did think the narrator did a good job though.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the ARC

I was really intrigued by this story. Vampires, sapphic relationship, enemies to lovers, what more could I want? Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't find the story all that interesting nor the characters very likeable. It felt a bit bland, perhaps because I couldn't connect with the characters. It had it's highs and lows, but I don't think I'll continue the series. The political intrigue was good though.

4 ⭐️ She's a vampire and she's a vampire hunter!! 1920 Jazz Harlem gangs with vampires like what sounds better than that?! And it's sapphic, so happy to have another sapphic vampire read to add to my favorites. This was such a unique setting for a fantasy book and such a fun idea. I think this would be a great fall time read!

- Sapphic
- Vampire Hunter & a Vampire🩸
- Touch her & die
- 1920s jazz Harlem era✨
- Gangs

Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the audio galley in exchange for my honest review.

I was very intrigued by the setting of 1920s Harlem during Prohibition era. Adding in vampires and enemies to lovers, I was ready to dive in.

The audio narration is really well done and Tamika Katon-Donegal brings two distinct voices to the characters of Layla and Elise, as well as unique voices to so many others.

But dude, I was lost. I don’t know if I misinterpreted things but did Layla kill Elise’s sister Charlotte? That would be the end of any love story on page without some WORK.

And I don’t feel like the work was there for the emotional arcs. Layla is shown to mourn her mentor but pretty unbothered about her lover, Mae. Elise is adamant about protecting her sister, writes her a ton of letters she doesn’t send, and then the book ends without saving her. And okay, cliffhanger. But I felt like at least THAT needed to be tied up. The emotional aspects of the story crop up without introduction, and are then cast off without much ceremony.

As far as the romance goes, if this becomes a series, I think this slow-burn wasn’t slow enough. They fight and make up a lot and it wore me down and didn’t endear me to either of them. Friends (off page) to enemies to lovers where the only love scene which occurs is between one of the main characters and somebody else. Save it for Book Two.

I also really didn’t get the mystery, I don’t know why it was so important that Elise and Layla team up. To get them together narratively, yeah, but there’s really not a good enough reason for Elise’s father to request that she do that and solve a mystery when it seemed like he was in on it the whole time. And he didn’t seem to want her to know about it. So why send her out to investigate?

But I liked what was going on at the end where the Reapers kind of end up being victims of Big Business and the commentary about how politicians and the upper class may seem to be offering a benevolent hand, but it’s for no one’s gain but their own. I wish there was more about that.

But I’m not a romance reader and this was sadly not for me, but I did enjoy the narration very much.

3.5

Thank you RB Media for the advanced listener copy!

The only thing you need to know about this book is that it is a black, sapphic, vampires.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it fun & engaging. I enjoyed the main characters, although Layla was my favorite of the two. I enjoyed the relationships between the two and i enjoyed the mystery of the book. I absolutely loved the monster x monster hunter, when done right it is truly one of the best tropes & i think this book did it really well. I really enjoyed the tension/pinning between the two main characters.

There are some things that irked me but they’re just tiny things. Elise frustrated me so much during this book especially at the end of the book, It seems she’s very the kinda person who does things before she acts. I wish the enemies lasted way longer than it did, in the very beginning there is a scene that truly shows how much they hate each other but then it turns to reluctant allies so fast. I did find the pace to be a little slow at times and i found confused at times with the mystery.

In terms of the audiobook, i really enjoyed it. The narrator did an amazing job! She had me wanting to keep listening from beginning to end. The only thing i didn’t like was it wasn’t dual narration & because of that i kept getting confused whose pov i was in.

This book was quite interesting. Vampires and humans in gangs that takes place in 1920s jazz New York. There is some sapphic love interest going on that were two ex best friends who have to work together to solve the mystery of what’s happening to the vampires. I really enjoyed the relationship to the two sisters

Loved this book! A book with queer rep, POC main character, a murder mystery, alternate history combine with vampires? I was already so on board just from the description. There were parts that made me laugh, hit me right in the heart, and some that made me roll my eyes. All in all I loved it and eagerly wait for the next book!

The narrator did a good job and I only cringed at one voice for being stereotypical (and even then the character had like two lines). People from the southern US may have more to say about the choice of accents but once I got used to them they didn't grate on me. CW for detailed descriptions of death, emotional abuse on page, AH father, racism (casual mention), grief, death of family members, unresolved trauma.

It's the first of a duology but doesn't end on a cliffhanger. It does rival Return of the King (2003) for how many endings it has though 😂 I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it's best read as an audiobook if you're able to grab it / read it that way. There were some emotional parts that the narrator FULLY committed to which I loved.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow what a stunning debut this was! This book brings an entirely unique take on vampires (reapers as they are known in this), Dennings has managed to make something so well known and turn it into something so different and new that it makes for a refreshing read. If that's not enough on its own to convince you to read this then the stunning world building, the well executed plot twists, the sapphic enemies to lovers and the black girl magic should do it.

I'm in love with the romance of this book. The angst alone is swoon worthy, but then Dennings adds this fabulous commentary on the journey of self love, worthiness and growth, I had no choice but to be intrigued.

A couple of downsides are that this does start off slowly but once the girls start to work together properly it really gets going. I do think the ending was a tad rushed too, there wasn't enough room for then arguments and tension didn't land as well as it could have.

The narrator was fabulous in this, they managed to tell the story in such a vivid way, I was able to really picture what was going on and the setting.

Overall, I'm really impressed by the debut and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in the next book.

This is sadly my most disappointing read of the year. The enemies to lovers aspect was starting to become annoying between Elsie and Layla for me (I'm also over this trope). I wish the author spent more time developing the romance and character development between these 2. But the most frustrating part of this book for me was the pacing and plot, it just felt all over the place. The ending was also very lackluster and just seemed to end abruptly. I will note, I listened to this instead of reading it physically. I did however enjoy the world building and the atmosphere, which I thought was on point. Not a bad book, It just didn't quite meet my expectations.

Thank you to RBmedia Recorded Books, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for providing an ARC and an ALC!

I entered without knowing anything about the book, after a few chapters I decided to investigate a little bit of what it was about and I felt that it was the destiny to have chosen this book. Vampires? Sapphic romance? Do the protagonists hate each other? My cup of tea. First I want to comment that this was an audio book and regarding that I loved the way it was executed. Tamika did an incredible job with her voice, we could feel the emotions on the surface. I hope to hear more work from her soon in the future.

Now going with the book, when I understood what the story was about, I thought it was a quite interesting plot. It's a book that catches you from the beginning, from its story to its characters. There was a moment in the middle of the story where I didn't feel the chemistry between the protagonists no matter how much I was looking for it, it wasn't there and I don't mean that it was a slow burn, because that was obvious only that there was a moment when I thought, maybe here if the romance developed. Fortunately, the author managed to build the slow burn afterwards in a fantastic way.

Each character is a complex story and I feel that their motives, belief and moral were carried out in an understandable way, even the characters that could be considered "monsters" had that human aspect.

I only have a small complaint about everything, in the last chapters I found myself absolutely lost, I feel that the conflicts shown there could be summarized in fewer chapters so as not to make the book feel longer than it should but that is personal opinion. In short, it's a fantastic book and I totally recommend it, so take advantage of the fact that this one just came out this month so go ahead and read it! It’s a 3.5 for me

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I'm sad to say it disappointed on multiple levels!

First, this could have endured another round or two of editing. The amount of repetitive verbs and phrases, such as reapers biting their own lips until they bled, became distracting. Dennings' prose needed a bit more fine-tuning—as it stands, I remain somewhat confused about many things in the book, and I don't believe in authors writing duologies or trilogies that are incomplete reading experiences with the expectation that you continue on with the series. The ending of this novel is unresolved, not because the story is to be continued, but because too much time was spent on interactions and conversations and descriptions of things that truly do not add to the overarching plot, nor do they guide the reader toward answers for the questions presented.

The mystery part of this story was not at all mysterious, and it is immediately obvious who the true villain is here, and who is helping them. Despite bodies dropping like my hopes for this book, there is zero urgency to solve this mystery, and it makes the plot move along unbearably slow. The reapers (vampires) are not scary or cool or anything we've come to know vampires as in media. In this story, it is similar to True Blood in that vampires are the Black People™️, cursed to live on the outskirts of society, largely not accepted by most people, but it doesn't work because Black people are the center of this story, and they also experienced racism in the past. Dennings does attempt to (heavy-handedly) introduce social commentary surrounding this, but the parallels do not connect at any point. It makes it feel like these characters just so happen to be Black, and they are happy to no longer be the lessers in society, so they are happy to have reapers take their place, as opposed to having them have a steadfast refusal to participate in the othering of another group of beings. This also meant the atmosphere was not atmospheric, despite being placed during the Harlem Renaissance, because that would require the Black Americans in this book to acknowledge that they were once in the societal standing that reapers are in, but they've done nothing to stop history from repeating itself. This becomes even more disturbing when the subplot of doctors performing experiments on reapers is presented, which, as we know, is what was done to Black people and, again, they are happy to allow this to happen because…it's not happening to them? And not only do they allow it to happen, they're the cause?! Nah, that doesn't sit right with me, and wasn't handled responsibly enough for me to feel comfortable with it.

I am not queer, but I felt like the sapphic romance aspect of this story deserved better development and more time between Layla and Elise where they go from enemies to lovers in a more natural progression. As it is written, you cannot convince me that once the adrenaline wears off, these women will still want to be around each other even five years from the ending of this novel. It very much felt like they bickered, trauma bonded, reminisced, made up, and decided they go together now.

I really enjoyed the dynamic and genuine love between Elsie and her sisters, and that is why this was not a one star read for me. I have sisters; I love me a sister subplot. I wish their mother had been allowed to be present and helpful instead of falling into the role of mindless, spineless housewife until it was much too late. Elsie's relationship with her father was the typical this-girl-doesn't-know-he's-awful-because-she's-a-sheltered-widdle-sheep that a lot of YA fantasy does, and it doesn't add anything new to this trope. The side characters are one-dimensional, uninteresting, and underdeveloped, and I've already forgotten most everyone's names.

The inconsistencies in tone were jarring, and this is where more editing could have helped. This Ravenous Fate is at times incredibly flowery and proper, and at times more casual. I don't think Dennings' writing style is for me, and I won't continue on with this duology, but I am glad I saw this through to its inconclusive end.

I also didn't care for the narration. The narrator did some frustrating voice acting when it came to reading for male characters and characters who are meant to come across as young or naive—I just wasn't a fan.

Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for providing an ARC and an ALC!

2 ⭐️s

Story: 3.5⭐ (rounded to 4)
Spice: .5⭐ (Kissing/Touching, closed door)
Narration: 4⭐

Thank you so much RB media for approving me for this ALC of This Ravenous Fate.

I really enjoyed listening to Tamika Katon-Donegal narrate this story. Her voice is very smooth. I could listen to her read to me any bedtime story. haha

I had a hard time rating this book. I'm currently in a slump and I'm not sure if I'm reviewing based on how I feel or the story. I really loved the 1920's Harlem setting and the unique spin on vampires. Like, really enjoyed the vampire part. It was just so different then all the other vampire books. I also liked the subplot of romance, but it feels like the middle of the book was just kind of boring. I would also check your trigger warnings as there is a lot of gore (obviously) but also emotional/mental abuse (by a parent).

If you like 1920's Harlem, Sapphic romance, vampires, and unlocking mysteries then look no further!