3.5⭐

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing free advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Overall I think this was a solid fantasy debut. It's definitely a slow burn, with a more fantasy & lit fic focus that marketed, but overall I really enjoyed the story and themes!

I think one thing that will hurt this book was the way that it was marketed. This was pitched time and time again as a sapphic enemies to lovers romance. And while that is *technically* true, there is little to no actual romance in this first book.

Instead the focus is really on the themes of racism, classism, and privilege with the backdrop of 1920's vampires.

Elise is back in New York after running away to France to study music after the loss of her sister and best friend. And she is determined to save her youngest sister from having to take over the family business. She sacrifices her own future to take the title as heir, finding herself in a sea of mystery, lie, and deceit.

And it all becomes worse when she has to team up with her ex-best friend Layla, who is the vampire that nearly killed her 5 years prior.

From friends, to enemies, to reluctant allies, to attraction - these 2 get caught in dark mystery about what is happening to the vampires, is there a cure, and who is behind it all.

The plot itself is very slow moving and deeply explores who society chooses to help and how.

I loved the discussions and themes, I really loved how brutal and dark this book got at times, and I even enjoyed the progression of the girls' relationship. But the actual reveal was lackluster and honestly disappointing. Since it's the exact person you think it's going to be from page 1....

While this isn't going to work for everyone, I did have a good time reading this and do plan to continue with the series.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this, as well as the setting. Alternate history coupled with POC main characters and vampires is a great combination. I liked the main characters and their push and pull romance. Layla is pretty awesome and definitely the star for me. She's been making the best of an awful situation and I admired how much she cared for her friends.

The mystery was kind of confusing and a bit unclear. The pacing is slow at times and I think the story could have been a bit shorter overall.

The narrator was a nice fit and did some subtle voice changes to help show various characters.

I enjoyed reading this and will check out the sequel in the future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy.

Audio narration on this is FANTASTIC. I'm absolutely in love with how the story unfolded via audio.

Full review on book wil lbe on the e-arc copy i got.

2.75

I wanted to love this so badly. It's sapphic vampires in a 1920s alternate NYC with a friends to enemies to lovers romance. On paper, it was going to be a new favorite read. Unfortunately, while the ideas are all there, I think this needed another round of edits.

I like a lot of what this is doing thematically. Dennings is able to pull in a lot of conversation related to race and class and wealth and privilege, which are all relevant to today but were also big topics of conversation during the Harlem Renaissance. In that respect and in the way Dennings was able to build a believable historical Harlem that had vampires, I was completely sold.

That being said, there were some writing choices and plot/pacing choices that left me feeling pretty meh about this book. For one, I mostly listened to the audiobook which might have caused me to notice it more than I would have if I read the ebook, but there was a repetition of "character name said" that became grating and made the conversations sound stilted. Though in some cases it felt necessary because the audiobook narrator didn't differentiate much between the voices. I also found some of the plot development felt a bit stilted. There were moments were a person's reaction felt super out of left field and then there would be something in the text indicating what changed to cause that reaction and I would have rather seen the event than been told about it later. I also found the ending incredibly rushed and rather disappointing despite what should have been a major cliffhanger.

I don't think this is a bad book, but I don't think it met my expectations and I had some pretty major issues with the execution. Most of my issues can probably be chalked up to being a debut, so while I probably won't pick up the sequel/finale of this duology, I would be interested in seeing what Dennings writes after this.

Vampires are not always my favorite to read about, but the premise of This Ravenous Fate drew me in. The 1920s Harlem setting, set the a perfect tone for the story. The fantasy, the mystery all worked well together to create an interesting story that kept me guessing while also rooting for Elise and Layla. It also interwove themes of racism and classism in this supernatural mystery that made the stakes higher in the story.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

I DNF’d this book at 20%. But I gave it 3 stars because I think it has potential. It was just too slow of a start for me. The narrator had a nice voice but I wish the men had been a little more different from each other. On top of that, there were times where there was no pause but it would switch from one POV to the next, so I assume in the written book there was a break in the chapter to denote this, but it just got confusing sometimes when listening. I may try and actually read the book at some point. The world seems interesting and I love that it’s set during prohibition, but for now, it was just too slow to build up to anything for me.

I absolutely adored this book! This was a great addition to the vampire genre. This was dark and gory which I absolutely loved. The romances in this book were so believable and the chemistry was great. I could not put this book down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness, where do I even start with this book? From the absolutely gorgeous world building to the plot twists, it truly has everything you could wish for! Oh, and don't forget the Black girl magic and sapphic enemies to lovers vampire story. Like, how can a story honestly have it all?!

I think my favorite part of this book is how unique it makes the world of vampires (reapers in this story). It takes such a familiar (and sometimes overdone) story idea and turns it into something so glittery and new that I truly could have convinced myself this was my first vampire book. That was incredibly refreshing and made me enjoy everything all the more.

My complaint was that it did feel like it started a bit slow, but it really got going once the girls were finally working together. I feel like it might have gotten a bit more interesting had they been forced together sooner. And then the ending threw me for a loop a bit, and I'm not sure in a good way. It felt so rushed that I truly didn't get the full impact of the plot twist at the end and the ensuing arguments/tension.

I loved the romance though and the way that the angst just makes it all the more intriguing. I feel like I can't say much without giving things away, but trust me when I say that you will be swooning! Not to mention the self growth that they both go through and the commentary on worthiness and love for yourself.

This was a wonderful debut and I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!

*3.75 Stars*

This was okay but I think I expected more. I didn't real feel much reading this. I liked the setting and the world but the characters felt a bit two-dimensional to me and I didn't really connect to them. It all fell a bit flat? Maybe it was because I listened to it though. I might have connected more through eye-reading?... My expectations might have been too high. It was still good overall, I just missed a little something to fully get into it and properly care.
It's still a good debut though and I'll look into whatever Hayley Dennings writes next.

5 stars
——————

FIVE STARS, AMAZING BOOK.

What an absolute delight this book was. I knew upon reading the synopsis I had to read this book and I’m so happy that I did. The narrator really added to the experience. The different voices was fun and distinguished the characters really well. The narrator alone was incentive to keep going if I wasn’t already entirely enthralled. The plot was unique and original, the writing was description and immersive. I found once I started, I didn’t want to stop listening. I felt like I was a part of the book from start to finish.

I enjoyed our cast of characters, but obviously, the main characters stand out. I loved how they evolved as people over the course of the book and especially how their relationship evolved. Elise in particular had such an engaging character arc. I loved Layla as a character, but something about Elise really stuck with me.

Upon finishing the audiobook, I immediately ran out to buy a physical copy so I can own it, too.I so enjoyed this book and cannot wait to encourage everyone I know to pick it up.

I have been really excited to read this book. The first act of the book had me invested and I couldn't wait to see how everything would unfold. Then the book lost steam for me during the second act and I also struggled with the pacing as well. I ended up taking a break and going back to the audiobook and the last two acts had me very invested. Some of the twists I called but two of them really upset me as they caught me off guard. I did have a hard time feeling the connection and tension between Elise and Layla. I'm all for an enemies to lovers trope but something was missing between the two of them. The way the book ended I will def be checking out the next book to see how everything will unfold.

Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars

This Ravenous Fate is an urban fantasy novel with a bit of mystery. Set in 1920's Harlem you follow two childhood friends with some bad blood that have to work together to solve a murder and clear the name of the Harlem Reapers as a group.

I was so excited to read this book and rightfully so. I loved the world building and most of the characters, the few characters I didn't like were ones that you weren't supposed to. I really enjoyed Dennings' writing throughout this book especially her descriptions, they were so detailed and the word choice was amazing. I loved the mystery aspect although I was able to quickly pick up on some of the details. I have never read a vampire book so that might have been something in my favor as I haven't read nearly enough of the genre to compare it to anything else or be tired of the portrayal of vampires. I absolutely adored the platonic relationships in this book I thought that was a nice touch as a lot of books focus heavily on the romance and tend to forget about platonic ships (and while I know some people prefer that I personally prefer there to be a nice combination). I loved all of the drama and side-plots that ended up all tying together. I did do a tandem read of this physically while I listened to the audiobook and I have to say I didn't necessarily love the audiobook, although I think it was just the narrator that I wasn't entirely fond of as her voice didn't seem to fit with what was going on in the story. I can't wait to read the next book.

I would recommend this to anyone looking to get into urban fantasy or anything paranormal especially if they are already a fan of mysteries because while this has paranormal/fantastical elements they aren't so dense that a beginner wouldn't know what was going on or where to begin.

Trigger Warnings - Blood, Death, Gore, Racism, Emotional Abuse, Torture, Medical Trauma

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an advanced copy of this book as well as RB Media for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

“No matter how much you scrub at them, or how much bleach you lather on them, a person’s essence always remains.”

This sapphic YA novel is an interesting mix of 1920s New York, vampires, and race relations. I can’t explain it, but it kind of has Batman vibes. Like, the juxtaposition of extreme opulence against utter anarchy on the streets. Also, there’s a character working outside the law whose origin story includes losing her parents at a young age.

The audiobook is narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal. I enjoyed her performance, but I wish there had been two narrators—one for Elise’s POV and one for Layla’s. It would have helped me differentiate between them better, especially since the POV often changes within the same chapter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books/RBmedia for providing me with an advanced audiobook copy!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’m so here for black, queer vampires! The genre is far too oversaturated with white vampires and that’s tired. The story was fun and entertaining while also including the dynamic historical backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance.

This doesn’t get a perfect rating from me because I think the writing occasionally sounded a bit cliche and derivative of other works in this genre, especially the more romantic moments between leads. While a weakness, in my opinion, this doesn’t fully ruin the romance or book overall.

Tamika Katon-Donegal delivered an engaging narration of the story. She provided variation between characters that made it easier to follow and never went too cartoonish to the point of distracting me from the plot.

I’d recommend this and I’ll likely be picking up the sequel!

The book is very interesting and the world is very reflective of current world politics and status but with vampires.
I enjoyed the background story and relationship between Elise and Layla.

I think what ruined the experience for this book was the narration. The narrator did a GREAT job, but there was no difference between the change of POVs apart from the narration changing. So it would take a few sentences for me to understand the change of POV, similarly time changes (in books usually with a small illustration on the page between the paragraphs to show a change of location or time) in the audiobook there was no bigger pause, it just kept narrating which again caused some confusion to the listening experience.

I am interested in continuing this series but I will probably swap to reading it rather than listening.

Format: audiobook

Overall, this book wasn’t for me. While the premise of the novel was intriguing and different from anything on the market, everything fell short. Super short. I barely made it to ~50% without DNFing this audiobook, but at that point, I decided to push through in the hopes it would get better. It did, thankfully.

Our story begins with two main protagonists, Elise (human) and Layla (reaper/vampire) in the 1920s era. Elise’s father runs a vampire-hunting empire and has lost her sister to a vampire attack. Both protagonists used to be best friends but now hate each other. In the community, there is a vampire attack by a former vampire who is now a dead human. Elise and Layla are forced to work together to solve what happened during the attack and if a potential rumor about a cure holds any truth. Readers follow Elise and Layla as they confront their past hurts and their feelings for each other.

**Highlights:**
⭐️ The ambiance and world-building. We all love the 1920s New York era.
⭐️ Dual POVs between Elise and Layla
⭐️ The twists. The twists are what save this book in my opinion but also seem put together last minute, almost as if things worked out by happenstance and we went with it.

**Pitfalls:**
❌ No background context to add to the world-building. I listened to 7 hours (50%) of Elise getting bullied by her father for every possible thing and being yelled at by Layla. We don’t even know why Elise and Layla hate each other or why Layla is a vampire.
❌ Unanswered questions. What happened to Layla’s parents? Why does Elise’s father run a vampire-hunting empire but have a contract with a vampire clan? Why aren’t Elise or her sister trained to fight vampires? Why is Layla a vampire? What happened to Sterling’s parents? Why did Sterling believe Elise’s father over her best friend?
❌ Poor side characters. The father character makes no sense. There were multiple times where Elise and her father would have conversations that made no sense. She would say one thing, and he would respond with something completely different. I realized later he is supposed to be portrayed as emotionally abusive. Elise’s childhood best friend, Sterling, just randomly betrays her. He mentioned being jealous she had other best friends but then, in an instant, betrays her.
❌ Toxic characters/toxic relationships all around. While Elise’s father belittles her at every opportunity, everyone around her encourages her to believe that he is doing it to protect her or because he loves her. What a load of garbage!
❌ Forced ending. The two chapters made no sense to the plot and seemed extra to extend the book into a series.

I’m sure there were more issues, but I don’t want to go into them further. I was disappointed in this book and will not be continuing the series.

Thank you, NetGalley and RBMedia, for an early copy of this audiobook for my honest feedback.

A complex fantasy that touches on sensitive topics such as racism, segregation, <spoiler>political scheming/corrupt politicians, human experimentation, and biowarfare </spoiler>. These topics are delved into with perspective and insight and seamlessly woven into the storyline.

Obviously, we have beautiful representation present with both race and sexuality (sapphic).

I went into this one blind and was pleasantly surprised, the writing was well done and the plot was rather complex. Especially with the dual POVs to give us a full picture.

One thing I never quite understood was the need to call the vampires "reapers" like they are just vampires. All the lore points to vampirism, and even the summary says vampires but in the book they're called reapers which have their own lore and I found that confusing...but that's a picky nerdism I have.

Although there is romance in this, it is a minor substory, the main story focuses on the vampire versus human dispute.

I'd recommend this to those who appreciate a story that entwines real-world issues into fantasy worlds.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this in audiobook format.

Listen, I love the premise of this book and a lot of the ideas in it - sapphic Black vampires set in 1920's Harlem is right up my alley. But I'm going to echo another reviewer in saying this felt like it needed another round of editing. I really don't fault the author because it's not the only time I've seen this publisher push books out too quickly rather than giving them the developmental time they need. This feels like a book with a whole lot of potential that just needed more time to polish things like dialogue, the twists of the plot, and character motivations.

Thematically it's playing with some interesting ideas about the complexities of racism, class, and wealth. The themes are a little on the nose at times in execution, but again that's something that could have been smoothed out in the editing process. And to be fair, YA books are sometimes more didactic (though they don't have to be). I still think plenty of readers will read and enjoy this, but I feel like the publisher could have done a better job with this. The audio narration also could be better. There's not much vocal differentiation between which character perspective you're in, so I had to guess based on context clues and that was confusing at times. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This was on my radar as soon as I heard it was Black sapphic vampires. I didn’t need anymore info than that. It sounded like everything I wanted in a vampire book. (Some of you may know I’m not usually a fan of them lol) And although this one wasn’t perfect, I did enjoy reading it.

Ok so what I didn’t care for was the world-building. For this to be promoted as a 1920’s book, it just didn’t FEEL like one. I know there was some piano playing and some talk of the club, but besides that I just didn’t feel like it was set during the Harlem Renaissance. And as someone whose blog was partly made because of her love for settings, i just wanted more.

The main characters were cool tho. To me they never felt like REAL enemies. I did think that Layla was the better character tho. Because she was more believable. She wasn’t taking no shit from Elise and wasn’t letting her forget what she did. It took her a lot to trust Elise and I don’t blame her at all. I would have been the same way. Elise on the other hand was the sheltered person I thought she was. I was surprised by her actions in the very end tho. I was not expecting her to choose that.

The vampire thing was cool, but I also thought it could be more here too. We see a lot from Layla’s POV, but I think I wanted more from Elise’s. She wasn’t nearly as scared of them as she should have been. AND THEN, it was like they didn’t even really show up while they were trying to find out what was going on. It felt too convenient. I guess i wanted more of the scary ones and more times when Elise had to show that she wouldn’t hesitate and that she would shoot/fight them if need be. I didn’t understand how this was a vampire book but they were barely around to create that fear. I guess this goes with the world-building too. The prologue had me all set up ready for some weird ass vampires that were powerful, but we only saw one powerful vampire and she doesn’t even really fight them until the ending. I think I wanted the same energy from the prologue.

This wasn’t bad, but I think it could have been better if there was some more editing and tighter amount pf pages. I don’t think it should have been this long. On the plus side I was very entertained so I won’t say that aspect was too upsetting. I will still be on pins and needles for when the next one comes out.

Calling all the sapphic lovers! This Ravenous Fate is for you!

Harlem Nights meets First Kill in this enchanting paranormal debut that is filled glamour, glitz, murder, betrayal, and best friends to enemies to…complicated.

I loved the fiery tension between Elise Saint, daughter of the Saint empire, and Layla Quinn, the reaper who lost her humanity thanks to Elise’s betrayal. One minute they would be at each other’s throats and the next they would each remember what they meant to each other.

Dennings did a fantastic job of recreating the dichotomous lifestyle of 1920s Harlem by showcasing the exuberant indulgences of the wealthy coupled with the darkness of racial injustice and mafia led crime.

And with that ending…I need book two immediately.