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!

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!