*Mortal End* by Maddie Rose Andry is a captivating dark romance and supernatural tale. Dr. Phenice Jones's life unravels, revealing ancient curses, haunting memories, and forbidden love. Her transformation from mortal to vampire is a thrilling journey through gods, demons, and her fated soulmate, blending vivid imagery with emotional depth.

I just finished reading as let’s just say wow. This book is different than all my other books I’ve read and I’m so glad I read it. I was entertained yet confused. I would sit there phone in had coffee in the other learning and connecting with the characters. I was not prepared for the end it was definitely worth the read.

This book was a little too real at the beginning, which I loved. You really get into the FMC's head and see her mental health spiral, especially with the nightmares bleeding into her reality. It was a lot and I could not put it down because of it. About halfway through though, the story started to draw out and slow for me, but that could just be a me thing. I enjoyed the story and the characters overall though, it was an interesting read.

“ By ‘tiny’ I was implying you are the type of woman a man could toss around and do the most devious and delicious things to.”

I’m still reeling from reading this book. What an emotional ride! Maddie takes you through all the feels with her incredible writing. Of all the books I’ve read, this one has truly wrecked my heart like no other. I experienced physical reactions to this story—it's that powerful. It tore me apart and then put me back together.
Phenice's journey through trauma, heartache, violence, change, and healing is a testament to Maddie's skill. Despite not having this kind of trauma in my life, I felt every moment with Phenice, thanks to the immersive storytelling. The constant state of fear I felt while reading this book, fearing the rug would be pulled out from under me, was intense yet compelling. It’s so good.
This is a captivating tale of self-discovery, empathy, perseverance, and remaining true to oneself and one's convictions. And let's not forget the really hot guys and spicy romance that add to the allure. The characters are incredibly well-developed, each with their own unique backstories that shape their identities. Maddie's world-building is so immersive that you feel as though you're a part of the story.
Phenice and Emil's relationship is an epic love story that transcends time. Their relationship develops naturally, with a perfect blend of tension, banter, and unforgettable moments. I appreciate how Emil wants to protect Phenice without smothering her.
Maddie's take on vampires is particularly refreshing, especially the exploration of whether they have souls. The fact that all the vampires have distinct personalities and motivations adds a new dimension to the narrative, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

“What if Vampires had a soul?”

This book is filled with emotional depth, descriptive world building, a unique take on vampires, and well-developed characters. I was enraptured reading about Dr. Phenice and her past life revelations, and I’m a sucker for an emotional rollercoaster of a story. I have a degree in psychology and teach it at a high school level, so I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the journey of trauma and healing from a therapists POV. I felt all the feels throughout this book, and can’t wait to read more!

ℝ𝔼𝔸𝔻 𝕀𝔽 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼:
✨ Gothic Romance Turned Urban Fantasy
✨ Star-Crossed Lovers
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Tragic Backstory
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Morally Gray
✨ Ancient Curse
✨ Who Hurt You?

𝔽𝔸𝕍𝕆ℝ𝕀𝕋𝔼 ℚ𝕌𝕆𝕋𝔼𝕊:
“I wanted to be a carefree optimist. I wanted love, and he made me want to risk everything to have it. This morning he had made me feel like the Grinch whose heart had grown three sizes listening to his love and passion for this woman. I longed to be loved the way he loved her.”

“Maybe he and I were star-crossed lovers, soulmates designed only to find each other briefly, to love fiercely, then be torn apart, again and again. It seemed cruel but not as cruel as never loving at all.”

The story kept me reading at first because I really enjoyed the “soul mate” idea and you put vampire lore in? Of course I’ll be hooked… The main characters were likeable but I would have liked them to be more real and not stereotyped (writing every few paragraphes about “my PTSD symptoms are kicking in” was a major turn off for me at least). Also, I would have enjoyed more world building, but maybe that remains to be done in the following books. Nevertheless I really enjoyed it and will read the second book in the series. 3.5 stars read for me.

An Opera of Vampires is the subtitle of the book, Mortal End. It foreshadows a world that the young psychiatrist, Dr. Phenice Jones is thrust into without knowledge or warning. Author Maddie Rose Andry creates a world much like our own but with the secret existence of vampires. Her vampires fit seamlessly, they may walk in sunlight and function as parts of human society, though they have a secret network and castes of their own. Her FMC and heroine is strong and smart, having overcome, but still triggered by her violent past. Phenice’s inner voice describing her PTSD episodes is well done, and her career as a psychiatrist is well-chosen for the story.

The most interesting things for me about vampire-related stories are the historical fiction aspects. Vampires are frozen in the time in which they were created. They often bring ancient, esoteric knowledge. She has chosen her characters from interesting times in history, including ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Sparta, and the Crusades. The name Phenice is related to the word “phoenix,” and foreshadows the character’s rebirth as a vampire with unique skills. As she grows stronger, her ability to time travel through spontaneous visions becomes apparent, revealing a beautiful story of reincarnated soulmates. The book is explosive and very dark at times. I applaud the author for her trigger warnings.

My only critique is the dialogue. As a doctor of psychiatry, I would expect Phenice to speak less casually, specifically the ubiquitous cursing, which I found very distracting. Using it once would be surprising and noteworthy, but most of her dialogue includes some variation of “Holy F’in Sh!t” as her primary reaction. For the most part, the other characters mirror this modern speech pattern. I found it was confusing for an ancient character or a vampire to speak this way and wanted more differentiation/complexity/character development. I want to credit that this novel was written in 2006. I would expect the second novel to be different for this reason alone. Also, because we will likely see Phenice changing, this may be a device to show her development.

Mortal End is an excellent debut novel with interesting characters, encompassing many historic time periods. I will definitely look forward to the second installment and would happily repeat this ARC experience. Thank you for the opportunity.

This is a difficult one for me. I really wanted to love it but somewhere along the way I got lost.

I loved the vampire/divine lore. The first half of the book was drawing me in with only minor irritation at how "academic" some of the PTSD was explained and talked about. It kinda fits Phenice though.

Somewhere I lost the emotional connection to Phenice and to what happens at the end. Maybe it is the narration in itself - I can´t really explain it. So based my very subjective issue - I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a different approach to vampire/divine lore!

My personal rating / short version:

DNF ⭐
Meh ⭐⭐
Kinda liked it, but also not ⭐⭐⭐
Liked it and would recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved it! Highly recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Mortal End* by Maddie Rose Andry is an intense and captivating blend of dark romance, supernatural intrigue, and emotional depth. Dr. Phenice Jones is a fascinating protagonist whose carefully controlled life unravels as she’s thrust into a world of ancient curses, haunting memories, and forbidden love.

The story masterfully weaves together her journey of transformation—from mortal to vampire—and her struggle to confront a deeply buried past. Phenice’s encounters with gods, demons, and her fated soulmate are both thrilling and heart-wrenching, pulling you into a world where even immortality comes at a cost. With vivid imagery, a compelling romance, and stakes that feel truly apocalyptic, *Mortal End* is perfect for fans of dark fantasy and romantasy. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you breathless and aching for more.

3/5 stars.

This was a quick and easy read, but not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb. I enjoyed reading this, but had hoped it was a bit spicier and the person from the nightmares were a bit more prominent throughout the book. I also liked the fact that this book had fated mates/soulmates through many different lives.

The PTSD rep was well thought out and added depth to the character. Also the realistic change into vampire was another thing I appreciated a lot. I also hoped that the other characters other than fmc were a bit more fleshed out.

Usually I don't read urban fantasy, but in this it fitted very well and didn't bother me at all.

Can't wait to read the next one in the future.

This was an interesting book for sure! I liked the setting of the book a lot and how they showed that a therapist was handling ptsd and in general her own trauma. I liked that it was fast paced and the story was capturing.

I love how real the character felt with all her flaws and reactions. I really feel like the characters were well developed and they each had their own voice. It also has so many vibes from different genres all mixed into a fantasy book!

I did feel like the fast pace I was enjoying slowed down a bit in the second half of the book and I slightly missed that when we were reaching towards the cliffhanger this book gave us. With that said I absolutely cant wait to read book 2!

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Mortal End is a ride like no other. From the sands of Egypt, to the mysteries of Greece, this vampire story takes readers on a journey that is full of fantasy, romance, and deeper questions.

The premise absolutely intrigued me when I read the synopsis.
-Egypt: Tick
-Vampires: Double Tick
-Romeo and Juliet meets Braveheart: Triple Tick
-Greece: Ok, Tick

Unfortunately for me, I found the incorporation of all of these things to be a mish mash of myths and legends that were vying for all the attention. I was pulled in by the amazing creation story of Sadeh, and was intrigued by the introduction to Phenice.

When we were introduced to the fates and soulmates, it started to lose me. Adding to that, the complexity of Phenice’s mental health, I didn’t quite know which story I was reading.
I also found the acceptance of vampires (Alina), the sudden knowing of how to control her new elemental powers, and the fast turnaround from Emil to be quite unrealistic. Unfortunately this was a DNF at 53% (Chapter 22).

While this wasn’t for me, I can recognise and see the potential for this story. If it was more focused, I could see myself reading it and enjoying it. However, with so many different focus points, I found this hard to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pleiades Publishing for the Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book had me captivated from page one!
Lot's of mystery, slow building magic and the tension is strong! It's like a "real life" story, but in a very interesting magical world. Or said in other words: this is'nt a fantasy world, but a normal world with fantasy elements.
Defently a dark and spicy romantasy with vampires, gods and a fate you can't escape,

This book will take you upon a journey that will show you love at its most beautiful, a pain you will hate to endure but will get through. The story building is perfect. The characters are perfectly detailed, not overly done. I loved every second. torn apart soulmates, drastic life changes, and an amazing, beautiful, badass woman who is everything.

Mortal End is an exceptional debut novel that weaves together a dark and enthralling tale of vampires and romance. From the very first page, I was captivated by the vivid world-building and the way the author seamlessly combines supernatural intrigue with deeply emotional connections.

The vampires are refreshingly complex, each with unique personalities and motives that set them apart from typical portrayals. The romance is electric, full of tension and heart-stopping moments that kept me turning the pages late into the night. The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable, and their development feels natural, pulling you deeper into their story with every twist and turn.

For a debut, the writing is remarkably polished, with a perfect balance of action, suspense, and heartfelt emotion. Fans of vampire lore and slow-burn romance will be absolutely hooked. Mortal End is not just a book—it’s an experience. I can't wait to see what this author creates next!

DNF

Mortal End just wasn’t for me but not every book is going to connect with every reader. My opinion is my own, and I’d never want it to deter someone from giving it a shot—check it out for yourself! You might love it! 📚✨

Thank you Maddie Rose Andry and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review⭐️

3.5 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

the first half of this book was so captivating that i couldn’t stop reading. phenice’s constant spiraling felt so raw and real, and i really appreciated the PTSD representation. some scenes were pretty gruesome and unsettling, and i felt awful for her with all the terrible things she had to go through 😭 unfortunately, the second half dragged on and fell flat for me, and the ending left me confused. i honestly thought this was a standalone, but it ended with a “To be continued…”, so i guess there’s more to come ~

overall, i fairly enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one, especially after the way this one ended.

First I would like to say this book is very well written and captivating. I haven’t been a vampire romance kind of reader before but this book! This book changed that and I cannot wait until it is released so I can purchase a copy. I have recommended this book to so many people because I love it that much. The plot to this book is very engaging and definitely keeps the reader’s attention. I loved the characters because they are well written and the background to the main character is definitely something I can relate to with my past. I loved this book and will be re-reading and recommending to EVERYONE I know! Thank you so much Maddie Rose Andry for sharing this amazing arc with me I cannot express my gratitude enough💖

I really enjoyed this book. It was a gothic romance at its core that went a lot deeper asking moral questions and covering topics beyond love like loss and human strength, PTSD. It was very well written and the chapters (especially FMC Phenice) felt very real and raw. This book held all of the things a book should. Deep thoughts, exciting plot, character development and world building.

I have no bad thoughts

Beautiful. Empowering. Tragic. Soul Crushing. Healing.

A story of self-acceptance. A story of sacrifice. A love story that crosses time itself. A fresh view into this genre of vampires.

Gothic Romance meets Modern Day. In the BEST way!

The opportunity I had to read this book will forever stay with me. I loved it so much! The pain I felt radiating off these characters, the hurt and the healing. I experienced these things WITH them! I was pulled in so deep that I rarely came up for air. Review words won't do this story justice. Feeling the emotions can only be done through the eyes of the characters. And it is done in such a heart-wrenching way that broke me and pieced me back together again. Almost.

"Crave" is not a strong enough word for how badly I am already itching to read the second installment of this series! And every installment after that!

Miss Maddie Rose Andry has me enthralled!