I absolutely love Emma’s Deep Waters series so when I heard she was publishing a romantasy about a princess murdered at the alter I was sold.

Emma does such a good job with slow burn so it’s no surprise that the tension and burn between the MMC and FMC was there. I think both of the main characters have great backstory and it helps understand their actions and motivations, especially the MMC.

I especially loved the backstory that the gods were once mortals and gifted magic to their followers.

My biggest gripe with the book is that I felt it moved so slowly and the magic system was a bit confusing in the sense I didn’t feel there where any “rules” to the MMCs magic.

“He was the end and beginning of all things in her life.”

This book is truly unique and full of surprises. It kept me engaged from start to finish and I appreciated the detailed world-building. The revenge plot was EVERYTHING. I absolutely LIVE for feminine rage and this book delivered. The slow-burn romance between Jessamine and The Deathless One was passionate and steamy, adding significant depth and tension to the story. The tragic backstory of the MMC draws you in and makes you root for him. The infected were frightening, which added to the suspense of the story. The writing was melodic and flowed effortlessly. I am excited for the next book!

𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
☠️ Arranged Marriage Gone Wrong
☠️ Dark Gothic Fantasy
☠️ Enemies to Lovers
☠️ Shadow Daddy
☠️ Black Magic & Witchcraft
☠️ Vengeful Gods
☠️ Political Intrigue
☠️ Schemes & Betrayal
☠️ Slow Burn
☠️ Feminine Rage
☠️ Bada$s FMC

“We are chaos and blood. Wetness and rage. Howling at the moon that we will not be silenced or forgotten. We are everything that they fear and covet.”

The Deathless One sounded so amazing from the get go. Witches? Slow burn? Magic? Forgotten gods? Heck yeah, I’m ready to dive in!

The world itself is really intriguing. I loved the aspect that gods were once mortals, and now for some reason they’re all dead and gone. The magic from the gods to their worshipers. Tragic backstories. Betrayals. Revenge. Unfortunately for me, some aspects of this book fell flat. Nothing specific, just the overall picture.

We have our main character, Jessamine, who isn’t like the other princesses. Despite how others treat witches, she finds herself fascinated with their power and wants to use it to save her people from becoming zombies. I mean, infected. Her husband is a turd right off the bat. And it doesn’t take long for us to watch her demise rapidly take place. Which also smoothly introduces us to the Deathless One, or Elric.

I wouldn’t say their relationship is a slow burn per say, especially not when some of their first interactions are a bit spicy. I wanted them to have a bit of yearning, maybe a little bit of pining after one another, but it didn't happen.

Also the ending was a little bit lackluster. It obviously ends on a cliffhanger, making sure the audience knows that there’s more to the story that is left for book two, but it seems to be an ending more for a chapter than a book (if that makes sense). It didn’t leave me filled with anticipation for the sequel. I was just like, ‘oh, okay.’

Do I think this was the best book ever? No. It left me wanting more out of it than I got. Is it the worst book I read this year? Far from it. I think it’s a good start for a trilogy, and I think BookTok is going to go ham on this one. It’s definitely an interesting read with unique world building and characters. It just wasn’t the best for me. However, I’m sure this will certainly become someone else’s favorite read of the year.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery for this ARC.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Wow this book was good. The premise felt unique and fresh which I really appreciated as someone who reads a ton from this genre. I loved the character growth, their feelings for each other and desires for the world/kingdom takes shape as you read. And I'm not a fan of slower plots but this was a intentional and delebrite build of plot and characters and I was so into it. This is a great start to the series and I'm excited to see what happens next!

I love Emma Hamms writing and this was no exception! It is atmospheric as bd engaging. It pulled me in from the beginning and never leg go! I read this book in 2 days because I had to know what was going to happen! Easy 5/5 stars!!!

This Is An Addictive, Bloody, Rage-Fueled Masterpiece!

This book owns me. Jessamine’s journey is brutal, intense, and absolutely addictive. A princess clawing her way back from death, burning with vengeance? Say less. The tension—both the murderous and the other kind—had me on edge the entire time. And finally, an FMC who isn’t a teenager! Jessamine is a grown woman making grown-woman choices (some of them terrible, all of them entertaining).

The infected? Absolutely disgusting in the best way. The descriptions were so vivid I felt like I could smell them (which is both impressive and mildly traumatic). The feminine rage running through this book? Chef’s kiss.

I devoured this in a day—sleep? Never met her. Huge thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC, but also, how am I supposed to survive until the next book?!

Emma Hamm delivers a spellbinding blend of romance, betrayal, and dark magic in The Deathless One, the first book in a captivating romantasy trilogy. Princess Jessamine’s tragic murder at the altar sets the stage for an enthralling tale of vengeance as she strikes a dangerous bargain with the god of death himself. Hamm’s lush prose and immersive world-building bring to life a realm plagued by power struggles and impossible choices, where love and duty clash in hauntingly beautiful ways. With an irresistible slow-burn romance, high-stakes intrigue, and a trickster deity who may be as tempting as he is treacherous, The Deathless One is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and swoon-worthy, morally complex partnerships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Emma Hamm for an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

This one had a strong start for me - was kinda hooked from the beginning - but then I lost interest. I did love the slow burn, so that was enjoyable - and the ending did wrap up pretty nicely.

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc of The Deathless One

2.5⭐️/5

I was excited for this book based off the description but unfortunately it just fell short me. The beginning of the story just didn't hold my attention and I had trouble connecting with the characters. I had to pretty much force my self to continue reading it. I'm sure others will enjoy it but it just wasn't for me.

The Deathless Ones is a lush fantasy romance that has witches, ancient gods, and a shadow wielder love interest. I have a lot to say about this one, both positive and negative, but I do have to say the prose is beautifully written.

The world building in the book was somewhat lacking.The beginning was a bit confusing (honestly, confusion was a common theme here) but the gist of it was that Jessamine, heir to the throne of Inverholm, marries in order to help prevent the spread of a plague ravaging their land. Instead, her future husband murders her, and upon her death, encounters the Deathless One, a sinister, ancient god trapped in a realm of darkness. All the other gods are dead (not sure exactly how) and he's the only one that remains. He makes a deal with her. He sees that their futures are entwined, and that she is a witch, specifically a "gravesinger." It's not really explained what that is, only that it means she has the power to resurrect him.

The Deathless One's powers didn't really make any sense -- he can control and use shadows but in a vague way -- he also travels from his realm to the world via shadows? At one point he "sends his mind" down a street through shadows in order to watch Jessamine. He also... ate a shadow that he took out of a witch's body. The use of the word "ink" is constant. The writing was beautiful, but overly focused on imagery to the point where I was frequently confused. The chapters from Jessamine's perspective were easier to understand, but I frankly didn't understand much about the Deathless One and his powers at all.

That said, I really did enjoy his character.
He has a tragic backstory and a rightful fear/hatred of witches, betrayed and killed by the witches he had helped and who were supposed to worship him (one in particular). This weariness and animosity makes for a lot of the tension between him and Jessamine, who is also distrustful of him but also insistent that she's not a witch. I liked how he slowly opened up to her and how their relationship evolved. Especially for Jessamine, who feels a connection for him even though she can't even see his face since he's shrouded in shadows and also not fully corporeal.

I have mixed feelings and wish the book was less vague, but I also loved parts of it. I think if you enjoy fantasy romance and like more vibes than plot and character/relationship driven stories, you could give one a shot!

Thanks so much to Gallery and NetGalley for this ARC!!

‘The Deathless One’ by Emma Hamm
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. the following is an honest review!

Jessamine Harmsworth is a princess ready to sacrifice herself on the altar of marriage to save her people. Her kingdom is overwhelmed with a plague and the only way out may be a marriage to the neighboring kingdom. Her new husband to be murders her on the day of the wedding, but Jessamine is greeted by The Deathless God on the other side. They strike a deal that will bring both of them back and unleash their fury on the world.

I enjoyed this story. I’m always head over heels for a tale that lets women invoke something akin to anger or fury. There’s too many times where femininity is equated with softness. Give me rage!

The fact that she just keeps coming back adds an air of apocalypse to her presence! She’s got a powerful god on her side, and that just makes it that more menacing! I liked how her powers ended up being so connected with his presence.

The world the Deathless is trapped in was so despondent! You felt bad for him as the book continued! The self sacrificing ways of his existence felt so reflective of the expectations place on women everyday! We do it continuously for the people we love, no matter the personal costs! 😭

I got a little confused as to the rules of exactly how and when The Deathless One could influence the regular world. It was a lot of, “Wait can he touch or not?” It’s still a bit fuzzy but I still vibed with the book.

Overall the relationship reminded me of the Warlock and Patron connection in D&D. If you’re into Shadow Daddies, and always wanted to be that bratty eldritch sugar baby, this is a must read!

I’m so glad I got approved for this ARC, this is riiiight up my alley.

I love a pissed off woman realizing her power. I love when things go wrong a few times. I love a secretly vulnerable man. I love witchcraft and the power of covens for good and evil. I am very excited to get to explore that more in the rest of the series!!

The romance was hot and full of tension which is my fav. It was delish, I’m fully invested in these two.

The only reason this lost a star is because it did feel quite repetitive at some times. Overall, I loved it. I devoured it. I had a blast.

5 BIG OLE STARS! I want to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

The Deathless One by Emma Hamm was fantastic and everything I personally love in a book. The entire story line and premise behind this book was fascinating. Emma Hamm has a way of writing that just makes you want to keep reading and never stop. I genuinely didn’t want it to end.

The character growth between our MMC & FMC was fantastic!!! I mean, A scorned God and a betrayed princess who didn’t know who or what she was until she met him… that she was a witch and not just any witch but HIS witch. I could not get enough of them and I wanted them together 24/7, like their interactions were always the best and I didn’t want this book to end.

The world building was really descriptive and set the scenes for you. BUT I was exceptionally pleased with all of her details pertaining our MC’s! Beautiful, Dark, Angsty and the slow burn was SLOW but oh so freaking worth it in the end.

I genuinely CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2! I NEED IT NOW OMG!

Aaaaaaaaa I love Emma Hamm!

I love this author's Deep Water series, so I was so excited to receive this book through NetGalley! And I was not disappointed! I cannot wait for the next book in this series, I am so intrigued to see where this story goes.

In this book, we follow a princess who has been murdered for her kingdom, so she decides to make a deal with the god of death (the Deathless One) in order to get it back. And, of course, their deal and their relationship starts to get complicated...

This is a story of revenge and I just love that. Our FMC is an absolute badass and takes no shit from anybody. We support women's rights and women's wrongs in this household!

I had so much fun reading this book, I highly recommend it! This world has interesting and complex lore that I really hope we can see more into in the next books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review is also now up with my monthly reading wrap-up.

A quest for vengeance! Princess Jessamine has been striving for perfection her whole life, but what can she become after she’s murdered and brought back to life by The Deathless One? Will she save her kingdom or ruin it? Will she find out who is responsible for the betrayal of a lifetime?

I absolutely loved this book. It has adventure, mystery, sexual tension, and great dialogue. Not to mention that the FMC isn’t a teenager, she’s 22! Thank god.

The main theme here is: feminine rage. I’m down with that.

Also, the descriptions of the infected are so gory and disgusting. 10/10 for grossness.

If you want a darker and more adult version of the writing you may have found when reading Tricia Levenseller, then this is for you. However, Emma Hamm’s works speak for themselves as well. If you haven’t read her Deep Waters series I suggest that as well. Hit after hit.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I read it in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down.

Emma Hamm can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. Her writing is lyrical. Her stories are beautiful. She tackles complex issues in nuanced ways with stories and characters you wouldn't expect (hello, mermen.). And I thought The Deathless One was no exception.

This gothic, vibey fantasy follows a death god and a reincarnated (why can't I think of the word for when someone dies and is brought back to life?) princess who was betrayed by her husband-to-be on the altar. We watch Jessamine as she grapples with the treachery of her betrothed and her court, understands the world outside her physical and metaphorical castle for the first time, and starts to build a relationship with a god whose trauma runs just as deep as her own.

This story felt incredibly timely, unfortunately. The Deathless One is filled with peak feminine rage, and I kept saying over and over again "damn, this is so metal". "At least when there was a woman in power, there was more reason for men to respect the women in their lives. Now? We're all back to just being a useful hole and a distraction." OOF.

The vibes give me One Dark Window meets Ninth House meets The Book of Azrael. My only small complaint was that I struggled to understand the magic system, and I felt the characters were a bit confusing in their feelings with one another. They went back and forth with their feelings quite a bit. However, I will be picking up book 2 immediately!

an excellent gothic-esque fantasy!! this is one of those atmospheric fantasy books that i LOVE. the characters, the setting, the world building all helped to create a story i couldn’t put down. if this sounds like your vibe, i highly recommend picking it up!!

I was absolutely hooked on this book! I tore through the pages, completely swept up in the perfect mix of dark romance, revenge, and power. Every twist was captivating, and the witch/god lover trope was executed flawlessly. I can’t wait until book two!