Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this ARC!

This was such a fun read!! I read it so quickly. We follow Emilia Raven, a human born to an elite family of vampires. She's seventeen years old and dreads that she has to become the ruler of the Raven House when she turns eighteen.

Being a human born to vampires is extremely rare, and she faces endless discrimination because of it and is seldom allowed anywhere without guards to protect her. This changes when her parents decide that she has to start going out and establishing herself as the Raven heir among the other vampire families. They assign her one personal guard, Kyle.

Emilia is the epitome of feminine rage. She resents/despises the world and role she was born into, yet also feels a lot of fear for being human. I loved her character and Kyle's. He's dark and brooding and so protective over her! They initially loathe each other, but their tension could cut glass and their banter is top notch.

When I first started reading the book, I could never in a million years have predicted how much the plot would expand and evolve, the book is fast-paced and the story gets so much deeper than it initially seems to be on the surface. The ending literally shocked me - at no point did I see it coming, which I feel like I should've, but props to the author because she got me!

My one complaint is the lack of world building -- there's not much context into where and when the book takes place nor the background of the vampires. There are cars, phones, etc., but the social hierarchy feels very archaic and the lack of information can be disorienting.

This book is compared to Twilight, but Emilia and Kyle are far more emotionally complex and mercurial than Bella and Edward. I recommend this book for anyone looking to satisfy a craving for vampire romance with a good plot - this book definitely delivers.

Amazing! I loved the characters and world building. The tension between the characters was paced well and I loved how the two of them slowly grow together as well as handling all the challenges thrown their way.

3.75 stars for me! I read this book very quickly, and I enjoyed the ride!

I liked the FMC and the basis of the story, but I thought the world building could’ve been a little more fleshed out. There were mentions of our world/countries but then it wasn’t clear what the relation was to those places or what might be going on there vs where the story takes place.

The plot went at a good pace for me, and had plenty of twists and events that kept me interested. Some of it was a little predictable (ugh, Kyle!) but I still think it was engaging and well executed.

I really enjoyed the way the book ended and set us up for the sequel, which I will definitely be reading!

Thank you to the author, Harper360 and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not what I expected and I loved that! I knew I was going to enjoy this but I really really loved this. It’s a little different than other paranormal romance type books I’ve read but I am definitely eagerly awaiting the next!

Started with an absolute jaw dropping beginning. The matter of the blood in this story is like a Stephanie Garber book where blood is the key to all. It was a good story, not the MOST captivating but still good

*The Last Raven* by Helen Glynn Jones is an exciting and heart-racing vampire romance that’s perfect for fall! Emelia’s journey as a human heir in a world dominated by vampires pulls you in from the start, and the chemistry between her and the mysterious Kyle is irresistible. Their forced proximity only makes the slow-burn romance even more delicious, and the forbidden aspect adds just the right amount of tension. The world-building is rich, and Emelia’s struggles with her destiny make her a relatable and strong heroine.

The plot is engaging, with rebellion simmering in the background and high stakes at every turn. Fans of *Twilight* will love the blend of romance and supernatural intrigue. It's the kind of book that keeps you hooked, rooting for Emelia and Kyle as they navigate a world full of danger and dark secrets. A must-read for those looking to sink their teeth into a forbidden romance!

The Last Raven is about Emelia, the human daughter of two vampire leaders. She has been isolated for most of her life to keep her safe, but when she is able to venture out into the world with her new bodyguard, she starts to learn that her world isn't what she always thought it was and rebellion is brewing.

Holy guacamole, I was not expecting most of what happened from the 3rd act until the end. It was so painful and then so satisfying. Got to love fast acting karma. I am curious about where this is headed.

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This book seems to be being marketed as an adult romantasy, which I definitely disagree with. It does have one spice scene, which is maybe why it's not being marketed as YA? The story is very much a YA coming of age fantasy that is told in first person with us being stuck in a 17 year-old girl's head for the entire book and the relationship between the protagonist (Emelia) and her parents is far more of a focus than the insta-love, teenage infatuation romance.

That being said, I think it is an excellent YA book and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it. The plot was fast paced and full of fun twists. Emelia is an extremely naive and sheltered teenager who has basically been shut away for her safety her entire life and we get to join her on her journey to discover what the world is really like for humans in a world controlled by vampires and then see her try to reconcile her relationship with her parents and figure out her purpose.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy and vampires.

Thank you to Harper 360 and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

I really was on edge about how I felt about the main character of Emilia Raven, some times I cheered for her and other times I wanted to shake her. Honestly I have to say though for the age range of the character, I feel these feeling fit. I don't really know what else to say that won't give things away, but the ENDING!!! Oh my gosh!!! I flipping tossed my kindle across the room and yelled!!

Wow, the plot twist really threw me! Amazingly done! Definitely adding a star for that alone.
I loved the idea that Halloween was like Christmas for the vampires, perfect read for October!
No cliffhanger, the book is written as a stand alone but there's some room for more to be written possibly. I really liked the ending :)
Now the critique, Emelia is too young imo. She's 17 and imo is too childish and a bit bratty. The book feels more like a young adult novel than an adult novel, except for a bit of spice. I'd give it 🌶️🌶️/5.

*an advanced digital copy was received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I think this was an interesting book overall. It starts off like many other romantasy novels involving vampires, but I was definitely hooked on the storyline as it progressed towards the end.

This book is the story about a human girl, Emilia Raven, who was born into a family of vampires. Although she's destined to take over their empire, Emilia has never felt like she truly belongs, given that she's the only human in a world of supernatural beings.

What I think was really interesting about this book was how it was set in an urban post-apocalyptic setting. Most vampire romantasy books I've read take place in a completely different fantasy world. This setting made the story feel refreshingly different.. That said, I found myself wanting to know more about how the vampires came into power and exactly when and where this story is set. The Safe Zones and the technology used to protect humans from vampires were fascinating elements that I want to know more about! I'm quite curious to see how Jones is going to continue to develop this world in any upcoming books. Especially surrounding what regular humans might be going through.

Moving on to the characters, Emilia and Kyle, their dynamic was engaging. Emilia's growth throughout the book, as she becomes more confident in herself, reminded me of a classic teenage coming-of-age story. This is a classic Bodyguard to Lovers story, and their banter at the beginning was very entertaining. Kyle is a mysterious character but shows that he really cares about Emilia. At times, their relationship did lean toward familiar romantasy clichés, but the ending made the buildup worthwhile.

Overall, I think this is a great read for lovers of vampires, romance, and fantasy! The cliffhanger at the end was one of my favorites this year—unexpected and leaving me eager to read more. I am very excited to see what comes out of this series.

Thank you again NetGalley for the ARC!

This book completely sucked me in! Emilia Raven is a human born into a family of vampires, and her life is a mess of pressure and discrimination. She’s supposed to take over as the head of her family, but being human in a world of vampires isn’t exactly easy. The dynamic between Emilia and her bodyguard, Kyle, is everything! they can’t stand each other at first, but the tension is off the charts, and their back-and-forth is so entertaining.
What I didn’t expect was how much the story would expand. It starts off feeling like a typical vampire romance, but then it explodes into something way deeper and more intense. The twists? I didn’t see them coming at all! I was hooked right until the jaw-dropping ending.
If I had to nitpick, the world-building could’ve used more depth. I was a bit confused about the setting, but honestly, the characters and plot kept me so engaged that I didn’t mind too much. If you’re looking for a vampire story that brings the heat and has a killer plot, this one’s a must-read!

I really loved this book! It was just what I wanted in a fantasy romance book! The atmosphere was great and I loved the romance!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning I personally didn’t like any of the characters and I felt like the book was scrambled and had too many different things going on to generally have a good plot. I got interested around 30% into the book and wanted to keep reading since the story line had picked up along with the pace. I did feel a lot of the parts of the book were unnecessary and didn’t help move the plot forward. Emelia frustrated me in more ways than one since she was quite foolish at times but I do believed her character did change and grow by the end and just throughout the story. I did struggle with her acting like a bit of a toddler at times but the poor thing was just way to sheltered and I honestly understand her character and would be interested in reading a second book about her and what’s to come. I also love that she’s truly a bad ass 🙏🏼! (I was so fricken happy by the end 🥹) 3.5 stars!

This is the first time I’ve gotten the chance to review a fantasy advanced readers copy— for which I am very grateful. Thank you @HarperCollins360, @netgalley, and @helenglynnjones for giving me the opportunity.

Tropes:

Forced Proximity
Human x Vampire
Royalty x Bodyguard
Forbidden Romance
YA Romance

4.25 - Stars
1 - Spice

For starters, I really enjoyed this story. It was the perfect length, the pace made sense— and the world building was vague initially but over time, it felt like that was the author’s intention.

It’s important when reading to remember that we’re seeing the world through Emilia’s eyes and she is extremely naive, unexperienced and learning as she goes.
That being said, I was surprised by the plot twist and ending.

Emilia is the human daughter of the vampire king and queen of Raven. She is constantly trying to fight her birthright and responsibility. When she meets her new bodyguard, Kyle— it is attraction at first sight, though they can’t stand each other.

The Last Raven is the intriguing, yet heartbreaking journey of Emilia learning whom her enemies are, growing up and taking on responsibility— all while experiencing her first love.

“The Last Raven,” by Helen Glynn Jones

This was a really good book. It is everything I look for in a YA vampire royalty book. I love how the princess is human despite her parents being vampires, I loved how she was torn between the two worlds of vampires and humans. The morality of their world and how humans are treated was the main focus of the entire book. The main character is such a sheltered princess, her knowledge and thoughts about it was so naïve and innocent. I liked seeing her grow into the person she became at the end. Above all, I adored the forbidden love romance aspect. Those two characters were so good together and I loved every scene. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Vampires
-Forbidden Love
-Royalty

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

The last raven was the book that I needed to get out of a reading slump. The first chapter drew me in with the way it was writer . Usually it a hit or miss for me if they writing can’t draw me in it was written so nice and I was able to follow the main character, Emelia.
The push and pull between Kyle is way too cute. The typical hate you but I crush on you hard is what I needed during this cold chilly season !

Thank you to Net galley for letting me read this Arc before it hit the shelf ! You guys are gonna love it the spice is there 😍

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC!

FIRST HALF OF REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE!

So, we meet our FMC, Emelia Raven. She is completely against becoming the next Raven heir because she is human, despite all Ravens being Vampires.

She is forced to go to a club to see her cousin, and her new personal guard is a handsome Vampire named Kyle.

Of course, she hates him. Hates the party. And so on.

As the story progresses, Kyle and Emelia become very close very quickly.

Kyle subtly shows and tells Emelia how terrible the humans live under Vampire ruling—despite her parents making her believe as she grew up that the humans who were used for feeding were comfortable, or doing it under their own free will.

Emelia learns there is a rebellion run by the humans, and she wants to learn more. She wants to hear both sides, and eventually she wants to become the Heir to change everything for the better.

——

note: this book is a bit spicy!! I would say 🌶️🌶️.75/5. There is on page descriptions that I wouldn’t have expected for a YA book!

——

I won’t lie, at some points in the story, I had no idea where it was going. A lot of things were going on at the same time, but it was a lot of tell not show unfortunately.

A lot of this was Emelia falling in love, and exploring the world outside her gilded cage and finding out how truly corrupt Vampires were.

Note my 4 star rating—I enjoyed it. It kept me entertained. There were some twists that were expected, and some not!

Emelia—she was… well, a young girl. I can’t say she was annoying, really, because she was simply naïve due to her upbringing and lack of education her parents gave her/how they shielded her from the world outside their castle.

She did frustrate me with her back and forth—not wanting to be a Raven, wanting to be a Raven. Wanting to leave home, wanting to go back home. Hating her parents, loving her parents.

It was a lot of back and forth, but again, she kept learning new things about her life and about the true relationship between Vampires and Humans. She wanted to make change, but didn’t know how, nor did she have the people to help her (sans Kyle)

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Kyle—I hate to say, but I knew from the very beginning something was off about him. The way he fell first and hard was setting off alarms in my head! I knew he would betray her, but the way he did it was surprising to me!

Jessie—I know for a fact we are going to see more of her in book two! I am very excited, and I am hoping her and Emelia will work together, despite their clashing in this book. I hope Emelia will be able to assist Jessie’s brother as well!

Michael—holy twist!! I assumed he was like Emelia—human but Vampire blood bourne—but I didn’t expect him to be Mistral! That was an exciting twist, and at least with that I can safely assume they will bond heavily over their childhoods growing up as a human in a Vampire family… as well as their hate of Mistral.

All in all, this book was entertaining, and I liked the idea. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!

Again, thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I enjoyed this book! I appreciated that the plot was different from most fantasy books now. I liked how Emelia matures throughout the story and the knowledge that she gains.

The FMC is very naive, which helps the story but at times is a little irritating. There was also too much indecisiveness for my taste, she waffles between her decisions a lot. Overall though, I liked the story!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is a first person-POV romantic fantasy set in an alternative modern day where vampires are real. Emilia Raven is the heir to the Raven vampire house, one of the four great houses. Just one problem: she's human. When her new guard Kyle starts to take her out of her family's home and shows her more of the world, she has more doubts than ever about her future.

I went back and forth on whether or not to call this a romantic fantasy because the term is used in such a broad variety of ways. Is it a fantasy book with a romance subplot that's prominent? Does it have to end in a happily ever after or a happy for now? Does it need to appeal to the crossover reader space? What exactly defines a romantic fantasy that separates it from a fantasy romance or a fantasy with a romantic subplot? I ended on romantic fantasy because, ultimately, the story does not go if the romance between Kyle and Emilia does not exist but I don't think it can be called a fantasy romance by any stretch of the definition. If Kyle is not there, the likelihood of anyone showing Emilia the things that change her perspective are fairly slim but the story doesn’t follow the rules of romance genre.

The setting is more of an alternative modern day UK, particularly England. There are safe zones for humans so they have some protections but many are depicted as ‘free-range blood dancers’ meaning that they are fed from directly instead of giving their blood in a facility and having it bottled. There's also night clubs, cars, and the internet so it's a modern day-ish vampire court rather than something that feels more historical.

Spoilers ahead: the use of instalove here and the romantic relationship as a whole are a lot more for a subversion of tropes commonly found in Romantasy rather than playing them straight. Emilia is extremely sheltered with seemingly little experience with people her own age or romantic relationships. When Kyle is brought in and he shows her how the world actually works, it does draw her closer to him but that's him taking advantage of her naivete. If someone is looking for trope subversion, I think this could appeal to them but if they're looking for a Romantasy that plays everything straight, this probably is not what they're looking for.

Content warning for brief depictions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of romantic fantasies that are about critiquing tropes or subverting expectations

I loved this book! A new take on vampires that I truest couldn’t put down. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

The Last Raven is set in a world were vampires rule, and humans are seen as slaves. It follows Emelia Raven, the human child of two of the most politically powerful vampires, who is set to soon take over as the leader. Not only was this a really cool concept, but its was executed fantastically.
My problem with giving it five stars is that I found the story line a bit predictable and I was a little disappointed by the conflict and resolution.
I think this book would be perfect for fans of dystopian and vampires books.

This book is perfect for late teens/early adults. Even though I’m nearing 30, I still love this and I need book two NOW.

The plot twists were so twisty and I truly didn’t see it coming. I like to think I’m smart and I guess the twists normally but this one TRULY got me.

The world building was very limited but when I took time to reflect after I finished the book, I understood that it was intentional because of Emelias lack of knowledge of the outside world. It was very clever of the author to do this.

The romance was instant it seemed, but it tied together nicely with the plot twist.

But don’t get in your mind that this is a romantasy, it most definitely is NOT!

I loved this book. I couldn’t believe the twist towards the end. I loved Emelia and Kyle, until I didn’t. This story takes a different turn with vampires. Emelia is the sole heir of the Raven vampire clan, but she’s human. Her parents are pure blooded vampires and she has vampire blood but she is human, and her parents keep her hidden until it’s close to time for her to take over. There is betrayal and a surprising ending. I can’t wait for the next in the series.

I’m just love the human-in-a-vampire-world trope!

Emelia, heir to the powerful House of Raven, seems to have it all except her freedom. She’s stuck in a life she doesn’t want, but everything changes when a new guard shows up.

The twists in this story totally caught me off guard, I couldn’t predict it!

It gave me major Twilight vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC!

emelia raven is a human born to vampires. if not for her important family name, her human status would have subjected her to a very different fate. still, hidden away from others, she can’t help but want more. when a new bodyguard is assigned to her, she believes she’s finally found her way out. she has to decide, though, if leaving everyone she loves behind is worth being able to live her own life.

i was interested in this book because i always love reading about vampires. i also thought it was interesting that this book made the vampires/humans dynamic different than normal. in this world, vampires are the dominant group. when emelia’s vampire parents realized she was a human upon her birth, her own father almost killed her. this is just the first of many reasons emelia wants to get out of the vampire sphere. she begins to wonder, where would she be had she not been born a raven? i liked how this was explored throughout the book.

the romance aspect was interesting, but don’t go in expecting it to be a typical romance. i don’t want to spoil anything, so i’ll leave it at that for now!

overall, this was a quick and interesting vampire book. i’d be interested in reading book two!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc. Beautifully written and great for fans of A Dowry of Blood.
She is a human born the 2 vampire rulers, and as she grows she watches how humans are treated as cattle. After humans attack her parents at a party and they take action and attack the human uprises, she decides to run away with her love/vampire guard he takes her to a human section to hide to that they can escape her parents search.

This book had me on a roller coaster and the twist at the end made my jaw drop . Definitely recommend this book if you like:
-Vampires
-forbidden romance
-Royalty
-bodyguard romance
-vampire/human relationships
-political intrigue
Cons:
-very little world building like there is only like 4 countries but that’s all we get
-insta-love

I think there’s a lot of confusion about whether this book is YA or not. Emelia is 17, but even though the writing seemed to be for younger audiences, the content seemed adult at some parts. It’s not super spicy. There’s a good amount of swearing and violence though, so maybe it’s upper YA or NA?

Either way, I really enjoyed this. I don’t get the hate in some of the reviews I’ve seen for this book. Yeah it was instalovey. And trust me, I’m not a big fan of insta love at all. BUT that was done on purpose.
Also, the world building was very easy to understand - and this is a GOOD thing. It’s an urban fantasy set on earth in the very distant future where vampires now rule, (from context I got that they mutated somehow) which I thought was really interesting.

And vampires cry blood tears, which was a really minor but cool detail that I really enjoyed.


SPOILERS BELOW:

Regarding what I was saying about the insta love- it had to be this way because Kyle was always planning to betray her. HE HAD TO SEDUCE HER.

I KNEW there was something up with Kyle. Something about him I didn’t trust at the beginning. I had some guesses about what was up but after a while I kind of forgot about it and then BAM.

Emelia killing him?? Yeah that one got me.

Regarding Michael- I like him. I didn’t know what to expect with him but I wondered if the author was gonna make HIM the actual love interest instead of Kyle, and lo and behold, that’s exactly what she did. At least, it’s what’s implied for the next book.

I loved loved loved this book.
The premise was beautiful, the writing was lovely. The scene set up felt so elegant and gothic.

I loved the world building and the characterization.

Emelia, the sole heir to the House of Raven in a world dominated by vampires. Despite her human nature, Emelia is destined to inherit the crown due to her lineage, setting the stage for a compelling exploration of identity and destiny. The novel delves into themes of forced proximity and forbidden love, presenting a modern twist on traditional vampire engaging drama and unexpected plot. Overall, the novel offers a fresh perspective on vampire narratives, delving in young adult and new adult romance genres.