Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Murder
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Blood
Minor: Pregnancy
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
4 🌟
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail
A high drama, heavy plot, spicy Romantasy.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, I’ve some of the authors other works and liked them well enough but wasn’t thrilled, this I actually enjoyed and the ending threw me over the edge.
The main character is high energy, high emotion, making brash decisions and can be kind of childish and bratty, but you really see her go through it and how she’s been forced to deal with things thrown at her one after another through her whole life and you can actually see why she acts that way.
There’s a lot of religious trauma, sexual assault of a child (past tense, not detailed on page), family/abuse trauma, etc throughout this so proceed with caution.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Rape
Terror at the Gates threw me right into the action, and it didn't stop. It took off at a break-neck pace and felt like non-stop action throughout, and I totally loved it! Sure, Lilith was a little frustrating at times; some of her actions and choices felt rather immature, but I grew to love her character more and more, flaws and all. Zahariev was just *stunning*, and easily my favourite character in the book; powerful, protective and ready to set the world on fire to protect the people he cares for, should he need to. I was really invested in their connection, and the short chapters from Zahariev's perspective were just perfection.
The story is pretty vibes heavy, and although there is a plot that runs throughout, I found it hard to pin down at times, but it didn't interrupt my enjoyment at all and I loved the vibes it brought. I would've loved a bit more world-building, especially around the magic system, but again, there was enough there to immerse myself in. It's also the first book of a new series, so there's time for things to reveal themselves more too.
There's a heavy biblical influence that ran throughout the book, and the church played a big role in the story. I would've say you need to have much knowledge in that area, but it's worth noting that the Church/religion isn't shown in a favourable light. It's also worth checking out the trigger warnings if you need to as there is some talk about sexual abuse of a child (off page, but mentioned) and generally an imbalance of power between a minor and an authority figure.
TLDR; loved it, couldn't put it down & cannot wait for the next book!!
** with thanks to the author and Sourcebooks UK who provided a free copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment