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adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My religious trauma š¤ retellings of biblical figures that call out religious institutions that abuse their power.
This was a very interesting book, the moment this book landed in my hands I knew that this was going to be a book that I wanted to read asap. And it was definitely worth it.
Lilith is a character who has been abandoned and hurt by her loved ones, she holds herself at a distance but only one person really knows her Zahariev (HOT AF NAME) who she's known since birth and has found herself confiding in him as more than a friend.
While the couple is enjoyable and the energy of the novel is entertaining, the execution of it struggles by using unnecessary side plots, the dancing in the beginning being one of the prime examples. That scene provided no development for the story but was rather presented for it's aesthetics.
Lilith and Zahariev have very clear chemistry, it's potent. I wish we would've gotten to see more of its origins as to how Zahariev became so obsessed and about how Lilith found him to be a very needed ally because they already have a built relationship outside of this book, it's hard to follow up with the relationship building, making the romance feel very random. In other words, this book feels like we have been dropped into a story already developed but lacking context.
The book is more complex outside of Lilith and Zahariev, it's content calling out religious institutions for exploiting and abusing their power over women. As someone who has their own religious trauma this part of the novel called out to me the most. Lilith is labeled as a destruction and while it has hurt her, she doesn't let it define her. She is unapologetically herself and in Ninevah that is vital for survival.
I wouldn't go as far as calling this a feminist retelling of Lilith, from what we have seen. While we see Lilith discover very vital parts of her identity. Zahariev is always sweeping in to save her, and while it is charming it also feels like he's babying her at times.
This publishing company isn't known for it's marketing skills and this proves why.
The side characters are sweet, Cherub being a kitten that stood out to me the most.
It's clear that the author is extremely passionate about this book, she's done the research and cares about the work she's presenting. I just think that her publishing team fails to follow through with ways that the book could've been further developed.
The series is still being developed, in this, I hope that more questions are answered and further context is provided to understanding this world and it's characters. I do want to continue reading because I'm nothing more than a curious reader.
This was a very interesting book, the moment this book landed in my hands I knew that this was going to be a book that I wanted to read asap. And it was definitely worth it.
Lilith is a character who has been abandoned and hurt by her loved ones, she holds herself at a distance but only one person really knows her Zahariev (HOT AF NAME) who she's known since birth and has found herself confiding in him as more than a friend.
While the couple is enjoyable and the energy of the novel is entertaining, the execution of it struggles by using unnecessary side plots, the dancing in the beginning being one of the prime examples. That scene provided no development for the story but was rather presented for it's aesthetics.
Lilith and Zahariev have very clear chemistry, it's potent. I wish we would've gotten to see more of its origins as to how Zahariev became so obsessed and about how Lilith found him to be a very needed ally because they already have a built relationship outside of this book, it's hard to follow up with the relationship building, making the romance feel very random. In other words, this book feels like we have been dropped into a story already developed but lacking context.
The book is more complex outside of Lilith and Zahariev, it's content calling out religious institutions for exploiting and abusing their power over women. As someone who has their own religious trauma this part of the novel called out to me the most. Lilith is labeled as a destruction and while it has hurt her, she doesn't let it define her. She is unapologetically herself and in Ninevah that is vital for survival.
I wouldn't go as far as calling this a feminist retelling of Lilith, from what we have seen. While we see Lilith discover very vital parts of her identity. Zahariev is always sweeping in to save her, and while it is charming it also feels like he's babying her at times.
This publishing company isn't known for it's marketing skills and this proves why.
The side characters are sweet, Cherub being a kitten that stood out to me the most.
It's clear that the author is extremely passionate about this book, she's done the research and cares about the work she's presenting. I just think that her publishing team fails to follow through with ways that the book could've been further developed.
The series is still being developed, in this, I hope that more questions are answered and further context is provided to understanding this world and it's characters. I do want to continue reading because I'm nothing more than a curious reader.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
SSC does it again! This book sucks you in with a familiar, yet purposely ambiguous religion-based society. Lilith, our FMC, embodies the journey from victim to survivor to full on rage and independence. Our MMC is with us every step of the way. And this mafia/fantasy/murder mystery novel was a challenge to put down. The cliffhanger!!!! Also, I truly appreciate when an author shares in their author's note their research journey behind their world/character/plot creation. Give me a work's cited page any day!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 Demon Blob Stars āļø
Spicy Rating: š¶ļøš¶ļø.5/5
Spicy Rating: š¶ļøš¶ļø.5/5
āThat was when I realized I was wrong, that there was no difference between what I wanted and what I would choose. The answer had always been Zahariev.ā
šš®š£š¤š„šØššØ:
Lilith is the daughter of one of the most powerful families in the five regions of Eden, a world where men rule, but only women possess magic. Refusing to be controlled or treated like a possession, she flees to Nineveh, the district of sin, to forge her own path. One day, she uses her magic, which is an ability rooted in seduction and persuasion, to steal a blade. But thereās a problem: everyone who comes into contact with this dagger ends up dead. And no matter how many times she tries to get rid of it, it keeps finding its way back to her. Desperate to uncover what the dagger is, why it's drawn to her, and why it keeps killing people, she turns to Zahariev for help. But the more time they spend together, the more their unlikely partnership begins to evolve... into something deeper.
ššš¤šŖššš©šØ šš£š šššš”šš£ššØ:
So it has been a very long time since Iāve read a Scarlett St. Clair book, the last one being King of Battle and Blood, so I wasnāt really sure what to expect. I went in blind with a cautiously optimistic view, and Iām quite glad that I did. This has some of the best vibes Iāve felt in a book in a long time. It brings on that mafia vibe, with a hint of dystopian, but you can feel how itās underpinned by religious metaphors and correlations. Itās done in what I believe is a respectful, tasteful way, while still being true to the elements of where these characters originate in religious texts.
Lilith is an amazing main character because sheās so complex and convoluted in what makes her who she is. Sheās grown up in a society that expects her to be something she doesnāt want to be. She rebels, mainly because the intent is for her to be used and defined by the men in her life, with all her decisions directed by them. She stands up blatantly against this regime and what she believes is wrong. She doesnāt back down from her beliefs and is very pragmatic and resourceful in trying to make her own way. She hates that she's followed by the "spoiled rich girl" history. She doesnāt want to be defined by being rescued, especially by a man, and wants to stand on her own. She does go through a lot of struggles, but sheās independent and strong enough to pull herself out.
Then we have Zahariev, and this man is the epitome of "only soft for her." Lilith tests him constantly. She fights him on everything, clashes with him at every turn, pushes his boundaries, and he is just so patient, caring, and graceful when it comes to her. On the surface, heās dangerous. Heās tattooed. Heās the leader of his faction. But their friendship runs deep. You can see how much they care for each other, even though they both know the political landscape they were raised in means they canāt actually explore their attraction. This dynamic between them creates the most perfect tension and push and pull as they navigate what a relationship would look like in a society where theyāre not allowed to have one. Zahariev would literally burn the world down for her, and even though Lilith can be a little oblivious to what he does for her, itās so sweet and special. You find yourself screaming at the page for her to just open her eyes and see how much he cares and how much they deserve each other.
The plot is primarily written from Lilithās point of view. There are small ending sections in each chapter from Zaharievās POV, but theyāre more like teasers or snapshots of what heās up to. The main story focuses on Lilith and everything sheās dealing with, but those Zahariev snippets keep you hooked and give a glimpse of the bigger picture while Lilith is on her own journey.
Now, if you are religious, I wouldnāt recommend this to you. It pulls a lot from Eden and from the Biblical version of Lilith, and the "story" she represents. Itās not necessarily blasphemous, but if youāre sensitive to that kind of reinterpretation, it might not be for you. This is very much a book about female empowerment and feminine rage. Itās about rising up against misogyny and the patriarchy, and what it means to be taken advantage of as a woman. In todayās culture, I think every woman should read something like this. Especially to realise that no matter what the world has told you to be as a woman, no matter how down on your luck you are, or what peopleās perceptions of you may be, you can stand up and say FUCK MEN. You donāt need a man to choose your path. You can build something for yourself!
The writing was incredibly beautiful and captivating and it kept me engaged the whole time. I also adored the animal companion sidekick who travels everywhere with Lilith. Honestly, I want my own cat sling now. It added these really cute and humorous moments in between all the tension and weight of the plot.
šš§š¤š„ššØ:
ā¶ Feminine Rage Dark Romance
ā¶ Star Crossed "Romeo and Juliet" Romance - Forbidden Romance
ā¶ Mafia Vibes
ā¶ Slow Burn
ā¶ Touch Her You Die
ā¶ Burn the World for You
ā¶ Unique Magic System
ā¶ Poor Girl X Rich Boy
ā¶ Forced Proximity
ā¶ Friends to Lovers
ā¶ Age Gap
šš¤š¢š ššš£š šØ:
ā¢ Brat
ā¢ Car Sex
ā¢ Spicy/Steamy Water Scene
ā¢ Hand Necklaces
and šššš§š¤ šš§š¤š„ššØ:
ā· Nicknames
ā· Chin Lift
ā· "Good Girl"
ā· Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
ā· Undressing/Dressing Help
ā· "Don't Stop"
ā· He Takes Care Of Her
ā· Share a Bath
Overall, I highly recommend this! It makes a bold statement to fuck the patriarchy, and I cannot wait for the next book.
Thank you to Sourcebooks UK, Netgally and Scarlett St. Clair for the gifted copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This will be a rant review so hold onto your wig if ya got one.
Iām weary, honestly truly. The blurb says this is a feminist retelling. Iām seeing āfemale rageā as a descriptor and yeah, Iām tired. This character, Lilith is simply a clueless spoiled brat. She is steeped in privilege. She is steeped in selfishness. Lilith is not a likable character at all. And throwing trauma on her didnāt help. Why? Because there is no growth to her character, no redeeming qualities. She lacked self awareness and empathy. Putting her in an urban setting when she lacks these attributes made her irritating and careless. So, no I did not care for Lilith. She represents everything that is wrong with women who donāt care about anyone else until things start to affect them. When terror comes knocking at their door.
Letās talk about this world. There are seven territories in this world. Here, Lilith comes across a knife which we find out is one of the seven keys to open gates ādoorsā if you will. These seven keys also are supposed to be merged into a sword that is supposed to bring back a betrayed God. Firstly, for much of this read, this knife plays a huge part in what goes on with Lilith. But, itās all unclear and rambling. This world is shaky at best. The magic we are supposed to see is severely lacking. Lilith herself has magic but we donāt truly see it on page. Itās barely described and itās weakā¦. Much like its owner. Itās made clear that she was not taught how to use it so why even add it as a vice for her character? It added nothing.
The love interest. This author has a way she writes her female and male characters. I think as readers, we will either hate or love them. Terror at the Gates is no different in this perspective. Zahariev serves as a backdrop to Lilithās character. This man who is a head of a whole ass mafia family essentially serves as a ācouchā for her. Even when this woman made the dumbest of choices because letās be real thatās what they were.
Anyolways, him: āI would go to war for you.ā
Like, sure my guy. But please stop. He lets this lady run around his territory putting herself and others in danger and did nothing. Sure he got stern with her but yeah he did nothing.
Look, I donāt mind a man that is going to go all out, who is going to protect but he gotta make sense. Call this woman out on her bullshit especially when itās harmful to herself, you or anybody else for that matter. He was useless.
Sidebar: what/who is Zahariev? Because he was able to touch the knife as well and nothing happened to him.
Iām not even going to go in about the religious themes here. Basically, it was useless because this world and its characters are. I can acknowledge the harm but thatās it.
All and all, I did not like this book. The ending was rushed. Four hundred and ninety-five pages and we get a cliffhanger? Bye!
Hereās the thing. Throwing important themes in a story surrounded by inept characters and lazy world building is harmful. Topics such as religious trauma, oppression, indoctrination and sexual assault deserve better. I want authors and publishers to understand this.
Thank you to the publisher, Bloom Publishing for the opportunity to read and review. Just because Terror at the Gates was not for me, it doesnāt mean Iām discouraging anyone else from reading this.
Iām weary, honestly truly. The blurb says this is a feminist retelling. Iām seeing āfemale rageā as a descriptor and yeah, Iām tired. This character, Lilith is simply a clueless spoiled brat. She is steeped in privilege. She is steeped in selfishness. Lilith is not a likable character at all. And throwing trauma on her didnāt help. Why? Because there is no growth to her character, no redeeming qualities. She lacked self awareness and empathy. Putting her in an urban setting when she lacks these attributes made her irritating and careless. So, no I did not care for Lilith. She represents everything that is wrong with women who donāt care about anyone else until things start to affect them. When terror comes knocking at their door.
Letās talk about this world. There are seven territories in this world. Here, Lilith comes across a knife which we find out is one of the seven keys to open gates ādoorsā if you will. These seven keys also are supposed to be merged into a sword that is supposed to bring back a betrayed God. Firstly, for much of this read, this knife plays a huge part in what goes on with Lilith. But, itās all unclear and rambling. This world is shaky at best. The magic we are supposed to see is severely lacking. Lilith herself has magic but we donāt truly see it on page. Itās barely described and itās weakā¦. Much like its owner. Itās made clear that she was not taught how to use it so why even add it as a vice for her character? It added nothing.
The love interest. This author has a way she writes her female and male characters. I think as readers, we will either hate or love them. Terror at the Gates is no different in this perspective. Zahariev serves as a backdrop to Lilithās character. This man who is a head of a whole ass mafia family essentially serves as a ācouchā for her. Even when this woman made the dumbest of choices because letās be real thatās what they were.
Anyolways, him: āI would go to war for you.ā
Like, sure my guy. But please stop. He lets this lady run around his territory putting herself and others in danger and did nothing. Sure he got stern with her but yeah he did nothing.
Look, I donāt mind a man that is going to go all out, who is going to protect but he gotta make sense. Call this woman out on her bullshit especially when itās harmful to herself, you or anybody else for that matter. He was useless.
Sidebar: what/who is Zahariev? Because he was able to touch the knife as well and nothing happened to him.
Iām not even going to go in about the religious themes here. Basically, it was useless because this world and its characters are. I can acknowledge the harm but thatās it.
All and all, I did not like this book. The ending was rushed. Four hundred and ninety-five pages and we get a cliffhanger? Bye!
Hereās the thing. Throwing important themes in a story surrounded by inept characters and lazy world building is harmful. Topics such as religious trauma, oppression, indoctrination and sexual assault deserve better. I want authors and publishers to understand this.
Thank you to the publisher, Bloom Publishing for the opportunity to read and review. Just because Terror at the Gates was not for me, it doesnāt mean Iām discouraging anyone else from reading this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Classism
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Blood
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is my new personality trait. no one talk to me
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault
Minor: Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Characters: 3āļø
Setting: 2.5āļø Where is the world building?
Plot: 3āļø
Themes: 3āļø
Personal enjoyment: 3āļø
Emotional Impact: 2āļø
Overall rating: 3/5āļø
Spice 4/5 š¶ļø
Itās giving rinse & repeat of Hades X Persephone (which I enjoyed) but with Lilith and Zahariev. I mean literally EXACTLY SAME CHARACTERSā¦ same personalitiesā¦ same dynamic.. The plot itself was incredibly predictable because it followed the same outline as Hades X Persephone.
It would have been refreshing to see a more aggressive Lilith, sheās often known for being subservient and assertive in mythology. This doesnāt give that energy at all. This isnāt serving feminist or female rage as marketed. I believe in part 2 of this book you get more of the societal expectations for women vs the want that Lilith has for herself, but still found it lacking.
Very minimal world building. Based in a providence of Eden called Nineveh but itās sandy and thereās a church?
Also the dual POV is very minimal. I wanted more of Zahariev. Heās dark, powerful, and obsessed with what he knows he canāt have.
As always, Scarlett St Clair delivers on the spice. One of the best things about this book honestly. If you enjoy a dark paranormal romance with seductive spice. This book is for you.
I enjoyed the audiobook, Laura Harrowitz, always does an amazing job bringing these female romantasy characters to life.
āShe is terror knocking at the gates.ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault