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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel bad having this rating so low. I was really excited to read this book! My problem with it was that I felt like it was juggling too much. I liked the vampires but I felt like the saints added too much and the information we got about the world was just a lot to take in.
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I had really enjoyed Blackwood's debut Within These Wicked Walls, so when I saw this and read historical fantasy romance featuring vampires in Pennsylvania 1863 I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I really did not love this.
For one, I really have no clue what was happening with the prose here. There were moments that felt like it was trying to stay in line with the Civil War era, but 99% of it was written in modern slang. Like there was a "that's rough, buddy" a la ATLA and a variety of "asses" including "stank-ass", "lazy-ass", and "a whole-ass battalion". At one point Alexei literally thinks "As beautiful as my body was, I could see how it might be distressing for a woman traveling alone." I could not handle it. I'm sure there is an audience for this, but it wasn't me.
And the romance? I have questions. There is nothing that makes me believe they actually love each other, or even like each other. I'm a hard sell on vampire/human relationships, or any kind of immortal and human relationships because of the age/maturity differences generously present, and this is no different. Alexei is 300 years old and Jerusalem is 18. And that's not even taking into account the interracial aspect of the relationship.
There's a moment early on where their talking about Confederate vampires and mention Jasper Whitlock which is when I should have DNFed because from there on I just kept thinking of this as a side story in an alternate universe Twilight fanfiction.
I had really enjoyed Blackwood's debut Within These Wicked Walls, so when I saw this and read historical fantasy romance featuring vampires in Pennsylvania 1863 I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I really did not love this.
For one, I really have no clue what was happening with the prose here. There were moments that felt like it was trying to stay in line with the Civil War era, but 99% of it was written in modern slang. Like there was a "that's rough, buddy" a la ATLA and a variety of "asses" including "stank-ass", "lazy-ass", and "a whole-ass battalion". At one point Alexei literally thinks "As beautiful as my body was, I could see how it might be distressing for a woman traveling alone." I could not handle it. I'm sure there is an audience for this, but it wasn't me.
And the romance? I have questions. There is nothing that makes me believe they actually love each other, or even like each other. I'm a hard sell on vampire/human relationships, or any kind of immortal and human relationships because of the age/maturity differences generously present, and this is no different. Alexei is 300 years old and Jerusalem is 18. And that's not even taking into account the interracial aspect of the relationship.
There's a moment early on where their talking about Confederate vampires and mention Jasper Whitlock which is when I should have DNFed because from there on I just kept thinking of this as a side story in an alternate universe Twilight fanfiction.
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had a tough time with the book constantly saying things that took you out of the time period. (Ex. “Dumbass”) That was the first thing I noticed as I began to read.
Going further along in the book, I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character constantly beating up on her “love interest” even if she was wary of him as a vampire. It just seems like a recipe for a bad relationship and I could see how that depiction could give someone the idea that it’s cute when it’s not.
It is a very fast read (I finished in two days.) I don’t know that this one will stay in my collection but I’m glad I got it as part of a book subscription box because the gifts that came with it made it worth it.
Going further along in the book, I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character constantly beating up on her “love interest” even if she was wary of him as a vampire. It just seems like a recipe for a bad relationship and I could see how that depiction could give someone the idea that it’s cute when it’s not.
It is a very fast read (I finished in two days.) I don’t know that this one will stay in my collection but I’m glad I got it as part of a book subscription box because the gifts that came with it made it worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, War
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The whole concept was really cool … vampires & the American Civil War. But the execution wasn’t quite there.
It tried to do some flashbacks with the timeline but I wish it was told consecutively (except for the 300+ year flashbacks). We only know Jerusalem and Alexei after they’ve become friendsand they ARE friends despite the bickering that they aren’t. I would have liked to see their friendship develop linearly instead of through flashbacks. By doing in this way, I think it lost a lot of the impact and potential emotional tension.
Also Jerusalem’s narrative voice was great. I loved how it was written and think really added to her character. But Alexei fell flat to me. He seemed lovesick and that was all.
I understand the balance between world-building and plot but we are suddenly introduced towerewolves and Sasquatch's with very little reference. It felt a bit too much without even hinting at it priorly. It was hard to tell what basis the story has in the Civil Wars besides some minimal links.
I did like it but thought it could have benefited from some more edits.
It tried to do some flashbacks with the timeline but I wish it was told consecutively (except for the 300+ year flashbacks). We only know Jerusalem and Alexei after they’ve become friends
Also Jerusalem’s narrative voice was great. I loved how it was written and think really added to her character. But Alexei fell flat to me. He seemed lovesick and that was all.
I understand the balance between world-building and plot but we are suddenly introduced to
I did like it but thought it could have benefited from some more edits.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
💬: N/A
📖Genres: historical fiction, vampires, romance, historical
📚Page Count: 368
🎧Audiobook Length: 11:06
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ - 2/5
The Dangerous Ones takes place during the civil war, where vampires are working with the confederates to continue enslaving Black folks. Jerusalem is a Saint and Satins have demi god strength and power and they use it to fight vampires. She is a former slave who fought against her slave master and killed him resulting in what she believes to be her whole family being slaughtered. Jerusalem gets word that her brother might be alive so now she's searching for the vampires from her past because they might have him. Alexi is a 300 year only vampire working with Jerusalem, a group of Saints, and the union to fight against the confederates. This definitely reminded me of Ring Shout but I don't think "The Dangerous Ones" reaches it's full potential.
There were a few problems with this story; including confusing time jumps and flashbacks, to misplaced romantic banter, little to no world building and character development, and one dimensional characters. The time jumps were continuously confusing, I don't think they were very helpful in terms of story telling, they actually seemed to detract from the main story. I know that love is supposed to be part of the plot but it really felt like it didn't fit right in the story. It felt like I was reading two different stories, one where the main characters were in an enemy to lovers romance and one where there's action and the civil war with death and vampires. The two genres didn't really mesh well.
Overall, the audiobook narration was okay but, the pacing felt off, the flashbacks were more confusing than anything, the characters were one dimensional, there was little to no character building, the romance didn't really work in this story, little to no world building, and the author used current and modern language instead of historical language from the times (seeing as this is a historical novel). I'm giving this 2 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️ - 2/5 Stars
Thank you [NetGalley.com], Lauren Blackwood (the author), and Macmillan Audio (the publisher) for the arc audiobook (advanced reader's copy.)
📖Genres: historical fiction, vampires, romance, historical
📚Page Count: 368
🎧Audiobook Length: 11:06
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ - 2/5
The Dangerous Ones takes place during the civil war, where vampires are working with the confederates to continue enslaving Black folks. Jerusalem is a Saint and Satins have demi god strength and power and they use it to fight vampires. She is a former slave who fought against her slave master and killed him resulting in what she believes to be her whole family being slaughtered. Jerusalem gets word that her brother might be alive so now she's searching for the vampires from her past because they might have him. Alexi is a 300 year only vampire working with Jerusalem, a group of Saints, and the union to fight against the confederates. This definitely reminded me of Ring Shout but I don't think "The Dangerous Ones" reaches it's full potential.
There were a few problems with this story; including confusing time jumps and flashbacks, to misplaced romantic banter, little to no world building and character development, and one dimensional characters. The time jumps were continuously confusing, I don't think they were very helpful in terms of story telling, they actually seemed to detract from the main story. I know that love is supposed to be part of the plot but it really felt like it didn't fit right in the story. It felt like I was reading two different stories, one where the main characters were in an enemy to lovers romance and one where there's action and the civil war with death and vampires. The two genres didn't really mesh well.
Overall, the audiobook narration was okay but, the pacing felt off, the flashbacks were more confusing than anything, the characters were one dimensional, there was little to no character building, the romance didn't really work in this story, little to no world building, and the author used current and modern language instead of historical language from the times (seeing as this is a historical novel). I'm giving this 2 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️ - 2/5 Stars
Thank you [NetGalley.com], Lauren Blackwood (the author), and Macmillan Audio (the publisher) for the arc audiobook (advanced reader's copy.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In The Dangerous Ones, you can expect:
Vampires x Demigods
Vampires x Demigods
US Civil War Battlegrounds
1863 Historical Paranormal Fantasy
Revenge
Training & Banter
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
Star-Crossed Love
18yo Stabby FMC
Dual, 1stP POV
Upper YA
I'm always up for enemies to star-crossed lovers, and liked that we had a dual POV from both of our main characters. Both were broken for different reasons, and the Black FMC called out the White MMC on privilege and being an evil vampire, but they were able to see the true person beneath all the protective fronts they put on.
I liked the vampire lore, it reminded me of the Vampire Diaries world. They stay the same age mentally as when they were turned, so the MMC still feels and acts 18 even though he's over 300 years old. They can shapeshift, and our MMC chooses the form of a crow or wolf most often. Most of the American Vampires have taken up with the plantation owners, and keep the sky so full of smoke that they can go out in the daytime. These Vampires are working with the Confederate army. There are also other paranormal creatures, and it is interesting how they work into the Underground Railroad.
This was a hard book to rate. I enjoyed the story and do think that these types of slave redemption stories to need to be told, but a lot of the writing was cringy or confusing. The FMC Jerusalem spoke as a southerner would at that time, but also used many modern phrases, so it felt out of place one way or the other.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC for my honest review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of The Dangerous Ones is an intriguing one: in the midst of the Civil War, a young Black woman named Jerusalem has spent a year working alongside Ancient Vampire Alexei and their other allies known as “Saints,” against the Confederate Army. Mentioned in the papers as “The Demon Saint,” Jerusalem possess remarkable reflexes and strength akin to a demigod, a powerful spear that she utilizes to dispatch her enemies and a desire for vengeance against the monstrous vampire who enslaved and murdered her family.
Told from the perspectives of Jerusalem and Alexei and shifting between both of their pasts and their presents, The Dangerous Ones does a great job at presenting their motivations and depicting the depths of their emotions. Given the nature of the setting and the histories of the characters, there are moments of brutality and abuse depicted and the content warnings in the beginning of the audiobook should be given proper consideration.
The narrations from Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson are captivating and they do an excellent job at infusing Jerusalem and Alexei-as well as the other characters-with the believable anguish, vulnerability, teasing and menace that reflects the novel’s writing. Jerusalem is headstrong and fearless in the face of adversity, but more uncertain when when navigating her complicated feelings towards Alexei and while Alexei is charming and steadfast in his adoration of Jerusalem, his carefully hidden fear relating to his own past trauma is also understandable.
In regards to aspects of The Dangerous Ones that I was not as fond of: there are moments when modern dialogue is used and it is jarring in relation to the historical setting. Alexei also refers to Jerusalem by a nickname relating to her diminutive stature excessively, as though the listener may possibly forget that she is very petite.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Told from the perspectives of Jerusalem and Alexei and shifting between both of their pasts and their presents, The Dangerous Ones does a great job at presenting their motivations and depicting the depths of their emotions. Given the nature of the setting and the histories of the characters, there are moments of brutality and abuse depicted and the content warnings in the beginning of the audiobook should be given proper consideration.
The narrations from Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson are captivating and they do an excellent job at infusing Jerusalem and Alexei-as well as the other characters-with the believable anguish, vulnerability, teasing and menace that reflects the novel’s writing. Jerusalem is headstrong and fearless in the face of adversity, but more uncertain when when navigating her complicated feelings towards Alexei and while Alexei is charming and steadfast in his adoration of Jerusalem, his carefully hidden fear relating to his own past trauma is also understandable.
In regards to aspects of The Dangerous Ones that I was not as fond of: there are moments when modern dialogue is used and it is jarring in relation to the historical setting. Alexei also refers to Jerusalem by a nickname relating to her diminutive stature excessively, as though the listener may possibly forget that she is very petite.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A premise that was interesting where a Black woman who has escaped from slavery joins the union army to fight against slavery and new blooded vampires all while seeking revenge against a powerful vampire who destroyed her family. The two main characters share plenty of witty banter and bicker like an old married couple which left me giggling at some of their interactions.
I thought it was going to be a better book in general, however, the progression of the storyline felt a bit chaotic and poorly thought out. There were plot points included that felt like they were there to waste pages and others where the plot wasn’t described as well as I would have liked.
The action packed scenes were few and far between but when they did occur, the characters really came to life to work together and get out of their challenging situations.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**
Actual rating: 3.5
Lauren Blackwood returns with her newest YA historical fantasy novel, The Dangerous Ones. Set in Civil War era America, readers follow Jerusalem, a former slave who escaped after her family was murdered by vampires. Jerusalem has since joined the Union army and has been quite an asset as one of the Saints- people with heightened strength, speed, senses, and endurance. Jerusalem wants revenge on her family's behalf and is willing to put in the work to develop enough skills to do it. Even if that means partnering with Alexei. Alexei is a vampire ally and member of the Union army who has made it perfectly clear all people are equal in his eyes, especially after several hundred years of life. Alexei has an enemy in common with Jerusalem, but it seems his priority is in keeping her safe.
In the interest of full disclosure, I initially attempted to read this novel and couldn't quite get on board with Blackwood's writing style. Everything seemed to fall a bit flat for me, but I was determined to give this book a full chance. As such, I borrowed the audiobook on Everand. Narrators Angel Pean (Jerusalem) and Jay Ben Markson (Alexei) did a wonderful job at humanizing the characters. Their performances were engaging and more than fulfilled the assignment. I doubt I would have finished the book without their voices being lent to Blackwood's words.
Once I got into the story, I was entertained throughout. Both Jerusalem and Alexei are characters that put up a tough front, but have backstory contriburing to how they experience and perceive the world. The romance of the story was believable, if unnecessary and a bit fast-tracked.
The setting was an interesting shift as it appeared that not only were vampires standard but werewolves and sasquatches were included as well. There was a lot of room for expansion in the world if Blackwood were to decide on a companion novel. I specify a companion novel as I truly think Jerusalem and Alexei's story is wrapped up neatly here, so it would be of benefit to follow other characters in any future installments in the world.
Overall, I think this book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Justina Ireland's Dread Nation, but wished for vampires instead of zombies. I was happy to have the opportunity to read this early, was entertained during my read, but don't know that I will remember much detail about the story down the road.
Actual rating: 3.5
Lauren Blackwood returns with her newest YA historical fantasy novel, The Dangerous Ones. Set in Civil War era America, readers follow Jerusalem, a former slave who escaped after her family was murdered by vampires. Jerusalem has since joined the Union army and has been quite an asset as one of the Saints- people with heightened strength, speed, senses, and endurance. Jerusalem wants revenge on her family's behalf and is willing to put in the work to develop enough skills to do it. Even if that means partnering with Alexei. Alexei is a vampire ally and member of the Union army who has made it perfectly clear all people are equal in his eyes, especially after several hundred years of life. Alexei has an enemy in common with Jerusalem, but it seems his priority is in keeping her safe.
In the interest of full disclosure, I initially attempted to read this novel and couldn't quite get on board with Blackwood's writing style. Everything seemed to fall a bit flat for me, but I was determined to give this book a full chance. As such, I borrowed the audiobook on Everand. Narrators Angel Pean (Jerusalem) and Jay Ben Markson (Alexei) did a wonderful job at humanizing the characters. Their performances were engaging and more than fulfilled the assignment. I doubt I would have finished the book without their voices being lent to Blackwood's words.
Once I got into the story, I was entertained throughout. Both Jerusalem and Alexei are characters that put up a tough front, but have backstory contriburing to how they experience and perceive the world. The romance of the story was believable, if unnecessary and a bit fast-tracked.
The setting was an interesting shift as it appeared that not only were vampires standard but werewolves and sasquatches were included as well. There was a lot of room for expansion in the world if Blackwood were to decide on a companion novel. I specify a companion novel as I truly think Jerusalem and Alexei's story is wrapped up neatly here, so it would be of benefit to follow other characters in any future installments in the world.
Overall, I think this book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Justina Ireland's Dread Nation, but wished for vampires instead of zombies. I was happy to have the opportunity to read this early, was entertained during my read, but don't know that I will remember much detail about the story down the road.