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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
i love a good lesbian vampire romance like everyone else, but it did feel like i was reading fan-fiction. for a debut novel this is great, i liked the plot and characters, but it just needed another round of editing.
4.5/5 Stars
Lesbian vampires in the 1920’s? I feel like I barely read books set in this time period so when I got this arc I was absolutely delighted. I knew it’d be a breath of fresh air and it truly was. The worldbuilding in this book was enjoyable, you have the vampires, who in this world are classified as “Reapers” and then the humans. We have Layla, a Reaper who was once human, lost her parents when she was turned and the protection of her best friend's family, the Saints.There is also Elisa, the Saint heir who is just returning after being in Paris for 5 years and she knows the Reapers in Harlem want her dead and gone. They end up working together because there is an issue, reapers are somehow turning human again and they cannot figure out why.
I loved the relationship between Layla and Elisa, although it is definitely an enemy to lovers they have so much tension it's impeccable. Watching them be forced to work together to try to figure out why the reapers are turning human again was interesting because I couldn’t wait for them to kiss or for Elisa to share her blood. Although I do think the mystery was super obvious there was a plot twist I wasn’t expecting when it was revealed what was happening. The ending has me absolutely wondering where this story is going to go also!
Thank to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Lesbian vampires in the 1920’s? I feel like I barely read books set in this time period so when I got this arc I was absolutely delighted. I knew it’d be a breath of fresh air and it truly was. The worldbuilding in this book was enjoyable, you have the vampires, who in this world are classified as “Reapers” and then the humans. We have Layla, a Reaper who was once human, lost her parents when she was turned and the protection of her best friend's family, the Saints.There is also Elisa, the Saint heir who is just returning after being in Paris for 5 years and she knows the Reapers in Harlem want her dead and gone. They end up working together because there is an issue, reapers are somehow turning human again and they cannot figure out why.
I loved the relationship between Layla and Elisa, although it is definitely an enemy to lovers they have so much tension it's impeccable. Watching them be forced to work together to try to figure out why the reapers are turning human again was interesting because I couldn’t wait for them to kiss or for Elisa to share her blood. Although I do think the mystery was super obvious there was a plot twist I wasn’t expecting when it was revealed what was happening. The ending has me absolutely wondering where this story is going to go also!
Thank to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took everything in me to finish this book.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love love love a good sapphic vampire (or in this case reaper) story, and this one was so good! I also really like stories that take place in the Post-WWI/Roaring 20's Era, so 1920's Harlem was such an interesting setting to me as well. I loved both Elise and Layla's stories throughout this book, and I also really loved their dynamic. I'm a big fan of childhood friends turned enemies who then reunite/reconcile once they're older, and I really like the way this was handled in this book. Overall, this book just had a lot of my favorite story elements/tropes and so I really enjoyed it.
One qualm I have with this book which may just be a me problem: while the worldbuilding/fantasy elements felt pretty fleshed out to me, I didn't really feel immersed in the 1920s Harlem setting. I felt somewhat like these characters could have existed in the current century and they wouldn't have felt too out of place, which isn't exactly ideal for historical settings at least to me. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story, but I still wanted to mention it.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out later this year!
One qualm I have with this book which may just be a me problem: while the worldbuilding/fantasy elements felt pretty fleshed out to me, I didn't really feel immersed in the 1920s Harlem setting. I felt somewhat like these characters could have existed in the current century and they wouldn't have felt too out of place, which isn't exactly ideal for historical settings at least to me. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story, but I still wanted to mention it.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out later this year!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the first half of this but my GOD what is that ending? Like what the hell??? We have 40 new plot lines added in the last 50 pages and none of them make sense.
Just didn't click for me. I liked neither of the protagonists, the plot didn't grab me either.
It's just really not drawing me in I'm sorry 😭 sometimes, sapphic lesbians is NOT enough to sell a book to me