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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!~~
3.5/5 stars rounded up.
I was sucked into this book. I spent most of today reading it because I couldn't put it down for too long before going back to it. But when I did finish, I had to sit and reflect for a bit because I felt mixed about some things.
Firstly, the positive: Elise and Layla are both intriguing protagonists with distinct voices/POVs. Dennings did a wonderful job portraying both girls' strengths and flaws. I kept floundering between which of the girls' hatred was more justified against the other, because both of their POVs garnered a lot of emotional weight and made me feel for both of them. Plus, the building of their romance was nearly perfect - and this is coming from someone who typically can't stand an enemies-to-lovers romance.
The writing is also really great. Lots of vivid scenery description and dialogue exchanges between characters, but I think my favorite aspects were whenever music was involved. Elise plays the piano, and she uses music as an outlet of whatever emotion she needs to let out. I absolutely adore musical metaphors when they're done right like this.
There are a couple things that hold me back from loving this, such as the rushed ending. I don't wanna get into it too deeply here, but the romantic tension is rushed through at the end and left me in a confused state on where Elise and Layla's relationship stands. The worldbuilding also felt incomplete at some parts, with Dennings focus being on Elise or Layla's emotional turmoil repeatedly rather than painting a clearer picture of the world they inhabited. There was also a twist with Elise's sister and Layla's mom-figure that came out of nowhere at the last minute? I kinda figured there was something weird going on there, but that reveal still was weird for me.
Overall, this is a good book, and I very much hope any issue I have here will be expanded upon and/or resolved in the next book.
3.5/5 stars rounded up.
I was sucked into this book. I spent most of today reading it because I couldn't put it down for too long before going back to it. But when I did finish, I had to sit and reflect for a bit because I felt mixed about some things.
Firstly, the positive: Elise and Layla are both intriguing protagonists with distinct voices/POVs. Dennings did a wonderful job portraying both girls' strengths and flaws. I kept floundering between which of the girls' hatred was more justified against the other, because both of their POVs garnered a lot of emotional weight and made me feel for both of them. Plus, the building of their romance was nearly perfect - and this is coming from someone who typically can't stand an enemies-to-lovers romance.
The writing is also really great. Lots of vivid scenery description and dialogue exchanges between characters, but I think my favorite aspects were whenever music was involved. Elise plays the piano, and she uses music as an outlet of whatever emotion she needs to let out. I absolutely adore musical metaphors when they're done right like this.
There are a couple things that hold me back from loving this, such as the rushed ending. I don't wanna get into it too deeply here, but the romantic tension is rushed through at the end and left me in a confused state on where Elise and Layla's relationship stands. The worldbuilding also felt incomplete at some parts, with Dennings focus being on Elise or Layla's emotional turmoil repeatedly rather than painting a clearer picture of the world they inhabited. There was also a twist with Elise's sister and Layla's mom-figure that came out of nowhere at the last minute? I kinda figured there was something weird going on there, but that reveal still was weird for me.
Overall, this is a good book, and I very much hope any issue I have here will be expanded upon and/or resolved in the next book.
more of a 2.5 probably… just a bit messy plot wise :/
adventurous
mysterious
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
It might be because it’s in audiobook format but it was going way too slow for me and I started losing interest. The book felt mostly like the characters were always reflecting on themselves rather than moving the plot along. Basically, I got bored.
adventurous
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
dark
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
It’s an interesting twist on vampires but the dystopian twist on the 1920s didn’t catch for me. The setting and people felt too modern to be entirely believable. I will say it was entertaining though and I wouldn’t purposefully seek out the next in the series but I would read it if it crossed my path.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
“It was as if Elise was made up of stars and the dust between the planets. In her, Layla was certain she would find the whole universe.”
You should know two things about me: I LOVE lesbians, and I LOVE vampires. So when I saw this had both and it was set in 1926 Harlem New York I got SO excited. I honestly loved this book. Now was it a little slow paced at times? Yes. Do I wish there was more world building? Also yes. But overall this was a solid debut, a very unique take on vampires, and it honestly made me eager to read Hayley’s future books. Especially the next book in this series! Elise & Layla have phenomenal banter, angst, and truly sensual moments (not explicit sex scenes). I absolutely adore them! Additionally, the way Hayley wove in history, politics, and the reality of being Black in America, was so brilliant. Once again, I’m beyond excited to read more books from her.
*It’s not a standalone, which I did not know until I finished. But the ending isn’t a painful cliffhanger. It simply leaves the world open for future books.
You should know two things about me: I LOVE lesbians, and I LOVE vampires. So when I saw this had both and it was set in 1926 Harlem New York I got SO excited. I honestly loved this book. Now was it a little slow paced at times? Yes. Do I wish there was more world building? Also yes. But overall this was a solid debut, a very unique take on vampires, and it honestly made me eager to read Hayley’s future books. Especially the next book in this series! Elise & Layla have phenomenal banter, angst, and truly sensual moments (not explicit sex scenes). I absolutely adore them! Additionally, the way Hayley wove in history, politics, and the reality of being Black in America, was so brilliant. Once again, I’m beyond excited to read more books from her.
*It’s not a standalone, which I did not know until I finished. But the ending isn’t a painful cliffhanger. It simply leaves the world open for future books.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i loved the setting and characters so much. but it kind of dragged--i feel like this book was too long, and even though I loved the audiobook narrator I think I personally would have digested this book better in physical form since it was so long. but the lore was very interesting and the whole book was so atmospheric
thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a young adult historical fantasy, set in 1920s Harlem, and follows reaper (this world’s version of vampire) Layla and heiress to a reaper-hunting legacy Elise in dual perspectives. I found the switching points between the two characters a bit confusing at first just because sometimes it jumps perspective inside the chapters, and I also had a strong preference for Layla’s perspective. I thought the setting was great, and the way vampirism was added as a historical event was a neat (and horrifying) world building detail I appreciated. This book did lean heavily into the romance angle, and while I did greatly appreciate the Sapphic representation , it unfortunately felt a bit rushed. That’s another complaint that isn’t really a complaint that I have, which is that This Ravenous Fate is book one of a duology, and I think because of that it does suffer in the pacing department. I still think it’s a good read, but personally I’m going to wait to cast judgment on the story itself until the second book comes out.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes