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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Sometimes things were awkwardly phrased and the pacing was weird and there just were unconvincing choices made but I liked a lot of the ideas the book tried to tackle, including Elise’s OCD and anxiety
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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
A lot things were done well, this author definitely knows how to write, but the pacing and overall plot started to drag about a quarter of the way in and I was left feeling insatisfied. The dynamic between the two main characters so was so good at times, but I felt like we barely got to see their relationship really develop from enemies to lovers
3 stars. Intriguing, but a bit all over the place. I wasn't fully invested in any of the characters, sadly, though overall it was an interesting read and good for Halloween.
I had been anticipating this book since I saw it announced on Twitter. Immediately, the concept of Black sapphic vampires in the 1920s Harlem intrigued me and I was excited to see Hayley Dennings's take on it.
I will say I was such a fan of the setting and time period Dennings chose to set this story in. I loved that even with the story set in the 1920s, there was so much casual queerness throughout the book. Of the two POVs, I really enjoyed Layla's chapters. I found the reapers and their relationships/history to be very fascinating. I specifically really liked Layla's dynamic with Mei. Getting OCD and anxiety rep in Elise's POV was an pleasant surprise. In my opinion, the book was at its strongest when discussing classism, racism, and systemic oppression, as well as the intersections between them. I loved the moments where privilege was called out, especially in scenes between Layla and Elise. One of the recurring messages in the book is that siding with oppressors cannot protect you, which feels very relevant.
With that being said, I feel like this book would have benefited from a few more rounds of editing. I think the pacing really suffered at times. I didn't really care for the main romance and was surprisingly more invested in the friendship angst. I almost wish that the first book focused more on their friendship and reconciliation, as well as the budding feelings that they had, but that they got together in the sequel instead. I also wish that there were less scenes of Elise's father. They became quite repetitive early on because he is only there to emotionally abuse Elise and leave her distraught. Those scenes ran for a little too long and I think we could've got the same effect, with less page time. I feel like the vampire matroness was underutilized. I think she should have been more present and much more of a heavy hitter. I don't think it made sense for Layla to believe the Saint family, especially given her distrust of them and their empire. The ending fell flat for me and was a bit anticlimactic. Honestly, it didn't end in a way that made me believe this needed to be two books instead of one.
Overall, this was an ambitious debut. Hayley Dennings feels like an author with a lot of fresh and interesting ideas. I believe she will only improve with every book and I'm looking forward to see what she puts out in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
This book could’ve used another round of editing to trim it up especially in the areas where the story drags. The characters are great but I feel like we could’ve learned more about them which would have made me more invested. Could’ve probably used an NYC/history buff as a reader during the editing process because the time period it was set in (1920’s Harlem) is sooo rich in history and we didn’t get too much of it in except that prohibition was in place and jazz was playing at every club. Elise also needs some inner work with that ending even though it doesn’t seem like Layla is upset enough about it? But maybe I like a grudge too much, idk.
tl;dr good debut YA novel from a very promising author, could use some extra editing and early readers but very cool premise! Interested to see how book two goes.
tl;dr good debut YA novel from a very promising author, could use some extra editing and early readers but very cool premise! Interested to see how book two goes.
This Ravenous Fate is the debut book by Hayley Dennings. It is a sapphic vampire story set in 1920s Harlem that’s follows Elise, a reluctant heir and Layla, a “reaper” which is this world’s vampire. Due to some strange happenings, the two have to team up to solve a mystery that will involve them uncovering their past.
This was a fun book. I found it to be compulsively readable and I stayed interested most of the time. I will say there are parts that feel very slow and I think this book overall could have been fifty or so pages shorter and it would have worked a lot better. I am happy to see that this is going to be a Duology so the story won’t be dragged out for a long time.
I really enjoyed Elise and Layla as characters. I felt a lot of tension developing between them throughout the beginning of the book. I liked how they developed through the book.
I wish there would have been a bit more lore. I feel like a lot of time was wasted on other things and I was most intrigued by the stuff with the reapers.
I listened to this via audio and while I think the narrator did a great job for the most part, sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between the main characters because the voice didn’t really change. I would recommend anyone that wants to listen to this on audio to just make sure you really pay attention to who is speaking.
I’ll definitely read the sequel and probably other stuff from this author. I know that the target audience will love this book. I’m so excited for this vampire renaissance that seems to be happening!
This was a fun book. I found it to be compulsively readable and I stayed interested most of the time. I will say there are parts that feel very slow and I think this book overall could have been fifty or so pages shorter and it would have worked a lot better. I am happy to see that this is going to be a Duology so the story won’t be dragged out for a long time.
I really enjoyed Elise and Layla as characters. I felt a lot of tension developing between them throughout the beginning of the book. I liked how they developed through the book.
I wish there would have been a bit more lore. I feel like a lot of time was wasted on other things and I was most intrigued by the stuff with the reapers.
I listened to this via audio and while I think the narrator did a great job for the most part, sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between the main characters because the voice didn’t really change. I would recommend anyone that wants to listen to this on audio to just make sure you really pay attention to who is speaking.
I’ll definitely read the sequel and probably other stuff from this author. I know that the target audience will love this book. I’m so excited for this vampire renaissance that seems to be happening!
I loved this book!! The plot, the setting (1920s) and the main characters . I’m not usually a YA reader but I grabbed it purely for the cover and the author and I was pleasantly surprised. Definitely recommend this one.
Not understanding the 3 star reviews because I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book ♥️ Can’t wait to see what’s next after this great debut
