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anja_mcm 's review for:
This Ravenous Fate
by Hayley Dennings
Thank you to net galley for the advanced reader copy.
I am conflicted with this book. I enjoyed several aspects of the book; however, I feel it could have benefited from another round of editing and maybe a few extra chapters. The premise of sapphic black vampires in the USA during the 1920s sounded incredibly fun. The book features a variety of different themes, such as race, gender, wealth, and class, and I feel that each one was handled fantastically.
Plot: Set in Harlem, New York, during the prohibition era. We follow Elise Saint, Reaper hunter heiress and her reluctant reaper ally Layla as they investigate the rise in reaper attacks and clear Layla’s name.
What I liked: I loved Elise and Layla’s relationships throughout the book. The author gave us friends to enemies to reluctant allies to lovers very well. Each scene they were in together was interesting, dynamic, and fun. I really understood both characters and their reactions to the events that took place in the book. I found that they were both quite rounded characters who didn’t revolve around just each other; they had personalities, which I liked.
Elise Saint, one of our main protagonists, is very interesting throughout the book as she continuously strives for her father’s approval and almost collapses under his intense pressure. I sympathised with her greatly and enjoyed the pacing of her finally achieving her freedom from her family and family business of hunting reapers.
Layla Quinn, Elise’s reaper ex-best friend, was an incredibly sympathetic character who I adored. From the beginning, the reader feels her pain, anger, and longing for Elise. The book drifts from both characters’ points of view seamlessly. The characters have distinct voices and stories that we can follow easily. I loved seeing both sides of the slow burn, and I hope the author does the same in the next book. I am looking forward to reading it.
What I disliked: Sadly, I think the book could benefit from another round of editing; the mystery and investigation felt slightly convoluted, and when we reached the end of the book, I didn’t find the answers to my questions. I also found that Elise’s father, Tobias Saint, was difficult to understand. I didn’t understand what his motivations were or what his end goal was as a whole. I hope this is rectified in book two.
I am conflicted with this book. I enjoyed several aspects of the book; however, I feel it could have benefited from another round of editing and maybe a few extra chapters. The premise of sapphic black vampires in the USA during the 1920s sounded incredibly fun. The book features a variety of different themes, such as race, gender, wealth, and class, and I feel that each one was handled fantastically.
Plot: Set in Harlem, New York, during the prohibition era. We follow Elise Saint, Reaper hunter heiress and her reluctant reaper ally Layla as they investigate the rise in reaper attacks and clear Layla’s name.
What I liked: I loved Elise and Layla’s relationships throughout the book. The author gave us friends to enemies to reluctant allies to lovers very well. Each scene they were in together was interesting, dynamic, and fun. I really understood both characters and their reactions to the events that took place in the book. I found that they were both quite rounded characters who didn’t revolve around just each other; they had personalities, which I liked.
Elise Saint, one of our main protagonists, is very interesting throughout the book as she continuously strives for her father’s approval and almost collapses under his intense pressure. I sympathised with her greatly and enjoyed the pacing of her finally achieving her freedom from her family and family business of hunting reapers.
Layla Quinn, Elise’s reaper ex-best friend, was an incredibly sympathetic character who I adored. From the beginning, the reader feels her pain, anger, and longing for Elise. The book drifts from both characters’ points of view seamlessly. The characters have distinct voices and stories that we can follow easily. I loved seeing both sides of the slow burn, and I hope the author does the same in the next book. I am looking forward to reading it.
What I disliked: Sadly, I think the book could benefit from another round of editing; the mystery and investigation felt slightly convoluted, and when we reached the end of the book, I didn’t find the answers to my questions. I also found that Elise’s father, Tobias Saint, was difficult to understand. I didn’t understand what his motivations were or what his end goal was as a whole. I hope this is rectified in book two.