A review by shitbookreviews
In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.25

(copy via netgalley)

TL;DR recommendation:
Heavily liked/verging on love. The story was wonderful but my attention wandered from time to time. Definitely edging on the old side of YA.

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Oh. My. Gosh. This is queer AF and I am HERE for it.

✨ Blood magic literally taking over bodies in a weirdly beautiful way
✨ A very shit system where people get thrown to the underworld as a tribute
✨ A royal family where women can never, ever, ever succeed
✨ A pansexual main with a lesbian princess and a non-binary bestie ready to take down the damn system

If that ain’t got you excited, then stop reading because this ain’t the book for you. If it’s got you intrigued, then we shall get along splendidly.

Let me introduce you to our new friend, Rovan. Rovan has had a bit of a shite life; her dad was killed in front of her for the same thing that she had charging through her veins. Blood magic. She did well to hid it until she used it in a very, very public place thus resulting in the world as she knew, crumbling around her.

Normally you’d be tossed into a dungeon etc. to rot your life away but she was whisked into the world of royalty, tethered to a dead shade and actively encouraged to use the magic she spent years concealing. Rovan’s shade lad of a guardian (otherwise known as Ivrilos) has one command he must follow – keep his ward in line. Instead of following the rules, the two form a bond between the living and the dead and go charging in with their new royal friends/lovers to take down the monarchy.

And I can’t not talk about the relationships throughout this. In the Ravenous Dark is set in a world where love is a free thing. Not bound by the dumb laws of the past, homosexual relationships are the norm and polyamorous lovers can freely live their lives. None of this feels forced in any way and I didn’t notice any incorrect misgendering throughout.

This is a wild ride. A standalone novel where a shit tone happens and it can feel a tad overwhelming at times. That being said, it’s written in a style that makes you laugh at situations where you probs shouldn’t be and when the action gets going, it a very easy read.

In the Ravenous Dark comes out on 18th May and you should hug this book with your entire heart.

P.s They mention Polis a lot in this. Whilst it’s a city in their world, it means the police in mine and the confusion was real.