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shay_talksbooks 's review for:
Terror at the Gates
by Scarlett St. Clair
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith is trying to make her own way in Nineveh, a district of Eden devoted to sin. She uses her magic to steal, until she comes into posession of a beautiful blade. Thinking all her worries are over she takes it to her usual buyer, who dies suddenly whilst inspecting it. Lilith turns to Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh; he deals in information, and uses extortion for power, but when presented with the blade he isn't sure if he can protect Lilith from what's to come.
Terror at the Gates threw me right into the action, and it didn't stop. It took off at a break-neck pace and felt like non-stop action throughout, and I totally loved it! Sure, Lilith was a little frustrating at times; some of her actions and choices felt rather immature, but I grew to love her character more and more, flaws and all. Zahariev was just *stunning*, and easily my favourite character in the book; powerful, protective and ready to set the world on fire to protect the people he cares for, should he need to. I was really invested in their connection, and the short chapters from Zahariev's perspective were just perfection.
The story is pretty vibes heavy, and although there is a plot that runs throughout, I found it hard to pin down at times, but it didn't interrupt my enjoyment at all and I loved the vibes it brought. I would've loved a bit more world-building, especially around the magic system, but again, there was enough there to immerse myself in. It's also the first book of a new series, so there's time for things to reveal themselves more too.
There's a heavy biblical influence that ran throughout the book, and the church played a big role in the story. I would've say you need to have much knowledge in that area, but it's worth noting that the Church/religion isn't shown in a favourable light. It's also worth checking out the trigger warnings if you need to as there is some talk about sexual abuse of a child (off page, but mentioned) and generally an imbalance of power between a minor and an authority figure.
TLDR; loved it, couldn't put it down & cannot wait for the next book!!
** with thanks to the author and Sourcebooks UK who provided a free copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
Terror at the Gates threw me right into the action, and it didn't stop. It took off at a break-neck pace and felt like non-stop action throughout, and I totally loved it! Sure, Lilith was a little frustrating at times; some of her actions and choices felt rather immature, but I grew to love her character more and more, flaws and all. Zahariev was just *stunning*, and easily my favourite character in the book; powerful, protective and ready to set the world on fire to protect the people he cares for, should he need to. I was really invested in their connection, and the short chapters from Zahariev's perspective were just perfection.
The story is pretty vibes heavy, and although there is a plot that runs throughout, I found it hard to pin down at times, but it didn't interrupt my enjoyment at all and I loved the vibes it brought. I would've loved a bit more world-building, especially around the magic system, but again, there was enough there to immerse myself in. It's also the first book of a new series, so there's time for things to reveal themselves more too.
There's a heavy biblical influence that ran throughout the book, and the church played a big role in the story. I would've say you need to have much knowledge in that area, but it's worth noting that the Church/religion isn't shown in a favourable light. It's also worth checking out the trigger warnings if you need to as there is some talk about sexual abuse of a child (off page, but mentioned) and generally an imbalance of power between a minor and an authority figure.
TLDR; loved it, couldn't put it down & cannot wait for the next book!!
** with thanks to the author and Sourcebooks UK who provided a free copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault