The premise of this was quite interesting, but I thought the execution fell a little flat. Bly was the only halfway interesting character, and I couldn't for the life of me keep track of what was happening or the timeline it was happening on.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Margie Fuston once again for the win.

The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston is a YA fantasy novel that combines the Hunger Games.....with vampires. Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games. Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson. Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both prizes: resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a choice: her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.

When picking up a Margie Fuston book, you know you're not going to be disappointed. The characters are fleshed out and flawed in all the best ways. The plot keeps you engaged. And the world building is just *chef's kiss*. I feel like this may be my favorite title by her. BUT ALSO I HAVE BEEF ABOUT THAT CLIFF-HANGER OF AN ENDING.

I had to dnf this one. The writing style wasn't for me and I felt like it was more on the younger side of YA. Even with a death starting this off it wasn't enough to have me care for the MC.

Two things you need to know about this one right off the bat:

1. It starts off kind of slow, but it definitely gets better.
2. There is a place called "The Gap" and I kept thinking the characters were referring to the store and then I would get confused because it didn't seem like the kind of world that would house mid-range preppy clothes, but alas.

So if you, like me, find yourself a bit underwhelmed at the start, it really does pick up. And if you, also like me, can't remember that there can be more than one place referred to as "the Gap", then let's be weirdos together! Anyway, we meet Bly, who feels like crap because she got her sister killed. That'll do it, right? And her bestie Emerson, who she's kind of in love with has been a little distant. So she decides she is going to enter this vampire-witch game that will likely end up killing her but probably not because this is the start of a series.

Emerson, despite his insistence that this is a bad-bad idea, won't let Bly do it alone, so they come together to try to win. They end up needing to play both sides, in order to save everyone's lives (and reincarnate Bly's sister) and end up getting themselves very involved in vampire and witch politics, and basically ending up in the midst of a war between the factions. They make some friends, some enemies, and some frenemies along the way. It is fun! It is an adventure! There are twists and turns galore! A few of them I saw coming (especially the "big" one) but there were plenty that I didn't! I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel because this definitely got interesting!

Bottom Line: After a bit of a slow start, I became fully invested in this story, and I have a feeling you will too!

I received an advanced copy of The Revenant Games from the publisher through Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The premise and first chapter of The Revenant Games had me intrigued. Humans fighting for survival in a daring game between vampires and witches. The death of a loved one that the main character can't get over. Color me interested. Unfortunately, the writing and pacing of this story did not fascinate or hold my interest the way I thought it would. While I finished the book, my curiosity to see if I was right about the ending was the only thing that kept me there. The characters didn't stand out, the plot was confusing, and the world-building hurt my head.

Bly was not a bad main character. She was fierce in her devotion to bringing her sister back and saving Emerson. Though she was in over her head for most of the book, it felt very in line with her motivation to save her loved ones. She also had a lot of growth and development from when her sister was taken to working to get her back. However, all of that growth happens off-screen. I was unaware that over a year passes between the time her sister dies and when Bly enters the games. It occurs between chapters one and two, and all that growth also happens there. In chapter one, we have a lovesick, oblivious girl who only thinks about herself. In chapter two, we have a determined and prepared girl who thinks about her actions (mostly). That was such a huge difference and made it feel like it was two different characters because we saw none of that change. Everything happened in the blank space between the period that ended chapter one and the first word of chapter two. Beyond that, there was no change in Bly's character, and I felt cheated out of all the growth we didn't see.

The rest of the characters left no lasting impression. Again, they weren't bad; they just weren't interesting. Honestly, even Bly wasn't that interesting because of all the time we skipped. I usually have no issues with time jumps, but there was so much that happened that we didn't get to see. And now I'm repeating myself, so I will move on.

The plot was extremely confusing. I understood the basics of what was happening, but that, plus the lack of world-building, left much to be desired. The descriptions of people and places were vague at best and nonexistent at worst. I had no sense of where we were. I could not understand the world's layout for the life of me. Time had no meaning. When Bly and Emerson left the human town for the vampire town, I assumed it was right before the games started. I assumed they were taking the twenty hours of traveling through the woods before the games. When they reached the vampire town, I thought that the games started. But then they traveled to the witch town, which, the way I pictured it, was on the opposite side of the human city, meaning it would take them twenty-plus hours to get there. I have no idea how long it took them. It never said. But when they got to the witch town, the games still had yet to start, which made absolutely no sense because why go through what they did in the vampire town if the games were going to start who knows how long later? And tell me how it's possible they did the vampire trial thing but still managed to make it in time for the witch trial. Shouldn't those have happened on the same day, the day before the games start?

Are you confused? I'm confused.

As I said, time held no meaning. Traveling took time at one point and then was instant the next. I don't know. The math isn't mathing for me, and I was getting extremely frustrated with all of the inconsistencies because that wasn't the only one. (Also, this is minor, but I saw the plot twist coming from the beginning of the book, which made me sad. It was very predictable.)

I don't know. The Revenant Games had the potential to be a rousing tale of familial love and sacrifice and blood and insert your hopes and dreams here. It was not.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's already out, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I really enjoyed reading The Revenant Games! It was well written and I read in in just under 2 days! Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the book!

Wow! What a treat! I loved the action, a sprinkling of romance, the supernatural elements, and that cliffhanger!!!!

Bly is 17 and is holding herself together pretty well in a world dominated by witches and vampires. During the Revenant Games, for 2 weeks, the humans are allowed the upper hand. Not that that makes things too easy. As the rules go, whomever captures the most powerful witch gets to resurrect someone from the dead (which is Bly's plan), and whomever captures the Vampire gets Immortality (which also has a story).

This was exciting. It had great characters that I loved learning about throughout the book. Also, the details about this world that the author included really took this next level for me.

Out March 19, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I had a really tough time getting through this one. The synopsis sounded really interesting, and it is marketed as comparing it to The Hunger Games, but it just wasn't enough. Younger YA readers may find themselves connecting more to Bly, but I found her tedious to listen to. The whole story felt very drawn out while still not providing enough detail to satisfy. This one ends in a big cliffhanger so there will definitely be more coming, but I am not invested enough to keep going.

Here's what I thought of this story, just incase you don't want to read my entire review: This has promise, but ultimately the characters and the plot didn't really live up to what the book is described as. I didn't hate this story but it was definitely average.
I didn't really care for the games in this story. "The character(s) must enter trials and games to bring someone back from the dead/win their freedom/win the freedom of others/etc." is such a thoroughly utilized trope that at this point you have to really reinvent it and make it your own for it to be super interesting. This story, in my opinion, didn't really do that. The worldbuilding and set up were a bit confusing, and the presence of The Games™ didn't help because the requirements for entering/being chosen for the games feel a bit random so that whole plot point is a bit nebulous for a while until the plot starts to even out later in the story.
I don't know. I wanted to like this, especially because the cover was really cool. I do think that if you're really into evil witches, evil vampires, or you're a true young teenage reader this would be for you. While I didn't overly love the characters, they were written in such a way that I think younger teens would resonate with. The way Bly thinks and the choices she made were definitely reminiscent of a younger teen trying to figure out themselves and the world. I also liked that the romance of the story didn't necessarily take center stage, and that the story was more focused on The Games™ (even if I didn't enjoy them much). I'm not big into romance, so any books (YA or Adult) where I can say that the romance isn't a huge point is a book I add to my mental list.

I may or may not check out the future books in this series (and there will be more because that cliffhanger was absolutely feral), depending on if my library gets them in.

While I was intrigued by the synopsis it did not live up to the hype. I found Bly, the FMC, to be so annoying that I didn't want to be in her head anymore and her selfishness was unreal. The ending was chaos and not in a good way too. Not sure if I will pick up the next one.

Hunger Games but make it with vampires, witches, and humans! How far would you go to bring someone back to life? Would you enter into a deadly tournament that could kill you? Bly is a seventeen year old girl who lives in a world where witches use blood for magic and vampires need blood for food, and in this world there is truce amongst humans, vampires, and witches. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves and an event known as the Revenant Games occurs. The Revenant Games lets any human play in the games for either the witches or the vampires and the prize is wealthy beyond your imagination and with witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire and in turn, the vampires will offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. Bly has been secretly in love with her childhood best friend Emerson and plans on confessing to him and asking him to run away with her, her younger sister Elise is their mother's favorite, and they are all living in poverty. When Elise helps Bly pick up food to be sold, she accidentally touches a spelled mushroom that was owned by a witch... in turn killing her and Bly feels guilty for doing that. She decides to enter into the Revenant Games to bring back her sister, only before entering Emerson is put under a death curse and now he needs to be turned into an immortal in order to avoid it. They both team up in order to bring back Elise and to save Emerson. Bly finds herself being taken in by the vampire prince, Keirrigan, a handsome prince (along the lines of Carden from Cruel Prince). Kerrigan offers to by Bly's sacrifice to be killed because he is bored with life.... yet the more time she spends with him the more she begins to see underneath his act and that there is a blooming romance between them. But these games are brutal and you can't trust anyone, and when secrets are revealed, can Bly trust those she's put on her team to win or will she have to take out everyone to get what she wants.... if its even what she really wants. This is the first book in a series, and honestly it felt so so similar to the Hunger Games and All of Us Villains, yet lacking the magic of either of those books. I had really high hopes for this book especially since it was advertise as being a mix of All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked (and it really did not feel like Kingdom of the Wicked). I just didn't find myself caring all that much for Bly or really liking any of the characters all that much, I wasn't invested in the love triangle, and I found myself a bit frustrated with Bly's decisions, and yes she is a 17 year old girl but come on, Katniss was young too. The similarities between this and Hunger Games was so glaring it was hard to look past it: older sister of a younger sister who is preferred by their parental figure, in love with her childhood best friend but he's not really the main love interest, a new mysterious guy who cares for her appears and is on her team and is willing to die for her, she's a poor girl fighting against other more powerful sects, like come on. Honestly, the way this book ends with such a HUGE HUGE cliffhanger, really just didn't have me caring all that much and I won't be reading the sequel in the future either. This one wasn't for me and just kind of fell flat of any of my expectations, and I think if you like Hunger games-esque stories, maybe give it a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book has a competition involving witches and vampires, I could not have asked for a book more suited to my interests. I enjoyed reading this book so much. It's fun, intense, and the characters have incredible chemistry. This will absolutely be one of my favorite books to recommend to people this year.

I struggled to find interest in this once the main characters got to the games. I don't know if it was because I had to read it on my phone or if the story just didn't grab me, but I put it down around 30% in. I'll try again after a while.

I did like Bly, though! I thought she was strong, smart, and forceful. I can see how the story will play out, but I am still intrigued by her as a character.

Well now I need book 2. I Loved this book. I actually wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. The world building was well done and the characters were easy to love. The growth was fun to see and I can't wait to see what happens in book two! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun new YA Fantasy/Romance.

Thank you Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Revenant Games" is a dystopian book remiscient of a magical “The Hunger Games” as it combines dark fantasy, romance, and high-stakes intrigue, making it a must-read for fans of dystopian worlds and deadly competitions.

Set in a world divided between witches, vampires, and humans, the story follows 17-year-old Bly who embarks on a dangerous journey to win back her sister's life after she falls victim to a death curse. The Revenant Games, an annual event where participants compete for powerful wishes granted by either witches or vampires, becomes Bly's battleground as she navigates a complex web of alliances and betrayals.

Fuston's writing is both beautiful and engaging, drawing you into a world filled with desperate characters and moral dilemmas. Bly undergoes a compelling transformation from a dreamer to a hardened manipulator as she fights to achieve her goals. I really enjoyed the characterization and growth of Bly throughout the book. I thought her growth felt authentic, and I found myself liking her more and more as the plot progressed. While the romance in the novel takes a backseat to the larger plot, the dynamic between Bly and the enigmatic vampire prince adds depth to the story. This story does have a love triangle, and I normally hate triangles as they’re usually just filled with unnecessary angst, but I think the development between Bely and the vampire prince brought a new angle to the love triangle.

I did find the worldbuilding to be a bit lacking at times, like how the description of the Games can be confusing and convoluted. Worldbuilding can be such a challenge in YA books, especially ones setting up for a sequel, but there were just some parts of the Games that didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Overall, "The Revenant Games" is a YA book that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy romance. With its developed characters and high-stakes action, Fuston has crafted a captivating debut that leaves you waiting for more, especially since this book ended in a pretty big cliffhanger.

Margie Fuston is at it again with a really great read, with more vampires. You start off with Bly who has been dreaming of leaving the despairing life of her human village, and longs to take her childhood best friend with her. However, their village is surrounded by deep dark forests that harbors vampires and witches. She convinces her sister to join her in picking mushrooms, and ultimately she ends up getting hit with a sleeping curse and a death curse courtesy of a cursed mushroom that the witches have placed. This leaves Bly with an immense amount of guilt, and she decides to enter what is called the Revenant Games. The games are one in which you must pick a side: Vampires or Witches. By picking the vampires, one can obtain immortality, but if you pick the Witches, you can resurrect someone you've lost. The catch is that you must capture the highest witch or vampire to win the side you're picking prize. Bly was only anticipating on working with the witches to resurrect her sister, until her childhood best friend who she has loved, ends up with a death curse upon him while attempting to help her. Now the plan begins to get complicated. She must enter for both sides to claim both prizes.

This story was chaotic and captivating, and Margie Fuston is one to always give a major twist I didn't see coming. The biggest of these being that it is not a standalone. The characters were well rounded, although I was screaming often at Bly, because what are you doing? This book didn't disappoint, although I'm going to need the conclusion soon!

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.

Such an enjoyable book in a fun fantasy world. Bly is a character that readers will connect with. Kerrigan is an intriguing character that you just want to figure out, especially why he is willing to die. And the chemistry between Bly and Kerrigan is palpable. I loved that the ending isn’t quite happily ever after. I spent the book unable to decide whether I thought witches or vampires were worse. But also loving the glimpses at the good guys on each side. I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters.

3.5 stars

Bly lives in a human village trapped between witches and vampires. For most of the year, they live in a peaceful truce. But during The Revenant Games, anything can happen. Humans can play for either side. The witches promise to resurrect someone from the dead for anyone who captures the highest ranking vampire. The vampires promise immortality to whoever captures the highest ranking witch..

A year ago, Bly’s sister died. Now, she’s determined to play the Games and win in order to bring her sister back. But when her best friend, Emerson, suddenly finds himself with a death curse, Bly finds herself in an impossible situation. How can she save them both?

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of The Revenant Games to review! If you like dark fantasy romance sort of like The Cruel Prince (but without the Fae), I think this will be up your alley! Especially if you like a little bit of The Hunger Games thrown in.

I’m going to put this early in the review because I thought this was a standalone. Here is your warning that it is not. This book actually ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, so it’s at least going to be a duology. At least, it better be. There’s no way the book would just end there.

At the beginning, I struggled a bit with the world building because it didn’t quite feel clear what was going on. Especially when it came to the requirement for the actual Games. As you read further, the plot starts to get clearer, but I wished that some of those details were a bit more fleshed out at the beginning.

For the most part, the characters were all pretty well developed, even if they weren’t always the most likable. There is kind of a love triangle that goes on here, though not as much drama as a Twilight love triangle. It’s more of love triangle in the sense that Bly was attracted to the same guy for a long time and isn’t necessarily ready to be attracted to someone else. Even though she is. Maybe this will play out more in another book!

All in all, if you like dark fantasy romance with detail packed worlds, this will definitely be up your alley. Check it out when it comes out in March!