I've been loving the resurgence in vampire books we've been seeing in recent years, so I was really intrigued when I came across The Court of the Undead. And while I think this book had a lot of potential, it unfortunately didn't work for me. I think the biggest reason was because I didn't enjoy the writing style. I think this book could've used another round of line edits because there were so many phrases that were repetitive, with some paragraphs repeating a word two or three times. I can normally forgive this, but it happened so frequently that I couldn't stop noticing it. The writing was also very action-based, in that we're told what the characters do and say, but it lacked anything internal. The characters' internal thoughts and feelings were rarely mentioned, so I didn't feel like I got to know them at all. And even though the sisters were supposed to be very close, I still know nothing about their relationship upon finishing the book. I also thought it was strange that the catalyst of the story (Yara getting kidnapped) happened off-screen. It all made for a very slow story with very little action.

I'm giving this book an extra star because I thought the setting was unique (even though there wasn't enough world building or description in my opinion) and because the plot was interesting, even if it wasn't well-executed.

Missing sister, vampires, twin brothers manipulating our main girl? Yes please. This was exactly the mysterious book I needed. I’m a sucker for vampires and dark romance.

While I enjoyed the premise and the characters, the writing style made this a little hard for me to get through. While the romantic portion had a great slow burn and was steady, the plot and storyline itself felt choppy to me. I found it hard to keep my interest and while I really wanted to know what was going to happen to our characters, I struggled to enjoy the journey.

I really liked this book a lot. Vampires, slow burn romance, interesting world building. What’s not to love?

The tension, character development, writing style, and unique take on dark romantasy are what holds The Court of the Undead aside from its similar counterparts. I appreciated the different characters and their wildly opposing views, while having some steam mixed in.

All in all, a great read!

"The Court of the Undead" by F.M. Aden is a captivating and darkly atmospheric fantasy novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through a world teeming with supernatural creatures and political intrigue. Set in a realm where the living and the dead coexist uneasily, the story follows protagonist Elara as she navigates the treacherous halls of the Court of the Undead in search of justice for her murdered sister. Aden's writing is both lush and haunting, immersing readers in a world of magic, mystery, and danger. As Elara delves deeper into the secrets of the court, she uncovers dark truths that threaten to unravel everything she holds dear. But amidst the shadows and deception, there are glimmers of hope and resilience as Elara discovers her own inner strength and allies who are willing to fight alongside her. With its complex characters, intricate plot, and richly imagined world, "The Court of the Undead" is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and supernatural intrigue.

Historical vampire romance, yes please! 'The Court of the Undead’ delivers everything you want from a YA - slow burn romance, enemies to lovers and difficult to pronounce names. The narrative weaves romance, and suspense, keeping readers waiting for the next book in this series (which I can’t seem to find any details about yet).

Thank you NetGalley and Northern Light Press for sending a copy of 'The Court of the Undead’ for review consideration.

Thank you NetGalley, Northern Light Press, and F.M. Aden for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Vampires? Yes, sign me up!
And these vampires? Even better.
Great story, great characters. Solid world building. 10/10 no notes

I got 16% into this book and just lost interest in it. While I was loving the world that was being built and the play on history, it felt too choppy. We were switching back and forth between the characters too much for me to really follow what was happening. Might revisit later.

It was the blurb of The Court of the Undead that first caught my interest. The story sounded very much like my cup of tea, so I decided to request it and give it a try. Fortunately, it lived up to my expectations.

I was so interested in the premise of this book and I think that the series had a ton of potential. Overall, this book fell a little flat for me. The pacing just felt off. There would be action but then times when the book lagged and nothing was really going on. This made it hard for me to stay focused on the book. I do think that this can happy a lot in first time fantasy books so I’m excited to see how the rest of the series plays out.

I liked all of the characters and seeing the different relationships. I liked how there was a focus on sisterhood.

The growth of the characters was enjoyable. There are times that I find myself in need of a good vampire story and this definitely did that for me.

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

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

The history and fantasy obsessed girl inside me loved that this was a fantasy set in the Ottoman Empire. The girl in me who hates love triangles struggled a little when Yara was going back and forth between the two men. Although I will say, it wasn’t a bad live triangle.

I loved the inclusivity of this fantasy by using Muslim elements which you don’t see often in fantasy as well as the African main characters. Very fond of the slowburn and the vampire romance(one of my favorites) as well as the bond you see grow between Aelyn and Yara.

the pacing felt a little off in some parts but this was super readable, I definitly was hooked in and read it very quickly!

This book completely swept me off my feet! From the very first page, I was entranced by the vivid characters and immersive world-building. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and I found myself eagerly turning each page to discover what would happen next. Overall, an absolute masterpiece that I would highly recommend to any reader looking for an unforgettable adventure.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5**
Give me a vampire story, and I’m going to give it a go. Luckily, T*he Court of the Undead* by F.M. Aden delivered. This dark and twisted fantasy set in the Ottoman Empire follows the story of two sisters—Yara, who has been kidnapped by the vampir and brought to the Undying Court, and Aylin, who leaves everything she knows in the Ottoman Court behind to save her sister. As Yara is enthralled and tormented by a dangerous set of vampir brothers, Aylin goes undercover with a band of vicious vampir hunters in her quest to find her. Both sisters need to decide who they can trust and who they will need to betray if they ever want to find one another, or make it back home, again.

>>What I loved: Excellent characters—when people talk about morally grey characters, this is what we should be talking about. Power is a central focus here, and I love how unclear it is who we should be rooting for throughout the entirety of this story. A well-written story, in a unique, non-Western setting, and with diverse cast of characters makes this an exciting addition to the fantasy genre. I want to specifically call out the excellent ways in which Aden navigates race throughout this novel—as something that is actively negotiated and discussed throughout the story—is something we should all be admiring and looking to see more of.

>>What I didn’t love: I am normally a big fan of a multi-POV book, but in this case I found that I was initially not very interested in Aylin’s perspective, which made it difficult to get into the book. Eventually, Aylin’s story started to take more shape and by the end I was on board.

*The Court of the Undead* is an easy recommendation for my students who love fantasy and adults who appreciate complex characters. I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, F.M. Aden, and Northern Light Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book! I'm a big fan of vampire stories, and this one did not disappoint. I hadn't seen a lot of vampire books that bring the mythology out of the lens of the nonwestern world, and I really enjoyed that aspect. I also felt that the relationship between sisters Aylin and Yara carried strongly throughout the book, alongside the promised romantic relationships that created some extra drama on the page. I look forward to reading more of the series!