#NetGalleySRC Not my favorite take on Buffy/Teen vampires, but not the worst I’ve ever read. I think I’d enjoy it more if I was a teen today who had no idea about Buffy and other teen vampire series but it was for sure a fun read.

I had very high hopes for Sign of the Slayer... when you tell me it's a cross between full metal alchemist and the vampire diaries I instantly will be hooked, so long as it delivers and unfortunately this did not. The writing style just isn't for me, and feels like it's very childish, even too much so for it's intended audience. This book relies on pop culture references to keep people hooked and they're shoehorned in to a degree that makes them come off very cheesy. If I believed in DNFing books, this would have been one of them.

Sharina Harris's Sign of the Slayer held a lot of potential. Vampires, slayers, the supernatural, and a forbidden romance... As a Buffy fan, I couldn't wait to dive into this story! Unfortunely, this book didn't live up to it's promise and it was a struggle for me from the onset.

Raven's life has never been what one would consider normal, but it's her life and she owns it. That is, until her high school marching band's bus is attacked by vampires and all of her friends are murdered. After being whisked away by a handsome stranger with supernatural powers, Raven's life is turned upside-down and nothing will ever be the same again... Sent to an academy of Slayers and Alchemists, Raven must navigate this new life she was thrust into and her new powers that are somehow stronger than anyone can explain. When a powerful Slayer object goes missing, Raven must work alongside the creatures she hates in order to find answers. Cans she put aside her prejudices in order to complete her mission, or will her anger and resentment doom them all?

Sign of the Slayer was an arduous read for me and I honestly should have DNF'd it when it took me five days just to get to 20%. At the beginning I was intrigued by the Buffy-esque vibes and academia setting. The storyline was a bit all over the place though making it difficult to follow from the start. It felt like the author had a lot of ideas that were never fully developed. I was interested in the academia setting itself, a cool concept of slayers and the scientists behind them, and wished the author had spent more time on world-building there so that we could have delved deeper into it's fundamentals. Readers receive substantial surface level information regarding the sciences behind the Slayer and Alchemist marks and weapons, but when the concepts came into play they didn't stick and made little sense.

The story is told in dual POV's. So while readers are learning all of the intricacies of the Slayers through Raven's eye, their history, and the tenuous truce between them and Vampires, you're thrown into the middle of vampire politics with Khamari's POV. It was a lot to keep track of, especially since all of these plot points were fragmented and not fleshed out. The budding relationship between Raven and Khamari is what ultimately kept me reading despite the insta-love feel to it all; angry FMC meets broody vampire MMC...heck yeah! However the actuality felt forced and I was unable to relate to either of these characters in the end. While Raven began as an entertaining MC with a snarky, take no sh*t attitude, it quickly became redundant and her character lacked any true depth beyond that snark. Her emotions were volatile, which while understandable under the circumstances, caused her to mouth off and make brash decisions. Id didn't see any real growth in her character and I was never certain of her true feelings. She was a walking contradiction for a majority of the story.

Then, there were a number of inconsistencies that took me out of the story often. For instance; the killing of a Royal (Which I believe was a born vampire?) was forbidden on one page, but on the next it was okay if done by the Maximus. Another instance was when the Slayers didn't want the Vampires in the know, but on the next page it was suddenly okay for an entire faction and the Prince to be aware. I had to keep going back to check what I had read. Bottom line, I was unable to connect with the writing and characters in Sign of the Slayer like I had hoped to and I won't be continuing with this series. Which is a shame, because I really wanted to love this book!

✔️ Buffy the Vampire Slayer
✔️ Vampires, Slayers, and the Supernatural
✔️ Young Adult
✔️ Academia
✔️ BIPOC Author
✔️ POC MC's
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Intsa-Love
✔️ Royal Politics
✔️ Secrets and Scheming

I am so grateful to have received an ARC for this book from NetGalley and Entangled Teen. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as i thought I would. I DNFed this book 35% through, the first ever book I'ved DNFed. The FMC's writing felt like an adult trying to fit in with a group of teenagers. It felt forced and wasn't realistic to what teenagers actually sound and act like. However, I did enjoy the plot and I think this book likely has a lot of potential. It had an interesting plot line that I wish I could've seen through. I believe my problems with it can be boiled down to personal preference. Again, a huge thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.

“Can I… Can I take a shower?”
“You just took one,” Rich whines.
I gesture at my blood-covered arm. “That was before I ripped out someone’s heart.”
He snorts. “Next time, stab them with silver.”

Actual Rating - ⭐⭐⭐.25/5.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Entangled Teen Publishing and Sharina for the review copy!

Requesting the book was a no-brainer because I love vampires. I am absolutely, positively, 100% obsessed with them. Meaning -> my expectations were high. While I'm quite a fan of 1) the plot, 2) the interactions between Raven and Khamari, 3) the dual points of view and 4) some of the fun, thrilling moments, the execution was average. It gets better after a while but the introduction really sucked for me. So much I almost dnfed it. Glad I didn't though. There are plenty of areas for improvement but as a debut novel, it's a yes from me. The writing can and will improve and I'm excited to read what Sharina writes next!

Favourite quotes :

1. "He sounds genuine, like he honestly wants to save the world. But he can’t. How can a monster save the world?"

2. People die. Always in my arms. I’m too late. Always, too late.

3. Last night, he’d tried to convince me to give him blood after I told him how tired and woozy I’d been after he’d walked my dreams the other night. After five minutes of hearing his pleas, I snapped and told him I wasn’t the American Red Cross.

I had to DNF this book. The writing is very one dimensional, and came across cringey. Things happened so fast, with no build up, no established world, all of a sudden a bus of children were murdered, her best friend is dead, oh vampires are real get with that real fast, and we just have to go with it?

It came across, to me, not so much as a book but as a tv show.

I wanted to be able to get into this one, because the overall story does sound interesting, and others have seemed to find it very entertaining and worth the read so I might be in the minority. For that, im glad!

Raven is a leader in their high school marching band
They've been at a game, things didn't go as planned.
Instead of travelling home safely, their bus came under attack-
Now none of the band will ever be coming back.

For Raven, this is the start of new views
As it seems she has secrets that to even her are news.
She's taken to a slayer academy to learn new skills
Ones that'll help her ensure every vampire she meets she kills.

But then she meets Kharmari who she had met before
He's a vampire prince who helped her she is sure.
Can she trust him, that she doubts
There's so much more she needs to find out.

Get ready for adventure, battles and mystery,
Entwined skilfully with different folks from history.
A new explanation for how vampires came to be
And how some aren't so bad, if you only wait to see.

After a slow start, the pace picks up and revelations flow
Making this a great read with so much to get to know.
It is the first in a new series and now I'm sad to have to wait
As I need the next book now to discover what's their fate!

This is not just for teens, it is such a great read,
I hope you agree it is one you also need.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

hank you to Entangled Teen for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not your typical vampire / slayer story, but if you were or are still a Buffy fan, I think you’ll likely enjoy this one!

Lots of action throughout, and plot twists galore. I also love a sassy FMC, and our girl Raven is very much that and then some.

I’ll be interested to see where book two takes these characters.

Sign of the Slayer is an urban fantasy for those who are very nostalgic for the era of their success. A super fun book, with a very special protagonist, she has a very great charisma that carries the book, I didn't like the male protagonist that much, but I wasn't offended either. Unfortunately, from 70% onwards the book lost a bit of pace with me and I ended up losing a little interest, but it's still a pretty cool book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was such a wild card for me. I didn't know what I was going into, but it absolutely blew me away. I love the idea of a teenage vampire slayer. This trope has been done so many times before and its easy to fall into that predictable trope. I think this book was so unique in its portrayal. There were points where it felt slow and draggy, which made me take it down a star, but this book was still an easy read and very enjoyable. It was fast and fun and easy to follow along with. I will be reading more from this author as it comes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. It starts a little slow but once it gets underway wow oh wow. Nothing like a good Vampire and Slayer book. Read this book.

#

"Sign of the Slayer" is a young adult novel that tells the story of Raven, a teenager who discovers that she is a slayer after her friends are attacked by vampires. As a slayer, she is transformed into a powerful vampire-killing machine and is sent to the American Slayer Society's school, which is humorously abbreviated as "ASS."

The book is full of interesting mythology and lore surrounding the origins of vampires and alchemists. While the abundance of information on this topic can make the story a bit difficult to follow at times, it adds depth and complexity to the world in which the characters live.

However, the dialogue in the book is absolutely hilarious and contains some memorable quotes such as “Of course the chosen one is a mediocre white man” and “You’re not sticking your dream peen inside of me.” These moments of humor provide a welcome break from the more serious themes of the book.

Overall, while "Sign of the Slayer" may not be my top pick for young adult fantasy novels, I still recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories with a touch of romance and plenty of vampire action. The concept and writing are strong enough to make it a worthwhile read, despite its occasional difficulties with pacing.

I absolutely loved loved loved this book. This book had my two favorite themes: vampires and academies. What more could I possibly ask for? I give this an 8.5/10

Fun read for supernatural fans!
18yo Raven is on a band trip with her Atlanta high school band and she’s surrounded by friends. When something attacks the bus out of the blue, the passengers have no idea what’s happening. Raven is the lone survivor and is taken to a hotel where she can recover. She discovers that her rescuer, who she calls Pretty Boy, wants to erase her memories from the attack. Raven avoids losing her memories and discovers that her rescuer is the 23yo vampire Prince Khamari and he's taking her to the Slayer Academy to teach her about the skills that she never knew existed.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the humor. The mystery surrounding the attack and the Slayer/vampire society was interesting. I like Prince Khamari’s character because he’s the most complex character in the book.
Language: R for 227 swears and 20 f-words.
Mature content: R for sex with some details.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Raven is Black. Deidra is white. The chosen one is a white man. Khamari has mahogany skin.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Vampire Diaries fans gather around. I’m here to tell you why you should want to grab this book ASAP.

Sharina Harris was a new-to-me author with this title. But as a #BuffyAndAngelForever OG fan and later a big Vampire Diaries fan, the blurb and the cover were a massive draw for me. And when I found that the heroine was a marching band geek (I was once one, then my oldest child made me a marching band mom), I couldn’t have been happier. Raven and Khamari brought definite Buffy/Angel, and Elena/Stefan vibes as seemingly star-crossed lovers. However, I’m hoping for a much more satisfying ending for them, and here’s hoping Alexander ends up with the same fate as The Master. Since the book ends in a cliffhanger, these remain to be seen.

As far as how interesting the plot is, the book grabs you by the collar and yanks you in from the outset. It’s spooky and creepy in the best possible way, with an epic fight scene that left me in tears. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and felt the story was well-written. Action abounds, but I did feel like the plot dragged some about halfway to three-quarters of the way through because there was so much history it was a big information dump at times. It wasn’t enough to walk away from the story by any stretch of the imagination, though, as all of it was important for world-building.

All right. We’ve chatted about the premise and plot, so let’s briefly discuss the characters. The character growth with our heroine, Raven, was fun to watch, so to speak. As the plot progressed, she went from a typical, somewhat self-centered young girl to a more selfless young woman. I enjoyed Khamari’s character but wanted to smack him a little by the end. I hope the author gives us more of his POV in the next book so I better understand why he made some of his choices in this one. And the cast of secondary characters was fabulous, especially Raven’s grandmother. I’m crossing my fingers that we see much more of her in the next book. I can only imagine how much more awesome Buffy would have been with a grandma like Raven’s.

With so many possibilities for how the next book might play out, I’m honestly excited for it. And I’ll be checking out Ms. Harris’ backlist in the meantime.

NICUnurse’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Raven’s a typical high school student, but one night after marching band it all upends itself. All her band mates are killed by vampires and she soon learns she is a slayer(yep just like the infamous Buffy). She becomes an agent and soon has to team up with Prince Khamari to save the world.

This was a fun fantasy, but it’s definitely YA. It’s written for the younger generation but still enjoyable. Raven is sarcastic and definitely holds her own. The world building is definitely not lacking imagination either.

So if you like Buffy and/or Vampire Diaries this definitely is a book for you. It’s adventurous and comical.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, and I was blown away. Having an affinity for all things academia as well as vampires, Sign of the Slayer was most definitely right up my alley!

Character development with the FMC was done well with high school dramatics and personal struggles that needed to be overcome. We have Raven, the underdog marching band “nerd,” who rises up into a fierce Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque female lead. When she is faced with a real vampire prince called Khamari, who is the keeper of mysterious secrets, Raven must juggle her internal struggle for revenge and pairing with the vampire prince to fight against something far larger.

I do enjoy multiple points of view to gain insight and perspective, contributing to the story’s development. I also think realistically, Raven would have needed a bit more time in accepting the fast-paced changes that were happening. Overall, this was a fun read. As stated, I love vampires and academia, so definitely grab Sign of the Slayer ASAP or move it to the top of your TBR list!

#Teen #YA #Paranormal #Vampires #Academia #SignoftheSlayer #SharinaHarris #Entangled

En bref, je me suis plongée dans cette aventure sans savoir à quoi m'attendre et j'ai aussi bien aimé la mythologie mise en place par l'autrice qui est un mélange de plusieurs choses et les personnages qui se battent pour eux-mêmes, pour les gens qu'ils aiment et pour leurs convictions. Raven va tomber dans le monde des chasseurs de vampires sans rien avoir demandé et découvrir des choses sur elle-même. Quant à Khamari, il est tiraillé entre plusieurs personnes et va devoir faire face à ses choix qui sont compliqués. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée avec eux malgré un début un peu lent, le final nous réserve des surprises que je n'avais pas vu venir et j'ai adoré me faire avoir par certains personnages. Vivement la suite !!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows 18 year old Raven, the saxophone section lead in the band. Following a football game the band’s bus is attacked by Vampires. After this happens Raven learns she is a slayer. She has to attend the American Slayer Society to train and learn how to protect humans against the vampires.
Raven is out for revenge after that nights events. She learns how to conjure weapons through alchemy. She meets Prince Khamari , a vampire who works with the society. Raven wants to hate Khamari but she has an attraction to him that thwarts her plan of revenge on all vampires. This story was action packed after the slow start and I enjoyed the authors writing style. After reading this I need book 2 very very soon.

Thank you Hear Our Voices Tours, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Full Metal Alchemist in a setting with dark academia vibes, but make it Black. After all the books, movies and tv shows with mostly characters of the flow in the dark variety it is refreshing to read a book about a Black (badass) Vampire Slayer.

The beginning of the book is quite a ride as events start escalating quickly when Raven (our fmc) and her bandmates are attacked by vampires. Actual real life vampires! Raven soon has to come to terms with not only accepting that vampires are very real (and coincidentally killed all her bandmates) but she also seems to posess some kind of super strength.

After the explosive beginning the pace slows down and we are introduced to the world of the vampire slayers and we follow Raven as she struggles with accepting her new found identity.

This is an action packed story, with an intricate magic system, friendship, betrayal and tied in historical events. I really liked the overall vibe of this book and I am looking forward to the second book in the series.