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“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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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"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.

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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

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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.

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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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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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.

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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

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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 !!

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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.

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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.

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An enjoyable & fast-paced YA urban fantasy for the teen & new adult crowd.

This was a really fun and imaginative vampire book. Our FMC, Raven, is thrust into a world where vampires exist, and she must learn to slay them. She goes through a lot of life changes and character growth in book one. The plot is action-packed & and fast-moving, and the story is told through dual POVs.

We have supernatural/paranormal elements at play like the alchemy magic used to hunt the vampires as well as the vampires themselves. The slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance was lovely and is something I'd like to see explored even more in book two!

Overall, a great YA/upper YA read if you're into vampires!

Tysm to Entangled Teen Publishing for the ARC! I look forward to book two!

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Calling all vampire lovers!

Raven is a confident young woman who loves being a part of her high school marching band…. Until her life changes after one dramatic night at a football game. Nothings the same now except maybe her ego.

Raven’s personality was hit or miss for me. She’s determined and strong-mind which can definitely rub people the wrong way at times. There’s a whole slew of other characters I found more connection and investment in.

Sign of the Slayer has no shortage of action. Just like the slayers, you have to stay on your toes as a read because you never know what’s going to happen!

I will say that I feel like this is geared more toward the older YA audience based on certain content and scenes.

If you like action-packed, YA dark academia and vampires, this is the book for you!

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

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“Hope. Such a soft word. It has no place in war, but it seems to always float in the hearts of warriors.”

This YA vampire novel def gives buffy the vampire slayer meets Zodiac Academy meets any slightly cheesy CW show but in the best way? The wit and sarcasm of the dialogue had me smiling. I loved the mainstream references. I did think the it lagged at bit a times but overall I enjoyed it!

I enjoyed the twists at the end!!


I would give it a 3.5 stars round up to 4!


I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a review. Thank you to entangled teen publishing for this eARC and NetGalley! All thoughts are my own.

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Described as Fullmetal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries, Sign Of The Slayer is the story of an 18 year old girl who loses her friends in a gruesome vampire attack and comes into her Slayer powers all in the same night. She is whisked away to an academy to train and develop her powers. There she will learn how to create weapons out of thin air, take down the big bad, and discover secrets about the academy itself.

Fans of vampire stories are sure to enjoy this. Humor is sprinkled throughout and the TV show Buffy is mentioned. There is also romance. The characters are interesting and distinct.

This is quite a long book as we spend most of our time at the academy learning along with the students. Some of the details about vampires and magic is confusing. I enjoyed the action scenes though.

The story is set up well for a sequel.

3.5 stars

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