2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

The second I saw the Fullmetal Alchemist comp title, I was in. Unfortunately, I don't think the book quite lived up to that comp. The scope, focus, and even the mechanics of the alchemy were very different. That said, I think this book works okay as an urban fantasy.

On a line-level the writing was fine. I wasn't blown away, but there weren't any passages that stood out as particularly good. On a larger scale, I think that this book suffers from pacing issues and reveals being a bit too obvious. The last third of the book was quite good, but I really struggled with the first two thirds, *especially* the first half.

The first half of the book takes place over a month, and glosses over a lot of the intro-to-the-academy-and-supernatural-world which is so crucial to building up the world and letting the reader immerse themselves. I don't need a play-by-play, but so much was skipped over that it almost feels like the second half of the book is a different story.

Many of the reveals in this book simply weren't satisfying. I was trying to pull together clues as to whodunnit, looking for ways the author could be clever and misdirect us, but no. It defaulted to the easiest possible villains and traitors, which is really disappointing.

And then the romance, which is the bread and butter of Entangled titles. The entire relationship felt very forced and unnatural. I do think that the reveal at the climax and the fallout was a good idea, but it definitely wasn't earned.

Those issues aside, there were clever details, and I appreciated the attention to historical alchemy. The way this is written makes it feel similar to the Fate anime/game franchise, which was a welcome surprise. I'd definitely compare it to that over FMA.

While I personally struggled with this and didn't love it (it's perfectly okay, just not quite for me) I am really glad that this book exists. I do think that Raven is a compelling protagonist and I'm for sure going to read any sequels.

This was such a fun read and I enjoyed it immensely. Expect laugh out loud moments, references to pop culture and edge of your seat action.

High School is a time for forging friendship, studying, applying to college and saying goodbye to childhood while preparing for adulthood. High School is not the time to be catapulted into vampire slaying.

This story gave me all the Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes with a little urban flava. Raven always knew she was different but didn't know why but when a tragic event triggers her slayer abilities she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Raven was a BEAST!!! Literally the best to ever do it.

After her harrowing event Raven finds herself in a Slayer Academy learning the importance of being a slayer and protecting mankind at all costs. Raven is out for revenge and sees all vampires as her enemy until she cross paths with an actual vampire prince named Khamari who gets under her skin with every chance meeting. A vampire prince who works closely with slayers but has a secret agenda of his own.

This coming of age story focuses on believing in yourself and trusting your instincts. Raven has loss so much in her 18 years of life and the hits just keep coming. It's hard to make friends because everyone she ever care for, she loses. Adjusting to life as a slayer doesn't come without its issues and Raven's inability to trust others serves her well as a formidable slayer.

When betrayal hits close to home and the threat of an ancient evil emerges; Raven must decide who is her ally and who is her enemy because her need for revenge doesn't outweigh saving the fate of all mankind.

I finished this book in one day and I desperately need book 2 because the ending literally leave you wanting more.

I'm just overall thoroughly impressed with the amount of action and worldbuilding that went into this story. I loved our main characters, I loved the plot, and I loved that I could easily keep track of all the secondary characters without getting any of them mixed up. Harris effortlessly blended many mythos into her version of vampire lore, and I loved that the rise and fall of vampires wasn't as wholly Christian-centric as so many vampire stories tend to be. Most of all, I loved that this book was vastly diverse, while also filling the gaping, Buffy-sized hole in my life.

I was engaged with Raven and Khamari's story since the action hit in chapter one, and it felt like my heart was racing right along with the action for the last 20% of the book. I'll admit that I didn't fully understand Khamari's position or story until the end, but reveal after reveal completely sold this story for me by the time the action was wrapping up. With so much going on right up until the last page, it's clear that Khamari and Raven's story is far from over, and I can't wait to see what Harris has planned next for the slayer and the vampire.

Great for people that like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, forced proximity, YA novels, Vampire Academy and enemies to lovers.
This book starts out as a fast-paced young adult paranormal fantasy with our FMC Raven living her best high school band life until one tragic night. Suddenly she is thrust into a world where vampires exist and she is sent to a school for vampire slayers.
I got into the book pretty quickly but it ended up losing me somewhere along the way.
This book had such an interesting premise, but lacked execution. I really loved the academic vibes, but the over explanation of everything just felt like such an info dump and I found myself getting confused.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was my first book by Ms. Harris, and I really enjoyed it. A formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Eighteen year old Raven's world gets turned upside down after her marching band friends are killed by vampires and she discovers she's a vampire slayer. She's immediately pulled into the world of the Slayer Society and while she's ready to seek vengeance she has a lot to learn. As Raven learns more about this world and becomes an agent in the field she's tasked with working with Prince Khamari to get intel on some disruptive vampires.


I liked that this actually felt like a fantasy written for teens. There were some modern pop culture references in here alongside vernacular that actually felt relevant. And though the main characters is 18 and her love interest is a little older it never felt like it eas toeing the line between YA and Adult.

Raven is witty and snarky and had personality! I find personality is something lacking in a lot of recent YA fantasy heroines. She's badass without being overly boastful.

I also found myself engaged with the different parts of the magic system of the two very different societies introduced here. The classic tropes and staples of urban fantasy are present here and there's plenty of action.

It was a little lengthy and I'm not sure how well all the Buffy mentions will land with today's teens but this was a fun read.

4.5

First off this book had me at Slayer and said it was like vampire Diaries.
So I definitely had to check this out.
Its not your normal typical Slayer/Vampire book either.
We meet Raven who has a little bit of a dark side to her. Her temper is wile when pushed to the limits. But she is a great person who wants justice and to make things right.
But finding out she is a slayer was a rude awakening for her in more ways then one.
One night after her school band plays at a high school football game vampires come and kill.her friends. A mysterious guy saves her from the same fate.
Fast forward a little bit and she learns she is a Slayer, something she doesn’t want to do or want to admit that she is at first. But seeing as she can take revenge on the vampires who killed her best friend and friends she is all in it.
She learns that there is a Slayer society and Alchemist Order who help her with her new found powers that the Architect gives them.
She starts to make some friends even though she really doesn't want to get hurt again. But Dakota is relentless in changing her mind. And she wants to help Dakota with her powers as well.
Then there is Charlotte who is above them, who becomes not just an alliance but a friend.
But when Raven meets Khamari she feels something for the young guy who saved her, but learning his past and present are something she wrestles with.
When the vampires want to take over the world and having a mole in the Slayer Society becomes a bit much, Raven must rely on more then her deep hatred for vampires but her gut.
This book definitely leaves you literally wanting more. Like seriously will there be a book #2??? Leaving us hanging at the end like that.

I didn’t realize this was for a younger audience and it is just not for me. After reading about 15%, I have decided not to finish.

This was one of my most anticipated reads since I love vampire novels but unfortunately early on I was not satisfied with this book. Mainly because the writing is so juvenile that it’s hard to take anything regarding Raven’s situation seriously. I often read YA Fantasies so reading from the perspective of teenagers is something I’m quite use to but the use of random pop culture references, one related back to Buffy in the moment Raven finds out she’s a vampire slayer and language used took me out of the story with how cheesy it seemed. I could barely get past the first few chapters and decided this definitely was not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.25??/5 stars.

I, okay, look, I'm a sucker for vampires and slayers and there were just so many things in this I was hyped up about. Don't get me wrong, Raven (codenamed Texas) is a pretty MC for handling all that she does...but there were so many other things in this book where I felt like the math problem meme. There were twists that then twisted and twisted again and things were developed and then not and then like 300 pages later it gets brought up again?? Like, my brain hurts. This is also the first book in a series and I'm just really confused about a lot of it. The world building is there and it's okay but it's not great.

Also, not going to lie, the slang docked it probably a star. There is SO much slang in here between having the MC literally, verbally say "I'm built different" to sneaky link to boo'd up and just....so many things.

Anyways...I still finished this and turned the pages frantically. not sure if it was to simply finish the book or to see what other insaneness happened.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Sharina Harris and Entangled Publishing for this ARC.

Sign of the Slayer will be book 1 in this series.

Raven and her group of marching band mates are on their way home from a game when they are attacked by vampires. This is when she finds out that she is a slayer and it is her job to protect humans and the rest of the world from vampires; but for that she needs to go study at the American Slayer Society (ASS) where she learns to conjure weapons using alchemy. On her journey for revenge, she meets a handsome stranger but also needs to lookout for an evil being looking to return.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I truly enjoyed it and was way better than I had expected. I loved the story and the concept of alchemy to use against vampires. There were moments where the little bit of story would get a little confusing or it was difficult trying to remember different sects of vampires and slayers.

Overall, this book made me really excited and at the end of each chapter I wanted more, which made it harder to put down!

For fans of: The Vampire Diaries, Buffy thr Vampire Slayer, Vampire Academy, Fullmetal Alchemist and Night World series'.

For the black girls that loved buffy the vampire slayer!!! This is the book I wish I had when I was younger. Very action packed and fast paced. Thoroughly enjoyed it

Such a great read! I found myself laughing and crying with this book. The teenagers really felt like teenagers with the dialogue and slang used. And I couldn’t help but rooting for them. The plot was well developed, and although I felt there were some plot holes it was still well rounded. I do wish that the characters had been developed more because sometimes I found them a bit lacking, but overall it was an enjoyable read. If you are someone who likes Buffy the Vampire Slayer than you will love this book.

Sign of the Slayer is an excellent story about a teenage girl who is coming into her power. Said power just happens to be vampire slaying. And… she might just have feelings for a certain broody vampire, which complicates pretty much everything.

If you’re an elder Millennial like me, you will greatly appreciate the subtle homages to past vampire stories like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but author Sharina Harris also creates a world that is entirely her own and is filled with characters more representative of the world around us. Sign of the Slayer lays the groundwork and the lore for the rest of the series, which can feel a little bit overwhelming/confusing in places, but stick with the story and it will deliver.

I appreciated the push-pull dynamic between Raven/Texas and Khamari, and the exploration of their connection. I cannot wait to see where Harris takes us in the next book!

Come for the vampire/demon slaying and stay for the strong female protagonist and the enigmatic male protagonist who had been gone for her from day one. Because who doesn’t love that trope in their literature?

This book gave me all the feels of my childhood watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer/ Angel. I loved that this book immediately took me to a place of memories . When reading I found the modern references constantly reminded me that this was a Ya novel . Also my only other issues was that I felt it moved super fast when it came to the main character Raven. She went from a 18 year old high school band section leader to elite vampire slayer. I understand that she had prior training but I thought it was a little unbelievable that she was able to master so many skills that others above her weren’t as good at . Overall I really enjoyed the book and I think Sharina should write more vampire books. She did such a great job with how she wrote the vampire in this book. I ‘d love to see more but less of the modern references.

3.5 stars

The story was definitely interesting but I felt like it dragged in places. I think this book needed to be shorter. It was too long for it to end on a cliffhanger. A lot happened in the back half while the first half was slower.

I enjoyed the pop culture references but I don’t think the slang is going to age well. I have a feeling I won’t be continuing with the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

This one hooked me right from the get-go. Maybe it was the semi-familiar setting of a high school sports game filled with horrible plays and teenage rivalry shifting into a bus ride of horrific, life-altering proportions but Sign of the Slayer really managed to hold my attention when so many others I’d tried starting lately had not.

🩸Chosen One
🩸vampire prince
🩸he falls first
🩸forbidden romance
🩸dual POV
🩸hidden abilities
🩸slayer school
🩸insta-attraction
🩸secret society
🩸transfer of power
🩸conspiracies and betrayal

This book gave the nostalgia of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the setting of a current day and a fascinating magic system for vampires and slayers alike. The Mythos pulled on Egyptians mythology in many aspects and twisted well known historical people/moments like Alexander the Great and The Black Plague to fill in gaps about this world’s hidden history of vampiric lore. Honestly, super intriguing.

Now there were a few slower moments and this was definitely a teen romance, but the nostalgia hooked me deep. I mean the vampire royalty and alchemist abilities of the slayers reminded me of another favorite fictional vampiric world: Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. That plus Buffy vibes made it easy to overlook the small drags in the flow of the story when it cropped up.

Raven is hot-headed, impatient, and roiling with anger at the deaths of her loved ones. She’s a stab-first, questions later kind of girl (when she can choose) that seems to get herself into trouble, but the raw power she seems to have backs up that impulsiveness. Honestly, I can see where her rage is coming from. And it’s also a lot deeper than just what the events that transpired at the beginning of the story would evoke. There’s something else going on with her that makes her different and it’s so intriguing to see her work through that.

“You’re beautiful, sarcastic, and can tear through a vampire’s heart. What’s not to love?”

Yup Khamari is definitely a classic case of he falls first. We mostly get Raven’s POV, and the little snippets of his perspective only make it so the vampire prince is a mystery. A simp for sure, but still one with his own secrets that we as readers only partially know and can guess at. And secrets that boy does have because holy heck I did not see that plot twist! I mean I guessed at something close, but never would’ve figured out the exact scenario that gets revealed later in the book.

There is one plot twist revealed toward the end that I definitely guessed at the beginning and am so very glad to have been proven right. What that plot twist is? Well, y’all will have to read to find out. Definitely a good start to what I’m assuming will be a new vampire slaying series.

Not plot related but: the chapter titles brought me so much joy! I’ve loved seeing the sudden resurgence of that aspect in books. It just adds a whole new level and character to the story being told.

⭐️: 5


Where do I send my therapy bill to @sharinawrites ?!? The last 10 chapters of this book absolutely devastated me and I don’t think I’ll ever recover.

This book gives all the Buffy/Vampire Diaries vibes and I was here for it all. Suchhhh a good book.

So many moments of laughter, gasping from shock and even some 🥵.

I absolutely loved the historical angle of this book and the storyline with the Slayers and the Alchemists felt so unique and original. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book. And will now be insta-buying everything from this author.

Thank you @entangledteen for the arc on @netgalley !!

Thank you at NetGalley and Entangled Teen for sending me an ARC of “Sign of the Slayer”. This is my honest opinion!

“Sign of the Slayer” has a very intriguing complex premise with many different powers, markings and supernatural signs that one most remember as part of the Slayer Society, or ASS. These powers and factions, I guess? Make the book really interesting. I enjoyed the plot.. however I didn’t quite like how the plot was set out or written.

Such complex magic systems felt too simplified - in which they were describes in such a simple way that made it all the more difficult to actually imagine it - which is something I didn’t particularly enjoy. If it wasn’t as simplified, I definitely would have enjoyed the magic systems more!

The writing was fast paced which is something I enjoy with particularly short chapters - also something I enjoyed.. But, personally, I found the plot to be too fast-paced which made it so hard for me to wrap my head around everything happening. One second she was a normal person, a human, the next she was a slayer? It just went too fast and there was little emotional connection with the character, Raven (Code name: Texas).

Raven was not my favorite character from the books I have read so far. At some points, it just felt like she was such an overprotective MC which just got on my nerves at time. It was giving “alpha male” vibes from those cringy Tik Tok POVS 😭 Like legit all of her friends were “weak” and she would just stand up for them all the time and likes to repeat that. ALPHA MALE i tell you. And it’s not a good thing.

ANyways, one last point, the writing….. right now I think my face is just very… contorted. Like I said, it was very simplified and I felt like it was a bit childish at some point…. I DONT LIKE TO SAY THAT ABOUT BOOKS BUT I JUST CAN’t. I’m trying to be nice. SImply because the plot is actually good and worthwhile to suffer and drag yourself through…
I’m giving this a three star.

Let’s talk about this #African-American Vampire Diaries but on the #BlackGirlMagic level!

Raven is the section leader for her high school band’s woodwind instrument section and there is a lot of jealousy (usual high school stuff) to go around. Based in Texas, highlighting Prairie View A&M (an HBCU) was paramount in the first few pages of the book. The perfect teen novel until a freak accident occurs that results in her band mates demise and she is the only one standing to defend herself (and the honor of her friends), which will she choose?

The character growth was PHENOMENAL and the soundtrack for this story wrote itself. The author continually referenced music and songs for the ultimate playlist through to the final page!

The writing itself was nothing short of a chef’s kiss. Harris uses the multi-point of view to gain balanced perspectives from her characters and to keep the story moving at a fantastic pace. Just when you think it’s over…it’s not! Love interests, family secrets, friendships, and enemies…all in a tale for the ages! This was truly amazing to read about a #Black Slayer...and I can't wait to see what's next!

Thank you to Entangled Teen Publishing and Sharina Harris for this arc! All opinions are my own.