Loved the premise. I enjoyed the banter between the characters. Would have liked a little bit more world building, for example I needed more about the saints. Some moments and dialogue seemed repetitive but I guess that works for the intended age group. I would recommend it.

Wow, I was excited to read this book and hoped it would be as good as the blurb promised, but I was not expecting it to be this good and addictive! I got sucked in from the very first chapter and just couldn’t stop
I had no doubt in my mind that I would love this book!
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood was a masterpiece!
This fantasy novel sucked me and held me captive.
This is such a fun fantasy romance read! The world building here is done very well, totally easy to follow and has you captured from the beginning.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

"A romantic historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities."

I'm so sorry, but this was not for me. The author said in her note at the end that she needed to write another "Black Pain" story, and I'm glad she was able to do that, But the writing was just so poor that I struggled to feel her pain with her.

There's too much going on and the pacing of the novel is so choppy. You go back and forth in time with two MC POVs, but it's not logical as to WHEN you have information handed to you as a reader. It felt like she needed this to be novel length, and so she kept throwing in flashbacks to up the word count; I didn't actually gain anything from most of them. There are vampires, the Civil War, humans with superhuman abilities that are never explained, and a random nod to werewolves and sasquatches at some point?? The world building was so weak and not well-examined.

The characterization is rough and the romance feels forced; Jerusalem says countless times that she can't reconcile Alexei's whiteness and vampireness with a deep emotional attachment, but then she suddenly loves him. She can't stand the idea of a friend being turned into a vampire to save them in one chapter, but two days later, she's fine with it for someone else. I don't think Jerusalem got the development she deserved in this all-tell, no-show book. And don't get me started on Alexei. He's 300 years old, not 18. I don't buy the "you were turned at 18, so you're stuck there" narrative.

Bummer review, sorry :(

Language: R (170+ swears, 0+ “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13+
I was really enjoying the civil war with vampires premise until the sex scene two-thirds of the way through the book.
The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and alcohol, innuendo, nudity, and manual sex. The violence rating is for blood and gore, gun use, implied sexual assault, physical and emotional abuse, mentions of suicide, assault, and battle scenes.

I had the ability to both read and listen to the audiobook of The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood. As a historical horror/fantasy based during the Civil War, the premise had me hooked. Unfortunately, if I didn't have access to the audiobook I probably would not have finished this one.
Though the concept was new and the story easy to read, the biggest issue that I had was the use of modern day slang being used during the Civil War. The use of these slang terms took me out of the story, and in some cases actually made me reread to verify what I saw. I wished that the story was a little more streamlined, and at about 3/4 of the way through didn't introduce more 'creatures' that didn't necessarily add anything to the story; it just felt more like a creature feature at that point.
I would like to thank Netgalley and WednesdayBooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
3/5 stars

A historical supernatural romantsy taking place in the urging the Civil War. We got vampires and humans with special abilities called Spirits.

Long story short this book was not for me. I had to restart it about 3 times and each time I got to 30% and after the third time I decided to call it quits. The plot and the characters fell flat for me. I’m not 100% sure how they spoke in the 1800s but I know it was not the way these characters spoke.

Also “dangnabit” was 100% not used in the 1800s as it was said in the 1900s by a cartoon character ( I researched it ).

The story itself felt very slow and then the time jumps began and it felt like the story slowed down even more,

This one was just not for me

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The premise of this story is so good - what would the Civil War have been like if vampires, werewolves, and humans with supernatural abilities were involved? I'm always excited to see historical fantasy and a romantic subplot doesn't hurt. I was pumped to dive in.

The Dangerous Ones is a romantasy set in the historical setting of America's Civil War. There's vampires and saints who have the power to kill them. But are all vampires bad?

Jerusalem and her whole family were enslaved by the vampires. They are brutal, and it's her mission to take revenge. She fights for the North States. To do this, though, she has to train with a vampire, Alexei. Alexei has a history, too, and Jerusalem hates vampires. How does their story progress?

I appreciated the cw and tw that the author included on the first page. The plot and the premise are what attracted me to this book. However, unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. Personally, I think for me, the main character's dialogues didn't work. It was choppy, and keeping track of all the happenings was not easy at all. But again, every book is not for every reader, so these are all my opinions.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, @wednesdaybooks , and St. Martin's Press @stmartinspress, for this book.

The Dangerous Ones is a pseudo-historical novel set during the Civil War - but the Civil War didn't have vampires, werewolves, or Sasquatch. Nor did it have dedicated vampire killers, known as Saints. This novel, however, has them all.

Beyond the mythical creatures, this novel appears to be reasonably historically accurate, although there are anomalies here and there, such as the use of modern profanity, as well as references to high thread-count sheets and paper cuts. But these are minor annoyances in a novel that has characters and a setting - the Civil War, and all the mistreatment of human beings for all sorts of negative reasons - that needs to be presented widely, in contexts that people will understand, and the fantasy setting may make it more accessible to those who have difficulty with more factually-correct depictions. Recommended for teens and adults.

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

A compelling reinterpretation of traditional vampire lore set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The narrative explores dark themes and depicts the cruel torments people can inflict upon each other. The central characters, Alexei and Jerusalem, share a deep bond forged through shared trials, providing an emotional depth to the story. The book stands as a testament to human endurance, the power of love, and the spirit that allows us to rise above our circumstances.

After her family is brutally murdered and she escapes slavery, Jerusalem is determined to exact revenge on her enslavers. This is a historical fantasy set during the American Civil War with Saints, who have supernatural abilities, and vampires.

I really enjoyed the plot and thought the weaving of Saints and vampires against the backdrop of civil war worked really well. There were other magical creatures and elements that also wove into the very real war scenario. The fast paced story keeps you turning the page to see how these characters work together, or against each other, as they all have their own goals in mind.

The characters are distinct from each other. You could really feel the anger that Jerusalem (rightfully so) had throughout the whole book. This anger, along with her need for justice, fuels her throughout the story. Alexei was a calming counterpart to Jerusalem with his own trauma that moves him forward. Jerusalem and Alexei, with Odessa and Gael, make up an unstoppable foursome fighting with the Union Army.

While I loved the plot of this book and was highly entertained by it, there were a few things that kept taking me out of the story. The characters, while distinct, felt inconsistent in places. They would think one thing but their actions would reflect another. I totally get that as people we are flawed and we do this, but it was often enough to have me doubling back to other scenes regularly. Also, the use of some more modern day language and slang was interspersed throughout. While, obviously vampires were not part of the Civil War, some of the vocabulary felt out o place when writing about a very specific span of time.

This was intense. Jerusalem finally escaped her master and found the Saints, a group of people who seem to be designed to hunt vampires. She believes she has nothing left, and learns to fight to make a difference in this war.

Alexei is a 300 year old vampire who has fought hard not to lose his humanity. His choices aren't as apparent as people think, and he's been working with the Saints. He is training Jerusalem himself, teaching her how to use her deadly passion with a spear.

As they work together towards a common goal, they realize they've been betrayed by someone close, and work together to try and save who they can. Alexei has loved her from the moment he met her. But will she ever love him back?

There was a lot of heavy material in this. Civil war era, plantations, and fighting to free people from their owners. Finding hope in those who didn't fit he mold, and fought for what was right.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an electronic advanced readers copy of this book.

Jess is an escaped slave during the time of the Civil War. She has discovered that her longer than normal endurance and strength have made her a Saint, a name the press has given to people with those abilities. Jess has joined up with the Union Army with other Saints to fight the enemy. Putting a wrinkle on everything in this altered historical reality is that there are Vampires living among us who are trying to take over society.

Distrustful of vampires, who have killed most of her family and have ruled her life, she is determined to seek revenge on them and free the slaves. Embedded with Alexei, a vampire who wants to help, she is equal parts distrustful and drawn to him.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is an interesting fantasy re-telling of the Civil War. It was a tough time made even tougher by the addition of vampires. I'm not really into the vampire genre, but this was fun.

DNF @ 25% - I was auto approved for this one and I really wanted to get into a new style of genre as this one blended historical fiction with paranormal romance and fantasy effortlessly!!! I genuinely applaud the author for so much research going into this one. however, the style was not for me - I felt very disjointed and outside looking in for the story and the characters. I couldn’t find anything to relate to or care about when it came to the MCs and I mostly just kept skipping chapters to find more action and plot heavy points. I definitely would give this a try if you’re curious about it!

I wasn’t fond of the characters, especially Alexei. I think the world-building was lacking. I also thought it didn’t make since, in the beginning, when Alexei was stating he knew a lot of languages because he was an Ancient, but couldn’t read English?

(One thing I do give a TW/CW for is for on-page animal death, and that happens right in the beginning of the book; however, it is done as an act of self-defense and the time period in which the book occurs should be taken into consideration. Any other on-page animal death takes place during a battle scene, which is par for the course in a novel about war).

I love Lauren Blackwood’s books. Her last book, Wildblood, was an absolutely standout novel that I felt a lot of people slept on for how brilliant it is. Wildblood was mainly about black pain and magic (according to Blackwood), but The Dangerous Ones lets Blackwood not only write about black pain but to also indulge in many of the romantic fantasy impulses she usually has to curb in her more serious and focused novels.

So, I guess what I’m saying is that The Dangerous Ones may not be as brilliant as Wildblood, but it’s a whole lot of fun and a smash of a read in a lot of ways.

The centerpiece of The Dangerous Ones are our two protagonists: Jerusalem (a runaway slave girl who was also born a Saint, which is somewhat akin to a demi-god), and Alexei (an Ancient Vampire who traveled specifically from Europe to America to fight on the side of the Union Army). They live in the same encampment, training together every day, and fight advance battles for the Union Army because their encampment is made up of other Saints like Jerusalem. They’re so deadly and prolific the newspapers have given all the Saints nicknames.

Jerusalem and Alexei are also fighting another battle: attraction and love of the star-crossed kind. Not only crossing ethnic lines, but also that of being Saint and Vampire. In the everyday moments and the heat of battle neither matter seems to bother either party, but in the small, silent moments the disparities between them seem to stretch like an ocean. Their chemistry on the page is absolute fire, and Blackwood has written them some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a romantasy in a long while.

The Dangerous Ones is violent, fiery, angry, romantic, magnetic, and even though there are pacing issues in the latter half of the book I really enjoyed it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/Standalone Novel/Vampire Fiction/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy

I was fascinated by this synopsis. How cool would it have been to have paranormal creatures wandering around during the Civil War?
However, the execution is lacking a bit for me. I found the story dragging a lot as there was more dialogue than action. For a book that is described as a paranormal retelling of the Civil War, I was expecting more to happen. However, this does not put me off from wanting to read more of the author's works in the future.

I think this one could have used a bit more world building. I was confused with how the characters all knew each other and how she ended up where she did. It was a bit too jumpy and hard to follow. Other than that it was quite entertaining and a unique adventure fantasy.

Title: The Dangerous Ones
Author: Lauren Blackwood
Page Count: 368
Time Length: N/A
Dates Read:5/3-5/9
Format: Ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: This was an Arc given from Netgalley for an honest review.

This novel is told in two perspectives. Jerusalem is a strong-willed black girl who was once a slave but is now a fighter in the Union Army. Alexei is a vampire that was also once held and tortured. They both must work together to face their past and right so many wrongs.

I loved the relationship that was formed between these two strong characters. They both went through so much pain (look over the trigger warning for this story), and it helped to build the characters' bond.

My biggest complaint is that it ended way too easily and was way too happy. This was a dark book from the start, and the ending did not match the theme.

I would reread.

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

I was really excited about this one. Vampires and people with demigod-like abilities, all set in the American Civil War?! The premise sounds amazing. But as I read the whole book, I only felt torn and conflicted... I don't want to step on any toes, and I cannot begin to imagine the main character's trauma. Below, I only write my thoughts and feelings as I read this book. Please, check out reviews by Black reviewers.

Jerusalem is a Saint-a person with demigod-like abilities such as super strength and speed. She grew up enslaved by a family of white humans and vampires. She's greatly traumatized and set on revenge for her suffering but most of all her family's murder. She hates vampires and white people. Suffice to say, she's ANGRY. And understandably so!!! When she arrives to the camp of the army up North, she meets Odessa-another Black woman who is a Saint. She admires her a lot, and she also meets Alexei- a Russian white vampire. Despite her distrust, she lets Alexei train her fight with her spear, and after a year, they have a bond, a friendship, a trust that Jerusalem doesn't want nor trust. It's here that I found myself greatly conflicted. I can't even begin to understand her trauma, but she threw insult after insult to Alexei, a person who has done nothing but help her. She even sleeps at his tent because she doesn't want to sleep alone when Odessa isn't there. And yet, she keeps hurting Alexei in the first half of the book. I kept wondering, how does Alexei take it? Are the insults the same time after time? Yes *and I say this with a sigh* Are they sharp as knives? Yes again. Hurting someone without them having done something to you....I just couldn't take it. There was also a scene when Alexei mentioned that not all vampires get turned because they were familiars etc, some get turned against their will, too. Jerusalem was so shocked, and the text does mention she felt shame, but I just frowned even harder. Why was this a revelation?

Alexei is a vampire who got turned without his consent and against his will. He's traumatized, but he found a way to survive, a way to move forward. However, a time comes when he's about to meet those who hurt him, and we see him afraid, terrified really. It was so refreshing! To see a vampire afraid, to see the male main character afraid. It made him relatable and it definitely made me like him even more.

The worldbuilding was good. I liked the sound of a world with vampires and Saints, those with demigod abilities. However, the language felt way too modern. Words like "feeling salty" and "dumbass" weren't in use in 1863. Modernized language makes a historical novel more accessible to teens, I suppose, but it felt jarring and out of place. As I said above, Jerusalem keeps hurtling insults to Alexei for the greater part of the book, and to be honest, I couldn't take more "dumbass". It was a choice, and while others may feel differently, I just felt conflicted and disconnected.

I wasn't bored, but I was disinterested for the most part, and no one is more disappointed than I am....

Again, these are my thoughts. Please check out what Black reviewers thought about this book!!