The cover is pretty. The description is eye-catching. I have enjoyed two books by Lauren Blackwood thus far and was excited to read this one based on the premise. The description alone was giving me Justina Ireland vibes as well. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book. I tried several times but there were several things that made it hard. The biggest issue with this book is the writing, specifically, modern-day language used for a specific time period. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it made it very difficult for me to lose myself in the story. Also, the writing style reminded me so much of this movie called Hollywood Shuffle in which intelligent African American actors are made to speak in broken English in a stereotypical way by the movie writers and directors. What I'm saying is that it felt forced and inauthentic. Another disappointment is that this is the first Lauren Blackwood character that I didn't like. She wasn't well developed and was borderline harsh/abusive when it came to Alexi.

Fantasy twist on the underground railroad/civil war
Alexei is a vampire that is fighting for the union.
Jerusalem is a saint some sort of demigod that can help fight the vampires

This was such a cool take vampires! I loved getting to see them and the backstory. The author is such a great writer. I will definitely be picking up other books by them.

The synopsis of this one drew me to it. Set in the Civil War and centering around vampires and werewolves? Count me in. While I loved the idea of this book the actual book couldn't keep my attention. The writing was a little choppy and I just lost interest along the way.

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book. The star rating is an accurate assessment of my thoughts on the book.

This was a really interesting concept for a story! Vampires, civil war, love!

In the end it wasn’t necessarily the best book for me, but I fully believe it could be that for someone else! It would be a great pick for someone who leans more into the history side of historical fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to review.

I really like the way Lauren Blackwood wove together history and fantasy in The Dangerous Ones to create a unique mythology (and one that makes for a great allegory). While there's a romance at the center of it, this is a book about many different types of love (like for our family, and the family we choose). If this were a series, I would definitely read future books!

This book wasn't for me. The premise of this one intrigued me right away. A romantic historical fantasy set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities, it sounded so awesome. But I was quickly let down. I just couldn't wrap my mind about the time period because of the language used, but that honestly is the lesser of my issues. I also felt like the whole "Saint" part with their powers and all was a bit underdeveloped, but it had so much potential.

The major thing for me though is that I really couldn't help hating our FMC. She was truly awful. I get it, you had a lot of unfair stuff happen to you, trauma and all, but that doesn't give you the right to literally HATE everyone and act as if they did something bad to you when you haven't even met them yet. That is not a trait I like. She was always so mad at everything and had such harsh language all the time it was irritating. Grow up.

The main reason I continued the book was Alexei. He was perfection and I loved him, loved his voice looooooved his personality. So you can guess where I'm going... The way Jerusalem was treating him was absolutely awful. He has been in love with her since the first moment he saw her and she treated him like shit. Even though she started having feelings for him, she continued treating him like shit... and why? Because she wasn't okay with those feelings... way to go girl. He deserved so much better. This was such an abusive relationship and he still stayed with her like she was some queen. I just couldn't enjoy any of their interactions.

Last thing: 15 chapters for a book over 350 pages? Hell no, this should be illegal. I'm a super fan of short chapters, like give me a place to pause, I can't go on for this long. And the chapters were so confusing, switching through memories and present time like it was nothing all the time. Didn't like that at all.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

"The Dangerous Ones" by Lauren Blackwood is a thrilling and atmospheric fantasy novel that transports readers to a world of intrigue, magic, and dangerous alliances. Set in a richly imagined realm where power and ambition collide, the story follows protagonist Enne Salta, a young woman searching for her missing mother in the dark underbelly of a city ruled by crime lords and forbidden magic.

Blackwood's writing is vivid and immersive, painting a gritty yet enchanting portrait of a society teetering on the brink of chaos. Enne is a compelling heroine, driven by determination and resourcefulness as she navigates treacherous alliances and uncovers shocking truths about her own heritage. The author skillfully weaves together elements of mystery and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with plot twists and revelations that deepen the intrigue.

What sets "The Dangerous Ones" apart is its intricate world-building and morally complex characters. Blackwood deftly explores themes of power, identity, and the consequences of wielding forbidden magic, creating a narrative that is both gripping and thought-provoking. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets that add layers to the story's unfolding drama.

While the pacing occasionally slows during moments of character development and world-building, these quieter interludes enrich the overall narrative, offering insights into the motivations driving Enne and those around her. The novel's resolution is satisfying yet leaves room for future exploration, hinting at broader conflicts and deeper mysteries yet to be uncovered.

In conclusion, "The Dangerous Ones" is a captivating debut that will appeal to fans of fantasy and intrigue alike. Lauren Blackwood's masterful storytelling and compelling characters make this novel a standout in the genre, promising an exciting continuation of Enne Salta's journey through a world where danger lurks at every turn.

Thank you Lauren Blackwood and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy of The Dangerous Ones! Full of action and history, I enjoyed this take of historical fiction with a twist! I’ve never read anything like this before and I loved the strong female lead!

3 stars!

I can't lie, I did go into this a little apprehensive because mixing the Civil War and vampires could either be really interesting or it could be kinda bad. Unfortunately, it definitely leaned towards the kinda bad. It was really jarring to be in the Civil War/Antebellum era and then hear modern language. I also HATED the romance between Jerusalem and Alexei (did that man even like her?) and the fact that she was constantly disrespected and yelled at by him did not work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don't read a ton of historical fiction, but alternate history is pretty interesting. I thought the setting of this was cool, Civil War era with vampires and werewolves and some powerful humans. Having the main character as a former slave helped this pack a punch and grab my attention.

The romance in this is really one sided and I didn't like how mean Jerusalem was to Alexei. I can understand her trust issues with him and her anger is so valid after all she's suffered, but why have them get together if she's going to be awful to him? I thought Alexei should have moved on to someone who actually likes him.

There is an issue of modern language being used in this that caught me off guard a bit. Would someone from the 1800s say things like 'hella'?

So, I liked this okay and if you've enjoyed Blackwood's other books, you'll want to check this one out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is the second book by Blackwood I’ve read (the first being Within These Wicked Walls). I found I had similar complaints with the latest novel as I did with the first - a main character that I didn’t like much. In WTWW the main female protagonist was strong and fierce, but the love interest was whiney and incredibly irritating. I found this to be flipped on its head in The Dangerous Ones. Told from two POVs this time, the Vampire, Alexei was for some reason which is never quite clear, in love with a black teen, Jerusalem, who treats him pretty poorly throughout almost the entire book. She has had a really tough life, enslaved and abused, before escaping and fighting in the ongoing Civil War which sets a backdrop to the action. Her backstory is well told, and the scenes of ill treatment extremely visceral and impactful. Similarly Alexei’s backstory is also intriguing (I’d have liked to have seen both explored a little more). But there really is no romance slow burn to speak of, and it is never really that clear what either sees in the other. I felt more romance between two briefly seen side characters. In the last quarter of the book the action really picks up and it became a super fast read but I really was not pulling for these two to get together whatsoever. Overall the civil war setting, and broader themes of slavery and emotional abuse lent weight to what is otherwise a little thin on story and romance.

I'm a huge fan of Lauren Blackwood's lyrical writing, so I was excited to start this paranormal. And not even 'just paranormal, but HISTORICAL paranormal! I really loved that the romance mixed with the fast-paced plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this book but I couldn’t get behind it.

4.25 STARS
I really wanted to be in love with this book. I truly enjoyed the plot and was really intrigued with a Civil War era romantasy. The Dangerous Ones follows Jerusalem and Alexei. Jerusalem is a newly freed enslaved woman who has escaped her plantation and is a saint with superhuman strength and speed. Alexei is a vampire with a strong disgust for enslavement and has joined the union army to give them a fighting chance against the vampires fighting with the south. When the time has come, Jerusalem is finally able to seek revenge on those who enslaved her and murdered her family. Unfortunately, it’s not gonna be as easy as she thought.

I think I really struggled with loving these characters for probably about 75% of the book. It felt like a lot of their actions didn’t align with their thoughts/words. I also really struggled with the white savior complex in Alexei. That said, I really appreciated the world building and enjoyed one the twists in the end. The other twist kind of didn’t make sense to me, and I found myself rereading that section but still not having much clarity. This is probably the most diverse CAWPILE rating I have ever done because I felt like there were some things that I really loved about The Dangerous Ones and some things that I just didn’t understand.

C 6
A 10
W 6
P 9
I 8
L 4
E 8

An interesting twist on vampires, what I think THE DANGEROUS ONES does particularly well is to balance the typical inequality of power between mortal and vampire by making Jerusalem just as powerful (if not more so) than Alexei. A fun read! I always look forward to Lauren Blackwood's books.

Unfortunately, I just don't think Lauren Blackwood is the author for me. I was really excited about vampires, and there were parts of this book that I did like. I didn't realize this wasn't a fantasy, but more historical fantasy so my expectations were skewed. I was just really underwhelmed.

Jerusalem was everything I look for in am MC. Strong, smart, and rage filled. She loved her family and would not rest until she avenged them. Following her journey was a delight even if it was one filled with tragedy.

I gotta say I'm loving this return to vampires in YA. Especially, all the black vampire books that are coming out.

The story gripped me and held me so thoroughly in its clutches. I did not want to put it down. It was action packed and paced well. The characters always felt multi dimensional. I felt for each one.

One little complaint that I've seen others mention is the language used. At times it was very modern and jarring considering the time period. Other than that I loved the book.

This is described as a romantic history fantasy. I’d say it more supernatural than fantasy as there are vampires and humans with increased strength but not that magical element I think of as fantasy. (Me being picky).

The book is set during the Civil War years in the US. It begins with Jerusalem escaping slavery and joining the union soldiers as a saint (people that have supernatural strength and are good at killing vampires). Alexis is a vampire also fighting with the Union army that helps train Jerusalem.

I understood Jerusalem’s anger throughout the book and her impulsiveness. The relationship between the two main characters was a little twighlight-esque. The supernatural mixed with the history was interesting.