I went into this book hoping for that perfect mix of lush world-building, swoon-worthy romance, and characters I’d be thinking about long after I turned the last page. And while it didn’t fully hit every mark for me, there were definitely moments that kept me hooked.

The writing has that almost lyrical quality that reminds me of We Hunt the Flame, pulling you into the world with vivid descriptions and a touch of mystery. The main character—while frustrating at times—had a compelling arc, and the love interest? Let’s just say there were some moments that had me kicking my feet a little. That said, I wish the pacing had been a bit stronger in certain parts, especially in the middle where things dragged more than I expected.

There are some deliciously sharp dynamics here, though I wouldn’t say the political intrigue is as strong. If you love fantasy with an emotional core and a romance that slowly burns (but maybe not too slowly), this is one to check out. While I had a few mixed feelings, I can see why this book will definitely find its audience!

Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 8/6/24

Thank you @netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, the setting and the sapphic theme. I think this story had a lot of potential to be great.
Sadly, the writing was not great and hard to slog through. It felt like a high schooler wrote it, and while that might work for a younger audience- it was not for me.
This book was a DNF @ 30%

I guess I'm really not a reader for historical vampire romance. In addition to that, the prose in this book was too flowery that it takes me out of the setting.

Very intriguing story! I especially liked how Dennings subverted the vampire x vampire hunter story into something completely new and refreshing

This one was a bit of a slog for me—like wading through literary molasses. The writing? Beautiful. The plot? Snail-paced. There were definitely moments where I had to will myself to keep going just so I could write a fair review.

I didn’t really click with the characters, and the story itself just wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe the audiobook would’ve helped? Or maybe I’m just too far out of the YA demographic to fully vibe with it. That said, I totally see how younger readers or die-hard YA fans might love it, so I’d still recommend it to the right audience!

Hayley managed to keep me guessing every step of this book. I’m so excited for the sequel this year. I loved the characters relationships they were so enjoyable. The hints of found family were super fun to see. And Elise and Layla I love them so much.

This one might have been on me, but also I don;t recall seeing anything promoting this as a YA book. I went into it thinking it was an adult book, hence the disappointment and I was not able to finish this book, much to my own disappointment. Although I can appreciate what it was doing, it just wasn’t targeted to me.

OHHHHHH THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING!!!! IT WAS SOOOO SOOO SOOO GOOD!!!! GOTTA LOVE ME LESBIAN VAMPIRES! Counting down the days until second book! Amazing job for a debut!

I feel bad but this book wasn't for me. It had a lot of compelling factors that I had to read. The setting is really cool, the characters are intriguing and the conflict is a classic. I am struggling to think about what didn't work because the book dragged, perhaps the writing style which wasn;t bad just not clicking with me. It would such a amazing live action though given the aesthetics.

Black vampires in 1920's Harlem? A sapphic romance subplot? Yes please! I loved this take on a vampire story. Plenty of tension, mystery and suspense. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this arc. All opinions are my own.

A strong debut that scratches an itch me, myself, and I have. Vampire, Black people, and jazz. Dennings sets a decadent scene and I cannot wait for the sequel!

This book was everything I needed!! A queer black vampire set in a Gatsby-esque 1920's setting. It was fantastic. I cannot wait for the second book. I love where this story is going.

An excellent queer vampire romance set in 1920's New Orleans! A setting that needs to be used more often - honestly just such a breath of fresh air that I will be recommending this fairly often.

I was excited to read this book set in the jazz age- it seemed to be dark and gritty and unlike other fantasies.

Overall, the mood and the world building were done well, but the plot fell a little short for me. There were some confusing elements about why Layla killed humans all the time when there is an agreement in place that reapers wouldn't, and the pacing of the mystery seemed to drag in several places.

Sapphic vampires. Best friends to enemies to lovers. Jazz Age Harlem. An instant all-time favourite book.

I loved this book. The imagery of Jazz Age Harlem is beautiful and makes it very easy for the reader to place themselves within this world. Hayley Dennings has a magical way with words.

Both of the main characters are very complex and I loved the exploration of female rage. Elise and Layla carry a lot of trauma and have a series of complicated relationships. This makes for excellent character development for both characters as they discover the strength behind their own voices. This makes the enemies to lovers journey all the more powerful. Both Elise and Layla show a lot of strength whilst struggling significantly with their identities, morality, and where they fit into their society, and I found I was rooting for them both equally throughout the book.

We get to see very clearly how Elise navigates her complicated relationship with her family, and the one thing I would have liked this book to explore more is Layla's backstory and the relationship between the Quinns and the Saints.

I LOVED the anxiety and OCD representation. This was very well constructed and felt very real. Elise struggles a lot throughout this book and we get to see clearly what her struggles with her mental health means for her, how this manifests and and how she uses her support networks.

The perfect book for sapphic readers who love vampires and the enemies to lovers trope.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hayley Dennings, and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

Vampires in Harlem in the roaring 20’s ? I loved the concept, and I was excited to read this one. At its heart, this book was a supernatural suspense. The mystery, the twist and the turns all felt like a good noir crime drama. Overall, it was a solid story, though at times, the historical context didn’t feel as immersive as I would have liked.

The vampires were interesting, but what really made Denning’s work shine was the exquisite, multifaceted characters. The main characters were top-tier, their relationship and their circumstances were complicated and messy in the best way.

Based on the ending I hope there is a sequel, and soon! I feel like Dennings is just getting started and book 2 is going to kick it up a notch. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you to Sourcebooks, Netgalley and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

I'm absolutely loving the resurgence of popularity vampires are experiencing right now, and I was particularly intrigued by the queer romance and 1920s setting of This Ravenous Fate. Unfortunately, it seems like this book just needed a little more time in the oven. I would have loved to see more development of the characters and tighter plotting.

This book had all the right tropes and showed great promise, but it felt like it needed more editing. There were several moments that just didn’t resonate with me. I plan to read future books from this author in hopes of seeing improvement in her writing. I would recommend this book to others with the caveat that it has some issues, but overall, it is still a good read. I just can’t overlook some of the aspects that needed fixing. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this. I can't wait to see more from this author.

I tried a few times to get into this one and for some reason I just couldn't - I'm hoping that I can come back to it when I'm fully in the mood for it but for now I will have to put to the side.