Tigest Girma’s Immortal Dark is an ambitious debut that blends Afrofuturist aesthetics with dystopian and mythological elements, offering a world that is conceptually rich but narratively uneven. The novel grapples with urgent themes—memory, oppression, and ancestral inheritance—and Girma’s prose is often lyrical, striving for a tone of philosophical gravitas. Yet despite these strengths, the novel struggles to fully realise its potential.

The central conceit is intriguing, and the setting hints at complex sociopolitical dynamics, but world-building remains largely abstract. Descriptions are evocative, but insufficient contextual grounding leaves the setting feeling untethered. Similarly, while the protagonist’s internal arc is clearly a focal point, supporting characters lack depth and narrative function, undermining emotional resonance.

The pacing is another concern. Extended exposition and recurring thematic motifs—especially surrounding trauma and agency—tend to weigh the narrative down rather than enrich it. The novel often favours ambiguity over clarity, but this ambiguity drifts into obscurity, especially in its metaphysical elements, which are introduced with minimal scaffolding.

Though Immortal Dark is intellectually ambitious and thematically serious, its execution is inconsistent. Girma’s voice shows promise, but the novel feels more like a conceptual framework than a fully realised story.

This is a gritty dark academia with a take-no-priosners FMC that I *adored*. Truly an enemies to lovers that you can sink your teeth into, pun intended.

I didn’t want to review this back when it first came out. It sounded really interesting when I first heard about it and I had been following the author for a while. I’ve also seen a lot of people who have loved it, I just wasnt one of them, The writing style wasn’t for me, to be honest the story as a whole didn’t really work for me.

The FMC annoyed me, I found her a bit grating and at points I wanted to shake some sense into her the same way I do when my friends are beng kind of dumb. So, I guess from that I can say that she felt very realistic even if that realism didnt work for me. The writing fell flat for me too. It felt like it was trying to hard to sound poetic and pretty, which is not something I enjoy in my books unless I’m actually reading poetry or a fantasy style book.

I think in this case I was expecting something very different to what I got.

You know when sometimes you come across a certain book that is so good you literally can’t put it down, well that was this book and when you aren’t reading, all you’re doing is thinking about the book.

This book jumps you straight in, so many mysteries circling the pages, so much was happening on every page of this book. I did read this quite slowly though with all the information and events happening, it takes time for me to take it all in and piece it together. I was totally absorbed into this world and our characters stories right from the beginning to the end, I haven’t read a book like this before and I honestly loved my time reading this one!

Kidan attends a secret university to try find her missing sister and then is forced to live with the main suspect, I mean come on.. the forced proximity was incredible! I couldn’t get enough of Kidan and Susenyo, their tension! The whole time I was reading, I didn’t know who to trust or what to believe, it keeps you guessing and questioning everything.

Dark academia but make it with vampires 👌
Such an atmospheric read.
I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. As soon as I saw people say they hated the FMC I knew it was a book for me- I like my main girly pops angry and flawed and this delivered on both👌
Aside from a few mild pacing issues, I thought this was a fantastic read and would highly recommend! I especially like the commentary on suicidal ideation.

When I saw Hachette promo-ing this one, it had my attention immediately - a dark academia read shrouded in mystery with true enemies to lovers? heck yes! I also really appreciate reading fantasy novels that entail mythologies and folk lores that I have had less exposure.
For a YA novel, it did hold some darker themes but I do feel as though they were handled well by Girma. Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading it and I'm very keen for the next installment! 🩸

Very enjoyable, loved it so much I bought a physical copy!

Phenomenal world building, rage filled FMC, and a plot that keeps on twisting.

I love the dark Academia setting, and the true enemies to lovers battle between who will cave first.

One of my favourite most enjoyable reads of 2024.

If you are after an enjoyable, dark academia read this is the book for you.
While the characters are not always likeable, I was definitely completely invested in the story.
I cannot wait to see what book two brings.

Tigest Grima is a dark academia enemies to lovers , mystery with gothic vibes. So many plot twists, the story will keep you gripped and guessing. The writing was beautiful, the author did well to develop the characters to make the reader feel invested the whole way through. Oh and did I mention it has a unique magic system and Vampires?!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book!

I was so excited to read this book, it was described as The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House which could not be more perfect for me.

While I did enjoy alot of this book, I did find there were parts of it that could have been done better.

Starting with what I did like: vampires, Need I say more? But I really loved the morally grey, dark academia, enemies to lovers vampire vibes. I think the atmosphere was perfect. I also think the author has a great writing style.

What I didnt like: I struggled to connect to the characters. Honestly, they felt quite one domensional to me and I couldnt feel for them in a way that would make the events of the book hit hard. Additionally, I felt like the protagonist was hard to really root for when she makes so many impulsive choices and deals with situations in ways, as a reader, I wouldnt have wanted her to.

I think overall, if you love vampires, dark academia and enemies to lovers you will enjoy this, and maybe I'm being a bit nitpicky with the things I didnt enjoy.

I think this book had a lot of potential, but unfortunately fell flat. The setting and history was the highlight of this book for me.

Unfortunately there were several plot points I found didn’t make sense which distracted me from enjoying the book. The pacing was at times painfully slow and at other times very rushed. Side characters blended together and were all pretty unlikeable.

Tigray Girma is showcases talented prose, but it wasn’t enough for me unfortunately.

I could not put this book down! Immortal Dark is one of my top reads of 2024. It’s absolutely remarkable in every way, shape and form! A true enemies to lovers with vampires, tension and sentient houses in an academic setting. A mystery to solve will have you at the edge of your seat from begging to end. The writing is so good it allowed me to have the most amazing visuals in my head whilst I read it! Would highly highly recommend this book!

Its got all the good stuff.

Dark Academia. Vampires and lots of lore. Family secrets. Arranged match. Enemies to lovers. Sisters. Layers of storyline that will suck you in and make you read it way faster than planned … only to then winder where is book 2?!

Cannot wait to see this book blow up!

Need the second book ASAP. Turns out I'm a sucker for vampires in a dark setting.
This story is gothic and addictive with the right amount of family secrets, dark magic and mystery.
It's got dark acadeamia, enemies to lovers and morally grey characters/vampires.
My only concern, it seemed very dark and sexy for a YA book.
Definitely recommend this read. Thanks for the ARC.

“they were two snakes with fangs drawn, the poison turning them mad with the need for release.”

this book… oh my. this was STUNNING. so dark and brutal, honestly i’m not even sure i’d call it young adult because it was TWISTED and i ADORED IT.

“he was all her fury, all her hatred and violence, made manifest – and how decadently, how divinely, they fit him, better than the clothes he wouldn’t gift her.
now they were even.”

if you ever think you’ve read an enemies-to-lovers book before – you haven’t. this rivals “the cruel prince” and “violet made of thorns” in pure hatred and the absolutely foul things that these characters would do to one another – they were NOT PLAYING. kidan and susenyos are evil to their core – oh ho ho they truly have changed my life. every time i thought they’d done their worst, then managed to surprise me yet again and pull something truly malicious – it was beautiful (terrifying).

“perhaps their souls were made to be in eternal company. in devotion, in worship, in lust of brutality.”

are our favourite toxic? absolutely! but i will eat up a million books of their toxic selves betraying one another over and over again in a horrifying, ouroboros-like cycle – this book was so well-written and unique, and it never failed to hit me with some insane and sadistic plot twist.

“the world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. i plan to worship them.”

all of tigest’s characters were incredibly well written – they had such strong personalities, and i was instantly able to identify them and separate them from one another – no common feat with the number of books i read. kidan was tragic, broken, but so so committed to her sister – she had this brutal, concerning loyalty to her friends and family, and would do anything and everything for them. i loved her.

and susenyos… oh he was wicked indeed. mind like a steel trap, and the entirety of that mind devoted to one goal. he let nothing stand in his way… and he was also hot as hell (i just know it).

“dark skin and silver. they were forsaken gods who’d stolen the teeth of the devil. and hell if they weren’t breathtaking.”

the book was also so so unique, i loved it. vampires sharing unique memories with their victim upon biting different sections of the body?? a house where each room pushes a different emotion onto any who dares to inhabit it? a magical university where death is common, and the power of each house depends on the number of vampires sworn to the house? give me more right now. nothing was typical, every second chapter had me shocked to my core – this was truly a fascinating, striking story.

thank you so much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the arc copy – this was phenomenal. give me book 2 stat, please!!

If *The Cruel Prince* and *Ninth House* had a dark, romantic love child, it would be this book. *Close* is a thrilling dark academia fantasy that pulls you into a world of vampire intrigue, dangerous power dynamics, and morally grey characters. Kidan Adane, orphaned heiress, is on a mission to infiltrate the arcane Uxlay University and find her kidnapped sister, June—who she believes was taken by the very vampire bound to her family, the captivatingly cruel Susenyos Sagad.

What unfolds is a tense, twist-filled plot, where Kidan must live with the vampire she suspects killed her family while navigating a society where humans gain power through blood ties with vampires. The slow-burn tension between Kidan and Susenyos, their dark, violent natures mirroring each other, is a highlight—tempting Kidan to give in to her own thirst for vengeance, while also pulling her deeper into the morally murky world she must now navigate.

I absolutely loved how deep the story delves into vampire lore and the dark underworld of the Uxlay society. The suspense builds steadily, as Kidan uncovers secrets, faces betrayal, and risks everything to save her sister. The writing is rich, atmospheric, and compelling, with morally ambiguous characters that are impossible to resist. This book is a perfect blend of dark romance, mystery, and fantasy, earning a solid four stars from me. If you're into morally grey vampires and dark academia, this one's for you!

4.5✩ This was incredible! It had a unique magic system and it was written in such a captivating way! If you like a fmc with extreme feminine rage this will be right up your alley!
ALSO this was a perfect representation of enemies to lovers I LOVED IT!!

'Immortal Dark' unfolds as a Gothic narrative filled with dark magic, politics, and family drama, centered around Kidan, whose journey through Uxlay University showcases her growth and introspection. The romance likeable but the rich world-building is where Grima comes to life.

Some issues I had were the book's convoluted plot and some inconsistencies, particularly regarding character choices and the handling of main plot points. The main characters are seen as overly dramatic, often leading to eye-rolling frustrations. Despite these shortcomings, the book still provides entertainment and deserves recognition for its representation and inclusiveness.

literal perfection, no notes

dark academia is such a fun vibe to build stories around, and Tigest has crafted such a perfect amalgamation of paranomal elements, inspired by her own culture, built the best balance of morally grey characters ive read in a while and the dynamic between Kidan’s and Susenyos is UGH

I need more, I cant wait for it, absolutely no notes

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I enjoyed the world building and lore but I wasn't a huge fan of the main character to the point where I stopped reading.

I am feeling like I am very much in the minority here and its most likely a case of its me, not the book.

Thank you to Hachette and Netgalley for the eARC - my opinions are most definitely my own.