I wanted to love this—dystopia? check. sapphic slow-burn? check. rage at capitalism? triple check. And for a while, I was hooked. The vibes? Immaculate. But then…it just stalled. The pacing dragged, the romance didn’t hit emotionally, and Inesa kind of faded into the background. Cool concept, important message—just didn’t land fully for me. Still glad I read it, though.

gays + capitalism + romance = fable for the end of the world

while not my favorite ava reid book, i'm a sucker for her and all things gay. i enjoyed the aspects of future plus present ideas and can totally see where she was going with this. unfortunately, the book overall fell a little short but i will still eat up anything she writes.

Fable for the End of the World is a searing commentary on climate change, class warfare, and propaganda, humanized by the two main characters. The Gauntlet pits femme fatale assassin Melinoë against sacrificial lamb Inesa--all in the name of distracting and entertaining the masses. When their Gauntlet goes offline, the two enemies are forced to team up for survival. As feelings between them grow, they both wonder if there's more to life than what they've always known. But only one was ever meant to survive!

I always try to give books a chance so I hardly ever DNF. But if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook for this one, I might have DNFed it.

The concept seems pretty cool but I just didn't like either leads. The romance felt too convenient and "clean" considering the circumstances. Everything felt very superficial (their feelings, the plot) and somehow both fast-paced and slow-paced (a lot of time passed but nothing actually happened until the last few pages).

Hard pass.

I was really looking forward to reading Fable for the End of the World, but I have to say it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was hoping for more intimate conversations and depth, but I feel like they didn’t get to know each other well and the story took place over a short amount of time. There was also no trust building between them, which made the romance harder for me to believe. There was so much potential, but it needed to focus on a few ideas and develop them more.


This is a good read if you want a sapphic romance in a Hunger Games/Battle Royale-esque world, but keep in mind it won’t be as fleshed out as HG.

I love Ava Reid and have read all of her work. She was able to once again write something that was so meaningful, a fabulous throw back to The Hunger Games, and also something unique and new added to the dystopian world. Mel and Inesa both have a special place in my heart and the ending of this will sit with me for a long time.

Thank you Harpercollins and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is not my favorite of Ava Reid's books, but I still loved it. I think the concept of the Gauntlet and the destruction of the world, along with the way it is approached like a reality TV show was interesting. I also think it is intersting but perhaps not intentional of Reid is the commentary on how parents often feel like they "own" kids.

I know a lot of people didn't like the ending, but it was the only way it was going to end. Unless there is a book 2, they weren't going to bring down the system in one go. I do wish it hadn't ended up Mel being SA'ed, which is why I took of the star, without a potential end/safety in sight. But otherwise, I enjoyed it!

This sapphic YA dystopic novel is like the Hunger Games but if your loved ones nominated you to be hunted down by a genetically enhanced sniper.

I found this book to be pretty action packed right from the start. In a fantasy/dystopian story, it can be tough to do much world building in a standalone, but I think the author did a pretty good job here. In addition to the world and story building, there were also characters that were easy to cheer for. I did find the romance to be a little odd/felt a little forced at the beginning but it got better! Overall enjoyed it, easy to devour quickly.

the gays vs capitalism

Ended up using this one for my summer reading book talks this year and once you get past explaining the world building a little bit, the kids were super invested into the plot. I really feel that interest in dystopian title is coming back around especially with the current state of the world. Reid does a good job of balancing both past and present, the how we got here and where we are going of it all. While it did feel a bit like a rush to the end, Inesa not getting a perfectly happy ending felt right. We are currently living in a world where there may not be a happy ending but keeping things hopefully and worth fighting is the message that will hopefully keep our younger generations engaged with fighting for a better future or at least I hope it will.

Lesbian Hunger Games. This was nostalgic YA dystopian at its finest. I do wish the romance was more fleshed out and slow burn. Really enjoyed.

This book gives everything I wanted it to give. If you, like me, had an obsession with Neal Shusterman you'll absolutely love this book. This book felt like a combination of this Hind from Sarah J. Maas' Crescent City and and Neal Shusterman's Scythe universe.

This book includes:
- narcissist parents
- sapphic love
- deadly games
- survivalism
- dystopian future world
- oligarchy

This book uses themes and inspiration from Hunger Games to image a dystopian future where a single, greedy monopoly as destroyed the environment and turned New York into a jungle of poverty and despair. Instead of children reaped from districts, these games run almost non-stop throughout the year and feature a single disenfranchised individual (or the child of one) and watches them be hunted by biologically enhanced individuals called Angels. Once human, these Angels are ripped apart and rebuilt as beautiful killing machines and are left with no knowledge of their former lives after all of the modifications and training are complete. Dare I say this book is almost like the Lorax meets the Hunger Games meets the terminator?

I think it is likely that some readers will come across this book and be offended that it is a bit of a fanfiction of HG, however, it did not bother me. All media that is a "reimagining" are just fanfiction. The Lion King is Hamlet fanfiction. Wicked is the most blatant The Wizard of Oz fanfiction. Percy Jackson is Greek mythology fanfiction. Doesn't really bother me as long as it injects something new and interesting into the original story and no ones work is being ripped off too aggressively.

"Fable for the End of the World" is beautifully written with dynamic characters. Its honest in its portrayal of humanity and challenges the reader by holding a mirror to us and forcing us to decide how we would react in such a broken version of our future. It reflects a likely reality of what the United States can become under continued leadership by horrible crooks. It is boldly political and takes the opportunity to showcase queer women as heroes. I liked it!

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Reid, and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Dystopia girlies we are so back!!! As always, I'm in awe of Ava Reid's writing. The bleak, grim, dystopian setting was very different from her other books, but it was still written just as vividly. I loved the themes of this book and how they were handled, the plot, and of course the characters.

Mel is an Angel, a state sanctioned hunter to take down a sacrificial "lamb" for entertainment. Angels are taken away from their families at a young age and horrifically modified, physically and emotionally to turn into the most entertaining hunters possible. Enter lamb, Inessa. She lives in the part of New Amsterdam that's poverty stricken, with limited resources, a terrible awful mother, and a brother who she would die for (but as all siblings do, never verbalize that or any sort of affection ofc). Unsurprisingly, her trash mom nominates her as a Lamb for The Gauntlet, a reality show of sorts where an Angel (Mel) will hunt her down, purely for entertainment but also monetary gain for her terrible mom. Her brother Luka (who I absolutely loved) is furious and tries his best to help her as the hunt almost immediately kicks off. As the hunt takes an unexpected turn, Mel and Inessa end up having to work together for survival.

I will say, the reason it's not a 5 star read for me is that the pacing, while quick, was almost TOO quick. I felt like I just sat down to read it and somehow I was already more than halfway done, and then a few more blinks and the book was over. Things were moving at breakneck speed lol and while I do like a fast paced book, I actually would have liked if things slowed down a bit. The plot and romance both felt super quick.

Also, with they way it ended I really hope there's a sequel! I think it's near impossible to write a satisfying dystopian standalone, and there seems to be much more to explore with this world!

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the ARC!

I genuinely could not put this book down and finished it in one day. I was completely invested in the story arc which followed incredibly structured settings, worldbuilding, and characterization that made this book so well written. I would recommend this book to teens and adults, particularly if they were fans of other big dystopian series which feels so similar to this title. I absolutely loved every minute of this reading experience!

3.5 Rating

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpercollins for an e-arc to review.

Okay, let’s talk about A Fable for the End of the World. First off—what a premise. A dystopian society where debt collection has escalated to this brutal, almost gladiatorial spectacle? Absolutely wild in the best way. It immediately drew me in with how creative and terrifyingly plausible it felt.

That said, I did feel the world building didn’t quite live up to the brilliance of the concept. The bones were there, but the details of how and why the world ended up like this were sprinkled in pretty late. I kept waiting for more context to ground everything, and when it finally came, it was almost like, “Ah! There you are.” I just wish it had come a bit sooner.

Now, about the romance—it’s definitely a slow burn, and there’s a bit of that enemies-to-lovers vibe going on. But I’ll be honest, I had a hard time feeling that deep connection between the characters. Maybe it was the pacing, maybe it was the emotional distance, but something about it didn’t quite click for me emotionally.

But let’s talk about that ending. Whew. It totally stuck the landing in a way I didn’t see coming, and despite the few things that didn’t fully work for me, it has me seriously hyped for the next book. Ava Reid definitely knows how to leave a reader wanting more.

Given Miss Reid was inspired by the dystopian queen Suzanne Collins I can say those that enjoy her will enjoy this story.

If you like
-lgbtq relationships
-enemies to lovers
-hunter vs prey
-dystopian
-Middle fingers to the Capital vibes
-cyborg(esque) strong female bounty hunter?
Than this book may be for you
Trigger warnings
-murder/violence
-mental health
-absent parents
-parentification of eldest daughter

Iridescent Fairytale's March 2025 Pick

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a review copy of A Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid in exchange for writing an honest review and promoting the novel.

A Fable for the End of the World is a haunting, lyrical tale set in a world teetering on the edge of collapse, where myth and reality intertwine. This story is perfect for anyone who just finished watching the Last of Us and cannot get enough of the dark dystopian world. With A Fable for the End of the World, Reid blends of dark fantasy elements and stark emotional tugs, this story latches on to the reader and won’t let go until you reach the back board of the book.

If you liked this, then you might like…
The Last of Us
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Elements:

-LGBTQIA+
-Apocalypse
-Found Family
-Morally Gray Characters
-Emotional Storytelling
-Dual POV
-Enemies to Lovers
-Sci-fi
-Humans with supernatural abilites



- Please note exact ratings are not shared with our audience on social media. They are only used when considering whether a book will be one of our monthly picks.

Ava is so good at weaving worlds that suck you in. They create these characters who require growth and learning how to be strong and she has basically perfected it at this point. This book was very much inspired by hunger games with obvious differences.

I loved Luka and the sibling relationship him and Inesa shared.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fable for the End of the World had a lot to live up to, being compared to The Hunger Games. Unfortunately, this title totally missed the mark for me. It reads more like Hunger Games fanfiction than a real novel.

For starters, Reid handles a lot of serious themes— capitalism, sexism, climate change, cyborgs and bodily autonomy—that fail to be covered in depth. The result is a jumbled, fast-paced narrative that is very surface-level. Maybe the book would have been better if everything was drawn out into a longer book, so we could get more of those themes? But, I didn’t like the ending either. The ending is not satisfying when it comes to the interesting parts of the story, meaning Carrus and their greed. It would be nice to see Inesa wanting to get revenge on Caerus.

Melinoë being a government-trained cyborg was interesting, but I wanted her to be even more cold and calculated. Apparently she’s been programmed to have barely any emotions, but she’s falling apart at a glimpse of someone’s eyes?

It’s been about a week since I finished the book and I had to reread a little to remember what happened. Just not one I would recommend.

A wonderful Sapphic dystopian novel about a society where debt incurred could mean you're sacrificed by your own family to have a televised murder. I didn't really know how to feel about this book when I started reading it, I'm so used to Ava writing more fantastical and academia worlds that this dystopian one set me off my rhythm. She, again, performed excellently with the character development and relationships, making them feel like people I had in the room with me. Every character Ava writes feels so real and true it's hard to let them go when the story ends. I hope there is more in this world, because I need to know that's not the end of their story.