The one good thing about the times we are living through is YA dystopian novels are sooooo back. And honestly, we desperately need them. Is it wrong to think the reason why Gen Z & Alpha are turning out more conservative than millennials is a major lack of this content?

Anyways onto the book, I fucking loved it. But I NEED a second one. The characters and how they fell in love and found a way to understand each other and break down societal barriers was beautiful. It’s a look at the world should we allow one major corporation to take over and it’s bleak. Because what does happen if we fall further and further into debt and allow a corporation to purchase it in an effort to make things better? What if the answer to debt is a match to the death and we allow children to be sold by their parents into it?

Here are some favorite quotes:

“I think individuals are capable of compassion. Actually, I know they are. And maybe that’s all it takes—at least at the beginning. Just a few people who care. And that caring matters, even if it can’t cool the earth or lower sea levels or turn back time to before a nuclear blast.”

“It’s funny, though,” Inesa goes on, “because if we didn’t need each other, we’d have nothing. Society wouldn’t work. So it’s a burden and a blessing at once. Even nature is the same. The plants drink the rainwater and the animals eat the plants and each other. Nothing is created without need. When we see flowers blooming or hear birds singing, we think it’s beautiful. But when people need each other, it seems so ugly.”

I was hooked with the thought of Hunger Games, meets Last of Us, and am always down for enemies to lovers. There were parts that felt kind of rushed, but I enjoyed the world building we got and watching Mel and Inesa's relationship unfold. The only thing I really didn't like was the ending, but I don't count it against the author because it was the only ending that did make sense with how the story was going. Overall a really good dystopian story, a tragic romance, and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Reid's stories.

I really wanted to love this. I’m a diehard hunger games fan and was so excited to hear about a sapphic speculative fiction. Unfortunately the story was not original enough, it was lacking depth and connection. The love story was also rushed and unbelievable. I do think the author is a good writer and would pick up another book of theirs.

In the post-apocalyptic northeast, the Cairos Corporation runs all aspects of life: the government, all commerce, medicine, education. Most people are in debt to Cairos, carefully tracked by their Cairos assigned ID numbers. But not Inesa and her brother Luca. Their survivalist father imparted the importance of staying out of debt very firmly before his disappearance, leaving them with their hypochondriac mother who can't work. Luca hunts and Inesa taxidermies what he brings in, in a way preserving the old world as more and more animals mutate beyond recognition. Their work should keep them out of debt, so when a mask finds Inesa and tells her that she has been put up for a Lamb's Gauntlet, it comes as quite a shock. The Lamb's Gauntlet is a periodic live-streamed event, in which a person who is a certain amount in debt--or one of their dependents--is hunted by an Angel, a Cairos-created, modified superhuman designed to kill, all in view of the live stream. Luca and Inesa set out to get a head start in the woods, infested with dangerous mutations. Meanwhile, the Angel assigned to the case, Melinoe must be perfect on this latest hunt to recover from the PR disaster that was her last gauntlet. However, when multiple things go horrifically wrong, it ends up with the two girls fighting to survive the wilds together, and growing dangerously close for two people who can't both survive this gauntlet.
This was honestly maybe the first book that was compared to the Hunger Games that actually stood up in quality. It's like a Hunger Games updated to our world of streaming and megacorporations. I was skeptical about the idea of a relationship between Inesa and Melinoe, but I was sold. This book is both romantic and devastating. The first dystopian in ages that I really, genuinely enjoyed. My only complaint was that ending. Do I have any suggestions for what would have made it to my liking? Unfortunately, no, because Reid took the only route she could have, and it was the ending the book needed, I'm just salty.

This was my first Ava Reid novel and it did not disappoint. I think the blurb of it being Hungers Games meets The Last of Us to be accurate. I thought the world was well built and it was a believable dystopian setting. I would have liked more info about the like the rebels beyond but I still enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the characters and though the dual POV was well executed. Definitely one I will recommend.

The Hunger Games is my favourite book series of all time so how could I resist reading a book that was compared to what was my entire personality as a kid?

Fable For The End of The World was not what I expected. If I’d compare this to any of the Hunger Games books, I’d choose the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Specifically for that final scene in the woods. This book has a similar predator versus prey vibe.

The world-building was brilliant and I was intrigued by Caerus and Inesa’s taxidermy shop. The atmosphere was incredible. The fact that the Gauntlets were live streamed to millions was so thrilling. It felt like a unique take on the reality television death match concept. The little cameras that followed their journey throughout the Gauntlet were interesting but I would have liked more of an explanation for how they worked. I had similar feelings on a lot of the technology in this book. I really loved the inclusion, but wanted more information. Not because it didn’t work or felt out of place, but because it did, and I felt a desire to know more.

Melinoe was my favourite character. Her backstory was heartbreaking and I really enjoyed the progression of her character. The relationships in this book were brilliant and complex. Inesa’s relationship with her mother was infuriating. I enjoyed the portrayal of complicated family dynamics, and I was really rooting for Insea to straight up disown her mother. You do not owe your family anything. Especially if they are the cause of your trauma. I loved how the strained mother-daughter dynamic was contrasted by a loving sibling relationship. The mystery around their father was a big plot point throughout, and I hope it will have a decent payoff in the next instalment.

It was wonderful to see a sapphic romance at the helm of a dystopian novel, and I enjoyed their enemies to lovers dynamic. I came for the romance, but ultimately enjoyed the book because of the world-building and excellent characterisation. The romance was a lovely edition, but I felt the progression of their relationship would have benefitted from more of a slow-burn. I’m looking forward to seeing their romance become more of a focus in the future, and I hope it is fully fleshed out and developed.

I loved this book, and I know I would have especially adored it if I’d read it as a teen. We need more queer dystopian and science fiction books. There have been some really good ones published recently, and Fable For the End of the World definitely carves a place for itself within the genre. I’d recommend this for anyone who loves those genres and is looking for a thrilling sapphic romance.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I keep changing my mind about this book and I apologize to the readers who keep seeing my different reviews. At the core, I adore the characters and think they're well thought out. On the other hand, the world needed more building and the ending is insanely unsatisfying. Ava Reid is still one of my fave authors of all time and it is totally okay that I didn't love it. Thank you again to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I should thank net galley for letting me have an e arc for this book!
Something about the way Ava Reid writes feels very academic to me. Like you would read this book for a class. I would guess high school. And I don’t mean that to be insulting I actually enjoy it and do plan to read more of her books. I have read two so far so take the academic aspect with a grain of salt.
This book is very much a love letter to YA dystopian novels. I got very strong hunger games vibes despite never having read the series, so it’s more I imagine there’s similarities. One’s and Melinoe were fantastic main characters and I loved their relationship. I did feel like the ending felt a little rushed but did kind of like how it ended (I won’t go into how it ended even though I really do want to!). I tend to avoid dystopian novels (they just aren’t normally what I reach for) but I really did enjoy this one.

Fable for the End of the World is the dystopian you need to read this year. Told in dual POV, it follows Inesa, a young woman thrown into The Gauntlet asa a sacrifice for her mother’s debts to Caerus. Melinoe is an Angel, the honed assassin sent to murder Inesa, the Lamb, on a livestream. The two are but products of the system they’re forced to live in, but they have more in common than then know. Unfortunately, the Gauntlet is not a game they both can win. One of them must die for the other to survive.

I ATE this up. Fable for the End of the World is a must read. It was so different from all of Ava Reid’s other books in its setting and plotline. I was still just as hooked. The story felt real and the characters were ones I could empathize with. Definitely recommend, especially if you need a book to tide you over after Sunrise on the Reaping.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but was delightfully surprised. What if your parents can get themselves into debt and to get out of it they put their children in a hunt with trained assassin’s? What if one of those assassin’s is struggling with something from the past and has to be perfect this go round. The story was beautifully written and the characters were easy to fall in love with.

Fable for the End of the World has a gripping premise and strong thematic intent, but the rushed romance and thin world-building hold it back. The vibes are solid, but it reads more like a throwback to early 2010s dystopia than a fully realized story. Worth a read, but not Reid’s best.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Imagine a life where you can accumulate debt up to the maximum of $500k. Now imagine hitting that credit limit. In this story Inesa swears she will never be in the red because once you max out, you’re now up for slaughter in the Lamb’s Gauntlet. This live-streamed cat and mouse game has a lamb, typically a poverty stricken indebted, and a skilled tech advanced assassin. Although Inesa has sworn off debt, her cruel hypochondriac of a mother never made such promises. Inesa is now given as sacrifice in her mother’s place and she is being hunted by none other than the most vicious assassin on the roster, Melinoe. Inesa enlists the help of her brother as she does her best to escape Mel’s clutches and reach the expiration date of her game. If she wins, she lives. Melinoe can’t let that happen. After a horrible ending to her last gauntlet, Mel is doing everything she can to keep from being decommission. But in a turn of events, the girls go from fighting each other, to fighting to survive. Will this end with Inesa’s death or Melinoe’s?

This was truly a love letter to the early 2000’s dystopia and I LOVE EVERY BIT!! The story was amazing and it had me at the edge of my seat most of the time! I loved the world building and the plot along with the character arcs. Inesa is such a badass while Melinoe’s character shines a light on imperfect human alteration. The plot twist was a little obvious with how the story follows a very noticeable pattern similar to its predecessors but I still AT IT UP. My only qualm is with the ending. I wanted so much more and this book leaves so much open for additional books but I don’t think we will get them. I did appreciate the risk Reid took with this book. Overall I give is 4.5/5 stars!

⋆.˚✮ 4 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to HarperCollins for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

as someone who doesn't usually love dystopian books, i was hesitant to read this but still very interested as Ava Reid mentions how it's inspired by The Hunger Games (the legend) itself. i was also very hopeful to see a wonderfully built sapphic romance story, as i definitely think we need more representation of lgbtq+ individuals in novels, especially dystopian stories. i'd also never read anything by Reid before, but have really wanted to, so all this culminated in me having a lot of hope for the story itself.

its really obvious how Reid was inspired by the hunger games, there's a gauntlet that is televised to the citizens of this nation, which are often seperated from the upper class and lower class. the lower class live in water-flooded slums without any help from the elite, who live to create 'angels' that hunt the 'lambs' chosen for the gauntlet. it's really bleak, but as all good dystopians do, it projects pieces of our current world into a fictionalized setting and creates a message about it. it was very interesting, in the age of ever-evolving technology and AI to see Melinoe one of the angels so changed from her true self into this biotech hunter, who still wasn't perfect. this story shows how humans are inherently going to make mistakes, represents a story and trial of mental health (especially giving a reminder it's not just the mind that reacts to trauma, but the body, and to be kind to ourselves), and the realities of climate change in an everevolving world. this story does give some hope for the future. i wish that there had been more emphasis on this in the ending, as it seemed to wrap up pretty quick, but it leaves me wondering if there will be more books.

while i may not have totally seen the chemistry between Inesa and Melinoe, i can appreciate how important their stories were for a young queer audience. seeing these two strong women connect with one another in the most dire of circumstances and find a way to feel alive in an otherwise dead world, was really sweet. i think for me it was just a bit rushed, and possibly something i would have love to seen evolve over multiple books, especially as this was inspired by The Hunger Games and that romance is more realistic in my opinion.

this story wasn't perfect, it slowed at times and the romance wasn't perfectly written for me. but it is one of the dystopians from the last few years i've actually really enjoyed, and can see being a light for queer young people in the future, especially as some parts of the world continue to be hostile towards them. i recommend this even if you don't always love dystopian!

↬ trigger warnings: death of parents and loved ones, murder and torture, blood and gore, serious injury, animal death, sexual harassment, child manipulation and abuse, gun violence

Fable for the End of the World is about Inesa, a girl sold into a hunt by her mother, and Melinoe, the hunter with an unknown past and inhuman upgrades. We have a lot of the YA dystopian elements present, familial desperation, a community held in impoverished circumstances, and a challenge that tests the main protagonists. In the midst of this, we get a FF love story. There were a few aspects that didn't feel fully developed and did not hold my attention entirely, but the ending was an interesting ride. It was still a quick read and omg that cover art is amazing.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Alas, this is a very drawn out dnf for me. Ava Reid is one of my all time favorite authors. Juniper & Thorn haunts me (in the best way possible) and The Wolf and the Woodsman is one of the lushiest books I’ve read. Reid’s prose has always mesmerized me which is why I was so startled by the lack of emotional and metaphorical attachment to this book. The writing was no bland, but missing everything that makes Ava Reid Ava Reid. I didn’t hate the characters or the story lines, I just couldn’t feel anything for them. Maybe this was a rushed manuscript between projects that was overlooked and under edited. Either way, this needed some polish and a few rewrites.

2.5 stars

Ava Reid and I have a varied history. I wanted to love A Study in Drowning, but really didn't. There weren't enough fantastical elements to it. A Theory of Dreaming ended up being a DNF for me. I was hoping Fable for the End of the World would be better. It was, but not by much.

This is like the Hunger Games with lesbians. Unfortunately, the author's ideas for this book were many, and they were thrown in but not well executed. The main message was of hope and love, and how humans need to have compassion and not just follow along like sheep. But it's muddled by the multiple ideas and lack of worldbuilding. I also found the romance to be a little hard to believe. They literally are trying to kill each other. I don't understand how that pans out.

I really did not like that ending. It was so rushed and unsatisfying. I understand that the message of hope is still there in the end, but I think that it was too open-ended for the reader. This is a standalone novel, and it needs to be wrapped up more than what we have. The evil corporation winning is not what we needed in this novel.

This book just didn't live up to my standards. Although I was engaged at certain points and was able to finish it, it's not something I would recommend unless you like Ava Reid's writing style. I liked the messages she was trying to convey, but I just wish they were better thought out.

I so badly wanted to enjoy this one. I NEED a good fix of YA dystopian that isn't just more Hunger Games novels, so when I saw this come up (and have a HG comp), I thought that this would be it. And sapphic too? It should have been everything I wanted and more. But it fell so flat for me that I found it a struggle to get through the second half of the book.

So much of the worldbuilding just didn't make sense at all - why would someone be able to offer someone else up for the debt they incurred? Especially their kids? It would make sense if they OFFERED to go instead, but to just be told makes no sense whatsoever. There was also the idea that twitch still exists in basically the same format, but animals are all but extinct/mutated? Is this 50 years from now or 500? The time frame and period made it seem both like 2000 and 3000, so it was really hard to stay focused and in the zone.

There was too much of a mix of things that seemed cool in theory and would have been interesting on their own together leading to nothing working together as intended.

On top of that, the angels were too overpowered, which led to needing to nerf Melinoë. (Also, did Ava Reid play Hades 2 recently?? Who's to say....) Their skills and abilities didn't really make sense to me -- and how they were handled overall was just kinda gross. I know it was supposed to be social commentary but it was still just so poorly done that it came across as more of a stereotype than commentary.

The ending was so disappointed that I felt like Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook at the end throwing the book out the window (but not really because I was reading on my phone). This was a big miss for me, unfortunately.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins via Netgalley and chose to review it. This in no ways impacts my opinion.

I was not able to read and review this book before its publishing date. However, now that I have I gave it 4 stars.

this was my first ava reid book and unfortunately it did not quite do it for me. the premise was really interesting, so i had high hopes for this, but the story fell flat for me in places. i grew to care about inesa and melinoë as individuals, but i thought the romance between them was rushed and underdeveloped. i did like the worldbuilding, and i thought the book tried to tackle a lot of interesting themes, but given that this book is less than 400 pages, there was simply not enough room to go in depth and flesh out these themes in a meaningful way. i appreciated the effort, but we needed at least 200 more pages to tackle everything.

my biggest problem with this book is the ending. i don't necessarily disagree with the author's choice to end it like that because it does make sense within the context of the story, but it just feels...unfinished? i can appreciate an open ending, but it feels way too open for a standalone. i won't be surprised if a sequel is announced eventually (i might even read it because i'm intrigued enough to see where the story goes) but this book should have been able to stand on its own, and unfortunately it doesn't quite do that.

thank you to harpercollins children's books and netgalley for the arc.

Hunger Games + sapphic romance 👌💚

This had such a good blend of dystopian mixed with current day issues.

I hope this isn't a standalone because I need just a little more. It lost 0.5⭐ because of the ending. It didn't feel satisfactory.