I am not well. I devoured this in two sittings. It’s the first book in a long time that has drawn me in and that I’ve had trouble putting down. I am still processing that ending.

If you’re looking for a sapphic dystopian YA fantasy that has enough action and tension to keep you engaged while also dealing with so much emotion, then you absolutely need to read this one. It gave vague Hunger Games vibes but was completely its own story. I would absolutely read a whole series on this.

I still have so many questions. What happened to the dad? Does the Drowned County actually exist? Will Nesa find Mel again?

I really hope something catastrophically awful happens to the mother. Good gods, what an awful woman.

I loved this book and absolutely recommend picking it up.

Thank you to Harper for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

4/5 stars
0/5 spice

Fable for the End of the World gave exactly what I needed it to. A dystopian queer love story with a Hunger Games vibe was an easy sell for me, and the execution didn't let me down! I loved both of our main characters but particularly enjoyed peeling back the layers and seeing the growth of Melinoe. Ava Reid has been a hit or miss author for me but this one is an easy hit! Very excited to see it hit the shelves and get the hype it deserves.

Fable for the End of the World is a dystopian YA story focusing on Caerus and Melinoë told through each of their POVs. Caerus is forced to enter the Gauntlet which feels very Hunger Games esque but more Sci-Fi while Melinoë is forced to hunt her down. The Gauntlet is a one-on-one bounty hunt where the person who has been nominated has a set amount of time to survive in which case their debt would be wiped out. There’s so many emotions wrapped up in Caerus trying to survive before being sent in as well as the circumstances that lead to her being suggested. I really enjoyed the strong bond between Caerus and her brother. I also appreciated how it continued to grow and evolve. While I originally thought her backstory was heartbreaking, itt had nothing on Melinoë and what the Angels go through to become Angels. Reid created a beautiful relationship between Caerus and Melinoe that grew out of truly devastating circumstances. Also, those wends and evolved animals are going to star in my nightmares for some time to come. This book also has one of those heartbreaking endings that will leave you thinking for some time to come. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from Reid in the future.

This book was so amazing. I felt so nostalgic while reading this. Fable for the end of the world made me feel like I was back to the days of the dystopian YA days. This really gave me all of the same feelings as the hunger games! If you’re a fan of the last of us and the hunger games then this book is for you. The world is flooding and Inesa is working in her families taxidermist shop. Her mother believes she is ill and takes out so much money that she enters Inesa into the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is where a lamb or the person selected has to fight for their lives to survive and win. Most often they are eliminated by an angel. An angel is a modified person who is essentially a killing machine. This is all broadcasted to everyone. The suspense was so well written. I found the romance to be very compelling. I wish there was more to the world and story.
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc

The 2010 dystopian era was a a memorable time for readers and Fable for the End of the World brought me right back. Although this was inspired by The Hunger Games, Ava still managed to set us up with a unique dystopian world set in a half-sunken town. Parents that accrue an unpayable debt begin sacrificing their children to The Lamb's Gauntlet, a livestreamed assassination spectacle. It is controlled by Caerus, a corporation that encourages massive accumulations of debt.

When it comes to the gauntlet I would have liked the stakes to be higher and for it to have lasted longer. The MCs brother came along to help her and their separation felt abrupt. In general, the side characters could have been more fleshed out. When it came to the romance the chemistry was lacking and I wished it would have slowed down. I did enjoy the dual POV from both sides, when it came to the romance and the gauntlet though.

Real life issues were flawlessly woven into the story and is one of the things I've always loved about their novels. Unfortunately it was missing Ava's normal charm, prose, horror elements, and overall atmosphere that I've come to love and expect. In spite of all of that I still enjoyed this book, it just wasn't my favorite when compared to past novels. Overall it felt rushed, especially the ending. I'm hoping for a sequel to answer lingering questions.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for a complimentary early release copy of Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid.

Fable for the End of the World is a nice enjoyable queer fantasy story! The gauntlets and angels were both interesting aspects to read about, I like that we got to see each angels background story as it really made me feel for each of them. Even though the angels aside from Melinoë are background/side characters they feel fleshed out really good to the point they could each have their own book! I’m happy that this book switches between the two main characters perspectives, I liked seeing how the both of the reacted and what they thought during different scenes. Inesa and Melonoë were both sweet and entertaining characters, I enjoyed reading from both of them however while their romance is sweet I wish we would have gotten just a little more with the two of them.

The sibling bond between Inesa and Luka is heartfelt, I really felt for the both of them during their gauntlet experience, aside from that I am a little iffy about the ending of Fable for the End of the World and I’m hoping that this ending is hinting at another potential book to this series!

Overall a four star read! I will definitely be reading more from this author! Ava Reid writing style comes across as simplistic but it’s beautiful and the details are very vivid.

3.5. I will start with there is a lot to like here, and Romance is usually not my jam. Dystopian romance, though, was intriguing to me. The story starts with some amazing world building and characters. I truly enjoyed getting to know the details of this climate changed, basically Amazon run world. I liked that it kept you in one area and dove more into the strange history of this North Eastern landscape. Inesa and Luka are real lived in characters with a (all too often true) parent that gave up. Melinoe is just trying to escape the reality that she lives in, and right now, that hits pretty hard. What brings this down a bit for me is the pacing. It starts perfectly. Moving at a pace that is interesting but doesn't lose world building or character development. The Gauntlet is a faster bread and circus style Hunger Games driven by corporate greed and getting right into it is intense. Once the romance aspect hits, the pacing comes to a crawl. This isn't a bad thing, and is necessary to build a strong connection between the two lovers, but for me it would have been nice to build the romance side by side with everything else going on. Instead, it feels like they got trapped together to quickly build their feelings. The romance aspect is sweet and tender and gives you hope, but once things get going again, it is break neck speed to the end. As far as I can tell, this is a one-off book, but man, if it were to expand into a short series or duology, I think it would be an amazing one. There is a lot presented in the world building that is either not addressed or has no real resolution as of now. The ending is harsh but fair and leaves you with hope, but I truly wish there was more and that it didn't sprint to the end. Overall, this was outside my normal style but definitely worth the read, and I hope the author continues this story at some point. If not, still solid and would recommend to Romance and Dystopian fans.

Short and Sweet Review

Inesa lives in a half sunken town where she works at a taxidermy shop with her brother and they barely make ends meet. Unbeknownst to them their mother has them in the red and that means they’re going to need to pay it back and to do that she enrolled Inesa to be in the gauntlet. The gauntlet is almost impossible to survive but with her brothers help Inesa thinks she has a chance. Caerus is a corporation that controls all aspects of society and they’re the ones who made the gauntlet. Each gauntlet has an Angel the one responsible for hunting down the lamb. Melinoë is the angel for this gauntlet and she’s a trained assassin and she was trained to hunt down and kill the lambs. The last gauntlet didn’t go well for Melinoë and she’s still haunted by what happened and no matter how many memory wipes she gets she can still remember. When the gauntlet starts its a normal game of cat and mouse but due to certain circumstances the girls start to work together and might even be falling for each other.

Fable for the End of the World was almost like The Hunger Games but very unique. We have people who owe debts end up sacrificing their loved ones into the gauntlet which is exactly what happens to our main character Inesa. Inesa and her family aren’t well off. Inesa works at the taxidermy shop and her brother does the hunting, their mother thinks something is wrong with her health and spends a majority of the money which is why the family is in the red. Inesa was a good character more often than not she would roll with the punches and try to make the best of certain situations. I do feel bad that she had no choice in the decision and she was basically thrown to the wolves. Melinoë is our hunter and in the last gauntlet she ended up killing the lamb but it was in a way that made everyone watching the stream hate her. I thought Melinoë was an interesting character because she was made to kill but you could tell she has feelings and the one that came across the most was remorse. What I thought was interesting was that this gauntlet wasn’t confined to a space Inesa could run to where ever she wanted or she could stay and fight but her tactic was to run and survive. The wastelands where the girls are was interesting because we see creatures that have been mutated that are after both of them and that’s how the girls end up working together, they also think the cameras are off. I liked the romance, they didn’t just jump in but it was a slow burn and I think they helped each other especially when sharing their perspectives on life. The most captivating thing about this book was the world and the plot and just seeing Inesa and Melinoë navigate their circumstances.

Overall, I really liked this book. I will say I don’t like endings that are open to reader interpretation but in my head it was a happy ending. If you’re looking for a dystopian novel thats reminiscent of YA dystopians that came out in the early 2010s but is also very unique, add this book to your TBR!

I ate this up. Fastest I’ve read a book in a long time. This book belongs with all your favorite 2010s dystopians. The perspective Reid chose made for such a unique story, beautifully written and artfully crafted. I want to explore so much more of this world. Now mind you, it was VERY similar to the Hunger Games in terms of themes (and a scene or two). Did I mind? Not at all.
I’ve thought about this book every day since finishing it and can definitely say I’ll be rereading it.

Thank you so much HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC.

This was the sapphic dystopian book I've been waiting for and was nonetheless devastated by. Ava Reid has a way with words and the ending torn me in two and I already know how divisive it's going to be. If you are a Hunger Games/Divergent/Fifth Wave fan, you will like this!

Rated at 4.5 stars, rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book does not have a happy ending. But it has a devastatingly hopeful one, and I think that made it even better than any true happy ending could have.

Fable for the End of the World is a story about doing what you need to in order to survive while also clinging to humanity and a desire to do more than simply survive—to truly live. When I read that it was pitched as a The Hunger Games meets The Last of Us, I did feel a little skeptical about how that would play out. I do believe that Fable for the End of the World met my expectations and then some.

Moreover, this book felt a little too real for something that is mildly dystopian/futuristic sci-fi. With a government run by a corporation and the rich and wealthy thriving in their shining cities while the less fortunate suffer the direct impact of climate change… I couldn’t help but feel that this book represents a pathway we might be stumbling down in the real world. That aspect of it definitely added a thread of dread in my mind as I was reading, knowing that while this is a fictional tale it could very easily happen in real life.

I really, really liked this one. A love letter to 2010s YA dystopian books like The Hunger Games & Divergent, but still held its own.

I can always trust Ava Reid to have imperfect and interesting characters in her books. The two main FMCs felt real, and each had their own struggle. I also always love her writing style.

I did want more from how The Gauntlet played out, and the ending fell just a *little* flat for me. The enemies to lovers seemed quite a bit too quick. I also would’ve liked more world building, but these three things didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book that much. Would love to have a sequel or even a prequel to this.


Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and absolutely did NOT disappoint! The premise is wild and the story had me hooked right away, We NEED more dystopian stories published - this is so nostalgic but also modern feeling. Hunger Games girlies will LOVE this.

Set in a dystopian society where climate change has further stratified humanity by class, a large mega-corporation has devised an economy where all citizens can get the items and services they want, but at a price. If an individual goes into too much debt, they’re forced to nominate someone for the Gauntlet, a televised chase and brutal murder by superhuman women called Angels, that is broadcast to all devices and screens. Inesa has her relatively peaceful life with her family until her mother reaches the debt threshold and nominates her for the Gauntlet. With her background of knowledge from her now-missing father, and the help of her brother, she might stand a small chance of actually surviving, but the Angel assigned to hunt her down her has her own plans and motivations.

Despite its obvious Hunger Games references (acknowledged by the author!), this book did feel fresh and very thoughtful. Some twists felt a little too obvious, but there were quite a few events that surprised me. If I had to knit pick I’d say pacing dragged in the cabin scenes towards the last third and the final conflict felt a little anticlimactic, and the main human villain (i.e. not a corporation felt a little one-dimensional. I absolutely loved the ending and loved how it concludes neatly but also sets up an opening for a second book, but it might not be for everyone.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for this Advanced Reader Copy! This review is my honest opinion and offered voluntarily!

I’ve come to the realization that my love for Ava Reid’s books are at a 50% rate. I loved A study in Drowning and Lady MacBeth. I didn’t enjoy Juniper and Thorn or The Wolf and the Woodsman quite like I expected to. Fable fell into the later category for me.

In a very 2013-2016 era style of post-apocalyptic YA novels (think Hunger Games, Grace Year, Wilder Girls) featuring romance, gritty survival, humans hunting humans, this novel really tried and had moments that kept my eyes glued to the pages. And yet, the quick turn around from enemies to lovers, the way Inesa didn’t show much grit until the end, the untied strands of the parents’ plots, and the what-really-was-the-point of the Wends(?) left me wanting.

I adore Ava Reid’s lyrical writing. She is talented and has a beautiful mind when it comes to storytelling, and that’s why it pains me that I didn’t have that thrilling experience that I hoped for. It’s difficult to give a review for an author you respect and who has generously gifted 2 ARCs when it’s something that I didn’t particularly enjoy. But the point of the ARCs are for authentic reviews, and I need to gracefully leave a 3 star for this book.

2.75⭐️ rounded up to 3⭐️

I went into this book expecting YA dystopian with lesbians and you know what? That is what I received.

While reading I kept thinking that it’s probably something I would have devoured as a middle schooler obsessed with YA dystopian novels. It is almost a perfect cross between “The Hunger Games” and “Uglies,” both of which I loved when I was younger. I really appreciate a new dystopian novel, definitely written for tweens and teens, centering a lesbian relationship. It’s the only thing that, although not surprising, I think was desperately missing from the first YA dystopia trend in the 2010s.

With all that being said, I think this book was very middling. It wasn’t great, but it certainly wasn’t bad, perhaps just not for me. I think the world-building was a little clumsy and pretty surface level. I liked the idea that was beginning to be created: a flooding world due to human activity, ruled by companies and capitalism putting people into debt which, in turn, forces them to give up themselves or, more shockingly, a family member to be hunted for entertainment. However, I think that a little more time fully fleshing out what it’s actually like to live in this world and what the world outside of our two main characters’ lives looks like was needed before throwing them into the hunt.

I also think the romance was pretty rushed. Honestly, the book itself had a pacing problem and it felt like we were just flying through everything but I think where that was felt most was the romance. I don’t think either character really got to know the other before suddenly they were making heart eyes at each other. Mel is supposed to be programmed into being cold and unfeeling and seems to just flip and suddenly she’s in love with her target? Inesa, I think, is worse considering not only has Mel been literally hunting her and like actively trying to kill her. I feel like it should take more than like 12-16 hours before you’re like over that?

All that being said, I do think these are problems that won’t strike the average middle schooler who will pick up this book. I think that this book wasn’t written for me and, at the end of the day, that’s okay. Like I said before, I’m just really happy that a popular author is releasing a YA dystopia novel with lesbians as the main couple.

Wow. Just wow.

This is my third book by Eva Reid, and it is, hands down, my favorite.

Reid creates a dystopian world that feels like a terrifyingly real glimpse into our future—where the lines between capitalism and politics have blurred into something monstrous. It’s a brutal, unflinching look at consumerism and power, and I couldn’t tear myself away.

But what really got me? The characters. Inesa and Melinoë are the kind of strong, complicated female leads I love—flawed but determined, and impossible not to root for. Their journey together was raw, emotional, and deeply personal, as each fought to reclaim her humanity in a world that sees them as disposable.

And let me tell you—between that ending and the sharp social commentary, this book has been on repeat in my brain since the last page. If there’s a sequel, I will cry tears of joy.

I loved it, and it has officially cemented Reid as a permanent fixture on my must-read list.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Back in my dystopian ERAAAAA! This was such an interesting premise and it was executed so dang well. Ava Reid continues to stun me with her exceptional world building and storytelling skills.

Thank you netgalley for my ebook arc!

Fable for the End of the World kept me on my toes the entire time. This Hunger Games inspired novel tells the story of Ines and Melinoë. Fable for the End of the World can be dark but damn I could not put this down. I really loved the ending, it was a realistic ending to their story.

I will always recommend this book!

3.5⭐️
This book gave me so much nostalgia for my dystopian era when I was younger! If you loved The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, or This is How You Lose the Time War or enemies to lovers and sapphic love stories, then I highly recommend picking this up!

We follow Inesa, who gets chosen for The Gauntlet, and Mel, an angel assigned to hunt her in this fast-paced dystopian ya romance! The Gauntlet scenes were very fast paced and filled with action scenes that had me not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed Inesa and Mel working together to survive while getting to know each other on a deeper level. I loved the overall vibes of the story and the action scenes but found myself not connecting with the two characters as much I normally do. Despite this, Ava’s writing and storytelling pulls you into the story has you wanting more by the end. I know this is a standalone but I would love a sequel or maybe a novella because I feel like there is so much left to explore in this world and story!

Thank you to Harper Collins for the e-ARC in exchange for my review!