I really enjoyed this book! It's my first Ava Reid book, ad it was great! I really liked the Hunger games vibe.

I love Ava Reid’s writing so much. This book starts out a little slow and then builds to an amazing climax. The way she pulls on hope and survival and makes you believe in even the worst characters. *chefs kiss* The ending honestly wasn’t what I expected and made this book so much more heart wrenching that I thought could be.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an E-ARC to read and review.

Fable for the End of the World is a gritty, emotional dystopian romance that mixes survival with sacrifice and love in a world controlled by corporate greed. Inesa and her brother scrape by in a broken town, unaware that their cruel mother has offered her as a sacrifice in Caerus’s deadly spectacle, the Lamb’s Gauntlet. Melinoe, the cold assassin sent to kill Inesa, is ruthless but tormented by her own past, and as their paths collide, both women are forced to confront their beliefs and their feelings for each other.

The world-building is hauntingly vivid, and the characters are complex and engaging. Inesa’s fierce will to survive and Melinoe’s struggle with her role as a weapon make for a captivating dynamic. The tension between them builds as the story unfolds, and the romance that develops feels both tender and inevitable.

I’ve rated this book 4.75 stars. I loved the futuristic design and the care in the characters development. I loved the relationships that were built and crafted it was the perfect slow burn

4 ⭐️ Ava Reid has done it again with this dystopian hunger games inspired sapphic YA fantasy with enemies to lovers and dual point of view.

We are put into a Hunger Games style gauntlet with Angels which are like basically like enhanced humans that function like robots / machines who are set out to kill “lambs” the poor humans in this world. This gauntlet is live streamed just like in the hunger games with everyone watching.

The lines between coproration and government were crossed after New amsterdam was in a recession / depression era and everyone was drowning in debts not able to afford to buy anything anymore. This huge corporation Caerus stepped in and bought all the debts to create their new dystopian world where you have rely on them in order to live and you HAVE to compete in these gauntlets in order to pay off your debts to them.

It also The Last of Us in the sense that this is a dystopian world for a reason… Not only because of everyone’s debts that they’re were put into a depression but because the land, animals, and humans have mutated. The humans turn into basically zombies if they eat any of the mutated animals.

So there’s a lot going on in this world outside the gauntlet that I would have loved to have gotten more of.

I think Ava Reid presented a strong message of what could happen in our world with climate change, consumerism, and advanced technology that could eventually lead to our downfall. She speaks of nature and how it resonates with us as a community and how we need each other the same way plants need water and animals need plants.

Fable for the End of the World was an immersive, anxiety-inducing, and compelling read. I loved Melinoë and Inesa, the two main characters. The book alternates chapters between the two girls, allowing us to get close to both. The root of the book is the Lamb's Gauntlet, basically sacrificing a family member for debt-forgiveness in a televised event where they are hunted by an Angel.
This book has a ton of comparisons, but stands on its own. The world is interesting and easily pictured. The characters are flawed and sympathetic. If you've been craving more Hunger Games, then this is a great book to pick up. The themes of televised violence, a looks-obsessed ruling class, a floundering lower class, a televised fight for survival are all there. If you, like me, absolutely love The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid, then you need to read this book. Melinoë is her own character, but the traits that made me love Nemesis in The Diabolic are also there in this new cyborg anti-heroine.
I truly hope this is the first in a duology or series. Not only is there more story to tell, but there is so much more to this world that I want to explore.

Fable for the End of the World - A dystopian (YA) sci-fi/fantasy that was described as a The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes that did NOT disappoint. This book is a dual POV story of Inesa and Melinoë. Inesa's awful mother sacrifices her to the Gautlet, where the Angel Melinoë is tasked with killing her. This was a beautifully written sapphic enemies to lovers story; I could feel the connection between Inesa and Mel. I'm a sucker for good side characters and loved Inesa's brother Luka. Fable had pretty good pacing throughout and ended at a place that left me sad, but hopeful. Ava Reid knows how to write.

"It's a privilege, really, to desire, to imagine, to believe." One of my favorite quotes from Fable. 10/10 recommend this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5!!! First of all big shout out to NetGalley and Harper Collins for letting me read the e-arc!
This was devastating, beautiful and kept me in the edge of my seat.
There are hunger games elements mixed with fighting to survive the elements! Like many hunger games style books, there are eat the rich vibes and lots of underlying themes of classism, and the nasty behavior of the one percent.
I love our two main characters who are both in devastating situations for different reasons. Each of them have had to fight to survive in this awful system in different ways.
Also, ITS GAY HUNGER GAMES.
This book screams about the power of queer woman from the roof tops and I LOVED THAT!!

Pitching this as Hunger Games x Annihilation x West World. In dystopian, drowning Upstate NY, a cute, doe-eyed girl named Inesa is making ends meet by selling taxidermied animals that will go extinct. Inesa gets put into the a 1 on 1 Hunger Games by her Munchausen’s afflicted, QVC addicted mother and must survive an arbitrary number of days to win ~the Gauntlet~. If she wins, her loans will be forgiven, which as a post-grad student, I can get on board with.

Melinoe is a cold-hearted, part-tech, part-human killer Angel who is sent to hunt Inesa to prove that she’s still got it because at the ripe of 17, she’s old news and is up to get decommissioned and sold as a tech mogul concubine. Will Melinoe be able to break that cold, hard exterior to make sparks fly with Inesa? Hopefully. If they can get away from the cannibalistic mutant humans and other horrors of the wasteland!!

Ava Reid is amazing at writing character-driven novels, with interesting fleshed out characters who have intriguing backstories. For an action focused dystopian fantasy novel, I wish the world was more fleshed out and we got more information on how everything worked. The things we did find out didn’t necessarily add up. Like why are Inesa & Luka killing endangered animals, someone call WWF. Or why is the world set so far in the future that animals and climates dramatically evolved, but we're still relying on Amazon Prime (albeit via helicopter)?!? There are issues like the objectification and violence against women, the harm of social media, climate change and government institutions that the novel didn’t take the pages to explore. There were beginnings of so many great ideas that needed more page time to truly shine and make a statement. Overall, an interesting and solid read and I'm interested in seeing whether there will be sequels!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid (e-ARC)
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

This book is exactly what it presents itself as: it truly is a fable for the end of the world as we know it. Inesa and Melinöe live in a future dystopia that has an eerie amount of parallels to the state we are in now, here in the US.

The government has been overrun and absorbed by a single corporation (*cough*) named Caerus that controls society through a cruel credit system, creating a massive divide between the upper and lower classes.

Inesa is sent to the Lamb’s Gauntlet; she is the lamb and she will be hunted down by one of Caerus’ assassins to pay for her mother’s debts. Melinoë is the Angel praised for her ruthlessness, sent to hunt down Inesa. This sets off a gripping sapphic enemies to lovers game of cat and mouse.

Ava Reid says that this is her love letter to The Hunger Games, and it certainly shows. But where THG was a bold statement of rebellion, Fable shows itself in its quiet moments of tenderness. Fable is a heart-wrenching book about hope and I loved every moment of it!

The setting was gritty and sunken and absolutely perfect. I knew of course that Ava is the master of ambience, but I didn’t expect such a vivid and realistic look at a future following war and nuclear disaster. Absolutely brilliant in the details on world building!

I loved the pace of this book, and I really feel like it was the PERFECT length which is a compliment I hand out very rarely. This book leaves you feeling somber hope, which after the last few days is something that feels pretty good.

As always: if she writes it, I will read it! ♡

Thank you Ava for such a tender love story and to Netgalley and HarperCollins Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 rounded up.

The cover alone had me hook, line, and sinker.

Fable for the End of the World is a Sapphic YA that follows all of our guilty pleasures; the Roman gladiator-style fight to the death before the ever-eager crowd. Ava Reid doesn't shy away from her obvious inspiration from the YA Dystopian à la the Hunger Games and the cultural impact it and fanfiction had on (internet) society.

I could complain about the world-building and our main relationship but as I'm not exactly coming from a young adult standpoint, I'm going to stay in my lane.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for this eARC in return for an honest review.

3.75 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑 (rounded up)

This is absolutely the love letter to the late 2000s/2010s dystopian novels most of us grew up on it’s claiming to be. But it’s so much more than that too.

Family struggles, sibling highs and lows, the struggle of not feeling good enough. The pressures of growing up in a digital world. First loves. This book packs so much into its pages.

The world building is what stands out the most to me, it’s a world ravaged by the climate crisis and radiation and Reid still finds spots to make it beautiful. The growth our two FMCs go through is also something I really enjoyed.

Overall this story is an excellent bit of nostalgia that I absolutely enjoyed fully.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ava Reid for this eArc!

This book has truly changed my perception of the world and the future and I will never be the same. Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid follows Inesa from Lower Esopus Creek and Caerus assassin Melinoë as they are forced to perform in the streamed ritual of the Gauntlet to entertain the citizens of New Amsterdam. While Inesa and Melinoë could not be more different in their situation and what is expected of them, they are forced to discover the bonds that string everyone together. Inesa and Melinoë are burned by the expectations of people and perceptions of the world around them as they fight for themselves and the future they deserve. While New Amsterdam isn’t a real place, every moment, feeling, and situation in this book is rooted in reality. Reid has proven herself to be a master at writing meaningful social commentary in fictional worlds. This book is dark and explores the horrors of humanity while highlighting what it means to come together as people who share a world. Through the evolution of Inesa and Melinoë’s relationship, you are forced to reconcile what humanity truly means in a world that is hyper-focused on individual differences and survival. In addition to the powerful content of the book, the writing is exceptional and transports you into the destroyed world that Caerus controls. Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid is a must-read.

Thank you sincerely to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

AMAZING COVER ART!

The concept of being so in debt to a massive corporation that you can just sign a family member up to be hunted by an assassin in a reality television show is…well, it’s pretty far-fetched. I love it BUT unless you have some excellent world building to get me to buy in, it just seems so unbelievable that I found myself struggling get into it.

With regard to the world building I kept thinking… why? Why is it like this? And then not really getting a satisfying answer. I think there were some really cool elements (climate issues, mutations of animals, extinction, neighborly debt, etc) but it felt just a tad sparse. I’d love to see it fleshed out even more because it really intrigued me.

The characters independently were interesting, especially Mel. I was expecting more tension between them as Angel and Lamb, but the romance seemed to happen so fast, that it felt a little too forced.

Despite that I am intrigued to learn more about the corporation. And Dad was mentioned so much, so I feel like I need answers on what happened to him?

I think the ending suggests there may be a sequel. I am interested to see what happens next! I have a lot of questions!

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid is a must-read for fans of queer YA dystopian. From the very first page, I was hooked. The story blends current societal issues with a possible future, where AI and unchecked capitalism cause chaos. It’s a narrative that feels too real, yet still eerily speculative.
That said, I do wish there was more world-building; the setting had so much potential for greater depth and complexity. The ending, is left open-ended, which has me hoping this will be the start of a series. Overall, it’s a compelling and thought-provoking read, and I’m eager to see where Reid takes this world next.

Thanks HarperCollins Children’s Books for the Arc

The Hunger Games was the definitive dystopian of the 2000’s capturing our public obsession with the 24hr new cycle. Fable is a dystopian for the 2020’s touching on the horrors of the climate crisis and our fixation on social media. These problems of the modern world are viewed through the lens of two queer teens trapped in the oppression of a hyper capitalist dystopia. Reid’s commentary on society is grim and impeccably executed. However, she doesn’t leave you without the hope that love and community can prevail. The romance between our two main characters is the core of this story and the connection between them was palpable. Overall a really well done story that will stick with me for a while.

CW: parents with substance abuse disorder, gore, death of a child, implied sexual assault, and misogyny

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

This one is for the dystopian girls!!! In this world Reid creates, there are humans, machines, hybrids of the two, mutated animals, and everything in between. In this society, many people struggle to make ends meet, and when they must, they take out credit. When someone has racked up enough credit, they have the option to nominate themselves or a loved one to be a "Lamb" in something called a Gauntlet.

In the Guantlet, an "Angel" (who are half human, half machines crafted by the government to unalive people) hunts down the "Lamb" over 13 days. If the "Lamb" is captured and k!lled, consider that family's debt cleared. If the "Angel" is k!lled.... well, that doesn't happen very often.

In "Fable for the End of the World", we have Mel (Angel) and Inesa (Lamb) in dual POVs fighting in a Gauntlet. Will they defeat each other or will their love conquer all in this sapphic, dystopian romance?

I had a good time with this book. I give it 3.5/5 due to the middle dragging a bit, not everything being explained, and the ending left me thinking "That's it?" HOWEVER, I definitely think it's worth the read especially if you're a fan of dystopian novels.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Ava Reid is always a must read!

Fable for the End of the world is a dystopian enemies to lovers romance following Inesa as she is forced to participate in the Gauntlet to clear her mothers debt. In the gauntlet the "lamb" must try to survive while an enhanced "angel" tries to kill them, all while being televised for everyone to watch.

I am probably biased because I love anything dystopian and anything sapphic, but I really had a great time with this book. I thought the worldbuilding was well done and enjoyed the way Reid tied the current dystopian future in the book back to a gradual build starting with issues very relevant to our modern society, making it feel like a very realistic and possible portrayal of our future. The character work also really stood out to me. I thought Reid did a really good job of fleshing out the characters and showcasing the way they all were shaped differently by the current state of the world and the ways everyone's perceptives were so heavily and differently manipulated by the government/ruling corporation. I also really appreciated the two main relationships, the sibling relationship between Luka and Inesa and the romantic relationship between Inesa and Melinoë, though I do feel like the romantic relationship was hurt by some pacing issues towards the end of the book. The whole last section of the book felt a little rushed and almost like it was missing something. I really enjoyed the build up of the story and relationships leading up to the climax, but then it all got wrapped up very quickly in a way that felt a little unsatisfying which I think some extra length may have fixed. I also have mixed feelings about the ending, which was left quite open-ended with some unanswered questions but also felt realistic at the same time, so I will probably decide how I feel about it after sitting on it for a bit. But overall, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, had a very hard time putting it down from start to finish, and would recommend for any fans of of ya distopian fiction.

Thank you to netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC of Fable for the End of the World.

A dystopian enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance. This is for those that grew up reading the dystopian genre in the 2010s. While the story is heavily inspired by the Hunger Games, I thought that Ava Reid did a great job bringing new elements of a dystopian world and characters to life. Like everything by Ava Reid, I did not want to put this down and was completely sucked in from chapter one.

In a world where a corporation, Caerus, has completely taken over the government and encourages the underclass citizens to live off of a credit system and therefore accumulating massive amounts of debt. Once a citizen reaches the debt threshold, someone must be punished in the form of a live-streamed assassination (the Gauntlet) completed by the Caerus created Angel- a woman trained and medically modified to be lethal. Our main character Inesa finds herself nominated as the “Lamb” after her mother maxes out her debt and decides to take zero accountability. The Angel assigned to complete the Gauntlet is Melinoe. The story is told in dual POVs - Inesa and Melinoe’s as the Gauntlet does not go as Caerus plans.

This story hits on so many relevant social issues of today and makes this dystopian world feel not so far away from where we are today. Capitalist takeover, over reaching government control, climate change, women’s equality, internet culture and anonymity on the internet and more. With so many heavy topics, this is a very dark and bleak. I found the romance to be tender and sweet and shine a little light in the midst of the heaviness of the dystopian world. I know this is marketed as a stand alone, but I am BEGGING for a sequel.