Ava Reid is such an amazing storyteller! Ahhh I loved this book. Dystopian, atmospheric, wonderfully told story. I will be highly recommending this one to anyone who will listen.
I felt so many emotions and I love that from a book.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Ava Reid for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Listen, I'm not usually a fan of the dystopian genre, but I absolutely adore this book. Very rarely do I read a book, and there are no parts that I find to be slow, and this is one of those. There is such good world building and character development. Honestly, I just wish this wasn't a standalone. I need to know so much more, that ending was CRIMINAL (in the best way).

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

The blurb for Fable for the End of the World wove a fascinating story - in a world where one corporations owns and controls every facet of society, being in debt can be deadly. After accumulating enough debt, a person can go into the Lamb's Gauntlet, where they try to survive against a trained assassin who is hunting them.

It all sounded very Hunger Games-esque, and in the authors opening comments, Ava Reid writes that this was largely inspired by the Hunger Games and other dystopian literature. The problem is, that this book relies too heavily on YA dystopian tropes throughout.

There is little to no world building in this novel. The ravages of climate change seem to be the only effort at world building and catalyst for the events in this book, but it's as if the author thinks the audience already agrees that it's a problem and never really gets into what has happened, why or even why it's so bad. It's just there in the background for us to nod along with.

Genetically (and physically) modified assassins reminded me of the tv show Dark Angel, mutated animals, a game show created out of the deaths of children while an abundantly wealthy city thrives, felt straight out of Hunger Games, and there were other similarities with other titles but I can't think of them at the moment.

I also never really got invested in either of the main characters. They were on the edge of interesting but everything in this book felt so rushed that I never got enough information to actually care what they were doing. Truthfully, I didn't understand their relationship at all.

<spoiler>Perhaps the worst crime of all in this book though is that despite it being marketed as a standalone novel, the ending is clearly set up for the story to continue. OR it really is just a sad, confusing ending. Maybe it was the ending they deserved, but I read that last page and wondered why I had bothered reading anything that came before. I suspect if not for the ending it would have been worth 3 stars to me. But it's not. </spoiler>

I think a younger reader would have more patience for all of this than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advanced reader copy. This book will be published on March 4.

3.75 ⭐️
I found the overall concept and the dystopian setting to be quite interesting. There are definitely hunger games-esque elements, but enough different and original aspects that make it feel unique and new. I liked both of the characters, but found the romance/relationship between them to be a little lacking. I just wish there had been a bit more tension and build up, because by the end, their strong feelings just didn’t feel really realistic/believable due to the rushed nature of it all. I enjoyed the world building and would have loved for it to have been explored even more as it was the most interesting aspect of the story in my opinion. I did feel as though the middle of the story felt a little underwhelming. Considering the characters were in the middle of the gauntlet, the stakes didn’t really feel high. There wasn’t as much danger as I expected and the moments that they were facing danger didn’t last long and seemed to be fairly easy to overcome. Overall, I had a good time reading this book and enjoyed Ava Reid’s take on a dystopian world.

I’ve been going back and forth on what final rating I would give this book but I’ve settled on 2.5 ⭐️⭐️!

I wanted to absolutely love this book because I like Ava Reid and the premise of the book is extremely interesting but in all honestly, I am just confused with it.

The premise of the book follows Inesa who lives in an impoverished town where everyone surrounding them is in enormous amounts of debt. Basic necessities are controlled through credits and if you incur too many credits in debt, you are entered into a live-streamed hunt where “Angels” (cybernetic modified humans) are tasked with hunting the selected target (in this case, Inesa) with the promise of guaranteed survival if the target can outlast a certain time period.

This is an extremely cool concept and I love the added mix-in of modified humans being used in this world.
However, I do feel this concept wasn’t carried out in a way that fully did it justice.

There were small details I felt were missing, such as, bullets not being mentioned at all. Somehow, these weapons seemed to magically just have bullets loaded at all times, with no fear of them ever running out. This is a minor detail but one that just irked me a bit. The lack of detail and description of the weapons and gear just took away from my ability to fully envision what was happening at times.

I also felt the overall “survival” experience really lacked urgency and realism, as well. It never truly felt Inesa was in actual danger.

My main issue is I never connected with either main character and their romance. The romance plot seemed to be lacking in a clear and convincing set up for the main characters and that bothered me a lot. I wanted to feel the love between both FMCs (female main characters) grow and blossom into the passion the writing expecting me to buy into but I never was able to experience this through how their relationship was set up. It felt rushed and awkward, even, and I couldn’t believe they felt as intense about each other as they claimed they did just given how fast it all moved. By the end of the book I felt I had whiplash with how quickly things had changed and the circumstances Inesa found herself in.

I truly wanted to enjoy this to its fullest and I do think there is still potential for the sequel to set things up better and fix some of the main issues. I will plan to read the sequel as the premise of this book is so intriguing!

“But 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 before a nuclear blast.”

4.5 ⭐️ WOW. Fable came to me at the perfect time. In recent weeks, I’ve been reflecting on my fears about what the future holds for our world. Issues like climate change, violence, and homophobia have been weighing heavily on me—and on many of the young people I work with. Leave it to Ava Reid to address these topics so thoughtfully. In this futuristic dystopian novel, Reid delves into a reality that many of us would rather not imagine. She explores themes of capitalism, wealth inequality, climate change, trauma, depression, and individualism. Yet, she also portrays hope, strength, community, love, and the importance of FEELING. I highly recommend checking out Fable when it hits shelves; I know I’ll be buying my own copy on March 4th!

- Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! -

Ava Reid crafts a gripping and thought-provoking dystopian tale in Fable for the End of the World. Set in a society controlled by the oppressive Caerus corporation, the story follows Inesa, a resourceful taxidermist thrust into the deadly Lamb’s Gauntlet, and Melinoë, the cold yet haunted assassin sent to kill her. As they navigate a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase through apocalyptic wastelands, their perspectives shift, challenging their beliefs about survival, redemption, and even love. The novel’s richly imagined world, complex characters, and exploration of human connection make it a compelling read.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid is exactly what you’d expect from her: a brutal, beautiful, and achingly human story wrapped in a dystopian fever dream. The world-building is darkly brilliant, the prose reads like poetry with teeth, and yes, the cover is stunning (at this point, it’s practically a law of the universe—Ava Reid’s books must look as devastatingly gorgeous as they feel).

This time, Reid takes us to a decaying, debt-ridden world controlled by Caerus, a corporation so ruthless it hosts televised bloodsport to remind the underclass exactly where they stand. Enter Inesa, a scrappy survivor with a sharp mind and a penchant for preservation—fitting, since she literally runs a taxidermy shop in a town that’s sinking both literally and figuratively. When her own mother signs her up as a sacrifice for the Gauntlet (thanks for nothing, Mom), it’s impossible not to feel the gut punch. And Inesa isn’t a "chosen one" archetype—she’s not special because of prophecy or fate. She’s special because she refuses to let the world break her, even when it’s coming at her with a knife.

Then there’s Melinoë—the assassin who is as tragic as she is terrifying. She’s the poster child for what happens when a person is stripped of their humanity piece by piece until all that’s left is a weapon. Or at least, that’s what she thinks she is. Reid layers Mel’s character with such subtle vulnerability that watching her unravel as she hunts Inesa is both terrifying and heart-wrenching. She’s caught between what’s been done to her and what she desperately hopes she can still be. And the fact that these two girls—both enemies and victims—begin to see something tender in one another amidst the carnage? That’s Ava Reid’s magic right there.

The tension between them is electric, not because it’s some doomed "enemies-to-lovers" trope slapped into place, but because it feels like survival itself hinges on whether they choose destruction or grace. The love story isn’t soft—it’s jagged and tentative, like two people reaching for warmth in a world that keeps trying to convince them that warmth is a weakness.

The dystopian elements are sharp and disturbingly believable. Caerus’s hold over society through debt is painfully on-the-nose in the best way. Reid isn’t just imagining some far-off hellscape; she’s holding up a mirror to the worst parts of our own reality and asking, "How far off is this, really?"

If there’s one small downside, it’s that the pacing in the middle starts to sag just a bit. There’s so much internal reflection (and rightfully so—these characters have a LOT to process) that the tension of the chase falters here and there. But it’s a minor quibble in a story that otherwise grips you like a hand on your throat.

Four stars because it’s devastatingly good—dark but not hopeless, violent but still tender. It’s not an easy read, but Ava Reid doesn’t write easy stories. She writes stories that crack open your heart and leave you questioning what survival and sacrifice really mean. And as always, I’ll be adding this physical copy to my collection because her books don’t just sit on shelves—they haunt them.

thank you harpercollins for the ARC copy! this review is 100% my true thoughts and opinions about the book.

i did really enjoy this, i’ll give it a 3.5 because the setup and the plot were great, and i liked our characters but i feel like it started going too fast and jumbled towards the end. the last 25% or so was underwhelming compared to the rest of the book. i honestly think that this would’ve been great as the first book in a duology.

overall i do recommend this because sapphics in a dystopian world, need i say more? i’m interested enough to read more from ava reid, as this was my first book of hers.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

“Maybe I’ve survived this long so I could know how it feels to hold her. Maybe all my life has been one long gauntlet, running, fighting, searching for her.” - Fable for the End of the World

i absolutely needed to read this the moment i heard ava reid’s next book was going to be a sapphic dystopian romance, and this made me nostalgic in all the right ways. would it be going too far to say that this book stands as proof that we need a revamped dystopian-genre renaissance? i don’t think so. i want more hunger games but gay.

i’m a stickler for dystopian worldbuilding, since that seems to be what makes or breaks the stories in this genre, and i was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing Reid’s New Amsterdam felt. i was quickly drawn into the nuances of this world.

i enjoyed reading from both inesa and mel’s perspectives, and reid was smart in how she used their povs to flesh out the world from both sides. i’ve seen other reviews saying that Fable bears too many similarities to the Hunger Games, but i disagree; Fable’s characters, world, and story provided enough bends on the genre and their inspiration to feel fresh and unique. the ending especially made it stand out to me among others, while simultaneously wrecking me.

i will say not to go into this book expecting a ton of action, which is why it’s a star off for me. it’s more of a romance and character study, which i won’t complain about because i found both compelling, but i do wish the middle of the story had felt a little less stagnant setting-wise. i would have loved the opportunity to explore more of this world.

A dystopian world in which you can pay off your debt by sacrificing someone you love to The Gauntlet. The Lambs-your average person from these poor communities- are hunted in their community by an Angel, a cyborg like human who has been modified in some way to hunt. We get to see both sides of the story through the dual POV, told in alternating chapters.
Of course it is rightfully being compared to series like The Hunger Games, but this story has enough unique elements to see it's individual impact on the Dystopian YA genre. We've got enough world building and character development to keep us interested but not overwhelm us with exposition, which is often hard in these first of a series novels.
The main reason I gave this story a knock down for star rating is how quick the romance happened. It seems odd to me that they went from hunter/hunted to "being in love" in the course of a few days. Like is it just the trauma bonding?

This is the dystopian book all millennials will love. This is what all the books after Hunger Games wanted to be. It was so well written with compelling characters.

3.5 stars

I think, on the whole, Reid’s YA books are superior to their adult books. There’s not nearly as much stiffness, none of the rambling descriptions or awkward ham-fisted messages. The YA books feel different at their very core.

I will say, what really hurt me with this book were small details. Like Melinoë never once reloads her rifle? And the only mention of bullets as separate from the gun itself was when she gets all new gear (but she still doesn’t load them? So what were they even for?) I also feel like Inesa and Melinoë’s narrative styles weren’t distinct enough; without context clues, one couldn’t tell which of them was narrating. And there was a weird obsession with throat syringes? I feel like that’s wildly unsafe and impractical but okay. And the big climactic scene doesn’t really hit as hard as it could have because we spent the whole book with Inesa and Melinoë, leaving Luka and especially Lethe as mere sketches that don’t feel much like people.

Things that worked really well for me: pacing (especially during the first 70%), the reality of existing in a broken system that is designed to stifle the underprivileged, Melinoë’s growth / character arc (her trauma, her relationship with/dependence on Keres, and Azrael’s role), the cannibal/zombie people.

Was it a masterpiece? No. Did it feel like the old 2010s dystopian era? Mostly yes, though there was a lot less rebellion/“burn down the broken system” energy, which I think hurts the story overall.

I do really love this author’s work. I really need to get into the author’s adult works more because I really am drawn to the writing style the author has. I had such a beautiful time with this story! Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The setting was interesting. I also liked each of the characters individually and their stories. I almost wish that it wasn’t a romance at all. I would have liked for it to go a little more deeper into the world. I wanted to know more about Caerus and life outside of the city. I just wanted depth from the world and how it came to be that way.
For me the romance was the weakest part of this book. It felt very lacking. I didn’t feel their romantic connection at all. Not enough buildup, not enough chemistry between the characters. I liked the characters individually.
Overall this wasn’t my favorite read, but I liked the writing style and I’ve enjoyed other books from this author. I’ll continue to check her work out!

Ava Reid just knows how to tell a darn story!

The concept isn’t new, more a mash up of some common dystopian tropes, but with the signature Ava Reid flair and style.

Oh did I mention this is a sapphic tale?? Having a well known author like Reid bring love stories about queer people to the mainstream is wonderful. I am glad to see more publishers backing away from performative inclusion and just letting authors tell good stories with good characters.

Overall the setting, pacing and story were fantastic but the conclusion felt a little underwhelming, not in a terrible way. I just think she did such a good job in the first 2/3 of the book that the wrap up felt less impactful to me.

an enjoyable hunger games-inspired dystopian novel with a sprinkling of romance.

so fun fact this is actually my first ava reid novel in all my years of reading. i've seen her acclaim for years now, but i've never been able to properly dig into one of her books. however, i love the hunger games, so i was eager to request and read this.

this follows inesa, a young girl, in a dystopian united states ruled by a megacorporation named caerus. she and her family are struggling to get by, and her mom subsequently puts her up for a gauntlet (a livestreamed hunt) in order to avoid paying off her debt. inesa and her brother luka try to escape and survive while being hunted by an trained assassin (an angel) named melinoe. however, melinoe and inesa slowly turn from enemies to allies to something more while staving off caerus.

the worldbuilding is great! you get enought information to be placed in this dangerous and toxic world. from lower esopus, with its flooded streets and dingy houses, to melinoe's penthouse and the glittery city, to the mystical drowned county and the dominion of old england. the world comes to life. the entire first like 20% of the book was worldbuilding and individual character work which did make it a bit hard to get through but the book went fast asl after that.

i enjoyed the character work in this book. obviously with dual povs you run the risk of making the two characters sound/feel the same, but inesa and melinoe were definitely very distinct. i also think azrael and luka are good characters; especially azrael. he occupies this space of being melinoe's father figure and her master and her puppeteer all at once, and that sets up a toxic dynamic with melinoe. when melinoe and inesa are chasing and hunting each other, that is where the book shines. i love the action and the tenseness as inesa races to escape and melinoe races to capture. loved loved loved the parallels of inesa and melinoe. their relationships with death are so different; inesa treats life reverently. even working as a taxidermist, she is used to death but still is appalled by the idea of killing. meanwhile, melinoe is a born and bred killer, but she begins to change as she allies with inesa. i loved how melinoe, who was built deliberately to not be human, begins to develop and grow feelings beyond what she was made for.

the romance was instalove, and i think it could've been built up stronger. i wish there was more tension built up between them two. also tbh having caerus livestream them making out is a nasty violation my god??? like idk. i was rooting for them though but i really think this book would've benefitted from having a sequel and exploring their relationship even further. the ending of chapter thirty though GOD it hit me in the chest.

there isn't a hea, but i think the ending makes sense for the story. i think the ending isn't necessarily tragic; it reads more wishful and hopeful. if ava reid has ever wished to write a sequel (and i see her books so i know she will write that sequel) i need her to get on that zoom and start,

i enjoyed this! maybe i need to tune into more ava reid. perfect for those who miss the 2010s-dystopian ya novels and fans of the hunger games,

thanks to netgalley and harper collins for the arc!

In this Hunger Games meets Black Mirror tale, Inesa, an underclass citizen, lives in a world where one singular corporation, Caerus, grows richer with society's insurmountable debt. Despite her efforts to help her family stay in the black, Inesa receives notice that her mother has hit the debt threshold. Payment doesn't come in the form of credits, but instead from the Lamb's Gauntlet; a livestreamed hunt where Angels, trained assassins, are assigned to eliminate the sacrificial lambs. Selfishly, Inesa's mother sacrifices her to be the Lamb in her place. The Angel assigned to Inesa's Gauntlet, Melinoë, is faced with an ultimatum. Fail the mission and become decommissioned to be wed to Caerus' CTO. As the hunter and hunted enter the gauntlet, they question the world they live in and whether they are truly enemies.

if NetGalley had an option for half stars, I would rate this 4.5 stars. I am rounding up.

this book would be of interest for those that enjoy:
✨ dystopia
✨ dual POV
✨ hunter x hunted
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ LGBTQ+
✨ young adult
✨ science fiction
✨ societal commentary

I was captivated by this story with only two chapters: the first introducing us to Inesa, <spoiler>the Lamb</spoiler>, and the second introducing us to Melinoë,<spoiler>the Angel</spoiler>. Both of their characters had moving backstories and I was drawn to all the complex relationships in their lives. this story was written with incredible emotion and descriptions that made me emotionally attached early on. I loved how Inesa had darker features and Melinoë in contrast was light as it visually represented how both characters come from completely different social classes. when tides turn in the Gauntlet and they need to rely on each other to survive, they both see the truth of who they are and who they are meant to be. however, I feel that their love story was underwhelming and rushed. the pair said "i love you" within days. of course, in this scenario it is after immense duress and one too many near death moments and these girls are only seventeen. the "i love you" is what threw me off the most.

the pair becomes more vulnerable with each other in ways that no one else in their life has ever seen. unfortunately, when they believe the livestream has been cut off and they become their most vulnerable, the cameras are sneakily on and the whole world DOES see. throughout the story, there is further commentary on how women are viewed in the media. Melinoë makes comments repeatedly about how much surgery she has had since Angels are to look breathtaking at every moment and how the surgical scars are hidden so no one can see how ugly they truly are. this commentary addresses how those in the limelight are scrutinized over everything that is said and done, including how the media can influence whether they are beloved or hated. in addition, this book is a commentary on society as a whole and what the world could become in the trajectory we are already on. it touches upon climate change, societal gaps widening, and the cost of these changes.

the ending of this tale is not a happily ever after, and while i figured it would not end in happiness, i was convinced that would be the case. i was anticipating full anarchy and them sticking it to the man, but that was not the case. i also figured this was to be a standalone book, but i have so many questions left unanswered i wonder if this is not the case.

thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Everyone will be comparing this book to the Hunger Games and rightfully so, in the best way possible. Fable manages to capture the tension, social commentary, and rage of the Hunger Games books while also creating something wholly its own.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid was an okay read. I have such a weird relationship with the work of Ava Reid. The premise for her books are always so interesting and I want to love them so much but most (but not all) of her titles fall a little short with the execution. I think there are some plot points that weren’t flushed out enough which makes me wonder why they were even put in to begin with. I honestly think this would have been stronger if it focused on only a couple of the things instead of going to far with other points. The characters kind of blended with each other and there were moments were I confused the two characters. The writing was a little convoluted at times and it just made my overall experience of reading it unenjoyable.