Vampires ended the world—and Ruby’s not here for it. Trained as a Slayer alongside her twin sister Ripley, she’s spent her life preparing to fight back. But when the most feared vampire of them all, X, turns Ripley instead of killing her, Ruby is faced with an impossible choice: break the rules, make a deal with a monster, and risk everything for a chance to bring her sister back.

This dystopian vampire fantasy was a wild, action-packed ride from start to finish. Set in a post-apocalyptic version of Charlotte, it’s a world where humanity is barely hanging on, and survival depends on strength, sacrifice, and hope. The story is gritty, suspenseful, and layered with emotional tension. I loved Ruby’s fierce determination and the powerful bond between the sisters. And X? Oh, he’s the perfect morally gray enigma—with the kind of enemies-to-lovers tension that had me hooked.

The romantic banter, the twists, and the moments of unexpected tenderness gave this book depth beyond the blood and chaos. The characters felt raw and real, and the story was beautifully paced. If you’re a fan of dystopian fantasy with heart, grit, and a good dose of forbidden longing, you’re going to devour this one.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the ARC!

If your in the mood for vampire, hunters, in a post apocalyptical dark dystopian world this forbidden trope might be your next read.

What happens when you watch those you love become the very thing you're hunting? Will you be able to survive long enough to save them?

A story rich in detail, lots of world building, angst, tension, and gore!

Be sure to read the triggers if you're diving into this one.

Book Rating: ⭐️ 4.75/5

This YA horror was such a fun ride! The story follows Ruby, our fierce FMC, as she navigates a vampire apocalypse on Earth, where death and the undead are part of everyday life. To make things even more intense, Ruby had to watch her mother and twin sister turn into vampires… and the one responsible for turning her sister? That would be X, the MMC she unexpectedly runs into and is forced to team up with in hopes of saving her sister.

Things get messy fast—in the best way. I felt this wave of nostalgia reading it, even though the plot was something completely new to me. The dialogue had major late 90s/early Y2K vibes, and I was so here for it. If you're into dystopian romances with a touch of paranormal chaos, this one is definitely your vibe.

Surprisingly, the romance took a backseat for me, unusual since I'm a big romance lover, but I was more captivated by the world-building, characters, and creative twists. And honestly, for me to say that? That means the rest of the story was really delivering.

This book is a sizzling debut. Kalla is the master of plot and characterization and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this arc copy. It is a dystopian story where a sickness turns people into vampires. The humans of the world are trying to survive or are training to be slayers. It’s so good. I have a feeling this will be a massive hit with the dystopian book lovers like myself. So many things are not what they seem.

I almost didn't grab this book because it's Young Adult, and I'm so glad I changed my mind!

The only thing YA about The Ground That Devours Us is the age of the characters. They have a wicked sense of humor reminiscent of the 90s but are otherwise mature and level-headed.

It has a similar feel as Feed by Mira Grant, one of my all-time zombie books but with vampires and a TRUE enemies-to-lovers romantic subplot.

Ruby is our heroine, and she's seen a lot in her short 18 years on this earth: the vampire apocalypse, her mom becoming undead, and countless dead bodies (some she killed herself). Then she runs into X, the Big Bad himself. Undead psychopath. Leader of the group of vamps who can think rather than exist to drink blood alone, and creature responsible for the (un)death of Ruby's twin sister.

Oh yeah. And he's the MMC.

The Ground That Devours Us became my entire personality when I was reading it. I created an unhinged set of stories on Instagram tracking my progress and raced to B&N to grab a physical copy.

Fans of dark dystopian novels with a ton of humor and heart NEED to read this!

Thank you, Entangled Teen, for the chance to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this one. Imagine the walking dead meets zombies meets warm bodies. But with vampires and humans, and an impossible post apocalyptic world.

Ruby and her sister Ripley have been training as Slayers, and are about to graduate. Their last mission becomes a death trap, and completely turns their world upside down. When Ripley turns, Ruby will do anything to save her, to get her the cure. But it turns out, there are secrets being kept from her that change the way she sees everything.

When she meets X, she wants to kill him, and he wants to kill her. But when she sees that he's actually helping Ripley, she can't help but reevaluate everything she's ever known. Who is the real enemy here? Who can she trust? Secrets, lies, and betrayal have become Ruby's whole world, and she can only hope to survive.

A vampire and a vampire slayer? I did not know I needed this in my life. It had like a Walking Dead vibe but with vampires instead. Still apocalyptic and every bit enchanting. I couldn’t put it down! I read the last 70% in one sitting. The characters were beautifully written, the villain was portrayed so evilly. It was brilliant. The plot was different. Ruby and Ripley have been raised as vampire slayers. When a mission goes wrong, and Ripley ends up a vampire, Ruby’s whole concept of the world is going to have to change to protect her. She’ll make a deal with the enemy and lie to all her friends just to protect her sister. 5/5.

Ruby and Ripley twins in a post apocalyptic world with vampires and blood walkers. They were trained as slayers. But what happens when Rip is turned and Ruby starts working with the enemy "X" a vampire in command.
Two populations trying to protect their own, both trying to survive, both working to eradicate the other in their own way. They will stop at anything to save their own.
X is possessive of Ruby, I don't think either of them understand.
Lesson learned in acceptance. Such a beautiful story underneath all of the tension.
The question is who is actually the enemy? The vampires or the humans?
Suspense, enemies working together, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, blood lust in humanity and the vampires. Again I ask which is worse?
10/10 Recommend!
I loved this story.

The Ground That Devour Us is a post apocalyptic tale that had me hooked from beginning to end.
This captivating story was action-packed and suspenseful, and gave us betrayal, unexpected romance, twists and turns, forbidden attraction, family and so much more.

In the aftermath of the vampire apocalypse, Ruby and her sister Ripley have been training to become vampire slayers. When her sister unexpectedly get turned into a vampire, Ruby makes a deal with the notorious vampire X to keep her safe. While their romance was a slow burn, their banter had me glued to the pages.

In a world filled with despair and horrors this story also gave hope. The characters were fascinating and well developed, the world building was descriptive and well written and I loved the unique take on vampires.This was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of YA distopian vampire tales.

⚔️ Vampire | Vampire Slayer
💞 YA Enemies To Romance
❤️‍🔥Slow Burn
🌃 Dystopian Society
🗣️Banter
❤️Strong Family Ties/ Loyalty ( FMCS | Sisters)
💥 Action, Lies, Betrayal 💥

Hooked from start to finish, I binged this book in an evening and really enjoyed it.

The author did a great job crafting a dystopian world that was both atmospheric and easy to settle into. Information was provided seamlessly as needed to help understand the power dynamics between humans and vampires.

The characters were memorable and showed quite a bit of character development as the story progressed. The romance been X and Ruby felt very true to what I would expect to see in the YA genre, it's a bit of a slow burn but very sweet to see their connection form despite their differences.

I really liked how parts of this story have you questioning who the real monsters were, the humans or vampires. I would definitely recommend checking it out .

Thank you Kalla Harris, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing, LLC | Entangled Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

4.75 🌟

"I know this is wrong , that he’s wrong, but I’m famished, starving , and I can still taste him in my mouth." (Ch 16)

The world was overrun by vampires. Ruby and her twin, Ripley, were found and saved by Barnett, the leader of the Hunt, when they were children. They had lost their parents, and Barnett had lost his wife and daughters.

Barnett trained them to be soldiers, but Ruby was the one who had the most potential. She had worked so hard to become a Slayer, but on the day she led a unit, she lost her sister to the notorious and elusive X.

".... I can’t save her. Not anymore. That promise is broken. I run and run and run, leaving her behind. In the Open, there’s no mercy." (Ch 3)

Her sister was dead, but not dead dead. There was a slim hope for a cure. Now all she had to do was wait for it and find a way to get her sister back... no matter the method or the cost. Even to go so far as to strike a deal with the devil. She had to save Ripley before she died again. Though X proves to be quite the enigma, inspiring loyalty from his fellow vamps, and something else -- that she dare not contemplate, dare not give a second thought to -- within her.

“Tell me then, if you’re so sure. Tell me who I am.” His nose touches mine. Without hesitation, he says, “A pain in my ass. A thorn in my side. I hate all humans, but you might be the most annoying one I’ve ever met.” (Ch 11)

Captivating Teen/YA dystopian post-apocalypic vampire and slayer fantasy! Great character development. They are believable and consistent. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good turn of phrases, and this book is riddled with them. And hooray for morally grey and forbidden attractions!

The Ground that Devours Us by Kalla Harris

4.0⭐️

🖤 Favorite Quote: “What are you most afraid of?” “You. A thousand times, you.” 💚

The Ground that Devours Us is:
Addictive, Dystipian, Sarcastic, and Greatly Paced.

I love that this was a dystopian vampire novel. The world building is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and is highly immersive. The story followes two twin sisters Ruby and Riley both training to be vampire slayers. Ruby is my kind of FMC: witty, sharp, sarcastic.

The plot is 10/10.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

🖤 Tropes:
- Morally gray characters
- Vampire apocalypse
- Monster vs Slayer
- Dystopian Survival

I enjoyed this book--it's kind of walking dead meets twilight. Only taking off a star for two reasons--I didn't really get the ability they have to walk in the ground? Why? Didn't make a lot of sense other than it helps the plot. The second reason is the agonizingly slow burn romance. It's obvious what will happen the moment they meet, it just takes FOREVER for anything to happen. Might have been more interesting if there was no attraction and suddenly something changed...or no romance at all!

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC.

This book was absolutely addicted! A completely new twist involving vampires. I was so captivated and the story just held my attention from the very beginning! I will highly recommend this to all my friends!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

Thank you to NetGalley, @Entagled_Publishing and @EntangledTeen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Right from page one, The Ground That Devours Us completely pulled me in. It’s gritty, intense, and gives you that edge of your seat feeling you want from a dystopian but with vampires. And not the sparkly kind.

Set in a brutal post-apocalyptic world, this story follows Ruby and her twin sister Ripley, both in training to become vampire slayers. Ruby is sharp, snarky, and not afraid to throw hands (or stakes), and I loved her. Her sarcasm? Top tier. Her loyalty? Even better.

Then there’s X a vampire, and definitely not someone Ruby should be teaming up with. But desperation makes strange alliances, and watching these two circle each other with witty comebacks, reluctant trust, and tension you could slice with a stake was so satisfying. The romance is a slow burn, but the chemistry? Instant. Their scenes together had me smirking and swooning.

The world building is immersive without being overwhelming. You really feel the weight of what’s been lost, and the danger that’s constantly lurking. Every choice feels high stakes, and there’s this constant pulse of urgency that keeps you flying through chapters.

So if you're into dystopian, fantasy with some romance and lots of action, this is the book for you!
4.45 Stars!

#NetGalley, #EntagledPublishing, #EntangledTeen, #TheGroundthatDevoursUs, #KallaHarris

I’m 100% back in my vampire book phase and the June releases are feeding me so well because this is my second vampire book in a row and I loved it as much as the last! The Ground That Devours Us is a paranormal romance filled with war in post apocalyptic setting that makes this impossible to put down! I loved how this one isn’t set too far into the future so it’s filled with a ton of pop culture references that won’t ever date the book, but yet makes it so fun and so interesting to see a world so similar to ours yet so very different.

As a Buffy the Vampire Slayer lover, I adored the relationship between Ruby and X, which fills the Spike/Buffy hole in my heart, so it was so easy to love this book. Ruby is a trained vampire slayer and X is the lead vampire, but yet is basically a golden retriever that is always down for fun, to make a good joke, or just have fun and so he was so lovable. Also the contrast with his personality versus his infamous killer side was such a juxtaposition that I loved seeing him flip between his two sides. Their romance isn’t sweet, it’s filled with threats, violence, and betrayal which makes it so addicting as you wonder how they’ll figure it out, whether they will, and so much more!

My favorite thing about this book is that unlike in most vampire series we see vampires acclimate to the human world, we instead see Ruby acclimate to the vampire world created as a safe haven from her slayer friends and honestly it sounds so beautiful and just pure fun that I could easily imagine it in my head. This might have been my first book from this author but it won’t be my last!

I love it when I say I don’t read a certain genre, or type of character, only to read a blurb for a book and HAVE to read it. I keep saying I don’t like dystopian books. Ha. I think they’re my catnip. I was inexplicably drawn to Kalla Harris’s The Ground that Devours Us.

In 2038, the world as everyone knew it was destroyed. Vampires took over, and people either died, became vampires, or worse, became bloodwalkers. In Charlotte, North Carolina, eight-year-old twins Ruby and Ripley Clemmons became orphans after their mother was attacked and killed. While out scavenging, the girls are saved by Barnett, founder of Vaille, the secured human compound, and commander of Hunt, its security force. Barnett lost his wife and daughters to a vampire attack, and he sees the girls as his kids. As his pseudo-daughters, he expects them to hate and be vampire slayers like him and has had them in training for years.

Now eighteen, Ruby has one more supply run mission before she’s officially able to graduate and become a slayer. The mission is simple: Take her sister, her best friend, Ginger, and a group of new recruits to the aquarium, grab some lingering supplies, and make it back to home base. But things go horribly wrong. The group encounters two of Vaille’s most wanted vampires, X and Marjorie, resulting in Ripley becoming a vampire and Marjorie being captured. Barnett deems Ruby a failure and demands that she bring Ripley back to Vaille. With her sister being a wanted vampire, Ruby strikes a deal with X. He will protect Ripley until Barnett perfects the vampire cure he’s been working on, and Ruby will help X get Marjorie out of confinement. With two sworn enemies, trust is a fragile thing.

The Ground that Devours Us kept me glued to the pages. At some point, I realized my stomach was hurting because of Kalla’s ability to make me feel so empathic toward Ruby and her emotions, feelings, wants, and desires. Make no mistake, this was a good story. But also a sad story. There is definitely a lot of blood, gore, and violence. There's betrayal and walk through fire loyalty. There's found family and friendship. I'm going to say there's a little redemption. Some characters experienced personal growth, which I loved. There’s romance, but not a lot of it. I loved the banter and scenes with Ruby and X. A negative for me was not truly understanding how vampires and bloodwalkers came to be. The book distinguishes vampires as being unalive, but still retaining their humanity, while bloodwalkers have a thirst for blood and nothing more. I have no idea how one becomes unalive, a vampire, or a bloodwalker after a vampire attack.

I don’t know if The Ground That Devours Us is supposed to be part of a series or just a single book. The ending is solid and provides some closure, but I can see where this could be just the beginning.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Never stop believing there are other journeys to be had.”

“The world will try to make sense of you and never will, so stop asking them to. Instead, make sense of yourself.”

“Manipulation isn’t love.”

“Not everything has to stay broken forever.”

“We can choose to make a better future.”

“Being alive doesn’t equate to living.”

“You don’t have to need something to enjoy it.”

“You can’t love someone when you don’t know how to love yourself.”

“We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.”

“Friendships are like seasons.”

“Trust is something that is built. Earned.”

“Hope, more than anything, is the greatest power of all.”

**Received a copy of the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a paperback copy.**

If you ever wanted a book that’s urban fantasy and The Walking Dead but make is sexy vampires, then this is for you!

I knew I was going to love and devour this book from the start. From the intense start, you are literally thrown into the world right away, to the banter and tension and emotional twists. It was amazing!

Now let’s talk Ruby. She’s BA. But there’s a gooey center hiding in there too. She’s had to go through so much in her short life that I don’t blame her for being emotionally guarded. She’s living her life to keep her sister safe. But now it’s time she starts living for herself.

And X. I won’t life he as picturing a blonde Damon or even Klaus the whole time! Cause dreamy. But also damaged. And needing a warm chocolate chip cookie to soothe his soul (aka Ruby).

The twists were twisty and maybe I’m blind but I didn’t see a lot of them coming. I was surprised and shocked and felt all the emotions. Maybe a tear or two a few times (ok definitely many tears).

Thank you to EntangledTeen and Kalla Harris for letting me ARC read. I loved it!

This was a great, action packed YA dystopian book! It sucked me in from the beginning and the undertones of the whole story and the different characters could not have been better. I loved X and how he would complain (I find that to be rare to have a MMC who complains, a lot) it made him seam more real even though he was a vampire. I loved Ruby's stiff personality but how it started loosening up after meeting X. I am excited to be able to share this story with others!