I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the worldbuilding and the plot of religious propaganda and feminism. I was also incredibly intrigued by the mystery of everything. My biggest complaint was the lack of character development. as hot as Zahariev is, I felt like we barely knew anything about him and his character besides him being hot and protective. It also reflected on other characters and made it hard for me to get attached to them. But otherwise, this was a fun ride and i had a good time!

Amazing as usual! I'm not surprised I loved this one, Scarlett St. Clair is one of my insta buy authors. It doesn't matter what she writes about I'm going to read it. This one felt extra special though, knowing that it's Scarlett's favorite book she's written. Of course I purchased a trophy copy for my shelf as well!

Okay, I really liked this one! It was sexy, magical, and mysterious. The FMC is a spitfire and a lot to handle, but I mean, it’s totally justified. She’s an FMC that doesn’t take crap from anyone. The MMC is the definition of a mystery man. I love that we get small POVs to clue us in on what he’s thinking. If we didn’t, I probably wouldn’t even have guessed he’s the MMC. There’s so much tension and the banter is bantering throughout the whole book.

The books leaves us with so many unanswered questions and makes me want book 2 asap. Oh, and it almost made me cry! I should’ve seen it coming with all the hyping up going on. I will definitely be continuing the series to see what happens next!

This was closer to 3.5 stars for me. It was a hard to follow for a bit and the demons were actually flubber. I am intrigued to find out what happens next.

Oh man, waiting for this next book to arrive will be hard. I was not expecting that ending. I highlighted so many great quotes from Zahariev because he is the epitome of “I’d let the world burn for you.” This book is super dark. Read your trigger warnings and be prepared for an emotional roller coaster.

Feminine rage and religious fanaticism. Nothing could describe this book more accurately. The religious justification of repressing women and minimizing them to nothing more than objects to be used and controlled by “good faithful” men was abhorrent and yet poignant, especially with the current climate and the supposed “male loneliness epidemic.” The plot twists at the end were both diabolical and unexpected. And that cliffhanger at the end was pretty freaking rude, because now I have to wait for the sequel to answer all of my unanswered questions.

Scarlett St. Clair remains one of my favorite authors! Terror at the Gates was a departure from her other series, and it was an amazing read! Lilith was exactly the strong yet vulnerable FMC I enjoy reading. And Zahariev was swoon worthy. the relationship development in such a dark setting is a sign of Scarlett St. Clair's talent. I don't often reach for stories where religion takes center stage but Terror at the Gates makes it work. I'm dying to read the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for an ARC of Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair.

This books is a breath of fresh air! I've been in a bit of reading slump lately, so I was pleasantly surprised when Terror at the Gates grabbed by attention from the first chapter.
Lilith our FMC is strong willed, doesn't take no for an answer, and loves her found family deeply. Her character is brave, she doesn't back down, especially to her parents, who want her to fall in line like the rest of the women of the church. (side note..I really love that we see parallels of what's going on in the real world in this book..aka controlling women..and I double love Lilith fighting back)
Zahariev-MMC is not only Hot but he's a so damn protective of Lilith. But he's not so protective that he shields her. What I love about his character is, he doesn't try to suffocate her. He gives her a gun for protection and trusts that she can use it. But at the same time, the minute he hears she's in danger or hurt, he drops everything for her and lord help the person who hurt her.

The story that Scarlett created is unique and well done and I can't wait to see where the next book takes us!

Thank you Bloom Books and NetGalley for the free e-arc of Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair.

Politics, religious trauma, misogyny. It's dark, it's gritty. Our FMC is fierce, mad, and on a mission. I loved reading as she stepped into who she is. The FMC and MMC's chemistry was off the charts. The push and pull of friends/enemies to lovers had that "I want you, but I can't have you" type tension that I just eat up. Ahhhh, more mafia type romantasy like this, I enjoyed it!

I love this book. I think it is beautifully written, a tale of feminism in a radically religious world which felt a little too familiar. Scarlett St. Clair always writes such beautiful prose that is inspired by folklore and religions. So many of us forget that while faith and belief can be beautiful things, they easily become weapons. I live for the intricate and complex power dynamic between Lilith and Zahariev, because even the most independent and feral women sometimes want someone they can let have control. And Zahariev is the best man to give your control to, because even if he wants her submission, he also wants her defiance and it is beautiful. I think beautiful is just the only word I want to use when describing this book and I cant explain why.

Every once in a while a book comes along and completely derails your entire day—in the best possible way. Terror at the Gates was one of those reads. It’s dark, fast-paced, and totally addicting. I couldn’t put it down, and frankly, I didn’t want to.

The world-building here was so well done—no long, drawn-out info dumps, just immersive, layered storytelling that pulled me right in. Scarlett St. Clair doesn’t hold back. This book tackles heavy topics like sexual assault, religious abuse, and the brutal ways faith can be twisted by those in power. It explores the kind of institutional damage that gets brushed under the rug, and it does so with a voice that’s bold, sharp, and unflinching. If you’re sensitive to those themes, definitely proceed with caution—but if you’re ready for something raw and thought-provoking, this one delivers.

And let’s talk characters. Lillith was everything. Strong, stubborn, emotionally messy—in other words, totally human. I rooted for her hard, even when she made choices that had me mentally shaking her shoulders. That complexity? Chef’s kiss. And Zahariev? Mysterious, powerful, deeply layered, and just the right amount of dangerous. Their chemistry was electric, and every scene they shared had me holding my breath.

This one instantly earned a spot on my god-tier shelf. It’s smart, intense, and completely unforgettable. Do yourself a favor—read it.

I’ve always found the story of Lilith interesting and the authors interpretation and reimagination of it was really fascinating and original. This had all the things readers will expect from a Scarlett St Clair book — a quick city setting, inventive and detailed worldbuilding, nightlife, and a simmering romance with a bit of a power play.

From page one we were dropped right in the middle of the action and left to catch up. I don’t always love this, especially in fantasy, but the author did such a great job of worldbuilding that it worked for me here. This book was on the longer side but it flew by.

This book was such an intriguing read! I was pulled in immediately, and was reminded of some of my other favorite dark urban fantasy romance novels, so it definitely hit a lot of my favorite tropes for this genre. I will always be in for an MMC that is down bad for his woman, and Zahariev delivered! The religious trauma and church corruption was handled delicately but was definitely hard to read at points, so definitely need to check content warnings. I think this book did such a good job of world building set-up for the rest of the series and the ending had me on the edge of my seat!!! I do wish that I got a little bit more historical context/flashbacks to Lily and Zahariev when they were younger as I think it would have added to the tension between them in their relationship, but the banter and tension was still there. And the spice was, chefs kiss. Overall, I cannot wait for the second book and I always have the best time with Scarlett's books!

Great book! Will definitely be reading again. 100/10 Scarlet St Clair knocked it out of the park again!

I don’t think I’ve read a book like this before. I’ve read mythological retellings and I’ve read books that had heavy themes of religion, but never together in this combination with fantasy and romance. You don’t have to be familiar with the story of Lilith to follow along. This book has themes of religious corruption, hypocrisy, a mafia-esque power structure, and feminine rage. If you have religious trauma, definitely check out the trigger warnings at the start.

I loved that we start in the middle of things. Lilith has already left her controlling family and built a support system. She’s past the part where she’s had to struggle and learn to survive. She’s still healing but has settled in to who she is outside of the influence of her parents and the church. She’s likeable, strong, empathetic, and imperfect.

The romance wasn’t particularly dynamic, but it’s a much needed constant against the drama of the main plot. Zahariev is the kind of MMC I’ve come to expect from Scarlett St. Clair: Powerful, obsessed with the FMC, and willing to start a war for her. The interactions between the two delivered exactly what I wanted out of it. This isn’t a traditional dual perspective. You get glimpses from Zahariev’s POV at the transition of each chapter which was a fun way to see where he was at mentally while still keeping the focus on Lillith’s journey.

The urban fantasy setting really appealed to me. The copy I read was an ARC, and did not include a map. I’m unsure if the final copies have one, but I found myself wishing I did with the descriptions of the different districts and how they were set up.

The religious commentary is pretty overt, so if you're looking for something more nuanced this won't be the book for you. I grew up Catholic and recognized a lot of similarities in the church structure although the religion in the book is obviously a fantasy equivalent. It's very on-the-surface and up front about the corruption.

I’m not sure if the pacing was blindingly fast or if it just fully sucked me in, because I flew through this book. I’m curious to see where this goes. I'm giving it 5-stars because it met my expectations for a Scarlett St. Clair book (a little insta-love, interesting and easy-to-follow world building, equal focus on romance and plot) and I genuinely can't think of anything I'm super critical of. I'd absolutely read it again.

Thank you NetGalley for the book arc. I wanted to binged this in one sitting, it was so good I just couldn’t put it down. Giving off dark mafia romance vibes, and she is haunted by mythical blades and regardless how many times she tries to get rid of her blade it keeps reappearing. She finally teams up with the one man her father forbids her to be with , to find the last of the blades.

This was incredibly quotable and extremely relevant for today’s time. Religious trauma, questioning the assigned “roles” of women, and magical myths. Delicious spice and tension. This was a little slower paced for me but I enjoyed the story and can’t wait to see what happens next.

This book was INCREDIBLE!! Scarlett St. Clair has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her retellings are fantastic and this one is no different!

This had me hooked from the first page and kept me in a chokehold until the very end. The characters were relatable and I was invested in their stories from the beginning. Lilith is such a strong character but in a way that show the complexities of human emotions.

If you need something that is fill of femme rage, this is a must read! Looking for a new book boyfriend? Zahariev is it! I was questioning his motives the entire time. That is, until he tells us.

I loved the side characters and I loved how Chloe fit in with the story. This is a must read. Hands down!

I've read other series of Scarlett St. Clair's and was very excited going into this book. I was unsure where it was going for probably the first 100 pages but I stuck with it because I love her writing. Even through the dark themes, she made Lilith and Zahariev's love story shine. I think my favorite part were the small portions of Zahariev's POV at the end of each chapter. It gave me a little insight to what he was thinking and what was going on with him other than what he would do with Lilith.

Terror At The Gates was an absolutely immaculate read with the ultimate urban fantasy/gothic vibes and I was living for it!
This read had a little something for everyone. In an urban setting, with magic, romance, and a dystopian religious ‘government’.

I am honestly at a bit of loss for words for this one, because I went into it not knowing much about it and I honestly think that’s probably the best way to go!

Highly recommend picking this one up!