Terror at the Gates is a very interesting story. Scarlett St. Clair interprets parts of a few religions as she gives us the character of Lilith and the battles she endures in order to make her world in a small part of Eden that much safer. She's a sparkplug of a young woman who has rallied against her parents and the pious upbringing she had at the hands of their spiritual leader. With five families controlling 5 parcels of their world, Lilith rebels often and is determined to find a way to bring the evil that has ruled her former home to its knees. And with the help of the man she often hates to love, Lilith embarks on a mission that is dangerous, filled with despair and in the end gives her the power to allow women to rise above their presumed lots in life.

I really enjoyed this book and how St. Clair made it easy for me to understand this fictional world and all that occurs in a short period of time. There is death and destruction and in the midst of all that Lilith deals with, it's her relationship with Zahariev that offers up hope and passion and admiration despite all that happens. And let's face it: Lilith is truly a brat and a half. But it's Zahariev who respects her enough to not only try and keep her safe but he is beyond intrigued and smitten with this wildcat and their back and forth is exactly the levity needed when things go horribly wrong.

I will admit, however, that even though I was thrilled that Lilith took up the cause for women and showed those who often doubted her need to constantly rebel that she meant business, I was disappointed at the abrupt ending and honestly could've read 100 more pages concerning this brave warrior and the man by her side. But I suppose I'm satisfied that she accomplished mostly everything she set out to do and with her newfound persona seemingly real, I can only imagine what will transpire for her next. Thankful Zahariev will only ever see her as the goddess she truly is.

I'm glad I took a chance on a new-to-me author and in the end I enjoyed this remarkable journey.

4 solid stars.

This book was amazing! I really enjoyed the story and I really enjoyed the writing. I cannot wait for the next book!

Terror At The Gates is an interesting read. I'm not sure how else to describe it. There were several moments that I loved, where I found myself completely engulfed, and other times where I was ready to put the book down. The world-building and characters could have used some work, however the plot was good for the most part. I enjoyed the whole religious oppression aspect, as well as the magical relics and powers. It's an urban fantasy, but there were moments where I was taken aback because it just seemed too.. current. The guns, real dollars, texting with cell phones threw me off. The pacing was a little unsteady and very slow at times, with the ending being rushed. My feelings are all over the place with this one, but overall, it's a cool storyline. It just needed a little refining. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books, and Scarlett St. Claire for this ARC.

This is easily one of my favorite books by Scarlett. This book is so unique to a lot of fantasy books I’ve been seeing and reading lately and it was so refreshing to read. The characters and their stories, and development were great and I loved Lilith and Zahariev’s relationship. Their banter and tension was amazing. This book is an urban fantasy with neo-noir vibes and mafia-style politics. One of the main themes in this book is religion and religious trauma, which is typically one that I do not enjoy reading but this was written so well that I didn’t mind it.

Thank you Bloom Books and Scarlett St. Clair for the opportunity to read this ARC. The following review and thoughts are my own:

I fell in love with everything Scarlett writes starting with her Touch of Chaos series and Terror at the Gates does not disappoint! It is the perfect combination of feminine rage against the patriarchy and a swoonworthy MMC with a super cute animal sidekick.

In this story, Lilith is rebelling against the binds of a suppressive religious society and becomes frenemies with the leader of a neighboring sect, Zahariev. They begin to investigate mysterious deaths while Lilith gets herself in a bunch of trouble. It's a slow burn romance with a BIG payoff at the end!

I loved the short chapters from Zahariev's perspective and I cannot wait to get more of his voice in Book Two.

I hope you give this book and Scarlett a try!

Tropes in Terror at the Gates:
-frenemies to lovers
-Sin City vibes
-urban fantasy
-mysterious deaths
-eff the religious patriarchy

Happy Reading!

🌹🖤 Terror at the Gates Review 🖤🌹

Thank you so much to Scarlett St Clair and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Terror at the Gates is a fantasy romance and book one in the Blood of Lilith series. Estranged from her family, Lilith has found refuge in a neighborhood devoted to sin. She uses her magic to steal for a living, but ends up in trouble when she steals a weapon. When this weapon kills unexpectedly, has she gotten herself into more trouble than she thought?

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed Lilith and her strong personality in this book. She was a wonderful character and I enjoyed reading her story. Zahariev was such a good match for her and I loved the development of their relationship. I enjoyed his character a lot and found myself wanting to learn more about him. The world building in this book was really unique and I liked the hints of religious themes throughout

Overall this was a solid 4 star read. I enjoyed this book and these characters, and found myself wanting to learn more about them! I’m excited to read more in the future! This book contains some heavy elements, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn, but had some good spice once it got there, so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of fantasy romance with beautiful world building, strong characters and friends to lovers vibes, then absolutely pick this one up!

This was great. I didn’t really enjoy the HadesxPersephone series so I was sure about this one, but overall I really liked it. Some of the religious aspects were a tiny bit heavy handed but the premise was interesting and I enjoyed the characters.

This is my first book from Scarlett Dt. Clair since Queen of Myth and Monsters and I am very pleased! I immediately loved the vibe of the book, very dark, dirty and mysterious. I loved the immediately immersion into the book and world that Lilith lived. I had no questions about how the hierarchy worked, how the magic system work, and how the characters interacted with each other. While the world was clear, the characters were just as clear.

Lilith, traumatized since her childhood, Zarahiev, who had been pining after the same girl for years and had killed for her, Coco, Cassius, and all of the other side character. Everyone had an important part to the story. Through the dtory the reader learns to love every character. Their development went perfectly with the plot and how the story progressed—allowing readers to learn in a natural way. Even ending with a surprise and questionable ending. What happens next? I need to know!

Thank you, Netgalkey, for the chance to ARC read the latest work by Scarlett St. Clair.

Lillith and Zahariev are your modern day Romeo and Juliet, living in a society run by religious clergy. This is an urban fantasy where women have magic but the men in their lives run the show.

What I really liked about the story is how Lillith takes control of her life. She's not your damsel in distress. Even when everything is against her and she's got Zahariev, she still wants to have her own agency.

Although the pacing was on the slower side, I was entranced by the characters and the story. I could not stop reading! I also loved the theme around religion, hypocrisy and the subjugation of women. I grew up in a very religious environment and having read all the controversies around the Catholic priests and the coverups, this book definitely did a good job incorporating these issues in a fantasy world. I think this would resonate well with women who grew up in a somewhat oppressive religious environment. Actually, who am I kidding, this would resonate well with women everywhere. Those who want their own agency but society is hell bent on holding them down.

If you liked Taylor Swift's Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, then read this!

Tropes: Slow Burn, Age Gap (8 years), Forbidden Romance (think Romeo and Juliet), He Falls First (I think)

Overall Enjoyment: 4
Characters: 4
Setting: 4
Plot: 5
Theme: 5
Emotional Vibes: 4

I loved this, but not for the reason I expected.

I was extremely interested in how this was marketed as a retelling of Lilith, but the only things about Lilith that was retained are 1) her name and 2) refusing to be “lesser than” men. This is the start to a series, so maybe she’ll still become Mother of Demons. As a retelling of Lilith, I was disappointed which is why I didn’t rate 5*.

However, as pure fantasy with a religious spin I absolutely devoured it. Lilith is an interesting FMC that is stubborn and determined and wants to live her own life. The slow burn and tension with Zaharev is such a fun read and I love how down bad Zaharev is for Lilith. The side characters make up such a great found family that is introduced throughout as opposed to an info dump of people.

I absolutely loved this book!

It’s always exciting starting a new series especially when it’s by Scarlett St. Clair. I absolutely love her story telling and this book lived up to my expectations.

From chapter 2, I was invested in the story and wanted to know more. I was captivated by the urban fantasy world and loved getting to explore the locations described in the book.

Lilith and Zahariev’s tension was there from the start and that slow burn almost took me out. As much as I loved the romance elements, it really was just one thread of this story.

I really enjoyed all of the storylines at play and how they were woven together to keep the pace moving in this book.

*Thank you to Bloom and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy.
**I also pre-order purchased the book via an independent bookstore.

Lilith is the daughter and only child of the Leviathan family. The Leviathan family is one out of five of the most powerful families in Eden. As their only daughter, Lilith is expected to do what she is told, inluding getting married to a man of her parents choosing, and use her magic to benefit her husband.

Two years ago, she ran away from home to Ninevah, the terrority of the Zareth family, whose current head is Zahariev. Lilith believes that Zahariev is tolerating her in his terrorist and watching out for her as a favor to her father, although Zahariev will not provide Lilith with work at one of his clubs. Lilith takes matters into her own hands and uses her magic that influences others desire to steal so she can make ends meet. Things start to go awry when she steals a magical dagger from a man and her fence ends up dying from strange circumstances.

I loved Lilith and Zahariev and how they danced around each other, without Lilith realizing that Zahariev had fallen long and hard for her. I love how protective he is of her, while also giving her the freedom to be independent and figure out what she wants, while she is also fighting to take her power back from those that hurt her. I can't wait for book two!

Thank you to @netgalley, @read_bloom, and @authorscarlettstclair for the gifted eARC.

This one is *chef’s kiss*
OMG, what am I supposed to do while I wait for the next book?! This is for the girlies craving dark feminist rage, forbidden love, and frenemies to lovers. The tension is thick and the banter is so good.
Lilith is a strong FMC who marches to the beat of her own drum and I love that. My heart broke for her in two scenes. The author did a wonderful job weaving politics and religion into the story. It wasn’t overwhelming and was easy to follow. Zahariev is a smexy MC I want more of and he is nothing but perfection. This is a slow burn but trust the process. I was hooked on this world and I’m craving more stat.

A very special thanks to Tantor Audio + Netgalley + Bloom Books for the gifted copy.

This one was fun and just addictive enough to read in a couple days! Zahariev is a good love interest, and Lilith was okay despite some repetitive stuff. A lot of the side characters were flat, unfortunately.

Absolutely amazing! I always expect amazing things from Scarlett and this topped my expectations! It pulls you in so easily to Lilith's perspective and her world. I really felt the dark and girtty noir city vibe. The themes are so timely for women in the world we find ourselves in now, it's impossible not to find strength in Lilith's defiance and insistence not to break herself to fit the hypocritcal form expected of her.

"Life was life. It was as meaningful as I made it."

Terror at the Gates was a fascinating examination of religion, religious trauma, grief/loss, the price of obedience vs rebellion and how often these themes are in conflict.

Lilith contains multitudes. While occasionally I would get frustrated with her reckless behavior as I was reading, it was more because a messy, flawed, and traumatized heroine hits a little too close to home.

I appreciated how the theme of loss was depicted in impacting the community of the characters. There were multiple types of loss depicted in the story which highlighted how quickly and drastically life can change. There were themes of loss of childhood due to abuse, loss of belief and faith, loss of loved ones, and loss of options, choice, and agency. It was an interesting meditation of the outcomes and manifestations of grief can be so varied.

I typically prefer a dual POV and wished Zahariev's perspective was a little more fleshed out, but I did appreciate the small glimpses we did see into his mind to get a better understanding of his character and motivations. The choice to not include full POV chapters dedicated to Zahariev, highlighted that this story was about Lilith and her experiences in a patriarchal religious hypocritical society. The MMC didn't need to be centered as this was Lilith's story. I'd be interested to see if there will be a book from Zahariev's perspective, like Scarlett St. Clair did with the Hades x Persephone series.

I enjoyed this book immensely and felt emotional while reading it.

I really wanted to love Terror at the Gates, as I typically enjoy Scarlett's work. I think I'm the odd one out, but I just didn't enjoy this at all. The writing style was weird, and I struggled to get invested.

Really good book to start the series - eagerly await the next (tons of action happening quickly, great ending, soooo many questions!). This seems like a bit of change in SSC's style compared to previous series of hers I have read, but I'm not opposed at all. The overall mysterious/ominous vibe with the cuts to Lilith's dreams/visions is chef's kiss (sorry - not good with graphics). Zahariev is the MMC everyone wants (burn the world for her, totally devoted, grumpy but handles babies & cats, looks good & has money). Tiny grumble - I don't like smoking - even fictionally - don't care if it fits his vibe or not. There is definitely something more than meets the eye with him (maybe I'm just looking too much into the dreams & ability to touch blade), which I'm assuming will be more flushed out in later book(s) - can't remember if it will be 2 or 3 or ? I also appreciated the variety of supporting characters - Gabriel & CoCo in particular. I feel that's a continued strength of the author throughout various series. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity.

Holy shizzz that was so good! I mean SSC can do no wrong but this was next level. I loved Liliths confidence and Zahariev quiet unyielding devotion to her. Plus the tension?? Sheesh I was living for the moment they finally said "fuc❌ it". The world building was also top tier and I am beyond excited to see where this goes because that cliff hanger was sooo good.

4.5 Stars

THIS BOOK.

This was my first Scarlett St. Clair book, and I can't stop raving about the writing. I flew throught this book SO fast and now I want more. While I'm usually not a major fan of first-person POVs, in this case, I could really connect with Lilith and her ambitions.

It's a gritty and dark urban story that doesn't shy away from showing religion exactly the way it is: unfair. Something created for men, by men, to supposedly explain the world and give them reason to make women submit to them. While this book is technically the intro to a new fantasy series, I couldn't help but draw up the parallels to the real world and the connections to Christianity and the bible.

At times, this could very well pass as a critical piece on gender equality and the stark contrast between the rich and the poor, if it weren't for the occasional demon or the fact that women have magic in this world. This story connects fantasy with a classical mafia vibe, making for an exceptional plot.

This book does take slow burn to the limit, making me desperate for the tension to finally snap. However, and this is why it is 4.5 stars instead of 5 for me, I did find the smut kind of lacking. The tension and all the feelings are written so well, I wanted them to rip their clothes off with every fiber of my being, yet once they finally got there, it almost felt kind of rushed.

I loved how, after each chapter told from Lilith's perspective, there was a really short chapter told from Zahariev, aka brooding incarnate. I haven't really seen something like this before, and I absolutely loved how it gave me a little insight into where exactly he stood after each scene without spoiling anything.

The ending was what really left me reeling. I turned the page, expecting something, at least another chapter, yet it suddenly ended, just like that, and now I'm desperately waiting for book two.