This book gave off strong mafia romance vibes—if the mafia were devoutly religious. It was an enjoyable read overall, though not quite a knockout for me personally.

Religious plotlines aren’t typically my thing, so that might’ve played into why I didn’t fully connect. I also prefer my male main characters a little less broody. That said, if you do enjoy religious themes, angsty heroes, and forbidden dynamics, this could be right up your alley.

Highlights:
• “Touch her and die” energy
• Urban fantasy setting
• Age gap (8 years)
• Broody male lead
• Forbidden romance

What didn’t work for me:
• The pacing felt a little uneven in parts

I really enjoy when theres a subplot or religious tyranny and trauma. This started out really good then got to where it kinda felt off the plot. Hoping the FMC comes back stronger and not as naive

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. The format is set in the FMC's POV but you get a blurb from the MMC at the end of each chapter, which I found fun

The book is kind of a noir mystery full of religious trauma and an overbearing society ruled by religious fervor. There's magic, angry gods, and maybe a looming apocalypse?

I loved the relationship between the two main characters. You can't go wrong with a man who's hopelessly devoted.

Lilith, of house Leviathan, ran away from her very religious, very controlling family and has instead been living in Nineveh, which is Eden's most derelict district full of sin. She has been surviving by illegally using her magic - yeah, she can’t use her own magic with permission from her father or husband #screwthepatriarchy - to steal from lustful men. One evening she obtains a mysterious golden dagger that appears to cause death to those who come into contact with it… well everyone who is not Lilith or Zahariev (the head of the Zarath family and leader of Nineveh). He also happens to be Lilith's Friend? Reluctant Protector? The Bane of her existence? Anyway, together they work to discover the answers behind this dagger as well as other strange goingson throughout Eden.
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“You’re such a daddy.”
“You only get to call me that when you behave.”
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I really love Lilith. She's a strong and fierce FMC yet she's not afraid to show the complexities of her emotions even though she was raised to never let others see her cry. Taught that to do so is a weakness. But I see nothing but strength in the way Lilith loves, grieves, seeks revenge and justice all at the same time. She's perfectly complex. She's also so quite funny and obsessed with mozzarella sticks... SAME!
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“I would go to war for you,” he said again. “I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”
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And Zahariev! He's this fearsome sort of mafioso with a major soft spot for Lilith even though she drives him insane at least 98% of the time. He lets her get away with things no one else would ever dare do, he always comes to her rescue, and the way he calls her, “Little Love”? PERFECTION. HES ALREADY PERFECT AND I HAVEN’T EVEN MENTIONED ALL THE TATTOOS!
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“You have a pretty mouth, little love, but you say the ugliest things.”
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Overall, I loved this book. There’s found family, there’s prophecy, there's feminine rage, it’s slow burn but with insane tension, and I think I could probably go on and on so I’ll just end by saying: READ IT!
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“They will call her a demon, but I watched her transform, and I will call her goddess.”

Initially, I was hesitant to start reading but was quickly sucked in by the banter and the enigma of the dagger; not to mention Zahariev, who now is on my top book boyfriend list. I would definitely recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy some fantasy but with a more relatable real-world feel.

Scarlett can’t write a bad story. I was pulled in the minute I started reading. I loved z’s character so much and Lilly was just amazing ball of fire!

As soon as Scarlett St. Clair announced that she was going to release a new book, I knew it was going to be a 5 star! The strong female FMC with a supportive MMC always works so well. Lilith and Zahariev's relationship omg got me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. Their banter was just amazing and made reading feel so fast and short! This was a fast, bingeable and one sitting type of book! LOVED ITTT

This story is most surprising: several times I had the feeling that the story was changing direction drastically. I could never have imagined certain aspects of this story, and that's what makes it so original! The characters are endearing (or detestable for some) and I couldn't help wanting to know more, even if certain aspects of the story made it less interesting for me.

WHEN I TELL YOU I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA SLAP THE FIRST PAGE IN. YOUR GIRL KNEW!

I don't read much urban fantasy that much or perhaps I just haven't found that many I like! But oh boy Terror at the Gates had/has me in choke hold. Lilith is probably one of my favorite protagonists this year if not last year as well. She was real and balanced and strong. She is a character you want to follow on their journey, and are rooting for the entire way. I just really love her. And don't get me started on Zahariev, wrap that man up because I'll take five. The slow burn BURNNNNNNNNS and it burns sooooooo good. Outside of the characters in this book, the plot itself is well done and flushed out, the world building is just as well done as the plot. I love a good religious rebellion and this serves up a good one.

I was super hesitant going in and I'm really glad that I read it, because I'd be missing out if I hadn't. If slow burns, banter, magic, weaponized femininity and fantasy are your thing look no further that Terror at the gates. She's knocking at your gates.

scarlett st clair writes a pretty relevant and digestible book for the current political atmosphere and puts all her rage on the page and it's pretty awesome. my one criticism is her writing style, but despite that, it's a pretty good one especially the romance was amazing.

My exact rating for Terror at the Gates is 4.5 stars.

I have really enjoyed this one and I was hooked straight away. Scarlett St Clair builds the world perfectly and gradually, she allows you to grow accustomed to the world bit by bit without overloading you. You can really see the work that she has put into the research behind the religions, myths, themes of which feature within this book and shows how she is pushing back against certain ideologies. Please check your trigger warnings before picking this book up.

Terror at the Gates is the first book in a new series and we focus a lot more on the plot and the world but we also get to experience the feelings of tension and angst between our two main characters throughout the book. Watching these two slowly unravel and explore that emotional connection to each other was exhausting but not in a bad way, but more in a, you can tell how much they loved each other and were well matched but they took forever to get there, type of way and you literally get to watch the side characters feel the same. I loved the little bits of Zahariev’s POV that we got to see and would have loved more of it, as it really gave it that added layer and would allow us to explore more of him as an individual. Lilith is such a strong character and as we explored more of her we got to see just how much she has gone through and what motivates her to keep going each day. The found family that features within this book is so strong and it was really wholesome to explore that and see just how much these characters mean to each other. Watching them tackle life together and be there for each other in the smallest of moments really hit me emotionally.

Scarlett St Clair has created such relatable characters and there was little bit in all of them that I could connect with. This book definitely has all the vibes of slow burn and the moment that tension snaps, we are thrown straight into the spice and it was the perfect amount for our characters and their story. I loved the story as a whole and all the little connections, there were definitely a few things that I didn’t see coming and can highly expect to have my mind blown in the rest of this series. I’m super eager for the next one and can’t wait to explore not just these characters in more detail but also the world and where it is going to go from here.

this book was everything!!! i loved it from start to finish, and it is so refreshing to see this side of greek mythology. Lilith is such a strong female main character and I loved seeing her challenge the norms in her society and be the person she wants to be. I can't wait to read more about it!

I still can't get over that ending. I hope the second part doesn't take too long. Please, Scarlett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a world with copy paste books, here's something original.
"Terror at the Gates" has unique magic system, interesting characters and very well written story.
All the religious stuff isn't my cup of tea, but didn't make the story less enjoyable.
One moment I was laughing and the next one I was sobbing.
The tension was 😚👌 And the spice... the spice was so good.
Zahariev is everything. Lilith was so badass.
And that ending... can't wait for next book.
Unique magic
Touch her and die
Feminine rage
🌶🌶🌶
Thanks NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC

Unfortunately I did not really enjoy this ARC. I finished it because I was reading it with a friend but I would have otherwise finished it around the 50% mark. This review will contain spoilers. The majority of the book was confusing, the world building wasn't fully fleshed out and was limited to mainly one scene. I wanted to see more of Lilith's experience in her home - I think this would have given the us a better understanding of her present day character. The side characters felt like they were just thrown there to have other characters. We learn next to nothing about Lilith's relationships with Esther, Gabriel, or Coco, and we also know next nothing about Zav's relationships with Cassius or Gabriel. Also why is Zav always coming to her rescue - we know nothing about their back story and how he came to love her. Also the whole dancing bit feels so out of place.

Spoiler part -
I wanted to stop reading the book when Esther died - this seemed completely unnecessary and just thrown in for drama. Too many people died for no reason, Lilith's father and Saira for example.

I am not going to be continuing the series.

First off, I have to say the cover of this book is 🔥 and it’s what initially caught my eye. I was also really intrigued by the idea of a Lilith retelling. While this isn’t quite that, it is heavily centered around the themes of religion, gods, and demons.

Despite it sounding promising, I found the story to be pretty messy. It takes place over the course of a week, and while a lot happens in that short span, it didn’t entirely make sense to me. It felt rushed and could’ve benefited from a longer timeline to allow the plot to develop more naturally. There is a good amount of spice so if you’re into that, you’ll be pleased.

The FMC, Lilith, came off as very immature and made one bad decision after another. The audiobook made this even worse, the narrator portrayed her in such a whiny, irritating way that it amplified her flaws. I’ve listened to other books narrated by the same person and haven’t enjoyed those either, so that definitely influenced my experience. Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook at all. That said, I really liked the MMC and wish we’d gotten more from his point of view.

Overall, I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it. I’m not sure I’ll continue the series. I’ll see when the time comes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Terror at the Gates is by first book from Scarlett St. Clair and I am OBSESSED. This is the first book in a fantasy romance series following Lilith who is a daughter of one of the five who are the most powerful leaders in this world. She currently resides in a new territory after running away from home and the emotional and physical abuse she faced there. Now she is in Zahariev's territory and it's his job to keep her safe. This task proves difficult because Lilith does not follow the rules and wants to investigate the mysterious deaths that keep occurring. I absolutely loved Lilith and Zahariev! Their romance was so good since they've been pining for so long but resisted it because a relationship between two heirs is forbidden. I loved that he would drop everything and do anything for her. He had a short POV page every other chapter and I was obsessed with those. Another thing a loved about this world is the mystery of the gods and how corrupt the church was. I loved the world, the characters, the mystery, the romance, everything! I need the next book immediately!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc in exchange for a review!

I am so excited for this start of a new series from Scarlett!!! I really enjoyed the story, I cannot wait to find out more. The ending left me in SHOCK. I need book 2!!

There was some very emotional parts of this story, I really want people to check trigger warnings, I will try to list them below.

✨What I really liked:

Cherub - she’s cute, she’s not really a familiar in this book, but I think that might change in the next coming books? She’s just a little baby right now

I like where the story is going, the ending was great and I am super interested to see what happens next. I think this book was a good set up for the series

I love the magic, I love that it’s women that are powerful and I can’t wait to see what it comes next for her powers.

✨Things I wasn’t liking that much:

The FMC at times was kind of annoying? Whiny? Lilith came from money and while she points out her own faults at times, her reactions to Zahariev at times were actually bratty (a thing he calls her a lot!)
Note: I did end up still liking her though, because while she had these moments, she really loves and cares for her friends/found family.

Her magic was not used enough, we get to see it work right at the beginning, but it doesn’t really play a part too much, but I also think it will come up in book 2.

I didn’t like that her nickname was baby girl, thought it was weird that her best friend’s boyfriend would be calling her that. I know he’s like a father figure to her, but it wasn’t working for me.

✨Audiobook Review

This is a dually narrated book, not duet. 1st person narration. The MMC does have his own narrator but he only does his chapters. I really like the FMC narrator, but was not a fan of the MMC narrator. I wanted his voice to be darker? He also does the narration for side characters and I wasn’t a fan of those voices either.

✨Trigger warnings

* Parent death
* Rape (not on page)
* Threat of rape
* Death in child birth
* Grief
* Killing/Death/Murder

Wow! What an amazing ride. I loved this book so much! It was filled with so much beautiful and powerful feminine rage! It definitely got me out of the horrible reading slump I have been in. Mark my words, this will be a top Fantasy Romance read of the year!

Days later and I am STILL processing this story. This is a delightful fantasy dripping with validation of so many women’s experiences.

Watching Lilith try to carve a path for herself and seeing Zahariev absolutely ✨weak✨ for her while still trying to give her the freedom to grow had me feeling all the things!

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳
➵ friends to lovers
➵ urban fantasy vibes
➵ slow burn
➵ touch her and ☠️
➵ angsty tension
➵ all the banter
➵ gooey demon blobs?
➵ it’s always been you
➵ cliffhanger
➵ baby hand necklaces
➵ d!rty talk
➵ mutual pining

𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 5/5⭐️ | 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 2/5🌶️ | 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 3/5🔥 | 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 5/5 🎧

Thank you to Scarlett St Clair and Bloom Books for an ARC