* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a really interesting take on the church and religion that I wasn’t expecting. I don’t know the story of Lilith but I thought this one was pretty captivating. I did find the world to be a bit confusing though. It wasn’t built out enough for me so I’m hoping that it continues through the series but it was something to work through as you read.

Would recommend.

LOVED this one!!

~Forbidden Love
~Age Gap (8 years)
~Religious Trauma
~Urban Fantasy with Unique Magic

Scarlett has written a steamy, tension filled, urban romance that highlights female rage. I loved the characters in this and the story lines.

Lilith, is a strong willed young woman set on escaping the life that everyone else has planned for her. She takes no shit from anyone and is willing to do whatever it takes. She has a lot of past trauma, and comes from an abusive household. While she does come off as a little reckless sometimes and makes some questionable choices, understanding her background makes it forgiving.

Zahariev, is head of one of the districts and worships the ground Lilith walks on. The ultimate morally grey man with 'touch her and die' vibes (literally, he kills for her). He's extremely sarcastic, and not afraid to give Lilith the freedom she craves. He also has the patience of a saint to deal with Lilith's bratty behavior and impulsiveness. He just wants to keep her safe.

I really liked the world building and tone in this. I'm excited to see how everything plays out in the rest of the series. The ending was shocking for sure.

~*~*~*~*~

"For you, I have all the time in the world."

"You want me to do something about it?"
"You can't," I said. "Not without starting a war."
"I would go to war for you," he said.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for and ARC of this book.

Zahariev 🤌🏼

that's it. that's the whole review lol

jk. what a story. Lilith is the rebellious daughter of one of the main families taking refuge with the smoking hot head of another to avoid familial obligations i.e being forced into a marriage by the church and her family so that the new husband can siphon her god given magic.

Lilith is reckless and chaotic in the best way - even if you kind of want to shake some sense into her but also hug her. Zahariev is in love with Lilith but due to the church and 'no mingling of heirs of houses' he fights it... and he fights it hard. Have no fear - they bang... and it's hot hot hot.

There is a mysterious dagger that keeps showing up, a heartwrenching death, demon goo, and some top tier spice. Scarlett writes some of my favorite MCs - I just love her writing.

Zahariev 🤌🏼 Lilith 🤌🏼 this whole book. just :: chef's kiss ::

*Thank you NetGalley

I DEVOURED this. Terror at the Gates is a feminist retelling of Lilith’s story and I could not put it down. Despite women being the magic holders, it’s a patriarchal society and the church expects them to be pious and silent. Lilith just wants to be free and has found temporary refuge in Nineveh but when she comes into possession of a beautiful dagger and her buyer dies while inspecting it, she has no choice but to turn to Zahariev for help.
There’s a delicious forbidden romance, mafia vibes, a unique magic system but also religious trauma - which was handled very well. This does tackle some more heavy topics so I definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings first.

This is told through dual POV. Mostly through Lilith but with snippets from Zahariev and despite being short, his POV was SO GOOD. I immediately loved him. He’s the definition of touch her and die and I’m here for it 🔥
The yearning on his part was👌🏻
Lilith is a fantastic MC. She’s feisty, strong and after everything she’s been through, I couldn’t wait for her to get her revenge. I loved the bond between her and Zahariev and how she’s the only one who sees his softer side. The slow-burn was so worth the wait. I loved them so much. Their banter and tension was perfection.
The found family here was beautiful. I loved the side characters and the friendships Lilith formed in Nineveh. Cherub the cat was so precious!

And that ending?!? My jaw dropped. I can’t wait for book two!
Anyone who likes darker urban fantasy needs to add this to their TBR.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the eARC!

There’s so much I want to say about this book but I don’t want to spoil it! This is probably my favorite Scarlett St Clair book!
It’s got all the amazingness of a slow burn romance and the fantasy/pnr world building and magic!

Zahariev is just so amazing and protective in his own way and I am obsessed with him, and god help anyone who hurts or threatens Lilith!
From the beginning the tension between them and the world building gripped me!

It’s such an amazing story and I loved everything about it! So thankful I was able to ARC read this!!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I loved this book so much I needed to go get a physical copy yesterday and I found a signed copy!!
Lilith is just that b l absolutely loved reading in her perspective and then the little tidbits of Zahariev. I loved the tension between the two, the age gap was perfect. The banter was some of the best that l've ever read. His little bit of possessiveness that shows through to the readers but goes over Lilith's head was perfection. I loved the way we see the politics play out especially with a character that is actively breaking the norm. I really enjoyed the magic element and Liliths "gift" such a well rounded book. There are some darker elements throughout the book but I loved that they were included. It shows the struggles of growing up a female in a male dominated world. Overall, this is one of my favorite books of the year.

4.5⭐️ Urban Fantasy isn’t my normal genre of choice but when Scarlet St. Clair comes out with one? You read it.

As always, Scarlett’s writing is well thought out, detailed, and it just gets under your skin.

The dynamic/relationship between Lilith and Zahareth is almost its own storyline amongst the main premise of the book. You can see it build and feel the connection they share before the romantic tension bubbles over and they lose themselves in it.

Love how he always calls her little love, his protective nature and possessiveness 🥰

Things I wish I knew ahead of time…
1. I should’ve know when the plot be plotting with no way to plausibly wrap up without pissing everybody off in the last 10% of the book…it could only end in a Cliffhanger 🫣 and to not get to any of the good spicy stuff until 80% in.. not sure how I didn’t see it coming sooner.

2. At one point, not to give anything away, you may need tissues… many things I didn’t entirely see coming happened, one in particular, nearly broke me. I won’t spoil it… you’ll know when it happens 🥺

Not that these stopped me from continuing on or loving it!

Tropes:
Urban fantasy x mafia
Hate to love
Witty banter
Touch her and you die
Forbidden romance

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. This book was darker than I thought, but I loved the writing style. It pulled me in. Moving on to the MMC, you’re telling me always had a soft spot for her even though she was rebellious and broke laws, and was the only man who would treat her with respect? 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️
But the book lost the plot midway… I had to DNF at 84%

Terror at the Gates is every single thing I hoped it would be and so much more. I adore there characters and their story (so far!) and cannot wait for what comes next in this series

fιrst ιmρrᥱssιoᥒ:

When I first started reading tᥱrror ᥲt thᥱ gᥲtᥱs, I had no IDEA what I was getting myself into but WOW! I’m so glad I read it. And by read, I mean completely stopped reading or listening to anything else until I absolutely devoured this in less than two days. This is my first read by Scarlett St. Clair, and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it! Having been brought up in the church, I both related to and felt for Lilith and her journey to find herself outside of the church’s oppressive rule.

dᥱsᥴrιρtιoᥒ:

In this sultry reimagining of Lillith’s story, it opens in Eden, where five powerful families rule over five different districts. Most of our time is spent in Nineveh, a district within Eden where one can find all things unholy. I envisioned this world with a Sin City meets John Wick vibe, bathed in moody red light and covered in a grimy layer of sin. Men hold the titles as heads of these families, while women hold the magical powers. These powers can only be used with the permission of their husbands or fathers, and marriage alliances are made within these five districts to strengthen loyalties and the magical stronghold these families strive for.

Lillith Leviathan has left her family and life within the church to live in Nineveh, using her magic to steal from men in order to make a living. When she steals a dagger with a secret, she has to uncover how that religious relic ties to the church she has worked so hard to separate herself from. Throughout the story, Lillith directly and indirectly needs help from Zahariev Zareth, the leader of Nineveh. Their sizzling chemistry is apparent from the first scene they share. Lillith’s reckless and stubborn spirit get her into trouble left and right, and Zahariev is called in to save her in nearly all of these tough spots. Eventually, they work together to figure out the secrets only few know within the church, including how the dangerous dagger came to be. By the end of the book, we are left with a MASSIVE cliffhanger that left me wanting more.

thᥱmᥱs:
✩ Simmering feminine rage
✩ Religious trauma
✩ Neo noir urban romantasy
✩ Mafia underworld vibes
✩ Touch her and die
✩ Broody MMC
✩ Reckless and headstrong FMC
✩ Sexual tension & yearning galore
✩ Slow burn
✩ Animal sidekick

loves:
✩ First off, Zaddy Zahariev and his protector vibes were top tier - I wish we got a bit more of his POV, but the chapters we did get were 🥵
✩ She burns for him but he burns hotter - every scene just made me crave seeing them together even more
✩ Smoldering sexual chemistry and banter
✩ Imperfect, headstrong, and reckless FMC - I loved seeing how real Lillith is
✩ Seeing a different story told in a religious setting. This is not anti-church, but sheds light on how corruption can be uncovered at all levels, both inside and outside of the church.

grιρᥱs:
✩ This is a sloooow burn, with the first minorly 🌶️ scene happening about 60% in, with true 🌶️ happening after the 80% mark. While I don’t mind slow burns, I felt like this took precident over some of the plot points that could have been fleshed out further.
✩ The ending seemed a bit rushed, and while I am absolutely chomping at the bit for the next one, I felt like the last 10% of the book could have used the detail the first 90% got.
✩ A bit of backstory and world building was missing - Lillith’s relationships with Zahariev, Esther, Gabriel, and Coco could have been delved into deeper. We know she has a strained relationship with her parents (especially her mom) but few details are revealed until toward the end.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one!

Thank you to Scarlett St. Clair, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DL5oRh2hZfG/?igsh=MTFkOGoycXhsYmUyeA==

https://fable.co/review/e0bb0e8a-2323-4354-a914-0333833b3761/share

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7709343170

I love this book with my whole heart it feels so rich and lush. I was already in love with anything that Scarlett St Clair puts out but I’m solidified by this book.

Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) is coming out at a time in America where the rights of women and other marginalized groups are constantly under threat. In many places, they have fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers enjoyed. Weak men, wielding whatever shallow power is afforded them by the state and other weak men, are hell-bent on ensuring women serve not their own dreams and desires. No, it is their will that women remain curtailed, simply incubators to house and grow future servants (girls) and leaders (boys).

I know there’s something to the fact that Scarlett St. Clair is releasing a story like this in a post-Roe world, because in our own world almost every woman is a Lilith Leviathan. Indoctrinated by religious zealot parents, repressed by a controlling church community that dictates how women should live and serve the church, and desperately in love with a man from a rival family who can’t love her the way she wants to be loved, Lilith is the female main character the world needs right now.

I loved Lilith so much. Like many of us moving through the world with religious trauma, Lilith is forced to unlearn the doctrines wielded to deprive her of her humanity and to siphon away her power. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I loved watching the development of the relationship between Lilith and Zahariev Zareth. Oh Zahariev, you dark and brooding hottie, how lucky we are to read of you on the page. If only all men were like you, there’d be no MAGA, no world without Roe, and no need for any woman to ever have to say #MeToo.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT, LOOK AWAY IF YOU MUST!:

You do eventually get spice, even though you have to wait about 400 pages for it. When you get there, though, Lord have mercy! You’ll sweat through your clothes about eight different times 😉. Needless to say, I don’t think anyone involved (carnally, that is) with Zahariev would ever need a gym membership, at least not for cardio. Probably not for strength training, either, because your core would also get quite the workout. But enough of my innuendo.

I can’t wait to recommend this book to my customers, friends, and followers on this blog and elsewhere on social media. It’s the story all of us need right now, of women reclaiming their power and forging their own paths in spite of what others might choose for them, and we’re lucky to have Scarlett St. Clair to be the one to give it to us.

By the way, that ending was one of the best I’ve ever read. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in the series.

Terror at the Gates is an ambitious blend of myth, biblical imagery, and dystopian noir. Scarlett St. Clair takes some bold creative risks here, and while not everything landed for me, I admire the direction she’s heading. The worldbuilding is rich (if a bit overwhelming early on), and the second half really picks up in pacing and cohesion. Lilith’s arc felt familiar to fans of her earlier work, but she still brings grit and intrigue. Some scenes felt a little overdone, but overall, it’s a solid read for fans of dark fantasy and mythological retellings. I’m curious to see where the sequel goes and will definitely be reading the next one!

🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤 This book is everything! This was such an original romantasy and I completely loved the vibes 🤩
❤️ Zahariev had me captivated because he is so down bad for Lilith. I love a man obsessed! I was feral for Zahariev and Lilith 🥵🔥
🖤 I loved that at the end of every chapter we would get a little bit of Zahariev's POV. I LOVED that format!
❤️ The quotes from this man?
“I would go to war for you,” he said again. “I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”
“I am not worth everything you would lose, Zahariev,” I said.
“You are worth it,” he said. “But I’ll wait until you ask.” I MELTED 🫠
🖤 Also Cherub? I love her and I'm obsessed and I need her to be in the sequel even more! Give me more Cherub content please!
❤️ Lilith is a feminist icon in her own right and I loved how fierce she is. She embodies feminine rage. She is protective of the people she loves and she will not conform to how the world wants her to be. She is strong willed and fiercely herself. I love her so much!
🖤 This book is set in a different world but there a lots of themes in it that we experience in real life: Sexism, Religious Trauma, Corruption and more. So much was relatable and realistic.
❤️ I also got to listen to an ALC and the narrators did so well! Highly recommend the audiobook if that is your thing!
🖤 The ending had me completely shook it took me 2 days to write this review! I'm still thinking about it and I need the sequel! I want more of this story!

🖤Thank you to Scarlett and Bloom and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent read. The only complaint I have is it was way too short. I wanted more. I NEED more. The lore twists seductively throughout the book sharpening the plot into hooks sunken deeply into the reader. I couldn't put it down. I couldn't read it slow nor fast enough. Scarlett, when do we get book two?

Not sure what I was expecting going into this book (not did not read the blurb, too much faith in Blooms picks) and I was not disappointed. Will be back for the rest of the book of this series! Definitely read this book if you’re looking for a completely different fantasy romantasy book. Possible spoilers/tropes ***This book has mafia like vibe with religion, magic, aliens, witches, abuse, and grief***

This book was high fantasy in a different type a way (as in not fairies or vampires), with a magic element. More modern than other fantasy books. Overall this book was very well written and the story is very interesting. As with all of Scarlett St. Clair’s writing she did an amazing job writing this story. The writing was clear and well delivered, and easy to follow (greatly appreciate when fantasy aspects/different worlds can be difficult to follow with increased complexity). Overall can’t recommend enough for a newer or more modern fantasy read!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bloom Books for the early copy! As always another great book from Bloom and I can’t wait for the rest of this series!

I read an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This was my first time in a few years reading Scarlett St. Clair again as I've read some of her Persephone x Hades books, but it's been awhile.

Terror at the Gates is written in first person POV of Lilith Leviathan, the only child of the Leviathan family who rules the financial district named Hiram in this world, the closest district to Eden. There's five ruling families, each overseeing a district, the other districts are called Temple City, Galant, Akkadia, and Nineveh. Lilith ran away from home and has been living in Nineveh, the district of sin, for about the last two years and has been under the protection of the head of the ruling Zareth family there, Zahariev. She's known Zahariev for years since she was a child, and they have an already established dynamic going on. Lilith encounters a mysterious golden dagger that sets off a chain of events of deaths and discoveries. There's the history of one god as preached by their church, but as the book goes on, there's rumors of multiple deities and a hazy history that's yet to be fully revealed. There's also some mysterious dreams that Lilith starts having ever since the dagger appeared, and with the help (unwanted or not) of Zahariev, more and more things come to light that ends with a doozy of an ending.

This is a highly religious and patriarchal world and I could see many similarities to our real world, but it's also an urban fantasy with magic. Magic is accessed by the men of the Elohai (those of the ruling family) through the women, as magic manifests in the women. The world felt both familiar yet different, what with the similar religious themes to existing religions in the real world, and on that note, a lot the injustices regarding religion and society were mirrored in the book. I felt along with Lilith that anger at certain aspects of religion and thinking that puts women down and blames them for any perceived wrongs while keeping men in power and not holding them accountable for their own actions.

Lilith embodies that feminine rage that comes with the realization of the wrongs society and religions inflict on women, and her desire for freedom and autonomy was understandable. She's not a sweet, "likable" character. Lilith is chaotic and a mess. She's not always right and when she's not fighting, either verbally or physically, it felt like she was crying. To be fair, she encounters a lot of shit throughout the course of the book and I appreciated that she could be both tough and vulnerable.

I loved the side characters like her roommate Coco, the kitten Cherub, Gabriel and Esther, and even Cassius, who is Zahariev's younger brother whom Lilith is always bickering and clashing with, but that made for some funny dialogue and interactions. Most of all though, I loved Zahariev Zareth, who is like the wishful thinking of a woman writing a man. He's collected and calm and always respectful and patient with Lilith. Zahariev and Lilith have an already established relationship by the time the story opens and it was fun reading about how she constantly exasperated him and caused trouble for his territory, yet how he also lets her get away with a lot and loves her wild streak. Unlike all the previous men in her life, he never tries to suppress her will and always supports her. I enjoyed the slow burn pace of their teasing interactions until near the end. She doesn't know it, but as the reader, we can see brief glimpses into his mind with short chapters after each of Lilith's that's set in his POV. It's not clear exactly when he fell for Lilith since they have history, but it was still fun seeing how she went from only perceived annoyance to the reveal of how deep his feelings for her are.

There's definitely more to unravel about the world and I'm looking forward to future books, especially after that ending that had me going !? A solid start to this series.

“Little love”
Compelling from the beginning! Intense female rage that’s well written and not annoying. I love when a story is an easy to comprehend and follow and this does that. The world building was well done and I was able to immerse myself in the book and watch it play out in my head like a movie. Would definitely recommend and can’t wait to talk to my book club about it!

Lilith Leviathan is estranged from her family and lives in another district away from them. As a child of members in the upper echelons of society, her actions are deemed shameful and she is regularly reminded of the seemingly poor choices she has made. In the years she has left her family, she made friends and lives in the district belonging to a frenemy - Zahariev Zareth. Zahariev grew up with Lilith as their families ran in the same circles. However, he’s always tried to keep her at bay while also trying to protect her. As their interactions become more entwined, things are going to get a whole lot more interesting.

This is a beautifully vicious story of all the wrongs in a world ruled by particular peoples with certain powers in society. I am now even more motivated than ever to read more stories by St. Clair because to have this masterpiece as my first introduction is amazing. Off the bat, there is a sense of dystopian happenings, especially when it comes to religion in the world. I can’t imagine the amount of time and effort that went into the research that helped to bring this story alive but I loved every moment of it. Any time Lilith and Zahariev are on the same page everything feels extra heightened and tense but at the same time, there’s a certain amount of light playfulness that flits through and reminds the reader that not everything is what it may seem to be. I really love the balance that Zahariev’s character strikes in the plot and I love how he is characterized. The little snippets of him that we get are very telling of the kind of person he is.

For where we are in the world right now as of the writing of this review, the story is an interesting reflection of what happens when society suppresses/oppresses a particular demographic “for the greater good” regardless of politics and/or religion. There were definitely moments where I got uncomfortable because of how realistic those moments were. If you want an absolute banger of a novel to read, I highly encourage you to read this one, however, be warned, as there may be triggering content.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Scarlett St. Clair for the gifted ARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book. Terror at the Gates is the first book of the Blood of Lilith series. I was not sure what to expect with this book but I absolutely loved it. I could not put this book down and I read this book in one sitting. This book is a dark feminist retelling of Lilith's story. The plot and world building in this book was amazing. I was already a fan of this author from her Hades and Persephone retelling series but I think this is now my favorite series by this author. I highly recommend reading this book.