such a fantastic book but a favorite author. I have loved Scarlett and everything she has always wrote but this just felt like so much more from her and I loved every second. I can't wait to see where this goes from here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom books for the early copy!

Scarlett St. James consistently delivers when I need a book that best describes the “Reputation” era. This was one of my first forays into mafia like territory, and I was taken on a wild ride where I kept rooting for the FMC to be such a badass - especially when she found the strength during the reveal to her father. This was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

This was such a fantastic read. What I love most about Scarlet’s writing is that she never shies away from a scorned woman, or a woman with a mission.

This book definitely had the strong female who won’t just go along with what’s expected of her and has the whole female rage aspect behind all the slights and inequities in her life.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book but it was definitely a very interesting read and I enjoyed the alternate reality urban fantasy feel. This book has a lot of darkness and grit and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

This was my first Scarlett St. Clair book, and wow, it was so good. I will preface by saying that you MUST check the trigger warnings for this one because it is really heavy.

𝑇𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 is an urban fantasy with mafia vibes, religious and political plot points, forbidden romance, magic, and feminine rage.

In a world where women don’t have a voice and are considered second-class citizens, Lilith is here to defy how men want to label or use her. She comes from a rich and powerful family, but she decides to leave her luxurious life to defy the laws of men and to be free.

I love this girl! I can relate to her in a big way, and part of what triggered me hard was what she went through as a child. My heart broke for her when she revealed her truth to her dad. I legit have tears in my eyes writing this. I just want to hug her.

Zahariev is morally grey, and he gives off touch-her-and-die vibes to the max. He’s a scary and dangerous man, but with Lilith, he’s caring and thoughtful, always looking out for her, and honestly, the only one in her life who protects her to no end.

The plot is intriguing, and I enjoyed the world-building; it wasn’t dragged or slow. I am curious to see how the story develops, and I’m ready for book 2.

Another book with a biblical/story tale retelling and add some smut. If you’ve spent much time in church you’ll recognize some names and places……but this is not safe for church. 🤣.
Honestly I found it a fun read. I enjoyed the strong female main character and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I was thrilled to get this book early because I absolutely love Scarlett St. Clair. Her Hades and persephone series is something i adore. This was typical St. Clair. It had fantasy and the romance aspect. urban. mystery. intrigue. What truly held me back was like the absolute devastation of religion. I get it, but like wow it was incredibly religious and it made me feel weird. I know that's her thing is a take on religion but I feel with her other religions there was at least some respect, this was devastating the parrallels that were made. The writing was well done and Lilith as a lead was good. However, I was not sold on anyone really. There was a lot of death, most of which I did not seem too torn up over. And now, the book is over and I'm unsure if I will continue to book 2.

My heart goes out to Lilith and I was insanely happy to see her journey! Growing up Christian, this was an interesting read and rewrite of what is told of her story in the church. She demands what is due to her and is unapologetically brave/strong. The spice scenes were on point and I want to see so much more from these characters! It was such a healing story while also being hard. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you like spicy magic stories that sorta feel like HP Lovecraft in ancient times, this is for you.

The world building in this book was so fascinating. I found myself pulled in from the very beginning and I instantly wanted to know more about this world and these characters. Spoiler alert/trigger warning: I found it tough to get back into the love story after the death of the pregnant woman, but that is more of a personal issue.

Oh this was more than I expected! I loved the mixture of mafia romance to fantasy elements. I cannot wait for the next book!

Terror at the Gates is the first book in a new series by Scarlett St. Clair. For me, she’s a must-read, every single time and once again she reminded me exactly why I love her books so much.
This story drops us into a world of witches, magic, demons, and corrupt power. The noir vibes I got while reading this were *chef’s kiss*, and I could picture every moment like a movie playing out in my mind.
Lilith as an archetype has always been something I loved to explore, now add that to Scarlett St. Clair’s amazing writing and I was cooked.
Lilith is fierce, layered, and powerful, and Zahariev, our MMC, offers a steady, quiet strength that complements her so well.
The themes here are heavy-and honestly, some of them really hit home. It took me some time to sit with everything before I could write this review. But I’d recommend this book, and this author, every day of the week. There’s action, spice, lore, secrets… everything I love wrapped in one amazing story. I can’t wait for book two!

I really enjoyed this dark story! It was unique and refreshing! I plan to read more by Scarlett St. Clair!

Can we talk about Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair?! 
The tension between Zahariev and Lilith?? I was sitting there questioning whether Zahariev and Lilith were going to fight or make out.
And every single side characters?? Not a single one felt like filler. I cared about every person in this book. Coco had me stressingggg the entire time. (Thanks to the ATOD series trauma 🤣)
Now that I’ve finished, my brain is spinning with questions. Waiting for book 2 is gonna be rough but I'm here for it.

Now the reason this is a 4 star and not 5 is because I feel it is missing a trigger warning of pregnancy/birth trauma. If I knew that was going to happen, I could have prepared myself for it.

This was a fun read! I won’t lie, the pacing was a little wonky for me, and it definitely suffered from both badly timed smut and smut overload somehow for a book where the main characters didn’t even get together until like the end, but that’s fine. We needed something to add some light to the story after the action started happening. It was a good read, I will definitely be sticking around for the sequel. I wish the family dynamics would have been explored more, I do feel like I was robbed of an emotional closure of that just like Lilith was. Loved Cherub, love an animal sidekick. The side characters were fun. The author will pay for my therapy for certain events. Overall, I had a good time arc reading this. Can’t wait for the plot to pick up in the next one. That was a really crazy ending. Thank you NetGalley for the arc. It was a solid 4 star read for me, this author has gained a new fan in me.

I absolutely loved this book!!! The tension between Lilith and Z was fantastic, and when they finally got together, *chef’s kiss*!!!! Lilith is such a badass and Z literally has no red flags in my book. Thank you so much for the ARC!!

This book does not hold back. It’s gritty, dark, empowering, and packed with the kind of tension that keeps you up way past bedtime. Scarlett St. Clair throws you into a place where faith, corruption, and magic collide, and the result is equal parts haunting and addictive.

First, a TW note: Terror at the Gates includes themes of sexual abuse within the church, so definitely check in with yourself before diving in. I was hesitant about this and really appreciated that it was called out at the front of the book. I chose to read it regardless, and IMPO, didn't feel the SA content was overly imposing or triggering, but everyone has different limits.

One of the things that stood out most to me was how the story handled themes of power—who holds it, who abuses it, and how women reclaim it. The magic system is fun and purposeful, woven seamlessly into the story’s core conflict, and it made the FMM feel both dangerous and liberated.

If you like your fantasy romance with dark themes, high stakes, and an undercurrent of hope clawing its way through some of the heavier content themes, Terror at the Gates delivers in spades.

After the Touch of Darkness series, I knew I liked St Clair’s writing style. There is enough fact within the fiction and this was no exception. It’s obvious when real research was done prior to writing and makes a big difference.

I felt it was a little slower paced, but it contained enough action to keep me hooked.

The MMC and the FMC had plenty of lust behind their interactions but I also enjoyed seeing the true feelings that had for each other represented.

It was a nice deviation from what I’m used to and I can see this being very popular.

One of my favorite books this year! I literally think of Zahariev Zareth daily!

With fascinating characters, an intriguing plot, and all the emotional elements your heart can take, this book is TOP TIER.

I can’t wait for more!

Terror at the Gates completely sucked me in. The tension, the drama, the twists—I was hooked the whole way through. Scarlett St. Clair never misses, and this might be my favorite yet! Absolutely love this author!

Mafia, frenemies to lovers and romantasy in a patriarchal world…yes please! I will say I didn’t realize this would have more than one book when I first got it. (yes I live in a cave). I did enjoy the twists and turns and am excited to see what happens next!