Scarlett St Clair is so good at crafting unique fantasy worlds and the world in Terror at the Gates is no different. It felt really unique for a romantic fantasy and I enjoyed the way the politics of this world explored religion and the trauma that comes with it. The characters in this book also pulled you in immediately. Our two leads Lilith and Zahariev have a very intriguing dynamic as two characters who have known each other for many years before the start of the story. At the end of each chapter, we would get a small snippet of Zahariev’s point of view and I was always excited to see what insight we would get into his feelings about Lilith, as she definitely is pretty clueless to how he feels.

I will say that this author tends to spend a little too much time on the spicier scenes when that time comes for my personal tastes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and the ending has definitely left me intrigued to see what’s next for Lilith and Zahariev!

Ahhh!!!! Than ending! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
I loved this book, it is definitely in my top 5 reads so far for this year. The world building was phenomenal and I was seriously sucked in from the beginning.

“What does it mean? To be yours?” I asked.
He smiled softly. “Whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.”

゜゜・。。・✦❘༻༺❘✦・。。・゜゜
❤️First Person POV from Lilith with small excerpts from Zahariev's POV
🗡Urban Fantasy x Mafia
🖤Frenemies to lovers
🗡Forbidden Romance + 8 years Age Gap
❤️Mafia Heiress x Mafia Head
゜゜・。。・✦❘༻༺❘✦・。。・゜゜

Terror at the Gates was such an unexpected read like it was just so good and addicting. It handles its heavy themes with such care and leaves me feeling reflective about the messages discussed. Bonus points for Cherub, the cat!

Scarlett St. Clair's writing style is very vivid and it has a slight cinematic feel to it. The story itself is very fast-paced and I felt hooked from the start, it felt very effortless to read. The book also does a good job at slowing down the pace, especially during the more emotional and heavy moments, then speeding it back up for the more action and dramatic scenes.

I loved the setting, it has this dark and gritty neon lights, Las Vegas vibe to it. The world is a nice mix of Urban fantasy with Mafia. The magic system added to themes the book was trying to explore, by having the gift of magic only manifesting in women. The Mafia family heads have to marry to get direct access to magic. There's strong patriarchy elements with women not being allowed to use their magic without some kind of male oversight, be it their husband or their fathers if they're unmarried. This extends to other aspects like how women didn't order their food; they ate what their husband or fathers order. There's just some many little extra details in regards to the religious lore; that makes the world and the brutal societal system that works against women, feel so real and vivid.

I honestly loved Lilith Leviathan as our fmc. She could have easily just been a sad rich heiress, that is just being rebellious, but she comes off as charming and a fierce storm of a heroine. There is an inherent privilege that is granted to Lilith given her family (which she acknowledges throughout the book), but that advantage does come at a huge cost for Lilith and has made her a target for abuse. A deep part of her aches with the desire to truly be free, but is forced to live in a world where women are expected to be subservient to the men of the world and fit the mold set forth. She is expected to marry as an heir and when she escapes to Nineveh to get a taste of freedom, it's seen as being just a "phase" and she will serve as an example once she returns home. Despite that Lilith doesn't relent.

Lilith's inner strength shines, with her character journey of unpacking the trauma left by religion and the truth of what Alarich Lisk did to her. Lilith goes through so much throughout the book and experiences so many losses, which made following her journey heart-wrenching at times. Despite all the shit life throws at her, she is still fierce and tries to reclaim her power and voice. To quote Lilith, "I was not a victim. I was not a sacrifice. I was Lilith, a survivor."

Zahariev Zareth, acts as a foil to Lilith with his more in control personality and well composed composure. When he lets the mask slip and he opens up as to why he doesn't take things further with Lilith, it just breaks a part of my heart. I loved seeing the glimpses of his pov at the end of each chapter, this man was down bad.

As for the dynamic between Lilith and Zahariev it's electric and the sexual tension is shimmering throughout their interactions. The banter, A+. There is a forbidden aspect with the heirs not being allowed to have romantic relationships. I believe this serves as a parallel to the mentions of Adam and Eve within the book and wanting the forbidden fruit or in this case, untouchable. Lilith also uses Eve as her alias.

While there is a lot of sexual tension, I wouldn't say Lilith and Zahariev relationship is built on just desire, there's some genuine vulnerability and yearning to it. Their soft and emotional moments were the highlight such as when Zahariev holds her when she needs it the most and how he comforted her after her argument with her dad at the party.

Beyond the romance, the book offers an exploration of how religion and social laws can breed hostility especially toward women. Such as when from a young age, Lilith was taught that she was responsible for Eve's sin of partaking of the apple. Only does she realize when she's older, that Eve isn't the only one solely responsible, but Adam is equally just as responsible.

It highlights the complexity of religion, while it can offer something to believe in, it can also hurt and harm its followers. It felt very retrospective in regards to questioning if religion has a place in society and suggests even those that are the most devout shouldn't be afraid to question their faith. I really appreciated that Scarlett St. Clair writes more about the topic of religion in her Author's Note. I found it to be so insightful and it's a must read.

I can't wait to read the next book! Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC.

<b> 3 stars</b>
—
Thank you to the publishers and the author for an ARC.

Lilith Leviathan has been cut off from her influential family and is just trying to survive in Nineveh, a rough corner of the city of Eden known for indulgence and rebellion. She uses her magic to steal and stay afloat, which puts her on the radar of both the ruling elite and the ever-watchful church. When she stumbles across a beautiful, mysterious dagger, it feels like her luck might finally be turning…until her buyer drops dead and everything spirals. With nowhere else to turn, she goes to Zahariev, the powerful and intimidating leader of Nineveh, who loves to <i>“exacts revenge on her behalf”</i>

She’s out for revenge (rightfully so), but also on a messy journey of healing. It’s dark, feminist, and theological…at times poetic, at others chaotic.

Lilith herself? Slightly annoying, but in hindsight, probably because the layers of religious and childhood trauma she’s unpacking have her in full-on child regression. She throws tantrums. She whines. She dissociates mid-monologue. But she’s also fighting for justice and reclaiming power, so I get it. Still, there were moments I really wished someone would book her a therapist.

There’s also this moment. They’re in the middle of <i>it</i>, and she turns to him and goes:
<i>“Do I feel good?”</i>
<b>I beg your PARDON. </b>

The pacing dragged for me. If you ask me, the plot starts around 82%. Before that, it’s a lot of philosophical set-up, which I respect but found it <i>dragged</i>.

<b>This was my second religious trauma book in three months, and I think I’m officially tapping out for the rest of the year…before I spiral and start asking the big questions like why we’re even here in the first place.</b> Terror at the Gates was much heavier-handed than my last read when it came to unpacking what the church stands for, and it didn’t hold back. At times, it felt like the author was shaking you by the shoulders and yelling <i>“this is the system you were raised in!”</i> A standout quote that pretty much sums up the vibe: <i>“The Book of Splendor was curated by men. They came together at a council back when we had kings to decide what stories should go in their so-called sacred book. They claim they were ‘divinely guided,’ which is a funny way to say politically motivated.”</i> So yeah. Spiritually <i><b>unwell</i></b>, thanks for asking.

That ending promises an action-packed sequel, and I’m too curious not to see how it all plays out. Just hoping next time the plot shows up before the final act and the kitty get more screen time. <i><b>Lilith get a cats in the book, get your head out of the gutter</i></b>🫵

holy shit. this book shocked me in the best of ways!! I quite literally could not put this down. The story was equal parts refreshing and unique and I was so entirely immersed in it from start to finish.

I think Zahariev is officially the hottest book boyfriend about to grace all of booktoks shelves 🥵

I also am just obsessed with Lilith, literally love her so much

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this ARC!

Honestly, I ate this book up like I was starving. I was hooked from the beginning, and just a few chapters in, I found myself rubbing my hands together saying, "Oh, this is gonna be good."
Zahariev and Lilith are forbidden, for more than one reason. As the daughter of his family's rival, she’s supposed to be off-limits. That doesn’t stop Zahariev from stepping in to protect her, no matter the cost. And let's be real, people...protecting Lilith is no easy task, especially because she’s not one to follow rules. (And we love a woman who can't be contained, right?) Zahariev has it baaad for her, and it seems like everyone knows it… except her. His whole "I would go to war for you" thing he had going on? Literally, I was melting in a puddle. 🫠🫠🫠
Lilith is a total bad*ss. I loved watching her come back swinging every time she got knocked down. She doesn’t trust men, and understandably so, especially after the religious trauma she’s endured. Her world is one where women have been treated as tools for men’s needs, and nothing more. But Lily’s a menace (Zahariev’s words, not mine 🤭), and while she’s out stealing to make ends meet, she finds herself in possession of a beautiful dagger. But this isn’t just any ole dagger. Soon, terrible things seem to happen to everyone who touches it… except her and Zahariev.
Together (somewhat), they set out to uncover the truth behind the cursed dagger. And in the process, they find that their suppressed feelings for each other might be too strong to ignore.

Now… here’s where it fell just a little short for me 👉 I would’ve loved more backstory on some of the side characters, like Lilith’s best friend/roommate and her familiar. The worldbuilding had a solid foundation but didn’t quite hit that epic level I think it had the potential for. And while grief and death are common in dark fantasy, this one felt a little heavy at times. Poor Lily just couldn't catch a break and I felt the heaviness in her heart through the pages, and sometimes it just felt a bit relentless.

Overall, this was a sultry, emotional, intense read, and I really enjoyed it. 🖤

This was incredible. My favorite Scarlett St. Clair to date. The story felt so fresh and unique with the perfect pacing, quick and exciting with great slower moments to hang onto. I bawled my eyes out. The chemistry was vibrant and I could feel the fmc's character in my Taurus soul. Bull headed and lying to her damn self.

And that ending was probably the best ending to any first book in a series I've ever read. I loved how the MMCs POVs were handled. It was so simple but felt original. He felt original.

I loved the entire thing and I'm absolutely hooked on the story, desperate to read more. I stayed up til 3am just to finish the book in one sitting--it was that good.

If you don't like bratty, stubborn women, you might not like the fmc, but I only see it as a chance for her growth. She is going through some stuff, but I can tell already she is going to be one of my fav fmcs.

Also, if you look for spice, you won't be disappointed in this one. The spice was a home run.

This was really good and I loved the worldbuilding and seeing how she navigated through it and how he navigated through it. It'll be interesting to see where that all goes.

Anyway, another one to add to top of the list. I give it all the stars.

Somebody say sike right now 😶....... THAT ENDING .....HER MOTHER????What was happening??? 😭😭

First of all I would like to thank netgalley for the Earc copy of this book ✨🤭. My second Earc of this year 👏🏾🙂.

This book literally CONSUMED my days to the point I didn't want it to end. This is going to be a big hit on Booktok 👏🏾🙂.

Lilith just became a top tier FANTASY BADDIE!!!!!

This book follows Lilith who runs away from her powerful family who are trying to shove their religious beliefs down her throat 💀😐and she finds herself in Nineveh.

I read Nineveh and I was like Jonah!!🤣🤣.

Anywho Nineveh is the district of sin in the city of Eden....which is ruled by Zahariev Zareth. 🤭✨🫦. DADDY ZAHARIEV🤭👏🏾.

Lilith is looking for something to steal so that she can sell it to get money for her rent and she ends up acquiring a knife which ends up fucking her life.😶

I won't forgive Scarlett for the death of one of the characters in this book.😭 I was SHATTERED!!!!!

Lilith is in denial claiming that the only reason Zahariev looks out for her is because of her father....but later in the book she realises that's so not true🤭.

From the moment I met Zahariev I was like yes Lord he's the one 🙈🤭. He's up there on my top tier book boyfriends.🤭✨.

I got Casteel vibes from this man in the way that he never held Lilith back from doing what she wanted to do 👏🏾. THAT'S A MAN RIGHT THERE.

THE TENSION between these two in the beginning?!!!😭 😭. When is it going to be MY TURN😭😭. THE CHEEKY BANTER!!!!

There's a scene here where she wants to work at his club and this man TELLS HER TO DANCE FOR HIM!!!🤭🙈. That scene will live in my head RENT FREE!!!!🤭🫦.

For the Cat lovers there's a cat in here called Cherub 🤣🤣✨ and there's also found family which we all love👏🏾🙂.

Cassius and Coco though 🤭. I see you guys🙈.

This book perfectly portrays the way RELIGION is ABUSED by the so called "religious leaders".🤦🏾‍♀️ And when they're called out, THE SOCIETY or the people of that certain religion CONDEMN you because of how "holy" these leaders are.🚮

In truth some of them PREY on the WEAK MINDED and FEED off of the VULNERABLE and make them do unimaginable things all in the name of "God told me to do this and that". Some of them go even further to call themselves PROPHETS AND THEY START CULTS!!💀

LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT HOW WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MEEK AND SHALLOW MINDED!!!!💀🚮. THEY'RE TO BE PURE AND BE BREEDING MACHINES!!!💀🤦🏾‍♀️.

That's why so many people don't believe in religion anymore because people think it's a HOAX 🙄.

This book is so well written and easy to understand and there's no info dump like how other fantasy books fill three whole chapters of world building.

This book just landed itself on my GOD TIER LIST!!!!👏🏾🤭 INFINITY STARS 😍✨♥️

Can't wait for the second installment 😍✨🎀.

Terror at the Gates was a unique, original experience and I loved learning this world for what it was, learning the concepts and watching the originality unfold.

I absolutely adored the lil sidekick Cherub and was beyond pleased she came out unscathed lol - however overall I did have a few issues.

This will contain spoilers*********


Up until around the 30% mark, I was really enjoying everything and didn't want to put the book down, but there came a point where a relatively important character was murdered - this character was pregnant.

Our FMC found her and called paramedics to get her to the hospital, but there was blood everywhere etc. our FMC went to the hospital with the MMC and then after finding out she passes, but the babe is okay and seeing her partners grief, she sprints back to the apartment...which is still covered in blood and the MMC follows her. That was the moment we got the climax to this tension and they chose to share their first kiss and their thoughts were about sex.

I am all for sex and discovery and exploration but the timing of this felt not right. It pulled me out and I never fully got back in. I recognize we all handle grief differently and outlets are important and my guess is that was the intention, but it fell flat for me and from that point on the romance fell off for me.

Additionally EVERY single time our FMC left her apartment she got hurt, in trouble, or someone died. There was no other plot when she left, it was danger or trouble and felt repetitive.

It also felt at times like we forgot the world had magic in it as it was mentioned in the start but then rarely if ever again which felt loose. The 'big bad' was a gelatinous goo - and it never got explained further than that and felt a bit comically bad.

Now with that said, as I mentioned I love Cherub, and I did like the world and LOVED the concept of healing from religious trauma. I think it was done well and while I do have complaints, I do fully intend to read book 2!

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Forbidden love
Touch her and die
Morally grey MMC
He falls first
Headstrong FMC with unique magic
Age gap
Mafia vibes
Plot twists

Review:
I was not prepared for how much I thoroughly enjoyed Terror at the Gates! This is book 1 in a new fantasy series by Scarlett St. Clair and is a feminist retelling of Lilith’s story. I knew I would be locked into the story from the dedication - “To the women who were told they must submit to the dominance of man.”

This story was dark and gritty and tackles very heavy themes (read trigger warnings). Lilith is born to a prominent and wealthy family but escapes to Nineveh to avoid familial expectations and plans for her future (which would have been marrying her off to a suitor of their choice). When Lilith comes across a mysterious and magical blade, strange occurrences start happening, starting with the death of an acquaintance she was trying to sell it off to. Lilith seeks help from Zahariev, a powerful, morally grey man who rules Nineveh and as it turns out, has a very soft spot for Lilith. Unfortunately, the dagger is only the beginning of their problems as they uncover a much darker truth about their world.

The plot was very interesting and I think this book has amazing setup for the next installment where I’m sure we will get more development and insight into the world. But by far I was most excited about any time the FMC and MMC were on page together. The banter, the tension, and the slow burn was immaculate and I was eating up every crumb. Scarlett did such a great job of finding that balance between telling a story about feminine rage but still showing that it’s okay to rely on others (even a man) for support. I was highlighting galore because Zahariev is so sarcastic which makes for excellent banter but it’s so obvious how deep his affection runs for Lilith. It’s well worth the wait when Lilith finally realizes this too hehe. If you’re a fan of the Hades series by Tate James, the MMC gave me some serious Zed vibes!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Bloom books for the e-ARC!

WHOA! Hold on to your butts. This was a wild ride and super spicy from the start. Definitely check out the trigger warnings if you're sensitive to certain topics. Otherwise, dig in and enjoy the feminine rage! Will purchase.

Category is…let her cook. 🔥

I really enjoyed this one! 4.25 stars.✨

Okay, Terror at the Gates was an absolute blast! This dark urban fantasy with major mafia romance vibes immediately grabbed me by the throat (in the best way!). I'm already obsessed with our main couple, but my inner slow-burn stan wished we could've dragged out that romance just a tiny bit longer, knowing there's more to come. Still, St. Clair is a QUEEN at building those foundational families and giving us intriguing side characters who I desperately need more of, like yesterday.

🚨Seriously, though, check those trigger warnings! This one does not pull its punches, so be prepared!

Thank you to Bloom Books and Tantor Audio for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

St. Clair is back with another urban fantasy mythological retelling - but this time, she is focusing on Christian mythology. Two years ago, Lillith left her privileged upbringing aside to become a dancer and thief in Nineveh, a dark part of the city straight out of a 1950s film noir. When one of her fences is murdered, she works with Zahariev, the head of the family that runs Nineveh to find the dark truths that the church may have hidden.

I'm glad to see St. Clair is leading the revival of feminist retelling (which have seemed to reduce in popularity since the 90s) and I appreciated that in her turning to Christian myth kept her urban edge, instead of going into more traditional fantasy grounds. I also enjoyed the relationship between Zahariev and Lillith - friends to lovers is less common in dark romance, and I think St Clair walked a good line between their familiarity and their tension. The brief snippets of Zahariev's POV are enough to keep the mystery, while letting the reader understand that Lillith's perspective isn't always spot on. I do wish that we had more of a sense of the relationship between Zahariev and his brothers, and I hope we get more of that in the later series.

Thanks to Bloom Books for the early copy, and I'd recommend this to fans of Harley LaRoux and Jaysea Lynn.

I knew when I first heard about this book it was going to be good, but I had NO IDEA it would be this good!

Lilith’s story in Jewish folklore has always resonated with me. It goes like this: Lilith was the first wife of Adam, not created from him, created from the same dust/ground as him. They were equals, made by God to be equals in all things. But Adam did not want an equal, he wanted his wife to be subservient to him and Lilith refused to make herself smaller or less than for a man. (Particularly there are tales about her not wanting to “lie beneath” Adam during sex). Her refusal to submit led to her being cast out from the Garden of Eden and God made Eve to serve Adam. Which lead her to become the mother of demons, etc etc.

So as you can see my expectations were pretty high. Scarlett St. Clair met every single expectation head to head and still came out on top with this book.

I thought this would be more Romantasy, but I was thrilled when I realized it was more Urban fantasy. The only other series I can compare it to with the first book grabbing you by the throat and not letting go is Crescent City. In a lot of ways it challenges the aspect of good and evil with Judaism influence like SJM did with that series too.

When I read the main characters name I laughed out loud because my daughters middle name is Lilith and my sons middle name is Leviathan.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world… Ephesians 6:12


In this world there are 5 families who inherited gifts from God, called Elohai, passed down through the matriarchal line, but in this world a woman is only an extension of her husband or father.
Lilith is the only daughter and heir to the Leviathan family, but a woman cannot inherit the title of the head of their family. Rather than be forced to marry someone her mother picks for her she flees Hiram to live in Nineveh, a “dirty” city filled with sin and the poor controlled by the Zareth family. Zahariev, the head of the Zareth family, has been her protector since she left Hiram and is seemingly the only other person in the Families who is not brain washed with patriarchal religious fanaticism.

Lilith has to steal to survive, she steals religious artifacts and sells them. When she steals a dagger from a man in a bar her entire life turns upside down and sets her off on a path of a predestined fate.

There is not much more I can say about this book without giving up major spoilers, but the names in this book all have meaning. It’s absolutely beautiful how St. Clair really dug into religion to write this, every detail is meticulous.

Side note: I also believe all the poems in Liliths dreams have deeper meanings, like an Easter egg I cannot unravel.


I’ll end this with a highlight on the details of this book via the names and I’ll add some of my favorite quotes:

“My magic was the downfall of my obedience. It wasn’t until then I realized everything the church had tried to say about women was a lie. We were not responsible for lust in men. We existed, and they desired. Sometimes that desire was mutual. Sometimes it wasn’t, but men had a hard time wrapping their dicks around the word no, and since our world valued them more, we were the ones who suffered.”

“Yeah,” he said. “You were on a list. Untouchable.”

THE TENSION

“You have a pretty mouth, little love, but you say the ugliest things.”

Elohim: Hebrew for god

Elohai: “my god”

Zahariev: derived from Zachariah meaning “the lord has remembered” in Hebrew

Lucius: light (also in the Bible)

Analisia: grace, favor, and my god is an oath or consecrated to God

Esther: In the Book of Esther in the Bible, Esther is a Jewish queen who saves her people from a plot to exterminate them

Ashur: a son of Shem and a forefather of the Assyrians.

Zareth: derived from the name Zereth, found in the Old Testament as a descendant of Judah.

Leviathan: depicted as a powerful, serpentine sea monster, often associated with chaos and the primordial deep. It's also used metaphorically to describe any large, overwhelming force or entity

Asahel: God has made" or "creature of God"

Nineveh: capital of the Assyrian empire devoted to "the goddess Inanna of Nineveh" in the Bible: God orders Jonah to warn the citizens of Nineveh, a principal Assyrian city, to repent of their wickedness, but Jonah refuses to believe that these hated people deserve salvation.

Akkadia: an extinct Semitic language of ancient Mesopotamia. a member of a Semitic people living in Mesopotamia before 2000 b.c.

Hiram: associated with King Hiram of Tyre, who aided King Solomon in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem

Gomorrah: is one of the two cities (along with Sodom) destroyed by God for their inhabitants' wickedness.

Sumer: `the Land of Shinar' (Genesis 10:10 and elsewhere), which people interpreted to most likely mean the land surrounding Babylon and the ancient civilization of Sumer in Mesopotamia

Nara-sin desert: Naram-Sin "Beloved of the Moon God Sîn” Mesopotamian moon god

Mount seine: mount sinai, SO SO MANY; Moses and the burning bush at Mount Horeb, connection to the Babylonian moon god Sin, Har Sinai referring to God giving the Torah to humans instead of angels, Har Ha-Elokim: "God's Mountain," where God revealed the Torah to the Jewish people.

4.5/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

What an absolute wild ride. This one kept me on my toes and I loved it! If I didn’t have the responsibilities of being an adult and working (boo 👎🏻), I probably would have devoured this in one sitting.

This felt like a mix of Constantine (2005 movie) and mafia vibes. It had the demon/religion/knife aspect of Constantine. & then FMC (the estranged daughter of a notorious family who rules over a presiding area) is in league with MMC from a different ruling family - giving the mafia vibes.

This was such a unique story. I loved the writing style. I loved how strong and fiesty/whitty FMC is. MMC is soo damn FINE. He’s dark, stern, and tatted. He gives “touch her & ☠️” vibes with a side of “burn the world down for you.” And who wouldn’t want all that?! ❤️‍🔥 & THANK YOU Scarlett for giving us a few small MMC povs sprinkled in there (🥵🔥*bites fist*).

I think the only thing I wasn’t a fan of was one of the side characters calls FMC “babygirl” ALOT. It’s just a bit weird and got a bit old. & the phrasing “demon blob” I also wasn’t a fan of (but that could be a me issue lol). These two things weren’t enough to deter me from really liking and enjoying this book though!

&I did feel like we just kinda skimmed/got a small taste of the plot, and that there is so much more to find out. Some of it felt like chaos but I actually think that may have been on purpose? 👀 & that ending?!! UGHHH. OMG. 🤯 I will definitely be (not so) patiently awaiting book 2!!

Please check the trigger warnings friends! 🫶🏻

Thank you so much to Scarlett, netgalley, and publishers for eARC!! 🥹🫶🏻

What to Expect:
🐈‍⬛Urban Fantasy
💋Mafia Vibes
🐈‍⬛Age Gap
💋Friends to Lovers
🐈‍⬛Slow Burn
💋Plot Twists
🐈‍⬛Cliffhanger

Fav Quote: "I would go to war for you," he said again. "I would fight endlessly to keep you if that's what you wanted."

Scarlett St Clair is an insta-buy author for me and i’ve read her entire backlist! King of Battle and Blood is one of my fave books, so I was so excited for this one—but it fell a little flat for me.

<i><b>”That’s because you do not like to be contained.” He paused and then added, “most wild things don’t.”</b></i>

The overall idea of the book is really fun and intriguing. Urban fantasy with modern technology and demon hunting and the threat of gods looming over the city. I love the critique SSC is doing with our modern society, using the story of Lilith (the first wife of Adam before being banished/running from the Garden of Eden). Thus, there are heavy themes of religion misogyny, etc. so do be sure to read the content warnings.

Lilith is a strong character and strong-willed too, but she does rely on others *ahem, Zahariev* to get her out of constant trouble. The chemistry between Lilith and Zahariev is palpable and the story starts off where they are already friends dancing around their attraction for each other. It takes a while to get to the spice, but it’s well worth the wait!

The writing felt simplistic in some places (“I felt this, I saw that” and don’t get me started on the amount of “probably because”s in this book). Bordering on over-explanation in a few parts. I also just couldn’t get behind the nicknames the characters had for each other (“Babygirl” said an astonishing million times, and “little love”????)

I wish we could’ve seen more of her life at home with her family before, if only to get a greater sense of the world. I had a lot of questions. Like, why is the society divided under the rule of five different families? And is there an outside world we’re not privy to, or are these five districts all there is? Who exactly was that in Lilith dreams?

I know it’s possible some of these questions will be answered in the next installment, but it’s not super clear that they will be, or what the plot truly will be, even though it ends on a sort of abrupt cliff hanger.

I will be reading the sequel, whenever that comes out.

I love going into books blind, not sure why, but sometimes it adds to the mystique of a book. With this author, I always know what kind of book I'm going to get, so going in blind is relatively easy to do. That being said, I was happily surprised with how this author transformed the tale of Lilith.

Here we have Lilith, the daughter of a prominent family from Eden. Various things have made her want to flee the life she was born into, and with her father's grace she's been allowed to live separate from them in Nineveh. There she lives in relative obscurity, doing what she needs to do to get by. One day she steals a dagger that starts to transform her in immeasurable ways. People start to die, she starts to see weird things, and as much as she tries she can't get rid of the dagger now.

Zahariev has been in her life for as long as she can remember as a close friend and ally to her family. Now he acts as somewhat of a watchdog for her father. Because of this their relationship is very disjointed and distrustful, but when s*** starts to hit the fan for her he's the only true person she can rely on.

I really like the dynamic between these two because it's wholly forbidden and you know those can be some of the yummiest romances. Zahariev and Lilith vibe together so well, and as they start to work together to try to figure out what's going on with the dagger, the church, and the spirituality that encompasses everything around them, they become closer than they could ever imagine. Once those walls get taken down between them, it's pure romantic magic.

Big things happen towards the end of this book and set up the next part of the story perfectly, and I hope we don't have to wait so long for the next part of their story.

3-3.5 stars? This could have used more world building towards the beginning. If you asked me what genre this is my FIRST word would have to be fantasy due to the magic, but really it’s like mafia urban fantasy meets the problem with church politics?

I REALLY wanted to cheer for Lilith to be this big feminist badass, but she leans so heavily on Z to clean up her messes and support her (which there is nothing wrong with that, just doesn’t fit the feminist character line). She also makes dumb choices repeatedly. Like GIRL WHERE IS YOUR SELF PRESERVATION?? It moved both too slow and too fast in some points and did start to pick up once the world became more clear.. I’d read book 2, then we’ll see.

I’m in love with this book. From page 1 I couldn’t stop reading! I love the urban fantasy setting with the ruling families over different territories! I loved the slow burn romance as well. So so good!

This book comes out of the gates swinging and I loved it. This book is full of feminine rage, theological questioning, rage against the machine vibes with a badass heroine and kill her and die MMC. So basically it had all of the things. I felt like this had a slightly different vibe than other SS.C series but honestly it might be my favorite of her books ( and I read everything she writes religiously). I have read over 250 books this year and this is my favorite so far.