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.

This will have spoilers. I can't help it.

I screamed when I received the ALC of Scarlett's new book. Whenever she drops a book, I drop EVERYTHING. Scarlett St. Clair has been my favorite author for YEARS. So I don't hold back when it comes to her.

Okay, let's get into it.

Lilith and Zahariev ( If spell this mans name wrong leave me alone. We are just calling him Zah for my own sanity and this review).

I want to start by saying that when starting any St. Clair book after A Touch of Darkness you can't help but compare. ATOD is one of my favorite series ever and I couldn't help but search for similarities between Lilith and Persephone and Zah and Hades. To be honest, in the beginning, the dynamic seems quite similar. I was worried that we were basically going to be given ATOD just with different characters and then I would end up wishing she had just continued with ATOD (Forever waiting for Temptress of Fire and Fury ). Luckily, that is not the case. TATG is vastly different when it comes to the dynamic between Lilith and Zah.

In the beginning it is explained that only women are blessed with powers but that men still have the over all power/dominance in society. So Zah is, for lack of getting into too much detail, kinda like a mafia boss and he runs a territory. He has no power except for his resources and reputation. As you get through the story you truly see that Zah is fine with being in the background. He is not the man that wants to always set the rules and lay down the law (when it comes to Lilith). He is fine with kinda like "being the muscle" for Lilith and standing in her shadow. He is no submissive though. He understands Lilith's wants and needs and he has been in love with her for a LONG time. So whatever she needs or wants he is willing to give.

Lilith is very headstrong and knows what she wants and is very mature but she is also very immature in some ways. Zah helps balance her out before she can make any rash decisions which I love. They are very much a team.

I wonder if we will get books of his side of the story like what was done with Hades. I would be interested to know what Zah does when he is not with Lilith.

Esther dying killed me. Why? What was the point? Please bring her back.

Cass and Coco.....yes (even though Coco is a lesbian. I was feeling them).

This book is very much world building and plot driven rather than hardcore romance. I don't read many romantasy books so this could be standard but its definitely a book that needs to be written in order to get everything out there so we can move on to the meat and potatoes of Lilith's and Zah's story.

I thought it was well paced and not rushed. I remember when I read King of Battle and Blood I thought the lead up to the ending and climax was a little rushed. I found the pacing in this book much much better.

I really don't have any complaints. I am excited for the next book or however many books will be in this series. It will definitely hold me over until the next book in the ATOD series ( I will always go back to it).

I am nervous for the future books because I feel like it will involve flashbacks of what happened between her and List ( is that is name? Idk if the voice actor was saying Lith or List). I don't need flash backs of that. Is everyone a pedo?

Another 5 star read for my fave author but I expect nothing less.

Also.... 9 times? Zah, you are going to give a girl extremely unrealistic expectations. We love it.

I recently read this via audiobook (also from NetGalley) and was surprised to receive the e-book as well! I would copy & paste my review, but I just want to convey how amazing this book is!
The world building, the modern retelling of Lilith’s story, I loved loved loved this book! There’s not a story that Scarlett St Clair writes that I won’t read!
Again, thank you for this ARC!

This is an all new urban romantasy and boy did I eat this one up!!!!

🖤 Class System
🗡 Age Gap
🖤 Found Family
🗡 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Touch Her And ☠️
🗡 Morally Grey Characters
🖤 Slow Burn

I have been a long time fan of Scarlett 's and was super excited for this series. It was everything I wanted and more. I am obsessed with Lilith and Zahariev. The way he calls her "Little Love." This was full on a slow burn but definitely worth it when they finally give in!!

I felt like even the side characters were given their own arcs and really added to the story. Esther and Gabrielle!

❤️‍🔥 ARC REVIEW ❤️‍🔥

Pub Date July 8th

“Beware she who bleeds, bound in chains.
Beware the exile, the young winged beast, who dances unafraid before fire.
Beware the woman with many names, the maiden, the whore, the scarlet serpent.
Beware the temptress who whispers in the dark.
She is the beginning and the end.
She is peace and chaos.
She is terror knocking at the gates.”

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really enjoyed this Lilith retelling, urban fantasy. Kind of mafia/femme rage/religious vibes. The world building was concise and unique. Maybe a little long and slow at times but I’ll still continue the series! Recommend for my dark Romantasy babes❤️‍🔥

Character art by @e_kath_art
Thank you @netgalley and @read_bloom

3⭐️

I really like this author’s writing style, and she’s good at reeling her readers in and keeping their attention. There was a lot that I liked about this book, but also a lot that was confusing or just didn’t make much sense in the grand scheme of things. For starters, Lilith’s magic is sex magic??? But it’s only really mentioned/shown at the beginning of the book and seems like a pretty useless power. Also I don’t totally understand Lilith and Zahariev’s relationship, or why his nickname for her is “little love.” More than anything, this book felt like it was an avenue for trauma dumping - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think it made the story line a little messy.

I liked a lot of the imagery and the scenes that the author conjured up. Cherub was so cute and humanized Lilith, but Coco, Lilith’s supposed best friend, felt shallow and like she only existed to be a friend to Lilith and had no real purpose in life otherwise. Also, Gabriel loses the literal love of his life and mother of his child, and still is somehow putting Lilith’s feelings above his own? Somehow everything is about Lilith and she expects to be the center of attention, and it just doesn’t make sense to me. I hope that there’s more development of the other characters and story in the next installment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

Holy…wow

Scarlett never misses. I swear to god.

When I first heard about this book, I knew I would do ANYTHING to get my hands on it. And once I saw it on NetGalley, I nearly pissed myself with excitement.

First of all, Lilith is mother and I refuse to accept any criticism on her. I love her so much and I will protect her with my dying breath. Zahareiv is The Book Boyfriend™️. Don’t try to tell me otherwise because you’re wrong.

This was not only such a fun read, but it was so interesting!!! I loved the different take on god, angels, demons, destiny, etc. This was honestly so different than anything I’ve ever read before and I am still thinking about it.

That ending had me YELLING at 1:30am because WHAT DO YOU MEAN??????? HOW DID IT END LIKE THAT???????

I need my dear Scarlett to please (I beg) write the next book faster 😭 I don’t think I can wait for what happens next.

Thank you so much to Bloom for this ARC 🥹🫶🏻

There’s something absolutely enchanting about being back in a Scarlett St. Claire world. Filled with mystical magic, a slow burn romance with the best pay off and characters you cant help but completely be obsessed with from their first introduction.

I love being thrust into this new urban fantasy romance where the woman are ones who hold the magic but not the power and following our FMC Lilith who has been running away from her destiny for two years. Until her thieving catches up to her, and her frenemy Zahariev who seems to constantly bail her out. The tattooed leader of the ward she’s in. I love their banter and tension from the very first page. I love feeling the longing and yearning of their relationship but the where the world was built around it. We get such a good plot that moves at a decent paced speed where I wanted it to go faster but also did not want it to go fast enough. I love the way this author weaved the webs of what is happening and then threaded the romance throughout, giving such a delicious slow burn experience. There was nothing to not love about these characters.

I love diving feeling into Lilith religious trauma and how that affected her growing up and how is coming into herself despite all the things she’s been through. I’m so excited to see where book 2 picks up and hoping to get to know more of Zahareivs back story. Getting his little POVs just made this story 100 times better.

Absolutely loved this book! Scarlett St. Clair does it again. This is different from her usual writings as it feels more personal and in tune with the world as we know it. She writes religion and the complexities that go with it so well. I am dying for this book to get into the world and for book #2 to release already. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of the book!

Best read of 2025 so far! Obsessed with Lilith and Zahariev. Their story is hot. 🥵🥵 if you’re into a strong female main character, this story is for you! Nothing I love more than an angry woman who gets her revenge. I received this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I finished this book in a just a few days because I was loving the plot and setting so much. I loved how strong our main character, Lillith, was and how she took control of her own destiny. The banter between Lillith and our older MMC, Zahariev, was top notch!! The way this man cares for this woman- YES, PLEASE! I love a good age gap romance and this one was executed perfectly.

The end had my jaw dropped and I can’t WAIT for the next book in the series.

received this book as an eARC and am giving my review!
To say I devoured this book would be an understatement! Scarlett St. Clair has done it again!
New story, new characters, gritty environment, fun and sexy slow burn! Cannot wait for the next book!

As a lover of all things Scarlett St. Clair, I was so excited to be able to read the book book in her newest series and I can say that Terror at the Gates delivered everything I was hoping for and more. It's definitely one of my favorite romantasy reads of 2025! If I had to comp it to another book, I would definitely say that it reminded me at times of Crescent City, especially A House of Earth and Blood, however it definitely had unique aspects and is its own amazing story.

Lilith was an amazing FMC and embodied feminine rage. Having grown up in a repressive religious society where women are used for child birthing and have their powers stolen from them, being able to see Lilith living on her own and being able to make her own decisions seems very cathartic. She's 100% a character who's hard on the outside and soft on the inside, feeling like she has to portray herself as tough and dangerous to protect herself. Watching her grow and being more comfortable being herself around the people she grow to trust is super rewarding.

Zahariev was everything and more that I want out of a protective, morally grey MMC. The pining and brooding that he experiences when it comes to Lilith, despite his efforts to hide his desire from her, was SO good. While the story is dual POV, we don't get a lot from Zahariev's perspective (the length of his chapters increases throughout the story) but the snippets we do see show us how down bad he truly is for Lilith and the lengths he's willing to go to help protect her. He's a very well thought out character as well, with his own motivations and personal struggles, so while he is, of course, very hot and an amazing romantic interest, he stands on his own as a character even without those aspects.

The relationship between Lilith and Zahariev is so slow-burn that it almost hurts, but it's definitely worth it to watch it play out and finally be rewarded at the end. The obviousness of Zahariev's feelings for Lilith mixed with her obliviousness wasn't frustrating, but rather helped their relationship develop and made the pay-off so good.

There were some amazing side characters that were equally well developed as Lilith and Zahariev and contributed to some of the most tragic and heartwarming moments of the story. Whether they were friends of enemies to the MCs, the side characters truly helped make the plot intriguing and realistic (or, as realistic as possible lol).

The plot and the worldbuilding were immaculate and I loved every aspect of it. The world felt very rich and full of imagery, with an amazing almost gritty urban backdrop mixed with fantasy elements. The plot kept me hooked the entire time and it felt so unique. There are a lot of religious references and depictions of how religion can be used to oppress people which felt very raw while be dealt with, in my opinion, well.

In terms of the audiobook, I loved Laura Horowitz's narration of Phantasma by Kaylie Smith, so I was super excited to have the chance to listen to her narration again. She knocked it out of the park, of course, and I could 100% feel Lilith's energy and personality in her voice. Since most of the story is in Lilith's POV, most of the narration was Laura's, which was amazing. I don't think that I've listened to Tristan Warden narrate prior to this, but I thought he did a great voice voicing Zahariev. He definitely had the right tone for Zahariev's character and really brought him to life. I'd definitely listen to more books narrated by them in the future.

All in all, I loved Terror at the Gates and, while I'm waiting for Scarlett St. Clair's next book, I'll definitely be recommending it to others!

“I would go to war for you.” 🥵

I had mixed feelings at the start of this book because the religious undertones were heavy. But wow this turned into such a good read! Zahariev is that delicious bad boy with power, danger, and just enough softness to make you melt. He’d burn down the world for Lilith, and I love that energy 🔥.

Lilith? She’s strong, bold, and doesn’t take crap from anyone especially not men 😏. That ending??? Ma’am. I need MORE immediately.

This book follows Lilith, who lives in a male-run society. Women have powers but are controlled by men and can only use their powers for men. She is apart of one of the ruling families but wants to experience the “real world”, so she goes off on her own and is under the care of Zahariev, the leader of another ruling family.

In a way, this book reminded me of Crescent City. Just in the way that there is a sassy main character that is perusing a grungy city with a gun, but there are fantastical elements involved (in this case, demons).

This book includes a lot of biblical references and stories (Adam, Eve, Morgenstern, the idea of the ark, etc), so if that bothers you, I would probably avoid this. If that is fine, then I would def recommend this to romantasy lovers. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements, and the quest to figure out why the blade Lilith found does strange things. There isn’t a strong magic system, in my opinion, but the history of the people and a society that is run by the church in lieu of gods was very interesting by to me.

I did listen to this on audio, and I feel like the narrator did a great job at the different voices and told the story in a way that was compelling. I especially liked the narrator change for the little snippets of Zahariev’s POV at the end of each chapter. That was a really nice touch!

As with all romantasy, there is a cliffhanger at the end. I do think I’ll continue with the series just to see what happens next and what else Lilith can learn about her powers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is girl power/feminine rage at its finest. The story hooked me in immediately, the spice is good and the end had my jaw on the floor!

TERROR AT THE GATES is a book I couldn’t put down. It’s rich world building, its characters, the tropes, and the story were all incredibly engaging. I truly think this is the author’s best yet.

The story has this noir urban fantasy feel with some mafia influence. That blend created a really unique reading experience and kept me engaged. And I do think the execution of it was almost flawless. While I do think there is a bit too much of the FMC, Lilith, getting into trouble as a plot device to bring her and the MMC together, I didn’t mind it as much because the rest of it was just so good. There’s mystery, murder, mayhem, whispers of the apocalypse? Sign me up.

And I really enjoyed Lilith’s character. I LOVE an angry FMC. I thought that her journey to self discover and growth was realistic and her anger was valid and just. Who doesn’t like a down with the patriarchy main character? I can’t wait to see her growth continue.

Overall, this is definitely a romantasy series to watch. If you like he falls first, touch her and die, urban fantasy, angry FMC, slow burns, and spice, pick this one up. You won’t regret it.

Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!