I would like to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Scarlett St. Clair fan, and have been excited about this book ever since hearing about its release. Mafia Fantasy Romance? Yes please.

Terror at the Gates follows FMC Lilith who comes into possession of a mysterious dagger, that makes whoever touches it bleed from the eyes. It causes a lot of trouble for her and the MMC/territory leader, Zahariev, who is also her love interest.

There is a lot of mystery and suspense in this book, and definitely some sexual tension and enemies-to-lovers romance. And a cute little kitten named Cherub who steal every scene. I really like the chemistry between Lilith and Zahariev, and between Lilith and Ester & Gabriel. The supporting characters really make the story and make everything feel more real and believable.

I am excited that this is the first book in a new series, and can't wait to read Book 2!

well. i wasn’t completely ready for the amazing fuckery of this story, but i am absolutely obsessed.

i love love loved lilith. she’s strong, sassy, and trying to survive in this new life away from the entitlement and expectation of her name. zahariev is a little crunchy and a lot gone for lilith and i was here for it. together these two have history and chemistry for days. i adored how much zaheriev listened to and supported lilith and how lilith found stability and safety in zaheriev.

plot wise, there are a good amount of moving pieces and the world building sometimes felt like i should have already known what was going on, but it was easy to over look because i was so invested in the progression of the characters. the last couple of chapters when in a direction that i could have never ever expected and it was perfection.

overall, i know i’ll be thinking about this story for a while and i can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

FYI: talk of child molestation and rape. nothing on the page, but mentioned a few times.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Foremost, I am really appreciative to have been given an ARC for this book because it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025.

Which is exactly why I wish I could have rated it much higher.

What appealed to me the most about this book was its promise of feminine rage. Absolutely I wanted to read a feminist retelling of Lilith saying fuck the patriarchy. Considering how extensively this was marketed as that, I am genuinely let down that it didn’t deliver. Lilith was ultimately an unlikeable character who did rely on men despite preaching about opposing them ruling women. Everything that she needed to accomplish was only accomplished when she was accompanied by a man, and despite her attempting to be strong and independent, she still had to ask the MMCs permission to work and bow to being his personal dancer so she could afford her rent (which he ended up paying for anyway).

This book read as though there was a predecessor I didn’t read. There were characters and storylines that seemed underdeveloped, and I often wondered if I was meant to know more than I did. Deep relationships had already been built up between characters, but we weren’t privy to them and so we just had to accept they were close enough to have pet names for Lilith despite not knowing why. There seemed to be history between the two MCs that we didn’t know about, and they both had trauma that was highly relevant but not expanded on.

The world building was minimal. The world featured many districts that were run by powerful families, all situated in varying distances from Eden, and all being home to different devotions and personalities. That’s all I know. I think it was a really cool concept, but I still can’t even picture the layout in my mind so that’s about all I can offer on this one. There was more description of a mozzarella stick than the world.

I think the characters and their relationships could have made more sense if you have a biblical understanding, but I am not religious and so I do not. Regardless, I’d have expected to still have been given better depictions of them. As it is, Lilith was not a likeable character. She attempted to be independent and badass, but she ended up just being rash and stubborn. Her backstory could have been way more powerful if it had been given more attention, but again, it was as though there was a reliance on the lore to build it up for us. As for the MMC, Zahariev, he was kind of just there. I don’t harbour any everlasting feelings for him. He was supposed to be a badass man who ran a district and was heavily feared, but I think he was also victim to minimal character development. As for their relationship development, I again think there was an expectation to anticipate their history, because there was nothing that ever made me think they were pining for each other, nor did I care much for their eventual relationship. I know it was a slow burn, but it more seemed that Lilith decided she wanted to fuck him to prove she could, and then she was relentless in pushing him to do it. It was genuinely just a lacklustre and underdeveloped slow burn.

Moreover, I really struggled with the plot, in which I don’t think there was much of one. I didn’t at any time know where we were heading, what the point was or how it would span a few more books. There were scenes that could have been cut out, important scenes that were skipped over, and many times that something seemingly significant was rushed over. This was a really long book that could have been halved if Lilith didn’t wander around so much, and it was blatant that she only did so to give Zahariev an opportunity to flex his power and bail her out. As well, the plot seemed to be furthered by dialogue, but I can’t say it was strong dialogue. It was rushed, surface level, and I really struggled with how every dialogue tag was ‘he said’ and ‘she said’. Despite a question being asked and the dialogue ending with a question mark, the dialogue tag still denoted it as a statement. As well, in general I found the writing to be ambiguous and disjointed. I hate saying that but the short, rushed dialogue didn’t leave much room to hide.

No one is more disappointed than me that I have to write so many negatives, but I have to be honest here. As someone who really enjoyed the Adrian x Isolde series, I’m not sure what happened here. I think perhaps a bit more of a deep-dive into the lore and some more time developing the characters and their stories could have made a world of difference. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't normally go for mafia romances, but the moment you add a magical twist, I'm sold, which is exactly the case here. I was instantly hooked in the first few pages. It's a gritty, dark, atmospheric retelling of the story of Lilith, with an added kick of feminism and rebellion, and complete with all the modern day problems of the Church (including SA, readers beware, make sure you check the trigger warnings!). You can't help but feel for Lilith and all the sh*t she has had to suffer through in her life, in addition to being a woman in a patriarchal society that already treats women less-than. The story comes with all sorts of twists and turns, which will keep you guessing until the massive plot-twist at the very end.

The tension between Lilith and Zahariev was such a tortuous slowburn, but damn it was absolutely worth the wait. I loved the banter, and all the little ways Zahariev takes care of Lilith that she doesn't even notice. Morally-grey MMC with a burn-it-all-down-for-those-he-loves attitude? Absoltely sign me up!

This is my first Scarlett St. Clair book that I've read, but it most definitely will not be my last.

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St Clair is an urban fantasy romance that mixes neo noire vibes with mafia elements. Threading frenemies to lovers, he falls first and slow burn throughout.

Terror follows the story of Lilith a thief who lives in a religious society where women are meant to be quiet little house wives. When Lilith steals the wrong item, Zahariev has to step in to help her, and they must work together with tensions building.

The book has a slow build up, with the first 20-30% taking its time to work into the plot points that start to really drag you into it, pulling you into the emotional connections and world within the story; before catapulting you into the plot turns.

Scarlett has done her usual work and crafted a wonderful book, however this was a book that is setting the scene for everything that is to come, woth a lot of introduction and world establishment. I cant wait to see where the series continues to go and whats to come

Trigger warnings; Religious trauma . SA. Emotional abuse by a parent & authority figures in the church

DNF @ 51% — The writing style felt somewhat simplistic, and the dialogue tags were limited to “he said” and “she said,” which made it difficult to engage with the characters. Additionally, the world-building could use more depth and coherence. I was looking forward to themes of female empowerment and a strong “f*ck the patriarchy” narrative, but unfortunately, the main character did not resonate with me, and I found it hard to connect with the plot alongside this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My love of Scarlett knows no bounds and Terror at the Gates is no exception. It is Book 1 in the Blood of Lilith series and I was immediately captivated by this new world from Scarlett.

If you are a fan of an Urban Fantasy Romance with Frenemies to Lovers, Mafia and Neo-Noir Vibes, Pet Name, He Falls First, Animal Sidekicks, Slow Burn and so much more!

In a religious society where women’s purposes are to be quiet and be good little housewives, Lilith dares to defy what they say she should be, even though she is the daughter of one of the ruling families. Working/Hiding out in Nineveh, Lilith who happens to be a thief of sorts, gets herself in trouble one night when she takes a knife that has deadly consequences.

There is more to the knife than meets the eye, and when others come seeking it, Lilith must work with Zahariev, the ruler of Nineveh, to figure out why it is so important but she keeps him at arms length. When she starts having strange dreams, Lilith sets out on a mission to figure out strange occurrences with her cat Cherub in tow because she doesn’t think Zahariev would help her. But little does Lilith know that he would do anything she asked of him.

Gosh I just loved their sexual tension filled banter, Lilith was always trying to hit on Zahariev to push his buttons but he wouldn’t budge but this man is secretly protecting her and doing anything to make things better for her. Who knew buying a woman a dryer could be so sexy? When they finally give into each other they heat up the pages.

There were great twists and turns and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen Scarlett left me shocked and begging for more. I cannot wait to see what happens next in the series!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Scarlett St. Clair CONTINUES to have a death grip on me when it comes to her writing/books.

I'm honestly not sure there's a character I disliked (that I wasn't supposed to anyways :p) however.. Cherub is easily my favorite (iykyk). Lilith is a strong, badass, take no shit, woman - who cries more than she wants to admit. She loves fiercely and will go to war for those she loves. Too bad she doesn't feel she's worth the same treatment.

Zahariev - this man is DOWN BAD for Lilith and everyone knows it (except Lilith of course). She's off limits... but Zahariev has never been much of a rule follower.

Found family, heartbreak, plot twists, and more took place in this book and I CANNOT wait to see where we go next.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bloom Books for blessing me with an ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It did not disappoint and I'll never shut up about it.

Wow! What a start to a new romantasy series! Scarlett truly knocked it out of the park with this book.

The story follows Lilith who is estranged from her family and finds refuge in Nineveh, the city of sin. She uses magic to steal for a living and comes in possession of blade. However, her usual buyer dies while inspecting the blade. Enter Zahariev, the ruler of Nineveh, the only person she can turn to. Although they are friends, Z has always been soft for Lilith and as they try to figure out the origins of this blade, they are forced to question their relationship and the "beliefs" they were taught growing up.

I absolutely adored Lilith's character. She is strong, blunt and defiant, Her female rage was everything. Zahariev is perfect for Lilith. The way this man respects and gives Lilith room to be her authentic self is amazing.

I cannot wait to see where this story goes in the future book! Thank you to Scarlett St Clair, Bloom Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

The world-building? Next level. The societal hierarchy mixed with the religious pompous asshole? Immaculate. It’s giving celestial politics with a dash of “what fresh hell is this” and I was HERE for it.

The Lilith retelling? Deliciously dark. Watching that mythology unravel through such a powerful, layered lens had me fully hooked.

And Lilith and Zahariev?? LORD. The tension between them was so intense it should come with a warning label. We’re talking thigh-tightening, mouth-watering, “I think I hate you but also maybe ruin me” energy. Every interaction crackled with power, pain, and temptation, and I was SCREAMING into the void. The slow burn was WORTH the wait.

I couldn’t look away. Every chapter was oozing in stakes, secrets, and danger. The writing wrapped me in this brutal, beautiful chaos and did not let go.

10/10. I need a fan, a confessional, and the next book immediately.

Seriously my jaw is on the FLOOR, I can't believe this was written and that my eyeballs read it.
amazing world building, story telling, and characters!

Favorite Quotes: “I would go to war for you”

Scarlett St. Clair does it again with another captivating read! Terror at the Gates is packed with magic, emotion, and high-stakes romance that will leave you craving the next book!

I absolutely loved Lilith, she’s a fierce and unapologetically strong FMC who does what she wants, when she wants, and no one can stop her! Zahariev, absolute top-tier MMC! The way he protects Lilith gives major #TouchHerAndDie energy, and I was here for every second of it!

This story is intense, emotional, and full of heart! There’s pain, passion, and a beautifully dangerous world that pulls you in and doesn’t let go!

Can we talk about Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair?! 
The tension between Zahariev and Lilith?? Literally so thick you could cut it with a knife. I was sitting there questioning whether Zahariev and Lilith were going to fight or make out. Either way, I was invested.
And every single side characters?? Not a single one felt like filler. I actually 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.

4.25🌟
2🌶 once it hits

I am so ecstatic that I snagged an ARC of this. Scarlett St. Clair is an amazing writter and her world building is top tier. This book did not disappoint for me. I'm not usually an urban fantasy fan but she writes it so well.

I love feminine rage and Lilith is top tier and her relationship with Z is amazing he is perfect. Once the spice starts it hits🌶. The are amazing allies to lovers and he gives off major touch her and die vibes.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

Tropes
*Touch her and die
*urban fantasy
*allies to lovers
*religious trama
*mafia

Terror At The Gates was absolutely captivating. I don’t know how Scarlett St. Clair does it, but her books completely draw me in with their action-packed storytelling, witty banter, and spectacular characters.

The storyline never stopped delivering. It was packed with intensity, and I couldn’t get enough. I found the FMC and MMC so easy to connect with, their emotions and struggles resonating deeply. The supporting characters added even more layers, their motivations unfolding clearly throughout.

I loved how this modern retelling brought so much depth to the family dynamics. If you adored the Hades and Persephone saga, you’ll love this. It has all the magic, tension, and emotional pull that made that series so unforgettable.

Thank you for the earc. All thoughts are my own.

This is my first read by this author but it will not be my last.

The plot and world building were phenomenal. We got pulled into an intricate setting where religion played a huge role in the societal hierarchy. Relationships, familial and not, were complicated and well established throughout the story. They helped move the story forward effectively.

“Behave,” he said. My eyes instantly narrowed. “You don’t have what it takes to make me.”

Lilith as a main character brought a strong leading presence and I loved that she didn’t conform. Zahariev was the hero she deserved. His priority was always Lilith. Even when she didn’t know it.

“You don’t think I carry you wherever I go? You are unshakeable. A menace…”

I am eagerly committed to continuing this series. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.

Here’s a little NSFW Quote 🔥

“I can’t stop wondering how often you’ve been this wet for me.”
His tone was low and rough, grazing my skin with every breath.

🖤Okay. Wow. Where do I start!🖤

Terror at the Gates has a little bit of everything you love in an urban fantasy.
(It’s giving Crescent City Book 1 vibes’ish)

There is slow burn with tension POURING from the pages between Lilith and Zahariev.
This has mafia vibes and “I would burn the world down for her”… along with a healthy dose of touch her and die.

I love a feral MMC who is absolutely unhinged for the FMC.
They’re frenemies… and he falls first (but she doesn’t see it 🫠)
The slow burn burns us all the way to about 65ishhh% and ALL the tension is worth it.

While this isn’t dual POV in the traditional sense, we have mini snippets from his POV—and they’re EVERYTHING. I absolutely love his POV.

“You act like this has to mean something.” Fucking brat.
She meant everything.

(See what I mean!!)

Lilith experiences so much—trauma, heartbreak—and is trying to uncover the mystery behind a dagger that’s come into her possession.

There is a pet companion: Cherub the cat 🐈‍⬛

“If this wasn’t a sin, you’d be a saint.”
Yes. He said that.

If you like:
– feral MMCs who would destroy anything for her
– slow burn + tension
– urban fantasy / mafia vibes
– feminine rage, high tension, and magic
add this to your TBR.

This book was like a love letter to everyone (especially women) who have been stepped on by organized religion, and particularly by parents who follow that religion to the detriment of their children. So many of Lilith’s feelings and actions were so relatable to me. I felt such a connection to her.

This book was definitely slow burn, but I loved the small pov snippets from zahariev. His dedication to Lilith and her head strong personality were so much fun to read. I really looked forward to those little pieces of him.

This book does leave on a little cliffy, but not an excruciating one. It so perfectly sets us up for the next book and I am SO excited to see where this story is going!!

Thank you so much to Scarlett and Bloom for this eARC! This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it didn’t disappoint!

❤️‍🔥Terror at the Gates❤️‍🔥
By Scarlett St. Clair
Book 1 of the Blood of Lilith series

Read as an ARC via NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books. Thank you! 🙏🏻

Terror at the Gates is a Romantasy and the first book of a new series, Blood of Lilith, by Scarlett St. Clair. It has heavy religious aspects from multiple religions. The society is wholly ran by the church who uses religion as a weapon with spiritual abuse, trauma, violence and oppression. Check trigger warnings if needed. There will be some big triggers for some people.

This book has dual POV, though the vast majority is through the POV of the FMC. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a small POV from the MMC.

The story takes place in Eden. Eden is ran by the church and the commission which consists of the archbishop and the head of each district. It is split up into 5 districts, from "godliest," richest & most prestigious to less than:
Hiram - Financialists ruled by Lucius Leviathan (Father of the FMC, Lilith),
Temple City - Industrialists ruled by Victor Viridian,
Galant - Merchants ruled by Serafin Sanctius,
Akkadia - Artists ruled by Absalom Asahel,
Nineveh - City of Sin ruled by Zahariev Zareth, the MMC.

The FMC is Lilith Leviathan. She is the daughter of the leader of Hiram, the most important, richest, "godliest" district of Eden. She has a terrible relationship with her mother who is just awful to her at every opportunity. She gained her Elohai sex magic powers at age 18, left home not long after & ran away to Ninevah. Zahariev, being the ruler of Nineveh, agreed to let her stay, keep an eye on her and make sure she stays safe in the dangerous district. She's had a crush Zahariev for a long time, but never acts on it. Her father and the head of the church agreed to allow her to leave Hiram for Ninevah believing she would get there and realize how good she had it and run back home. After 2 years away, they are getting impatient with her and begin with threats if she does not return soon to fulfill her duty to marry. She is a very defiant and independent woman, knows what she wants & does not want for her life, & has no plans to ever return to Hiram.

Zahariev Zareth is the MMC. He rules Ninevah as head of the Zareth family follwing the death of his father and has one younger brother named Cassius. He is one of the most feared of the five bosses, even without a wife and her magic. He uses information as a weapon against those who think to cross him. It seems to me he runs it in a way similar to the mob. Ninevah is a rather seedy, dangerous district full of strip clubs, smugglers etc. It contains the South Gate, which becomes important, and borders the canal between Ninevah and Akkadia. It is obvious he is smitten with Lilith who he calls Lo or Little Love. He is always there for her, helping her in literally every way he can, and is a shoulder for her to cry on when she needs it. They have always been in each other's life. Its obvious early on that she takes advantage of Zahariev all the time, but he does not seem to mind. She can be petulant and pushes all his buttons all the time.

Being who he is and being who she is, Zahariev and Lilith cant marry or have a romantic relationship. Her father and the commission would never allow two heirs to be together. So, even though they may both secretly want it, they never touch each other in a romantic way (ok of course they end up very much touching each other in ALL the ways ;). ❤️‍🔥

One thing that I noticed about Lilith was everyone in her circle treats her with such care and love and support. It's like they inherently or subconsciously know she is an important part of the world and take care to treat her as such. Her roommate is Colette who goes by Coco. She works as a dancer at Praise, a nightclub owned by Zahariev. She is the definition of a BFF to Lilith. She brings home a tiny kitten that quickly becomes a part of Lilith's circle too, named Cherub. There is mention that Cherub is Lilith's "Familiar." Lilith & Zahariev have wonderful married friends named Gabirel & Esther who are expecting a baby boy, Liam. Lilith does not get along very well with Zahariev's brother Cassius.

Elohai is the name of the bloodline that gave each family their magic and the right to rule their district. The magic is only present in the women. The women are subservient to the men therefore the women are not allowed to use their magic without some kind of male oversight. Since Lilith is unmarried, her father would dictate how and when she uses it. With hers being sex or lust magic, he did not want anything to do with it. So, the men marry the magically gifted women in order to control and use their magic. The woman's father will pick their daughter's husband to be the heir of the family. The church says the women's subservient place in society is due to the tempting of the First Man.

The figurehead of the church is Archbishop Alarich Lisk. He leads worship in the First Temple in Hiram & lives on the premises of the church. The church uses the Book of Splendor as the religious doctrine that rules the society. Lilith has a horrible past with Lisk that started at age 9 and is one of the main reasons she left Hiram. Lisk is corrupt, abusive, and dangerous.

Now that's all out of the way, the plot line. At the beginning of the story, Lilith is using her lust magic in one of Zahariev's clubs to "acquire" things to sell on Smuggler's Row for money to pay her bills. Her magic locks on to lust creating a type of thrall she can use to make people do things or tell her things they normally wouldn't. She likes to get religious relics, they seem to bring the most money. This particular night she sees a bejeweled dagger on the hip of a man, so she approaches him to get it. It does not take her long to get him to give her the dagger. He tells her he stole it off of a priest before killing him. Since using her magic is against the rules and they have ways to catch magic being used, she is caught by Zahariev's men. Zahariev allows her to keep the dagger. When she goes to try and sell it, the buyer in the shop she uses keels over after touching it. Also, after Lilith acquires the blade, she begins having intense, realistic dreams that continue throughout the book. She finds out the blade is one of 7 that together make up a magical sword, the Defender. The main plot line has to do with other gods being locked behind the gates by the Messiah, an invader. Some of this story is a little hard for me to follow, not because the author, but because I believe it is a bit over my head. I need to take some better notes on the gods, who & where they are, some information obtained from prophetic words from Lilith's dreams, Tori (a possibly mentally ill citizen of Nineveh who would yell out about the gods while out in public), a witch, and Lilith's mother. I need to understand it better because what everything builds up to and what happens at the end........ holy cliffhanger!!!

I have read all of the Hades x Persephone's finished series, what has been released in the Adrian x Isolde series, and both released standalone Fairytale Retellings. I have loved every single book I have read from this author. This new book is such an amazing start to this series! I recommend reading it and all of her other books! Whew this was a long review. More like a book report!

Happy Reading! 📚📚❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

In classic Scarlett St. Clair fashion, this book was unputdownable! It was a great first installment to the series, and the ending left me with so many questions that I can’t wait to pick up the next one once it comes out.

My favorite part of the book was Zahariev’s chapters. They were short & packed a punch of depth and insight. It had me swooning even more than I thought was possible.

I absolutely adore Cherub and all of the side characters.

I’m desperate for more information and more Zahariev and Lilith!!!

Lilith was an amazing female main character. Sure some could say she makes rash decisions but I think she’s got so much room to grow and I love her character already. I can’t wait to see her evolve in the future books, especially as she continues to uncover more about herself and the secrets of the world she’s living in.