Objectively, I enjoyed this book. She did a good job of describing the scenery and making you feel for the characters.

At the end though, there gets a point where it’s just a bit much. Killing off characters is not as impactful when it just keeps happening.

I am curious to see where it goes, but the ending was very predictable, and honestly, a bit disappointing.

I have seen a lot of commentary on the similarities between this book and Manacled, having not read Manacled yet, I can’t comment on that, but when there are so many people pointing it out it can’t be a coincidence. It is, honestly, a disappointment as this book had potential.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC, the narration was amazing.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for a honest review.

THAT ENDING!!!
I loved this book so much. An apocalyptic vampire romance that is so atmospheric it feels like you were right there with Georgia. But seriously when can I get my hands on the next book because I need to know what happens next asap!!

This was VERY similar to another VERY popular fan fiction. I don't particularly like reading books like this.

This book was a vampire fantasy and was really fun and quick to read it was well written and well narratored

Read if you're craving a dark gothic horrormance set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampires.

Tropes/ Themes:
Vampires
Apocalypse
Slooooooooow Burn
Captive falling for captor
Memory Loss
Dark Gothic Vibes

I listened to this on audio (Narrated by Emilia Bauer), and it was a fantastic audiobook!

xxxxx
I gave it a 3.5 star review- The audio narration was great!

A dark, twisted story waiting to be told. A plague is killing humanity, and Georgia is trying to cure the human race, all while vampires are making their presence known in the world, and they are equally determined to bring about the demise of humanity. An unknown amount of time later, Georgia is a slave to the vampires, interrogated, fed upon, and she longs for death or freedom. The problem is that she can't answer their questions. Everything from before his capture is gone; there are no memories, only brief flashes. When she is given to Valen, the vampiric kind's blood son, she knows the end is near, or is it? Darkly twisted, this story is enthralling and disturbing, but I couldn't stop listening. My biggest complaint is that we were thrown into the story halfway through. We have never seen what happened in DC before Georgia lost her memory, but it has been mentioned several times. I felt like this should have been book two and not book 1.

This is tagged and marketed as a fantasy romance.
First: this isn't fantasy, it's paranormal. Urban fantasy at most. (not that it takes point away from the actual rating, I enjoy paranormal stories too, but it should be part of the marketing)
I don't like how the sinopsis ignores the fact that it is pretty much a post-apocalyptic setting.
Second: the romance. I'm conflicted, because on one hand there was not enough to call this a fantasy romance, but on the other hand, I disliked the dynamic between them so i'm not complaining about the lack of romantic interactions. The ''Dark'' part already comes from the circumstances, the setting, the compulsion, the captivity. You most certainly don't need to add rape threats to make it dark. Those just make me hope the MMC dies soon. I quite honestly don't care if it's all talk to action, if he did good things for others in the past and is actually great with rescued puppies; I dislike him.
No, it has nothing to do with triggers. It has everything to do with me simply not liking it. I don't have a problem reading about horrible things. I do, however, have a problem of ''inability to enjoy romance plots where the romantic interest makes me want to cringe/vomit''. I'm not triggered by it, I side eye it. Like when a friend dates someone who sucks. Why would I root for it?
Again, there was already a lot of dark stuff happening, so don't come and say ''oooh but this is a dark romance! it's supposed to be [redacted]'' cause it's not. If the only way you can make a story dark is with rape threats, then you're not a great story teller. (again, not aimed at this author, she did have a lot of dark elements overall)
Third: aside from all of that, the one thing I can't look past is the fact that it was not entertaining enough. I was bored during a big part of it.

That’s you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. The narrator was a perfect choice for the setting of this book.
She’s a scientist trying to find a cure for vampirism and gets caught and imprisoned by the vampires, but something happens and she looses all memories. Slowly falling for her captor but fighting the attraction cause she loathes all things vampires. While I do love vampires stories I feel like the writing could have been better.

Georgia is a scientist that is working on the cure for the Sierra Virus that is killing people world wide. Juno, Georgia's older sister and President of the United States is working closely with the vampires to try and stop the spread of the virus. Now Georgia is trapped in an upside down castle that is home to all sorts of dangerous creatures. Valen is Georgia's warden as he is trying to keep her safe form the vampires that want her dead. Georgia is the only one that knows who actually killed Valen's half brother Theo and despite everything that the vampires have tried Georgia can't remember. This is the first book in the series and I can't wait to get my hands on the other two in the series. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Wow! How to begin. Celia did a wonderful job with describing the world these characters live in however this did not translate into character building. We know who the FL is as far as her being a doctor looking for a cure to a plague or virus. We understand that the ML is involved from seemingly the beginning I am guessing he is the miracle or that his blood is the key but the flashbacks and journal entries along with the FL memory suppression makes this a frustrating read. I do want to read book 2 because of how book one ended but if I had to read this again I’d listen to it again I would not want to. The narrator was great however I have a peeve when it comes to females voicing names and trying to evoke smooth masculinity , anger , seduction, etc.

While I do want to give all the props to the narrator, she was amazing… I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to people when it feels like blatant plagiarism of Manacled/Alchemized.

There are too many similarities for me to comfortably review this book properly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

The voice actor and the production was great!

That being said the overall story and so many details are exactly like Manacled the soon coming Alchemised.
How she has no memories from a certain point, that she was a doctor, that she lives at his manner(castle), that they continue to try to pry her memories from her, that the MMC takes her out for walks in his garden.
Honestly the only thing missing is him trying to get her pregnant. (Manacled has a heavy handmaidens tale theme).
All of this made me a bit uncomfortable, it’s too alike to not have been copied.
I’m so sorry to say that I can’t with a good conscience recommend this book.

Step into the shadows with me, and let's talk about "House of Night" by Celia Aaron. 🥀 Based on the haunting whispers of the synopsis and the allure of a four-star rating, this book promises a descent into a world where darkness reigns supreme, and romance is as thorny as a blood-red rose. 🥀🦇

Imagine being trapped within an upside-down castle, a place where reality twists and turns like forgotten vines. That's where we find Georgia, a captive in a gilded cage of shadows. And her guardian? Valen. He's no Prince Charming, my dears. He's a cursed lord, a creature of the night, a monstrous minotaur lurking in the heart of this gothic labyrinth. His presence is a constant, a predator's gaze that follows her every step as she desperately seeks a way out. 🦇🥀

His desire is singular, a thirst not for her touch, but for her memories – memories that are as elusive to her as freedom itself. He sees her as a means to an end, a key to unlocking the vampire throne, a tool to be broken and discarded once her secrets are extracted. He vows he wants nothing more than her truths, not her "entrancing eyes, her soft skin, her coursing blood." But oh, the delicious tension of those unspoken desires, the unspoken pull between captor and captive! 🥀🦇

Yet, fate, they say, looks different in the light of day. And night, no matter how deep, cannot forever obscure the truth that lies beneath the surface. This is a dark gothic romance, the kind that wraps around you like a shroud and refuses to let go. It's for souls who crave atmosphere as thick as mist, who delight in the dance between horror and romance, the "horrormance" that leaves you breathless.

The promise of an "engrossing plot that drags you in and refuses to let you claw your way out" speaks volumes. This isn't just a story; it's an experience. It's a descent into a world of vampires, secrets, and a love story that blooms in the most unlikely and dangerous of places. 🥀🦇

So, if you're drawn to the allure of the dark, to characters who live in the gray, and to stories that sink their fangs into you and demand your attention, then "House of Night" beckons. Prepare to be consumed. 🦇🥀

Dark, seductive, and full of secrets (and yes, I was hooked)

House of Night by Celia Aaron pulled me in pretty quickly with its moody atmosphere and gothic vibes. It’s one of those stories where you know something isn’t quite right, but you want to get lost in it anyway. There’s an addictive tension running through everything, and the mystery unravels in a way that keeps you guessing (and occasionally yelling at the characters).

Pros:
• The atmosphere is rich and immersive—dark academia meets southern gothic, with just the right amount of eerie.
• The romantic tension is very well done—slow burn with sharp edges.
• Emilia Bauer’s narration brings a sultry, almost hypnotic tone to the story that works perfectly with the setting and the main character’s voice.
• The plot has layers—secrets, betrayals, and some deliciously dark twists.

Cons:
• Some of the pacing felt uneven—moments of intense suspense sometimes gave way to scenes that dragged a little too long.
• There were a few tropes (especially around the romantic dynamic) that felt a little too familiar or leaned a bit heavy into cliché.
• I wanted just a bit more depth from some of the supporting characters—there’s so much potential in this world, but a few people felt like window dressing.

Still, overall, this was the kind of dark, mysterious audiobook that’s perfect for a cloudy day when you want to feel a little haunted and a little hot under the collar. Not flawless, but definitely entertaining.

House of Night is a dark fantasy, so be sure to check trigger warnings before diving in.

I absolutely loved the setting— post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and vampire-infused. It carries a similar atmosphere to Rose in Chains or The Coven, making it a great pick for fans of that vibe.

The narrator was fantastic, conveying the protagonist's confusion and emotions beautifully. She really helped bring the character’s struggles to life.

However, I did find the pacing somewhat slow. There was an abundance of dialogue but not enough action to maintain momentum, and certain sections felt repetitive.

I could see where the author was heading with the dynamic between the two main characters, but the romantic connection didn’t fully land for me—it felt somewhat forced.

I do note other reviewers' comments in reference to Manacled/Alchemised. I haven't had a chance to read that yet, but it is on preorder, so I can't personally comment on any similarities at this time.

Thank you for the ALC. I liked the narrator. The story feels like a copycat of Manacled. I can’t in good faith recommend it to anyone.

Wow, that was such a fun book. 🎧 Emilia Bauer was perfect narrator casting.

I don't normally like the 'I don't remember what's going on' memory wipe trope to start out a series, but this was done so well. Plus I'm also hit and miss with vampires but this was fantastic, I didn't want to put it down.

I keep trying to figure out how to talk about the basic plot of the book without giving away spoilers that you don't find out in chapter 1, but I can't. It was just a fun, thriller/mystery, vampire - human, captor, have no idea who to trust, wtf is going on kinda book.

I'm going to be eagerly anticipating the 2nd audiobook (haven't seen a date yet) and applying for an ALC as soon as it's available.

Thank you Dreamscape media for the ALC!

Omg this was a 6 star read for me. The vibes are apocalyptic but with vampires instead of zombies. The memory loss that Georgia was suffering from just added another layer of mystery to this book. Overall the vibes and plot were AMAZING! I loved Georgias character, she’s smart but quiet so she’s subtly trying to learn all of the secrets that are in Valens home without drawing too much attention to herself. Meanwhile Valen is everywhere Georgia is, even if she doesn’t realize it, and I love him. This book was set up perfectly where we’re learning as much as Georgia is but are still left with so many questions!
I will be reading book 2 as soon as it releases!

This audiobook book was so well done. The story is amazing and horrifying, in the best way possible. I love the take on vampires in this books, and slowly learning more and more as Georgia does as well.
Emilia Bauer did such amazing work on this, she is a phenomenal narrator.

I can't wait for book two!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape for letting me listen to this free!

This is the first in a series and I can not wait for book #2! This is a really good vampire book. Read it! 4 stars


Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.