This book was chaotic awesomeness. It’s a bit dark so check the CW! I knew this was a retelling, but I didn’t know any backstory of the retelling, so it was all new to me and I haven’t read anything like it!

The narrators did an incredible job! I was definitely hard to put down, I just became so engrossed! The tension between Lilith and Zahariev is exquisite, then when it finally snaps 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 you might want a fan!
I loved Lilith’s sass and badassery and then there’s Zahariev, SWOON. I loved how he handled her.

The story is crazy. Violence and murder and death, mysteries revolving those things and then that ending 🤯. Definitely looking forward to the next book!

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.

And the audiobook?! Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden truly understood the assignment. Their dual narration, especially Tristan bringing our MMC to life, was a chef's kiss! I thoroughly enjoyed this chaotic opener and am SO ready for where this story goes next.

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

Thank you to Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Ahhh I loved the book so much!!! Can’t wait for the next one!
What I loved the most was the whole interaction between Lilith and Zahariev! But I did find a bit weird how when they found out their friend died minutes later they wore almost kissing? Anyways that still doesn’t change my rating loved it so much.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjEcnxW4/

Terror at the Gates is dark, sexy, and totally addictive. Lilith is the kind of main character I live for—complicated, powerful, a little unhinged, and 100% done with the patriarchy. She’s out here surviving in a world built to control her, and I was cheering her on the whole way.

Then there’s Zahariev. Broody, mysterious, definitely hiding something, and of course the tension between them is chef’s kiss. Like please just kiss—or kill each other—either way, I’m invested.

The worldbuilding is rich without being overwhelming, and St. Clair weaves in themes like religious control, misogyny, and trauma in a way that hits hard but still keeps the plot moving. Also, the spice? Deliciously earned. This is not just smut with plot—it’s plot with purpose and heat.

It’s honestly one of those books that had me ignoring texts, staying up too late, and saying “just one more chapter” until suddenly it was 2AM. If you like morally gray characters, messy power struggles, and hot people with tragic backstories, you’ll love this.

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.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and the ALC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I am going to DNF this book at this stage... I am 60% through but I have been reading this book for just over a month and I just don't care enough about the characters and the storyline to invest myself into this. I really wanted to like this book. I have been super excited about it since it was first announced and I tried swapping formats but nothing really helped me to enjoy this book.

The chapters are so long, the male narrator kinda annoyed me. Lillith was so lustful over the mmc who she is 'not allowed to be with' due to stupid sexiest rules. I just kept finding myself getting bored and any time I would go to listen to it I just felt like it dragged.

On the other hand, I really like Laura as the female narrator. I have listened to a few of her narrations now and she is always really good! The FMC works hard to make it on her own after leaving her wealthy family and the corruption behind; however, the MMC always comes in to clean up her messes so I feel like she never has to own up to anything.

I think my favourite parts were the moments we got to see the side characters, specifically Coco and Cassius. Overall, I am sure lots of people will love this book but right now for me I am going to put it down.

3-3.5 stars. 5 for audio.

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.

FEMALE RAGE ACTIVATED.

In this world, the Church controls the state, the stories, and the people. Only women are born with magic, but they’re forbidden from using it unless granted permission by the male family figurehead: first their father, then their husband. Marriage is strategy. Magic is power. And women are punished for both.

Lilith, the only heir of a powerful bloodline, is expected to follow the rules, marry who she’s told, and keep her mouth shut. Instead, she walks away. She willingly exiles herself to another district—Zahariev’s district—where she hopes to live with even a sliver of autonomy. What follows is part rebellion, part slow-burn romance, and part “set the whole damn system on fire.”

The world-building is dense and immersive, and the characters are layered with conflicting loyalties and pain. The romance? Forbidden, emotionally loaded, and full of tension. Lilith and Zahariev are raised on opposite sides of a line they’re not allowed to cross, and yet. And yet. The chemistry between them simmers. When it finally ignites, brace yourselves.

And let’s talk about Zahariev. He is very much a “touch her and die” MMC. People do, in fact, touch her, and people do, in fact, die. But despite being raised in the same patriarchal system, Zahariev is Lilith’s biggest supporter. He encourages her to think for herself, choose for herself, and want for herself. He backs her when she needs it, but never in a way that overpowers or cages her. He wants her happiness more than he wants his own, and he’s willing to make sacrifices to help her achieve it. That combination of gentle encouragement and ruthless protection? Absolutely feral. I loved him.

The narrators did a great job. I especially loved having a male narrator for Zahariev’s short POV snippets at the end of each chapter. His contributions were minimal, but so impactful.

What stuck with me most were the themes. Control. Rebellion. Systemic oppression. Weaponized religion. Women being told to stay small when they’re born with something enormous. Lilith’s story taps into something raw and relevant, and it’s not always subtle. That’s the point.

I will 100% be reading the next book. I want to see Lilith rise, burn it all down, and salt the earth behind her.

Content warnings: death of characters, gratuitous violence, sexual assault of a minor.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Scarlett St. Clair for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book that I have read/listened by Scarlett St. Clair. I loved it. It had me hooked from the beginning. The world building the mystery had me entranced. I could not stop listening to the book. The narration was great and perfect. Lilith was a great strong female character. Zahariev is the new book boyfriend. I wanted more when the book ended. I can't wait to read more from this series

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.
The narrators were perfect, Laura Horowitz never disappoints and Tristan Warden’s little inserts added a whole new level to the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily.tbis was my first Scarlett st Clair book and now I need to check out her backlist. The narrators were fantastic and will need to find out what else they've narrated and listen to everything. I loved this retelling and found it to be entertaining.

Suggesting it a try

4.5/5☆

Getting approved for this ARC on NetGalley made my day and this book continued to do that.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book and how this retelling of Lilith's story would play out and it is close to perfect. The story of how religion hurt her and how she reacted to it played out wonderfully. It showed the deep pain and the complicated feelings that can come from growing up within the inner circle, but not really having any privilege due to the way they try to force you to conform. You'd think someone of Lilith's station would have more wiggle room, and to be fair she did in a way, but it wasn’t true freedom.

That's what makes me love the dynamic with all of her friends. They see her and embrace her, despite how she's still grasping what it is she's doing away from her parents. They're patient with her and also don't shy away from showing their emotions, even their anger, but they do show her that anger will not have the same outcome as it does at her home.

Plus don't get me started on her and Zahariev. Their chemistry and tension is sooo good. Seeing it play out and how they both finally gave in was great. But seeing how he was willing to be there for her no matter what was even better.

And that ending? That ending?!?!? My goodness. Love it and need the next book!

Okay this was everything I wanted from Crescent City and didn't get.

This is a strong independent woman, who very much needs her man and I love it. Lillith is the badass but she's also very unaware of what is going on and how to deal with it. It's a perfect blend for a FMC. There's no oh she can immediately hold her own when things hit the fan, she is more of an oh shit let's run and then burn the world in a bit and I respect that about her.

I'm invested in seeing where this series can go- this is such a cool modern fantasy!

I am so excited I got this audio from NetGalley!

God these narrators are so good! Laura Horowitz has been a long time favorite of mine, and she did amazing on this book (as always). Not to mention the snippets from Zahariev's POV by Tristan Warden! I wasn't as familiar with this narrator, but he did a phenomenal job!

I had the pleasure of reading this story as an ebook, and to repeat myself a bit, this story is 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. I truly connected with Lilith and much of her feelings and journey.

The audiobook beautifully brought to life a story I already loved and can see myself coming back to it again and again.

Thank you so much to Scarlett and Bloom for letting me listen to this beautiful and sexy ALC! I loved it so much!

I genuinely enjoyed the reading experience, even though the story itself felt fairly light on plot. It reads more like a prologue to what could become a very engaging series.

One of my main issues is with Lilith and Zahariev’s relationship—it feels forced and lacks the emotional tension it’s clearly meant to have. This likely stems from the lack of buildup, making it hard to fully invest in their dynamic. Elements like flashbacks or deeper character development would have gone a long way in fleshing out their connection.

The pacing also felt off. While events were technically unfolding, much of the book felt like filler, and the narrative often jumped around in a way that made the story feel scattered and unfocused.

Despite these flaws, the book is an enjoyable read. But it leaves you with a lingering sense of wanting more.

I’m intrigued by the mystery in this story as dark happenings leave Lilith in danger and grieving, in search of answers to what is happening to the city she calls home. Lilith is defiant in the face of a patriarchal and religious story, refusing to be made small or to bow to those who think themselves better. She’s strong, brave and determined, and seems to be in a fair bit of trouble - when she isn’t making that trouble herself.

The dynamic between her and Zahariev is a delicious slow burn and I love getting small glimpses into his thoughts at the end of each chapter, seeing his feelings for Lilith revealed in pieces. I did feel that their relationship jumped very suddenly but otherwise I was eating up the chemistry and the spice (someone get me a fan!). Beyond these two I loved to see Lilith navigate the city and seeing her close relationships with other characters.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

The premise, tropes, and summary of this book checked all the boxes for me — I was genuinely excited to receive this ALC, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity. I loved some of the authors previous work and was ready to dive in. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the potential, and I found myself disappointed overall. I have to be honest I DNF at 55% because I was not invested at all.

To highlight the Narration: Lauras narration is flawless as always but the male narration was not well recorded? There were weird pauses when he spoke, sniffles recorded, and the voice was rather old for the character. He was not a great fit for this story for me.

The story: Lilith’s story had such a strong foundation. The concept was compelling and full of promise. However, the narrative felt disconnected from its own premise. The story drops readers into an already-established world without much context, almost as if it were book two in a series. I often felt like I was missing key pieces of information, which made it difficult to fully invest in the plot or characters.

The world-building overall felt muddled. There's a confusing blend of archaic religious control and modern-day technology (like cell phones), but no clear sense of how these coexist or how this society came to be. Why are the priests so powerful? What do these religious families actually do? Without answers, the world never felt lived-in — just vaguely symbolic and hard to believe.

The pacing was another issue. By 55%, very little had happened. Aside from a few mythical dreams and the occasional reappearance of a dagger, the plot felt stagnant. It was a chore to keep returning to the book, which was disheartening since I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works.

The romance — usually a highlight for me — didn’t work either. The slow burn between Lilith and Zahariev was too slow and, frankly, boring. I didn’t buy their chemistry, and I was confused about Zahariev’s role and power. What does he do other than run a club? Why is he so revered? It wasn’t even clear to me that he was significantly older until nearly halfway through the book. His interest in Lilith felt underdeveloped, and Lilith herself was hard to connect with. She often came across as entitled, and I struggled to understand what anyone — especially Zahariev — saw in her.

Another disappointment was the promise of feminist themes. While this book hints at rebellion and female power, Lilith is constantly saved, protected, or directed by Zahariev or Gabriel. Despite her anger and desire to break free, she rarely takes meaningful action on her own. Instead of a strong, self-driven protagonist, we get a heroine who seems dependent on the men around her for progress.

Finally, the supporting characters and family dynamics were difficult to follow. The story throws us into Lilith’s life surrounded by people who are supposedly close to her — like family — but we’re never really shown how or why. The emotional stakes weren’t clear, which made those relationships feel flat.

In the end, while the premise was rich with potential, the actual reading experience fell short. I’m disappointed to say this didn’t work for me, though I know some readers may enjoy the dark atmosphere and religious symbolism more than I did.

Thank you again to NetGalley and [Publisher] for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by Scarlett St Clair and I really enjoyed it. This was a great slow burn with a decent amount of spice and some heartache. This does have subjects that some readers may be sensitive to so please read content warnings.

This is full of mystery, feminine rage, forbidden romance, and vengeful gods. I liked the gritty feel to the district and the magic she has. The FMC is very hardheaded and I hope that gets a little better in the next book but the ending was good!

I really enjoyed this! I usually do not read Urban Fantasy but I will read anything by Scarlett St. Clair! I am glad I gave this a chance. It’s a Lilith retelling with mob vibes and female rage but add a dash fantasy. I really liked the city and the great family’s aspects but wished we got more world building. The religious aspects were heavily tied in. The romance was chefs kiss. The narration was really well done. I will definitely pick up the next one when it comes out! If you are a fan of Scarlett St. Clair this is a must read!

Absolutely loved lilith and sahariev. The audio narration fit the flow of the story and fit the characters perfectly. Perfect amount of plot and spice.