🧶 ‘She’s the flame in my shadow-ridden life. It pains me to think that flame and darkness are meant to coexist but never connect.’ 🧶

I would rate this book 4.5 ⭐️

This was a great read! The concept behind this book was really cool, unique and made for a very interesting story and equally as interesting characters! It was also such a humorous book- the characters, especially Liv, I found really funny! With her inner monologue and the way she interacts with the other characters makes it very easy to like and connect with her.

🧶 ‘𝘞𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵? The thought barrels into me like Turan into a chocolate cake. Hungry and wild.’ 🧶

What if the one who was meant to take your life chose instead to save it? When Liv was four, she got into a tragic accident and died- but Death broke every sacred rule when he saved her. This might have been considered a lucky escape from death, if not for the near-death experiences she has every year since, and the shadowy forces that are hunting her down, desperate to “correct” her fate. Now 24 and stuck in a purposeless life, she’s thrust into a dangerous world of immortal beings, forgotten gods, and an ancient order woven into the fabric of reality. Nathan, her enigmatic and impossibly handsome rescuer, hides secrets of his own, including his connection to the godlike Origins and the Fates that weave the world's destiny. He knows more about her and her life than he is willing to let on.

Liv must uncover why Death decided to save her that day, and why now she exists outside of what fate had planned for her. She is desperate to put a stop to the near-death experiences that have haunted her for the past 20 years. With her life in the balance, Liv must decide if she can trust Nathan to protect her heart as well as her soul—or if his dark past will doom them both. 🖤

🧶 ‘It’s an uncomfortable balance to be glad of the change and yet grieve the past. Especially when that change brought so much chaos.’ 🧶

I really loved Liv’s character! Her chapters were written in a unique way to any books I have read- it feels so conversational, almost like you’re reading from her diary. She’s just an effortlessly funny character, her references to random things and the way she thinks is and talks to other characters is very entertaining. She is very easy to connect with- she has experienced a lot because of her accident and then all of the near-death experiences afterwards, and being plunged into the world of the fates and coming face to face with death (literally) sent her life into turmoil. As a reader I could connect with her coping mechanisms of how she tries to maintain some normality in her life, even when it is far from it at times, and how she is scared to bring people in to her life and circle. It is enjoyable seeing her trust Nathan and make friends with the other fates, and most of all learn to trust herself and her judgement.

Nathan was also a great MMC! I love how protective he becomes over Liv, making it his mission to ward off any attacks on her life. It was so endearing too the moments of him learning human things like tasting a mocha for the first time or using chopsticks, things that as an Origin he has never experienced before. These things make you love him even more, as well as the ending. 🥹 I also really enjoyed Atys as a character, he was one of my favourites in the book! I found him very funny and I loved his sarcastic comments. 🖤

🧶 ‘I don’t care who you have to kill, love. You survive.’ 🧶

Tropes:
✨ Protective MMC
✨ Mortal x immortal
✨ Fate vs free will
✨ Found family
✨ Insta-love
✨ Yearning
✨ A brush with Death- literally
✨ Forbidden love
✨ Banter

This is such an entertaining romantasy read, with funny characters and banter and a unique storyline of Death personified. I highly recommend!! 🖤

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for approving me to read this ARC, I loved it! 💛

I felt like the premise of the story was captivating but while reading it, everything fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with any characters and everything felt very predictable. All in all, I don't think the book was for me.

I could not complete this because I could not get into the book. I would not be able to provide accurate feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC.

Plot 4/5
Characters 4/5
Ending 3.75/5
Interest 3.75/5

Overall 3.75/5

-I was very intrigued at first by this book. Things involving death and being saved by death gripped me. But reading it, I have to admit I got bored at some moments. It was intriguing as a whole but felt quite repetitive in the quests and dialogue.

-The characters were fine. It sometimes felt like Liv’s character wasn’t sure who she was being so that was a little irritating but in the end, she was still a good character. Nathan on the other hand was great as a whole but the lies and the deception were quite bothersome. Especially when he abandoned Liv in bed. But their relationship was quite sweet at time. I liked the side characters especially Artys.

-The big plot twist involving Nathan was very predictable unfortunately. I wished that there would be something else. But by the end of the book I was still really glad to discover more of the universe with the fates, the threads and all of that. I would read more, curious as to what could happen.

When I initially read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I needed to get my hands on it as soon as possible. Now that I’ve finally finished my ARC copy, I’ll guess I’ll just have to wait just as desperately for the sequel.

With all the new adult romantasy tropes that entrance you and make you desperately wish men were more like their book counterparts, “In Deaths Hands” tells the story of Liv, a woman who was saved by Death from a car accident that took the lives of her adoptive parents. Since their deaths 20 years earlier, Liv has experienced a long string of unexplainable near-death experiences, culminating in her being pushed out of the way of an incoming car by a brooding, tall, dark and handsome man named Nathan. What follows is an adventure punctuated by Liv’s need to understand why she was saved as a child and whether or not her survival was a twist of fate or a horrid mistake.

The story is highly engaging and you cant help but love the eclectic band of characters that join the narrative as the story progresses. While the twist at the end of the book is not particularly shocking, as their is a chapter written from Nathan’s point of view that pretty much gives it away early on in the book, having this information definitely gives the reader a different understanding of his actions while reading from Liv’s POV.

Also shout out to my girl Liv! She is an independent and confident badass, and I really appreciated that she didn’t just let things happen to her, like many MC’s do in romantasy books.

All in all, this book is a definite “to read”, and I can’t wait for the sequel

Keywords: Gods, Fate, Death, HeFellFirst
ARC provided by NetGalley

I am so glad I came across this book - what a read!

Liv is a bit of a black cat type - she'd be happiest if she was left to herself, or at least pretends she would be. As she's spent her whole life having near misses with death, she is convinced that anyone who gets close to her would be in danger. She's tough and witty, but she is out of her depth as she meets Nathan, Death's assistant, and his friends and frenemies, and is forced to accept his help to work out how to survive with an order of fanatics on her trail.

Nathan has spent his time doing Death's work, and as such, is far too literal, doesn't know what a mocha is! And clearly has a thing for Liv, despite his attempts to keep her at arms length. His touch her and die vibes are immaculate, he commands shadows as a member of the Unseen crown and he's tall, dark and handsome - the perfect combination.

I love found family and Turan and Atys absolutely deliver here, I just loved every scene Atys was in, he was so much fun! I feel like we've barely scratched the surface in terms of what is to come in this series, this book felt like a lovely introduction to our characters, not too info-dumpy and I think the next book will shake things up in even further in terms of plot and character motivation. I am looking forward to learning more about the Origin, the fabric of the world. I love the framework the author has used to describe the gods in this story, they feel familiar but unique and the characters are easy to understand and connect to what I know of their counterparts in traditional mythology depictions.

Also, while I'm here - I absolutely love that cover and for sure will need a copy to go on my shelf! Already counting down for book 2!

I was impressed by how layered this story was. The romance was compelling, but what really stood out for me was the depth given to the secondary characters — they felt as alive as the main couple. The fantasy world was immersive and clearly well thought out, with enough intrigue to keep me turning pages late into the night. It set up the rest of the series really well, and I’m already looking forward to book two.

Thank you NetGalley and Laure Camail for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I fell in LOVE with the premise of this story and was super sucked in right away. I am all for forbidden romances with lots of yearning. I feel like the writing is a bit playful and silly (Hawaiian shirts and lots of pop-culture references) and I wish it had a gothic feel to it. Mostly because the beginning portrayed death and our FMC as such lonely creatures (understandably) and death itself is just such a dark thing. It was a faster read and had a lot of elements to it.

The idea of falling in love with death and making him super amiable is super fun, but it's wasn't my favorite idea the he saved her at 4 and then has presumably been part of her life since. Maybe if he saved her at an older age (over 20) and then for a few years she had a ton of near-death experiences, it wouldn't have felt so weird to me.

Aside from that, you can tell there is more to this story and it definitely ended with the reader yearning for the second book to find out what happens next! Can't wait to see what our FMC says in response to the last quote.

Props to the author for the acknowledgments in the back, it sounds like you went through so much to make this debut novel happen and I loved learning more about you.

At the young age of 4, Liv was involved in a deadly car crash but when Death came for her, he decided to save her instead. Trying to restore the balance of her being alive, she constantly has to dodge near death experiences. Now, 20 years later she’s just trying to find her place in this world when she meets a handsome stranger at a coffee shop. She is ushered into an unknown world of Fates & Origins trying to figure out why Death saved her & what is her purpose.

The prologue & this concept had me hooked from the beginning. I thought this was a really interesting premise & was excited to see where this story took us. The fast pace kept the plot moving & exciting, while the writing style was relaxed & witty.

Overall it was an enjoyable read & some parts did have my jaw on the ground, although I did find some things a bit predictable. I assumed the reader was supposed to be in the know about certain secrets due to hints throughout the story, so when it was presented as a plot twist at the end of the book I was a little confused. This secret was heavily hinted at & it felt like our fmc was just willingly ignorant to put the pieces together.

Maybe it was the fast pace or just me, but I felt like some of the characters flipped personalities constantly. I thought I’d have a good grasp on the characters then they’d say/do something that I felt wasn’t introduced to be a core personality trait or just randomly started. I wish there was more relationship development between fmc & the rest of our cast. There’s only so much you can do in a shorter book like this, but it felt like a lot of the relationships were almost instant connections.

I still enjoyed the read & the concept, it just didn’t click fully with me. However, I’d still be interested to see what happens next with these characters & recommend to anyone who likes fast paced, paranormal romance.

3.5★ rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the arc!!

In Death’s Hands follows a girl named Liv, and let me tell you — this girl has not caught a break. We’re talking final destination-level near-death experiences. One second she’s existing, the next a brick nearly takes her out. Liv is STRUGGLING.

No spoilers, but I really loved the whole thing with the Origins and the Fates — that godly, high-stakes energy? Delicious. I think this series has serious potential.

That said, there were moments where it leaned really heavily into inner monologue. Like, I adore Liv’s brain — she’s witty, sharp, a little tragic — but sometimes I just wanted more actual conversation between characters, you know? I love the tension and the banter. The awkward, meaningful silences.

But plot-wise? Vibe-wise? Existential dread and unraveling your identity because maybe you were never supposed to be here in the first place? Heck yeah. Watching Liv wrestle with that was beautifully written and hit in all the right places.

I felt like the premise of the story was captivating but while reading it, everything fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with any characters and everything felt very predictable. Thanks, but no thanks.

Thank you NetGalley and Laure Camail for providing me with this ARC.

This is an impressive debut novel. I think tho that life simply got in the way and I picked it up at the wrong time, because for some reason it didn’t fully click with me. The main female character came across as a bit too childish and naive for my taste. But I really liked Death⚖️


That said, I still recommend this book, especially to fans of Belladonna series. 💀⚔️

I'm definitely going to pick up the next book in this series 🤗

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC!

This was such a cool concept and I loved the characters, especially Nathan and Atys. While I did see the twist coming, it still had me on the edge of my seat waiting for Liv to figure it out. My only complaint is that the book could have been a little longer, just to flesh out the ending more. Overall, it was a really engaging read and I will definitely be picking up the next one!

DNF at 22%

In truth, I think this novel has tons of potential. I really enjoyed what the plot was becoming, however I chose to DNF this book due to the characters. I didn't connect with them, and personally, their writing turned me away from reading this novel.

This was such a unique story concept and i was so excited to pick it up when i got accepted to read it early! Overall, i loved this book and i cannot wait for the next one!

First the prologue really captivated me and I was hooked. But after that it kind of fell flat for me and I was not able to finish the book. Which made me a little sad because I really liked the concept of the story and was looking forward to reading it.

But who knows I may give it another try on a later date and change my mind.

🌟3.5🌟 rounded up

Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley & Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for an advanced copy of this book!

I definitely ruined this book for me and I have nobody to blame for it but myself. I was so excited to read it. So I let it sit on my shelf for a little and built it up in my head. And I think I built it up too much. But this book was definitely enjoyable & doesn't deserve a bad review either

So, in place of a traditional review I just wanted take a second to thank this author for not giving up. Clearly writing "only" a hour a day & not on weekends really pays off. This is one hell of a debut novel! I don't think one could obtain a more solid head start. I personally can't wait to see what comes next. I can think of a couple authors right off the bat who didn't come out swinging this hard when they were getting started & now they sell books around the world. Thank you for showing the rest of us that dreaming, mixed with hard work & a little consistency really does pay off!

This is my review which as of today can be found on the following platforms:
Goodreads
Tiktok
Fable
Bookmory
StoryGraph

I had such a fun time reading this!

I’m slightly concerned by how attractive I found “Death” to be honest!

The vibes in this were so on point, the tension and the banter were well done, and the storyline was really unique.

It did have slightly more swearing than I would normally read, or than I felt was necessary but that’s just a me issue and I’m sure won’t be a problem for most other readers. And the slight “spiciness” I’m afraid I skipped (I’m a spice skipper) but it didn’t seem overdone or gratuitous and I think it moved the mc’s relationship into a different dynamic which was interesting.

Overall, I just had a really good time with this book and I am very interested in seeing how the story moves forward in the next book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I really loved the premise of this book. The idea is unique and had me super intrigued. Five stars for concept!

Where I struggled a bit, which had me knocking a couple of stars off, was with the writing style. I found the internal dialogue and external dialogue of both characters to be a little forced and preachy. The way they thought/talked gave me second hand embarrassment at times. Second, a big plot point revolved around the mystery of Death, who he is, and why he saved the FMC. As a reader, it was pretty obvious who Death was despite the FMC being, what felt like, willfully oblivious. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was more suspenseful for the reader regarding death’s identity. Overall, the writing felt a bit fanfic-y.

I bet this author will do amazing things as they grow in their career and I look forward to following along!

I want to start by saying thank you to NetGalley and Laure M. Camail for the ARC!

The first thing I noticed about In Death's Hands is that it is relatively short. I was curious how the author would be able to create an interesting world and get the reader invested in the characters in such a short amount of pages, but it was pulled off well. I found myself invested fairly quickly. The plot was interesting and gripping and the ending left me yearning for more.

Despite being an interesting read, I don't think the writing style was necessarily my favorite. It felt a bit too casual and colloquial (which a lot of people like, it just wasn't my personal preference). Overall a good read and I'm glad I got a chance to check it out.