This book had no right being this amazing!!! I'm obsessed; I will not accept any criticism of it, only praise, because the way I devoured it should be studied.

I loved everything about this story, how fresh it felt, how empowering the characters were, and how intriguing the plot was. I need more, I could've read 2000 pages of this book, and still feel like it wasn't enough. I want to know more about the side characters, as they were intrinsic to the story, especially Gabriel, I kind of fell in love with him a little.

The main characters were so good. Lilith is such a strong character, a little frustrating at times, but considering how her life has been so far, I understand her attitude towards life and her ways to survive. ZAHARIEV IS THE MOST PRECIOUS MMC AND MUST BE DEFENDED AT ALL COSTS. Also, the little snippets of his POV: chef's kiss, perfection! His devotion to Lilith was everything. I'll love him forever (what about the murders? WHAT MURDERS??).

I want to know what comes next. I can't be left with that little information, so Scarlett, give me book 2 ASAP, please and thank you.

I’m a huge fan of Scarlett’s writing style, it’s very vivid. She truly paints a picture with her words!

This is a retelling inspired by Lilith.

I did enjoy the story although at some points it did feel a bit slow. Over all a great read!

"Terror at the Gates" is St. Clair's best book yet! I pre-ordered this title, and absolutely recommend this to all readers - fantasy, action, adventure, contemporary, thriller, romance. Truly, this book has everything. It was so easy to get sucked in, that suddenly hours passed and it felt like no time at all.

TATG explores themes of religion, oppression, "othering", sex and gender, while telling a phenomenal and emotional story of Lilith Leviathan, a young woman who is learning how to live on her terms after surviving a traumatic childhood. Zahariev is the ultimate MMC, always in Lilith's corner, but she has to determine if it's because of who she is or what she means to him. This book, and these characters, put readers through an emotional roller coaster, making me want to flip a table in anger, while also pump my fist in the air for Lilith taking charge of her own destiny.

I think a lot of people, women in particular, can relate to Lilith - growing up being told to follow orders, be quiet, and take a back seat to let the men run the show. We see this today, as no nation has achieved gender parity in 2025 (although Iceland is the closest). I love the growth and strength of Lilith, who is constantly trying to decide the best way forward while staying true to who she is at her core.

Again, I recommend this for everyone. I will be re-reading this. This title could easily be used in academic courses to explore religion, gender, Mythology, and oppression, as well as what it means to be free. I will be recommending this to everyone.

Another amazing read by Scarlett st. Clair.
I LOVE a strong bada$$ FMC and Scarlett definitely delivered. I loved the age gap and forbidden romance aspect!

I cannot wait for book two!

I DNFed this at 20%. Usually I try to give books a fair shot - 30% or so - but I could barely make it this far. I liked one of SSC's other books, and have read the feedback about her writing and thought maybe I just enjoyed it regardless. But this entire book was written in a way that killed my reading pace. The staccato sentences, the way the main character's POV explained the world around her rather than true world building... it was excrutiating. It seemed cool, and I am bummed I couldn't finish.

I loved this book, This is exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump and Scarlett's books always pull me out of them. Loved the characters, their dynamics and just all the world building that happened in the beginning of this book.

Another solid book from Scarlett st. Clair! I forgot how much I love her writing style. The fmc was so good and I loved how she intense and fearsome she was. And another top tier mmc that I was obsessed with. This was such a fast paced read for me and the banter was absolutely phenomenal.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the story's pacing. It was a fast, easy read that kept me turning pages and Lilith goes through some crazy trauma just in the first book! The age gap and "father's friend?" "father’s enemy?" trope added tension. Zahariev definitely had chemistry with Lilith but I found him a bit two-dimensional, likely due to the intentional mystery surrounding his character. I think that mystery could have been handled without flattening his personality so much.

The ending is meant to be a cliffhanger, but it was very cliffy for more. I don't feel that strong urge to immediately reach for the next book. That said, I’d still recommend this to readers who enjoy their fantasy with a heavy dose of romance.

Omg do we know when book two comes out because I need it like the air I breathe! What an epic ride we love a badass FMC that knows what she wants and takes it. This book had a fresh new look on the biblical story of Lilith, with beautiful world building, sprinkling in some female rage.

4.25 ⭐️
2 🌶🌶

Before we begin, I would like to thank Bloom Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.


What to expect:
✨Forbidden Romance
✨Slow Burn
✨Found Family
✨Feminine Rage
✨Men who yearn
✨Women with magical abilities
‼️Please check trigger warnings before reading, as there are mentions of past and present physical trauma and SA ‼️

“I could have remained invisible to you, and my devotion to you would be unchanging.”

“Terror at the Gates” by Scarlett St. Clair is a looking glass into religious fanaticism, abuse of power, and the unfair and unequal pressure that women are put under every day to fit a conservative society’s perception of the perfect, obedient woman.

The story itself is heavy on world-building, introducing us to our FMC, Lilith Leviathon, and exploring the world in which she lives through her personal experiences.

Lilith is strong, intelligent, defiant, and willful, having become disillusioned to the world around her from past abuse and religious trauma. Only women from the most powerful bloodlines have magical powers, but they cannot use their magic without permission and supervision from a man. Lilitih is unmarried, independent, and determined to stay that way for as long as possible, seeking solace and safety outside of her family’s territory.

Enter Zahariev Zareth, her assigned supervisor/protector while she resides within his family’s territory.

Things take a turn for Lilith when she comes across a gilded gold knife that she has the unshakeable urge to acquire. Lilith uses her power of twisting desire to her advantage and secures the blade, only to be caught by Zahariev and have it confiscated. When the person she steals it from turns up dead with a mysterious substance oozing from their body, Lilith starts to believe that maybe something bigger is at play and she has unwittingly made herself a player in a larger game.

The question is, will she be able to save herself from her fate, or will she watch everyone and everything she loves burn to the ground with her?

What I loved:

Lilith’s character arc throughout the story. Lily starts the book in survival mode, doing what she can to escape the trauma of her past and ongoing turmoil in the present, while trying to pay rent, maintain normal relationships, and build a new life for herself for as long as she can get away with it. Her new life has an expiration date and she is desperate to hold out for as long as possible. She goes from a survivor to a complete badass throughout the story in a steady and believable fashion, using her pain and trauma to grow stronger and find her own power.

The slow burn and banter between our FMC and MMC. When I’m talking about slow burn, I mean our FMC and MMC do not come together until about 75% of the way through the story, but that 75% is full of tantalizing, heated banter that escalates until it reaches a breaking point. When they finally come together, the chemistry and passion is explosive! After all of that build-up Scarlett did not disappoint nor skimp on the details. I knew our MMC had some Dom in him, and our FMC was the perfect little brat for him. We are talking about at least two very detailed scenes that span several pages, so be prepared to simp for MMC, because that man has yearned the entire story and does not waste any time he is given to make up for what they resisted for so long.

The underlying religious corruption and highlight of the extremely unfair expectations placed on women vs. men in religious societies. I will say from my own personal experience, religion does not always treat women and men equally, often imposing the highest of standards on women, while men are given far more leniency and power. Women are expected to be the prime example of the perfect religious follower, often degraded and judged for not meeting the highest of standards, while men are given far more grace when they make a mistake or break away from their religious values. I related to Lilith quite a bit, especially to her anger towards men of “virtue” who acted like she was a demon for questioning the status quo.

Why not 5 ⭐️?

The only reason why this was not a five star read for me was the pacing. I love a good slow burn romance, but I do need a little more spice sprinkled throughout the story, a little more physical build-up/tension to keep me sucked in. I’m trying to be pickier about my 5 star reads, and if I find that I could put a book down and not feel the need to pick it back up right away, then it cannot be a perfect 5 star read for me.

Reading is subjective, and someone else may find that this pacing is perfect for them, but I personally needed something more physical a little earlier to keep me hooked.

Overall, I plan on recommending this book to my book bestie and book clubs, as well as continuing the series! After that cliffhanger, I need to know what happens to Lilith, Zahariev, and the rest of their gang.

If I had to describe this book, I would describe it as Handmaid’s Tale meets a magical dystopian romantasy with mafia romance vibes.

#netgalley #terroratthegates #scarlettstclair #bloombooks

Scarlett St. Clair is back with another HIT series. This book had me hooked on the first page. The world building and characters in this book made it for me, SCC can do no wrong!

❤️I absolutely loved this book. If you are someone like me who is obsessed with Supernatural and Lucifer , the aspect of angels and demons and a different take on biblical stories this is your book! Also Scarlett gives us a pronunciation guide for all the people, places and things! Finally I’m not having to make up names in my head for what I think the name would be 🤣


🖤I honestly can’t get over this book and all the easter eggs/ references to real life/biblical stories. I have no words for how good it is. The ending had me almost throwing the book because I did not want this story to end. Do we know when book 2 comes out? I needed it yesterday. I loved the different relationships and the found family Lillith finds for herself. Be prepared for rollercoaster of a ride as I went through all the emotions reading this book


❤️To the women who were told they must submit to the dominance of man


🖤Ahh we all love a morally grey man and Zahariev is my new favorite. A dark hair, tall like a tree, tatted, hot af man who would end anyone who hurt his girl. We do love a little bit of an obsessed man who would do anything for her. Zahariev is the head of the Zareth family who rules over Nineveh the district in the city of Eden completely devoted to sin and the place Lillith finds refuge after running away from home.


❤️Lilith may be one of my new favorite FMC, she’s strong headed, knows what she wants (even when she is scared to take it), fights for the ones she loves and what she believes is the right thing to do. Growing up in a very religious household led by the wants and needs of the church. Even then Lillith knew that the ways of the church were not for her, as they put women down and made it so men held all the control over their wives and daughters.


⁉️Are you ready to find out what the Terror is at the gates?
She is the beginning and the end.


She is peace and chaos.


She is terror knocking at the gates.

✨🌻Tropes🌻✨
🩶Morally Grey MMC
🔪Touch her and ☠️
❤️‍🔥Slow Burn
❣️Frenemies to Lovers
🖤Mafia
💛Age Gap
✝️Biblical Retelling
🩵He Falls First
🐈‍⬛Neo-Noir Vibes

Thank you so much @coloredpagesbt for letting me be a part of your book tour and @read_bloom for the gifted copy for an honest review.

Welcome to your new Romantasy obsession 👌.
Scarlett St. Clair outdid herself with this one ! I loved it so much !

The world building was epic ! I absolutely loved this Urban Fantasy world where it feels like we were reading a Mafia but it's in a world where religion governs everyone, especially women.

Lilith was such a strong and brave character. She's resilient, she knows what she wants and she isn't scared to go after it.

Zahariev is my new obsession. OMG THAT MEN ! He loves her so much, he would do ANYTHING to protect her. This is gonna be your next favorite morally grey MMC.

Between chapters of Lilith's point of view, we get snippets of his point of view and I couldn't get enough.

His devotion knows no bounds. With him, she can finally be safe to be herself.

⚠️ You should definitely read the triggers before reading. The author wrote the chapters where SA is mentioned.

Read this if you love :

✨ Urban Fantasy ;
✨ Romantasy;
✨ Touch her and Die ;
✨ Magic ;
✨ Gods ;
✨ Spicy ;
✨ Age Gap ;
✨ He would do anything to keep her safe;
✨ Found Family.

The story follows Lilith Leviathan, estranged from her formidable family, Lilith finds refuge and a means to survive in Nineveh, a district within the city of Eden that is a glorious ode to sin. Here, far from the church's oppressive gaze that demands women be "pious and silent," Lilith wields her magic for less-than-pious ends – stealing to live. Her defiance and potent magic naturally draw the dangerous attention of Eden's five governing families and the ever-watchful church. When Lilith's usual buyer meets a sudden, grisly end inspecting it, she's thrust into a desperate scramble for survival. Her only recourse? Zahariev, the formidable head of the Zareth family and the undisputed ruler of Nineveh. Zahariev, a man whose empire is built on information and extortion, has always harbored a surprising "soft spot" for Lilith. But with this cursed dagger, his ability to protect her is thrown into question, signaling stakes higher than either of them could have imagined.
Their forced alliance is set to be the cornerstone of the narrative. As Lilith and Zahariev embark on a perilous quest to uncover the true power running their world, their lives inevitably intertwine. However, in a world dominated by secrets and oppressive forces, their growing devotion isn't a solace but a threat – to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.
This story is for fans of strong female leads, dangerous alliances, simmering romance under immense pressure, and a world where sin and secrets reign.

When will I cease to be amazed by the goddess Scarlett St Clair? Because this book was incredible. I read everything she puts out and still, I'm amazed at her raw talent at creating these stories.
I love how she writes strong, independent and powerful females who, yes, are flawed with the abuses they've suffered...but she writes their flaws in a way that further uplifts them. They may stumble and make mistakes but they keep going.
I think each of her books are enchanting works of art, but this may be one of her best to date. Which diminishes nothing of the others, let me be clear. I just think tackling Lilith and making it your own takes a very special talent. One that Scarlett has crafted through her other books, notably her Aphrodite x Hades series. To take what one knows and turn it into something relevant to the times we live, modernize it, give it a sexy feel while weaving in origins? Takes a master. A goddess.

This book!!!! Ugh! I'm a quick reader but I took my time with this one because I didn't want it to end! I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next one! Controversial, but this is what I wanted Crescent City to be... Slightly dark, very gritty, action packed, spicy, twists, turns, and MCs that are down bad for each other.

Lilith Leviathan is living in Nineveh, the gritty underbelly of the proposed utopia that is Eden, a theocratic nation where hierarchy and holiness is everything and sin can mean death. Lilith is living under the protection of Nineveh district head, Zahariev, and one of her favorite hobbies is getting under his skin. When Lilith stumbles across a magical dagger, her world quickly begins to crumble. Turning to the only man who she trusts, Zahariev, the two begin a dangerous investigation into the church and families that rule Eden and the possible gods that live behind the locked gates of their world.

There was something so atmospheric about this world. St. Clair did an outstanding job at creating the world and giving distinct differences to the different districts and areas of Eden. Lilith begins having dreams after coming into possession of the blade and the way these were written?? So creepy and chilling but also so engaging that I wanted them to go on forever! They also really set the scene for Lilith's story as it unfolded. The relationship between Lilith and Zahariev? Ugh. What a slow burn. But you could see from the start that they both have an intense attraction to each other. We do get small snippets of Zahariev's POV between each chapter, and I loved that St. Clair added this in because it truly showed how much he cared and what he was facing in possibly engaging in a relationship with Lilith. Lilith is going through it from the start and I loved how she had such intense (but valid) emotional responses. I feel like it's so rare for an FMC in a fantasy or fantasy adjacent genre to genuinely cry and feel sadness and St. Clair allowed Lilith to do that in a way that felt so refreshing! It's okay to cry. It's actually healthy to cry and release your emotions in such a way, and I truly cannot get over how St. Clair portrayed this so beautifully. That being said, there was still plenty of feminine rage, if that's your thing!

Terror at the Gates was a crazy ride! It was so action packed, our girl Lilith was running from page 1! Now, did it always make sense? No. There were some pacing issues and maybe some scenes could have been cut down and edited a bit more, but honestly, I didn't care. I genuinely didn't want it to end and could have read another 400 pages of Lilith running around after jelly demons. I liked it that much. It was fun. It was hot. It was a theocratic world with jelly demons and corrupt leaders. It had an emotionally dysregulated (for valid reasons) 20 something that I related to more than is comfortable, and a hot older guy with tattoos and an affinity for cigarettes (bad irl, hot in books). I was living my best life reading this book. Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, but I'm going to stop and tell you to jump in. Read the TWs but otherwise, I'd recommend going in blind.

The vibes. 12/10.
The characters. 10/10.
The jelly demons. 7/10.
The creepy dream/predictions. 11/10.

If you like Supernatural, Maas's Crescent City, or JLA's The Harbinger series, I think you'll love Terror at the Gates!

Thanks to the publisher, Bloom Books, for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely adored this version of Lilith. Fierce, flawed, and fiery—she commands every page she’s on. Scarlett St. Clair continues to masterfully blend myth, magic, and madness, but this book? This one roared with divine feminine rage in the best way.

The pacing was on point, never dragging. I was hooked from the first chapter to the last.

This installment felt darker, sharper. There’s a haunting beauty in Lilith’s fury—a woman reclaiming power, wrath, and agency in a world that keeps trying to chain her.

A new age twist on religion and understanding Lilith. I cannot wait for the next book.

Hello fellow Heathens! Terror at the Gates is a sexy, feminist retelling of Lilith in a dark mafia urban romantasy setting where the vibes are emasculate! 🖤🩸🗡️

Lilith has always been one of my favorite religious figures because she’s the most misinterpreted female character to ever exist. This retelling is downright delicious and satisfying in Lilith justice.

Juxtapose to the MMC, Zahariev - who is the dark brooding bad boy yet lover boy to his core. This man is dangerous yet so protective of his little love, Lilith.

Lilith & Zahariev are such a hot couple together I was eating every moment up with them! They bleed into the urban fantasy setting so perfectly. And let’s not forget about Cherub the cat who might be my favorite side character! She carries Cherub like a baby 😭

This story is gripping with heartbreaking life altering moments for Lilith. Please read the trigger warnings before reading!

Themes:
🗡️ F*ck the Patriarchy
🗡️ Women are magical
🗡️ Feminine Rage
🗡️ Fighting against Religion

Vibes:
❤️‍🔥 Mafia Vibes
❤️‍🔥 Urbanfantasy
❤️‍🔥 Unholy 🙏🏼

Tropes:
🖤 Friends to Lovers
🖤 He Falls First
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤 Touch her & 💀
🖤 Age Gap
🖤 Forbidden Romance

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Bloom Books for letting me read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

Set the scene… urban fantasy with a neo-noir style. FMC Lilith is headstrong and out for blood (see feminine rage: the musical; who’s afraid of little ole me vibes). MMC Zahariev is down bad! The slow burn is sooo good!

This book was so atmospheric like most of Scarlett’s are. I was sucked in from the first page! Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What an amazing introduction into the series! I LOVED this book and I’m forever grateful to sourcebooksuk for sending me an arc and character art! (I will be cherishing it forever)

I was hooked from the start as you could probably tell from my stories, the book immerses you into a gritty world full of female rage, SLOW burn tension, mafia politics and a unique magic system that I feel we’ve only just scraped the surface of!

This isn’t your standard urban romantasy. It’s dark, it has religious trauma and Scarlett does an incredible job at bringing to the story the double standards and gaslighting that women experience

I adored Lilith, she doesn’t want to be the picture perfect daughter, slave to every man’s whims. She’s bratty, difficult, sarcastic, strong willed and not afraid to go after and stand up for what she wants

Zaddy Zahaviev - a MAN! The slow burn frenimies to lovers had me giggling and when the spice FINALLY hit I almost needed a cold shower. He’s patient, caring, possessive so there’s not much more I could’ve asked for. Ps, he calls her “little love” .. I was SWOONING, plus have you SEEN the character art?

But finally, I beg everyone pick up this book as it’s one of my favourite reads this year! If you like grimdark romantic fantasy, with religious & political themes this is a must read!