REVIEW: The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is a decent start to a new series, offering a unique blend of vampire lore and forbidden romance. The premise is intriguing: a human heiress to a powerful vampire family navigating a world of shadows and secrets. While the world-building is lacking, the fast-paced plot and unexpected twists keep the reader engaged.

However, the character development feels rushed, particularly for the main character, Emelia. Her quick transformation from a rebellious teen to a determined leader is jarring. The insta-love romance between Emelia and Kyle, while passionate, lacks depth and chemistry.

Overall, The Last Raven is a promising debut with a strong foundation. With further development of the world and characters, the series has the potential to become a captivating dark fantasy read.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Ok let me start a the beginning the concept of a human born from vampires is wild. I love it though like ooo could i be from vampires too lol (let m live in my fantasy world) I do feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit more in terms of world building but I didn't hate it. I just wanted more I guess

I love a vampire romance book however….Kyle and Emilia and two of the most irritating characters I’ve ever read!! One minute they’re all over each other, then they aren’t…then they are again. Not a lot of character development or story development. I didn’t find any of this book original and unfortunately I just didn’t like it very much, sorryyyyyy!

I was really excited to dive into The Last Raven. However, unfortunately, it ended up not being for me. The FMC Emelia was so whiny and complained and fought everything. The MMC is named Kyle, and I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm going to be excited about a Kyle. I felt like this book was reminiscent of lots of other books, so it just didn't hit on being unique. I felt like I had heard this story before. The pacing is super fast, but I felt like it was too fast at times. There was a lot happening, but nothing was given enough detail to drive things home. This seemed forced, and there was no real build-up to Kyle and Emelia's relationship it just happened right away and fell flat. As for the plot twist at the end, to me, it felt a bit forced and predictable. It didn't wow me. When I read a book, especially a fantasy, I need major world and character building so I can "see" it, and this just didn't do that for, and I really, really wanted it to. I think this may be a good "intro" to fantasy if you are just starting into the genre, but if you are a seasoned reader of the fantasy/romantasy genre, you may not  love it.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Although the first half of the book was not the best in that there was not a lot of action, the second half of the book definitely made up for it! I loved the ending and the plot twists but would have loved it if the book was a bit longer and we got to see the lead up to Kyle and Emilia's romance as it seemed a little too fast.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book as it is one of my top reads.

DNF at 23%. I really tried to get into this and finish the book but could not. FMC was far too immature. MMC does not act like he wasn’t given a high ranking position guarding the FMC. I’d understand off-putting or uncomfortable but professional but he seems untrained and mean. Did skip towards the end to figure out some of the plot details and conclusion and I’m so glad I didn’t finish.

Vampires, forced proximity, enermies to lovers - need I say more.

I have this in paperback but preferred reading an ebook.

The writing style is very YA in my opinion,

I wish there had been more worldbuilding and understanding as to the human vampire politics and interactions.

However is a fun and easy read and is more romance than fantasy.

The Last Raven had a promising setup but ultimately didn’t deliver on its potential. The story follows Emilia Raven, heir to the vampire kingdom, struggling between loyalty to her family and the brutal reality of vampire rule. However, the world-building fell short, blending modern Earth elements like jeans and phones into the fantasy setting in ways that felt out of place.

The pacing was another downside, with rushed chapters and a lack of depth in crucial scenes. The romance lacked development and felt more like insta-love than a genuine connection. Emilia’s character, while initially intriguing, became frustrating as her decisions felt random rather than intentional.

Overall, The Last Raven struggled to balance its romance and fantasy elements, and the chaotic world-building and lackluster plot left it feeling disconnected and ultimately disappointing.

The Last Raven is fast paced and it had a few unexpected twists which I did not see coming. The ending surprised me but there were a few instances throughout the story where I struggled to get invested in the plot. I prefer more of a slow burn when it comes to romance so I thought the relationship between Kyle and Emelia was a bit too full on from the beginning but if a slow burn isn't your thing then the romance in this story would be right up your street. I did find myself getting frustrated with Emelia at times but the character develops a lot throughout the book and I actually really liked her by the end.

Overall, I thought "The Last Raven" was an interesting approach to the vampire fantasy / romance world and really enjoyed the world building and tension throughout the story. This book is a solid 3 stars for me!

I was really excited to dive into The Last Raven, especially since it promised a thrilling mix of romance and fantasy. Unfortunately, I’m left a bit disappointed. The pacing is fast, which kept me turning pages, but I felt like it was too fast at times—like a lot was happening, but nothing was given enough space to truly hit. I enjoyed the romance at first, mainly because Kyle was a compelling character, but as the book went on, I just stopped caring about the relationship. It felt like the connection was there in the beginning, but it got lost along the way.
Now, about that "plot twist"... Yikes. It definitely didn’t land for me. Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say it felt a bit forced and predictable. At that point It wasn’t a shocking revelation, and honestly, it didn’t do much to enhance the story and it kinda felt unnecessary?
The world-building was also a huge letdown. For a fantasy book, I need the world to feel rich and immersive, but here it just didn’t live up to expectations. The world was mentioned, but it didn’t really feel alive, and that took away from the stakes of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read The Last Raven.
A unique human in a world of vampires. This was somewhat boring for me, honestly. I have read this type before. Suddenly there is something about the FMC that is all changing in her life and knowledge of herself.
Not a bad read, just slow and repetitive.

I found this to be a really refreshing take on the typical vampire story. The whole idea of safe camps for humans was interesting and I liked how it felt almost dystopian at times. Emilia was a good main character and I liked seeing her navigate through everything as a human among vampires. It was compelling seeing Emilia battle between her dislike for vampires and her love for her parents.

This book is pitched as a romance but honestly I didn't really care for the romance at all - it was too fast paced for me and I didn't buy the connection between them at all. The politics and world building were definitely the highlight of the book for me even if there were a couple of things I wish were explored in more depth.

Okay so I feel like there’s a lot of hate for this book but honestly I loved it. Were there times I was pissed while reading? Yes. Did it end on a massive cliffhanger? Also yes. But still, I’m excited for book two and isn’t that the whole point?
I liked the FMC. She’s young in the book so I feel like it makes sense that she occasionally makes immature decisions but she had growth and that’s what I’m here for. As for the MMC? (Dead so idk if that still counts as an MMC😂) I should’ve freaking known with a name like Kyle he’d end up a total douche. But that betrayal hurt and I wanted to punch him on behalf of Emelia. He got what he deserved though so all is right in the world.
Overall, I feel like this book set things up really well for book two and I can’t wait to read what happens next.

When someone says a book is giving Twilight, you know I'll be there for it. However, I expect it to be better than Twilight if it's published in 2024, because the expectations are way higher and there's plenty of quality content to draw inspiration from nowadays.

The characters have no personality or defining traits, the dialogue is clunky, the narration was tell instead of show. I didn't like the writing style either, nor the constant arguing between characters; there was no point to any of it and it did not serve its purpose for world building or character development.

There's insta-love which I could overlook if there was any kind of chemistry between the MCs, but there's nothing. On the cover it says "Her blood is all he craves" but there's nothing about that in the book (yes, I care about those details) and they say "I love you" without even knowing anything about each other.

The twists and turns are predictable as soon as each character is introduced, so nothing surprised me except when the FMC finally made a wise decision for herself and that's when I decided to rate this book 2 stars instead of 1.

Maybe with some editing this book could be slightly better, but not by much. I didn't like the writing style either, but from my understanding, this is an unedited ARC. (seeing what an unedited copy looks like actually gives me hope of becoming an author)

I hate giving low ratings, especially for a book that I wanted to love, but I was tempted to dnf this one multiple times because of how bad it is and that almost never happens to me.

When someone says a book is giving Twilight, you know I'll be there for it. However, I expect it to be better than Twilight if it's published in 2024, because the expectations are way higher and there's plenty of quality content to draw inspiration from nowadays.

The characters have no personality or defining traits, the dialogue is clunky, the narration was tell instead of show. I didn't like the writing style either, nor the constant arguing between characters; there was no point to any of it and it did not serve its purpose for world building or character development.

There's insta-love which I could overlook if there was any kind of chemistry between the MCs, but there's nothing. On the cover it says "Her blood is all he craves" but there's nothing about that in the book (yes, I care about those details) and they say "I love you" without even knowing anything about each other.

The twists and turns are predictable as soon as each character is introduced, so nothing surprised me except when the FMC finally made a wise decision for herself and that's when I decided to rate this book 2 stars instead of 1.

Maybe with some editing this book could be slightly better, but not by much. I didn't like the writing style either, but from my understanding, this is an unedited ARC. (seeing what an unedited copy looks like actually gives me hope of becoming an author)

I hate giving low ratings, especially for a book that I wanted to love, but I was tempted to dnf this one multiple times because of how bad it is and that almost never happens to me.

This book wasn't for me. I probably would of DNF'd if I didn't receive it as an ARC.

Unfortunately the characters were very surface level to the point where I was annoyed at both the <spoiler>Insta Love and the Betrayal - Both were out of the blue and annoying</spoiler>

I did like the concept about the world, how the vampires have changed it and how they treat the humans. There were just a lot of holes in the plot that I cannot ignore and the ending was anticlimactic.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An easy read for those who like Fantasy/Romance! I enjoyed the new take on vampire/human relationships and the development of both characters. Troupes include: surprising plot twists, bodyguard and instalove.
Really looking forward to the next book!

As much as I wanted to love this, I just didn't.

*Spoilers*

First of all, if you're expecting an enemies to lovers trope from this book, you'll end up feeling disappointed. There just isn't one. Emelia feels slightly irritated because Kyle'd be following her around and that's literally it. After one conversation with him, she claims he hates her (ten pages in, mind you)💀 And it's not even that he put a knife to her throat or anything, he only used sarcasm because she was acting immature when he was supposed to escort her to her room.

Another thing is the lack of character development. I just felt like Emelia was constantly whining about something and acting like a spoiled child. Her whole personality depended on whether she wanted to flee the house or not.

When it comes to the writing style, I think it simply isn't the type of writing I enjoy. Too much telling and not enough showing. I also thought it to be easy to predict the plot twist since it felt like it was handed to me on a silver platter.

Although, if you're looking for escapism, you might find it here. The story's short, fast paced and focuses mainly on an insta love kinda relationship rather than the fantasy itself.

Emelia Raven is a rarity is this world, she was born human, from 2 vampires and is the heir to the throne of her people. She has grown up very sheltered, she hasn't seen the world and has been afforded every privilege. But as her 18th birthday draws close, and with that her coronation she must start to be seen and known. She is assigned a new guard, Kyle, and even though they get off to a rough start they both quickly learn to trust each other. As rebellion rises throughout the human, Emelia is starting to realized she doesn't know where she belongs and what she stands for.

The concept of this novel is so cool. I always love a twist on a vampire book. I am excited to see where this series goes, and what comes of these characters. The writing does need a bit more to it but was a good start. A solid debut with a lot of room to grow and become a beloved series.

-2.5 stars-

Like many dystopian books, The Last Raven has an amazing premise, but unfortunately a not-so-amazing execution.
As a lifelong lover of any kind of vampire literature, i was very excited to read this one, especially after seeing the (very pretty) cover. The opening paragraph to the book only cemented my hope that this would be at least a four star, but i was soon disappointed.
One of the strongest points of this book was the writing. Easy to read and very engaging, i think i ended up finishing the entire book in one day. There were also some very well written lines throughout (such as the aforementioned opening paragraph) and i feel as though the author has great potential.
Moving onto things i didn’t enjoy as much, i think my biggest issue was how inconsistent the plot felt. At times there was barely anything happening plot-wise, and the romance seemed to be the most prevalent theme, while at others everything (and i mean everything) was happening all at once. Some of the characters felt inconsistent at times too, but this could also be attributed to how the world building felt a little underdeveloped.
For instance, the main character, Emelia, felt very childish to me. I am more than aware that this is a YA novel, and she has been sheltered for much of her life, but her personality ended up coming across as 90% teenage rebellion instead of actual care for the struggles other humans faced.
Yet, by the end of the book, she has grown up in more ways than one, and becomes almost entirely unrecognisable to the person she was at the start. I am all for character development, but in ways that feel natural and with a steady progression, unlike what was shown here.
However, even though i didn’t really enjoy it, The Last Raven was still a fairly entertaining read, and for others i can truly see it becoming a favourite.