I love Ava's writing and how all of her stories are so unique and nothing like I have previously read! This was a dystopian tale with action, romance and adventure! The characters were well written and the world building was fascinating! I look forward to reading more of Ava's books in the future!

Set in the not-too-distant future, we are introduced to a world that has been profoundly ravaged by climate change, rampant consumerism and unchecked corporation monopolies. Then in steps our sapphic enemies to lovers and I am immediately interested.

There was so much potential here and the set up did does a really good job for getting us invested in what’s to come. Unfortunately, I felt that the rest of the book just didn’t follow through.

Let’s start with the worldbuilding. I loved some of the premises here but it needed more work. A lot more work actually, in order to make this world feel rich and immersive.

I also think the similarities to other dystopian stories really hindered my enjoyable here as it just didn’t feel like a really original world. While I absolutely love that the author acknowledged the huge influence Hunger Games had on their writing, it still felt too much like a knock-off Hunger Games. I love dystopian fiction and there are lots of books that have successfully included elements of the Hunger Games into their dystopian novels but this just didn’t work for me.

In terms of characters and relationships, we got glimmers of what could be but relationships and character arcs all just fell a bit flat for me. While romance in YA can be a tricky affair, finding the balance between tension and chemistry without going too far, I really struggled to buy into Inesa and Mel’s love. I just don’t think there was enough bonding and conversation between them for this to feel tangible.

As for the plot, well it’s minimal at best. I think we could all have predicted the plot and there were some plot drivers here that were just a bit painful to read. I don’t mind a cliché but they need to at least be better imbedded.

Even the ending... it just didn’t pack a punch for me. It came so close to doing something but just couldn’t follow through. It all just felt lacking.

I will say that I enjoyed the writing style and it was very easy to read. I sat down in the afternoon and read the whole book in one sitting easily (that may be in part due to knowing if I stopped, then I’d struggle to pick it back up). Someone else said it but I was thinking the same – as I was reading this, I kept thinking there is no scenario where I would pick this up over the hunger games.

While I know this review feels really negative, I have opted for 3 stars as it’s not a bad book. It’s not badly written and there are many, many worse novels out there. This just didn’t work for me at all but I’ve no doubt there are others who will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

DNF

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I start this review, know as a disclaimer that I didn't get very far into this at all, and that I think this is a book that just isn't for me. When I was approved for this E-ARC, this book/genre/style and author was something I was very much into, but my reading tastes have changed a lot since then.

Something that's important to me when reading a book is that it feels original and unique, but this to me was so clearly trying so hard to be every other YA dystopian that has been published, particularly The Hunger Games. I don't mind taking inspiration from previous stories, but I could already tell this was going to feel like a near-carbon copy of many book that I've already read. The first chapter is in the character Inesa's POV, and I was almost immediately put off by her, so, without that connection the characters, I doubt I would get much enjoyment/satisfaction out of this.

Based on some other reviews I've read, I think not continuing with this book is for the best, as it just doesn't suit my tastes at all, but I hope some people will enjoy this book.

The thing I love most about Ava Reid is that no two books feel the same. She masters every genre and subgenre she turns her hand to.

Fable for the End of the World is no exception. A true dystopian novel - a society that feels not too wildly out of reach - modern consumerism stretched to an extreme, where heavy debts inspire families to turn on each other, offering a family member up to run the Gauntlet - a death match against a technologically enhanced soldier. A country, flooded and warped, where global warming reached a point of no return and the everyday folk had to learn to manage whilst the rich stay secluded in their artificial communities, a warping of nature so extreme that it results in physical mutations of animals and humans living in the toxicity. An obsession with reality tv, with turning a blind eye to the plights, troubles and despairs of your fellow man, in order to avoid unwanted attention on you, while peeking at the screen watching the horror that befalls them - a peverse satisfaction that "at least it's not me". Honestly, this world is just like a hall of mirrors to the modern world - stretched and exaggerated, but still recognisable, and that makes it scary all on its own.

That Inesa and Mel meet each other, and find a way to see past their expected roles - that of hunter and prey - is an expression of hope in the most bleak of times, the human connection winning through. Until, of course, it doesn't. The climax and ending of this tale - one poised on the knife-edge of hope and despair - did not go how I expected, and I can't help but wonder which feeling Reid wanted us to be left with. Is it a warning, or an expression of hope? I'm sure it will take me a lifetime to puzzle it out.

Oh we are SO back – this is for the girlies who were obsessed with The Hunger Games. I devoured this in one sitting!

Ava Reid delivers a bleak, all-too-plausible vision of the future. One where climate disasters abound, a corporatocracy basically controls everyone’s lives, and survival hinges on a credit-based system. The existential dread was soo real with this one.

If you’ve read her previous books, Reid’s haunting signature style is definitely present. From the start, the world-building is extremely compelling, with super vivid descriptions of this post-nuclear world. I was absolutely riveted! We have mutant, radiation-scarred animals, bionic/chemically-engineered female assassins known as Angels, and the Gauntlet – a live-streamed death show with millions of viewers hungry to witness a violent death.

The book leans heavily into commentary on climate change, capitalism, AI, and social media – sometimes a little on the nose, but always thought-provoking. In the age of Twitch streams and reaction videos, the Gauntlet in particular felt eerily familiar. There’s a clear parallel to our world, with the desensitisation of violence on social media. Reid doesn't just create a dystopian bloodsport with the Gauntlet – she shows us how easily we'd consume it. The viewers don't see people anymore, just content to engage with: reactions to share, deaths to timestamp, moments to clip and remix. It's a dark mirror of how we already treat human tragedy on social media, just taken one step further.

Beneath all that, there’s also an underlying theme of hope and gratitude as a currency, which Inesa struggles with and that I found super interesting.

I also loved how Reid dives into the experience of womanhood, especially through the Angels. Melinoë and her trauma was so well written. The parallels to today’s impossible beauty standards and the rise of AI-generated content were amazing. Reid truly specialises in dark, haunting, feminist stories.

Inesa and Melinoë were great protagonists and I loved the dual POVs. It's gutting to watch their parallel struggles – one becoming more machine than human, the other fighting to survive in a world that only values her potential death.

The romance, of course, is a highlight. I was so invested in their relationship and praying for a happy ending. It could have used a bit more build-up, but overall it was beautifully written. I also adored the sibling relationship between Inesa and her younger brother Luka. The relationships truly ground this story imo.

In contrast, you do have to be willing to ignore the thin plot in favour of these relationships. There are contrived plot drivers that seem a little too convenient. Because of this, I thought the pacing in the middle suffers. However, that ending? Not only does it make the slower moments worth it, but it leaves the door tantalizingly open for more (perhaps a sequel??? 👀).

This book captures something special - that mix of dread and hope that made us fall in love with dystopian fiction in the first place. I felt so nostalgic reading this; I truly hope this and Silver Elites pave the way for a dystopian genre comeback. If you like YA or if you got into reading during the 2010s dystopian genre boom, this is for you!

I'm pretty sure the only way to make a sapphic Hunger Games even better is to have Ava Reid it write it.

I was invested in this story from page one. I loved the juxtaposition between the two points of view with one seeing the poorest situation and the other seeing plenty in the city, but both girls being subject to the whims of Cearus so neither was free. It painted a really dark and depressing image of the world and how little is thought of human life, especially women and girls.

There are echoes not only of other dystopian YA books, but sci-fi films and games as well, which I really appreciated as a fan of the genre. You can tell that this was almost a love letter to Reid's favourite inspirations, that and her love for her characters really shine through.

I loved the exploration of memory throughout the book. Although Melinoë's memory is regularly "wiped" the idea that she still carries echoes within her and that these help to make her more human as the story progresses is both beautiful and sad.

While the book touches on a lot - including how capitalism ruins literally everything, even the way people are able to express love - I think the idea of people always finding hope even in the face of defeat is my favourite theme. Despite not achieving what she hoped for, the fact that Inesa can still hope for the love and life she wants at the end really was bittersweet.

I'm so glad that this is a standalone as I want to be able to write my own end for the characters in mind. I want to hope that it all works out.

Surprisingly, this is my first Ava Reid. And it will not be my last.

I really enjoyed the world building, romance and story telling in this title.

It was easily consumable but very enjoyable;.

Okay Ava Reid, I see you. This book caught me off guard. The first couple of chapters, I wasn't too sure. I thought it started off slow and I was a little confused but then out of no where, I just couldn't put this down! This was only the second thing I've read by Ava Reid and I'm quickly learning that she knows how write an atmosphere. It felt damp. It felt uncomfortable. It really adds to the believability of the story. Highly recommend.

I could not put this book down. If you enjoy YA dystopian fiction then you have to read it! The world created highlights climate change and classism cruelty. It is vivid, raw and dark. We have two points of view that are worlds apart and clash together. The survival for both parties is so interesting to read. I saw this was a mix of The Last of Us and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and it certainly did not disappoint. The Gauntlet is intense and terrifying. Against the odds the main characters have a special connection that creates a sense of hope in such an oppressive environment. I love a survival story, add in some action, a taxidermist and an assassin and it becomes so so much more. Also a special mention needs to go out to the weird creatures, this added to the atmosphere immensely. Highly recommend this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This book caught me off guard with how good it was. I was a little unclear at the start on the gauntlet but I was soon swept up in it.

Ava Reid has proven again that she is an astonishing, skilled writer who handles bold and thought provoking topics deftly for a YA audience.

I loved that in this dystopian setting we had an eternal optimist in the form of Inesa. Her inability to see the worst in the world, despite every sign that she should, made her so endearing. I loved the storyline of the Angels and I think Melinoés character arc was superb.

Definitely recommend!

Ava Reid can do no wrong! Her influences from classic YA dystopia really showed through, and as always her characters are multifaceted and sympathetic. Love

BOOK REVIEW: Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid @delreyuk @netgalley #adprproduct

2 Stars

I was so excited for this book as I adore dystopian books and it sounded really interesting. Unfortunately it ended up being a disappointment.

The dystopian storyline is based where climate change and radiation has ravaged the world. A corporation has taken over and it runs on a credit based system. If you hit a debt of too many credits, you have to nominate a family member to enter the Gauntlet, where an Angel (a bionic and chemically engineered human with suppressed emotions and lethal training and instincts) hunts them down. The Gauntlet is broadcast across the city for everyone to see. After our lead female Inesa is nominated in for the games by her mentally ill mother, her brother, a hunter helps her try to escape the Angel. The Angel is called Melinoë and she is known for being cold and deadly.

The story is VERY Hunger Games meets Legend by Marie Lu, meets Divergent. I liked the story but it just didn't have enough depth or unique features. I also found the story to be super repetitive, filled with plot holes and a HUGE lack of worldbuilding. I nearly DNFed many times but I liked the lead females so stuck with it for them. Unfortunately the ending caused what would have been a 3 star rating to drop an entire point. This is a standalone apparently, but it doesn't end like one and it annoyed me SO much.

I really like Inesa and her bravery and kindness. She has had a tough life and has every reason to be filled with hate and anger but she isn't. I loved her bond with her brother too.
I also found the journey Melinoë went on to be really interesting and loved the connection between her and Inesa. It was meant to be enemies to lovers, but I wouldn't go quite that far.

The writing was fine, if a little bland and monotonous at times. It was the lack of detail that really ruined it for me.

Overall, there are much better dystopian books out there and although there was some decent imagination, it often felt copied from other books.

A dystopian, Hunger Games/ Running Man style game show premise, with flooded streets and mutant animals. Sign me up!
Unfortunately I think to truly appreciate this book you have to care about the romance, and it just didn't make sense to me.
I will say that I wasn't sure where the story was going to go, and I like that I was kept guessing right until the last few pages. In some ways though I was a little let down by the ending.
A difficult one to rate!

Wtf 😅😅😅😅

A Fable for the End of the World is a sapphic dystopian YA that will resonate deeply with your teen-self. If you loved The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, then this is the book for you.

Themes include:

-Dystopian Setting
-Enemies to Lovers
-Found Family
-Sapphic Romance
-Hunter vs the Hunted

I was captivated by this book from the start. Surprisingly fast-paced and easy to follow, I devoured it in just three sittings. Reid has quickly become an auto-buy author for me; her descriptions of the environment, surroundings and people are so vivid that I never struggle to picture her characters and worlds in my mind. Plus, she's an awesome human.

Reid's ability to weave together complex plots and multi-dimensional characters showcases her exceptional talent as a storyteller. The novel's pacing is well-crafted, balancing moments of intense action with quieter, more intimate passages that allow for deeper character connections.

The story centres around themes of hope and resilience, offering strong perspectives on the nature of humanity. These themes make it an emotionally impactful read that stays with you long after you've turned the final page.

Huge thanks to DelReyUK for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

“And maybe that’s all it takes—at least at the beginning. Just a few people who care.”

The Last of Us meets Crier’s War meets The Hunger Games in Ava Reid’s new dystopian fantasy.

Fable for the End of the World is a standalone dystopian sapphic romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

I loved Reid’s atmospheric writing and thought that the book was very fast paced throughout and the tension constantly high. The story was beautiful yet horrifying and devastating at the same time.

Inesa and Melinoë are two really strong female characters each with their own story and motivations, which are brought together in the most brutal way.

Thank you @delrey for the proof

When I think back to YALC 2024 and the way I fought tooth and nail for this book. And for what? PAIN!!! Endless, torturous, slow, and debilitating pain.

And at this point I should expect no less from Ava.

This starts off with the most beautiful love letter to the hunger games. As a girl who was there for the OG dystopian novel high, it was beautiful to read and you can definitely see the influence that series has on this book. But my lord does it take on a life of its own.

I won’t go too much into the pain of the world itself, you should discover that for yourself but what I will say is the commentary on women in the media, consumerism, sexuality, love, gender (honestly I can go on forever) is, as always, so beautifully done.

And the romance, the spark of hope in a bleak and devastating world, had me physically grabbing my chest to stop me falling apart, the complex feelings of two very different souls, with struggles the other could never really understand, and the hope they give each other. I can’t put into words how they made me feel.

The end? You’ll have to read it to find out but keep the tissues (and junk food) close by.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - arc & monthly book box pick reviewer

This is one the most hyped books of 2025, and since it has a queer main couple, I was all grabby hands. I just needed to read it! I haven't read any f/f dystopia, so I was very excited for it! However, it just didn't do it for me.

We have chapters from both girls, of Inesa's and Mel's. You really feel for both of them, that's for sure. Inesa has a brother with whom she has an agreement not to talk about both elephants in the room namely the dad who abandoned them and a mother who is self-absorbed and who blames everything on Inesa while her brother is a golden boy who can do no wrong. She is imprisoned within her family and imprisoned by society, too. Their debts get higher and higher, and there is no way out.

Mel has been stripped of everything that makes her her. Her memories get wiped, her face altered, her body pumped with various substances. She is at the mercy of Azrael, her handler and creators of the atrocious Gauntlets. She is also a victim of her circumstances, of poverty, of lack of privilege. She is designed to be a weapon that kills at the Gauntlets. Anything else should not exist. But her feelings still exist. Her mind starts to push against the program's unspeakable "treatments" and I do believe that she will get out, at some point.

I rooted for both girls, and I liked both, but I didn't feel the romance at all. Each girl starts having feelings for the other because they're pretty? Their attraction, I can get. But actual feelings just like that when one of them is meant to kill the other? To me, it felt forced, and I couldn't get invested in their romance.

I haven't read any of the author's previous work, but many readers say that she is known for her atmospheric prose. This book didn't have it, in my opinion, and perhaps, it was by design. I don't know. I just felt like it was very wordy, paragraphs were long, and there were plenty instances of page after page of commentary and/or worldbuilding descriptions. I did feel the author's heart on the story, though. This book certainly means a lot to her, and I felt her devotion to it. However, for me, the worldbuilding didn't feel fresh, it felt like a natural devolvement of our society seeing the world's current state.

I'm not a fan of the ending, either. It felt very anticlimactic, an awkward bittersweet ending that had me sighing.

Suffice to say, this was def not for me, but others might feel different! I mean, we finally have a YA queer dystopia! This can open the path to so many other stories by authors of marginalized backgrounds.

It is the monthly pick for a YA March box, and I will skip.

Loved loved loved this, it's hunger games meets climate change but without a super happy ending. I would definitely love to read more, maybe an overthrow of the system

I’m afraid I will need to DNF this book. It’s truly nothing to do with the authors writing or the story, I’m just not the biggest fan of dystopian fiction I’m realising! (Which is okay!!!). Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it :)