Wow. WOW
First of all, love a good urban fantasy! The world was simple but super interesting at the same time.
Female rage - yes please! In a world where women are submitted to men and the church, Lilith is rebelling, and we’re here for it!
The chemistry with Zhariev is IMMACULATE, the yearning, the slow burn, perfectly executed!
I loved all the mythology elements weaved into the modern world!
I can’t wait to read more!!!

Read this. That is my advice. This was a great start to a new series.

Lilith is one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever read about. While she does come from a rich family, she’s tired of the pressure that society has laid upon her. So she leaves Home goes to a different district tries the car about a life for herself. However, her past and family are very reluctant to let her go.

Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. Where Lilith is residing is a dream. You can really feel his affection for Lilith. And his willingness to stand next to her not in front of her is just a small piece that makes his irresistible. Their chemistry burns so bright.

This book does cover some heavy topics so make sure you read the triggers. It also has some great twist and turns. I need the next book ASAP please.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scarlett St.Clair and Sourcebooks for the ARC

The premise of this sounded fantastic, and I adore the cover - it really drew me in.
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I massively struggled to get into it and felt like I had no idea what was going on (which potentially says more about me than the book, which I accept!).
This was a DNF for me.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks UK for the ARC via NetGalley and for giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on this book.

I’m—very pleasantly surprised by this book? It’s not my first Scarlet St Clair book, I read the first installment of her fairytale inspired series a while back and thought it was ok, if maybe just a bit too steamy. However, her Touch of Darkness series is so infamous in France for being bad smut (to the point that my boyfriend’s colleagues have read it for shits and giggles), I was a tad wary going into this one. And while it did have smut, it also had a plot—I know, shocker. And a pretty good one at that. The most interesting aspect of this book to me was the religious aspect of it and the society St Clair built around it: it participated in creating the very peculiar atmosphere of this story, which for some reason gave me CW tv show vibes. Basically if Shadowhunters and Crescent City had a baby, it would be this, with some religious trauma sprinkled on top. I liked the almost mystery plot with a dash of supernatural, it was both intriguing and fun to follow along. Same with the characters, the sort of found family that was introduced here truly worked well in my opinion, and some of the events unfolding here absolutely broke my heart for those characters.
I’ll definitely keep reading that series because it’s original, cool, and promising, so I 100% recommend it!

I’m not one easily made speechless but Scarlett St Claire freaking did it with her new book Terror at the Gates. Scarlett expertly integrates real world topics and downfalls of our society.

I feel the true test to how amazing a book is is how it makes you feel. If it can insight big emotions then it’s truly a masterpiece. This book is full of love, found family, feeling of unworthiness, loss and finally acceptance however the biggest emotion for me was anger.
This book follows Lilith, a young woman who goes against the ideas of society. In a world which is so similar to ours in some aspects. Here Scarlett describes a world which is split into several districts and where religion is the main source of political power. A world who kills people who don’t follow their “ideals” and who speak up against them.

Lillith being the child of one of the head families in this mafia style tale has always been rebellious even as a child, which the archbishop has tried to tame through both physical, mental and sexual assaults.

Finally escaping to another district where the head of the family, Zaharieve, only a few years older than her governs. Here she learns independence however a common theme throughout is that women are worthless. Who are unable to choose who they marry, ask for birth control or even order their own food! That women can have no power and are only there to serve men despite the women of these families being the only ones with actual magic.

The church twisted and demonised women as being the source of temptation and the downfall of men due to the tale of Adam and Eve. However… not all men felt this way especially not our lovely Zaharieve and his friends.

This world that has been created, is mirrored in our history and, in some cases, our present day. I know that this book must have been hard to write as the topics covered were heavy and sadly still affecting people. I just hope that the book can inspire more people, women and men to continue to evolve. To encourage children to be the best version of themselves. To treat people with kindness and equality. Because when that day happens the world will be a much better place.

When Lilith is cast out by her powerful family, she seeks sanctuary in the hedonistic, dangerous city of Eden. With only her wits and raw magic, she scrapes by—until a mysterious, breathtaking blade changes everything..

The moment a buyer dies inspecting it, Lilith is swept into the path of Zahariev—a dangerously enigmatic man she shouldn’t want but can’t seem to resist. He is ahead of a competiting family, and if they are together war will ensue. He is trying hard to do right by her, but has all the touch her and die vibes we love ❤️.
Their investigation into the dagger's 🗡 origins unravels a chilling truth: higher powers are willing to kill to keep their secrets buried. Twisting magic, sizzling banter, and slow-burn romance keep the pages flying. The mystery is rich, the world-building immersive—and that cliffhanger? Absolutely brutal in the best way.

If you love morally gray characters, forbidden loves, high tension, and unraveling conspiracies drenched in magic, this one will hook you—and haunt you until the next book.

This book 📖 is great as an immersive read!
4.5 🌟 or more for sure!!

Terror at the Gates is perfect for fans of mafia-type books, urban fantasy, strong patriarchy-crushing female leads and yearning men.

Lilith, born into a rich powerful family with ties to the church, lives in a run-down town after running from where she was raised. We’re introduced to Zahariev, a family friend sworn to protect her, who Lilith turns to for help whenever she gets in over her head. After finding a mysterious dagger, everything around Lilith falls apart and she begins encountering unusual (and heartbreaking) situations and experiencing dreams that make her question everything she was raised to believe in.

The pacing of this book was perfect, with enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages but also plenty of character development, detail and backstory. Whilst Lilith’s character initially appeared bratty and entitled, she grew on me soon after her backstory was revealed and her motives became apparent. I felt very emotionally attached to her and also to the dark and level-headed Zahariev. The tension and yearning between the two kept me so invested, I could barely peel myself away from this book.

St Clair does an absolutely brilliant yet sensitive job at raising themes of corruption within the church and perceptions of women by these religions and by society generally. The unique magic system really draws on this and highlights attitudes towards women which echo very familiarly to the real world. She includes a short piece at the end of the book to explain the religious themes, misogyny and her inspiration behind Lilith backed up by various sources to give further context behind the book. It’s clear her writing comes from a very passionate and thoughtful place which has only made me more intrigued to read the rest of her work.

The ending of this book is my only slightly negative criticism, as it did feel a little rushed. I’m left not really understanding what happened and with lots of unanswered questions - I presume though that this will form part of a series that will give further detail. Whilst I think the cliffhanger ending was gripping and unpredictable, I do wish the events leading up to it were given a bit more time and explanation to make it even more impactful.

Overall, a well-written and brilliantly paced book that will stick with me for a long time. Scarlett St. Clair - Please give us the sequel soon! I could scream!

Thank you to Netgalley and sourcebooks for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Terror at the Gates is an urban fantasy full of demons, mythology, and religious tension, following Lilith as she carves out her power in a world determined to control her. If you like your fantasy with a touch of spice and a slow-burning romance, this might be one to check out.

There’s a lot I liked about this book. I liked the dual POV format (even if the MMC's chapters were very short), and I had fun with the dynamic between Lilith and Zahariev. Especially the teasing and the nickname “little love” which made me smile every time. I wouldn’t say the romance gave me “he falls first” or "frenemies to lovers" energy because it’s clear from early on that they’re drawn to each other.
Having said that, their relationship is definitely the heart of the story. It felt like the plot was mostly built around them.

The pacing was a bit uneven for me. It felt slow at times, and some parts dragged, especially with Lilith repeatedly getting into danger and having to be saved by the MMC.
I wish the world building had gone deeper, too, because the glimpses we got were intriguing. There’s clearly a larger world at play here, but it felt like we only scratched the surface. I'm curious to see if this will be expanded in the coming books. 

I have to say the ending felt a little sudden. I finished the book feeling like there was a lot I still didn’t fully understand about the world they live in.

That said, it was an easy read for me, and I still enjoyed it. It didn’t quite hit the mark for a four-star read, but it’s more than a three. Perhaps I would rate this as 3.5 stars.

I am still looking forward to the next book and seeing where the story goes next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair is a first person dual-POV romantic dark fantasy reimagining of the story of Lilith. In an alternative reality, Lilith is a member of the Five Families and her future involves becoming a magical siphon for a husband chosen for her by her father and approved by the archbishop. Two years before the story started, Lilith ran from her family and has come under the protection of Zahariev who runs the city of Nineveh.

A major thread throughout the book is the impact of sexual assault committed by a religious figure. We don’t see what happened, but we know that it did and that Lilith’s mother didn’t protect her and her father has never asked why Lilith left. There are several short scenes where Lilith is touched without her permission by other people and Zahariev does deal with it for her. It is important for us to discuss this topic and that survivors of assault can still be sexual and want to have intimate physical relationships with people while still dealing with their trauma.

The world feels very Catholic to me, personally. That is probably because I was raised Catholic, though I imagine people raised in other faiths might see similar things. Given the continued revelations of what has happened at the hands of the clergy, the parallels are impossible to ignore. I have long come to terms with this reality and I hope we keep getting art that refuses to ignore that institutions can and do hide heinous crimes against children. Because of this, the setting and the themes might feel very intense for some readers and I do recommend all readers exercise self-care when picking this book up.

There is a lot of sexual tension between Lilith and Zahariev that takes a while to get pay-off. Lilith is very open about the fact that she wants to sleep with Zahariev and everyone seems to know that Zahariev wants her, too, but he’s the one who’s holding back because he knows that there is a very high chance she’s going to end up married to someone else. The devotion is there from the beginning and if you love characters getting super close to finally giving in and then pushing back, this could satisfy you.

Content warning for depictions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of dark fantasy with strong romance plotlines and readers looking for a fantasy exploring the impact of SA

This was such a nice surprise. This book had not even been on my radar, but a Lilith-inspired angry female character going up against the church? Sign me right up.

I enjoyed listening to this book a whole lot, maybe even more than I have reading it because I loved the narrators’ voices. It had a serious noir vibe paired with urban fantasy setting and the pacing felt right for this universe. Even though I got sucked in right from the beginning, I didn’t get overly attached to some of the secondary characters, but came to love others as the story progressed.
Lilith’s resistance to the patriarchal world she was brought up in made her an independent character with the kind of flaws I can’t help but adore. She was not the perfect character, but who even likes perfect characters anymore?
Now let me tell you about the romance. It was hot. There was tension, banter, frustration and it all culminated in the best way. I couldn’t get enough of it.
The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that Zahariev always had to rescue Lilith in this book. It really got tiring to read about any situation turning out the same way every time. Although, to be fair, I’m expecting this will change in the second book. That ending made me want to dive into the sequel right away, so I’ll have to wait patiently until the author does her magic again.

I was very intrigued by the premise, but was left wanting more from the story. I did hybrid read with the audiobook and physical copy, and can say the narration was excellent.

Terror at the Gates will 100% find its audience - unfortunately, it was just not quite me.

“I’d rather be a sinner than a hypocrite.”

Thank you to Sourcebooks UK, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic reader and listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

*always take care of yourself and check content warnings before reading.

ARC and ALC review

4,5 stars

"Terror at the Gates" by Scarlett St. Clair is the first book in "Blood of Lilith" series.

Thank you Sourcebooks UK for the advance review copy and Tantor Audio for the advance listener copy (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

I read a few other books written by Scarlett St. Clair, but this is my favorite by far.
Lilith is a great character, a strong woman using her magic to steal for a living.

If you have the possibility I would recommend listening to the audiobook while reading as it is a great experience.
Laura Horowitz is an amazing narrator. The book is narrated in dual style, but the most part of the chapters are from Lilith's POV.
She managed to keep me interested in the story and can narrate great both female and male characters.
The end of the chapters are from Zahariev's POV and are narrated by Tristan Warden.
This is the first time I listen to his narration. His voice fits Zahariev's personality and kept me hooked.

The book is a well written, feminist retelling of Lilith's story with magic, mystery, morally gray characters and religious trauma.
Please be aware of the content warnings (SA, violence, descriptive sexual content, child abuse) before reading.

I love both main characters and their interactions.
There is forbidden romance with a slow burn full of tension that turns into hot spice.
Zahariev is a bit older (8 years) and does anything to protect her.
Lilith has a great development as a character but she has a lot of trauma to deal with.

I'm looking forward to the sequel and I hope the audio will have the same narrators.

3 ✨

🐍🗡️🪽🧪
I'm not quite sure on how to rate this but I will go for the safest option of the 3 stars.
Now listen to me, it's not like it was not good but personally I didn't enjoy it either.

The 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 was a bit confusing to me as it intertwined lots of fantasy elements from sci-fi slime "monsters" to archangels, gods and ancient daggers. It's safe to say it's an urban fantasy but with classical fantasy elements. To me it had some "filler" chapters especially in the beginning where we saw the FMC going to her friends and just chat with them for 1 chapter straight and then there was a continuation of some events, like the fact that she always faced some kind of danger in the streets and Zahariev (the MMC) always came to the rescue. This happened 2 times maybe 3. So I feel like there was a pacing issue. Also what with super long chapters? I don't get this at all, some chapters on the audiobook was 50'!!!

The 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 were ok, nothing to go crazy about, I liked the fierceness of the FMC and her backstory with the religious trauma and the SA but at times I felt she was literally a "brat" as Zahariev called her. Our MMC was the super hot, super composed but "melt only for you" kinda guy who just smoke on EVERY goddamn occasion AND chapter 🙄🙄 I don't also get the fact that we had just a small paragraph for Zahariev, I mean, may as well not have his POV at all at this point 🤷🏻‍♀️
Another thing I want to comment here is the choice for the male narrator cause I feel his voice made Zahariev sound 50 yo and not 30 and this was giving me the iyk.

I'm not sure If I want to continue the series but maybe it wasn't also my cup of tea!

𝐀 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

I need the rest of this like now.

As a lover of Touch of Darkness series I have never ran faster than when I heard Scarlett was bringing us a new neo-fantasy.
Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons. Slow burn romance with Boss Daddy and strong powerful , magic wielding, FMC. Yes please I’ll take 10 to go.
The cover is beautifully crafted art and really helps me to visual the dark murky streets of Niveneh, picture steaming manhole covers, neon lights above bars, and seedy characters loitering the streets once the sun goes down.
The forbidden romance, SLOW burn is chefs kiss and I need more Zahariev in my life.
Seriously I can’t wait to finish this series and watch Lilith rise to her full potentional.

I feel like I have to preface this by saying that my only other experience with Scarlett St. Clair was her Hades/Persephone retelling, which I thought suffered from a weak plot and an unenjoyable heroine.

So, I went into this with lowered expectations, intrigued by the prospect of a story that wove in wider Christian mythology. I love stories centered around Lucifer, Lilith, Archangels, and all that, and this story obviously plays with that connection, its world fully anchored in those roots.

After finishing this, I’m feeling very meh on this. On the one hand, because I knew what to expect, my lowered expectations helped me enjoy this as a sort of trashy, unserious read. But, still, I didn’t enjoy it enough to rate it higher, because — damn — I really don’t feel like the author did anything with this book’s themes or plot.

It was just thoroughly mid, I’d say.

• World-building
It’s barely there. The author never really painted a picture of what exactly this world is that the characters exist in. There’s some setup — apparently it’s in the desert (mentioned once?) and it’s a seedy, dangerous city? The world is super misogynistic? Somehow Lilith is the daughter of a well-known family, an heir who needs to be married off? And Zahariev is too? But these factors are just thrown in and not really explored.

There’s also this whole weird subplot at the beginning with Zahariev being a club owner and Lilith wanting to dance for him, which is dropped quickly. It’s like the author was doing so much here and somehow nothing at all.

And this ties into the Christian mythology elements too — it all felt really hamfisted. The references to any of it seemed added more for aesthetic and vibes rather than being meaningfully woven into the plot or world-building. The wider mythology clearly took a backseat to the romance drama, and it ended up feeling shallow and underdeveloped.

• Feminist Themes(?)
I’m gonna be honest here… I don’t see where the feminist themes are. The FMC has a traumatic upbringing due to this world’s obvious and deeply embedded misogyny, but the author really does nothing else with it.

She’s constantly saying she fled her home to make her own way, to stand on her own… and yet in this story, it felt like she barely managed anything that didn’t end with her being saved by a male character.

She’s constantly surrounded, saved, helped, and coddled by either Zahariev or Gabriel. What exactly am I supposed to find feminist about this? I wouldn’t even mention it if the feminist angle weren’t explicitly mentioned in the blurb and used for marketing. Clearly, I’m supposed to find something feminist here? And it’s just not there.

• Characters
Lilith, the heroine, is a woman from a wealthy but oppressive family trying to make her own way, and she just… gave nothing. She keeps harping on about wanting to make it on her own, but as I mentioned before, this doesn’t actually happen.

It really felt like the author randomly dropped the reader into the middle of a story — there are all these connections and characters Lilith supposedly has deep backstories with, but it’s just not well communicated to the reader.

The other characters barely made an impact. The female background characters are basically ornaments in the story and don’t play significant, active roles. We’re told there’s a deep bond and friendship between them and Lilith, but most of the time it felt quite shallow and boring.

• Romance
Uninteresting. The FMC doesn’t hide how immediately thirsty she is around the MMC, and after the third or fourth time of her basically begging him to sleep with her, I wanted to stop reading about them.

The MMC was similarly wanting but hid it “for her protection” (ugh). It’s such a tired dynamic. I think I got even more annoyed when she kept denying that he obviously liked her, which every character in the story comments on and is obvious to absolutely everyone.

There was nothing compelling about their dynamic. She was basically a constant damsel in distress and he was the “Alpha nobody-touch-her” guy who kept his distance “for her own good.” They both clearly wanted each other, and there was no real tangible reason they weren’t together.

Since I didn’t care about them, their sex scenes didn’t do anything for me either. I guess they were sorta entertaining, but not much else.

• Dialogue
I have to mention this because I read parts of this and listened to the audiobook for other parts, and thus had to listen to narrators say these lines… Wow, was it cringy at times. Zahariev threw around the tired bad-boy Alpha lines left and right, and it squicked me out so much. And Gabriel calling her baby girl every other sentence grated on me — especially in the audiobook. It annoyed me so much.

• Audiobook / Narration
Totally apart from the story — the female narrator was great! I really have no complaints there. But the male narrator didn’t really match what I thought of the MMC. He seemed a little too grizzled? Too old? The hero was canonically only eight years older than the heroine, so hearing him narrate Zahariev’s POV chapters after the female narrator (who fit so seamlessly) threw me off sometimes. But maybe that’s just personal preference.

• Final Thoughts
I feel like I’m not the target audience for this, but sometimes I like a more fun, no-brainer read to relax. With this, though, I just felt like it didn’t give me anything to really like. The plot felt too shallow, the world-building too thin, and the characters felt flat. And while the mythology and themes had so much potential, it felt slapped on rather than thoughtfully explored.

I didn’t hate it. It was fine as an audiobook, but I’m pretty sure I would have liked it less if I’d only read it. Honestly, the audiobook saved a lot of this for me.



Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely DEVOURED THIS. Didn’t want to put it down. This was my first Scarlett St Clair book and its absolutely my sign to read more from her.

These characters and this world had me absolutely captivated. Obsessed. This book was such a good read - just what I needed!

This book is a real page turner and leaves readers eager for more. Lilith Levithan, is estranged from her powerful family and survives through stealing. Unfortunately, this attracts unwanted attention, particularly from the church, which believes that women should be pious, silent, and defer to their husbands in all matters. The setting is intriguing, featuring a magic system exclusively accessible to women, although men hold positions of power—a dynamic seemingly destined for upheaval. Lilith's friends, especially Zahariev, provide essential support, and the underlying longing in their story is exceptionally well portrayed. With its strong feminist themes and brisk pace, this series promises an exciting future.

Urban fantasy myth retelling with claws, sass, and a side of righteous fury.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book said equal rights for all and emotional damage for me, and I couldn’t be more on board. A bold, modern retelling of Lilith’s story, soaked in myth, power, and just the right amount of rage. Some are calling it feminist—I’d say it’s more of an equalist mic drop. All we want are basic human rights, babe.

✨ If you liked Bryce Quinlan from Crescent City, welcome to your new obsession.
Lilith is a rich girl with real problems (read: trauma and an aversion to feelings). She’d rather fight demons than talk about her emotions—and honestly, I respect it. But when it counts? She shows up. Vulnerable, fierce, messy… perfection.

And Zahariev? Oh, we’re OBSESSED. Morally grey, emotionally loyal, mafia-adjacent vibes with just enough fire to scorch the earth for her. A top-tier book husband. No notes. 🔥

💥 Tropes we’re devouring
• Forbidden romance
• Friends to lovers
• Found family
• Emotional wreckage
• Down with the patriarchy vibes™

Scarlett, ma’am, where is book two? I’m not well.

Terror at the gates was such an amazing read. I’m not usually a big fan of urban romantasy but Scarlett, being the queen that she is made me obsessed with one once again.

I absolutely love how Scarlett structured this book, while we get most of it in the FMC’s pot, at the end of each chapter we got a bit of the MMC’s pop and it kept me wanting more the whole time, which is probably why I devoured this book like I did.

The world building was really well done and had me interested from the very beginning. I love how this book ended being kind of a feminist retelling, she put so much female rage into it and into Lilith’s character it had me crying a few times. The fact that it also deals with heavy religious trauma didn’t help in that department. Scarlett doesn’t scare away from talking and writing about heavy topics and she handles them with a care I have rarely seen in fantasy.
(TW: while it is not happening on page, there are mentions of child molestation and rape)

Lilith, our Fmc, is such a badass headstrong character but at the same time was so relatable on so many levels. She doesn’t always make the smartest decisions but that is also why we can relate to her so much, she’s real in her emotions and yes let them influence her decisions but that’s just LIFE.
Zahariev…he exceeded all my expectations. He’s just THAT great. He’s protective, funny, caring with just the right amount of possessive.

I know Lilith and Zahariev were supposed not to like the other much at first but I saw, and this from the first chapters, how much they secretly care for the other and it made me internally giggle. From the moment I learned he accepted for her to live in his territory I knew he was a softie for her. The slow burn was SLOOOOW but it was perfect for them, and lets just say we were nicely rewarded for our patience.

I absolutely love their relationship and how we get to see it evolve throughout the book. The way Zahariev cares for Lilith and would be ready to do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to protect her made me swoon more than a few times and rage that this is in fact, a work of fiction and not reality. I was done for the moment he said he would go to war for her.

Their banter is also chefs kiss and SO FREAKING FUNNY. Im not kidding, I woke my sister up in the room next to me by laughing too loud. Here’s the guilty quote :

“𝒲𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝓇𝒾𝓋𝑒?” 𝐼 𝒶𝓈𝓀𝑒𝒹.
𝒵𝒶𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓋 𝑔𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒. “𝐼’𝒹 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊,” 𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹. “𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝔂 𝓪 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓶𝓮𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽.”
“𝓕𝓾𝓬𝓴 𝓸𝓯𝓯,” 𝐼 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹, 𝓅𝓊𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒾𝓂.

All in all, this was such an easy five star for me. Please do yourself a favor and add it to your tbr asap.

Thank you NetGalley and SourcebooksUK for the eARC

Terror at the Gates pulls you in and hooks you from the start (though, this is expected from Scarlett St. Clair and anything she writes)! There is a little bit of an info dump at the beginning with the world building but it becomes more clear as the story progresses.

It deals with a number of heavy, mature themes (religious extremes, sexual abuse of a minor, rape, domestic abuse, death of a loved one, gender imbalances, and more) and the mental health in the aftermath of the various traumas. Definitely check for trigger warnings before going into this one.

One thing I absolutely LOVE about Terror at the Gates is you get chapters of Zahariev's (MMC) POV which are always only a couple lines long but oh so swoon worthy 😍

As well as the above themes, we also get some of our favourite tropes and some spice 🌶️🌶️
🗡️ Touch her and die
❤️ Forbidden romance
🥵 Slow burn
🛡️ Protector/saviour

4.5/5 ⭐️ (rounded up) I don't normally go for books with religious themes but this will be on my recommendations 😊