Terror at the Gates is a fast, entertaining read that sets up a dark and moody urban fantasy world filled with magic, mafia vibes, and Catholic lore. It follows Lilith Leviathan, who’s on the run from her powerful family, and Zahariev, a broody crime lord, as they uncover a deadly conspiracy. While the story is pitched as a feminist retelling of the biblical Lilith, it feels more like Lilith’s personal journey of breaking free than a deep social commentary, though that could develop in later books. The plot is light and definitely feels more like a setup for the rest of the series than a complete standalone. The characters didn’t leave a strong impression, and the romance felt pretty familiar if you’ve read her other romantasy books (especially Hades and Persephone retellings). Still, if you’re into those vibes and don’t mind a slow start to a new series, this could be a fun pick.

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟.2
Terrors at the Gates is book 1 in the Blood of Lilith and does leave on a cliffhanger!
Omg, this book had me hooked. It does start off a little slow to me, but once it picks up, omg, you will be hooked and will not be able to stop listening. Lilith is the definition of a strong female who doesn't let the world tear her apart or make her weak. Lilith went through a lot, and it just made her so much stronger. I loved her character!
Zahariev is the head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. He is daddy for real!
I want book 2 like now.
Please check TW before reading.

The audiobook is dual narration! Which I loved hearing Zahariev's POV. It gave the story so much depth. Both narrators were easy to listen to and also understand. Listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Tantor Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Overview:
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair will release July 9th, 2025, and is a romantasy book set in the Garden of Eden and surrounding areas. It follows the female main character, Lilith, and we also see some perspectives from the male main character, Zahariev. Throughout the book, we see Lilith struggle in a society where women do not have the upper hand, but they do have magic. Struggling to separate from her very powerful family, she finds a dagger that ends up killing the man she tries to sell it to, which leads her down a very large rabbit hole of figuring out where the dagger came from and what it is used for.

Review:
Unfortunately, I did not end up enjoying this book. I was interested in the synopsis because it seemed like something I would normally read. Terror at the Gates is supposed to dual point of view, which it barely was. Certain chapters were ended by maybe a paragraph or two of dialogue by the main male character. Most of the time, I did not deem these insights necessary, and they almost seem repetitive. I don't feel like they added to the story in most cases.
Terror at the Gates is the first book being published in the Blood of Lilith series. For this reason, I understand that the main purpose of the book is to help with character building, plot building, explaining the backstory of all the characters, and how their society works. For me, it was too slow, and unfortunately, I don’t think that there was enough information learned about the plot to make this book worth reading. I can say that the ending and the cliffhanger were pretty good and I am intrigued to see what happens next but based off of the writing in this book and the way that everything was executed I don't particularly have interest in reading the next book in the series because I was growing tired of not getting to the point.
This book started out good, I did like the character traits that Lilith had, including: female rage, defending for herself, separating from her family, going against men, and being an individual in a society where women are controlled by men. There were also good side characters, such as Lilith's best friend. I like the unique traits that Lilith has, but again, I just wish things were faster paced and there wasn't so much filler. I feel like I barely know what was going on in the plot, and I still have a lot of questions that should have been answered.
In the aspect of romance, it is a slow burn, and most of the romance scenes end up taking place in the second-to-last chapter. The scenes were good, but I didn't necessarily feel the angst between the two main characters. I was somewhat frustrated when I realized that I was on the second-to-last chapter with a list of questions about the plot, and most of the time was taken up by a romance scene. This would have done a lot better earlier on and would have made me, as a reader, less frustrated. The connection between the main characters would have been better if there had been more banter or more backstory between them. I feel like that was lacking in this case, so it just made me more annoyed than that “oh finally!” feeling that you get most of the time.
I do not want to discredit this book. I do think that there were some good parts to it, such as the character building, but for me, this was not a book that I would necessarily recommend, but I didn't think it was so bad that I wanted to DNF it. If you like heavy plot building, heavy character building, low fantasy, and low romance, then this would be a good book for you. I am interested to see how the following books in this series develop people's opinions of the first books, but I do not think I will continue to read the series after the next books come out.

I beg your finest pardon but that ending?! HELLO?! I-shook. I will admit the beginning with the world building...I wish there was more and more information about the families and the world building. I felt like we got like a summary of each, which makes me want to physically read the book (I listened to an ALC) and I'll more than likely get more information about those things. The narrators were great for the FMC and MMC. I wish we got more of Zahariev. I'm going to be honest I thought it was going to be a duet, but that's ok! Lilith's VA was very good and I felt, fit Lilith very well! I can't wait for the next book and I will be WAITING for it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

I'm going to extremely blunt. I feel like if I was reading this book as a digital arc I would've enjoyed my experience. Sadly, the audiobook narration was such a huge issue for me. I held on to this book because of the story, because the narration in this book? I cringed every-time the narrator said the lead male character name. The choices made by the narrators felt phone caricatures attempting to exude darkness and slyness...but overall just came off as a really bad parody. The attempts to be seductive just came across as reductive (oh god I'm rhyming), that it really made me pause at times to furrow my brows or tempt me to fast forward a chapter.

On to the story. Good intentions are present but the layout and world building need work to be fully fleshed out. Many aspects of the characters and world needed to have more context to convey the darkness, complexity, and sultry grittiness that Scarlett St. Clair wants to share. The chemistry roils and bubbles but the fantastical aspect needed some more investment.

I'm giving this 2.5 but bumping to 3 stars (this would be a 3 star but the audio book was a really bad experience). Thank you so much Tantor Audio for the audio book!

OMFGGGGGGGG WHYYYYYY

That ending???

Dawg I’m ready to flip all this shit over.

This ALC was great and the narrators did an excellent job!

The first 56% moves slow imo. I was hoping to see some type of action. The last 34% really went fast and packed some punches!

Enjoyed and can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Scarlet never ceases to amaze with her writing!! This dystopian type setting of fanatical religion and political houses is such an intriguing way to create this world building. The FMC Lilith is this woven combination of spoiled brat, abuse victim, and survivor; she gets a little whiny and cringy at first but knowing the author’s other books she sets her characters up for growth and I know Lilith will be no different. The change you see her make by the end, acknowledging her struggles and pitfalls and setting herself up for so much more growth to come. Zahariev is a mysterious brooding MMC but the devotion he has toward Lilith ahh!! I can’t wait to learn more about him, swoon worthy!!! The side characters are just as well developed to the plot and I want to see how this will unfold I’m so sad I have to wait though. I also listen to this on audio and the narrators do a phenomenal job with it!! 100% recommend!! The slow burn tension Laura Horowitz manages in this is just divine!!

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGallery for an advanced listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I usually do not care for urban fantasy, so I was hesitant diving in to this one. I'm so thrilled to say that I was absolutely blown away by this. Starting with the world building - absolutely masterful. Scarlett draws you in to a rich and gritty neo-noir city backdrop, a perfect pairing for the plot. Gripping from the very first page, the story keeps you guessing and craving more the entire way through. It is a beautiful blend of intriguing mystery, world lore, and forbidden romance. The pacing is medium, which fits the narrative, but the romance is a delicious slow burn with an amazing payoff. The characters are fully developed, and the chemistry is palpable. Although it is set up for a sequel, it doesn't end on a huge cliffhanger - which I appreciated. I cannot wait until the next book!

I am so thrilled to have had the chance to read this before release. Thank you so much Tantor Audio and Sourcebooks for this ALC!

THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!!! I absolutely DEVOURED this book, everything about it was good, from the writing style to the plot, and the cliffhanger!!! This book isn’t even out yet and I already can’t wait until the next one. The only thing I didn’t love was that the male narrator didn’t really change his voice much when he was speaking for the FMC, so I feel like he could be better in a duet narrated book instead of a dual narration. Besides that I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! 4.5⭐️

Review: Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ALC provided by NetGalley

Terror at the Gates was unlike anything I’ve read before; fresh, intense, and full of depth. Lilith is a total badass, navigating cursed magic, religious trauma, and a whole lot of chaos with grit and heart.

The audiobook was amazing—completely immersive. And Zahariev? More like Zaddy. Always there when Lilith needs him, and of course, he falls first.😏

I requested this audiobook predominantly because I love Laura Horowitz' narrations. Fantasy is my favourite genre, but I'd probably class this as urban fantasy, which is quite new to me. The world building didn't feel as rich as expected but I liked how easy it was to follow.

I liked Lillith as our FMC from the start, but towards the end I grew tired of her being the centre of everyone's universe. She was still a strong character but it seemed a bit counterproductive to have the MMC save her every 5 seconds, when she was obviously capable of saving herself.

The pacing seemed about right because I was hooked throughout and I enjoyed my listening experience. The side characters were interesting and I had a good time up until the last 10%. The ending seemed quite abrupt and while I understand its setting up for book two, it felt a bit odd how quickly things wrapped up.

The spice was fine but I'm not really into that. I was thankful that they didn't jump to it straight after trauma so it seemed fairly well timed. The whole drama behind why they couldn't be together seemed a bit forced, but I get that in romantasy books there has to be some tension to make it work.

Overall, I liked it a lot more than I expected to and I'm very grateful to Tantor Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

omg this was AMAZING,so enjoyable and fast paced and listening to this was Def the move the audiobook was sooo good(the narrator for Lilith was perfect she captured her vibe perfectly can't say the same about the guy tho),Lilith is such a fun FMC to have she is very bratty and headstrong but she is also emotional and loving and I genuinely loved being in her head she has been through a lot and I genuinely can't wait for the rest of the series I need a happy ending for her pls my girl has suffered ENOUGH,Zahariev..(giggles and blushes) I loved him he is the MAN the way he always cared for her and his actions please I love an acts of service man and he did so well yeah their relationship was a tad lusty but their emotional connection was there and it was obvious that man has been yearning for YEARS,I am so in love with them and Coco my angel I loved her and Gabriel so much and Scarlett I do not forgive you for what you did to HER hoping for a happy future for Gabriel or else,also the plot?hello this was so fast paced so chaotic there was always something happening a perfect book to binge I was literally looking up for stuff to do so I could listen to the audiobook lol.
ps that last chapter made me so happy that fucker deserved it and more.
so the ending what was that??I needed more I need the next book like I need air pls miss Scarlett😭😭😭

Okay, guys, this might be the next big thing?? I’m kind of feeling it!

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan survives by stealing magical artifacts in the sin-soaked district of Nineveh. When a mysterious dagger leads to a deadly incident, she turns to Zahariev, the brooding ruler of Nineveh with a dangerous reputation and a soft spot for her. As they uncover secrets threatening their world, their growing bond becomes as perilous as the truths they’re chasing.

First off, I absolutely loved the world-building and religion (and kind of religious trauma) woven throughout this book. The magic system felt fresh and unique, especially in combination with the religion, and I was completely hooked by how it was introduced. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that felt quite like this!

I adored Lilith and Zahariev as main characters, and especially together. They have a long history and a bond that practically crackles off the page. Lilith is strong, confident, and knows what she wants, and I loved following her story. And Zahariev... well, I loved him too, especially the small snippets of his POV at the end of each chapter. Those glimpses into his mind show how deeply devoted he is to Lilith, and it made me love him even more. He’s very much the broody, dark, "touch her, you die a painful death" vibe of MMC. And honestly, sometimes we just love that, right? It felt believable and fitting in this world! But Lilith was sometimes a little too impulsive for me. One moment she’s kissing Zahariev, the next she’s pushing him away and throwing insults because he didn’t want to take things further. She also tends to rush headlong into danger, leaving Zahariev to help her more than once.

While the book opens with a pretty big info dump about the world, which did slow things down a bit, I actually enjoyed it because the world is so intriguing. Even so, I still felt like there was something missing and wished we’d gotten a little more depth or explanation in certain places. My biggest critique is that the ending felt abrupt, almost like it just cut off. But the way it ended... wow, I did not see that coming, and I’m so excited for the next book!

I listened to the audiobook (thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio!) and wow, Laura Horowitz was perfect as Lilith! Her voice fit the world beautifully: slightly sultry, a bit seductive, but with an impressive emotional range. I felt every emotion she conveyed, from anger to joy. And Tristan Warden’s deep voice was exactly how I imagined Zahariev’s. I honestly looked forward to hearing his little POV snippets at the end of each chapter!

If you love fantasy romance with interesting world-building, a bit of political intrigue and religious trauma, and a swoony, sexy romance, I definitely recommend giving this one a try. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

First off thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audio copy for an honest review. I was so excited for this and it met all of my expectations. I loved the main character Lilith and loved the story. The narrator also did an awesome job and I did not want to stop listening. I cannot wait for next installment in this series. Just pick this book up!

Big thanks to Scarlett, NetGalley, and Tantor Audio for this ALC!

I LOVE Scarlett's books, and this one was no exception! She has the ability to write female characters who are easy to relate to and who are fighting against a system that is constantly working against them. I loved the rebellious nature of the FMC, Lilith. She's got trauma (related to men, OF COURSE) and is still a bad ass. Yes, she makes some stupid decisions, but don't we all? She's fighting for herself every step of the way here.

In all honesty, I knew nothing about the story of Lilith before diving into this book, and I still don't, other than that she was 'evil' in the eyes of the religion. This book contains numerous biblical references and nods to religion. As someone who was forced to go to church as a child, and then ran as far away from it as I could when I could, a lot of her struggles resonated with me.

In this story, women are granted magic but are subservient to men, who use and abuse both the women and their magic. Of course, Lilith is expected to fall in line as the daughter of a powerful ruler, but she flashes a big middle finger to them all, escaping to Ninevah, a district of sin ruled by the MMC, Zahariev, who is the epitome of a man with a touch her and die attitude. There's a serious slow burn between the two of them, and he will literally die to protect her.

Once the slow burn is over, the spice is amazing, which is one thing I have always thought Scarlett does exceptionally well. And she really killed it with this one (along with the slow burn. It was perfect).

The audio is dual POV, but primarily features Lilith, with small excerpts of Zahariev — and those excerpts are gold. I wanted so much more of his POV here, but I loved how Scarlett did this.

I thought the pacing of this one was great. There were a few slower parts, but they fit well in between the action-packed scenes. The ending was fast, and so much happened, I literally yelled "NOOO WTF" when it was over, because I wanted so, so much more — and I can't wait to get it!!

Thank you Scarlett for writing another amazing story!

A new series from Scarlett St. Clair! This one is going to make the Church call blasphemy. :) This is the story of Lilith Leviathan, heiress of one of the 5 powerful families in Eden. She spends her days treasure hunting and hiding out in Nineveh, under the protection of Zahariev Zareth. (Yeah, that's the love interest.)
Anyway, Lilith steals a dagger from a man with the purpose of re-selling it. However, her pawn guy ends up dead, as does anyone else who comes in contact with this dagger, except for Lilith and Zahariev. The dagger is one of seven, and forged together will make one holy sword to awaken the Old Gods and open the Gates.
This is going to be one hell of a series!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

This book was chaotic awesomeness. It’s a bit dark so check the CW! I knew this was a retelling, but I didn’t know any backstory of the retelling, so it was all new to me and I haven’t read anything like it!

The narrators did an incredible job! I was definitely hard to put down, I just became so engrossed! The tension between Lilith and Zahariev is exquisite, then when it finally snaps 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 you might want a fan!
I loved Lilith’s sass and badassery and then there’s Zahariev, SWOON. I loved how he handled her.

The story is crazy. Violence and murder and death, mysteries revolving those things and then that ending 🤯. Definitely looking forward to the next book!

I really enjoyed this one! 4.25 stars.✨

Okay, Terror at the Gates was an absolute blast! This dark urban fantasy with major mafia romance vibes immediately grabbed me by the throat (in the best way!). I'm already obsessed with our main couple, but my inner slow-burn stan wished we could've dragged out that romance just a tiny bit longer, knowing there's more to come. Still, St. Clair is a QUEEN at building those foundational families and giving us intriguing side characters who I desperately need more of, like yesterday.

And the audiobook?! Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden truly understood the assignment. Their dual narration, especially Tristan bringing our MMC to life, was a chef's kiss! I thoroughly enjoyed this chaotic opener and am SO ready for where this story goes next.

🚨Seriously, though, check those trigger warnings! This one does not pull its punches, so be prepared!

Thank you to Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Ahhh I loved the book so much!!! Can’t wait for the next one!
What I loved the most was the whole interaction between Lilith and Zahariev! But I did find a bit weird how when they found out their friend died minutes later they wore almost kissing? Anyways that still doesn’t change my rating loved it so much.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjEcnxW4/

Terror at the Gates is dark, sexy, and totally addictive. Lilith is the kind of main character I live for—complicated, powerful, a little unhinged, and 100% done with the patriarchy. She’s out here surviving in a world built to control her, and I was cheering her on the whole way.

Then there’s Zahariev. Broody, mysterious, definitely hiding something, and of course the tension between them is chef’s kiss. Like please just kiss—or kill each other—either way, I’m invested.

The worldbuilding is rich without being overwhelming, and St. Clair weaves in themes like religious control, misogyny, and trauma in a way that hits hard but still keeps the plot moving. Also, the spice? Deliciously earned. This is not just smut with plot—it’s plot with purpose and heat.

It’s honestly one of those books that had me ignoring texts, staying up too late, and saying “just one more chapter” until suddenly it was 2AM. If you like morally gray characters, messy power struggles, and hot people with tragic backstories, you’ll love this.