Urban fantasy

Dual Narration- Laura Horowitz & Tristan Warden

Fabulous narration. These narrators did a good job giving life and emotion to the story.

This is a bit different than my normal listen but I always love to branch out and try new authors and styles.

Just a little bit immature at point but overall I enjoyed listening to this book.
Interesting story and plotting. Well written and developed.

first off what a cliff hanger!! the story here is so unique and interesting, i was hooked. honestly it was the romance that pulled me out of it. which is shocking as i’m a huge romance girlie. unfortunately it just felt so separate and distracting from what was happening with the plot. otherwise very enjoyable book and the audiobook had me so immersed in the story

Read this. Or Listen to it. 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.

The narration was excellent as well.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scarlett St.Clair and Tantor audio for this ALC

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.

The narration was excellent as well.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scarlett St.Clair and Tantor audio for this ALC

This book was blasphemous in ALL the best ways. Having grown up in the church, I appreciated how Scarlett St. Clair highlighted the hypocrisy and blatant sexism of many religious organizations. Lilith was a flawed, angry, imperfect, bratty FMC and I couldn’t have loved her more. I related to her in several ways. She rebelled against the society she had been raised in, so she was hyper aware of the deviation in her behavior because there was always an underlying feeling of guilt. She was raised in a volatile environment where she was over-corrected and punished for minor things in major ways, so as an adult she worried for the happiness of others. My heart broke a little everytime she asked Zahariev if he was mad at her. Beneath her tough, ballsy exterior there was a girl who had been broken by the people she trusted most, and she struggled internally at every corner.
Zahariev was a rock. I loved him so much. There was an age gap, but it was done perfectly. He met her when she was a teenager, but there wasn’t even the HINT of a flirtation until Lilith was in her twenties, and even then he fought it. There was zero grooming involved. I also loved an MMC who knows how capable the FMC is. He knew she could handle herself, but wanted her to know she didn’t need to. A true supportive king.
I am SO thankful to have received the ALC on NetGalley. Can’t wait for my preorder to arrive!

🔥 A Story of Power, Pain, and Rebirth
This is a story of ✨rebirth, rebellion, feminism, female power, and the oppression 🌕this chauvinistic world exercises on women.
It’s about a woman being chastised simply for being who she is, without ever being given a choice.
It’s a tale of how society can be a woman’s biggest enemy, where even when women hold the true power, they are shoved down, controlled, and told they’re unfit to wield it.
And yet, it’s also a story of reclaiming. Of fighting back. Of slowly stepping into power that has always been yours.

🎧 Audiobook Royalty
I'm going to go ahead and crown Laura Horowitz as my audiobook queen of the year, uncontested. She is amazing! Her storytelling is incredibly engaging. She transports me to the world just with her voice. The way she pulls off so many voices and sounds? I swear she could rival any male narrator when it comes to male voices.
This woman is to be protected at all costs, her voice cherished, and I am to be informed of any audiobook she narrates from now until the end of time.👑🎙️
Now that I’m done fangirling, allow me to introduce a new king: Tristan Warden. When I tell you I literally GASPED the first time I heard his voice, I am not exaggerating. The depth and tone of it were bone-melting. 🫠
I couldn’t imagine Zahariev’s voice being anyone else’s. I am also to be informed of all his future work, thank you very much.
Between Laura and Tristan’s narration and Scarlett’s writing, I am undone. Obsessed. At 50% in, I ran to order the signed copy with vellum art (yeah, don’t ask about the huge shipping fee and taxes) just to support the indie publishing. I regret nothing. Best purchase I made this month.


👑 Lilith: Strong, Soft, Sacred
Lilith is my kind of FMC.
She is strong but weak. Feeling and confident, yet crumbling and soft.
She is a woman, a girl, a daughter, a lover, a friend, a sister. A goddess of her own accord (no spoilers, I promise), weaving through this life and its complexities.
She has sex magic, and watching her use it is so powerful. It’s a reminder of how something can be demonised by society, but the true depth of its capacity is far greater than the three letters it was condemned for.

💚 Zahariev: The only man I want in this “religious” world
Zahariev is the perfect man for Lilith. Honestly, the only man I want to be around in this world. He’s deeply devoted (to her), yet still navigating the rigid rules this society throws at him.
He holds true power, not the flimsy, performative kind the other men in this world cling to or claim to have.
He is kind. He is just. He is inherently good.
And still, he's deliciously morally grey.
Also, while you never get a full Zahariev chapter, you get a POV at the end of each chapter that gives you just enough to keep wanting.

🕊️ Faith, Fiction, and Open Hearts
Morality is questioned subtly but consistently throughout the story.
Now remember, this is the story of Lilith. The Church has never liked that conversation.
This is a fictional world with fictional settings inspired by real-life elements. Some readers may find parts of it controversial or blasphemous. And that’s okay. But if you pick up this book, do it with an open heart.
It may not reflect your personal experience with the Church, the Bible, or faith, but it might reflect someone else’s. And that’s just as valid.
(This is coming from someone raised in a deeply religious household, country, and school. Me, in case that wasn’t clear.)

🔄 Full Circles & Clever Contrasts
We get a few beautiful full circles in this book:
1. Feminism & Legacy: Lilith’s mother tells her, “Your father is a puppet. This is my legacy.” But she still submits to tyrannical norms. And then we watch Lilith own her truth and power, showing us what that legacy means in action. The contrast is brilliant.
2. Romance & Reflection: They meet in a cemetery... and “meet” again in that same cemetery. The full circle is poetic, tender, and beautiful. The way love and truly seeing each other are explored in this story is chef’s kiss.

✨ Prophecies, Prose & a Poetic Soul
The prose, the prophecies, the prayers, and the anthems are so poetic. I kept looking forward to them every couple of chapters.
The story had me guessing and glued the whole time. And that ending? Cliffhanger central.
I am impatiently waiting for Book 2.

💔 Slowburn & Forbidden
The romance? Slowburn. Forbidden. Achingly tender.
They’ve known each other for so long, and yet every new encounter feels electric.
Lilith and Zahariev share a kind of friendship that’s soul-deep, and the romantic tension threaded through it is to live for.

🐾 Shoutout to Cherub
The best sidekick in a book. She’s cute and actually useful. 😻

📝 One (Tiny) Critique
My only issue with this book (literally one and only and done) is the frequent use of “said” and “asked” in dialogue. It stood out more in the audiobook because your brain doesn’t skip over it the way it does in print. A bit of editing might’ve helped that part.

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio, for the Advanced Listener Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Terror at the Gates is truly a book I could rave about for hours. However, I'll try to keep my review to a minimum, especially as I want to avoid spoilers.

First and foremost, Laura Horowitz does a phenomenal job bringing Lilith to life. Every emotion, from rage and pain to happiness and pleasure, is communicated flawlessly with Laura's characterization. Laura's narration is delectable, and I feel lucky to have listened to this one.

I want. More. Tristan Warden. Tristan's narration of Zahariev is delicious, and I wish we got more of him throughout the book.

What I love most about Terror at the Gates is Scarlett St. Clair's commentary on organized religion and the horrendous crimes and abuse that are inflicted in the name of god and salvation. Religion and spirituality are extremely personal journeys, yet organized religion can exploit them to hold power and control over their members. I know that this is not everyone's experience, yet it is a reality and one that must be confronted and explored. Scarlett does this in a way that is relatable and empowering. Lilith both as our literal FMC and as a religious symbol/myth reclaim their voice and their story.

Lilith had me engaged in her story from her first moments on the page. Her rage and desire to make a name for herself were palpable, and I knew that I was going to be fully invested in her journey from the moment I met her.

Zahariev is my new favorite MMC. He is a man who embraces his dualities by handling the family business while also showing his nurturing side with those he cares for and loves. This dynamic is everything I want in a MMC, and I cannot wait to get more of him.

Terror at the Gates does end on a jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, and I will definitely be rereading in anticipation of the next book.

4.5 stars

Arc audio. I loved this, Scarlett always writes such strong characters and this book is no exception.

The plot has an air of mystery to It with the unknown origins and powers of the dagger that keeps showing up. It keeps moving at a slow-steady pace speeding up as you get further in, with unexpected twists along the way. While some of it is predictable, there are a few Easter eggs along the way, some of it still took me by surprise.

Both the FMC and MMC are strong willed and know their minds, it takes the right circumstances to come along before they are altered. This is a nice change from some where characters immediately drop their beliefs as soon as it is convenient to the story.

If you like Scarlett's other work, chances are you will also enjoy this.

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 wasn’t able to listen because I’m having issues with the app, however I did read the ARC and so here is my review:

⭐️∞ INFINITY STARS ∞⭐️
🗣️ THIS BOOK??? LITERALLY ALTERED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY.

I don’t know how to function anymore. My soul? SCORCHED. My standards? SKYROCKETED. My heart? Held hostage by Zahari-freaking-ev and Lilith. Scarlett didn’t just write a book, she penned a full-body experience that left me trembling, sobbing, grinning, and whispering “one more chapter” until the sun rose. This rivaled her Hades and Persephone saga which was a God Tier series for me… so that honestly says something! (“God” tier though.. lol get it?)

🩸 Lilith — My angry little bratty queen. The embodiment of messy strength, all claws and bite with a soft, shattered heart buried underneath. I would die for her. Actually, I’d kill for her and THEN die for her. My Roman Empire. This woman can turn any straight woman like they’re spaghetti soaking in a pot. & Watching her trauma unravel and then her absolute rage be seen? Devastating. Healing. Beautiful. I am on my knees for this woman.

🔥 Zahariev. YES with a capital Z, A, H, A- listen. He is the blueprint. The “touch her and be deleted” protector. The morally grey menace with banter so elite I had to physically put the book down and scream into a pillow. The tenderness. The restraint. The quiet, all-consuming devotion. The quotes?? I will never recover. He falls first and HARD! It’s so PAINFULLY obvious.

🫀Their chemistry? SICKENING.
When she said “you can’t, not without starting a war” and he said “I would go to war for you”??? I blacked out. This is the kind of tension that makes your spine vibrate and your soul combust. It’s not just spice (because we wait until we were 80% in for action), no, it’s yearning. It’s emotional foreplay. It’s connection laced in fire and a longtime of aching.

⛓️ The themes: religion, trauma, patriarchy, power… they were handled with surgical precision. Scarlett doesn’t just write fantasy. She writes truth wrapped in daggers (literally) and silk. As someone with religious trauma? This hit in ways I didn’t expect. I cried angry tears. Then grateful ones.

💥 The plot? Sharp. The worldbuilding? Rich and textured. The magic system? Chefs kiss. And the pacing? A slow burn ( and I mean SLLLLLOOOOOWWWWW BURN) masterpiece. I was hooked from the first dagger stabbed in the bed and never let go.

💬 And let’s not even talk about the QUOTES that ruined my life:

“I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.”
I—just—how am I supposed to go back to real men??

📚 Bonus points:
• Dual POV but 80% in her voice? ICONIC. And his snippets had me reeling!
• Found family energy that healed my inner child.
• An animal sidekick! I loved cherub so much!
• Banter that had me kicking my feet and giggling!
• A dagger, a forbidden romance, and the stakes of the world on the line? YES.

⸻

✨ This isn’t a review. It’s a love letter. A scream into the void. An altar I’ve built to a book that didn’t just raise the bar—it vaporized it. I need book two like I need oxygen. I am BEGGING for a physical ARC because I need that shelf trophy like it’s nobodies business, okay? Okay!

Scarlett St. Clair, you are my villain origin story. This book is easily in my top 5 of the year! I can’t stop geeking. The way people will be sick of me from how much I will be talking about this book… and do I care? No.

Go read this book. Inject it into your veins. Tattoo Zahariev quotes on your ribs. Join the cult. You won’t regret it.

The author’s spin on this one gave me goosebumps. You can tell there was ample research and thought put into the writing of this book. It builds a firm foundation of the story about a rebellious (but of sound mind) heiress who just wants more out of her life. Throwing in a Hades-like MMC (like the author’s A Touch of Darkness MMC Hades), there is a relationship for of sexual tension and continuous “no, we totally aren’t THAT way.” Oh, yes you are, and I am here for it.
I love love love the chemistry in these characters. Both are strong, stubborn, and confident their own, but soft when they need to be. The MMC’s “touch her and die” attachment is a trope we all know and love. But the FMC is no wavering flower. She is hardcore in her own ways – and at the least is a survivor. I enjoyed the hint at a Romeo and Juliet type relationship here (except with adults that are actually using their logical brains). And the building of the relationship is fire – as it spans over the course of years. They are a pair who knows one another, which makes their coupling all the more hot.
I enjoy the dual POV. It is enough that the author leaves us wanting more of the MMC’s side of things without leaving it to too much inner talk from him. Both narrators do an amazing job! Both give edgy gruffness to the characters that meeker voices could not capture. Great job!

This book follows Lilith, who lives in a male-run society. Women have powers but are controlled by men and can only use their powers for men. She is apart of one of the ruling families but wants to experience the “real world”, so she goes off on her own and is under the care of Zahariev, the leader of another ruling family.

In a way, this book reminded me of Crescent City. Just in the way that there is a sassy main character that is perusing a grungy city with a gun, but there are fantastical elements involved (in this case, demons).

This book includes a lot of biblical references and stories (Adam, Eve, Morgenstern, the idea of the ark, etc), so if that bothers you, I would probably avoid this. If that is fine, then I would def recommend this to romantasy lovers. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements, and the quest to figure out why the blade Lilith found does strange things. There isn’t a strong magic system, in my opinion, but the history of the people and a society that is run by the church in lieu of gods was very interesting by to me.

I did listen to this on audio, and I feel like the narrator did a great job at the different voices and told the story in a way that was compelling. I especially liked the narrator change for the little snippets of Zahariev’s POV at the end of each chapter. That was a really nice touch!

As with all romantasy, there is a cliffhanger at the end. I do think I’ll continue with the series just to see what happens next and what else Lilith can learn about her powers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I can honestly say this is the first book I’ve read where the FMC has sex magic and I kinda loved it 🤪

Narration: 5/5
🌶️🌶️

I don’t know what it is about me and audio books but I think I need to limit myself to regular romances. Trying to understand everything happening in a Romantasy and not reading the words just gets me lost in the sauce 😂
First of all, the narration for this was immaculate. I have seen a lot of clips from Laura Horowitz on Tik Tok and hadn’t listened to anything she narrated in full before now. The emotion she brought to Lilith was palpable, the sighs and frustration and ✨other sounds✨ were so well done! I will absolutely be listening to more of her work.
The book itself was pretty unique, and definitely had a mysteriousness about it that just toed the line of “WTF IS GOING ON!?” Plus, the devotion that Zahariev had from the jump was delicioousss! That man would do anything for her before he had ever even laid a finger on her and we love to see it. He fought his desires for the longest time though, and I loved how much Lilith needled him 😮‍💨

You will want to read this one if you like:
🖤 forbidden love
🖤 slow burn
🖤 he falls first
🖤 friends to lovers (sorta? 😅)
🖤 fighting church corruption
🖤 found family
🖤 power family rivalry

Thank you Tantor Audio for this ALC via NetGalley!

3.5 stars rated up

This is an urban romantasy with biblical themes. The society is extremely patriarchal. The women are the ones with magical powers but are supposed to use it under father's or husband's approval (ridiculous!). It was frustrating and infuriating to be in this world. It wasn't clear to me why women put up with being siphons. The worldbuilding was acceptable but not extensive as it relied on modern things like cities and cellphones.

I liked Lilith, but I didn't love her. I love Laura Horowitz as a narrator but sometimes Lilith responded to others so angry and defensive for seemingly no reason. Like just relax, Lilith. The side characters were a miss for me. Lilith made her found family before the events of the book and I think it's one reason I felt disconnected from them.

What worked for me: the romance. I think this might be the first friends to lovers book I've liked. There is forbidden lovers trope so it was a slow burn but they weren't rivals or enemies. Zahariev was devoted to her and appreciated her and I appreciated him for it. I also liked his POV at the end of chapters. Just a minute or two instead of whole chapters in his POV. Quotes: "I'll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom." Give me non-fragile masculinity any day.

Overall, not a favorite but an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC.

This book. All I can say is wow. Just wow. This book was amazing. From the action to the plot twists to the character development. I was glued to my AirPods!! This book was deep and emotional. The story is as unique and thought provoking. It’s everything I want in an urban fantasy. The writing was fantastic. I was rooting for Liliath and Zahariev from start to finish!! It ripped my heart apart and put it back together throughout the story.
The narration was phenomenal! Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden really brought this book to life in the best way. I cannot wait to continue this series. I received this book from Tantor Audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this, and I’ve had mixed feelings on Scarlet St. Clair in the past. I read HadesXPersephone and desperately wanted to love it but ultimately didn’t. Little things about the writing, pacing, characters, ect just got to be too much. This is leaps and bounds better than that was though, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Maybe it’s that the source material has been done less but I thought this story felt more unique and the characters were easier to get behind. I also loved the dynamic between the two leads, a really drawn out slow burn between bickering friends. Very compelling.

Laura Horowitz is an absolute star as well. I absolutely love her narration, she knocks it out of the park here. Tristan Warden’s bits are pretty short but wonderful additions to the whole experience. I’ll definitely continue the series and will recommend

This is only my second Scarlett St. Clair book. I read the first book of the Hades x Persephone series, but never got into the other books. Something about the synopsis of this series drew me in. I feel like Greek retellings are everywhere, but biblical ones- especially Lilith are not and I was definitely intrigued. A large portion of this book gives off Crescent City vibes and Lilith as Bryce, but in the best way (and with way more spice!) the families give off big time mafia vibes, except they are “church” or “holy” families. The dreams/flashes Lilith kept having were really interesting- I’m curious to see if those become more prominent or if they play out some way in the next book. Also the tension between Lilith and Zahariev was palpable, those two ooze sex! The deaths in the beginning had me dialed in very quickly too, I really wanted to know what was going on and what was causing such gruesome murders. A few twists at the ending I guessed, but the very ending left me ready for the next installment. I received an early free audiobook arc of this from Tantor Audio and the narrators, Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden, did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. I particularly loved hearing Tristan say the name “Zahariev” every time it was his turn to narrate. I’m looking forward to seeing (reading) what happens next! Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Text-
The setting was almost giving me CC vibes. You have a world that has both magic and cellphones, but it’s not “our world”.

We got a slow burn here, guys. BUT the tension is so sweet. And I know I’m kinda cheating here since I did the audio but it felt like a quick read. Because it was a quick read, I didn’t really register the slow burn until they got together and I clocked the percent I was at.

It’s mostly from the POV of Lilith. But you do get super short Zahariev chapters. It’s nice to get that slight POV.

Audiobook-
Duel narration.

I’m a Laura Horowitz fan so when I saw she was doing this I requested it. It seems like she always does fully voiced narration and she does a good job.

As I mentioned before the MMC chapters are short so you don’t get that much of his narration. But his voice is nice and deep.

This is a MUST READ! I am not over this book and I need the next one like right now. I am entranced with this world and its originality.

Lilith and Zahariev live in world that they thought they understood but one fateful night throws them into a chain of events that has them questioning EVERYTHING.

I love how open, raw, real and kick butt Lilith is. She fight for herself and for the truth. This world is unlike anything I have ever read, experience and I need more. Zahariev is…I don’t even know if I words to truly explain how magnificent he is. The way he knows Lilith, doesn’t try to chain her but allow her to be who she needs to be…SWOON WORTHY!

The narrators for the audio book are fantastic and did an amazing job doing the many characters.

I finished this book on audio after going back and forth with reading the digital version and I am so glad the ending was in audio. This entire book was amazing from the romance to the politics and religion themes. I did not want to stop reading and listening so I did both to accommodate my surroundings. The main characters as well as the side characters were fantastic and relatable. Even though it is a fictional world with present day sprinkled in. I have not been able to stop thinking of all the possibilities for the next book and how the characters will react.