I’m honestly having a hard time rating this book. I have a strong feeling I might have liked it more if I had physically read it instead of listening to the ALC. Unfortunately, the audiobook narrator really didn’t work for me. Her voice didn’t match the tone of the story, her expressions were flat at times, and when she attempted the male character’s voice, it just felt off and pulled me out of the moment.

That said, I did really like the religious undertone—especially the way the main character was let down by the church and no longer believes in the way she was raised. That theme hit close to home for me and was one of the stronger elements in the story.

Urban fantasy isn’t usually my go-to, and I found myself disconnected at times. The mix of magic in a modern setting made it harder for me to visualize the world, which may have added to my distance from the plot.

My favorite quote?

“Forgiveness is overrated, it’s just something churchgoers shove down your throat so they can beg for it when they sin.”
Loved that.

I also wish we had a bit more character building for Lilith early on. Some really tragic things happen to her, but without a deeper connection to her character from the beginning, I didn’t feel the emotional impact I wanted. I love getting attached to a strong FMC, and that just didn’t click for me this time—though again, I’m not sure how much of that was the story vs. the audiobook experience.

I honestly might pick it up again when it releases in physical or ebook form just to see if reading it changes my perspective.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Yikes do I struggle with a society run by religion where women are treated as second class citizens and used by men. I need the feminist uprising!

I found this entirely bingeable. I wasn't quite sure where this book was taking me, and I love an unpredictable book. Lilith felt like the right amount of get out there and take charge, but also with some vulnverability (ok, maybe there were a few times where she could have been a little tougher, but if I had Zahariev to take care of me, I'd probably play things a little pathetic too).

The main audiobook narrator was fabulous! However, I'm glad the Zahariev POVs were very short because while his general narrating voice was great, any time he quoted another character I cringed at the voice he gave them.

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.

I went into Terror at the Gates intrigued by the premise, but unfortunately, the execution left much to be desired.

DNF

Listening to this book…even better ❤️‍🔥

Scarlett St. Clair is my favorite author for a reason—her meticulous attention to detail and extensive research shine through in every page.

I highly recommend this audiobook, giving it five stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you enjoy urban fantasy with a strong, fierce female protagonist and a steamy male protagonist, this is the book for you.

The emotional depth of this book is heart-wrenching. It’s unsettling to realize how relatable those words could be to someone who has experienced loss firsthand. Only someone who has known the pain of loss can write such a profound story.

I had a slight concern about the faith element, as I’m new to faith and wondered if it might be too much for me. However, Scarlett delivers a well-crafted story that is definitely worth reading. Just be prepared to read the trigger warnings.

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair plunges you into a world of fantasy and mythical characters, set within a present-day city. The story introduces Lilith, a tough and stable female main character who defies her powerful, ancient family's attempts to treat her as delicate and keep her under constant surveillance. Estranged from them, she escapes to Nineveh, a city within Eden devoted to sin and lust, where she makes her living by stealing. Her actions quickly catch the attention of Zahariev, the enigmatic ruler of Nineveh and owner of a local club where Lilith seeks work. From the very beginning, Lilith is captivated by Zahariev, practically begging for his touch and love, while he, having always had a soft spot for her, is making more of an effort to hide and deny his attraction. The story delves deep into uncovering the truth about religion, the gods of this world, the mysterious demons that are starting to plague Eden, and an imminent threat about to engulf the city.

This book truly delivered on the excitement I had after loving the Touch of Darkness series. It was told mostly from Lilith's perspective, with periodic points of view from Zahariev, which gave a great insight into both characters. I also loved the narrators; their performances were fantastic and really brought the story to life. While some things were resolved by the end, it definitely left off with much more to come, and I am genuinely excited to read more from this series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC and Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/8/25.

This book is the exciting start to a new series by Scarlett St. Clair. Rooted in Biblical origins, it tells the story of Lillith Leviathan, only heir and daughter to one of the five families who rule. Lillith ran away to Ninevah and the protection of Zahariev Zareth - ruler of Ninevah and the head of another of the Five. In Lillith's world, only women have powers, and only men can choose when and how they use them according to their 'church' - first by their fathers, and then by their husbands. Wanting something different for herself, Lillith ekes out a living in Ninevah by selling stolen objects. When a dagger kills a potential buyer before her eyes, Lillith finds herself depending on Zahariev as she tries to learn about the dagger. Unfortunately for Lillith, the dagger is wanted by some of the most powerful people in Eden. Weaving world building with sexual tension, mystery, and heart-wrenching reveals, this book is everything that I've come to expect from Scarlett St. Clair. The re-telling of Lillith and the biblically inspired world that is in this novel is a more unique offering in the fantasy/romantasy genre than I've seen lately.

Spice Level: 3.75 (but 10 stars for those scenes. the 102-degree temps we've had where I live this week were not as hot as the scenes between Lillith and Zahariev.)
Tropes: Frenemies to Lovers
Found Family
Slow-burn Romance
He'll Start Wars for Her
Tattooed MMC

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, as tropes are not really a strong suit for me, but regardless Scarlett St. Clair delivers a novel with sexual tension so thick you can cut it with a knife (and an oblivious FMC which I personally love), mystery, tension, and world building. I'm really excited to see where she takes this story in the next book. The story ends on a cliff-hanger but fear not for those who dislike those - it's not a life-or-death type of cliffhanger. It definitely leaves me wondering where we go from here.

I listened to this book in audiobook form, and while Laura Horowitz does a good job narrating, the FMC sounds very bratty and entitled and it made it really hard to like her. I think it was a bit of a combination between the dialogue and the tone in which it was delivered. Also, I thought this novel was dual narration, but it isn't quite that. Chapters are told from Lillith's POV, but at the end of each chapter is a snapshot of what is going on from Zahariev's POV. It's those usually minute-long or so snap shots that are narrated by Tristan Warden, who does a great job as Zahariev. It's a unique form of story telling that I'm not sure I've seen in other novels before, and I liked that we got inside the mind of Zahariev to help learn more about who he is as our MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Scarlett St. Clair for providing an ALC to review!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Scarlett St Claire and Tantor Media for the ALC of Terror at the Gates.

Not only do I love Scarlett’s writing but I love the narrators that were pick for this story. Laura Horowitz narrates some of my all time favorite audiobooks her voice is smooth, fun and always captures the characters perfectly and Tristan Wardens voice is just soo lush and smexy!

Sometimes audiobooks fall flat, sometimes they are a great means for getting through a book you really want to read and sometimes they are done so well that they elevate the story. This audiobook absolutely enhanced the story. It brought amazing depth and feeling to the characters and I loved every minute of my listen!

For the story itself, Scarlett did such a great job bringing us a truly unique and captivating story. I really can’t think of a book to compare this one too because it just felt so perfectly different.

The book takes place in Eden. A patriarchal society where although the woman are the only ones granted magical power, the men rule everything. The community is filled with religious zealots, but there is so much that they are hiding!

Lilith, being a member of one of the more powerful households escapes the societal norms to live on her own with the future of being married off still looming over her head. Lilith has the power to uses someone’s lust to make them do what she wants. It is so fun watching her seduce and then deceive these misogynistic men! Zahariev is definitely not like the other men. He’s also an heir to a powerful household and has been told Lilith is off limits.

Lilith is a character you can’t help but to like. She’s sassy and confident but also has a sad and traumatic past you learn more and more about. Zahariev gives off all those hot mafia vibes while also vowing to burn the world down for his woman. Zahariev and Lilith have more of the friends to lovers/ forbidden romance things going for them and the tension is absolutely on fire!

I would encourage any lover of fantasy romance to pick up this audiobook! You won’t be disappointed!

Book Review:

Terror at the Gates Blood of Lilith book one

By Scarlett St. Clair
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️


Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over...until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it. She turns to Zahariev Zareth- the one man who is off limits to her- to help unravel this mystery.



When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I was worried it would be too far outside my usual wheelhouse—and in many ways, it was. But in the best possible way.

What initially drew me in were the religious overtones. As someone who has left behind a rigid belief system, I was intrigued by how the story would explore themes of god, good, and evil. It did not disappoint.

At the heart of the novel is Lilith, a woman raised to believe she is lesser than men—taught to serve, to silence her magic, and to live for the church's needs rather than her own. But Lilith is not content to stay small. She begins to push back against the roles forced upon her, and in doing so, finds an unexpected ally in Zahariev—a man who, truly, would go to war for her.

The world-building in this story is immersive, with a richly imagined society shaped by its religion and laws. The exploration of power, control, and liberation was captivating, and the story pulled me in more and more as it progressed. I listened to it on audio and was completely hooked. (Also—fair warning—it’s very spicy!)

The ending left me absolutely desperate for the sequel, and if I could wish for one thing in the next audiobook, it’s more Zahariev.

If you love fantasy romance, enjoy stories that flip religious mythology on its head, and want to see a woman reclaim her power—this is one to add to your list.

This will have spoilers. I can't help it.

I screamed when I received the ALC of Scarlett's new book. Whenever she drops a book, I drop EVERYTHING. Scarlett St. Clair has been my favorite author for YEARS. So I don't hold back when it comes to her.

Okay, let's get into it.

Lilith and Zahariev ( If spell this mans name wrong leave me alone. We are just calling him Zah for my own sanity and this review).

I want to start by saying that when starting any St. Clair book after [book:A Touch of Darkness|43175155] you can't help but compare. ATOD is one of my favorite series ever and I couldn't help but search for similarities between Lilith and Persephone and Zah and Hades. To be honest, in the beginning, the dynamic seems quite similar. I was worried that we were basically going to be given ATOD just with different characters and then I would end up wishing she had just continued with ATOD (Forever waiting for [book:Temptress of Fire and Fury|58356185] ). Luckily, that is not the case. TATG is vastly different when it comes to the dynamic between Lilith and Zah.

In the beginning it is explained that only women are blessed with powers but that men still have the over all power/dominance in society. So Zah is, for lack of getting into too much detail, kinda like a mafia boss and he runs a territory. He has no power except for his resources and reputation. As you get through the story you truly see that Zah is fine with being in the background. He is not the man that wants to always set the rules and lay down the law (when it comes to Lilith). He is fine with kinda like "being the muscle" for Lilith and standing in her shadow. He is no submissive though. He understands Lilith's wants and needs and he has been in love with her for a LONG time. So whatever she needs or wants he is willing to give.

Lilith is very headstrong and knows what she wants and is very mature but she is also very immature in some ways. Zah helps balance her out before she can make any rash decisions which I love. They are very much a team.

I wonder if we will get books of his side of the story like what was done with Hades. I would be interested to know what Zah does when he is not with Lilith.

Esther dying killed me. Why? What was the point? Please bring her back.

Cass and Coco.....yes (even though Coco is a lesbian. I was feeling them).

This book is very much world building and plot driven rather than hardcore romance. I don't read many romantasy books so this could be standard but its definitely a book that needs to be written in order to get everything out there so we can move on to the meat and potatoes of Lilith's and Zah's story.

I thought it was well paced and not rushed. I remember when I read [book:King of Battle and Blood|56651967] I thought the lead up to the ending and climax was a little rushed. I found the pacing in this book much much better.

I really don't have any complaints. I am excited for the next book or however many books will be in this series. It will definitely hold me over until the next book in the ATOD series ( I will always go back to it).

I am nervous for the future books because I feel like it will involve flashbacks of what happened between her and List ( is that is name? Idk if the voice actor was saying Lith or List). I don't need flash backs of that. Is everyone a pedo?

Another 5 star read for my fave author but I expect nothing less.

Also.... 9 times? Zah, you are going to give a girl extremely unrealistic expectations. We love it.

2.75 ⭐️ |
I LOVED the Hades x Persephone saga, while I had to dnf the Adrian x Isolde series at the second book. So I was a little wary of this book, even tho I love anything about Lucifer and Lilith.

While I loved that Lilith rebelled against this very hardcore misogynistic world, I didn't understand anything about the world. There was so little world building, they all could live in miniature houses with pink neon roofs and dragons - I still wouldn't know. What I know tho, is it's dangerous as it was mentioned like every second sentence.

I somehow don't understand why it was such a big need for Lilith to dance for Zahariev when the second it happened, it all became irrelevant. No mention of it again and also no reasoning.

Something I also don't understand and kind of hate, is that how Lilith assumed the universe revolves around her, her rage and how no one understands her. While at the same time she is written to be the center of every single persons life..
Your wife died during childbirth? No problem, 'baby girl' (actual friend's nickname for her) is more important.
You found a cat and love it? No problem, give it to Lilith and treat the cat like her child.

Lilith's friend Coco has no personality, because all she does is accommodating to Lilith. Lilith here, Lilith there, Lilith everywhere and Coco nowhere.

While I like Zahariev, I don't like him with her. I somehow didn't understand the need for these three-sentence-chapters in his pov because they kind of gave nothing that wasn't already clear before since Lilith is the center of everyone universe. Like do a full length chapter in his POV or let it be.

The cliffhanger didn't feel like a cliffhanger either. More like a 'oh you actually know everything already but see you next time' situation.

Will I still read the second book? Yeah, but I'm not hyped or excited about it.

For the audiobook narration: Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden did an absolute amazing job. I believe that their voices were the reason why I didn't dnf it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and the author for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

In typical SSC fashion, this book has an action packed plot, sassy main characters, and plenty of spice.

We follow Lilith, who is born into a leading family of a territory who is very patriarchal. The man controls the woman, even though the woman has the magic. The women are very much viewed as property in her home. When she is a teenager, she finally overdoes it and is allowed to “wild out” in a different, less strict territory under the leading man who is responsible for her safety. Lilith has a string of very unfortunate events and things quickly unravel, but I won’t spoil that for you. The second half of this book is pure and continuous action, to the point I honestly wanted a break, which is one point against the book for me personally. I like a little breaks in my action, but that’s just me.

The characters are all very sassy with plenty of attitude. Lilith is very confrontational and defensive, which again I personally found off-putting, but that could be because I listened to the audiobook vs reading it. Zahariev calls her a brat many times, and he is spot on. I’m not particularly fond of her character, but I really enjoyed the other characters.

The writing is easy to follow and read. There’s plenty of spice, especially in the second half of this book. SSC definitely knows how to write some steamy scenes. Very open door and descriptive, I’d say a 3.5🌶️ out of 5. The book isn’t chock full of it, but what it does have is 🥵.


Overall I’d give this a 3.75⭐️, but it’s hard for me to give a better rating when I don’t love the main character. I love SSC’s other series, and this one is certainly interesting enough that I’ll probably continue it, but not my favorite for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC of this title in exchange for my honest and sincere review!

I will preface this first by acknowledging that I am a huge fan of Scarlett St Clair and her works, so this review could be perceived as biased - that being said, I will still provide a honest critique.

I believe this is one of Scarlett’s strongest works as it shows that she did her due diligence and research into the lore of the story of Lilith. This story is not for the weak minded or those that are particularly strongly connected to their faith. This story breaks apart the Christian faith and how they constantly disregard the female sex. Lilith’s character is an excellent example of a well written character that reflects the struggles that women experience everyday in the religious community. She is strong willed and incredibly intelligent, using her traumas to fuel her desire to change her destiny.

Zahariev, may possibly be my favorite male written by Scarlett….and that’s a huge feat considering Hades was my all time favorite MMC. He encapsulates the “touch her and die” trope while also giving Lilith the ability to be her true self. And his nickname for her 🤤 he is a man willing to let her lead the charge while fully supporting her every step of the way. We love and appreciate our supportive men ❤️

Now for the plot, I felt as though it moved at a consistent pace until the final 20% of the book, to which then it moved too quickly to fully understand everything that was happening. Maybe when the next book drops it’ll make sense on the quick speed through the last few chapters, but I feel as though it could’ve been spaced out better or (don’t hate me for this 🙈) Scarlett could’ve dropped a sexy scene to make room for more plot development. Once the tension finally broke, it seemed as though it was just bang bang bangity bang and no story anymore. Scarlett did such a phenomenal job for the first half of the book with world building, character development, plot movement, and creating so much tension that I would’ve loved to see more of that through the entire book - establishing this before getting into the risky parts of Lilith’s and Zahariev’s relationship.

With all that being said, I am anxiously awaiting for the next installment of this series because that ending was insane!

4.5/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

This was so fun and so spicy! The audio was fantastic. The narrators really brought the story to life and I was engaged the whole time. I love these MCs in this book! I found them super likable and the chemistry was fantastic!!

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.

okay wait i was dubious about this because of the urban fantasy aspect which can be hit or miss for me but im thoroughly intrigued! this was fast paced and from the first chapter i was reeled in. i truly loved lilith and her take on this patriarchal magical world, i need the next book asap rocky!!!

I loved this audiobook! The narrators were amazing and really made the story come alive. I was completely pulled into the world there was so much tension, emotion, and drama. The characters had me feeling all kinds of things, and the pacing kept me hooked the whole time. I didn’t want it to end! I can’t wait for the next one .

I had a difficult time getting through this one. I started out reading the eARC but was so bored I switched to the audiobook after I was approved for the ALC. It’s better than reading it in that it held my attention more than reading it but I still wasn’t too into it. It felt like a bit of a slog to get through with little plot and an FMC who became annoying to the point of being unbearable.
Lilith is constantly complaining about being treated like a child and a spoiled brat while acting like said child and spoiled brat, justifying everyone’s feelings of her. It’s constantly a push and pull between Lilith and Zahariev with zero chemistry between them and him just chasing her like a little child that she acts like.

The plot here also wasn’t interesting enough for me to overlook not liking the FMC and barely tolerating the MMC. It honestly just feels like it’s setting up for the next book with most of the good stuff happening in the last few chapters. The ending still wasn’t good enough to justify the lack of plot and unlikable main characters. I will probably not be continuing this series.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC/audiobook of this book via NetGally in exchange for an honest review!
This new romantasy from Scarlett St. Clair is a Lilith retelling. This is my first book by Scarlett and also the first Lilith retelling I have read and I really enjoyed it!

In this book we have 2 main character/love interests and we follow them by double POV’s (kind of). For the most part we follow the fmc Lilith. But at the end of each chapter we get a little bit from the mmc Zahariev. I really liked this and was always exited to hear from his perspective in the end of each chapter!

So in this we follow Lilith Leviathan, the heir to the Leviathan family. Because of reasons we get to know later in the book, Lilith has left her family home to live in Nineveh - were the mmc Zahariev Zareth is ruler. These to families are rivals, and Lilith and Zahariev are not allowed to be together. So of course we have some forbidden love with a slow burn romance, and some spit scenes. I really enjoyed the dynamic between these to with all their banter and longing for each other.

Lilith is getting by by stealing. One day she steals a strange dagger, and things start to get complicated and people around her are dying. The story behind this dagger unfolds trough the book and I was exited all through the book to find out the story behind it.

I loved the characters, the plot and the romance. There were som sad moments in this book that really hit me because I had started to really care for the characters. The ending was soo good and I can’t wait for the next book!

I will definitely buy a copy and do a reread before the second book comes out!

TW: mention of rape.
There is a lot of focus on religion and Christianity in this book.