This was fine, I thought he dark romance/mafia vibes around Christian Lore was an interesting concept but I wish the magic was more fleshed out. The book was a little to long and where there were moments that could have been more fleshed instead were minimized and instead other parts kind of dragged on.

Lilith wasn't really all that likable, I am all for a woman fighting against religious trauma and all but she truly made some bad decisions. Her will they won't they with Zahareiv was fine but I felt like there was a little bit of a power imbalance and tbh brat is not a cute nickname. I was getting annoyed by the end.

The ending however, especially the last 25% of the book was more interesting and with how everything came to an end I am curious whats going to happen int he second book.

This is my first time reading Scarlett St. Clair. It took me a while to get into the book but once I did I enjoyed it. This was an urban fantasy set in what I assume is modern times, but with a rather archaic religious political system which I found intriguing. The worlding building was great. The magic system was interesting and I hope its explained upon better in the coming books.

I found Lillith unlikeable at first because she was so stand offish, however, the more I got to know her and her story I understood why she had so much rage and anger. I also felt meh about Zahariev at his initial introduction... once the spice started, I changed my mind because those scenes were soo good! I loved how bad he had it for her.

The narration was great! I loved Zahariev's narrator and would have liked even more from his POV. Overall, a great unique dark romance fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC!

Days later and I am STILL processing this story. This is a delightful fantasy dripping with validation of so many women’s experiences.

Watching Lilith try to carve a path for herself and seeing Zahariev absolutely ✨weak✨ for her while still trying to give her the freedom to grow had me feeling all the things!

Laura Horowitz & Tristan Warden did an amazing job of bringing these characters to life in the audiobook.

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳
➵ friends to lovers
➵ urban fantasy vibes
➵ slow burn
➵ touch her and ☠️
➵ angsty tension
➵ all the banter
➵ gooey demon blobs?
➵ it’s always been you
➵ cliffhanger
➵ baby hand necklaces
➵ d!rty talk
➵ mutual pining

𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲: dual

𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 5/5⭐️ | 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 2/5🌶️ | 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 3/5🔥 | 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 5/5 🎧

Thank you to Scarlett St Clair and Bloom Books for an ALC

I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I just requested it because of the author.

This was a mafia romance but add religion...I think that is the best way to explain it. I had a fun time over all. The narration was fantastic and I think if you want to read this book, listening to the audiobook is the way to go.

What to expect:
Broody MMC
Forbidden Pairing
Touch her and die
Urban Fantasy
Mafia Romance

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to RBmedia and Net Galley for the advance listener copy!
I liked the narrators, the female more than the male but both were good. The story sounded great- a feminist retelling of Lilith, with a strong independent FMC. I felt that Lilith was far from independent and always relied on Zahariev to save her from every difficult situation. I found her very spoiled. Additionally, the author was clearly trying to make a critique of overly religious governments and unfair treatment of women but I felt it was delivered in a very heavy handed way. Most things were told not shown. The magic system and world building were not fully explained and I felt the ending was rushed with many things that didn't make sense.

Terror at the Gates is a dark mafia fantasy romance with religious mythology and trauma, wrapped up in a retelling of Lilith, who is cast as the very embodiment of feminine rage.

There is definitely loads to love about this book. The world building is really unique, blending a mix of genres that I didn’t expect would work together but definitely do. The setting is neo noir dark and gritty, with commentary on religious abuse (check trigger warnings before you read) and family expectations, in a society ruled by a corrupt church and powerful houses. 

The romantic tension between Lilith and Zahariev radiates off the page and I would argue that this is a dark romance within a fantasy setting, rather than a fantasy book with romance. Their inevitable steamy relationship really takes centre stage in the story, and their POV chapters highlight the push and pull of their forbidden relationship. The majority of the book is told from Lilith’s (very angsty) perspective, with shorter chapters from Zahariev that give us little glimpses into his thoughts and feelings. The dual narrators on the audiobook were a great fit!

Even though I really enjoyed it, I just wanted more from the plot! The world building is immersive and gritty, characters felt complex, and there are even some pretty cool magic systems that are introduced, but when it comes to the plot it felt lacking. The focus (particularly in the last third of the book) seemed to be on making sure these two characters end up together, and as a result, the main storyline got a little murky towards the end. The ending felt rushed, and it didn’t so much as end on a cliffhanger as it just… ends.

Hopefully Scarlett is just setting things up for future books and all will be well when the series is complete, but for now, I feel a little lost. Still an overall enjoyable read, but maybe one to pick up when there’s more in the series to continue with.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the Advanced Listener Copy of Terror at the Gates.

Thank you Tantor Audio for an ALC.

Love the narration by Laura Horowitz, her slow drawl delivery definitely helped set the FMC apart.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the story line.

I feel alot of different ideas were inserted into one book. Sin city vibes, the FMC being rich and privileged but getting away from her family to make her own name, parents who are barely introduced so when we encounter them it is hard to relate, the villains also get bare minimum face time so its hard to fully understand their plot motivation. The story line didnt move much and I expected more from book 1 in a series but it barely scratched the surface of who the characters are and in helping us build connection with them.

The ending also left a less than desirable cliff hanger and fell flat for me.

I will be curious to see if the author builds the story line and pace in the next book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

The story of Lilith with a new bent. Sexy, gripping, mysterious - so great!

This book was really enjoyable and fast-paced. I read it in one sitting because I just HAD to know what was going to happen. The romance was enjoyable but the story itself was more interesting to me. The characters are compelling and I can't wait to see where this story goes in further installments.

🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤 This book is everything! This was such an original romantasy and I completely loved the vibes 🤩
❤️ Zahariev had me captivated because he is so down bad for Lilith. I love a man obsessed! I was feral for Zahariev and Lilith 🥵🔥
🖤 I loved that at the end of every chapter we would get a little bit of Zahariev's POV. I LOVED that format!
❤️ The quotes from this man?
“I would go to war for you,” he said again. “I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”
“I am not worth everything you would lose, Zahariev,” I said.
“You are worth it,” he said. “But I’ll wait until you ask.” I MELTED 🫠
🖤 Also Cherub? I love her and I'm obsessed and I need her to be in the sequel even more! Give me more Cherub content please!
❤️ Lilith is a feminist icon in her own right and I loved how fierce she is. She embodies feminine rage. She is protective of the people she loves and she will not conform to how the world wants her to be. She is strong willed and fiercely herself. I love her so much!
🖤 This book is set in a different world but there a lots of themes in it that we experience in real life: Sexism, Religious Trauma, Corruption and more. So much was relatable and realistic.
❤️ I also got to listen to an ALC and the narrators did so well! Highly recommend the audiobook if that is your thing!
🖤 The ending had me completely shook it took me 2 days to write this review! I'm still thinking about it and I need the sequel! I want more of this story!

🖤Thank you to Scarlett and Bloom and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I DNFed this after they killed off a side character that was 35 weeks pregnant. It was so unnecessary. This book is NOT that serious. The main character has sex magic for crying out loud. I had an Audio ARC so trigger warnings weren’t listed and there isn’t anything on the authors website. Maybe the book copy warns you but I have no idea, it would be a spoiler.

I was already teetering because the FMC is insufferable. She is so full of rage. She is angry and hateful placing blame on anyone but herself. People are just trying to live their lives and survive but she blames them for her misfortunes. Her unending anger is just exhausting and I couldn’t stand her.

In terms of the audio, it was alright. I had to speed it up because they spoke soooo slow. I appreciated the emotion in the voice on the female narrators part but the male narrator just relied on how deep his voice was which was annoying.

**thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for sending me an ALC of this book**

My thoughts on the book:
This is an urban fantasy book with such a captivating setting and unique world that Scarlett has created. Scarlett pulled from various religious and/or mythological elements to create a truly interesting setting. The oppression and abuse of women while simultaneously siphoning their magic, definitely activated my feminine rage. (As if it doesn’t stay active. 😅) There were so many parts to this story that kept me invested - a furry sidekick, political intrigue, a powerful and sexy AF man, heartwarming friendships and so much angst!

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy angsty main characters, open door spice, and unique world building! It was such a fun time and I’m really looking forward to the next book!

My thoughts on the voice acting:
Laura Horowitz always always always delivers. She could read a recipe to me and I would listen intently. This may have been my first time listening to Tristan Warden, but I pray it’s not my last. His voice was so perfect for the role of Zahariev and together they made this story so immersive!

Unfortunately this audiobook expired before I was able to fully finish it but I’ll speak on what I was able to listen to.
Firstly, I LOVED what I was able to listen to.
This was such an amazing audiobook. The narrators were incredible and really brought the characters to life.
I loved the world that St. Clair created. It encapsulates the struggles and misogyny that women face every single day. It places real problems that we face into a fantasy setting and is executed so perfectly. We get this great blend of magic and seduction, of knowing our own worth and being powerful all on our own. It was so interesting the way that St. Clair represented it through the woman having the power but needing to be married to use said power.
The story flowed well and Lilith’s character and magic were amazing.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review

This expired right before I finished it! Publishers shouldn't do that if they want a stellar review ...

Anyways. This is a hard read in a rather dreadful alternate world. A lot of bad things happen to the main character and all those around her. Lilith is more or less a succubus, able to tap into the desires of men. I think just men. This world is very gender binary and heterosexual. Everything is about sex and violence, too. Even the feminist bits were wrapped up in Lilith's complaints and history of abuse and victimhood. Not even her powers can save her. Men are always stronger. How "feminist" is that, really? There were a lot of turn-offs for me, and these are just the beginning. I will add that while I enjoyed the interplay between Lilith and heartthrob/slut Zahariev I was less enchanted when she acted like a teenager or worse, just for the tension and the plot. Not very feminist writing, either!

Like I said, the book expired before I could finish it. And it's a long one! It just goes on and on.

At the same time, I was somewhat drawn into the world, the politics, the escapades ... Lilith is hit with a lot and it's interesting to discover how she reacts, most of the time. I wish the rest had been better.

The audiobook was excellently voiced by Laura Horowitz and (less frequently) Tristan Warden. Horowtiz also does the voices for several other male characters. I understand that this is a romantasy and they wanted to give the male lead a voice, but sometimes this got confusing. I wonder why Warden didn't do the voice for the other men.

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ | When defiance becomes divine
Sometimes a book finds you exactly when you need it most. I wasn't prepared for how deeply this neo-noir mafia fantasy would burrow into my chest and make itself at home. St. Clair has crafted something that feels less like fiction and more like a mirror held up to every woman who's ever been called "too much" for refusing to shrink.
This book arrived exactly when I needed to feel seen in my own rage. Lilith's refusal to be digestible, her absolute commitment to being "difficult," hit something primal in me. The way St. Clair dismantles patriarchal power structures while building this gorgeous, brutal world? Chef's kiss.
Vibes We Are Tracking:
🗡️ Weaponized femininity
⚡ Religious rebellion done right
🖤 Morally gray king worship
🔥 Slow burn that scalds
👑 Unapologetically difficult heroines
Zahariev owns my entire soul. He's darkness incarnate but treats Lilith like she's holy, and their chemistry burns through every page. The audiobook performance elevated this to transcendent levels—Laura Horowitz understood the assignment completely.
Please check trigger warnings before diving in—this tackles heavy content around religious trauma, abuse, and violence.
Fair warning: this will rewire your brain chemistry. The theology feels dangerously relevant, and that cliffhanger? Actual violence. I need book 2 immediately because this ending has me unhinged!

Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio, for the advanced copy. All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

The story follows Lilith, who has been granted two years of “freedom” in Nineveh after struggling for years under the church’s teachings. She uses her magic to survive (mostly by stealing) until she ends up in serious trouble after stealing a mysterious dagger. She and Zahariev, the powerful ruler of Nineveh, come together to unravel a web of secrets involving the dagger, the church, strange dreams, and some eerie creatures roaming the night.

I really liked Lilith; she was hands down the standout character for me. She’s stubborn and complicated. There’s something so compelling about her journey, especially the way she constantly questions everything she was raised to believe, her faith, her family, and her place in the world. A lot of her rage and pain come from her trauma. It’s angry and raw, but also cathartic. It’s in every decision she makes, and it makes her struggles hit that much harder.

“Two years and all you thought about was who would succeed you, because despite being your own flesh and blood, I am still not worth as much as a man, even the one who hurt me. When you think of your legacy, I hope you remember this moment and how you failed me.”

I won’t spoil too much, but that moment in chapter 16 when she confronts her dad absolutely wrecked me. The quotes from that scene live rent-free in my mind. It was brutal, emotional, and honestly, some of the strongest parts of the book.

The book dives deep into themes of religious indoctrination, family legacy, and women’s oppression. I liked the commentary on those heavy topics, especially because it doesn’t shy away from the realities of women being constantly silenced or controlled under the guise of tradition and “faith”. It’s not subtle, and Lilith’s journey is a direct response to that. I also appreciated the symbolism and religious themes, but I wish the plot had given them more space to grow.

Plot-wise, I gotta say the story felt a little underdeveloped. I was into the setup and the world, but once the ending approached, I was like… wait, that’s it? It’s not just that the plot twist ends the book on a cliffhanger, it’s that the story itself felt kind of unfinished. And not in a way that leads nicely to a second book, more so like the plot was rushed to wrap up the book. The potential is definitely there, but I wanted more depth overall.

So yeah, this one fell a little short for me. I prefer a good balance between plot, character growth, romance, and worldbuilding. I still enjoyed parts of it, but I wanted a stronger story to match the characters and the message, so I’m hopeful the next one expands on that.

Final Rating:
3.5 ⭐️

Read if you like:
🗡️ Mysterious magical artefacts
🗡️ Found family
🗡️ Morally grey female lead
🗡️ Religion themes
🗡️ Hidden truths

I thought “Touch of Darkness” was good, this book is a MASTERPIECE. Feminine rage, religious mythology, and dark romance all in one? Sign me up! Scarlett St. Clair outdid herself with this beautiful novel.

As soon as I finished listening to this, I pre-ordered a physical copy because I will absolutely be reading this multiple times. From the very first paragraph I was completely hooked. I'm going to be thinking about this book until the next one comes out.

I absolutely love a good myth retelling and stories about religious trauma so it's no surprise that this is a new favorite. I might be almost as obsessed with Lilith as Zahariev is.

The audiobook is fantastic. It's a duel narration, though most of the story is from Lilith's POV so Laura Horowitz does most of the narrating and she did such a fantastic job.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a good feminist retelling story (and to everyone else too because everyone should love that).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars
Review submitted via NetGalley
Title: Terror at the Gates
Author: Scarlett St. Clair
Format: ALC (Advanced Listening Copy)
Narrators: Laura Horowitz & Tristan Warden
Publish Date: Out Now!

I devoured this book.
Terror at the Gates is a slow-burn, dark fantasy romance soaked in rebellion, power, and sin with a feminist edge. Scarlett St. Clair’s retelling of Lilith’s legend is completely absorbing. (I finished in two days!)

The world-building is lush with mythology and magic but grounded in a gritty, urban setting. I especially loved that women wield the magic in this world. It gave the story a refreshing sense of feminine strength and agency, even within a patriarchal world. Scarlett St. Clair’s prose is vivid and immersive, full of evocative language that puts you right into the characters’ shoes.

Lilith is everything I want in an FMC. She is fierce, compassionate, and unapologetic.
Her friendship with Coco (Cherub, too!) was super relatable and heartwarming- real bestie energy!

And Zahariev? Utterly magnetic. (I’ve never been left breathless by an MMC just smoking a cigarette before… 😮‍💨) Hes broody, powerful, and protective, and the chemistry with Lilith is electric.
His controlled, unreadable silence made every end-of-chapter POV from him feel like a decadent treat.

As for the audiobook: chef’s kiss. Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden bring these characters to life in such an authentic, cinematic way. Laura nailed Lilith’s playful strength and sensuality perfectly.
&Tristan’s deep, calm tone for Zahariev? Couldn't have imagined better.
The pacing was spot on. I never once adjusted the audio speed, which is super rare for me. Easily one of the best audio performances I’ve heard this year!

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was the “babygirl” nickname from Gabriel. It felt out of place at times, but it never pulled me out of the story.


Final thoughts:
If you enjoy morally complex characters, dark romance, and myth reimagined through a feminist lens, Terror at the Gates deserves a top spot on your TBR. It’s lush, unflinching, and thrilling.

Huge thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

I adore and am obsessed with Terror at the Gates on page, but the dual narration by Laura Horowitz and Tristan Warden elevates the book in the best way. Horowitz captures Lilith’s bold, bratty energy while Warden’s rough, deep tone captures Zahariev’s broody persona perfectly. Their chemistry sells all the hateful looks, snarky bickering, and THOSE scenes. 😉

The audio is clear and the pacing felt perfect at 1×. The shifts in tones of voice each narrator uses for the side-characters made them instantly recognizable: Esther’s sweetness, Gabriel’s side humor, and the dark, uneasiness of the Church members were all effortlessly portrayed.

What I loved most is how I can still feel the book’s 1920s-mafia-meets-myth vibe. Together, the narrators were able to successfully make a regular recorded audiobook feel like a dramatized one (my ABSOLUTE favorites!)

The found-family aspects are still very strongly portrayed in audio format as much as they were in the text. That one scene with Lilith? STILL (and maybe if not more hearing the heartbreak in the narrator’s voice) SHATTERED me. Beautifully devastating.

Perfect narration, spotless production… easy 5 star audiobook for me. Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Media for the listening copy!

Audiobook Narration: Overall pacing, pausing, inflection were solid
Female Narrator 5/5 - I loved her performance and think she did a better job with male voices than the male narrator did. I would have preferred she did the whole book tbh!
Male Narrator: What in the cartoon voices were those? The voice used for himself was fine but for dialogue for other people? It sounded like a cartoon villain.

This reads a bit like a mafia romance, but religious?

This was a good time.

I’m finding that I don’t particularly vibe well with the religious plot lines, so that might be a factor in why this wasn’t a knock out for me. I also tend to prefer my MMCs a little less broody. But if you’re into those things? This will be a great read for you!

What’s to love…
- touch her and die
- urban fantasy
- age gap (8 years)
- broody MMC
- forbidden pairing

What’s not to love…
- pacing was a bit off for me

🌶️- Open door, explicit. I listened to an ALC and in typically Jenny fashion, forgot to bookmark while listening. There are less than a handful of scenes.