5/5

For fans of: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, The Cruel Prince, Hunger Games, enemies-to-lovers, vampires, deadly competition, political intrigue

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? Fantasy

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Raihn is your new tall, dark, and winged book boyfriend

• Is it spicy? YES

• Is it violent or gory? Oh yes, these are not your Twilight vampires

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? YES

Synopsis: The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won't be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father's crown... and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there's no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone - but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

Review: My first five star read of 2023! It has been a while since a series has captured my addiction since ACOTAR and after seeing this everywhere, I had to check it out. I was wary at first, I have been burned by booktok and bookstagram recommendations, but I am so happy to say that this exceeded my expectations! I had such a blast reading this story. It had many of my favourite tropes on top of wonderful banter, characters that surprised me all the time, excellent tension, a seriously badass main character, wonderful character development, I can go on and on. I am so excited for the second book, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, coming out in early spring of this year!