A few months ago now I heard about a new feminist teen YA series from Hachette Children’s Group, called Bellatrix with an aim to “engage readers with stories, voices and characters that demand to be heard in the modern world”, said the publisher. Then at YALC I saw that one of the first titles would be The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, the gorgeous cover pulled me in and when I read it was a feminist retelling of the brides of Dracula I was giddy with excitement! As such, I requested it on Netgalley as soon as I was able and I finally read it this week (my backlog is immense people). 

First off, I would like to say that The Deathless Girls is well written. I enjoyed the narrative style, the world was, although hugely similar to a lot of fantasy YA books has great potential as did the characters who I think I could have grown to become attached to but it was just..missing something? (slight spoiler incoming) If you had asked me what that was at around 60% I would have said, Vampires. It was missing vampires. "But"...I would have said, "don't worry they're coming soon, I know it!"

There are mentions and tidbits spread throughout a lot of the book that kept edging me on and thinking "the vampire stuff can't be far off now, stuff is gonna go dooown." As a result, I read this fairly quickly but in reflection, it feels like this was because the plot was effectively a carrot on a stick, teasing something that, in my mind at least, it just failed to deliver. 

The Deathless Girls is not inherently a bad book and I'm not sure if it is purely my own expectation that ruined it for me because it sounded amazing and I did enjoy it as I read it, I almost felt invested and but it just ended up falling short. I feel it really needed to elaborate on that ending.

What an atmospheric delight this book was! It tells the story of Kizzy and Lil, twin sisters awaiting their divining day in their Traveller camp. When the local Boyar's troops break up the camp and steal the girls, they must learn to survive as serving girls under the constant threat of the Dragon, the Lord in the North. I really enjoyed the setting for this story, returning Dracula to his Transylvanian roots and giving some context for his brides. We know from the outset that things probably won't end that well for the sisters, but the journey to get there was gripping and full of folklore. This is a pretty brutal world inhabited by vicious men willing to do terrible things and Kiran Millwood Hargrave does not shy away from some of the horror that men can perpetrate upon vulnerable people. In contrast, this is a story of women and the way in which they can support each other through terrible circumstances, which is wonderful to see. I will say that Kizzy was sometimes a little annoying for me and I didn't warm to her as a character. However, the relationships between both Kizzy and Lil, and Lil and Mira were really well drawn and felt authentic. There is a genuine sense of dread throughout the narrative as Hargrave sensibly leaves 'the Dragon' in the background, heightening the tension because we know he must make an appearance at some stage. This is a vampire story, but it is also a story of the love between family members and community members alike. Overall, despite what felt like a bit of an abrupt ending for me, I thought this was a really poignant and beautiful take on the Dracula story and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Russian inspired stories.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The first 70% of this book is lovely - richly written, with a lovely atmosphere, and both a sister relationship and an f/f relationship that are well-depicted. But as with everything I've read by this author, I was utterly disappointed by the ending, because the author seems to give up on the plot and let it peter out into nothingness.

I thought maybe with this being a prequel to Dracula, it might propel the story through that lacklustre stage, but it is a let down, since all the emotional work put into the characters is scuppered by an abrupt ending that just undoes all the effort in order to reset the story back to the zero-point of Dracula. It's extra disappointing since the rest of the book is such a character-based slow-burn. I was hoping for backstory to Dracula's wives that would add something to my understanding of the classic, and The Deathless Girls promised this most of the way through, and then threw it all away. It's also, I'm afraid, sorely lacking in vampires until the end, almost as if the author had a story to tell about two Romany sisters, and was afraid to get round to tieing it in with the Dracula story - because when the two threads touched, the book took a dive. It's a real shame, but I think I just have to make a mental note that this author's just not for me.

Although The Deathless Girls is a YA fantasy, it doesn’t try to conceal how dark it is. The world is cruel, and especially so for travellers like Lil and Kizzy. Their world is torn apart when their camp is suddenly attacked, most adults are killed, and children are stuck into a cage to be ensalved for Boyar Valcar. The entire story seems to smell of wet grass, smoke and blood.

Lil and Kizzy are powerful characters. They are both passionate but they have their own quirks and ways of coping with stress. Kizzy is hot headed and rushes to danger without much consideration, and Lil is often left as the only person who can save Kizzy from trouble. But throughout the story, the characters grow and they are transformed by all the awful things that they experience.

Although I had the feeling that Lil and Kizzy were interesting characters, I also feel like I don’t know them at all. I felt like The Deathless Girls was just an introduction to a much more fleshed out story. I felt like it was missing a huge chunk from the middle that would bridge together the horrors of the beginning and the epic ending. We don’t get to know the characters properly, and so I couldn’t be very invested in them. They make their decisions and I could never predict what they would do next.

The shortness of the book also has a massive impact on the worldbuilding. The Deathless Girls has hints of magic here and there, something that is important to the main characters’ culture, but nothing is ever explained. I felt like the magic was a bit of a tease – I am lausari and the Iele will lead us – all of this sounds great, but it doesn’t have an impact on me if I don’t know what it means. Also, the lack of worldbuilding meant that I didn’t know what was possible in this fantasy universe. There’s a character called Dragon, but I was left wondering if dragons were something native to this world or not.

Although I felt like the Deathless Girls was missing a substantial portion from the middle, the author does a pretty good job at hiding this problem under her wonderful prose. I really liked how the book was written and it seemed like it had many moments that felt encouraging and powerful. I’m definitely intrigued to try some of the author’s previous books to see if I would like them better.

I have to point out one more thing that made me decide that this was more of a 3-star than a 4-star book: the synopsis is altogether incredibly misleading. I went in expecting to find vampires in the book from early on. I expected them to wreak havoc upon the village and people to run from them in desperation. That’s not how The Deathless Girls goes. If you read it expecting a dark, eerie fantasy that can be finished in one-sitting rather than an action-filled dark vampire novel, you’ll enjoy it much more.

Finally – without any spoilers of course – I have to praise the ending of The Deathless Girls. It was amazing. It was everything I wanted and more. Most YA fantasies that I have read have reasonably safe endings. They have some booms and bangs at 75% but they will get nicely wrapped up by the last 20 pages. However, The Deathless Girls allows the booms and bangs go on until the very end. I was at the edge of my seat until the very final page.

This is a little gem of a book. Kiran has woven a really beautiful tale following the fate of two Travellers, twin sisters Kizzy (I wondered if Kiran had chosen this name as a small nod to The Diddakoi?) and Lil. The writing is gothic, romantic and rich and Kiran creates a totally believable world and atmosphere as we follow the twins’ journey to their inevitable fate.

I do have one tiny criticism and that is now and again the characters would use a phrase that was a little too contemporary, but not enough to spoil the wonderful atmosphere of the tale.

I am way (way, way!) out of the age group that The Deathless Girls is aimed at, but I really did love it and I think a teenage me would have been completely spellbound. I am very much looking forward to The Mercies.

Not typically a fan of vampire stories, I found I enjoyed this - perhaps because it focuses on the human side of the characters from the beginning and successfully turns to the supernatural later.
A well-balanced mixture of description and a feeling of history lays the foundation for the action. This is bloodthirsty in parts, so will satisfy those who like horror but it will be somewhat tame for those who like the more hardcore read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lil and Kizzy are twin sisters that are captured and taken away from their traveller family to live as slaves by settler, Boyar Valcar. While there, the girls learn about a mysterious man named the Dragon. The Dragon takes girls as gifts from Boyar Valcar and he has his eye on Lil’s beautiful sister. Unable to change their fate, Lil and Kizzy are drawn into a terrifying world of myths legends.

I am so here for vampires, so when I read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to read it! I enjoyed The Girl of Ink and Stars so I knew I liked the authors writing.

There were lots of things I enjoyed about this story. The connection between the sisters was wonderful to read about. I really liked Lil although I didn’t see why she was so enamoured with Kizzy, other than the way she looks.

Mira was a great addition to the story line and I liked her and Lil together. It was very sweet and I really wanted things to work out for them.

I did feel like this book was almost two separate stories. I was expecting lots of vampires but the vampire element didn’t come in until much, much later in the book which I found disappointing. Also, I found the choices that Lil made toward the end actually infuriating and the ending felt rushed.

Overall it was an enjoyable story with some good elements but if you go into this expecting a vampire story from start to finish you will be disappointed.

Actual rating 3.5 stars

<i>Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

So I was really pumped to read this, I really like Hargrave's writing and I'm also really excited to read The Mercies when it's released. Plus, a feminist Brides of Dracula retelling? Yeah, I'm here for that.

There's not really any spoilers to be had with this book. The two main characters, Kizzy and Lil, are two young Traveller twins whose fate is to become 'The Deathless Girls' - two of the Brides of Dracula.

The author does justice to her Traveller heritage and highlights the discrimination and hostility that sadly still continues to this day. I really liked both of the main characters, fiery Kizzy and thoughtful Lil. The supporting characters felt a little flat, particularly Mira considering the importance she plays in the story.

My main issue was the pacing. I got to 60% and wondered when something was going to happen. It is very much a character driven novel which is absolutely fine but given the subject matter I guess I was looking for a bit more sexy, dark angst and a bit less...kitchen duties.

When I was reading it I found myself checking whether or not it was a standalone. It all ties up nicely at the end, but it sometimes felt like the first in a series rather than a complete book. Sekifishly, I would have liked to spend some more time with these characters.

The central romance is fine, it didn't set my world on fire but the main focus was on the relationship between the sisters rather than the romance so I was fine with how the love story played out. There's some good LGBT representation and it definitely gets the feminist stamp of approval.

The last 10% of the book left me conflicted because the story ended so perfectly with a bittersweet gut punch left me wanting more.

Overall a solid enough YA story that didn't quite live up to the expectations I had of it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this for review consideration. It was not really for me and as such I won't be providing a review.

A fantastic novel with twists and turns that lead to a cold end. A love, a lust and a longing. A exciting narrative that meets all expectations and more.

After reading the description and seeing Dracula mentioned, I knew I was going to enjoy this book and I so did. The writing was superb and the story was exactly what I'd hoped for. It's fast-paced and action packed right from the beginning as we're introduced to Lil and her twin sister Kizzy. They are travellers and taken into captivity and this is where it all starts. both girls have strong personalities and their bond is exceptional which is proved time and time again throughout the story culminating in the ultimate sacrifice for Lil at the end of the book. The description throughout the book is exceptionally vivid and I felt like I was part of the story as it unfolded. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say if you like a vivid story, with action, survival, and a bond that can't be broken, give The Deathless Girls a try. It has a bit of everything including some squirmish scenes and of course vampires.

This was a fun book to read. It didn't blow my socks off but it was a decent page turner.
I enjoyed some aspects a lot, like traveller culture. I thought there would be more of the vampire story. LGBTQ content was done nicely.
Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is dark, gothy and enjoyable- the cover is beautiful too. The LGBT themes are well done and natural, there is no element of them feeling forced just to have an LGBT character at all. This is excellent gothic YA!

A YA Dracula retelling with a gorgeous gothic cover? Kiran Millwood Hargrave taking on a dark, feminist fantasy? Sign me up!

For the first few chapters, I was hooked. Hargrave's prose is as lyrical as ever. There is some wonderful world building, and I loved the focus on Lil and Kizzy's traveller community. Lil has a strong voice, and her role as the overshadowed sister makes for a unique narrative perspective.

However, after the opening action sequence the story itself becomes a little... lifeless. The horror in 'The Deathless Girls' is rooted in man's inhumanity to man, which is a brilliant take for a Dracula retelling. Unfortunately, the theme loses some of its effectiveness as the villains are overly one dimensional, almost pantomime bad guys. There is very little truly 'gothic' horror here: the horror is centred around the abuse the girls face, and rather than giving me thrills and chills, it was just a bit bleak. I almost felt at times like the premise was working against the plot; this was not quite the book I wanted it to be.

That said, I was truly invested in the romance (a rare occurence for me) and I loved the quasi-historical exploration of life as a girl of colour. I found myself wishing for more pages towards the end of the book - it felt like the ending fell just as things were getting started. I can only hope that all these unanswered questions are setting us up for a sequel!

The opening scenes of this book are brutal and harrowing and things continue to get darker from there. This retelling of the brides of Dracula is beautiful and disturbing. To say I enjoyed it would be wrong- but it definitely stays with you.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review

Enjoyed this dark twisted tale in this books and it was nice to see a well written LGBTQ theme as well.

Will most likely be a classic in years to come

A beautifully told imagining of the origin of two of Dracula's brides. Kizzy and Lil are twins from the Traveller community, on the cusp of adulthood and hearing their futures foretold. Then their peaceful world is torn apart by a vicious attack and the girls are abduced and enslaved in the castle of the brutal Boyar Valcar. There they hear stories of the dark and terrifying Dracul, the dragon, the character of legends, who takes girls as gifts...

This is a wonderfully atmospheric and gripping tale. I wasn't too sure where the ending was going to take me, even though I had my suspicions, but I enjoyed every word of the story. Sinister, dark and magical.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for n honest review.

The Deathless Girls sounded like such a promising read, perfect for Autumn: who wouldn’t want to read a f/f reimagining of Dracula, which gives a voice to the voiceless? In Dracula, it is mentioned that the vampire has three brides, two dark, one fair. The Deathless Girls is the story of two of them.

From the first few words, The Deathless Girls is a brutal story and doesn’t shy away from the realities of history. It follows Lil and her twin sister Kizzy, which see their family and community slaughtered and burned to the ground on the eve of their seventeenth birthday, before they are enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, ruler of the land. They are then taken away to his castle, where they become serving girls and eventually cross paths with Dracula.

This novel is, as expected, full of gothic elements, which I really enjoyed reading about. It goes from the darkness in humans’ hearts, which can be filled with hate and prejudice without any reason, to the more supernatural gothic elements, exploring the myth of the vampire. All in all, the setting was believable and was perfect for a book you’d read during Autumn or near Halloween.

I found really interesting to read about the prejudiced dichotomy between the traveller community and the settled community in a historical setting, as it is rarely discussed. Not only are the main characters torn away from their homes, but they have to face prejudiced people who judge their way of lives. They are forced into a situation and would like nothing more than to be with their families and to find a home again. I’d have expected the twins’ relationship to be explored in-depth, but I didn’t find it wasn’t the case, which is a reason I couldn’t appreciate this story more.

This book mentions folklore of the travelling communities, which was interesting, but I’d have liked to know more about that. The divining day seemed like such an important way of these people’s culture, yet it was barely touched upon, which I understand as the girls are ripped away from their homes and in a way of their identity, but once they get answers, it’s pretty much barely discussed again, which was a shame.

To the core, The Deathless Girls is a character-driven story, but I unfortunately didn’t connect much with the main character. It felt like a really slow-paced book, which the last hundred pages made in part for, as they were gripping and focused so much on the myth of the vampire. It was chilling and exactly what I expected from this book. That being said, the first two thirds of the book were more about Lil’s story herself, from her community to being enslaved in a castle, and I didn’t care as much for that. The Dragon is referenced here and there, which makes his ultimate appearance all the scarier, but once again, I’d have liked to read more about the myth of the strigoï and the vampyre more from the beginning. All in all, don’t go into this book thinking you will hear about vampires from the very beginning, the topic is barely touched upon at first.

To be honest, most of the book felt abrupt and rushed to me. I found the romance really sweet, but would have liked more build-up for some scenes to make it believable. Like I said, the vampire elements come into play only in the last third of the book, and so do The Deathless Girls themselves. This novel felt like such an interesting idea, but I didn’t really like its execution: I found the final decision of the main character to be barely touched upon and anticlimactic, plus the final bride of Dracula was barely mentioned in the epilogue, getting two lines and not even a real name, which I found a bit ironic.

Overall, I liked this book, but am a little frustrated. I wish this book had been longer, so it had gotten more build-up. This story was such a great idea, but I felt like everything was rushed to go to the end, but because of that, I didn’t have time to get invested into the characters, the story or what was at stake for them. Still, I think readers will enjoy it more than I did and that it works well as a Halloween read.

[Review to be published on my blog on release day!]

This was a very interesting read. It is not a traditional vampire novel, rather an exploration of life for two traveler girls in an unspecified time in the past. They are twins, and we meet them the day before they turn seventeen and their outdoor life is ruined by the landowners who kill and enslave travelers. There is lots of beautiful description and themes of prejudice and power. There is a strong focus on the girls being frightened by the prospect of sexual assault, and I would not recommend this book to younger teens.

This book is better written than many YA novels, and rather than a traditional love triangle or misunderstandings with a boy, one of the twins instead develops a sweet relationship with a girl she meets. I really enjoyed the focus on the inner life of the female characters.

The ending, where the twins end up at Dracula's castle, is quite different to the rest of the book, and feels a little rushed- it makes sense in the context of this being a retelling of an aspect of Bram Stoker's Dracula. In all though, I really enjoyed this book and I know I would have loved it when I was 15 or 16. Not a typical supernatural or vampire novel, but one well worth reading.

A fun book to get lost in. Not for those who are fans of historical accuracy. I enjoyed the references to traveller culture immensely and would've almost preferred more focus on that life than having vampires bought in.