I've been a sucker for vampires since Twilight and was extremely excited to get an ARC of Pierlot's The Hunter's Gambit. The story starts off slow and then accelerates quite quickly, almost too quickly for how much world building needed to be done to tell Kazan's story properly. I think the book could have done without some of the side plots and fleshed out the main story instead. I loved the potential of Kazan and wished that I could have connected more with this book. Regardless of my experience with The Hunter's Gambit, I encourage you to read it for yourself. Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC!

I loved the concept when reading the blurb, but I don't think it met my expectations. The world-building really pulled me in, but the dialogue didn't quite meet my expectations for a great fantasy novel. I would still be interested in reading more from this author in the future, but some of what fell flat in this book would need to be worked on. The concept was great and I think if we could build upon that concept with great dialogue and follow through I'd be a happy reader!

Dark romantasy. This was a fast read for me. I quite enjoyed it though I probably didn't care for the characters as much as I would have liked. Filled with vampires and Kazan who needs to escape them before she's their meal.

The Hunters Gambit is a story about the allure of vampires. I will admit that I struggled with this one. It felt like the main character was throwing a tantrum all novel. It wasn’t for me but maybe it’ll be for someone else.

If you are looking for romance book, this might not be it. I enjoyed the plot and the action on this book, but also would have wanted a bit of a romance plot in it :) Spice was fine!

It’s been awhile, since I last read a book that only took me four days to read. I hadn’t expected to fly through the hunter’s gambit the way I did, and it was such a lovely surprise. If I’m to be honest, when I requested this book, I didn’t completely read the synopsis. I only saw that it was a vampire novel and it was pretty steamy but mostly plot centred and so I had to request it and I’m glad I did. Whilst it wasn’t the five star, I had hoped it was still a very enjoyable novel. I didn’t realise this would have a vampire thruple and I’m so glad that it happened because I absolutely love the three of them, Kazan and Reya in particular. It was a lot grittier and gruesome than other vampire novels that I’ve read which I really liked. I feel like we don’t get that as much when it comes to vampire novels and I hope I find more like this. Honestly if there ended up being a sequel I would definitely read it, especially with the way it ended. I could see it happening but it also was tied up very well. The main character had initially come across as pretty smart. However, there were some occasions where I wanted to shake her because she wouldn’t think things through. Luckily it didn’t happen often enough to make me dislike her. I do wish we’d gotten to know more about the world itself and the human part of it, as well as the rest of the vampire world. Then again, the book takes place almost entirely within a castle over the span of three days, so there would’ve been no time to really explore that, but if we ever got a sequel, I feel like that would be the perfect opportunity, especially with how the book ended.

I think I need to take a break from Romantasy as a genre completely. There are just too many story elements in the genre that feel beat-by-beat the exact same. The premise sounded so different! I was so excited going into this book - and I do think it will be a hit with heavy romantasy readers - but the deeper into the story I got, the less I cared. The writing prose was good but the characters ended up being lackluster. By the time I finished, I was ready to just move on to something else. Overall, it was just "okay" for me.

I really liked the story at the start. The setting was good and the plot seems to be heading in an interesting direction. However, as the story progresses, especially towards the end, the plot seems rushed and it became weird. There was so much potential for it to become a good story, disappointed it didn't.

Kazan started as a likable enough character although still with her flaws. But as the story progresses, her character doesn't seem to grow much. Which makes her a frustrating character to read.

Thank you for giving me the chance to review. Hope the next book will be much better. Good luck!

A fun vampire romp, that hits all the right scratch points. Throw in some escape room type shenanigans and a boat load of tension.

I can see this book, breaking out in the romantasy scene for sure, it was a fun ride.
And while it didn’t do it for me personally, there is a major attraction here for romantasy readers.
But if you’ve missed vampires of late, this should be going on your tbr

I was really excited for this one but unfortunately I had to DNF it. It just wasn’t for me. I needed to push myself to try and read more but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t connect to the story and the characters

This was a really fun slow burn bisexual poly vampire lock-room escape type fantasy with a strong willed, vengeful FMC that will do anything to escape and survive. I do wish there was a little more depth to the love interest and romance but overall this was a story of self preservation from being the main course in a feast of the vampire court whilst unravelling the mysteries of the fortress in which she’s trapped in

The Hunter’s Gambit by Ciel Pierlot is a dark fantasy novel that plunges you into a world of aristocratic vampires and a gripping locked-room escape adventure.
The story centers around Kazan Korvic, a skilled blacksmith with a vendetta against vampires.
Kazan must navigate a treacherous environment to reclaim her stolen weapon and escape before a lavish feast!

Kazan's interactions with other characters, particularly the vampires, are tense and charged with emotion. Kazan’s ability to adapt and think on her feet makes her a formidable protagonist. She is not a traditional hero, but her flaws and fierce will to survive make her relatable and compelling.

The plot serves as a cat and mouse game, with a fraught and suspenseful atmosphere, the constant threat of violence and betrayal lurking around every corner.

Overall, The Hunter’s Gambit offers a thrilling and darkly captivating experience, perfect for fans of vampire lore and intense fantasy adventures.
Thank you to @cielpierlot and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing Arc

I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it fell really flat for me. I found the characters rather two dimensional and the plot left me wanting so much more. I have a lot of questions and wanted so much more from what was a great premise.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Angry Robot for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Although I loved this author's first book I found it difficult to get through this one, I was initially intrigued by the idea of vampires but I just didn't enjoy how it was executed. As I only read 56% I didn't feel like continuing until the end.

This book was honestly weird to me personally. I don't necessarily see the parallels made between this and Twilight.
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I spent most of this book utterly confused. And I'm not sure what I think of it. I didn't dislike it, but I can't exactly say I liked it either.
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This book came out a couple of months ago, and I've only just gotten around to reading it, which I feel a little bit bad about. I enjoyed the writing style, and the way the characters were written and developed. I'm just not sure I was fully on board with the plot. I think the issue is primarily that the book wasn't to my taste and not really to do with the book.
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Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

I wasn't keen on the main character, the dialogue was lacking depth and the pace of the book wasn't as I'd expected

▸⭐ 4.5/5
▸🌶️ 2/5
▸ genre: fantasy

The Hunter's Gambit is a standalone and let me tell you about how exciting it was for me! I haven't read a lot of vampire books and this was a good one, where the vampires are the bad guys (but sexy) 🧛 and the fmc is morally grey and a survivor. It's interesting because she lies constantly to others, but then she doesn't lie to herself in the sense that she knows that she is a bit cold hearted and selfish. The premise was intriguing because I hadn't read anything similar yet and the book was packed with action left and right. I was always waiting to see what would happen next and really enjoyed the quick pace of the book - most of the book is over a span of a few days and in the vampire's stronghold. You get to see how the fmc feels and changes throughout her 3 days at the castle.

There is minor "romance," and to be honest, it was more like lust than true romance. Nonetheless, I wanted more, but also understand what environment she was in. I adored the good vampires and wanted more from their pov or to learn more about them! I was just a tad disappointed in Kazan as she made things a bit messy towards the end, but things happened due to mistrust and I understand that that is a part of her character also. I didn't quite love the ending, because the book ended on a slow and lukewarm note, which was such a huge contrast to the majority of the story so I felt like I was ending the race at a snail's pace. I appreciate the quick and "to the point" parts of the book, but also find myself wishing the book was a bit longer. Mainly because I wouldn't mind knowing more details about certain aspects of the story and the characters, because although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I didn't have an unhealthy obsession with the main characters after finishing. 🤣

I received this as an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Please check trigger warnings!

TLDR: Interesting plot with a quick pace and loaded with action so I enjoyed it, but didn't have an unhealthy obsession with the characters.

There's a lot of potential and I loved the beginning. After the first part I felt a bit bored and wasn't a huge fan of the end.
I will try to read again in the future.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the third book I’ve read recently featuring vampires and I’m pleased to say this was my favorite of the bunch (which is saying a lot since the others were fantastic too!) The Hunter’s Gambit gives us the classic vampires, the ones who tear humans apart and feed from them, not the sparkly ones that will bring you teddy bears and feed you soup when you’re sick. ⁣
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Kazan is a human locked in a house with hungry vampires and she has 3 days to escape, lest she be dinner. I loved the trapped feeling this book gave me and the overall feeling of impending doom as we wait and see if Kazan will remain alive. There’s also a fair bit of romance and spice, which I enjoyed, making this an overall fun and exciting read. Definitely pick this series up if you enjoy:⁣⁣⁣
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⁣⁣⁣➽ Vampires ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Locked room mystery⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Morally grey characters ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Spicy romance ⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Impending feeling of doom and gloom

"The Hunter's Gambit" by Ciel Pierlot is a wild ride through a vampire-infested world with a twisty plot and morally grey characters. Kazan, our cunning and deceptive protagonist, navigates this dark landscape with a flair for lying and surviving against all odds. The political intrigue and unpredictable alliances kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you're looking for a romance, you might want to look elsewhere. While there’s a spicy scene and some bisexual vampires, the focus is more on action, adventure, and the unpredictable nature of the vampire world. This book is perfect for fans of dark fantasy and those who love a strong, untrustworthy lead character. Dive in for a fun and thrilling read!