I was intrigued by The Hunter’s Gambit since the last book I read about vampires was Twilight. It is time for me to explore a fresh take on the world of vampires. There are a couple romantasy books on my TBR that explore this world. In the meantime, I wanted to give Ciel Pierlot the chance. I was kindly provided and ARC by Net Galley and Angry Robot in exchange for an honest review.

“Dedicated to everyone who read twilight and thought: ‘why are these vampires so Mormon?’”

The Hunter’s Gambit is about a blacksmith that is captured by vampires to be their queen for three days until they feast on her human life. Kazan’s specialty lies in crafting swords designed to kill vicious creatures. She is familiar with the world of vampires but not skilled enough to defeat them. She must use the three days wisely to scheme for a way out.

Overall, I enjoyed The Hunter’s Gambit. The plot was intriguing and Ciel Pierlot presented a unique POV. I enjoyed the plot, but the character arc fell flat. I enjoyed the supporting characters more than the main character and each character's personality seemed a little too similar. The romance this book was meant to have felt like it missed the mark. I would have potentially enjoyed this story if it removed the romance all together. The romantic elements distracted from the story and I did not feel resolve from the romantic conflicts in the end. I would consider this to be young adult fantasy. It was an easy, overall enjoyable read.

Thank you Net Galley and Angry Robot for this Advance Reader Copy.

I enjoyed this book. Gave me empire of vampire vibes. Has a strong female lead that I enjoyed. I love vampire books and this one did not disappoint

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Hunter's Gambit.

It was decent. the story lacked a bit of the plot.
There was a happy ending.

The hunter's gambit is a fantasy novel about a blacksmith who is kidnapped and brought to a vampire castle, where she will be crowned their queen for three days.... only to be eaten later.
The premise was giving serious Ready or Not vibes tbh. I wasn't expecting the romance, not that I'm complaining.

(ugh, honestly, imagine being in a triad *and* getting to murder the people you hate, in the most brutal way possible?
Good for her tbh)

Unfortunately there were moments where I ended skimming....a lot. The ending also felt rather underwhelming. Aside from that, 3 stars. Great premise, but over descriptive and underwhelming Ending.

Rarely does a dedication make you need to read a book but once I read this one I was all in!
I was completely entrenched in the world created, I loved some characters and despised others.
Morally grey fmc, found power, touches of spice and streaks of blood!

I get that the she is fierce and braving the Miss Independent facade but c'mon. I don't have to read the samw statement again and again. She is brave but blindy stupid as well. At least the plot is somewhat engaging and the cover is definitely 5stars

I enjoyed about 50% of this book, I would just fall in and out of interest constantly with this book. It had all of the ingredients to be an amazing fantasy book but it just felt very flat and 2D. The main and most important thing was the FMC was written very amazing. I genuinely loved her. I just didn’t care for the world..

📚 Book Review 📚

I have always enjoyed reading vampire novels and I love new and exciting tales of vampire lore.

This is a story about Kazan, a blacksmith, who finds herself kidnapped and held prisoner by a group of vampires in a citadel until it is time for her to be sacrificed. However, not all the vampires are keen to be controlled by the self professed leader of the vampires and there are plots a plenty.

This started off well, I really liked the character of Kazan and found her initial meeting with future vampire lover Adrius, exciting. But then it just seemed to become very slow. The writing and language is great, really strong and descriptive, but the characters for me, were just a bit boring. The whole story slowed until it concluded with newly turned vampire Kazan riding into the future on a horse and left me a little bit flat, which is a real shame because I had high hopes for this one.

The initial dedication says that “this book is for everyone who watched Twilight and wondered why the vampires were so Mormon” so I was expecting vampiric characters full of oomph. Sadly, I didn’t get that on this occasion, I’ll have to stick to my Twilight box set instead.

I’d like to thank Angry Robot Books, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️

This was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. It’s dark, seductive, humorous, frightening, and bloody. Chaotic creatures of the night coming together in celebration that lasts three days all dedicated to their chosen human sacrifice. Kazan is an unwilling participant in this ancient gathering and tries at every chance to not be these creatures next conquest but as her days dwindle she becomes more and more frightened of her impending death. Will Adrius provide aid, a vampire she met outside of these walls, or will she be absolutely alone in this sea of monsters?

I throughly enjoyed this book. I thought the author made all the right choices when deciding how to set up relationships and how to handle the pacing of the story. We started with vampires in such a casual way with Adrius that when we came face to face with the reality of these creatures I felt the cold shock of fear along with Kazan. The dance between romance, action, horror, and fantasy worked for me. You didn’t have too much of one thing within the story. It was balanced well.

The romance… THE ROMANCE. I am typically not of fan of this sort of thing (I’m trying to not give anything away) but I really enjoyed this. The author set it up just right where it made sense. The nature of the relationship just worked because of who and what they are but also the people that they are. I felt that Kazan was taken care of and provided for in all the right ways that a romantic partner should provide.

Overall, I thought this was a great story. It was enjoyable to read, it wasn’t overall complicated, the world building didn’t take chapters to get the point across, this was a game and there were winners and losers. I was happy with the ending but it could be interpreted as we could be getting more from Kazan 👀 can’t wait to see what else this author produces!

Just as a note…
If you’re not interested in blood, gore, battles, struggles, vampires, abduction, mystery, and chaos this story probably isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to read something new in the “darker” category this would be a good start. It’s not TO dark. It’s a nice balance.

The Hunter's Gambit follows Kazan a blacksmith who is captured by vampires to be sacrificed for a centuries-old tradition. She's imprisoned in a castle and her spilled blood is needed to keep it standing.
I liked her as a heroine, she was smart, witty, and selfish. She's not a good person from beginning to end but I liked that the author chose to go that route. It's nice to see a heroine doing everything she can to survive no matter the cost. Even though she enters a sort of quick steamy affair with two other vampires, she doesn't base her decisions on them.

The dedication to Twilight made me laugh and by the end, this story certainly delivered gruesome vampires with the many brutal action scenes.

The prose was a little hard to get into at first and hard to connect to the characters. I feel the ending was left open so I'm hoping we will get a second installment. I hope to see more character development, maybe some povs from the vampires, Adrius and Reya. Despite this being labeled as romance, I would say it's a very minor detail. Not really a subplot. I hope if the romance continues, we see more build-up, more tension, and more time for a relationship(s) to grow.

There were also some questions left unanswered, I hope they get cleared up, and now that the castle and all its history have crumbled what comes next?
All in all, this book was different from one I've ever read before and I was intrigued the entire time.

If you enjoy reading about savage vampires with a strong heroine doing everything to survive a game of cruelty, I recommend picking this one up!
Thank you, NetGalley, Ciel Pierlot, and Angry Robot for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

Firstly, I liked the plot of this book. The tension between the characters was palpable from the first scene. The writing was very flowery and descriptive. Unfortunately, it felt like I was reading a riddle at times, and I had to re-read the page a few times. However, I did like the main character because she was actually pretty smart and her goal was to survive so her actions reflected it. I feel like this is something this is something that this book did very well because I've read too many books with fantasy heroines that take actions against common sense.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-book arc.

Ciel Pierlot's The Hunter's Gambit plunges readers into a world where the line between fascination and fear blurs, where a skilled hunter becomes the hunted. Kazan Korvic, a woman obsessed with slaying vampires, finds herself trapped in the heart of their dominion, a gothic castle teeming with ancient power and deadly intentions. Pierlot's writing is sharp and engaging, drawing the reader into Kazan's desperate struggle for survival. The tension is palpable as Kazan, stripped of her weapons and forced into the role of a vampire queen, navigates a treacherous court of cunning and cruelty. The vampire lore is intriguing, adding a layer of depth to the story. The vampires are not simply monsters, but a complex society with their own rules, rituals, and motivations. This detail adds a sense of realism and makes the conflict between Kazan and her captors all the more fascinating. This story truly shines in its depiction of Kazan's fierce determination and resourcefulness. She is a compelling protagonist, driven by a thirst for survival and a cunning intellect. The story is a testament to the power of human resilience, showcasing Kazan's unwavering spirit as she fights for her freedom. Pierlot delivers a captivating blend of action, suspense, and a touch of romance. It's a book I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Angry Robot for sending this ARC in exchange for honest review

Okay so full transparency, I finished this book almost a month ago and TOTALLY forgot to write this review because time ran away from me, so this will be a short and sweet one!

Hunter's Gambit is a book I've seen hype floating around for a few months now, especially with as iconic a dedication as this one has (the book gets bonus points for when I started reading it and happened to have Twilight on the TV at the exact moment I read the dedication). It promises mystery, sexy vampires and palpable tension, and it does deliver! I'm someone that has a tendency to struggle a little bit with standalone fantasy as I prefer to immerse myself into a bigger world and plotline, but this was a really fun standalone that never promised more than it could deliver. It uses the locked room setting absolutely to its advantage, it keeps the plotline and world building developed enough to be interesting but contained enough that you're not left with a billion questions which I enjoyed. In terms of romance, it did everything I was anticipating it would do - the tension was there and it does give the payoff I'm sure everyone was hoping for! My only real gripe was that I found the ending to be a little bit lacking and open-ended (but also not really?). I felt a bit conflicted when I finished reading, I think I wanted a bit more of a solid ending. But overall, this was a fun time and I would recommend for a quick vampy read!

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book.
I love vampires! Books about that are some of my favorites, and we need a lot more of them.
I'm currently struggling with a reading slump, so I'm not able to give it a "fair" rating yet, but I will be finishing it as soon as I'm out of it.

I've read 46% and I really loved it, and I think I'll love the rest as well.

I received an advanced readers copy. Vampires, yes! I love a good vampire novel and this delivers. This fantasy has a strong female main character who not only knows how to forge a sword but also how to wield one. Kazan is wily and tries her best to outwit the vampires and keep herself alive throughout the novel. Kazan develops a romantic relationship with a male and female vampire who are lovers which leads to a steamy scene. Overall, the book has action and a swift pace that keeps the reader engaged. Although I love a spicy novel, the single sex scene felt forced and a bit gratuitous. I longed for more of an intense build up to keep the sexual tension high. The ending sets the stage for a sequel. Hopefully book two will provide more world building and character development.

I literally binged the crap out of this book. Ciel, you had me hooked in the first chapter and I knew after that I wasn't going to be able to put it down.

If you liked Serpent and the Wings of the Night, 100% add this to your TBR because this is right up your alley. I enjoyed this book so much, it had so many unexpected twists and turns, and I had no idea how it was going to end.

There was lots that loved and some things that I didn't love (but I won't include them here because I don't want to give away any spoilers). What I will say was that this was a great fantasy read and I will be recommending it to my of my friends who I know will like this type of story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for gifting me a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Hunter’s Gambit
4 ⭐️

vampires 🩸
vampiric magic 🧛
escape room vibes

This was a really cool spin on vampires. It was a really intriguing plot with a small romance subplot. I love that it was such an easy read! I do wish pacing had been a little faster bc at times certain scenes felt too drawn out. I don’t think we get to see very many morally gray FMCs so it was very cool to see it here. Kazan was focused on her survival and made zero apologies for doing what she had to survive. I loved Reya and Adrius! I wish we could have gotten one of their POVs and possibly learn what happens after the final events.

The glossary was a lifesaver! Especially with all the bloodlines and seconds-in-command. I don’t know if TWs will be added to the final version but know that its a bit graphic/gory.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the arc in exchange of a free and honest review!

*Instagram review will be posted on 5/23/24*

While the premise is fascinating, the writing style was choppy and it was hard to connect with the characters.

This book follows Kazan, a blacksmith who has made a weapon to kill vampires. In a series of unfortunate events, she finds herself trapped in a Citadel of vampires who have made it clear that they will be sacrificing her in 3 days.

The Hunters Gambit off with a great concept. It was a mix between a fantasy and a thriller and I loved the dark and gruesome (and often violent) writing that described the vampire Citadel.

I liked the determination of Kazan and her morally grey behaviour as she is forced to make decisions for survival. She's not a perfect person and she makes a lot of difficult choices which brings a depth to the story that I appreciated.

I unfortunately didn't find the relationship between her, Adrius and Reya believable. I went in expecting tension and heat given that she's basically in a vampire threesome, but I found there to be no chemistry between any of the characters. In fact, I think I would have enjoyed the book more without the romance plot all together (and I'm usually a heavy romance reader).

Even though the romance wasn't my favourite part, I did appreciate the queer rep and I loved the natural way that Kazans sexuality was written about. It felt real.

The book was enjoyable even if I wish I had loved it more. I will likely be reading more of this authors work.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The hunters gambit” is a fantasy book perfect for vampire lovers (I feel like vampires are really getting their time in the lime light again and I’m loving it!)

We have a strong willed female lead, locked room attempted escape trope, vampiresque castles, lots of action, adventure, gore, fights, spice and more.

I feel like there could have been a little more world building, however this book definitely focuses on the shock factor and there’s a lot of that which keeps the reader distracted on the events unfolding.

Read if you like empire of the vampire.

Thank you to Angry Robot, Ciel Pierrot and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: June 25th