The Hunter's Gambit was an unexpected surprise for me, intrigued by the synopsis and immediately grabbed by the hilarious foreword. The novel is a great mix of dark fantasy with some much needed humour to balance it out at times. The romance is complicated to say the least, no simplicity when there's lots of lies & omissions of truth, along with being locked in a castle full of vampires with days left to live....

The cast of characters were outstanding, with our protagonist Kazan being a standout. Reya + Adrius as our love interests were great as well. With all the political manoeuvring in vampire society it was great to see the differences lined out in the personalities and actions of the main + supporting cast.

The writing flowed really well & the Citadel was a great setting with easy to imagine visuals. The magic and geists were also well thought out and really helped flesh the world out. Overall, a really enjoyable read and I hope to see more of the world & Kazan's story!

Thanks to Netgalley & Angry Robot for the arc.

This is such an interesting story full of rich and vibrant world building, unique characters, and a familiar yet refreshing take on vampires!
Quite a lot of this story read like something from Castlevania which i enjoyed immensely. There was just the right amount of sarcasm/wit, and awful characters that made for some really interesting, if not tense scenes between the humans and vampires.

I was intrigued the moment i started reading this and loved how morally grey Kazan was right from the start. All of her interactions were incredibly self serving, manipulated and fabricated that it was hard not to find her the most compelling character out of the whole bunch. I liked especially that she knew who she was as a character, meaning that there wasn't an awful lot of change that made her unrecognizable at the end (which is one of my biggest pet peeves with some books).

I also adore with every fiber of my being when a story/plot takes place (for the most part) in one location. As soon as i read that Kazan was going to be held captive in a gilded cage for 3 days before being sacrificed as 'The Vampire Queen' i was sold.
The sole setting element just makes everything so much easier to understand/follow for me personally, especially when there is so much happening and so many new characters constantly being introduced. You're able to just focus more on what the characters are all saying and doing, and form a deeper connection with them too, so when something bad happens (like being sacrificed) it has a much bigger impact, which is always immensely more enjoyable!

A particular part of the book i really liked and don't think i've seen anywhere else are the vampire stakes. For them to be effective at killing vampires the wood has to still be 'alive'. How cool is that?!?!! Means that they have to carve and use the stakes almost immediately or they won't have any effect at all!

This story didn't just give everything away either. There was a lot of plot twists that i didn't see coming at all, and others i knew were imminent, and i was so happy when i was proved right! The pacing and spacing between these twists and turns was just right i think too. They weren't forced on us too quickly, but spaced out just enough that the characters began to relax a little before something else happened.
If you're a fan of fast paced books with action immediately and continually happening, sarcasm, whit, spice, morally grey characters and a unique world, then this will definitely be the right book for you!
Overall a great book that i enjoyed immensely
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book!!!.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was not for me. As an avid reader that eats up everything and anything vampire, I was disappointed. The story just did not make sense to me at all and ended up DNFing around 55%.

I am dnfing this book as, despite the interesting premise, I am struggling to read the clunky dialogue and awkward storytelling. Nothing about the story is reeling me in since the characters are not enticing nor fleshed out enough to hold my attention, sadly.

This is a book about vampires and humans. The FMC, Kazan, is a very strong willed character, and she was very charming. I enjoyed her wit and sass. This book takes place over the span of four days, so there is a lot of stuff crammed into a very short time frame. The story is good. It is very gory so be aware of trigger warnings. I was not a fan of the ending. It felt like you were built up for one thing to happen, and then it did not happen. I know that you can possibly assume what happens with the ending, but I like to have it spelled out for me. The ending was possibly one of the biggest disappointments of the book. It wasn't bad, I just wanted more details.

A whirlwind of danger, twists, and laugh out loud moments. This book keeps you gripped all the way through. Exploring the morally grey concept in a different way where self-preservation is the only goal. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone wanting to get out of a reading slump.

The Hunter’s Gambit is a perfect read for anyone looking for a paranormal romance/ revenge plot that features Vampires ACTUALLY ACTING LIKE VAMPIRES. I feel like after the Twilight phase we all went through as a society every vampire lore book has been so predictable. It’s a rare treat when I finally read vampire literature that shows their nature according to original myth. This book was paced very well for a standalone novel, and all the chapters were a good length. The main characters always keep you guessing, and the strength Kazan acquires throughout her journey is incredible to read. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the ending, I understand it leaves it somewhat to the reader’s interpretation, but I feel like an end scene with the main three characters would have been a stronger ending. I am very thankful to Ciel Pierlot, her publishing team, and NetGalley for giving me this ARC.

The Hunter’s Gambit is described as ‘A tale of seduction, sadism, and survival…’ and there should be no surprise that there are no innocents or heroes of the hour in this story. This is a story of dishonesty, deception, plots, morally grey characters and a world that has accepted and survives the co-existence of humans and vampires. The vampires terrorize Mavazem, and Mavazem protects itself with a core of Wardens trained to fight and defend the citizens with weapons and coins of silver. That’s where the world-building pretty much ends, this is a plot based story, there are key characters but, the plot is the story.
Kazan Korvic is a blacksmith, an orphan, a liar and will do whatever it takes to survive. She became a blacksmith when she was rejected as a warden and uses her skill to craft silver based weapons with the sole purpose of killing vampires. Kazan is fascinated and repulsed by vampires and through a series of events finds herself in their hands and named as the Queen of Vampires, locked in the Citadel with only 3 days left to live before she is sacrificed.
Of course it isn’t that simple and Pierlot creates a sense of suspense with the plot, the vampires can’t touch the defenceless Kazan for three days until the culmination of their feast, and Kazan will use this time to desperately claw her way free of the castle and the terrifying vampires. Of course like any society, there are factions and kingdoms within the kingdom of vampires, and these politics and tensions overspill to create plots within plots, with all told from Kazan’s perspective. The plot itself is very fast paced and very quickly brings in other key characters that are central to the story, Dasar, the dastardly and terrible ruler of the vampires. Adrius a scorned vampire, rejected and feared by the majority of the vampire community and the lovely Reya, who has her own agenda and skills that you will discover as you read.
Kazan’s morally grey nature is truly what draws you to her, she is very self-aware, she knows she’s a liar, she knows that she manipulates situations and stories to advance her own needs but, she also has her own sense of morality, and this makes her so much more relatable. Pierlot also explores the nature of vampire society, morality and the conflict that this creates between the factions, albeit putting greater emphasis on their self-involved and selfish nature for the majority, except for when they join in purpose, for example not eating the human until the conclusion of the Feast at the end of the third day.
As I’ve said the plot is very much the focus of the story and it flows very quickly, those who are more focused on the world-building or character focus of a story may be a little disappointed. I read this book in less than a day and was intrigued about what would happen next, with some twists definitely taking me by surprise. If you like a fast paced book that does deliver some spice, not a huge amount, and moves at pace towards its conclusion then this is most definitely the book for you.
Huge thanks to Bookbreak UK, Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for the arc of The Hunter’s Gambit by Ciel Pierlot in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
3.75 stars

Thank you netgalley for the ARC read.
I almost gave this 5 stars,
And honestly it was the dedication that had me.
If a book has a Witty or funny dedication, most of the time the book will slay.
This was 100% on point.
I'll be telling everyone about this book!

I really wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. The premise was great and I enjoyed the characters. I would have liked to see more interactions between the romantic interests and to have explored their backgrounds a little more. It also would have been interesting to have a few chapters from one of the vampires’ perspectives.

Vampires terrorize the human citizens of Mavazem, but Kazan Korvic refuses to cower. She is an expert blacksmith, able to craft and use weapons designed to kill the vampires. When a group of them steal her magical weapons, her skills aren't enough. She is forced to become part of the vampire court and act as Queen, culminating in an extravagant feast where they plan to devour her.

Kazan is a liar but an excellent blacksmith; it takes a lot of skill to work with silver and live wood to create weapons to kill vampires, and she makes weapons that are both practical and useful. She intends to sell an exquisite sword, which unfortunately puts her into the path of vampires who rely on having a human play king or queen for three days prior to their gruesome death as part of a magic ritual meant to keep their Citadel in prime condition. She's up against three major bloodlines of vampires all coming together for this ritual, many of whom have their own secrets and plots that they have been working on for decades.

The idea of a castle full of vampires and the human that they can't kill yet is a fascinating one, and leads to an incredible amount of tension throughout the book. She tries to find an escape route, build alliances, and even converse with ghosts that are created when vampires kill humans. The vampires can't see them, a neat little world building detail, but can still be affected by them in some ways. The vampires are still characters full of agency even if their humanity by definition is gone. Their morals are not the same as humans any longer, and Kazan's shift back and forth. She acknowledges that she lies all the time and is a coward, interested in saving her own life. It happens multiple times, and the vampires are just as self serving. This makes her very relatable.

I guessed a few of the plot points along the way and was surprised by others, making it very interesting and fun. The bulk of the novel takes place over the three days of the party in the Citadel, and we see those shifting alliances at work on each day. I couldn't put the book down, because I had to see what happened next, and the finale was a fitting surprise.

The Hunter's Gambit has an incredible portrayal of vampires. Think Baldur's Gate 3 vampires though, not typical YA vampires. They are brutal and have lost all humanity and they take and do what they want. Unfortunately, the vampires are the only part of this book that really worked for me.

Our main character, Kazan, is a blacksmith by trade and has made a weapon that would be vital to the Wardens who fight vampires. But when she (and her sword) are captured by vampires and taken to their main dwelling, The Citadel, she has to fight for her life to escape before she is sacrificed at the end of a lush and extravagant three day party. We are introduced to two love interests, who both appear to reciprocate her interest but also have a connection to each other. Spoilers for the next bit where I talk about why I didn't end up enjoying the book.

The main plot is an impossible situation and a lot of the book is Kazan going in circles trying to find ways out of the Citadel, and failing. She demands help but is really bad at actually accepting it when offered. She always does her own thing, often to her detriment. I found her incredibly frustrating and a lot of the story really repetitive. There was also just no believable or functional chemistry between her and the love interests. Maybe a bit with Adrius but none with Reya. And the chemistry between Adrius and Reya also didn't seem very believable given their stations and situations. The ending of the story was a mess and it wasn't satisfying but I'm also not sure there would have been a way to make it work for me. What's really unfortunate is that the world building and magic is so good and could make such an interesting story, but this wasn't it.

There was a good amount of world building which made the story fun. I enjoy getting an understanding for the fantasy world I am diving into when reading.

The last vampire story i read was Twilight over 10 years ago. This was the perfect re-introduction to vampires. I loved the human/vampire cross that was very much the Twilight vibes I needed.

4,5 Stars!

This was such a surprise for me. Reading the blurb and the first few chapters, I thought I knew how it would go. But this was so much more than that. It was so much fun, left me desperate to keep reading and overall I absolutely loved it. The most pleasant of surprises. I hope there's a second book!

“But where’s the fun in telling the same lie twice?”

“The Hunter’s Gambit,” by Ciel Pierlot

Kazan has made weapons designed for killing vampires. When travelling she is captured by them and taken to the vampire Citadel. She is forced to act as their Queen for the season for three days until they kill her. Trying to escape she might have to put her trust in two vampires that could help her.

I loved this book so much. The story line is unique and mysterious. The vampires were so interesting, and I couldn’t decide if they were cool, or if I hated them (because they are seriously evil). The main character is strong despite being a human and the love interest and her interactions were really good. This book reminded me a lot of the Cruel Prince in the twisted and depraved nature of the vampires. 5out of 5 stars, so good.

-Vampires
-Forced Proximity
-Kidnapped
-Bi

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Deadly Vampires
Spicy
Violent
Gruesome


Kazan is kidnapped by a hoard of vampires and is crowned their queen for three days. She is the main attraction for their despicable entertainment and deadly ritual which ends by her being consumed by hungry vampires.
Kazan is determined to be the only person to ever escape the Citadel with her life and has three days in which to escape.
I was immediately drawn by the fact that this is a book about vampires, the fact that the main character has to escape the vampires made this book absolutely thrilling and adding gorgeous, sultry allies made this a book I would defiantly want to read again.
The only down side to this book is that I feel that it could have been longer. I was not ready to have the book end and I feel that this could have been one of those 800 page novels.
If your love a good violent vampire book with all the gore then this is an excellent choice.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for a copy of this e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

It was so unfortunate for me to say I was struggling to fully immersed in the plot. We follow Kazan Korvic, who’s a great blacksmith, and a morally grey great liar, being captured by a group of vampires and mysteriously want her become their queen for three days. This book is about how Kazan unveiled the mysteries in the Citadel and tries to stay alive and escapes the Citadel. Full of vengeances, lies and twist, also romance.
However, all of these prompts intrigued me so much, resulting my disappointment for this novel. This book was full of actions and cool world, and yet the plot felt underwhelming. I didn’t see great chemistry between the characters, the romance wasn’t capturing my heart. The completion part seemed rushed and unsatisfied me.
Meanwhile the writing was comprehensible and I think I was quite fond of it, so I’ll expect her next novel would be so much better.

Thank you NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Ciel Pierlot for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

3 stars. The Hunter’s Gambit has an I ntriguing plot that draws readers into a world of mystery and adventure. However, the story occasionally drags with overly detailed descriptions and repetitive scenes that slow down the pace. Despite these lulls, the book offers memorable characters and a satisfying conclusion.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I was so excited to be selected to read this book. It has been a while since I read a good vampire book! I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED the plot of this book. It definitely kept me entertained and was a fun spin on the normal vampire style of book. I wanted to rate this book 4.5 so bad due to the plot. However, I struggled with some of the characters and occasionally was confused on what was going on. I didn't feel like I really knew the characters and wasn't as invested in them as much as I wanted to be. I also would have liked more explanation on what some terms were and how they fit into the book. Last I will note there is a spicy threesome scene, in case that is a problem for anyone.

The Hunter’s Gambit follows Kazan’s journey as she finds herself elected as the queen of the vampires, despite being human. After three days of her reign she will be ripped apart and eaten by her “subjects.” Kazan is determined to find a way out though, no matter what it takes.

This book is so gory and brutal… and I loved every second of it! 😂 I’m not even a huge vampire fan but I was hooked from the beginning! The banter between Kazan and everyone was so fun! I love a fmc who’s not afraid to talk back to people! I also loved how morally grey Kazan was. All she cared about what surviving the three days no matter who or what it destroyed.

I think this book would’ve benefited from a lack of romance. The focus should’ve been mainly on Kazan’s desperation towards surviving instead of her love life. I never really felt connected to the love interests, and I didn’t understand why they were so interested in Kazan. I think they would’ve worked better simply as allies instead of people for her to fall in love with.

Overall I really enjoyed the book when it didn’t focus on the romance. Thank you to @Angryrobotbooks for sending me an arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review ❤️