Rating: 2.5 🌟

I read this book in one day and while I definitely didn’t hate it I don’t have many positive things to say unfortunately :/

I was very excited to get into this because the premise reminded me of The Serpent & The Wings of Night (which I LOVED) but honestly this book disappointed me. The world-building is pretty much nonexistent and I feel like I was deceived in the synopsis after going into the book expecting the thrilling ‘rebellion and dark forces’ that it describes when really it’s just a couple rebel threats here and there and little detail into everything behind the supposed main storyline of The Last Raven.

The romance was also not it because it was insta-love. The author tried to have some semblance of a hate-to-love romance but if I remember correctly by the 60th page they were both already good with each other :/ I wasn’t a huge fan of Emilia, our main character, either. There wasn’t anything especially bad about her but I felt that her character lacked personality - there wasn’t anything to her other than her inner debate of whether she should stay in her royal house or flee.

The plot twist at the end was also predictable and I feel like instead of blowing my mind at how crazy-good it was, it just spoiled the book and everything we had read up until that point, in my opinion. 😕

But I’m also giving this book 2.5 stars because I don’t give lower than that to books I didn’t feel a strong wave of dislike towards. And also this isn’t horrible just…missing some things. It is a very bingeable book though :)

Regardless of my thoughts on this though, thank you so much to NetGalley, One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK and to Helen Glynn Jones for an e-ARC copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion 🫶

Well I have to say this book is not what I was expecting. It is even better.

I jumped straight into the world of vampires and humans where the Raven vampires rule. I didn’t need the back story because it was explained very quickly as to what happened in the world.

You could just immerse yourself in the storyline and feel sorry for Emelia, a human born to the reigning vampire family and protected from all the nasties that go along with vampires and staying alive. The intrigue and power play drew me in. There was always a feeling of something bad about to happen but I wasn't sure from which direction. And it was such a surprise when it did.

The romance between Kyle and Emelia started slowly. An attraction that grew into more. Yes Emelia is young but she certainly grew up fast and wanted to make changes. She started as a frightened and naive teenager wanting to know more of the world beyond the walls of her safe vampire world.

I really enjoyed reading the Last Raven. I like a book that is not just insta love and fall into bed. There has to be a great story to go with it. This book delivered it.

The story centers on Emelia, the sole heir to the House of Raven. Caught in the relentless expectations of her lineage, Emelia is forced to confront her unique position in a society that values power and bloodline above all else. The reader instantly connects with her internal struggle—torn between the lavish life and responsibilities inherent in her title and her own yearning for authenticity and freedom. Jones's portrayal of Emelia is both relatable and poignant, as she grapples with feelings of confinement while navigating the treacherous waters of being human in a vampire world.
The arrival of Kyle is a game-changer for Emelia, serving as more than just a romantic interest; he becomes her beacon of hope and rebellion. Their chemistry crackles with intensity, fueled by the tension of their different worlds. Jones does an exceptional job of weaving the “forced proximity” trope into the narrative, as Kyle’s mysterious demeanor and hidden agendas draw Emelia into a whirlwind of passion and peril. Their relationship is both thrilling and delicately layered, as Emelia must not only confront the potential of love but also the danger it brings.
One of the most enthralling aspects of "The Last Raven" is how it challenges the norm of vampire literature by placing a human heroine at its core. Emelia’s perspective offers a refreshing departure from the traditional vampire narrative, and as she uncovers her own strength, the reader is taken on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The themes of choice and sacrifice resonate deeply, especially as Emelia grapples with the idea of leaving behind those she loves for a chance at true freedom.
Overall, this book is a hauntingly beautiful tale, perfect for anyone seeking a fresh take on vampire romance.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC through Net-Galley prior to publication, so I would like to say thank you for that.

This book, initially, gave me similar vibes to Vampire Academy and the Disney Channel film Z.O.M.B.I.E.S in terms of the overall vampiric vibe and the world-building surrounding it. It felt more on the YA side of things, though it definitely had its adult moments with heavier material than you would find in some YA books.

I would say I enjoyed this book, but there were more moments where I found myself annoyed with the characters in it and aware of where the plot was leading us. Our main character Emelia is very sheltered, almost in a way that hinders her, by her parents but is simultaneously thrust into Vampiric society by them with no idea how to work that circuit. Her parents have sheltered her for her humanity in fear of how she would be treated and then, in the same breath, sent her off into society expecting those very same people to treat her right because she is their heir.

Her parents also fail to understand Emelia every time she voices her disgust and upset over how humans are treated, because to them the treatment of every other human is nothing to bat an eyelash at but Emelia is /different/. It's no wonder that the first man to show her kindness and understanding is who she falls deeply and alarmingly quickly in love with. So obviously this man is going to betray her.

I feel that it was obvious from the start that Kyle was never going to be good, I mean his name was Kyle. But I think Emelia was so desperate to run away from the title she had hanging over her head like a death sentence she ignored every single warning sign he showed her, which only stressed me out more. But I don't think it was Kyle's betrayal that made me angry for Emelia more, it was the humans in the safe zone that they stayed with. Emelia explored the village with the woman for the entire day, away from Kyle and where he could hear and yet they did nothing to save Emelia from her fate. The Author did a very good job at showing us that literally everyone fails her, every character even unintentionally finds a way to let her down.

I am curious to see where the second book, should there be one, could take us as I did enjoy the world building and the lore behind the vampires, the humans and the reality behind the safe-zones. I would love to see how Emelia is able to change things as she steps into her role as Raven, to see if she is accepted and if her changes stick.

I recently finished "The Last Raven" by Helen Glynn Jones, and it was a good, interesting take on vampire fantasy/romance. The novel follows Emelia, a human born into a powerful vampire family, destined to rule over a world of immortals who would eat her in a heartbeat. This book is solidly in the YA/NA category. Some people would categorise this under romantasy, but I would categorise it as a fantasy with heavy romantic elements.

Jones does an excellent job of building tension throughout the story. The plot moves pretty fast with a couple of unexpected twists. I was impressed by the ending, which was genuinely surprising and well-executed. I found myself wanting more details about the vampire society and its history. However, the fast-paced plot largely made up for this little shortcoming.

The relationship between Emelia and Kyle, her new human empathiser guard, adds an interesting dynamic to the story. Their interactions are charged with tension, providing a nice balance to the more serious political elements of the plot. While Emelia's character can be frustrating at times due to her childishness, it's understandable given her sheltered upbringing. Her struggle to reconcile her human nature with her vampire destiny is well-portrayed and adds depth to her character.

Overall, "The Last Raven" offers a new angle on vampire lore, blending elements of political intrigue, a coming-of-age drama, and romance. It did give me some "Twilight" vibes (but without some of the more problematic aspects), making it an enjoyable read for both young adult and new adult audiences. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series develops in future!

Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has so much great potential. The writing style fits well for YA, but I believe the author was envisioning adult fantasy/romance. The plot itself was very rushed and not fully conhereant to how the world works. I do wish there was more world-building in the hierarchy and politics of the humans/vampire.

As I mentioned previously regarding that it probably be YA, the FMC felt very young especially with her interaction with her male love interest. Due to a lack of world building, the characters and their relationships also fell flat. I did not feel the chemistry between the leads and felt like "love at first sight" did not work for the desired world.

I truly wanted to enjoy the book for what it is now, but there is a lot of potential for it to be an amazing YA coming of age fantasy novel instead.

For me this story had a lot of potential - the bare bones are there but ultimately it fell short in terms of bringing it all together. I loved the world this was set in and the premise for our FMC and her life. I thought it was a cool spin on a modern world ruled by vampires. I think there needed to be some fine tuning around our FMC's thoughts and feeling, i.e. how she reached certain thoughts/feelings/reactions. I wanted to feel those emotions growing with her, but often I didn't understand how the narrative had arrived at a certain point. I think if there was more build-up to those feelings and descriptive text it would add a lot to the story and allowing us as readers to form more of a connection.
Emilie's revenge was a particular highlight!
I must say, I did really enjoy the way it ended and I would like to see where this story goes.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the arc and for allowing me to share my thoughts on this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d give this book about a 3 star rating. It had some good ideas, it just wasn’t executed well. I believe it’s supposed to be New Adult but both the writing and characters felt very juvenile. The main female character was insufferable and I couldn’t stand her. If you have high expectations, this book may fall flat for you.

Fans of the genre will find Helen Glynn Jones's The Last Raven to be an engrossing vampire romance that deftly blends elements of forced proximity and forbidden love. This story, which takes place in a vampire-dominated world, offers a novel interpretation on the traditional vampire myth while capturing the difficulties of identity, rebellion, and the weight of fate.

The protagonist of the tale is Emelia, the lone descendant of the House of Raven, who is set to inherit a society from which she feels wholly cut off. She struggles with her identity and the expectations of her heritage as a human living among vampires. Emelia is a sympathetic heroine because of her unwillingness to accept her fate, and her mental turmoil creates the perfect environment for an engaging story. Emelia saw Kyle, an enigmatic character, as a chance for rebellion and a way out of the oppressive expectations that have been placed on her.

Emelia and Kyle's relationship is expertly developed by Jones, who also creates a tangible tension that drives the plot. The stakes of their relationship rise as their bond grows stronger in the face of society pressures and sinister forces in motion. The story does a great job of examining issues of sacrifice and choice as Emelia is forced to choose between doing what her family expects of her and following her own intuition.

The Last Raven is distinguished not only by its gripping love story but also by its intricately designed setting. Emelia finds it difficult to feel like she belongs in the mysterious and dangerous vampire society that Jones depicts. There are many of twists and turns and a fast pace to keep readers interested all the way to the finish.

All things considered, The Last Raven is a compelling addition to the vampire romance genre, ideal for readers looking for a blend of romance, adventure, and emotional depth. As readers immerse themselves in Emelia's turbulent journey, this book is guaranteed to leave them wanting more because of its captivating characters and surprising plot.

This is a good YA book and if it had been advertised as such would have been a 4star for me. However, as a NA book it just doesn't hit the spot I was expecting more from it.

The premise of the book sounded intriguing but I feel like more could have been done with it. The world building is partially there but the way the story appears to sit in the modern day is questionable and does not always make sense.

The characters 'relationship' development is odd especially in its beginning.

The ending also felt very rushed and came out of no where (but not in a good way).

This was my first book by helen glynn jones. With that interesting blurb and even a more interesting cover, i had my hopes up. The story was captivating, but nothing we haven't seen before. I just hoped the protagonist to behave like she is in adult genre rather than acting like any ya heroine ever.

thankyou netgalley for the arc.

Although the premise of this book sounded so good, it did not work for me.
While it’s supposed to be “new adult”, it felt like I was reading a poorly written YA novel.
Extremely cliche and predictable.
The female protagonist pretty much annoyed me the entire time, and the romance was instalove.
Overall, an interesting concept but poorly executed.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

If this book had been marketed as YA, I would have given it 4 stars, because the main character's behavior and thought processes are more in line with a YA protagonist. Because it's marketed as NA, I'm giving it 3 stars, as I think it's less likely to appeal to an NA audience.

The overall arc of the story leans more paranormal fantasy than romantasy. Yes, there's a romance, but the overall story doesn't meet the genre expectations for a romance. The genre categorization of this book feels misleading.

I am a general lover of vampire stories and human/vampire romances, and this book does a good job of setting itself up as one in the beginning.

The plot moves very quickly and there's immediate chemistry and connection between the main characters. There's a forbidden element to their romance as he works for her family. All of the pieces are there, but the book falls flat for me the closer you get to the end.

If I wanted a book filled with plot twists like this, I'd pick up a thriller. I pick up a standalone romantasy expecting a HEA, and this book delivers more of a "happy for now" ending after a lot of drama.

Know what you're getting into. If you're a fan of insta-love, YA protagonists, and fast paced plots with somewhat predictable twists, then The Last Raven is for you.

This was a well written book. I’d say it leans more towards the romance side of the romantasy genre however the fantasy aspects of the book were interesting, I liked the idea that not all vampire offspring are vampires. The writing was easy to follow and the FMC was annoying at the beginning but she did grow on me throughout the book!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Overall I personally enjoyed this book. I would recommend to readers that enjoy fantasy and romance in a more modern setting. I don't want to give any spoilers because the plot twist was done well. I had suspicions, but was never predictably certain.
There is insta-love, betrayal, personal growth, and so much more.
The only action I thought took over a bit was *kissing*. It did not take away from the book as a whole, but once it started it almost never stopped.
The story ends on a good note. I am interested to see more growth from Emelia and learn more of the character at the end. I'd like to see what she learns about herself as a human heir to a vampire world. I'm curious what she'll take from choices she makes in the end and how she'll apply it to the future of Raven.

Did someone say BETRAYAL??? This book hurt, it was slightly predictable, but this doesnt take away from the story.

I found our FMC to be naive, but this is intentional due to how she’s grown up and the protective stance of her parents. She was however, compassionate and fierce in her opinions once she had the knowledge to form them. We get to see her grow during the story and who she might become if given the chance.

The story has heartbreak, betrayal, vampires and some mild spice. There are some political tones due to who her family is and the ongoing situation between humans and vampires.

All in all I enjoyed this, I think book 2 will bring us more information on why Emilia is the way she is and also, how her plans to make things better might actually take action.

2.5⭐️

No soy el público meta. Este libro es para adolescentes.

La escritura, la historia y la protagonista se me hicieron muy inmaduros,. Por más que intenté que me gustara no lo logré. Estoy segura que mi yo adolescente lo habría disfrutado.

Gracias NetGalley por el Arc.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. While I understand where this book was going, it was not the read for me. The characters are ones I could have related to when I was younger. A younger audience I think will appreciate this story.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this e-arc of The Last Raven!

3.75⭐️ (rounded up)
1🌶️

I was intrigued by the blurb of this book. It fit right up my alley of fantasy romance books that I enjoy.

Emelia is heir and to be the next Raven of her family, a powerful family of vampires that rule the world over humans. One problem…she’s human. A rare occurrence of vampires producing human children. Kept hidden away her whole life, she longs for freedom without really realizing what the realities are of the world outside her castle walls. When the vampire Kyle is stationed as her new personal guard, she quickly leans to him for affection, happy when he returns it. Set with a plan to escape the confines of her home, they set off working against not only vampires but the human rebellion that has taken root. Emelia must discover not only things about herself, but also how as the human heir to a vampire kingdom, that she can truly create possible change for everyone.

I got back and forth on this story honestly. There were parts that I like and parts that I didn’t. It’s fast-paced and I liked that. There was a little world building, but not a ton. I think the story read a bit young and childish at times, when it’s trying to be a bit more of a new adult type book. And I understand the FMC is only 17, so her feelings and emotions are expected to reflect that. I will say, the story got interesting around the 60% mark, which I then did get intrigued by it. There were parts that were predictable but I feel that is common now a days. I think it ends setting up nicely for another book and would most likely read that next installment.