Before I get into this review, can we please just take a moment for this stunning cover!?

Now that, that is out of the way, I loved the blend of ancient and modern times in this book. One moment you're in an ancient realm, all dark passages and ancient gowns, and then the next thing you know, you’re thrust into a modern world, and suddenly there are cellphones and modern technology.

The rich mix of human and vampire characters adds incredible depth to the already captivating story. AND THAT PLOT TWIST!? Was it the most shocking plot twist? No, but dang, I was still in shock when it happened!

I loved the pacing of the romance in this one, I think the characters meshed well together and you could clearly see that in the way they reacted and spoke around and towards each other. I only wish there was a little more tension between the two, but other than that I absolutely adored the romance.

I highly recommend this one to those who love vampures in their fantasies!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Helen Glynn Jones for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Last Raven follows Emilia Raven who is the sole heir to the vampire throne because of her family. The only problem is, she's human. And in a world where humans are highly looked down upon, that is very dangerous. when a new guard is assigned to her care, Emilia sees her way out. Emilia must decide if she wants to stay and accept her fate, or leave and live the life she desires.

This book is pitched as a hot forced proximity paranormal romance. HOWEVER, it was not hot and quite honestly ended up not even being a romance. I didn't like the "plot twist" whatsoever, and can't imagine the rest of the series would be any better.

The Last Raven follows Emilia, a human living amongst vampires, set to rule the House of Ravens as soon as she turns 18.
I thought the premise of this book was super interesting and couldn’t wait to dive in. The main character Emilia had a great arc. I found her to be incredibly naive and slightly irritating at first, and then remembered, well yeah, she’s only 17. I feel like the author really captured her age and inexperience well in the first part!
The last 30% of the book was full of twists and turns that I was not fully expecting - love when a book isn’t predictable! Emilia also really comes into herself and starts growing up and making better decisions, making her much more likable.
Overall I thought it was an entertaining read, and would be interested in continuing the series to see what happens next!
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is fast becoming my new obsession! I loved every single second of it! I cannot wait to see where this goes

I just finished this book and I rate it 5/5 stars! I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The Last Raven is book one in The Ravens series and I can’t wait for the rest of the series. As soon as I read the synopsis I was hooked. Emelia is a human in a world ruled by vampires. The Last Raven is releasing January 14 2025. Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, Netgalley and Helen Glynn Jones.

Well! i was not expecting that to be as good as it was! absolutely amazing and probably one of my favourite books so far. You really really have to give it a go!

A human daughter of vampires falls for her body guard amid a growing rebellion which threatens both her safety and her future as heir to her family's empire. I enjoyed this book but it definitely felt more YA than I'd expected and I'd also have like a bit more depth to the romance which went from enemies to lovers to besotted love in the blink of an eye. Despite this, I'd say it's a good one to pick up if you fancy something that engages you quickly, is easy to read and fast paced with plenty of twists and not too much world building.

The vampires and lore are interesting and the concept was so unique. It was a bit predictable but I didn’t mind. The only reasons I didn’t give this a higher rating was because I found the character to be naive and repetitive. I understand she’s supposed to be like that as a teen but the fact that her best idea, as a human, was to go to the human camps and live there when she is the next heir and could change things for humans was ridiculous. She kept repeating the same things about her situation to the point it was annoying and would bore me. I also found the parents, particularly the mom, to be so naive especially when it was so obvious who was behind the attacks. The plot twist at the end was predictable but also shocking, I just wish the boy at the end had shown a bit more chemistry with the FMC when they first met.

I’m not sure if I would recommend this book but I do invite people to read it if they think they might like it.

Thank you to the author, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for this e-ARC and audiobook

I would have given this a two star but I am feeling generous. I have not been into fantasy as much lately but this was advertised as a twilight type plot so I was drawn in. This was NOT that.

Honestly, in an attempt to be nice I will keep this short. The world building was not only lacking but was in all honesty boring and tacky. There were a ton of things that did not make sense and should have been talked about during the editing process. The romance was very insta love and in fantasy I don't enjoy that. This book needs some work.

What a book. This was definitely a 5 star book for me.

Its not your typical romantasy book and thats what i overal loved about this book. I would definitely recommend this too friends that enjoy fantasy and romance in a modern world. So much happens in this book the ending is a bit of a plottwist i did not expect

I can’t wait to read more from this autor and learn more about the ravens

Ideal para obsesionados de Crepusculo pero han existido una seria de cosas que han fallado bastante, la trama no ha tenido mucho sentido en general, los personajes no se encuentra demasiado bien interconectados y el final te deja un poco desconcertada.

Como idea está muy bien pero el después en estructura es un tanto (????)

What the heck did I just read! I thought I was reading a romantasy book and then my heart just got stomped on… I’m honestly shocked at the ending. This book had so much potential for me but I feel like the ending was not what I was expecting and I felt betrayed as a reader especially getting that far into the book!

Thank you to Netgally, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This YA vampire romantasy(?) was full of surprises. I was intrigued by vampires (always) and the forbidden romance aspect. It was well written, and didn’t require much worldbuilding so the plot was quick to unfold.

The book follows Emillia, a human who is born to two vampires, and is set to inherit their powerful dystopian empire. However, in a world that is now run by vampires and humans are little but a food source, she is vulnerable in more ways than one. Enter Kyle, her assigned vampire bodyguard to protect her as she adjusts into society.

I would say that this book is entertaining more than anything. It initially feels similar to twilight, and there is a bit of instant attraction between the two MC’s. But if it feels a little off, there is a reason for it. There were some parts where I felt a bit confused, but by the end I felt that all threads were tied up nicely and explained. Even though it is a YA book through and through, there is a bit of spice to be aware of.

It is set on earth, but vampires are in control hence the minimal need for worldbuilding. The pace is pretty fast, and while the first two thirds are focussed on character development, there is enough action (and twists) to make up for it at the end.

Narration: single character first person POV
Similar titles: serpent & wings, FBAA, twilight, a fate inked in blood

Tropes:
Bodyguard
Dystopian
Forbidden romance
Rebellion
Teen angst
Forced proximity

The romance and banter in this book was everything to me! I love love the vampire aspect of this book, I like the main character and her personality. The MMC was also very enjoyable.

Read from October 28th, 2024 to November 1st, 2024. Written on November 2nd, 2024.

~4.5~

Happy (belated) Halloween release day!

What a great way to finish my October reads and start my November!

The story feels like it's from an ancient time but also incredibly modern (seriously, when I read about a black Mercedes and cellphones, whilst discovering hidden passageways and velvet gowns, my mind couldn't commute). There's a great mix of characters, both human and vampire, that enrich the story so deeply. Hidden secrets waiting to be revealed and worlds ready to be explored and rules definitely meant to be broken.

The plot twist near the end, about the love interest? Yup, I definitely called it. Can't say I was shocked, to be honest. But was I expecting the main character's reaction? NOT. AT. ALL. Wow. That was deep. Still stuck on that moment.

I do wish their relationship had taken a bit longer, more slowburn, more forbiddenness, more angst. It felt too soon for me. But I guess it fits the MC and her naivety.

The difficult relationship between the MC and her family was incredibly described, the struggles and the evolution give me a lot of hope for much more development in a future story.

It was definitely not what I expected, and I am pleased to say that I am very interested in seeing what will come out of the second book.

Congratulations to the author and thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on November 2nd, 2024))

Emelia is a human who was born into a world ruled by vampires. She is the sole daughter of vampire parents, who are also the rulers of the house of Raven and half of the planet. As heir to the Raven throne, she was protected and sheltered her whole life from the violent world she lives in. As it gets closer to her coronation, her parents decide it’s time for her to start taking on more of the role of Raven and assign her a personal bodyguard to escort her to parties. Kyle is a vampire who’s hired to protect Emelia. Emelia doesn’t want to inherit the House of Raven and, in the middle of a rebellion, starts to think more about leaving behind her family or accepting her fate as the next Raven.

I am in love with this fantasy romance! I really enjoyed Emelia’s journey to discover more about how humans live and are treated in her world. I loved the world-building through the eyes of Emelia. Her discoveries about what it really means to be human, rather than the fantasies she imagines it is based on old movies are both interesting and heartbreaking. I felt so connected to her and felt her heart break as she discovered the world and human life are not the fantasy she imagined. I also loved Emelia’s relationships with her parents, other vampires, and Kyle. I could not put this book down, and I will be anxiously awaiting the next one! I can't wait to dive back into this world and see more of Emelia. This is a perfect fall fantasy that sweeps you into the world of vampires, rebellions, and a journey of what it means to be a human caught between two opposing worlds.

Thank you Netgalley and Helen Glynn Jones for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited to read a vampire romantasy and I really liked the concept: vampires are ruling the continents and our FMC Emelia poised to take over her parent's rule. She lives in a world where humans are kept in safe zones to ensure there's a feeding supply for vampires but there's one small problem - she's human. Because of this Emelia leads a sheltered life but when she secretly ventures out into the world, she discovers she knows nothing about the people she has to lead.

I did like the concept of the human safe zones and the divide between humans and vampires - it did feel more dystopian than fantasy but I liked it.

However, I didn't connect with the FMC Emelia, she was very indecisive and I just found it frustrating. I also felt like the romance was quite rushed and I didn't connect with them as a couple either.

It was a good premise but I think there could have been more depth to the world building and the plot, and more complexity in the characters too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Raven is the first in Helen Glynn Jones’ The Ravens series, and promises vampires, forbidden romance, forced proximity. Our protagonist is the heir to a hugely powerful vampiric ruling house, and ‘there’s nothing she can’t have’ - the curveball? She’s been born human.

After the way a similarly introduced book has taken us by storm *cough* serpent and wings* I was excited to read more vampire/human shenanigans this spooky season.

Unfortunately this book didn’t quite hit any of the key notes I was hoping for.
Forced proximity was between Emelia and her brand new vampire bodyguard, except at any time she could’ve had him replaced (and in fact fought hard for him not to be, lying and covering for him with no reason to at all within hours of meeting him). There really was no enemies to lovers, but vague disgruntlement at having a new guard while needing guarding because she couldn’t navigate going to a bathroom without feeling in danger, to catching obsessive feelings and suddenly being ‘in love’ with no real development of the relationship at all.

As for her being the heir to a super powerful family - she appears to have been so successfully cloistered that she is the most naive character I’ve come across in a while. For a while I assumed her parents had kept her clueless for some malevolent purpose we’d uncover, but no. Her peak main character moment was knowing where secret tunnels were to give her access around the castle away from her 24/7 guards. Except the first time her friendly old vampire uncle type guard came and found her there within moments, and the second tunnel she couldn’t reach the lever to go further anyway. At least she tried I guess?

None of the characters were fleshed out well at all and it was impossible to connect with or understand their motivations. We are told many times that Emelia does not want to be heir, that she has a ‘plan’ to escape - yet she’s apparently completely unaware of what she’ll be going into, nor has she made any real concrete decisions about how she’ll get away or even acknowledging that she’d need to ditch her phone to not be tracked, not keep contact with her parents (who rule ‘half the world’ so I imagine have the means to get her fetched home again…)

There was practically no world building or explanation of how anyone other than Emelia lives, other characters exist in a very two dimensional sense, existing either in relation to Emelia or to suddenly appear on page as a pawn piece for a ‘dramatic event’ (see James, whose doom was sealed by being given a name).

So much promise! I do think, in part, that I am not the audience this book has been written for, however other mature readers looking for scary vampire with rebellions and humans fighting for survival, this might not be what you were expecting - pass it to the teens it’s written for instead.

I loved it! Romance, fantasy, vampires and more. I cant wait for the next book. If you enjoy this genre you will love it and if you've never tried this genre before then prepare for a treat.

This story was reminiscent of the ya fantasy books of days gone, vampire academy, city of bones etc. Whilst not the same, it filled me with a sense of nostalgia that a lot of stories seem to be missing these days