ARC Read - Releasing in January 2025 - thank you NetGalley for the chance to get a sneak peek! This was a perfect book for a fall read - gothic, vampire vibes. Emelia is the Heir to the Vampire throne of Raven. Child to the current vampire leaders, she is unique as she is a human. An anomaly, an abomination. Unsure why and a rarity, her parents hid her away and kept her from society to protect her. Now, with her time to take the throne and lead Raven approaching, Emelia realizes all she wants is to lead a normal, human, life. But has she been fantasizing and seeing human life through rose coloured glasses? In this world, humans are cattle, they are the stock for vampire consumption. Emella also gets a new handsome guard, Kyle, who is tempting her to stay and showing her a new side of her sheltered life. When the time comes, will she run or will she rule?

Unfortunately DNF at 30%. I gate it a good go, I really did.

Unfortunately I think thus book was way too rushed from the get go. I'm 30% in and the MMC and FMC "enemies to lovers" are already lovers. There was absolutely no build up of romance and the relationship just feels shallow and unbelievable.

The premise is brilliant and I was looking forwards to the story unfolding but the world building is nearly non-existent other than the odd tidbit of lore here and there. 5* story idea with poor execution.

I found Emilia shallow and a little stupid and tbh I just didn't care what happened next and I knew it was time to DNF when I just didn't want to reach for it.

This was an okay read, but it wasn't great. I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and the story felt rushed. For a minute there was a hint we might go for a love triangle, so glad it didn't went there. Having instant-love is bad enough. I probably won't continue the series.

I loved the new world this book has built. The theme of humans being secondary to vampires and the issues that brings was great. The twists were good. Not a bad start.

This was a good beginning for a series, and I believe I would have liked it more if I could have read another book immediately after. However, it wasn't very successful as a stand-alone book or the first in a series. It felt unfinished because it was only setting the stage for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harpercollins UK for the E-ARC of The Last Raven. I love romance, fantasy and vampires so I thought this would be a home run for me. The love connection felt very insta love and the two characters were together very early on in the story. The ending was pretty predictable but how it played out made it feel like a lot of the story line was wasted.
Overall it was an okay book.

“Blood borne, because my parents are both vampires, yet not a vampire at all”

Not bad at all. Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I absolutely did. Did I think it was the best. Not necessarily but I had a great time getting through Emelia’s story and her struggles. A vampire fantasy book with a princess born of two vampire parents but still totally human. She is the heir of the Raven family. She is supposed to rule. But how can other vampire take her seriously when she has never left her home because her parents were afraid she might have been hurt? She is just a human after all. But then a guard comes by (very Hawke of him) and suddenly everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Kyle is different. And I fell for him. But the rebellion and the political intrigues pushed my mind away for a bit from the romance blossoming and the human/vampire dynamics were so interesting, I couldn’t stop reading !!! Plus, it is a pretty flowing book two read so it doesn’t come as a surprise that I read it in one sitting !!! And after those last 30 pages … I’m pretty sure I’m in need to read more about this world and what is waiting right there on the horizon for Emelia Raven!!!

“Can you help me do it? I counter. He smiles. “For you, anything”

Emilia, a human girl born to vampires. Heir to raven, heir to half the world. Then she meets a handsome vampire and the trajectory of her life changes.

This reads as a young adult novel and that wasn't what I was expecting. The spice is almost non existent, just one small scene. I would recommend it to a bit older young adults.
That being said the writing was fine, just as the books was fine. There were really interesting and fun plot points. But at the same time a lot of plot points didn't make sense. Furthermore the behavior of the characters in the beginning of the book didn't make sense.
Besides that I called the big plot twist. The way it was resolved on the other hand I have almost never read and I loved it! Something else I really loved was the fact the parents of the main character are prominent in the book and they truly love their daughter. A big change from a lot of other books in this genre.

This book is a real mixed batch for me. I do recommend it to people who like powerless and the romance in that book. You will love this one.

This book is a Rollercoaster.

I had high hopes when I saw this book first pop up - vampires!? Yes! I've not read a vampire book in a while, perfect for Halloween.
This book was definitely enjoyable and entertaining enough - there wasn't the most in-depth lore and world building which I did find lacking. But it was fun. I think there's so much potential for more in the setting and depth of the story - more tension, darkness, romance, more about a vampire kingdom!
I definitely recommend this as a read if you want a fun and enjoyable vampire read for the October/Halloween season. But other than that, it was lacking world building for an in-depth fantasy, and a bit bland in the romance for that to draw you in alone.

I had such high hopes for this book. It has everything I love but I felt like it fell incredibly flat for me

I enjoyed this one.Quick and easy read !The story is filled with relatable characters facing real-life challenges, making it easy for readers to connect. Glynn Jones’s writing is clear and engaging, creating a vivid world that draws you in. The themes of love, loss, and personal growth resonate throughout the book. Overall, it's a fun and entertaining read!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

“The Last Raven” was a lackluster read for most of the book until the final 100 pages. I really couldn't find a good connection between Kyle and Emilia and I found both characters too flawed to find likable. Both way too whiny but the ending is so good I just wished it got good like at the 45% mark.

Thank you so much One More Chapter, Harper Collins Uk and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book!

This book is for all the people that love Twilight and still watch it more than once a year. The vibe of this book is immaculate and perfect for this time of the year.
This book has it all, a vampire x human relationship, forbidden love, a brooding bodyguard, and a rebellion that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

I enjoyed this book, it fits perfect with the season and it is an easy read. I was not a huge fan of the insta love trope and at times, the FMC felt a bit too juvenile and childish. I also was confused with the setting, at times the book seemed to be set in a more medieval time but the MC had access to the internet and laptops.

There was definitely things in this book that weren’t to my liking but this being said. I think the book is perfect for the season and it’s an entertaining and interesting read.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Once again, thank you so much Netgalley and Haper Collins Uk and One More Chapter for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc, but The Last Raven was just not for me. I ended up DNFing because I couldn't get into it :(

3⭐

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘜𝘒 - 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

The Last Raven is the first installment in The Ravens series by Helen Glynn Jones.

this book had a promising journey as told by the synopsis. while the last 30% was fulfilling, the first half was quite deceiving.

the world-building felt a bit flat for me because it was kind of non-existent. this story and brilliant voice which i felt could have been done justice if it had a unique world-building.

⤷𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 ⊹.˚
- vampire x human
- fanatsy world blended with modern technology
- forbidden love
- rebellions and uprisings
- insta love
- princess x bodyguard

⤷𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵 ⊹.˚
the plot felt very flat for the first half and picked up only in the last 100 pages lt so. urban/modern is usually hard to tackle with but this was just now it. it felt pretty inconsistent to the type of setting because one second, FMC has to socialise in a bar but the guards have to refer to her as 'my lady' and all and the next thing you know, she has a phone and a flipping laptop.

the world building element is so lost in here. characters are essenty from earth, reside in UK, have flashy fancy cars and technology. there was soo much potential for the plot to developed instead of adapting to a contemporary setting with minor fanatsy introductions.

some things just didn't make sense. i felt that the plot was lacking some depth and didn’t make a lot of sense at times and it felt super confusing because of the lack of the lore to the world.

⤷𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 ⊹.˚
+ 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮
the FMC of this novel was very confusing. she appeared to be a helpless vicitmised mindset of a human because she wants borna vampire like her parents. i understand that her situation was entirely different from what was normal in that society but she was inconsistent. one moment, she kept telling that she was too weak to be the ruler of her father's kingdom and the next moment she kept acting like an immature brat and 'how dare he talk to me like that? does he know who I am? i'm the princess of raven' bullshit. she sometimes appears as an entitled brat but trust me, let the story and the plot reveal itself. yes, it irritated me too much but reading the last part of the book made me change my mind.

despite the obnoxious behaviour in the first half, i must admit there was decent character development in the second-half. the way she took control of her life from the people who were going to ruin and betray her fascinated me.

+ 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲
not a very fantasy name (nope, it's not) but that is not an issue at all. his behavior is an issue, that's what. again, he keeps calling the Raven Princess, the heir to the kingdom and all the then he calls her JUST human. and then he lousily apologises and asks to be her friend. he was hired as her personal bodygard and was aliteral dick to the princess royalty the moment he was introduced. who in their right mind would mcok and condescend the personal who hired you and is capable of ruining your life? he gave major red flags and I'm happy to see he got what he deserved.

+ 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲
the romance between Emelia and Kyle was just not it. it felt more of a mixture od mixed and forced love. there was some feelings of enemies to lovers kind of trope but they already reached the 'why do you care?' stage before hitting five chapters. he felt super icky and i don't particularly like him anymore.

⤷𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 ⊹.˚.
honestly, i didn't harbour any expectations but world building which didn't live up. the synopsis was promissing but the story was not living upto it's promise. again, this is my opinion and i'm not to yuck someone's yuck in any way but it had soo much potential that I hope the second book with keep up to. overall, i didn't expect to like the other half of the book but seeing how Emelia evolved from the start of the book made me understand her better. some of the plot twists were too predictable but the story behind them wasn't what was predictable. overall, i'd suggest this for those who really are here for the fanatsy and rebellion vibes.

I was excited to read this and I did enjoy it but felt there could have been more in regard to tension, dark forces, the rebellion, romance, etc. It felt as if those elements weren't strong enough (for me) to rate higher. Maybe I've read too many darker books so have higher expectations?

In saying that, I did finish this, and am curious what Emilia does next.

~~~~~~

BLURB:

I’ll be forced to take the crown, simply because of who my parents are. Never mind that my skin, my eyes, the way I move, everything will give me away for what I am.

Human.

In a world ruled by vampires.

As sole heir to the House of Raven, there is nothing Emelia can’t have. The only problem is, she doesn’t want it.

But when the mysterious Kyle enters her closed-off existence, she sees a way out. As rebellion and dark forces swirl around her, Emelia has a choice to make – leave everyone she loves behind, or stay and accept her destiny…

Thank you very much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones is such a good read! I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot is fantastic, the characters are perfect! I loved it.

Thank you for an early copy. This is the first book. I believe it's was a great start up and it's promising for a continuation of this series.

This was honestly such a slog to get through. I read the blurb and had high expectations for this. I love a vampire romance and this had such a good premise to it. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to the mark.

I found Emilia and Kyle to be the most annoying main characters I’ve read in a long time. They go from insta hate to insta love within a few pages with no chemistry or development in their relationship.

As for the ‘rebellion’ this barely took place in the book apart from the set up the ‘twist’ in the story. This just wasn’t one for me I’m afraid.

The first chapter of last Raven and a little background about Emelia (MFC) was interesting. In the first few chapters, Emelia is the next heiress in her family and not a vampire. As her story is unfold, it is revealed that Emelia wants to be as she is, a human. Emelia’s parents decide to hire a body guard named Kyle (MMC) to be with her and watch over her. Between the two, a forbidden romance brews and evolves.

I felt like this is a modern day fantasy, insta love, and vampire/ human kind of book. It can relate to Twilight and can target young type of adult. In my opinion this read needed more character, world buildup. It was a nice cozy quick read, just felt flat in the sense of world building.

“I have everything I could ever ask for except the one thing I truly want. A human love lived in sunlight and warmth instead of dark shadows . “She is representing Raven” - Emelia Raven