This was such a deliciously dark, mysterious and brilliant book. I couldn’t help but be swept up by the history and complex ways of Uxlay University - and its inhabitants - and the writing style was just incredible. There’s nothing I love more than a woman hellbent on revenge, and Kidan was just that. Her trauma and sisterly loyalty was intoxicating, as was her angry, inquisitive and relentless nature. I loved her!!!!

Susenyos - I wanted to hate him but it was impossible. There were so many points in this book that I wanted to knock Susenyos and Kidan’s heads together!

The action? Immaculate. The tension? Continuous thrilling. The complex world building and lore? Incredibly done. The twists? My head is still spinning. The dark academia vibes? PERFECT for this time of year. I actually can’t believe it’s over and can’t wait to return to Uxlay…

Let me know if you’ll be reading this one, or if you’ve already fallen right into the grasp of these complex and bloody incredible characters. I certainly have.

How wonderful to see another new author coming through with such a superb first book? A story full of adventure, romance, tension and magic - my students are going to adore this!

We’re starting off the ninth season of The Dark Academicals podcast with a hyped new release that we’ve both been so excited to read - Tigest Girma’s Black vampire fantasy debut, ‘Immortal Dark’.


I’ve said an embarrassing number of times how glad I am that vampires are back and going from strength to strength, and nothing makes me happier than that. There’s a whole host of possibilities with vampires and their lore and ‘Immortal Dark’ takes it in a direction that I’ve never seen before.

Hidden in our world, a society of vampires originating in Africa, can only feed from select human bloodlines. Each bloodline represents a House more cutthroat than the next. To ensure peaceful co-existence and inherit their legacy, human children of these families must study at an elite university before choosing a vampire companion.

Lost Heiress, Kidan Adane grew up far from Uxlay University. She is obsessively protective, mildly nihilistic, and willing to do anything to save her loved ones. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her - the alluring yet dangerous Susenyos Sagad, the same vampire bound to her own House.

To stay in Uxlay, Kidan must study an arcane philosophy, work with four enigmatic students, and survive living with Susenyos - even as he does everything to drive her away. It doesn't matter that Susenyos' violence speaks to her own and tempts Kidan to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill him at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June's disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. Here, she discovers a centuries-old threat. And June could be at the very centre of it.

The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia debut, where a lost heiress must infiltrate a secret society and live with the vampire she suspects kidnapped her sister.

Within only a few pages of this book I was completely absorbed by the atmosphere. It’s dark, tense and instantly foreboding, and that atmosphere lasts for the entire novel which is a serious feat. Atmosphere is one of the most important things for me, especially in dark academia, and ‘Immortal Dark’ completely nails it. I was on the edge of my seat every time Kidan and Susenyos interacted and the tension wracked up consistently, particularly in the last quarter of the book.


Most of that tension is because Kidan is so consistently angry all of the time. It never lets up. Never. It’s exhausting to spend nearly 500 pages with Kidan as she’s just a roiling ball of anger with nothing else ever really overtaking that anger - it’s always at the forefront of every interaction she has and every decision she makes. It clouds her and makes her very young and naive which adds to the confusion that I felt over the age range that this book falls into. It’s marketed as and published by a YA imprint, Kidan reads younger emotionally, but everything else about her reads older, and the intimate scenes push the age range even higher.

It was a big issue for me while reading as it’s something that I’m noticing in YA a lot more recently with the rise of BookTok and the nuts approach to spice being a requirement in every single book. It’s a very dark and intense novel and there were a few scenes between Kidan and Susenyos that felt rather uncomfortable in the light of this being a YA novel and I almost wish that it would have been published as an adult novel and leaned into that space.

The slow build between Kidan and Susenyos is a really solid way to move from true, mortal enemies to reluctant allies to possibly friends with benefits to the possibility of love. They’re complex characters, okay? I didn’t always feel the attraction between them because Kidan is so, so angry that there often didn’t feel like she had enough room for her to feel anything else when it comes to Susenyos. I wanted more from him as there’s so much in his history and so many secrets that are begging to be unravelled.

‘Immortal Dark’ by Tigest Girma is a rich, atmospheric and dark vampire fantasy with a bold and new mythology. I’m very much looking forward to how Kidan and Susenyos handle the revelations of the end of the novel as the trilogy progresses.

Written by Sophie

3.5 Stars

The book started out a little slow, but after about the halfway mark, I felt it picked up. I enjoyed seeing the underlying mystery unfold and I did not expect the twist at the end.

The characters were all quite lovable, and I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow. I loved the enemies-to-lovers (ish) relationship between Kidan and Susenyos. Overall I did enjoy this book and I am intrigued to see what happens in the next one, I think this was a great start to a series.

TIigest Girma is the moment! Like yaaaaaaaas give me more black vampires! I can't describe how it feels to see characters who look like me depicted in popular tropes that had the world in a chokehold (Twilight) and it's so much better that this isn't a "love letter" to those kinds of books it's just BLACKITY BLACK BLACK with no apologies.

Now, I did think Kidan was annoying AF, but Susenyos!!! HONEY he was sooooo amazing! Give me book two neeeeoooow

Tigest Grima is the queen of vampires! Stop it, this was so fun. The academy setting, the vampires! I’m obsessed

Okay, give me a second to catch my breath…

This book was everything. It had everything. It WILL be everything. I don’t think someone could’ve pried my kindle from my hands if the tried to. I may have growled at them, that’s how obsessed I was with this book.

For a debut novel, Tigest Girma truly couldn’t have done better, and she will no doubt go very, VERY far after a book like this.

The vibes were immaculate, the characters fully fledged and well developed, and I was gripped from the first chapter. A lot of YA books struggle to hold my attention as they can fall short in a lot of areas like world building and character development, but Girma truly said “hold my pen” and delivered a knock out book.

I couldn’t recommend this more.

It's hard to put into worlds just how much I enjoyed this dark and refreshing masterpiece by Tigest Girma. As one of my most anticipated releases for this year, Immortal Dark was a very exciting concept for me; black vampires, family feuds, everchanging houses and of course, enemies to lovers.

I don't think I released just how much I would devour and love this book after reading the first few chapters, but I can easily say it's the best debut I have ever read. This book is an utterly irresistible decadent tale weaved full of dark magic, family secrets and morally grey characters.

Tigest Girma has outdone herself with the detailed worldbuilding, interesting characters - even the 'side' characters I felt were particularity intriguing. I loved Kidan, she was everything and more from what I wanted in an FMC. She is dedicated, well thought out and my personal favourite; a big nuisance to Susenyos.

There are no awkward details or banter between characters, it's very cutthroat and straight to the point, which I enjoyed. I felt like there could have been a bit more detail as to the Uxlay rules, it felt as though the students really did whatever they wanted at Uxlay and got away with it. But, that being said I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the immoral things the MCs got up to.

The relationship development between Susenyos and Kidan was superb. It was made very clear from the get go that these two were not your typical enemies to lovers, no - they actually wanted to kill each other and are not shy about acting on it. They were very harsh to each other throughout the book and very late in we start to get these tender moments between the two.

Everything about this book screams dark seduction, vampires and secrets. A powerful debut that will stick with me. I can't wait for the rest of the triology.

I’ve been really struggling to write a review for this book for over two weeks now because I loved it so much. I could write you a whole lot of incoherent gibberish and half formed sentences (this review will probably be that anyway, and I am TRYING) quite easily. I could fangirl. I’m part of a whole street team group chat dedicated to fangirling over this book (it’s epic).

This book is just EVERYTHING!! Angsty and angry and romantic and tense and atmospheric and fun and entertaining and dark and well written and well plotted and well paced and fire-y and ugh…so many more adjectives.

I wish this book was longer. I wish the story wasn’t broken up. Why is this a trilogy. Why Tigest!!!! I would have happily and sat and read this book for like a 1000 more pages. I wasn’t ready for it to end. I kept swiping and swiping on my tablet (e-arc via Netgalley, don’t judge me) and I was like no….no….WHAT!! I thought the file was broken. I HOPED the file was broken. Because GAH that ending!!!! SEQUEL TIGEST PLEASE!!!!

Only thing stopping this from a 4 is sometimes the world building was a little confusing for my brain and I didn’t always keep up, I think somethings could’ve been better explained / explained a bit more…but like always maybe that’s just me being thick and

This book was a lot of fun, but I don’t think it was for me! I really didn’t connect with the main character, she felt very bratty to me and when she started destroying stuff it just kind of annoyed me? I really liked the side characters though and would love to see more of them! The love interest also wasn't for me, I just couldn't connect to them at all.

I thought the vampire lore was interesting but there were so many moving parts I was getting confused. I was also left unsatisfied with the ending.. (which is probably my fault as I didn’t realise it was a trilogy).

Overall I feel this book has a lot potential and I think it could be a really strong series, and I will be picking up book 2 as the cliffhanger has been stuck in my head for days!

Whilst I appreciate that Immortal Dark is a brilliant and richly crafted debut I found that I just couldn’t get into it myself. I definitely think this is more of a me situation than the book. Others have suggested it’s a slower start that is worth sticking to as the story builds and I certainly anticipate going back to it. I think it was a case of right book, wrong time. Though I’m pleased that it’s finding its audience and is being enjoyed by others.

Immortal Dark was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it absolutely delivered.
I originally started reading it in early August but put it aside as it has such good fall vibes and the summer heat just wasn't a match for it, and I am so glad I waited until I got some fall weather finally.
I picked it back up yesterday and was GLUED to it!

The vibes are just immaculate, it's not really overly descriptive but the whole atmosphere of the book was so on point, it just felt eerie.
Academic settings are always a favorite and I really appreciated the way the academic side of this story was designed, it felt quite unique but perfectly matched the story and the worldbuilding.

Speaking of the worldbuilding, I was obsessed! I generally love any book that has vampires, but having deep background lore and politics just really takes my excitement to the next level. The history and workings in this book were so unique and I love how it was really like a puzzle that you have to piece together to understand all the mechanics and how it is all connected.

I adored the main characters. They were truly morally gray in every sense of the word, and I especially loved the revelations that made it all a bit more sick and twisted.
The romance also had me kicking my feet, there's just nothing that quite compares to two morally corrupt characters slowly falling in love and lust, especially with the vampiric elements adding to it all.

The plot was amazing and kept me at the edge of my seat, I love how it started as a bit of a mystery and that kept getting bigger and bigger.
I am very excited to see what the sequel brings, I just know it's going to get epic!

The book is a bit dark, so make sure to check TWs.
I'm also not sure what made the publisher classify this as YA, as there is nothing YA about this book in my opinion.

Overall, I absolutely loved this and highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I really enjoyed this one! "Immortal Dark" by Tigest Girma has a fresh take on a vampire story that's rooted in Ethiopian culture, which I found super intriguing. I absolutely LOVED the dark academia vibes, and Kidan is one bad-ass character. The writing style is fantastic, and the gothic vampire atmosphere is just the best. I got strong 'Ninth House' vibes from it, probably because it's set at a university, but also because of the characters. All in all, 'Immortal Dark' is very well done and an absolute must-read if you’re craving a new vampire book!

Immortal Dark is an exciting YA romantasy with a gothic atmosphere and elements of dark academia. I think this might be the next romantasy obsession for many readers. It has all the ingredients, like enemies-to-lovers romance, an entire cast of morally grey characters, and a fascinating vampire MMC. The book is also well written, has complex world-building that includes Ethiopian mythology, and is filled with secrets, intrigues, politics and power play. It’s a bit dark and sensual for a YA novel. The romance is a slow burn, where the characters start as true enemies and continue to be cruel to each other throughout the book. Honestly, it seemed to me that the romance was overtaking the narrative, which I never enjoy. I would rather read a compelling story with romance as a subplot.

Still, I think it’s a fantastic position, and I am curious about the second book in this series.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

My feelings are mixed for this book: on the one hand I enjoyed the characters and worldbuilding, but the prose was a bit too purple for me and the narrative was all over the place. I wish that the author would have given more time for us to connect with the characters instead of having so many plot points.

Dnf 40%
I can’t believe some of my most anticipated reads were such big disappointments
This one had such a lot of potential and i was expecting so so so much more than this but the characters felt bland to put it mildly, i didn’t expect for them to annoy the heck out of me
The story itself had such a great promise and also premise but unfortunately it did not live up to the expectations and the hype that surrounded the book

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc

This is slow to start but even as I was infuriated with Kidan I was gripped and by the end fully invested in her relationship with her friends and Susenyos. Girma has created a rich world, with fantastic lore, savage politics and brutal secrets that keep Uxlay's students surviving on a fatal knife edge.

The ending was great and I'm keen for the next book which is fun cos I'm not usually a vampire girly and I make very few exceptions! Well worth a read!

Tropes include Enemies to Lovers, Romantasy, Vampires, Sentient Houses and Dark Academia.

Tick, tick and tick. These tropes checked all my boxes for me and I loved it. The only con for me is that it went on alittle too long but if you love world building and quite alot of things to unpack in the book then this is for you.

We follow Kidan Adane who is trying to track down her missing sister, who is the only family she has left. To find her sister, she attends a secret university that is full of Vampires. When she gets there, her main suspect is her enemy Susenyos. This gothic tale full of secrets, politics, magic and of course a slow burn romance. This book also has morally grey characters and it does not disappoint in that area. Both of our main characters and love interests are brutal and cold. People compare this to Cruel Prince and I'd say it's even more brutal than that.

And the cliffhangers -chefs kiss-

For a debut novel, Girma did a great job! I can't wait to see more of their work.

“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥. 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬? 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐠?”


–---

If it's a literal enemies to lovers, you want— literally trying to kill each other every now and then, then yes. You must read this.

The Cruel Prince but vampires? Read this.

As expected, I love everything vampire, especially if it's done in a captivating and immersive flow. Put an interesting myth/ lore along with it that would make it even more compelling. There, you have it. 

Also, the writing for Immortal Dark– it was one of the page turner writing I ever read.

I also enjoyed the boarding school type of a setting or the academic setting of the plot. That part was also interesting for me. Getting to know the other families was a ride, if I'm being honest. Additionally, the mystery solving going on here was another thing I enjoyed. 

Taj, Inoki, Sen, The Dean— side characters that I was really intrigued and liked having around, and the other characters at the end that I shall be not naming that I am 50/50 about. I'm looking forward to them in the next book.

Kidan, and Yos. Their dynamic is really fun. As a reader, or as I get on the story– specifically, you can't help but feel frustrated, rooting, and like meditating for them. That's what I felt honestly. They really give off the vibes of Jude and Cardan, but more intriguing for Yos, for me (I think at some point I did hate Cardan once upon a time on the early chapters but I could be wrong). I believe I regard Kidan the way I regard Jude (frustrated and rooting for my girl). 

Anyway, their tandem was really fun, I also did enjoy their relationship growth. It was just perfect for their dynamic. 

Overall, this was a good read for me. I'm really looking forward to how the story goes. Also, the world-building here to be more fleshed out since I noticed that it wasn't really that visible here and more of character focused plot built.


Thank you, publisher, for the e-arc opportunity via Netgalley 🫶

—----

Released Date: September 5, 2024
Date Read: August 28- September 5, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️

4.5 stats

This was such a dark, addictive and tense read that had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself loving the world Grima has created and found myself so intrigued by the different families and the idea of human bloodlines gaining more power through their companionship with vampires.

I really liked how ruthless and flawed the main characters were in this book. They are incredibly complex and morally grey which I loved! I really liked getting to know Kidan who is angry at the world and the fact that she is thrown into a crap situation because of her bloodline. All she wants to do is find her sister June and she will do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

If you're a fan of enemies to lovers then this is the book for you. I'm a sucker for the trope and it was executed so well in this one. I mean they truly hate each other and are literally ready to kill each other even though they aren't allowed to. They push each other's buttons and do whatever they can to ruin the others existence.

Full of family secrets, politics and gothic dark academia vibes, Immortal Dark is the perfect book for fans of vampires and darker young adult books. I cannot wait to see how the story progresses in the next book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.