Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook in exchange for my honest opinions and views.
This is the vampire book I've been waiting for, deliciously dark and brooding I couldn't get enough of this book. Dark Academia isn't usually my good too read but this book satisfied all my reading joys from the opening chapter I couldn't put this book down.
House Adane all the way.
Well written and evenly paced I was bogged down with too much world building and exposition.
Dark and wickedly good I was pulled in by the characters and the drama, the complex relationships makes this dangerous world even more intriguing.
Immortal Dark is the book I never knew I needed; can't wait for my Waterstones exclusive edition.

No one was more excited than me for this book.
Black vampires? Yes.
Dark academia? Yes.
Enemies to lovers? Yes.

All the ingredients for what should be a 5 star read but didn't quite hit the mark for me (and I feel like I'm in the minority LOL).
The story started off well - Kidan hunting for the vampire who took her sister, which has been revealed to a person she eventually murdered. From this, I expected a cold-hearted, emotionless, pragmatic and calculating 18-year-old who will stop at nothing to find her sister. That...wasn't what we got. Instead, Kidan is very forward with her accusations and goals of why she's in Uxlay, which kind of made me question her way of thinking. We're told that her sister has been missing for a year (which isn't immediately clear) or why she killed that person who she seemingly had a good(-ish?) relationship with. Then we get to Uxlay, have some pages thrown in from her aunt's journal (I assume to avoid exposition of world building but I would have much preferred Kidan learning through her own means of investigation).

Then we meet the vampire, Susenyos (initial villain and eventual love interest). He was my favourite part of the book and was what kept me reading to the end. Dialogue between Susenyos and Kidan kept me intrigued as they verbally danced around each other and tried to get under each other's skin. I enjoyed the element of vampire bites at different parts of the body eliciting different emotions/memory sharing. However, points of tension didn't end on a satisfactory note and, instead, came to an abrupt end which was quite jarring to read.

The dark academia element of the story was good as it focused on Dranacti - the co-existence between vampire (Dranaic) and human (acti - also found the restrictions placed on vampires interesting as it gave a unique spin to the age-old paranormals). HOWEVER, while the dark academia, romance and discovery for June (albeit, it did seem quite force fed to the reader up until the 50% mark) stood fairly well on their own, all together it made for a disjointed narrative. The continuity of each arc didn't blend well for me and I felt like I was stopping and starting as if I was dropping one book and picking up another.

I do think there's something good in this story which clearly a lot of people enjoyed, but maybe my expectations of what it would be were off the mark of what it actually is and that's on me!

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is the vampire romance that we’ve all been waiting for. After what was previously a glut of vampire novels and stories, I was becoming a little jaded as they all started to feel very samey but, this story has stormed in like a whirlwind of dark, tempestuous, moody war for power!

There are no good characters in this book, each and everyone is morally grey, the romance is one of the best enemies to lovers journeys I have read in a very long time, and the plot, it twists and turns as the battle for power and control ebbs and flows. The main characters themselves are truly layered, and the chemistry between them is so, so strong that it leaves you on the edge of your seat as they come oh so close to launching off that cliff and then keeps you pacing as you almost pant for it to happen.

As for the plot, it does get a little confusing at times but, you have to remember that this is a debut, and whilst it got a bit murky at times, it still flowed, with sudden revelations and labyrinthine twists that took me by surprise.

Whilst the dark romance is most definitely the star of this book, the world building and plot have a lot going for them, and that ending has definitely left me with an appetite for the next book in this series. If you love vampires, morally grey, dark and mysterious characters, enemies to lovers romance, dark academia and all things in this genre, then Immortal Dark is definitely the read for you.

Thank you Hachette Children’s Group, Hodder Children’s Books and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and sincere review.

4.5 stars

Tigest Girma's 'Immortal Dark' was one of the most anticipated books on my list and I was so excited when this dropped on my NetGalley bookshelf. The book is rich in dark vampire lore. The two central characters are complex and have their own set of problems, rage and sadness.

I love vampire stories so much (Thanks to Twilight. #TeamEdward), and it have everything. It's dark, mysterious, and eerie. I, personally, had no issues with the pacing. I think this book is so perfect from start to finish. It is quite long but the worldbuilding, the characters, the tension, and the mystery are all worth it!

This is an incredible debut novel. I can't wait to read more of Tigest Girma's novels.

“It’s not poetry I want but punishment. What if I want to burn?”

I’ve always loved dark academia because it explores the stories of terrible people and their thirst for knowledge and the power it brings. With a story described as a vampiric dark academia you might be forgiven for thinking it is the vampires who are the terrible, the forbidden; but in this story, the humans can be just as monstrous.

Girma explores many themes in this book: morality, guilt, redemption, passion, hypocrisy - the contradictions that make us human, or monstrous; and also the will to live, to go on - the motivations that might drive an immortal. And she does so with an intensity that takes the breath away and a keen eye for psychology. Step into a strange nightmare with Kidan, a girl investigating the disappearance of of her sister: to gain the answers she seeks she must study at a strange university in order to gain mastery of her House, its powers, and… its vampire.

You may hear comparisons to Cruel Prince (which, by the way, I love). Let me tell you that Jude and Cardan’s enmity is like a brief squabble compared to the intensity of the emotions that Girma pours onto the page. The hatred is seething, the horror is abject: not just the body horror gore you might expect from a vampire novel, from which Girma does not hold back, but the psychological horror. This includes being trapped in a house which mimics and reflects the inhabitant’s state of mind, their fears and guilts, and being haunted quite literally by failure and the past.

I could name tropes, although really it’s not sufficient. They are not the cookie cutter reflections you might find in other YA or NA. They are startling and overwhelming. I frequently had to put the book down just to process. But here they are anyway:

- forced proximity
- morally grey everybody
- found family
- Sentient houses
- Touch her and die
- Enemies to lovers (sort of…)
- stressful university examinations, you know, just to add that touch of reality amidst all the
- secrets and lies and murder mysteries and betrayal etc

I had a lot of feelings about this book which I am going to go stew in, but before I go here are my no-context and thus spoiler-free favourite moments:

- 🚫🦷
- 🛁
- 💃🕺
- 🩻👊
- 🛁 🛁

This is a dark vampire fantasy story for older teens and adults. From the beginning I found this a very different take on vampire stories. The world building is superb. Tigest Girma, the author, has produced something very unique. Without spoilers, the author also handles her characters in an usual way. It makes for a dark, tense read. And then the ending. Well, book two should be equally fun! Can’t wait. Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books Group and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This is one of the best fantasy books that I have read all year!
If you love the dynamic of Jude and Cardan in The Cruel Prince with morally grey main characters and enemies to lovers who are genuine enemies who might kill each other, then this is the perfect book for you as it does all of that and more. There are also vampires, found family trope, and dark academia - all things that I love and are done to perfection in this book.
I am shocked that this is a debut because every page drew me in and left me wanting more because it is so amazingly well written. I cannot wait for the next books in the trilogy!

Thank you to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of all-things vampiric, I had my reservations on this book. For me personally, it has been some time since a 'new' take on vampirism has been done in a solid way, leaving it really resonating with me. That was, of course, until this book.

I LOVED the setting, the background to the houses, the vampiric bondings and everything about the way the world and the vampires were presented, as well as the magic system we see throughout. I would have enjoyed more of the 'academia' side of things, though there is a healthy dose of it smattered throughout the book.

My only real complaint about this book is that I struggled to see the chemistry between the two main characters and, in fact, I was far more concerned with the familial (be it the relationship between Kidan and her sister or the found family she encounters at Uxlay) relationship than the physical one she develops with her romantic partner.

First of all i would like to thank the publishers and Tigest for letting me read such an epic book .

This book has made me fall in love with Vampire stories all over again , I'm going to try to keep this spoiler free as i know so many would love to read this story ..

ill start with the plot for me i thought it was brilliant at times it took my breath away or my jaw would just drop . there is a lot of world building which sometimes i can get fed up with but i can say that it was not the case i loved it so much I wanted to be in the book .
it also had a great Gothic feel and i know so many love dark academia and lots of magic you will have plenty of that . i love the university setting the groups everyone gets put into brilliant .

There is plenty of action which i always enjoy and when you think you got this book figured out bang !! the carpet pulled right from under your feet .


this book made me feel so many different emotions i was a huge roller-coaster but i did not want to get off i just devoured every part .

As for the characters there are plenty of morally grey which is my favourite and i know so many will enjoy i would even say i am a little unhinged ,crazy and some which can be quite cruel which gave me the chills sometimes .

one of my favourite quotes is ...... When will you recognise that humans are the most despicable creatures to exist?

this book has got to be one of my top 10 reads this year another book to live rent free in my brain .

i am giving this book a mind twisting 5 stars

Unfortunately not for me, I had to DNF it. From the first badly written conversation I could tell what was going to happen whilst also being confused. I wish the book had leaned more into the lore of the vampires and the school which seemed really unique rather that an FMC with rage issues and a missing family member, which wasn't.

A dark academia setting entwined with fantasy. I loved the mysterious and dark feel of the entire book. The characters within were so complex and morally grey that I was unsure who I should be routing for. This was a very interesting take on vampires and vampire history and society. I enjoyed how there was a somewhat symbiotic relationship between the human students and the vampires. The house magic was a mysterious and ingenious way of revealing the hidden emotion and inner turmoil of the characters within the house. I was gripped by the story and there were plot twists I could not see coming. I am excited to read the next book!

vampire like you have never seen them before.

This was so so gooddd.
a new way to see vampire and ive read a lot of those books.

roamnce
alliances
betrayls
family
tension

LOVED THIS

I loved this book and I am struggling to write a spoiler free publication day review for this book without just saying "Buy this book NOW!!! I LOVED IT!!!"

I had high expectations for this book and was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to read an arc prior to the release date and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
This book puts the dark back into dark academia in a spectacular way, never have I met such a cast of morally grey characters who made me want to scream with frustration while also celebrating their wins. Having finished the book I am not convinced that I actually like any of the characters but I am still invested in where their story goes from the end of this book and look forward to reading what the author offers next.
I often find that romance within a fantasy setting can pull me out of the story but I found with Immortal Dark that the romance was woven into the plot in a way that felt natural, furthered the narrative and did not distract from what was happening around it.

𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 • 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮
★★★★★

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Adult fantasy
- Dark academia
- Influenced by African mythology
- Vampires & humans co-existing
- University setting
- Intriguing world building
- Solve her sisters kidnapping
- Enemies to lovers
- Morally grey characters

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I CANNOT stop thinking about this book.

Immortal Dark had everything I could possibly love in a dark adult fantasy: savage vampires, supreme romantic tension, secret societies, sentient houses, elite university with a low pass rate, enemies to lovers where the lovers teeter between knifing each other and kissing each other, and my most favourite… an entirely UNHINGED main character.

Kidan had a serious angry streak in her and is the exact type to cut off her nose to spite her face. I loved her. On her quest to find her kidnapped sister she was unpredictable, fierce, extremely violent, and yet so incredibly lonely. This vulnerability really endeared her to me whilst her deranged antics had me wrapped in vindictive glee. If there was ever a book to sate your dark side, this would be it.

It also gives me A Dowry of Blood vibes, although the stories are completely different. They are both beautifully written, both are simultaneously sharp and seductive, and each one shares consistently intense emotions that impel readers closer to the heart of the story.

I cannot wait for this series to continue.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥.” 𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯.
“𝘖𝘳,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥, “𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.”

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵?”

“𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯.”

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘕𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬. 𝘐 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭–𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵. 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘯? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘪𝘵'𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

4/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this debut book.
Although a slightly slow read at times the plot, characters and the relationships they develop, are interesting (and unhinged) enough to keep you fully engaged. But do be warned, it is not an easy read. The violence (both physical and psychological) is visceral and unrelenting. So do take care of yourself while reading.
The mystery is great and the world building delicious. Especially all the aspects of vampirism (different emotions for different bites and blood licked silver being my personal favourite) and the HOUSE! Although I am still confused about the logistics of Yos and his nail (iykyk).
Now, how do I get myself vampire companions like Yos and Taj? 😗👀

"You made me your nightmare the moment you heard my name."

This book was simply, delicious dark, seductive, and entirely irresistible. It's unique in a way that I am still yet to be able to discribe. By the time I was at the 20% mark I could not put it down or come away from reading it. I find the way Tigest writes her characters incredibly fascinating, how she takes their flaws, moulds their wounds, and then has them claw their way through the darkest parts of themselves to reach redemption and come face to face with their true self. Her characters are created with such an undenialble rawness which unravels how multi-faceted and complex they are, and I think that's what makes them truly captivating. Her ability to craft a world that hangs in a delicate balance between eerie atmospherics and the unsettling elements of Dark Academia with Uxley was truly fantastic. It's kinda hard for me to believe this is a debut.

Themes and Tropes to expect:
— Black Vampire Romantasy
— First book of the Trilogy
— Single POV written in First Person
— Dark Academia that is based on Academic Houses and their relationships
— A focus on Ethiopian Mythology
— Trials and tribulations
— A Sentient House that has a lot to say for itself
— Secret Societies
— Frienimies to Friends
— A Morally Grey Cast of Characters who all have their own flaws
— A vengeful FMC
— A Charismatic 'is he really the villain tho?' MMC
— Found Family (a chaotic one)
— Murder, Mystery and Academic Quests
— Forced proximity (lots of tension)
— Enemies to allies to - ???

First, let me start by saying I'm an avid fan of Vampire books. The genre itself I will sink my teeth into without a second thought. Through my early teens I can confirm this was one of my most read genres, something about these blood-suckers got me truly hot and bothered. Their very existence in narratives, the complexity of what they could and couldn't do, and overall just how they came to be was always fascinating to me in literature. Tigest brings something delightfully different to the table, and her expansion on Vampires is something unlike anything else I've ever read. In Immortal Dark, Tigest takes the very entity of what a Vampire is and has the ability to be and completely turns it on its head. It's drastic, compelling and fascinating in a way that challenges the very essence of supernatural immortality. Tigest's take on Vampires is truly refreshing and I for one am throughly excited to see the rest of this trilogy develop.

In the interest of remaining spoiler free (because I believe this is truly a book that everyone should have the chance to experience with minimal context) I'll briefly outline what you have to look forward to in this spectacular book!

<I>Immortal Dark</I> is the first instalment debut in a trilogy. Our protagonist, orphaned Kidan Adane, has lived a different life from the one she was born into, raised away from the arcane life, unaware of how human bloodlines can gain power through their companionship with vampires.
One night, when her sister June disappears, Kidan is convinced that vampire kidnapped her.

Consumed by the overwhelming grief of their separation, Kidan begins to unravel the reality of her world. When she discovers that a Vampire enrolled at Uxlay University is responsible for her sister's disappearance, she takes it upon herself to infiltrate Uxlay and claim what is rightfully hers. Here at Uxlay, there is a sense of prestige, with the institute protecting the fragile balance that exists between humans and vampires. Here, vampires are bound to the heir of their human house. When she meets Susenyos Sagad she is faced with the dark reality — not only is he the number one suspect behind her sister's disappearance, he is the only Vampire who remains BOUND to her family house and she has to live with him. In order to find June, Kidan must survive living with Susenyos at whatever cost and do whatever she can to inherit her families legacy, even if Susenyos tries to challenge her at every hurdle. But Sunsenyo's speaks to something in Kidan, a wickedness that she cannot deny blooms inside of her, lying and waiting to strike. Her temper compliments his, and soon she uncovers things she is not prepared to know.

When a murder mirroring June's disappearance occurs, Uxlay becomes shrouded in darkness, beginning to shake the very foundations it's built on. There are things behind the scenes occurring that she cannot see. In order to move forward, Kidan must sink further into the darkness, become consumed by it and uncover the ruthless underworld of vampires that lie and wait for her — to save her sister she must make a bargain. A bargain that nobody should be prepared to make.

The darkest of dark academia, the slowest of slow burn and the greyest of morals in all the charscters! Vampires that are definitely not sparkly! I devoured it all, a fresh take on all things vampire - Just delicious

A big thank you to Hachette for the review copy of this book!!!

I had a great time reading this; It was rich and dark and exactly what I wanted it to be.

The characters were incredibly well written and flawed; The dark academia setting and the specific vampire law was captivating.

I can not wait to read the next instalment of this trilogy!!!

The only problem I had with this book is that i need the next book right now but this one isn’t even published yet!

What a book! I was hooked on this story from the very first chapter! This book was so addictive I honestly only put it down because I needed to sleep. I loved all the twists and plots going on in this book, I did get abit lost in a few of them but it just added to the drama of the story.

I honestly cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachett Children’s Group & Tigest Girma for letting me have the pleasure of reading this ARC.