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.

"Uxlay held on to its mysteries but demanded that its students peel their flesh apart and bleed. Its ancient stone would only be satiated if it fed on their misery."

Tigest Girma take a bow. What a phenomenal debut. Sign me up for Uxlay and a vampire companion.

This was an intoxicating, addictive read and I am desperate for more. A major issue with reading an ARC of the first book in a trilogy is that I NEED the next book but this one isn't even published yet!

I love dark academia and this was it done to perfection. The prose was stunning and drew me right in. I felt entirely immersed in this fascinating world and loved the lore and history of the relationships between dranaics and actis. The concept of Uxlay, a hidden haven for families who abide by a universal law, offered a fresh take on the genre that I just loved.

I don't think there was a single character in this book that wasn't morally grey and there is absolutely no one I would trust fully. The enemies to lovers was epic. I loved how Kidan and Susenyos' relationship evolved and the way the darkness within them both grew and developed around each other.

There were twists and turns aplenty and the tension throughout was palpable. At times, I struggled to keep up with some of the plot points but I think that helped add to the pacing of the book.

An incredible story and I cannot wait for the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachett Children's Group and Tigest Girma for the ARC. Grab this for yourselves September 2024 and enter Uxlay at your own risk.

4.25/5 rounded up!

What a debut! That first chapter sucked me IN! The prose and voice was so eloquent throughout the novel, and the sharp one liners stole my breath!
But the real tea is in the romance. Because WHAT. A. ROMANCE! Hands down the best executed TRUE enemies to lovers I’ve read in AGES! Or of all time? 👀 this was true visceral violent HATE! They did not go easy on each other and there was a power balance there! I hate when there’s enemies to lovers where there’s a stark imbalance in power, so this really hit in that aspect. The chemistry was sizzling and I was constantly wondering “when the hell are they gonna smash??”
Literally dying for them to 😂 so basically the romance stole the show here and carried the book. If I were only judging the romance, I’d give this a 5/5.

Now the plotting I have slight criticisms for, although minor. The sequence of the scenes & clarity of them got messy & convuluted after the 40% mark & just didn't feel cleanly put together but I admire the ambitious vision bc it does sort of tie up at the veeeeeery end. But to get there it was a little frustrating.

E.g a lot of very important details that we're supposed to remmeber were NOT established as important when introduced so I spent a good time ctrIF-ing names to see what I missed only to realize I didn't miss anything. It just seems information wasn't being conveyed to fill those gaps. Or it felt like some scenes were incomplete given we're supposed to see the effects of them as vital & important but rereading those sections left me still confused. And believe me, I’ve read very dense ADULT fantasy books. Keeping up with complex YA fantasy is a piece of cake for me, let alone a contemporary fantasy which is the case here. But there was a lot of unexplained motives that were never answered and the choices made just didn’t feel justified for side characters as a result, nor was the importance of those choices established enough to me as the reader. So it made the middle lag. I also felt like side characters weren't fleshed out enough to convince me of extreme actions the MC does. However again, I deeply admire the complex vision and I think the sequel was set up VERY well and admirably. I’m extreeeemely excited to get my hands on it.

And the romance and the crazy unhinged MC were so out of the box, it just carried the book and made this so thrilling. So all in all, I still loved the read & had a GREAT time. Highly recommend! I think this is gonna be THE “it” romantic fantasy of the year.

Full disclosure, I didn’t actually finish the book.

Here’s the thing - I got about 25% in to the book and I am OBSESSED, ENAMOURED, ENTRANCED. I MUST read this physically, holding a gorgeous, shiny new hardback.

I will undoubtedly be giving this 5 stars though, so might as well upload my “review” now while I wait for my copy to be dispatched.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is an absolutely riveting fantasy novel that beautifully weaves modern-day issues into its rich narrative, particularly shedding light on the heartbreaking silence surrounding the plight of missing black girls within the global black diaspora. This is more than just a story; it’s a powerful commentary that resonates deeply in today's world.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed masterfully here. Susenyos and Kidan start with a genuine animosity that evolves into something much more complex and heartfelt. Watching Kidan's transformation from fierce disdain to unexpected affection for this vampire is a journey I also felt conflicted by! Her internal conflict as she grapples with her growing feelings adds another layer of depth to her character and makes her struggle so relatable.

Kidan enters Uxlay university with clear goals and a rigid plan, but as she navigates her new environment, she becomes embroiled in unravelling secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew. It’s fascinating to witness her journey unfold as she builds friendships and allows herself to be vulnerable, gradually letting her guard down. This exploration of personal growth amidst the chaos of college life is executed brilliantly.

Girma’s writing is not just engaging but also thought-provoking, prompting readers to reflect on significant societal issues while still delivering a captivating fantasy narrative.

Immortal Dark is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich world-building, compelling character arcs, and the delicate dance of love blooming amidst adversity. I wholeheartedly recommend this book—it’s a five-star experience that you won’t want to miss!

IMMORTAL DARK by Tigest Girma was everything I could ask for in a vampire novel. It was absolutely captivating from the beginning to the very end. I shocked that this is Tigest debut novel, her writing is beautiful and lyrical. The representation and thought provoking messages in the read was beautiful. I was completely drawn into the story, each scene felt so real. And the characters, wow!! They were everything. The dynamic between Kidan and Susenyos was perfection, the intensity of their interactions and chemistry exceeded my expectations for an enemies to lovers romance. When they aren’t trying to murder each other they made a beautiful deadly team. The passionate moments between them were unmatched, the connection just felt so organic and natural. It was like they were truly made for each other despite one being a vampire and the other being human. They were one of the same.

Also line that the characters would break to achieve what they want was fascinating, They are all so unhinged, they truly would push they mortal boundaries to obtain their desires, they were all completely flawed yet felt to me I was able to connect with them in different, they just felt so real. I loved Kodak strength along with her vulnerability, I admired her fearlessness and determination. The magic system of the house was so interesting, never seen anything like it before. And all of the twist and turns and secrets revealed left me completely shocked and that rarely happens

Honestly this book was perfection, I loved every moment of it. It was so refreshing and after than ending I’m excited to see what’s going to transpire next in this series

Addictive, dark and gritty with rich world building and evocative storytelling. An interesting take on the exploration of girlhood and humanity through the lens of vampiric folklore in a dark academia setting with twists and turns throughout that had me on the edge of my seat. A stunning debut. Read if you loved ninth house and the secret history and your favourite book couple is Jude and Cardan.

Immortal Dark is an intoxicating, high stakes fantasy filled with death and danger. It drew me in to the world almost immediately. I started slightly absent-mindedly reading this on my phone whilst I was waiting for something, but it hooked me in and demanded my attention so quickly. The author paints a fascinating world of (not so) peaceful coexistence between vampires and humans with lots of interesting lore and history.

It is a fast-paced book with so much going on. All the characters have secrets, dark histories and a willingness to do whatever it takes. There are twists for us as readers, and for Kidan our protagonist. She has to second guess who she can trust and what's really going on the whole time. Sometimes I thought I'd cracked a mystery, only have another shocking revelation change my perspective. Plenty was resolved and explained by the end, but it does end on a cliffhanger and there is still so much up in the air that I want to know! I will be keeping an eye out for a sequel release.

Recommended for fans of dark fantasy.

“She would drown in pleasure when she killed him. It would be the most erotic act, but like any pleasure to would come to the end..”

Kidan is a human searching for her abducted sister. The only way to get her back is to join the Uxlay University and claim her house as its heir, the only problem? The vampire she believes killed her parents and abducted her sister lives there as well… WHAT COULD GO WRONG.. right?

This book was such a fantastic read and if you liked watching Vampire Diaries for Klaus… this book is it! The characters were morally black, and I LOVED IT. Everything was so violent and beautiful. It was atmospheric and engaging, introduction of more and more characters as you went brought more life to the book. I loved the East African myths and history and I loved how it was woven with the fantasy, academia and vampirism.

“I will teach you. If you let me, I can teach you a thousand different ways of loving yourself”

When reading this book you get to hate and love the characters as they journey through their own minds and emotions and I really admire the author for writing this so well in her debut! I have too many quotes from this book but they would be super spoils so I will keep them for after the book is released.

Read this book if you like:
Vampires
Dark Academia
Female Rage at its finest
Found Family
A book without white people
Intense lust in passionate hate