A beautifully written homage to the greats of the dystopian genre, Fable for the End of the World is a standalone dystopian romance that truly did the genre justice. I’ve adored everything I’ve read so far from Ava Reid, and this newest title is no exception. They are quite the master of their craft in my opinion and I’m always excited to see what they release next.

I love the dystopian genre for the way it makes me feel and think, and it isn’t difficult to draw stark comparisons to the themes in Fable and our current social and political climate. I’ve always loved the way Ava Reid includes the subtle undertones of social commentary throughout their writing, and Fable is no different; we see a world ravaged by climate change and the people of the land desperately adjusting to these affects to just simply survive; the effects of chemical pollution on the land and it’s inhabitants; the effects of late-stage capitalism and the monopolisation of all areas within society by an oligarchy to have all of the population completely and totally dependent upon them; the purposeful dehumanisation of the lower classes so as to justify the mistreatment and abuse of them; and online spaces, anonymity in these spaces and the objectification of women, to note just a few.

Both Inesa and Melinoë were well written, and it was difficult not to root for them both equally; Inesa as a kindhearted, soft underdog thrust into the role of the Lamb through her mother’s faults, and Melinoë, perhaps not as thick skinned as she’s believed to be, with a need for redemption for past mistakes lest she suffer the dire consequences if she doesn’t succeed in her task. The chapters alternating between Inesa and Melinoë’s perspective helped set the pace for both characters and was utilised really well throughout. I love that the caring, soft, hopeful and compassionate tones of Inesa’s character were not written as her weaknesses or ‘downfall’, but rather her strength.

Of course, putting aside everything else, Fable is also a queer love story, and a necessary one at that. Inesa and Melinoë are entirely different but they each find safety and love within one another, and they do not allow the overwhelming danger to keep them from one another.

Whilst a standalone, this ending was quite open-ended and there were some loose ends, so I hope this was intentional to set up for a sequel. I need more of Inesa and Mel, and the side characters and subplots too

3.5 stars. Fable for the End of the World started very strong. I was instantly interested in this waterlogged drowning world.

The world building, the character relations and the social commentary are classic dystopian that feels very timely to today’s world:

- capitalism and debt
- corporate wealth and greed
- the horrors of developing technology
- corporate monopoly
- government surveillance
- access to health and social care

The beginning (and a bit towards the end) are the shining parts in this novel. Reid’s critique of capitalism mixed with her descriptive prose really paints a dystopian world I feel we’re not too far aware from. Truly, books like this need studying not banning.

But I felt it just maybe a tad too similar to The Hunger Games in tone to fully enjoy this as its own story. In other aspects it was also lacking, such as (and I cannot stress this enough), an utterly USELESS FMC that didn’t have one redeeming survival quality which just lead to multiple plot holes when you got to the crux of the plot. Because for this, I stopped caring about the outcome about 50% of the way through

I found the romance forced, almost shoe-horned in to the later second half in an attempt to keep readers interested because the main survival plot line started to fizzle out. However, this book is going to make queer teenagers very happy, and give them a shining ray of hope in this current shitty world.

The ending is a bit unconventional and I liked that. I like that it’s not predictable and a bit different. It’s not perfect, just like the world and the situation the characters find themselves living in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Inesa and her brother live with their mother in a Drowning town where they are so careful not to fall into debt. They have recently seen first hand what happens to the 'Lambs' given up as a sacrifice when someone ends up on too much debt... they end up in the Gauntlet

Melinoé is an Angel, but don't let the name fool you, her whole purpose is to hunt the Lambs during the Gauntlet and make it as much of a show as possible

Inesa and Melinoé find themselves locked at opposite ends of a Gauntlet where Inesa is fighting for her life and Melinoé is fighting for her reputation and also her redemption in a way

But the past has a habit of not being so easy to push down, and in a turn of events neither could have expected, everything changes for them both... ..

I really enjoyed this book, gritty and harsh world where life is nothing more than an expendible payment plan and hard memories can be swept away, but at what cost

Dystopian books are a great love of mine but hard to do right and feel unique and this really does!

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRey for the review copy. Out now!

The author admits to being heavily inspired by the hunger games and wanting to write something similar to YA dystopian books she loves. She certainly did that well, I could see the influence in there from the corrupt government to starving families, from the barbaric gauntlet to the mutations, and the sibling love, vacant/terrible mother and lack of a father figure. It also had a lot of novelty like the currency system, and the effect climate change has had on the world which was a really interesting spin. Also the angels, beautiful girls who have been modified and trained into killing machines. While I liked this aspect, it really showed the brutality of this world, it’s also where I started to get lost. I’m not a fan of books that get too techy or sciency as I get lost and then disengage with the story and the angels were too high tech for me. As it’s dystopian which is science fiction I think many people drawn to this book will actually enjoy that element so it’s not a criticism just unfortunately that’s what made me lose interest. I will definitely be trying this authors fantasy books because I was liking the woodland setting and taxidermy

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ava Reid’s work is very beloved online, so I was very excited to dive into this one, especially with it being comped to the hunger games!

I will say that while the story sets up an intriguing world, the writing itself and the characters failed me. I’ve been having such a poor run with sapphic work lately and it’s very upsetting to find the trend continued here.

There was a lot of telling and the romance was quite rushed. Everyone is so enamored with enemies to lovers that as a trope it’s now ubiquitous! It is very unfortunate that writers aren’t giving those relationships time to progress in a believable manner. Romance is not an easy beast to slay!

Inesa and her brother are trying desperately to make ends meet, to always stay out of the red and never, ever, accumulate massive amounts of debt owed to the ruling corporation Caerus. But their mother, unbeknownst to them, already owes them, and the only way to pay the debt is to shove Inesa into one of Caerus’s murderous games.

Now, hunted and running for her life from one of Caerus’s assassins, Inesa must survive, and with help from her brother, maybe she can.

Told from dual POV, this really made me question social media and screen time, and just how easy it is to become desensitised to so much. That being said, it was a DNF for me at 60%.

A big thank you to Netgalley and del ray books for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review

Ava Reid has once again created a masterpiece with her latest book; Fable for the end of the world.
Set in a dystopian future of earth where climate change has caused both humans and wildlife to adapt to their new environments. Water levels are high, the rain barely seems to end, the pink skies are caused by chemicals, animals have mutated and are out populating their original species, the people who try to live alone in the wilds away from society are feral and the general public answer to a big company for their needs through a credit system.

But what happens when to the people who are in debt to the organisations domineering this new world? The Lamb’s Gauntlet happens. This book truly is a heartfelt love letter to The Hunger Games, Reid crafts an atmospheric world with beautifully contrasting and conflicting characters but the domineering force amongst all the turmoil not only of earth’s state but the way humans now seem to treat each other is love.

Exploring the what should be impossible connections, where a girl named Melinoe (the hunter) who has been engineered and altered to surpass a human state and has been designed to be more like a literal killing machine, become conflicted when our “Lamb” Inesa seems to shutdown her so carefully curated systems designed to separate Mel from her human nature and be the killing machine the public love to watch be let loose for the hunt; kill whatever lamb has landed themselves in debt to the system. Oh and its televised.

Our “Lamb” Inesa has found herself hunted after she’s put up for The Lamb’s Gauntlet by her sponsor….her own mother who is in credit debt after frivolous needless spends; which will now be paid for with Inesa’s life. When a twist In the hunt means the hunter and hunted ed up needing each other, necessity turns into choice. And the two explore the depth of human (and machine) nature and connection; How it can be forged, destroyed, manipulated and transmuted from one thing to another. The love of two young women, love that might just change the world.

Ava Reid always has such a haunting aspect to her writing while simultaneously making it feel like you are dancing on top of words of poetry. The equivalent of honey and gravel in a mesmerising combination. As usual there aren’t enough words to do this book justice and I’ll ever be able to translate all that this book is through this review. All I ca say is to pick this book up and see for yourself. 2025 is the year of the dystopians. Thank you Ava for once again writing a book that has wriggled its way into my veins.

This book sits in a liminal space where it is simultaneously written to appeal to a sense of nostalgia for 2010s dystopian novels but also to capture a YA audience. Whilst adults can and should read YA books, this book feels somewhat like one of those books where it isn't going to hit as much if you are little further away from that target 14-18 y/o age range.

What Reid does well is evoke a very believable landscape of the world that we could be heading towards with climate disaster, rampant capitalism, nuclear disaster, etc. As I have aphantasia, I follow it challenging at times to get a sense of place as it seemed as if the environment was akin to somewhere like Venice where all transport was done via rafts but then the characters utilise a car so I think my sense of the terrain was a little shaky. This is also a book that very much taps into the dystopian archetypes with a large disparity between the haves and the have=nots, a televised gameshow where children are fighting for their lives, and even a somewhat bleak ending to the story. Whilst there is some originality, I couldn't get away from the sense that I was reading a fanfiction for Hunger Games where the serial numbers have been filed off. I really appreciate the fact that this is a sapphic story as it satisfies a real gap that I felt in the most popular 2010s dystopian stories although it is somewhat depressing that in this imagined future, homophobia is still very much the norm. There was a slightly strange moment at around the 85% mark where we have a long info dump of basic world building stuff that we had basically already discovered by the reading the book; this felt almost self-insert in the way that it seemed to be very unsubtly saying "look at what's happening in America right now, this is the future we're heading towards".

This is a book that I really wanted to love and I was excited to read but unfortunately it mostly fell flat for me largely because both of our leads felt very two-dimensional and I often felt as though I couldn't really get a read on who they were. It was refreshing that Inesa was kinda hopeless and her skills didn't really translate into things that would have allowed her to survive if it weren't for her alliance with Melinoe. I felt as though there was a lot of potential to Melinoe's character however I didn't feel as though her arc was executed as smoothly as I might have liked. It felt like a missed opportunity that her feelings around her future as a sex slave weren't given much time on-page. I think the intention with her character was that cracks in her facade of a heartless killer had started when she killed Sanne but it just didn't quite work? Honestly, so much of my dissatisfaction with this book can be summed-up by saying that it felt like a series of missed opportunities.

I think this is a book that will likely either really hit or be middle of the road for most readers and I genuinely think those in the target age audience or, ironically, those who are less familiar with books like Hunger Games will have a better time with this story.

This gives 2000s YA dystopia in the best way possible. It's genuinely like being bacxk in that peak hunger games era of reading. And yet this does a fresh twist and take on it all so it feels new and at times, all too relevent. We have dual POV here, and it's utilised in a way that actually really adds to the story which is incredible?

As ever with reid's characters, there is an underyling beauty and softness that is their real strength and she really crafts a character so well. And I feel that, in a time when it is becoming less and less to outwardly be yourself, their is strength in vulnerability here. Strength in being who you are. And strength to be found in being queer in a place that doesn't always accept you.

As previously said, yes this does feel like a homage to the hunger games, and it is a love letter to all that time brought us, but in its own fresh way. It takes inspiration but doesnt copy and that's a hard line to trace. But i think people who loved the hunger games back ion the day will find delights within the pages of this book.

As every dysopian novel is, it feels horrifying and 'how can a world descend to this level?' but there are always parallels, and links to our own world that make you pause, and Reid does this so well. It's little things that mirror society now but enough to make you relaise maybe the horror of it all isn't that far away. Some examples are more overt than others, but i feel with YA you need to make some things more obvious and literal so they aren't missed.

My only complaint is I wanted more. I'd have happily spent more time in the world.

Ava Reid has done it again. And by “it” I mean written another book that I love with my entire heart. Fable for the End of the World is a little different to the other books I’ve read by Reid, but her phenomenal writing still shines through as ever. I loved the dystopian setting and the sapphic enemies-to-lovers, the storyline was so interesting and it was all just executed so well. I’ll read anything Ava Reid writes, and this book shows exactly why!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid was fantastic—sapphic romance meets The Hunger Games in a brutal, dystopian world.

This book honestly didn’t disappoint. I read it in two sittings, only because I was on a flight when I picked it up, but I could have easily devoured it in one. It’s probably the first dystopian I’ve read since 2014, and I’d forgotten just how much I miss this genre. Reid’s writing is so immersive, weaving a world that feels eerily possible, and the tension kept me hooked from the start.

We follow a dual POV: Inesa, who lives with her brother and a very questionable mother, and Melinoë, an assassin forged by the cruel society she serves. Melinoë’s job is to balance the debts of those who can’t pay under the ruthless point system controlled by Caerus, the corporation that dictates survival. Their paths inevitably collide, and what unfolds is a story laced with tension, survival, and the tiniest sliver of hope.

I loved the worldbuilding and the depth of the characters, but at times, the pacing felt a bit off. That said, the dynamic between Inesa and Melinoë carried the story, and the bleak yet beautiful storytelling left its mark.

Well, that was harrowing.

This was not in the same realm as anything that I've read from Ava Reid previously, but was just as gripping and atmospheric- albeit a very different type of atmosphere. The world that Reid lays out in the story is far into the future, yet retains just enough similarities to our. current world that I kept grappling with the uncomfortable question of "but is it actually that far into the future?" And I think that's what made the story work so well: the world is different enough to be dystopian, but retained just enough of familiar biases, misogyny, and "othering" to be extremely recognizable.

The story follows two women from the opposite ends of the world in which they live: Inesa -an Outlier, the oppressed, a cog in the wheels that keeps the corporate overlords rich and in control of New Amsterdam, the Lamb that must compete in a Hunger Games-esque televised show as the prey that will inevitably be killed for entertainment- and Melinoë -the predator, the tool of the corporate overlords, the hunter, the girl who has had her mind/body/limbs/psyche altered to turn her into the soulless killing machine. I must admit, I was a little skeptical during the first part of the book. I couldn't fathom how the reader was expected to forgive Melinoë, let alone root for her.

I'm not sure that everyone -or anyone- does end up on Melinoë's side. But I also don't think that it matters. The plot and themes that the story addresses are enough to keep you turning the pages. It's heartbreaking and infuriating and slightly terrifying. And it's brilliant.

My only qualm is that I did wish that the characters had been slightly older. I understand the decision to make them as young as they are, but I also think that the issues that are being addressed in the book could've gone a lot deeper had this been nudged into the New Adult category instead.

All in all, another phenomenal book from Ava Reid.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the perfect book for readers who crave a dystopian romantasy that pulls you into a world of survival, tension, and hope.

New Amsterdam is a dystopian society plagued by climate change, where mutations are rampant, and society is deeply divided. The Caerus corporation holds power, providing for the population, but at a steep cost. And when individuals fall into overwhelming debt, the corporation comes to collect. This collection comes in the form of the Gauntlet- a livestreamed event where people’s lives are the form of payment. In this deadly game, a genetically perfected assassin Angel is unleashed to hunt down and kill the chosen sacrificial Lamb.

With a unique dystopian setting, a fight for survival, and a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance, this story weaves together in a way that will keep you hooked. It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes journey filled with moments of tension and the ultimate battle for survival.

Main Tropes:
🗡️Dystopian
🗡️Sapphic Romance
🗡️Duel POV
🗡️Forced Proximity
🗡️Enemies to Lovers
🗡️No spice (kissing/off page)

This story of survival follows Inesa, a lower class girl trying to provide for her family by running their taxidermy shop. But when her mother puts her name in the Gauntlet as payment for her medical bill debt, her world is ripped out from underneath her, and suddenly her life is a ticking clock. Melinoë, a trained and modified assassin is assigned to her demise, having thirteen days to hunt and kill her- all of which will be broadcast on live television.

The Gauntlet is a sadistic spectacle, eagerly tuned into by viewers on their TVs and tablets. With the help of her brother Luka, Inesa sets off with one thing on her mind- survival. It’s rare for a lamb to survive the Gauntlet, but there’s always hope, no matter how small. When the hunt begins, Inesa expects Melinoë to be nothing more than a cold, calculating killing machine, but soon discovers there may be more to her than meets the eye.

In world where it’s kill or be killed- what happens when you find yourself falling for the one who’s been sent to end your life?

Special thank you to Del Rey UK, for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley.

I was initially drawn to Fable for the End of the World by its dystopian premise—something akin to The Hunger Games but with a unique twist: a society where people can take on debt in exchange for others' sacrifices. It’s an idea with a lot of potential, but unfortunately, the execution just didn't do it justice.

One of my biggest issues was the pacing. The chapters felt overly long, making it difficult to stay engaged, especially with so much happening at once. There were too many threads competing for attention, and instead of feeling immersive, it all became overwhelming. While this is a standalone novel, the ending left me completely unsatisfied.

That’s not to say this is a bad book—it’s clear the author had ambitious ideas. However, it felt like it was trying to do far too much in too little space. The comparison to The Hunger Games ultimately didn’t hold up, as it lacked the same clarity of world-building and character depth. There were moments of great writing, such as “The world can break anything,” which really encapsulates the bleak tone, but overall, the book didn’t leave a lasting impression.

If you’re looking for a dystopian read with a thought-provoking premise, this might still be worth a try—but for me, it just didn’t quite deliver.

4.5 ⭐️
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

I loved this, I’ve noticed in Ava Reid’s writing that the romance never starts properly until around 50-60% of the way through the book. I think this is such a clever way to get your teeth into the plot.

The story was extremely well written with themes of climate change and capitalism woven throughout, it was on the nose when described as a sapphic The Hunger Games. The ending broke my heart but made the story come together. I loved the romance between the two main characters, very well written and sweet. If she decided to write a sequel then I’d definitely buy it.

Thank you netgalley and Del Rey for providing me with this eARC for review.
My 4th Ava Reid book overall, and the 3rd that I have absolutely adored. This is one for the hunger games girlies and as a hunger games girly I say thank you Ms Reid.

This is my second Ava Reid book that I’ve read and I really enjoy her writing style and usage of words. This book is a dystopian ya with a sapphic romance. I really enjoyed this book, I liked the settings, the characters and the overall plot. I especially liked the terminator style hunting within this book. There was a lot going on and I really cared for the characters. I wanted a little bit more information at some parts hence the 4 star rating instead of 5 but I really enjoyed this one. I will definitely be reading more Ava Reid.

I love this author so much. With each new book it is a automatic request as so far I loved ever of her books and knew I won't be disappointed with this one. This book shows that the dystopian genre could do a
huge come back. Yes I'm biased most of my favourite books are dystopian lol.

But anyway, the book has a great plot and I don't even have to mention but I shall, the writing was great. It is easy to read but also a bit poetic which was just great.

A searing and utterly compelling dystopian marvel. This is dystopia back with a vengeance, and it's brilliant. Reid crafts a world where the monolithic corporation Caerus holds society in a vice-like grip through engineered debt, a chillingly plausible scenario that resonates with our current anxieties.
Inesa, struggling to survive in a half-submerged town, is forced into the horrific Lamb's Gauntlet, a televised assassination event, to pay off her mother's crushing debt. Melinoë, the genetically engineered assassin, is her hunter, haunted by past failures and driven by a cold, relentless purpose. What unfolds is a heart-pounding chase across a desolate wasteland, filled with tense encounters and unexpected moments of warmth.
Reid weaves a tale that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. This isn't just a simple action-packed story; it's a scathing commentary on capitalism and our dwindling compassion for our fellow man and our planet. The world-building is immersive, and the characters are complex and compelling. The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed with a delicate balance of tension and tenderness. .
The story is jam-packed with action from start to finish interspersed with vivid descriptions of their crumbling world.
This book would look absolutely excellent as a movie! Hint.

This is a heavy read in this moment in time, considering how close to home it hits with its dystopian exploration of the future. I would have really appreciated it being a bit more hopeful, being a YA dystopia, but it's difficult not to see how realistic everything is, in the end.

Reid tells us openly that this story was born as The Hunger Games' fanfic, and it's also very clear when reading the book, even though she goes to some darker places quicker and show us a reality way closer to our own.

Having read other books by the author, this one tackles the dark issues with some more levity, barely exploring them, which is a pity, for Reid has written darker books for the same young audiences.

It's a really good book, I was just personally expecting something a bit different from the author.