This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

The Crimson Road first caught my attention with its premise because how could I not be on board for a Gothic fantasy with vampires? The book started rather slowly. I was engaged with Violet's narrative, but at the same time, I wondered when the vampires would be coming, and the answer turned out to be not until the final third of the volume. Some of the things I enjoyed about this book were the interesting premise and the author's personal take on vampires, along with some fun secondary characters like Freddie. However, I found the pacing a little unbalanced and I wished we got more on the vampires. They came in so late we didn't spend much time with them, and I'd really wanted to see more. I think because of this, the ending also felt a little sudden and anti-climatic after the big buildup. Nonetheless, this was still an enjoyable read that entertained me over three nights, so I am giving it four stars.

(My review will go live at the links below on 10 February, following your preference to hold reviews until release month.)

This dark gothic fantasy features our FMC Violet, who was raised as a ruthless assassin. Initially, the premise was very compelling, complete with vampires and a menacing underground arena. Violet’s early characterization as a mysterious and formidable fighter drew me in, making the prospect of her journey against an ancient evil incredibly appealing.

However, while the book starts strong, it loses momentum in the latter half. The pacing becomes erratic, and the thrilling excitement that marked the beginning fizzles out. This shift is disappointing, especially as the climax felt a bit rushed and glossed over.

A standout for me, despite pacing issues, is our strong FMC Violet - who is a refreshing blend of strength and skepticism. Additionally, the portrayal of powerful women throughout the narrative was definitely a plus.

The world-building is another strong aspect. The dark, gritty atmosphere and the lore surrounding the Leech Lords and witches was really interesting.

I still think the book is worth the read especially for fans of the dark gothic fantasy. The premise was on the mark, and while it may not have been perfect for me, there are those that will love it. I would definitely recommend to book besties that love dark gothic stories.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've read someone describing this books as "pure girl power" and I wholeheartedly agree. As a young girl who straight up refused to read books with a male protagonist, I'd have died for such a book. Another thing I thought was hilariously refreshing was that the main character is surprisingly honest when she needs to be - more often than not she's like "I shoulnd't divulge the real reason of my travels but oh well, better than to be caught in a lie HERE GOES." I always found fantasy characters infuriatingly tightlipped. We get it, you're mysterious! An interesting take on the vampire novel with an outstanding female character roster.

This is a really though one to review because the premise is really strong, prose is good, but the narrative just felt a bit flat.

It felt like it took a good while to get going and the eventual payoff was minimal. The characters were not especially memorable, or developed outside of the FMC.

I’d overall probably recommend it for fans of the gothic genre, as premise is interesting and the in world lore is well out together. If it’s a page turning, tension filler adventure, this probably isn’t it.

This is a new author for me. The blurb for The Crimson Road made me want to read it and I’m so glad I did. I loved this book. This is a brilliantly written, engrossing book and I couldn’t put it down. I’m not sure when the book is set but it has a historical feel and this along with the gothic horror elements made this a must read for me. Violent is a fantastic character fighting against the role her father is trying to force her into even after his death, reluctant to admit he may be right about the job he left for her to do. This ticks all the boxes for me and is a must read.

The first half of the story kept my attention, but the last half lost its steam. I liked Violet and her reactions to her circumstances were realistic. Her character arch wasn’t as fleshed out as I had hoped. This story had a lot of potential, but it didn’t hit the mark for me.

This is a story with vampires, but not about vampires, not really. Really, it’s a story about making your own path in world determined to push you onto a particular one, and about the necessity of help.

Violet Zennor’s life has been controlled by her father since the day her mother and brother died. When her father dies, Violet is excited to live her life as she pleases, only to find her efforts at independence thwarted by her father’s friends and mysterious enemies. She is left to make a choice in order to protect her remaining family, and undertakes a treacherous journey to a dark land where evil lurks.

I enjoyed this book mostly because of Violet herself. It was refreshing to have a female character who actually makes realistic plans, and is forced to change them not because she has accepted some mythic destiny, but because of mostly mundane concerns (everyone needs to eat, after all). Her reactions to things like prophecies are scathing, and she derides them as vague and unhelpful (again, love the realistic skepticism). Violet also is a portrayal of a survivor of abuse who refuses to let the worst thing that ever happened to her define her life. She lives beyond and despite it.

There are powerful women in this book, and a strong thread of “burn down the patriarchy”. If this novel were a film, it would pass the Bechdel test easily, as many of the critical interactions are between female characters, and the romance in the story is just a dusting of sugar on top. The magic system is not really explained, and that is ok, because our main character doesn’t have any magic herself. Magic is part of the lore, not the main focus of the story, and readers are left to deal with it as ordinary citizens of the book do: as something they accept without full understanding.

I would recommend this book to readers who liked the Lies of Locke Lamora for the practicality of the main character, to readers of The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee, For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten and of the Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan.

I had super high hopes for this one because, hello, dark gothic fantasy vibes with vampires and assassins? Yes, please! And at first, it was totally living up to the hype. The whole underground arena thing and Violet being a total badass? Loved it. But, ugh, about halfway through it just kinda lost steam. The pacing got all weird, and I was like, wait, what happened to the excitement? 😕

Violet started off all mysterious and edgy, and I was here for it, but girl, she’d spill her plans to anyone with ears, and I was screaming, “Girl, zip it!” By the end, I was just over it. The big showdown? I blinked, and it was done. So anticlimactic.

But, I gotta say, the world-building was still super cool. The dark, gritty atmosphere and the whole lore behind the Leech Lords and witches? Totally intriguing. It just didn’t come together as well as I hoped, but still a super fun read!

Thanks so much, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! ✌️

I’ve loved everything I’ve read from this author but I found this started out well but got a bit repetitive and boring from the middle point onwards.
I think the writing is still excellent and the characters well fleshed out but this just didn’t grab me

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

you guys, this started out so promising and i was already seeing solid four stars for it in the future. so to my utter shock and surprise when a little halfway through, it shifted gears and turned repetitive and quickly became very (gasp) boring. like the final battle against the big bad was so lacklustre, i swear i blinked and it was all over.

our main character started the story so mysterious and edgy and not like other girls, but she was worse than other girls and man would she not shut up!! like she yapped her mouth to anyone who would listen about her quest like girl have some decorum & shut your mouth. slowly I started feeling my eye twitch the longer i spent time with her and she started grating on my nerves.

so sad this was a flop for me bc i still find the gritty setting really cool and the lore involved in the world was super interesting, and i would love to read more on it.

many thanks to the publishers and net galley for supplying me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A.G. Slatter does it again! I adored how, if you hadn't read the other books in the universe, you could read this is a standalone (not unlike Brandon Sanderson whom I love), but if you have read everything else then this turned into a richer, deeper story. Truly delightful and atmospheric AF.

The Crimson Road by A. G. Slatter, while working completely as a stand alone, has cameos from the previous three titles (All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead). Violet Zennor has been raised to be the perfect assassin/fighter, brutally trained by her Father to survive any situation. When her Father dies she wrongly believes she is finally free to make her own choices, until she discovers she is the only person who could kill an ancient evil that is threatening to destroy the world.
As with all of Slatter's "sourdough' universe stories and novels, traditional fairy tales are wonderfully reworked to form different threads.
While you could read The Crimson Road as your first Slatter book, the story is much richer if you have the knowledge from the previous titles.

A good fantasy and gothic tale. The prose was efficient and good enough but the novel felt a little too long at times. I think maybe the characters could have been more interesting or developed. 3 stars.