I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland Published by Hodder & Stoughton on 10th May 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Love & Romance, Magic, Paranormal, YA Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 390
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.
Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.
Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I requested this book because I saw it was going to be a monthly book for Illumicrate and I loved the cover. The blurb really intrigued me too, I love a good YA fantasy!
There are quite a few characters in this book and it did take a little while to work out who’s who.
Our main character is Rovan. Rovan is a fighter. She’s had a few struggles in her life and is very bad at dealing with her issues. She’s also strong, smart and never gives up. Rovan isn’t looking for friends and doesn’t care who she upsets. Rovan is an easy main character to love. I think we all wish we could be a little bit like Rovan.
Japha and Lydea are fantastic supporting characters. I love Lydea’s attitude, she really is formidable. If she wants something she finds a way to get it. Japha is the first to make a connection with Rovan. They are kind, caring and fabulous. Japha is an excellent friend, they are extremely loyal and
Ivrilos is quite the character. He is mysterious and secretive with some really witty lines at times.
The beginning of this book is quite slow with quite a bit of world-building. This is done well. Strickland explains everything in the right level of detail without boring you. There’s quite a bit to learn but none of it feels torturous. The second half of the is very action-packed. At the halfway point I wasn’t sure everything would be wrapped up as it seemed so much still needed to happen.
This book is an excellent story that will have you thinking about it for long after you have finished.
About A.M. Strickland
A.M. Strickland was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She shares a home base in Alaska with her spouse, her pugs, and her piles and piles of books. She loves travelling, dancing, tattoos, and every shade of teal in existence, but especially the darker ones. She is the author of In the Ravenous Dark and Beyond the Black Door.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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