3.5 

Terror at the Gates

By Scarlett St. Clair
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The first in a seductive new romantasy series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair.

Banished by the church and betrayed by blood, Lilith makes a life in Nineveh, a neon-lit district where urban fantasy meets noir seduction. When a relic of unimaginable power finds her, it awakens enemies, a lover, and a terrifying prophecy she was born to fulfill.

She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help her: Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he's always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn't sure he can protect her from what's to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

Perfect for fans of:

  • Frenemies to lovers
  • Slow burn, but the sexual tension is...toe-curling
  • He falls first
  • Neo-noir mafia fantasy vibes

"In this sumptuous and steamy dark fantasy, bestseller St. Clair reimagines Eden as an intensely patriarchal, über-religious society... Determined to make her own way, (Lilith) relies on her power over men's desire to steal the things she needs—but, for some reason, gorgeous Zahariev is constantly in her path and swooping in to clean up her messes... A promising series launch." - Publishers Weekly

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Terror at the Gates Reviews

3.5
“This was different. Good different. Very unique. Has an animal friend with attitude so that had me hooked after that was introduced. Also, cutting your own bangs is never, ever a good idea. Just don't do it. Has nice spicy spice. Ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. That was annoying.”
“Hmm. Well, this didn’t go as planned. Based on the synopsis this is everything I should love. Based on the story I read, it’s not. This started off pretty strong but then it just went downhill fast. Here’s some of my issues: 1. The most annoying and juvenile FMC. She was bratty, spoiled, and selfish. 2. I didn’t understand the world/magic system despite immersive reading this book. 3. It was so slow….so much DIDN’T happen. 4. The randomness. There seemed to be too many ideas or concepts and they didn’t work with or make sense to the storyline. (It felt like a whole bunch of ideas that were thrown into a hat and once they were picked, had to be used into the story) 5. Tiny, almost to the point of why bother, POV chapters from the MMC. It would have been much more tolerable if his chapters had been longer than 1 page, sometimes 2 sentences. The best thing(s) about the book? The MMC & the side characters. The audio narration was good (dual). With all that said, I do kinda want to know what happens in the next book but I also don’t plan to jump into it any time soon after release.”
“3.5⭐️ Print Book I struggled to connect with this book. The first half was setting the background story, and we don't really dig into the main plot until about the halfway point. Things just start to pick up when the book comes to an abrupt end. Call it a cliff hanger, but the ending felt forced like the story wasn't supposed to stop there for this book. I still liked it and would recommend.”
“I really liked the idea and atmosphere of this book. The vibe is engaging, and the characters are interesting, especially the confident and independent main protagonist. I just wish the story had explored its full potential a bit more. Still, it was an enjoyable read.✨”
Red Angry Face“The main plot of religious trauma and female rage in a strongly patriarchal society hit very close to home and was the reason I felt a personal connection to the FMC. I felt seen and could relate to her constant rage, rebellion and choice of love interest only because he respected her freedom. The pacing was inconsistent and was either too slow in the middle or rushed at the end; I wish the ending was less confusing/sudden. The FMC was frustrating though because she wanted to be independent but was reckless and constantly needed to be saved by MMC, but also raged at him for saving her. That part was a cliche of the FMC being considered strong only because she’s stubborn and reckless. But overall, i thoroughly enjoyed it and was one of fav reads of the year”

About Scarlett St. Clair

#1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the author of the Hades X Persephone Saga, the Adrian X Isolde series, fairy tale retellings, and When Stars Come Out.

She has a master’s degree in library science and information studies and a bachelor’s in English writing. She is obsessed with Greek mythology, murder mysteries, and the afterlife. For information on books, tour dates, and content, please visit scarlettstclair.com.

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