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In the Ravenous Dark
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.
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.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
About the author
A.M. Strickland
5 books484 followersA.M. Strickland was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She splits her time between Alaska and Spain with her spouse, her pugs, and her piles of books. She loves traveling, dancing, tattoos, and writing stories about sympathetic monsters. She is the author of Court of the Undying Seasons, In the Ravenous Dark, and Beyond the Black Door.
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February 22, 2021HI. Author, here! Now that the (AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS) cover has been revealed, let’s talk content + content warnings ...
Content:
This book involves blood magic, death magic, a spooky underworld, and ghostly guardians. It stars a young woman (19), Rovan, who falls for her hated guardian, gets entranced by a beguiling princess at the same time, and starts a revolution in both the living world and the underworld.
This book is queer. It has a pansexual main character (though that word isn’t used on page in this Greco-Roman-inspired fantasy world), a lesbian love interest, an asexual and nonbinary major supporting character (they/them pronouns used throughout, no misgendering), multiple f/f relationships and a m/f/f relationship. Queerness isn’t really an issue in the world unless it messes with heirs/lines of succession and then it’s policed a bit, but don’t be too concerned about major homophobia or transphobia since it’s generally accepted. It also has the queer found family of my heart, which makes this book one of my favorites. That, and it’s super weird. Get ready for a blood-spattered, kiss-filled roller coaster ride.
Heads up for age-appropriateness:
This is not a content warning so much as a notification of content, but there are on-page sex scenes (two, one f/f and one m/f) and lots of cursing, quite a few f-bombs included. This is pretty upper YA/can cross over into adult, and a dark book. Which brings me to content warnings!
CWs for:
-Death (lots, major and minor characters)
-Death of queer characters, but most main characters are queer and also
-Parent death, on page and off
-Sibling death by suicide (off page)
-Fratricide
-Violence (lots)
-Blood (lots)
-Gore (not excessive, but there’s, uh, a scene or two for sure)
-Mild body horror
-Mild substance addiction (alcohol)
-Enforced gender roles
-Forced marriage and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off page, in the past, and not involving main characters)
-Threat of rape/abuse of the main character, but
All that said, the book is also morbidly funny and quite absurd at times, and the ending *isn’t* tragic, so I hope you’re not deterred. I’ll add more here if I think of more things to note. Like a lot of my books, this one is likely not for everyone, but if it sounds like what you’re looking for, enjoy! <3
Content:
This book involves blood magic, death magic, a spooky underworld, and ghostly guardians. It stars a young woman (19), Rovan, who falls for her hated guardian, gets entranced by a beguiling princess at the same time, and starts a revolution in both the living world and the underworld.
This book is queer. It has a pansexual main character (though that word isn’t used on page in this Greco-Roman-inspired fantasy world), a lesbian love interest, an asexual and nonbinary major supporting character (they/them pronouns used throughout, no misgendering), multiple f/f relationships and a m/f/f relationship. Queerness isn’t really an issue in the world unless it messes with heirs/lines of succession and then it’s policed a bit, but don’t be too concerned about major homophobia or transphobia since it’s generally accepted. It also has the queer found family of my heart, which makes this book one of my favorites. That, and it’s super weird. Get ready for a blood-spattered, kiss-filled roller coaster ride.
Heads up for age-appropriateness:
This is not a content warning so much as a notification of content, but there are on-page sex scenes (two, one f/f and one m/f) and lots of cursing, quite a few f-bombs included. This is pretty upper YA/can cross over into adult, and a dark book. Which brings me to content warnings!
CWs for:
-Death (lots, major and minor characters)
-Death of queer characters, but most main characters are queer and also
-Parent death, on page and off
-Sibling death by suicide (off page)
-Fratricide
-Violence (lots)
-Blood (lots)
-Gore (not excessive, but there’s, uh, a scene or two for sure)
-Mild body horror
-Mild substance addiction (alcohol)
-Enforced gender roles
-Forced marriage and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off page, in the past, and not involving main characters)
-Threat of rape/abuse of the main character, but
All that said, the book is also morbidly funny and quite absurd at times, and the ending *isn’t* tragic, so I hope you’re not deterred. I’ll add more here if I think of more things to note. Like a lot of my books, this one is likely not for everyone, but if it sounds like what you’re looking for, enjoy! <3
Shelved as 'wishlist'
June 9, 2022So my luck with queer fantasy has been amazing so far, and I have been dying to read this for aGES, so I think I will have to read this next.
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.
OH MY GOD YES GIVE IT TO ME NOWWWWW
IT'S ON SALE FOR $2.99 THIS IS NOT A DRILL AHHHH
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.
OH MY GOD YES GIVE IT TO ME NOWWWWW
IT'S ON SALE FOR $2.99 THIS IS NOT A DRILL AHHHH
August 27, 2023
On my blog.
Rep: pan mc, lesbian li, nonbinary side character, polyamory
CWs: blood, gore
Galley provided by publisher
This is yet another review that I have to open up with the disclaimer that this book suffered from my continuing (though more occasional now) …let’s say issues with YA fantasy, and if you are interested in it, don’t let this review stop you.
That being said, there were parts of it that I genuinely didn’t like and that’s not just me and YA fantasy.
Basically, this book follows the “oppressed mage is enslaved by evil king who wants her power” trope. Now, I don’t know how much any of you have read about the whole “oppressed mage” trope, because I think a lot of that conversation surrounds video games, not books, but it’s a whole thing. ( This piece here will give more depth than I’ll go into in this review, but also if you just google oppressed mage trope or something similar, there’s a lot out there.)
Let me open with a quote from that piece that probably sums up what about the trope is so frustrating:
Mages are, as this essay states, a kind of vague catch-all minority. They’re what happens when you can’t quite be bothered to create a specific identity for your oppressed group. And, much like in the example of Dragon Age in the essay, this book then screws it up by attempting to justify this oppression. Bloodmages in In the Ravenous Dark are dangerous and must be controlled.
Thus:
If you consider real life bigotries, those always come with propaganda to dehumanise the victims. Here, with fantasies justifying their bigotries, that plays into the whole cycle. It lays the blame on victims of oppression as causes of that oppression.
And, yeah, so the whole idea of this can be done well (the essay offers an example of how), but, in all honesty, this book didn’t have the range to do that. It was, in all, a fairly simplistic tale: oppressed mage is enslaved by evil ruler, realises that the evil ruler is the reason the country is going to shit, has to take down the evil ruler (and, in the process, free themselves).
But I think what made this version of the story especially unnuanced was the fact that it seemed very much to be advocating for an individualistic view, as opposed to systemic. Barring the two obviously evil members of the royal family — a royal family that had benefited from bloodmage oppression, I might add, even if some of their own were also bloodmages (side note: I didn’t understand this. The magic of this world was massively underdeveloped for me) — it was alright because everyone else was fine! You get rid of the two who are doing the immediate damage and it’s all sorted. But to me, that shifts the blame from a system built to oppress onto individuals. The whole “it’s just a few bad apples” argument.
I guess this was namely because the main character’s two love interests were a member of the royal family and her literal torturer (the way bloodmages were controlled was via this ghost creature which basically fed off them-slash-acted like a shock collar when they did something the royal family disliked). Of course, you want to be pushing the “bad apples” narrative when both your love interests actively benefit from the main character’s oppression. This book ended up doing the most to sell the idea that the problem wasn’t the system, but the people using it. (Spoiler alert: it can be both.)
Moving on from this, there were other issues I had — although these are probably more mundane. Firstly, the worldbuilding was lacking. I couldn’t really tell you anything in particular about this fantasy world. There are bloodmages, and that’s about it. Nothing really stood out for me as memorable. (Also, in case you hadn’t realised, my non-usage of names in this review is because I cannot remember a single one! None of them stuck!) Add onto that the fact that the magic system was just… all over the place, bringing up pertinent information right at the end in a kind of deus ex machina haha you didn’t know this could happen but it can! without any foreshadowing? I think at one point I just gave up trying to understand what was going on.
Although there was worldbuilding enough to make this a misogynistic world that sees the bloodmage women as “broodmares”. Thanks, I guess.
And then there’s the fact that, at points, the plot just seems stupid. The dude love interest has actually been trying to take down the true villain for …four hundred years! Is he so singularly useless that in FOUR HUNDRED YEARS he has had absolutely no impact? Not until the main character shows up? Apparently so! (Also, another side note: why is there a multiple-centuries-years-old love interest for a YA protagonist? Why does he latch onto her? Is he a creep?) Add onto that the aforementioned sudden introduction of previously unmentioned information that just so happened to resolve any problems that might have faced the main character? Can you see why I stopped paying attention after a bit?
On top of all this, I just found the plot moved entirely too slowly and I got bored. That old chestnut. It wasn’t until maybe the final third that things started actually happening and, honestly, I think I just kept reading out of some sort of habit.
Frankly, perhaps I could have seen this all coming, given that the blurb flat out refers to one of the main character’s love interests as “the handsome spirit with the ability to control her, body and soul”.
Big red flag right there.
Rep: pan mc, lesbian li, nonbinary side character, polyamory
CWs: blood, gore
Galley provided by publisher
This is yet another review that I have to open up with the disclaimer that this book suffered from my continuing (though more occasional now) …let’s say issues with YA fantasy, and if you are interested in it, don’t let this review stop you.
That being said, there were parts of it that I genuinely didn’t like and that’s not just me and YA fantasy.
Basically, this book follows the “oppressed mage is enslaved by evil king who wants her power” trope. Now, I don’t know how much any of you have read about the whole “oppressed mage” trope, because I think a lot of that conversation surrounds video games, not books, but it’s a whole thing. ( This piece here will give more depth than I’ll go into in this review, but also if you just google oppressed mage trope or something similar, there’s a lot out there.)
Let me open with a quote from that piece that probably sums up what about the trope is so frustrating:
My issue is that fantasy (and science-fiction) metaphors for bigotry don’t actually help anyone. These stories are for the privileged progressives to look at each other, wink and say, “What a good person I am, I know what this story is about, and I am on the right side.”
Mages are, as this essay states, a kind of vague catch-all minority. They’re what happens when you can’t quite be bothered to create a specific identity for your oppressed group. And, much like in the example of Dragon Age in the essay, this book then screws it up by attempting to justify this oppression. Bloodmages in In the Ravenous Dark are dangerous and must be controlled.
Thus:
A failure to understand why systematic persecution of minorities exists often leads writers [to attempt to] justify it, as if the propaganda that the marginalized are dangerous must be true in order for the oppression to exist, or even begin.
If you consider real life bigotries, those always come with propaganda to dehumanise the victims. Here, with fantasies justifying their bigotries, that plays into the whole cycle. It lays the blame on victims of oppression as causes of that oppression.
And, yeah, so the whole idea of this can be done well (the essay offers an example of how), but, in all honesty, this book didn’t have the range to do that. It was, in all, a fairly simplistic tale: oppressed mage is enslaved by evil ruler, realises that the evil ruler is the reason the country is going to shit, has to take down the evil ruler (and, in the process, free themselves).
But I think what made this version of the story especially unnuanced was the fact that it seemed very much to be advocating for an individualistic view, as opposed to systemic. Barring the two obviously evil members of the royal family — a royal family that had benefited from bloodmage oppression, I might add, even if some of their own were also bloodmages (side note: I didn’t understand this. The magic of this world was massively underdeveloped for me) — it was alright because everyone else was fine! You get rid of the two who are doing the immediate damage and it’s all sorted. But to me, that shifts the blame from a system built to oppress onto individuals. The whole “it’s just a few bad apples” argument.
I guess this was namely because the main character’s two love interests were a member of the royal family and her literal torturer (the way bloodmages were controlled was via this ghost creature which basically fed off them-slash-acted like a shock collar when they did something the royal family disliked). Of course, you want to be pushing the “bad apples” narrative when both your love interests actively benefit from the main character’s oppression. This book ended up doing the most to sell the idea that the problem wasn’t the system, but the people using it. (Spoiler alert: it can be both.)
Moving on from this, there were other issues I had — although these are probably more mundane. Firstly, the worldbuilding was lacking. I couldn’t really tell you anything in particular about this fantasy world. There are bloodmages, and that’s about it. Nothing really stood out for me as memorable. (Also, in case you hadn’t realised, my non-usage of names in this review is because I cannot remember a single one! None of them stuck!) Add onto that the fact that the magic system was just… all over the place, bringing up pertinent information right at the end in a kind of deus ex machina haha you didn’t know this could happen but it can! without any foreshadowing? I think at one point I just gave up trying to understand what was going on.
Although there was worldbuilding enough to make this a misogynistic world that sees the bloodmage women as “broodmares”. Thanks, I guess.
And then there’s the fact that, at points, the plot just seems stupid. The dude love interest has actually been trying to take down the true villain for …four hundred years! Is he so singularly useless that in FOUR HUNDRED YEARS he has had absolutely no impact? Not until the main character shows up? Apparently so! (Also, another side note: why is there a multiple-centuries-years-old love interest for a YA protagonist? Why does he latch onto her? Is he a creep?) Add onto that the aforementioned sudden introduction of previously unmentioned information that just so happened to resolve any problems that might have faced the main character? Can you see why I stopped paying attention after a bit?
On top of all this, I just found the plot moved entirely too slowly and I got bored. That old chestnut. It wasn’t until maybe the final third that things started actually happening and, honestly, I think I just kept reading out of some sort of habit.
Frankly, perhaps I could have seen this all coming, given that the blurb flat out refers to one of the main character’s love interests as “the handsome spirit with the ability to control her, body and soul”.
Big red flag right there.
May 25, 2021
A.M. Strickland has taken the staples of the YA fantasy genre – a badass heroine, loveable characters and the overthrow of a corrupt institution – and combined them with a fascinating and distinct magic system, queer characters galore and sexy ghosts to create an utterly unique and gloriously queer story. In the Ravenous Dark was fun, angsty and kept me on my toes the whole way through; it’s a gripping and unapologetically chaotic rollercoaster of a book.
It is no secret that I’m a sucker for the found family trope and In the Ravenous Dark delivered! Rovan’s love for her friends and lovers is really what motivates her and pushes the story and I really loved this focus. And there’s only one thing better than found family – queer found family!! Once again, this book really excelled, with an almost entirely queer cast, including a pansexual main character, lesbian love interest, nonbinary asexual best friend and central polyamorous relationship.
I also really loved the magic system. In this world, blood mages are able to manipulate anything that lives or has lived, including blood. Power is passed down through family lines in the form of red tattoos but the true extent of the power can only be accessed by one person and will kill the previous bearer to pass it on. This power and the governing of it played a large role in the political conflict of the book and I found this really interesting. I also just enjoyed all the different ways it could be manipulated, especially further into the book once the concept of death magic was introduced as well. However, I would say that this ability made everything seem really easy for Rovan, as she very quickly became almost all powerful.
My main criticism of this book is the lack of development of characters’ relationships. This is essential in every book and something I personally adore reading but I felt that it was lacking here, which is especially an issue as the concept of found family was the main motivator. It meant that Rovan’s motivation and her actions were a little unbelievable as her relationships to these characters she was supposedly doing everything for hadn’t been developed enough. Rovan was initially warned away from and highly suspicious of everyone at court and detested her guardian but seemed to suddenly be best friends or even involved with them. I almost felt like I’d missed something with how sudden this shift was and the relationships in this books suffered from a lot of telling and not enough showing to properly build and develop them. In a similar vein, I felt like this book could have done with being longer or having a sequel in order to further develop the plot as it felt rather rushed at times.
In the Ravenous Dark packs endless action, interesting politics and a unique magic system into a fun, unapologetically queer standalone fantasy. If you like a bit of chaos with your books, then you are sure to enjoy this one!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
It is no secret that I’m a sucker for the found family trope and In the Ravenous Dark delivered! Rovan’s love for her friends and lovers is really what motivates her and pushes the story and I really loved this focus. And there’s only one thing better than found family – queer found family!! Once again, this book really excelled, with an almost entirely queer cast, including a pansexual main character, lesbian love interest, nonbinary asexual best friend and central polyamorous relationship.
I also really loved the magic system. In this world, blood mages are able to manipulate anything that lives or has lived, including blood. Power is passed down through family lines in the form of red tattoos but the true extent of the power can only be accessed by one person and will kill the previous bearer to pass it on. This power and the governing of it played a large role in the political conflict of the book and I found this really interesting. I also just enjoyed all the different ways it could be manipulated, especially further into the book once the concept of death magic was introduced as well. However, I would say that this ability made everything seem really easy for Rovan, as she very quickly became almost all powerful.
My main criticism of this book is the lack of development of characters’ relationships. This is essential in every book and something I personally adore reading but I felt that it was lacking here, which is especially an issue as the concept of found family was the main motivator. It meant that Rovan’s motivation and her actions were a little unbelievable as her relationships to these characters she was supposedly doing everything for hadn’t been developed enough. Rovan was initially warned away from and highly suspicious of everyone at court and detested her guardian but seemed to suddenly be best friends or even involved with them. I almost felt like I’d missed something with how sudden this shift was and the relationships in this books suffered from a lot of telling and not enough showing to properly build and develop them. In a similar vein, I felt like this book could have done with being longer or having a sequel in order to further develop the plot as it felt rather rushed at times.
In the Ravenous Dark packs endless action, interesting politics and a unique magic system into a fun, unapologetically queer standalone fantasy. If you like a bit of chaos with your books, then you are sure to enjoy this one!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
September 6, 2023
In the Ravenous Dark is a dark YA Fantasy full of blood magic and betrayals. Other than that, I don't remember a thing.
Sorry, y'all. I guess I should have written a review right away because every detail of this has left my mind.
I remember it was good, although not super compelling for me. I would read more from this author though. Take from that what you will!
...and this concludes the worst review ever written.
Sorry, y'all. I guess I should have written a review right away because every detail of this has left my mind.
I remember it was good, although not super compelling for me. I would read more from this author though. Take from that what you will!
...and this concludes the worst review ever written.
June 11, 2021
Illumicrate April 2021 book of the month
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars.
Rovan is the daughter of an unwarded bloodmage - a powerful wielder of blood magic who has spent his life hiding from those who would use his talents for their own gain. For in the city of Thanopolis, all bloodmages must have an undead guardian to control and protect them from themselves. Rovan has been taught to hide her own powerful gifts, but when circumstances force her to reveal her powers, she is thrown into a world of political intrigue and undead spirits that threaten not only her city, but her world.
If that synopsis sounds complicated, that's because it is. The plot for this is incredibly convoluted with two separate magic systems that never really seem to amalgamate properly over the course of the book. We have blood magic - controlled through sigils on the users body that appear to control the physical world and that which feels alive - fire and water for example. And then we have death magic. Wielded by guardians, it seems to control that which is unnatural and dead, the earth and the air. We also have something called the 'blight' which is destroying the world around everyone. Everything just feels a bit messy, and the plot gets lost amongst all of this. It's too grand a picture to follow.
I also found the world building to be insubstantial and poorly formed, leaving me continuously confused even after the numerous, repetitive explanations over info dumps. I feel like the author tried to combine too many things together without allowing for any breathing space. The magic, as a result, doesn't feel like an intrinsic part of the world, and sits outside of the plot instead of enhancing the story. Perhaps concentrating on one magical system would have worked a lot better, and would have helped to keep the plot simple yet effective.
In terms of characterisation, Rovan is not a very nice person. She's selfish and cruel at times, as well as incredibly gunho and she's constantly throwing herself in harms way - which I found incredibly irritating. However, I loved the representation of her pansexuality and the way she has no qualms over taking a lover. She's definitely in tune with her sensuality and oozes sex in a deliciously wonderful way, and the sexual tension at the beginning is great. I just wish her relationships with both Lydea and Ivrilos were developed a bit more. They feel quite one note and superficial, and they move very quickly within their relationships without any real emotional development between them.
This could have been something I really enjoyed and for many it probably will be. However, I just couldn't connect with the convoluted plot and magical system or its characters beyond the great pansexual and non-binary representation.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars.
Rovan is the daughter of an unwarded bloodmage - a powerful wielder of blood magic who has spent his life hiding from those who would use his talents for their own gain. For in the city of Thanopolis, all bloodmages must have an undead guardian to control and protect them from themselves. Rovan has been taught to hide her own powerful gifts, but when circumstances force her to reveal her powers, she is thrown into a world of political intrigue and undead spirits that threaten not only her city, but her world.
If that synopsis sounds complicated, that's because it is. The plot for this is incredibly convoluted with two separate magic systems that never really seem to amalgamate properly over the course of the book. We have blood magic - controlled through sigils on the users body that appear to control the physical world and that which feels alive - fire and water for example. And then we have death magic. Wielded by guardians, it seems to control that which is unnatural and dead, the earth and the air. We also have something called the 'blight' which is destroying the world around everyone. Everything just feels a bit messy, and the plot gets lost amongst all of this. It's too grand a picture to follow.
I also found the world building to be insubstantial and poorly formed, leaving me continuously confused even after the numerous, repetitive explanations over info dumps. I feel like the author tried to combine too many things together without allowing for any breathing space. The magic, as a result, doesn't feel like an intrinsic part of the world, and sits outside of the plot instead of enhancing the story. Perhaps concentrating on one magical system would have worked a lot better, and would have helped to keep the plot simple yet effective.
In terms of characterisation, Rovan is not a very nice person. She's selfish and cruel at times, as well as incredibly gunho and she's constantly throwing herself in harms way - which I found incredibly irritating. However, I loved the representation of her pansexuality and the way she has no qualms over taking a lover. She's definitely in tune with her sensuality and oozes sex in a deliciously wonderful way, and the sexual tension at the beginning is great. I just wish her relationships with both Lydea and Ivrilos were developed a bit more. They feel quite one note and superficial, and they move very quickly within their relationships without any real emotional development between them.
This could have been something I really enjoyed and for many it probably will be. However, I just couldn't connect with the convoluted plot and magical system or its characters beyond the great pansexual and non-binary representation.
July 25, 2021
To much emotions
TOO MUCH EMOTIONS.
EMOTION OVERLOAD ⚠️
I’ll be back to right a review when I stop FREAKIN OUTTT
~~~
Pan main character?! I feel heard.
Buddy read with Human! <3
TOO MUCH EMOTIONS.
EMOTION OVERLOAD ⚠️
I’ll be back to right a review when I stop FREAKIN OUTTT
~~~
Pan main character?! I feel heard.
Buddy read with Human! <3
April 26, 2021
rtc!
Generally very much enjoyed - had a lot of potential and could've been expanded into a duology so things felt more developed (like interpersonal character dynamics, mainly), but it also works well as a standalone. Also incredibly, casually queer.
rep: pansexual heroine, lesbian love interest, non-binary main character (who's also implied to be on the ace spectrum I think?), and many more LGBTQ+ folks across the whole cast.
*
"A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead."
This pitch has such insanely chaotic energy
this is also the third book I've read in a row that has something to do with the undead . . . hm
Thank you to the publisher & Pride Book Tours for providing me with a review copy!!
Generally very much enjoyed - had a lot of potential and could've been expanded into a duology so things felt more developed (like interpersonal character dynamics, mainly), but it also works well as a standalone. Also incredibly, casually queer.
rep: pansexual heroine, lesbian love interest, non-binary main character (who's also implied to be on the ace spectrum I think?), and many more LGBTQ+ folks across the whole cast.
*
"A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead."
This pitch has such insanely chaotic energy
Thank you to the publisher & Pride Book Tours for providing me with a review copy!!
Want to read
September 8, 2020September 08, 2020: LOOK AT THE COVER! I can already see a book as outfit possibility,,,
June 8, 2020: I see a dark fantasy and I'm all set, but the author says it's going to have a pansexual MC, a lesbian love interest, a non-binary/asexual best friend, and a polygamous relationship...WHATTTT AHHH EXCITED!
June 8, 2020: I see a dark fantasy and I'm all set, but the author says it's going to have a pansexual MC, a lesbian love interest, a non-binary/asexual best friend, and a polygamous relationship...WHATTTT AHHH EXCITED!
December 19, 2021
This arc was provided by Hodder & Stoughton, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
TW: death, loss of a loved one (on-page and off), violence, blood, gore, body horror, fratricide,
mention of death by suicide, substance and alcohol addiction, enforced gender roles, forced marriage, and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off-page, in the past, and not involving main characters), and threats of rape and abuse.
I can confidently say that A.M. Strickland is a new auto-read and favourite author for me. As with Beyond the Black Door, In the Ravenous Dark is a dark and lush story that will mesmerize you, and you'll only be thankful for it.
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a bloodmage that has been keeping her abilities secret since she was born in order to escape the same fate that followed her father. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.
I really appreciate how action-packed this was, there was always some event or decision happening and it keeps the readers on their toes. When I reached the dark page, the scream that left my soul at 2 AM why??
As everything progresses, you can't not love the characters, Rovan, Lydea, and Ivrilos, and so many others. It always surprises me how much I care when it's a standalone, or maybe that's why it hurts so much. You only meet these people once and that's it. And it's such a satisfying and worthy read of your time.
Lastly, the queer rep just filled my heart with warm mushy feelings. Our main character is pansexual, there's a polyamorous relationship, the world-building has queernormativity which makes me so happy to see in fantasy. Asexual and Nonbinary side characters, an amazing found family. I just love it.
Prepare yourselves for a dark, gruesome, and intriguing adventure. As the author says, "get ready for a blood-spattered, kiss-filled roller coaster ride." I couldn't have said it better.
TW: death, loss of a loved one (on-page and off), violence, blood, gore, body horror, fratricide,
mention of death by suicide, substance and alcohol addiction, enforced gender roles, forced marriage, and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off-page, in the past, and not involving main characters), and threats of rape and abuse.
I can confidently say that A.M. Strickland is a new auto-read and favourite author for me. As with Beyond the Black Door, In the Ravenous Dark is a dark and lush story that will mesmerize you, and you'll only be thankful for it.
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a bloodmage that has been keeping her abilities secret since she was born in order to escape the same fate that followed her father. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.
I really appreciate how action-packed this was, there was always some event or decision happening and it keeps the readers on their toes. When I reached the dark page, the scream that left my soul at 2 AM why??
As everything progresses, you can't not love the characters, Rovan, Lydea, and Ivrilos, and so many others. It always surprises me how much I care when it's a standalone, or maybe that's why it hurts so much. You only meet these people once and that's it. And it's such a satisfying and worthy read of your time.
Lastly, the queer rep just filled my heart with warm mushy feelings. Our main character is pansexual, there's a polyamorous relationship, the world-building has queernormativity which makes me so happy to see in fantasy. Asexual and Nonbinary side characters, an amazing found family. I just love it.
Prepare yourselves for a dark, gruesome, and intriguing adventure. As the author says, "get ready for a blood-spattered, kiss-filled roller coaster ride." I couldn't have said it better.
August 18, 2021
Edit: Dropping my rating down to one star because every time I see, hear anything about, or think about this book, I get angry, lol. That tells be it's a one star book, rather than a two.
I so wanted to like this book. Being pansexual myself, I was eager to read a fantasy book about a main character who is also pan. Unfortunately, I could barely stand her most of the time and quite a few other things about the book just didn't work too well for me.
Some of the things I did like:
+ It had quite a bit of LGBTQIAP+ representation. We had the MC, Rovan, who is pan, one of her love interests who is a lesbian, and a side character who is non-binary, asexual and panromantic. The main romance is also polyamourous. The book is set in a mostly queer normative/accepting world.
+ A couple of the plot twists were interesting.
+ The author wrote some excellent descriptions, especially in regards to clothing, which is good because there are a lot of clothing descriptions. Tons of them.
And that's about it, I think.
As I mentioned before, I really didn't like Rovan. She's very selfish and whiny throughout most of the book. One of my biggest issues with her was how she was supposed to be this Strong Female Character ™, but a good part of her powers actually come from Ivrilos, her male guardian, who is a ghost-like person tasked to guard her and others from her magic. There was even a scene where Rovan uses her newly inherited fighting skills (from Ivrilos, 'cause magic) and has to be rescued not once but twice by two different men. All in the same fight. And she's only in this fight to begin with because she goaded one of the obnoxiously evil villains. And this was before she even realized she had inherited her fighting skills. 🤦♀️
When it comes to the other characters, about the nicest thing I could say about any of them was that some were okay, such as Ivrilos, Japha, Lydea and some of the more minor characters whose names are already fading from my mind. Oh, and all the villains are super obnoxious and EVIL. No nuance at all. Actually, hardly any of the characters had more than one or two personality traits tops. Japha is obsessed with fashion and is affectionate, and that's about all that we learn about them. Lydea is a flirtatious lesbian who hates men. Check. That's about all we get to know about her. Ivrilos is a guardian...and that's it. He's protective and sounds about like any other protector character one would find in a YA fantasy.
The relationships as well struck me as being very simplistic, with people becoming best friends or sworn enemies within minutes of meeting one another. I won't get into the romance side of things, but I will say that I'm really not a fan of love interests who are hundreds of years older than the YA protagonist they date.
I could go into more about so many other aspects, as I found basically everything else lackluster, from the chaotically-paced story to the sparse world-building (aside from the magic systems which seemed very inconsistent), but I just don't have the energy right now.
Maybe alt-world YA fantasy is just not for me.
I so wanted to like this book. Being pansexual myself, I was eager to read a fantasy book about a main character who is also pan. Unfortunately, I could barely stand her most of the time and quite a few other things about the book just didn't work too well for me.
Some of the things I did like:
+ It had quite a bit of LGBTQIAP+ representation. We had the MC, Rovan, who is pan, one of her love interests who is a lesbian, and a side character who is non-binary, asexual and panromantic. The main romance is also polyamourous. The book is set in a mostly queer normative/accepting world.
+ A couple of the plot twists were interesting.
+ The author wrote some excellent descriptions, especially in regards to clothing, which is good because there are a lot of clothing descriptions. Tons of them.
And that's about it, I think.
As I mentioned before, I really didn't like Rovan. She's very selfish and whiny throughout most of the book. One of my biggest issues with her was how she was supposed to be this Strong Female Character ™, but a good part of her powers actually come from Ivrilos, her male guardian, who is a ghost-like person tasked to guard her and others from her magic. There was even a scene where Rovan uses her newly inherited fighting skills (from Ivrilos, 'cause magic) and has to be rescued not once but twice by two different men. All in the same fight. And she's only in this fight to begin with because she goaded one of the obnoxiously evil villains. And this was before she even realized she had inherited her fighting skills. 🤦♀️
When it comes to the other characters, about the nicest thing I could say about any of them was that some were okay, such as Ivrilos, Japha, Lydea and some of the more minor characters whose names are already fading from my mind. Oh, and all the villains are super obnoxious and EVIL. No nuance at all. Actually, hardly any of the characters had more than one or two personality traits tops. Japha is obsessed with fashion and is affectionate, and that's about all that we learn about them. Lydea is a flirtatious lesbian who hates men. Check. That's about all we get to know about her. Ivrilos is a guardian...and that's it. He's protective and sounds about like any other protector character one would find in a YA fantasy.
The relationships as well struck me as being very simplistic, with people becoming best friends or sworn enemies within minutes of meeting one another. I won't get into the romance side of things, but I will say that I'm really not a fan of love interests who are hundreds of years older than the YA protagonist they date.
I could go into more about so many other aspects, as I found basically everything else lackluster, from the chaotically-paced story to the sparse world-building (aside from the magic systems which seemed very inconsistent), but I just don't have the energy right now.
Maybe alt-world YA fantasy is just not for me.
May 7, 2021
"A pan-sexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead."
Yep, that sums things up pretty well! In the Ravenous Dark is a decadent morsel of a book. Fast-paced, deliciously dark and bloody, filled with magic and death....highly recommend. Especially if you enjoy "unlikeable" heroines who refuse to fall in line, fight to their last breath, but are secretly soft with the people they truly care for. Rovan is exactly that and I love her, flaws and all.
In Thanopolis those gifted with blood magic must be controlled, and ever since seeing her powerful father die as a young girl, Rovan has been hiding her true nature. But a horrible mistake lands her in the sights of the royals. I don't want to give a lot of details because this is a book you just need to experience, but I loved it. It takes on misogyny and patriarchy, has all the queer rep, from a fabulous non-binary side character (ownvoices) to our pansexual, polyamorous heroine and more. It was a fantastic page turner of a book with some solid twists and a satisfying ending, as well as a good bit of angst, longing, betrayal, kissing, and more (note that there is some on-page sex though it is not explicitly described). I loved it and definitely would recommend. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
And because this author is the absolute best, they have provided a review with thorough content warnings! Check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Yep, that sums things up pretty well! In the Ravenous Dark is a decadent morsel of a book. Fast-paced, deliciously dark and bloody, filled with magic and death....highly recommend. Especially if you enjoy "unlikeable" heroines who refuse to fall in line, fight to their last breath, but are secretly soft with the people they truly care for. Rovan is exactly that and I love her, flaws and all.
In Thanopolis those gifted with blood magic must be controlled, and ever since seeing her powerful father die as a young girl, Rovan has been hiding her true nature. But a horrible mistake lands her in the sights of the royals. I don't want to give a lot of details because this is a book you just need to experience, but I loved it. It takes on misogyny and patriarchy, has all the queer rep, from a fabulous non-binary side character (ownvoices) to our pansexual, polyamorous heroine and more. It was a fantastic page turner of a book with some solid twists and a satisfying ending, as well as a good bit of angst, longing, betrayal, kissing, and more (note that there is some on-page sex though it is not explicitly described). I loved it and definitely would recommend. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
And because this author is the absolute best, they have provided a review with thorough content warnings! Check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 16, 2021
4.5/5 Stars
I’ve had my eye on this book for a while – I love dark, bloodthirsty fantasy books and I love books with queer polyamory representation even more – and it definitely didn’t disappoint! In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan who has hidden her blood magic for years, for fear that she will end up with a spirit assigned to her and forced to become part of the land’s army, after her father died so that she could keep herself secret. But, when she accidentally reveals her powers while saving someone’s life, she is taken by the royal guard and forced into palace life with a spirit tethered to her to keep her in check. But something isn’t quite as it seems and Rovan, desperate to escape to her father’s homeland of Skylea, enlists the help of a rebellious princess and the mysterious spirit she’s stuck with to uncover a deadly secret.
When I first picked this up I was so sure that it was the first book in the series, but after finding out that it is a standalone, for about the first 50% of the book I was so sure that Strickland wouldn’t be able to wrap all that the book encompasses up at the end of the novel. I was so wrong, and the second half of the book had so much action and so many plot twists that I was on the edge of my seat trying to keep up with it all! Something that was evidently strong from the start of the book, though, was the magic system. I adored how unique it was – there are two types of magic in the world and the main king (blood magic) that Rovan has control over is passed down through generations via bloodlines and is cast by drawing sigils in the air with your fingers. I loved how visual this magic system is and, although I wish we’d got to see more of the death magic, it’s definitely one of my favourites I’ve seen recently!
Another thing I loved about the book was the characters. Although at first it took me some time to figure out who everyone was, I quickly grew fond of Rovan, Japha (her new best friend) and the princess Lydea! Rovan’s voice was so witty throughout the novel and I like how Strickland took the often stereotypical image of the male fantasy main character who loves drinking and sleeping around and turned it on its head by showing Rovan enjoying these things in a much more healthy and sex-positive way! Japha is a nonbinary person of colour and I loved their flamboyancy when it comes to clothes as well as their hilarious comebacks. I also really empathised with their feelings of inadequacy, particularly when it comes to their father. Lydea was so strong and her confidence contrasted so well with her fear of being as ruthless and violent as her father and brother. I also really enjoyed the lesbian representation that we got from her �� she honestly deserved so much better than what she got! As for Ivrilos – the spirit who’s tethered to her – ehhh I didn’t really love him. There’s a kind of hate-to-love romance between him and Rovan but I never really felt anything between the two of them. All of the romance in the book felt so much like it was told to us that it existed, but never really shown – and I think in this case, if it was perhaps a duology then it would’ve worked so much better.
As for the world-building and the plot, first of all I loved that it was set in an Ancient Greece-inspired world. Though I found it hard to imagine all of the clothing and armour that was mentioned throughout, that’s just me not knowing much about Ancient Greece in general, but I think otherwise, the worldbuilding was very well done! I’m loath to say much about the plot for fear of spoiling something, but rest assured, there are so many twists and turns that I ended up with whiplash by the end of the book, and there are some more gruesome and gory bits near the end, too, which I didn’t see coming but that I think worked so well with the rest of the plot.
Overall, this was a really great read and I’m so glad that Bertie agreed to buddy read it with me, because having them to chat to about everything really made the reading experience all that more immersive! If you’re a fan of darker adult fantasy but love the vibes of YA fantasy and some excellent queer rep, definitely check this one out on its release!
Buddy read with Bertie!
Thanks to Netgalley + Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
I’ve had my eye on this book for a while – I love dark, bloodthirsty fantasy books and I love books with queer polyamory representation even more – and it definitely didn’t disappoint! In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan who has hidden her blood magic for years, for fear that she will end up with a spirit assigned to her and forced to become part of the land’s army, after her father died so that she could keep herself secret. But, when she accidentally reveals her powers while saving someone’s life, she is taken by the royal guard and forced into palace life with a spirit tethered to her to keep her in check. But something isn’t quite as it seems and Rovan, desperate to escape to her father’s homeland of Skylea, enlists the help of a rebellious princess and the mysterious spirit she’s stuck with to uncover a deadly secret.
When I first picked this up I was so sure that it was the first book in the series, but after finding out that it is a standalone, for about the first 50% of the book I was so sure that Strickland wouldn’t be able to wrap all that the book encompasses up at the end of the novel. I was so wrong, and the second half of the book had so much action and so many plot twists that I was on the edge of my seat trying to keep up with it all! Something that was evidently strong from the start of the book, though, was the magic system. I adored how unique it was – there are two types of magic in the world and the main king (blood magic) that Rovan has control over is passed down through generations via bloodlines and is cast by drawing sigils in the air with your fingers. I loved how visual this magic system is and, although I wish we’d got to see more of the death magic, it’s definitely one of my favourites I’ve seen recently!
Another thing I loved about the book was the characters. Although at first it took me some time to figure out who everyone was, I quickly grew fond of Rovan, Japha (her new best friend) and the princess Lydea! Rovan’s voice was so witty throughout the novel and I like how Strickland took the often stereotypical image of the male fantasy main character who loves drinking and sleeping around and turned it on its head by showing Rovan enjoying these things in a much more healthy and sex-positive way! Japha is a nonbinary person of colour and I loved their flamboyancy when it comes to clothes as well as their hilarious comebacks. I also really empathised with their feelings of inadequacy, particularly when it comes to their father. Lydea was so strong and her confidence contrasted so well with her fear of being as ruthless and violent as her father and brother. I also really enjoyed the lesbian representation that we got from her �� she honestly deserved so much better than what she got! As for Ivrilos – the spirit who’s tethered to her – ehhh I didn’t really love him. There’s a kind of hate-to-love romance between him and Rovan but I never really felt anything between the two of them. All of the romance in the book felt so much like it was told to us that it existed, but never really shown – and I think in this case, if it was perhaps a duology then it would’ve worked so much better.
As for the world-building and the plot, first of all I loved that it was set in an Ancient Greece-inspired world. Though I found it hard to imagine all of the clothing and armour that was mentioned throughout, that’s just me not knowing much about Ancient Greece in general, but I think otherwise, the worldbuilding was very well done! I’m loath to say much about the plot for fear of spoiling something, but rest assured, there are so many twists and turns that I ended up with whiplash by the end of the book, and there are some more gruesome and gory bits near the end, too, which I didn’t see coming but that I think worked so well with the rest of the plot.
Overall, this was a really great read and I’m so glad that Bertie agreed to buddy read it with me, because having them to chat to about everything really made the reading experience all that more immersive! If you’re a fan of darker adult fantasy but love the vibes of YA fantasy and some excellent queer rep, definitely check this one out on its release!
Buddy read with Bertie!
Thanks to Netgalley + Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
May 22, 2021
I read Beyond The Black Door to get an inkling of Strickland's writing style before diving into this, because I was really, really looking forward to it. And I didn't think I could possibly hate it more than I hated Beyond the Black Door.
I was wrong.
I wanted to love this so much. A pan protagonist in a poly relationship and general unapologetic queerness all around, along with a dark and fantastical magic system seemed exactly the kind of self-indulgent fantasy I would usually eat up. But my hopes came crashing down so fast.
This book contains all of my absolute least favorite kinds of characters:
- The stunningly beautiful and overpowered protagonist who faces zero consequences for their actions and gets everything they want far too easily.
- The love interest(s, in this book's case) who have the world's most unhealthy dynamic of having complete control over the protagonist's life and essentially exist to be a "not all men" kind of gotcha moment when the MC falls for them despite the power imbalance.
-One of said love interests being 400+ years old and somehow never finding love until a random teenager comes along, then suddenly his entire life's motivation depends on her being with him. Ew.
- A villain who exists entirely on the sidelines of the story only to show up and immediately be taken down.
This book also has so many
Rovan is insanely annoying, and she spends a good 1/2 of this book drunk and/or hungover. Her romances both kick off because she's acting out of trauma (drunkenly kissing the princess after being captured by the king, then later and we're meant to still root for both of these relationships although they're some of the most egregious examples of unearned instalove I've ever read about. She doesn't even bother to call Ivrilos by name until more than halfway through the book.
Japha had so much potential - a trans character of color who is also asexual. Too bad they only exist for comic relief, to be Rovan's unconditional support system for practically no reason, and to continuously be the victim of aphobic actions and comments.
The magic system and worldbuilding were all over the place. The concept of bloodmages in general was so poorly executed that it felt more like Strickland just picked and chose from various gothic aesthetics and combined them into a fun description for her main character. A bloodbender who
This book was just all over the place and was disappointing at every turn. I almost DNF'd 5 or 6 times and I wish I had instead of pushing through waiting for it to get better, because it never did.
I was wrong.
I wanted to love this so much. A pan protagonist in a poly relationship and general unapologetic queerness all around, along with a dark and fantastical magic system seemed exactly the kind of self-indulgent fantasy I would usually eat up. But my hopes came crashing down so fast.
This book contains all of my absolute least favorite kinds of characters:
- The stunningly beautiful and overpowered protagonist who faces zero consequences for their actions and gets everything they want far too easily.
- The love interest(s, in this book's case) who have the world's most unhealthy dynamic of having complete control over the protagonist's life and essentially exist to be a "not all men" kind of gotcha moment when the MC falls for them despite the power imbalance.
-One of said love interests being 400+ years old and somehow never finding love until a random teenager comes along, then suddenly his entire life's motivation depends on her being with him. Ew.
- A villain who exists entirely on the sidelines of the story only to show up and immediately be taken down.
This book also has so many
Rovan is insanely annoying, and she spends a good 1/2 of this book drunk and/or hungover. Her romances both kick off because she's acting out of trauma (drunkenly kissing the princess after being captured by the king, then later and we're meant to still root for both of these relationships although they're some of the most egregious examples of unearned instalove I've ever read about. She doesn't even bother to call Ivrilos by name until more than halfway through the book.
Japha had so much potential - a trans character of color who is also asexual. Too bad they only exist for comic relief, to be Rovan's unconditional support system for practically no reason, and to continuously be the victim of aphobic actions and comments.
The magic system and worldbuilding were all over the place. The concept of bloodmages in general was so poorly executed that it felt more like Strickland just picked and chose from various gothic aesthetics and combined them into a fun description for her main character. A bloodbender who
This book was just all over the place and was disappointing at every turn. I almost DNF'd 5 or 6 times and I wish I had instead of pushing through waiting for it to get better, because it never did.
June 4, 2021
I absolutely loved Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland, and after reading this one, I think it's safe to say I've found a new favourite author. This one was again so good, and so queer. I often have a hard time getting into fantasy, but this one was so accessible and had me crying in the prologue. I absolutely loved Rovan as a main character, and her dynamic with the other characters, which often made it a really funny read as well.
June 22, 2021
I loved this so much 😭😭😭😭
Dark queer fantasy is easily one of my favorite genres. It's tied with dark queer sci-fi. I just need all the dark queers basically, yes.
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a pansexual bloodmage who has spent most of her life hiding from bloodmage council (I can't remember if they have a name). Either way, Rovan ends up where she least wants to be: in the palace and shackled to a Guardian who is in charge of keeping her in line. Picture a brooding and moody half ghost.
Between Ivirlos (ghosty boy) and Lydea (super hot princess), Rovan's heart is torn and this is before the three of them find out a realm shattering secret. The three must decide if they can trust each other enough to work together.
Hi yes this story ends in polyamory and I was slayed by it. Also, I 100% believe Japha exists in a queer-platonic relationship with Rovan and Lydea and I AM HERE FOR IT. This book is so fucking gay and dark and like this is want I need in my life. I need more of this. I loved Rovan with every fiber of my being and how selfish and determined she was. The girl screws up several times, but it never makes her stop. Also her anger at the world is something I relate to a lot.
There was a huge plot twist/switch of direction late into this book. It blew my fucking mind. I'm still not over it. I loved every damn second of this book.
Dark queer fantasy is easily one of my favorite genres. It's tied with dark queer sci-fi. I just need all the dark queers basically, yes.
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a pansexual bloodmage who has spent most of her life hiding from bloodmage council (I can't remember if they have a name). Either way, Rovan ends up where she least wants to be: in the palace and shackled to a Guardian who is in charge of keeping her in line. Picture a brooding and moody half ghost.
Between Ivirlos (ghosty boy) and Lydea (super hot princess), Rovan's heart is torn and this is before the three of them find out a realm shattering secret. The three must decide if they can trust each other enough to work together.
Hi yes this story ends in polyamory and I was slayed by it. Also, I 100% believe Japha exists in a queer-platonic relationship with Rovan and Lydea and I AM HERE FOR IT. This book is so fucking gay and dark and like this is want I need in my life. I need more of this. I loved Rovan with every fiber of my being and how selfish and determined she was. The girl screws up several times, but it never makes her stop. Also her anger at the world is something I relate to a lot.
There was a huge plot twist/switch of direction late into this book. It blew my fucking mind. I'm still not over it. I loved every damn second of this book.
June 25, 2024
i was reading this at the same time as iron widow and they aren’t similar at all but i’m having so much more fun with iron widow so i just wanted to finish this so i could get back to the real fun…
June 5, 2022
This book was made for poly bisexual goths
Maybe 3.5 stars idk yet
Maybe 3.5 stars idk yet
October 6, 2021
3 STARS ★★★✩✩
⤐ Overall.
If I were one of those people who valued great characters a lot more than the story, In the Ravenous Dark would have been a four-star read for me. I am not, though. I love me some great characters but they are not enough to convince me of a book. I need suspense and grit in order to be involved in a story and for some reason, A.M. Strickland didn't deliver that in her most recent standalone.
ON the upside, In the Ravenous Dark is a great representation of pansexuality, polyamory and sass.
⤐ What’s happening.
spoiler alert : If you like your stories suspenseful, don't get too excited.
_____________________
>b>3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some things irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.
This book is for you if… you are team character over plot, always.
⤐ Overall.
If I were one of those people who valued great characters a lot more than the story, In the Ravenous Dark would have been a four-star read for me. I am not, though. I love me some great characters but they are not enough to convince me of a book. I need suspense and grit in order to be involved in a story and for some reason, A.M. Strickland didn't deliver that in her most recent standalone.
ON the upside, In the Ravenous Dark is a great representation of pansexuality, polyamory and sass.
⤐ What’s happening.
‘A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.’
spoiler alert : If you like your stories suspenseful, don't get too excited.
_____________________
>b>3 STARS. Decent read that I have neither strongly positive nor negative feelings about. Some things irked me and thus it does not qualify as exceptional.
June 7, 2021
When I die, I want this book to lower me into my grave, so it can let me down one more time.
It started out so well, I just don't understand what happened. It was so engaging at the beginning, the main character was an absolute hoot, and then the author went ahead and added every random idea they ever had. Zombies? Sure. Vampires? Yeah! But listen. how about BOTH at the same time?! As my friend said, I think the author spent so much time on the initial setting and worldbuilding that they ran out of time and just added whatever at the end. Also, so many things were never even mentioned again! (what was the point of the portal and the Skyllean queen? Alldan could have stood in for her?).
It also had some really disgusting scenes in the last third. :/
Rep: pan main character, lesbian love interest, nonbinary ace character, polyamorous characters
It started out so well, I just don't understand what happened. It was so engaging at the beginning, the main character was an absolute hoot, and then the author went ahead and added every random idea they ever had. Zombies? Sure. Vampires? Yeah! But listen. how about BOTH at the same time?! As my friend said, I think the author spent so much time on the initial setting and worldbuilding that they ran out of time and just added whatever at the end. Also, so many things were never even mentioned again! (what was the point of the portal and the Skyllean queen? Alldan could have stood in for her?).
It also had some really disgusting scenes in the last third. :/
Rep: pan main character, lesbian love interest, nonbinary ace character, polyamorous characters
August 6, 2021
very intriguing, pretty dark, but ultimately: really gay!!!
i really am a quality reviewer, oh wow...
i really am a quality reviewer, oh wow...
February 14, 2023
Y’all know how hard it is for me to write a positive review for a book I actually liked so please bear with me and believe me that this book is really enjoyable because it has it all: a pansexual main character, strong side characters (though ensemble cast would actually be a better term) including a non-binary asexual character who uses they/them pronouns, a lesbian and more lesbians. Oh, and the plot is set in an Ancient Greece inspired world!
Rovan is 19 years old and lives in Thanopolis, the only place she has ever known, as it is cut off from the rest of the kingdom by the blight, an unnatural weather phenomenon that destroys everything in its path. The only thing between the city and the blight is a magical shield that keeps death at bay, and the people of Thanopolis imprisoned in their own city. Here, 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.
I am aware that the summary doesn’t sound like much, especially the part where the main character is forced to live in the palace, but the story was more entertaining and interesting than I initially thought. What made it so interesting was the diversity and representation that really were *chef’s kiss*.
The author makes the found family trope the main focus of character interaction and development and it works really well. Unlike other books with the same trope, I really understood why Rovan did what she did. Her friends and lovers (yes, baby, plural!) are what drive her actions and whom she would do anything for. Nonetheless, Rovan isn’t without faults. She can be selfish and even a little ignorant concerning other people’s needs but that’s what made her character so well-rounded.
Given that the characters always stay in the same place (well, they do visit the underworld from time to time), I can see why some readers might say there is little to no world-building. In this case, I actually didn’t need more information on the kingdom itself or other parts of the continent. I was satisfied with what we were given though I wish the author had given us more insight into the layout of the city. It would have been nice to get a better feel for Thanopolis and get to know its crooked alleys and dodgy corners.
The book is a standalone, which I massively appreciate, and I think it works well on its own. There might have been space to expand it to a duology but I honestly believe that many fantasy authors these days have forgotten how to write a concise story which is why there are so few good fantasy books that exist without the seemingly mandatory sequels, prequels, and vanilla-villain origin stories.
I must confess that the main reason why I felt generous enough to grant the book a 4-star rating was its fabulous queer rep which simply warmed my heart. It’s not a perfect read and I doubt it will become a classic but this book shows what is possible, what is needed, and that writing inclusive, diverse stories can be done.
Rovan is 19 years old and lives in Thanopolis, the only place she has ever known, as it is cut off from the rest of the kingdom by the blight, an unnatural weather phenomenon that destroys everything in its path. The only thing between the city and the blight is a magical shield that keeps death at bay, and the people of Thanopolis imprisoned in their own city. Here, 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.
I am aware that the summary doesn’t sound like much, especially the part where the main character is forced to live in the palace, but the story was more entertaining and interesting than I initially thought. What made it so interesting was the diversity and representation that really were *chef’s kiss*.
The author makes the found family trope the main focus of character interaction and development and it works really well. Unlike other books with the same trope, I really understood why Rovan did what she did. Her friends and lovers (yes, baby, plural!) are what drive her actions and whom she would do anything for. Nonetheless, Rovan isn’t without faults. She can be selfish and even a little ignorant concerning other people’s needs but that’s what made her character so well-rounded.
Given that the characters always stay in the same place (well, they do visit the underworld from time to time), I can see why some readers might say there is little to no world-building. In this case, I actually didn’t need more information on the kingdom itself or other parts of the continent. I was satisfied with what we were given though I wish the author had given us more insight into the layout of the city. It would have been nice to get a better feel for Thanopolis and get to know its crooked alleys and dodgy corners.
The book is a standalone, which I massively appreciate, and I think it works well on its own. There might have been space to expand it to a duology but I honestly believe that many fantasy authors these days have forgotten how to write a concise story which is why there are so few good fantasy books that exist without the seemingly mandatory sequels, prequels, and vanilla-villain origin stories.
I must confess that the main reason why I felt generous enough to grant the book a 4-star rating was its fabulous queer rep which simply warmed my heart. It’s not a perfect read and I doubt it will become a classic but this book shows what is possible, what is needed, and that writing inclusive, diverse stories can be done.
April 8, 2021
Firstly thank you to Hodder for sending me a copy of In The Ravenous Dark!
This book is a standalone YA/NA dark fantasy - I would say it is on the cusp of both genres. It is definitely not for younger readers simply due to the nature of the book and there are many many times characters swear.
I knew that when I saw the words 'pansexual polyamorous bloodmage' I needed to read this book.
And it did not disappoint. I love love love Rovan, she is an absolute whirlwind who does not tolerate anyone's rubbish.
The dynamic between Ivrilos and Rovan at the beginning of the book made me smirk so much, oh my gosh I had to put the book down for a few seconds because I was just laughing to myself. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop over the course of the novel, though at times I did want to punch Ivrilos in the face and give Rovan a hug.
I also love Lydea, I think she is an utter badass. Japha is amazing too, their loyalty to Rovan was refreshing. I adored their wit and banter too.
The characters do talk about sexuality and gender a fair few times throughout the book, and even though these discussions are important and educational it threw me off slightly as the rest of the book is heavy and bloody, so it just felt like a juxtaposition in my brain.
I also did have some questions about the pace of the romance, but as soon as I remembered it is a standalone novel I answered my own question.
I think if I did not see myself in Rovan, I would rate this four stars, but as this book gave me what I have wanted for a very very long time (a main character who has both a girlfriend and a boyfriend) and made me feel many emotions it is a five star for me.
If you are looking for a queer bloody fantasy that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster then I think you will adore this.
I have included some content warnings for In The Ravenous Dark below.
Content Warnings:
* blood and gore
* violence
* death
* mention of suicide
* enforced gender roles
* threat of abuse of the main character
* forced marriage and pregnancy (off-page)
* on-page sex scenes (in my opinion they aren't graphic)
This book is a standalone YA/NA dark fantasy - I would say it is on the cusp of both genres. It is definitely not for younger readers simply due to the nature of the book and there are many many times characters swear.
I knew that when I saw the words 'pansexual polyamorous bloodmage' I needed to read this book.
And it did not disappoint. I love love love Rovan, she is an absolute whirlwind who does not tolerate anyone's rubbish.
The dynamic between Ivrilos and Rovan at the beginning of the book made me smirk so much, oh my gosh I had to put the book down for a few seconds because I was just laughing to myself. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop over the course of the novel, though at times I did want to punch Ivrilos in the face and give Rovan a hug.
I also love Lydea, I think she is an utter badass. Japha is amazing too, their loyalty to Rovan was refreshing. I adored their wit and banter too.
The characters do talk about sexuality and gender a fair few times throughout the book, and even though these discussions are important and educational it threw me off slightly as the rest of the book is heavy and bloody, so it just felt like a juxtaposition in my brain.
I also did have some questions about the pace of the romance, but as soon as I remembered it is a standalone novel I answered my own question.
I think if I did not see myself in Rovan, I would rate this four stars, but as this book gave me what I have wanted for a very very long time (a main character who has both a girlfriend and a boyfriend) and made me feel many emotions it is a five star for me.
If you are looking for a queer bloody fantasy that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster then I think you will adore this.
I have included some content warnings for In The Ravenous Dark below.
Content Warnings:
* blood and gore
* violence
* death
* mention of suicide
* enforced gender roles
* threat of abuse of the main character
* forced marriage and pregnancy (off-page)
* on-page sex scenes (in my opinion they aren't graphic)
January 11, 2021
This book is every bit as lush and dark and magical as its gorgeous cover 😍😍 so glad I got a chance to read an ARC
July 9, 2021
OH MY GOSH PAN REP IN YA FANTASY????
A DREAM COME TRUE
A DREAM COME TRUE
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 30, 2021DNF @60% and me trying to dnf books i’m not enjoying continues. i’m just not that into this, and while it certainly is bound to hit for other people it’s really not bringing me anything.
March 27, 2023
1.5
rovan is a bloodmage who lives under the system until she doesn't. she decides to play detective bc she can and bc she's an insufferable little thing and finds out things she shouldn't. and ofc, since she knows ppls secrets, they want to kill her.
TW: death, loss of a loved one (on-page and off), violence, blood, gore, body horror, fratricide, mention of death by suicide, substance and alcohol addiction, enforced gender roles, forced marriage, and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off-page, in the past, and not involving main characters), and threats of rape and abuse.
hear me out, this book did pretty well up until two thirds in. from then on, everything went to shit. people were dying, making out, dying again, playing cupid, planning a revolution, dying yet again, and being petty little bitches in the span of a few chapters. this tend to happen with standalones, like with Girl, Serpent, Thorn, where it seems like they get carried along with the first arc and then rush the second. what authors don't seem to notice is that yoU CAN JUST EXTEND THE SECOND ARC OR CUT THE FIRST ONE SHORT. OR MAKE THIS A DUOLOGY.
i'm so mad because i loved this book so much until suddenly rovan fell in love in the span of two seconds. i'm not kidding. maybe it's just because i'm not a romance reader, but that literally made me want to dnf the book right there and then.
no you don't you've know each other for three weeks tops.
i have a lot of things to scream about so i will continue. i did not understand the logistics of the end, but i still didn't like the fact that everything seemed to be fixed immediately after rovan wakes up. you're telling me we went through all this drama for y'all to be fine afterwards? no.
rovan is a halfway decent mc, she made me cringe a lot for a book written so recently. i've cringed less with books written in the 2010's, and i read glimmerglass, if you know what i'm talking about.
the remarkable things:
the lgbtq+ rep
the magic system is pretty cool (not the revenants tho)
i hated this so much laqiuwehdjklsm.czxbi
"It's a work of violent art."
"An army of the dead facing an army of the living."
"I am a creature of hunger."
"I don't believe love is a finite resource."
"Sometimes I feel like I love too much and not enough."
"But not all hurts affect the flesh. Some reach the spirit."
japha carried btw
rovan is a bloodmage who lives under the system until she doesn't. she decides to play detective bc she can and bc she's an insufferable little thing and finds out things she shouldn't. and ofc, since she knows ppls secrets, they want to kill her.
TW: death, loss of a loved one (on-page and off), violence, blood, gore, body horror, fratricide, mention of death by suicide, substance and alcohol addiction, enforced gender roles, forced marriage, and pregnancy (including rape, but the latter is off-page, in the past, and not involving main characters), and threats of rape and abuse.
hear me out, this book did pretty well up until two thirds in. from then on, everything went to shit. people were dying, making out, dying again, playing cupid, planning a revolution, dying yet again, and being petty little bitches in the span of a few chapters. this tend to happen with standalones, like with Girl, Serpent, Thorn, where it seems like they get carried along with the first arc and then rush the second. what authors don't seem to notice is that yoU CAN JUST EXTEND THE SECOND ARC OR CUT THE FIRST ONE SHORT. OR MAKE THIS A DUOLOGY.
i'm so mad because i loved this book so much until suddenly rovan fell in love in the span of two seconds. i'm not kidding. maybe it's just because i'm not a romance reader, but that literally made me want to dnf the book right there and then.
"I love you, too."
no you don't you've know each other for three weeks tops.
i have a lot of things to scream about so i will continue. i did not understand the logistics of the end, but i still didn't like the fact that everything seemed to be fixed immediately after rovan wakes up. you're telling me we went through all this drama for y'all to be fine afterwards? no.
rovan is a halfway decent mc, she made me cringe a lot for a book written so recently. i've cringed less with books written in the 2010's, and i read glimmerglass, if you know what i'm talking about.
the remarkable things:
the lgbtq+ rep
the magic system is pretty cool (not the revenants tho)
i hated this so much laqiuwehdjklsm.czxbi
"It's a work of violent art."
"An army of the dead facing an army of the living."
"I am a creature of hunger."
"I don't believe love is a finite resource."
"Sometimes I feel like I love too much and not enough."
"But not all hurts affect the flesh. Some reach the spirit."
japha carried btw
May 18, 2021
We follow our main character Rovan who, as a young girl, watches her father die protecting her secret that she is a bloodmage. However, when several years have passed, Rovan accidentally reveals herself and is taken by the Palace to be warded by an undead spirit. As Rovan uncovers a secret that could destroy everyone and everything in Thanopolis, both living and undead, she must decide who she can trust to bring on a rebellion and fight for the City she's been desperate to leave.
This book was phenomenal. I can't remember the last time I saw so much queer rep in a book to be perfectly honest. Not only is our main character, Rovan, pansexual, but one of my favourite side characters, Japha, is non-binary. There is also asexual and lesbian characters as well as a consensual F/F/M love triangle, which isn't something I've come across before.
A.M Strickland's writing style was fantastic and I'd be interesting in reading more from them in the future. In the Ravenous Dark was gritty, dark and fascinating and I'd highly recommend it.
This book was phenomenal. I can't remember the last time I saw so much queer rep in a book to be perfectly honest. Not only is our main character, Rovan, pansexual, but one of my favourite side characters, Japha, is non-binary. There is also asexual and lesbian characters as well as a consensual F/F/M love triangle, which isn't something I've come across before.
A.M Strickland's writing style was fantastic and I'd be interesting in reading more from them in the future. In the Ravenous Dark was gritty, dark and fascinating and I'd highly recommend it.
April 25, 2022
This is why I read books. For the exact same feeling that this book gave me. It hooked me for the start and every spare second I had, I spent with this story.
I loved everything, the story, magic, atmosphere, romance and the banter was exemplary. It feels like I can’t do the book justice with my review, I just can’t recommend it enough.
All the representation felt so fresh and also utterly natural. I loved that being LGTBQ+ was something nobody bat an eye at in this world, which gave me as a reader something so moving to read. This book definitely belong with my favorites!
I loved everything, the story, magic, atmosphere, romance and the banter was exemplary. It feels like I can’t do the book justice with my review, I just can’t recommend it enough.
All the representation felt so fresh and also utterly natural. I loved that being LGTBQ+ was something nobody bat an eye at in this world, which gave me as a reader something so moving to read. This book definitely belong with my favorites!
June 29, 2021
i’m not sure whether to rate this a 4.5/5 or a 5/5...
I really loved the story but near the end it seemed rushed. I was also confused about a few aspects of the ending.
I loved the 4 main characters sooo much, they were all so unique and beautiful!!
Rovan (the main main character) was such a badass and i really loved that she didn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t and she was unapologetically herself.
Japah IS excellent! i loved them so much, I’ve never read about a character like them before. They were so powerfully themselves.
Lydea confused me. I did really like her but i was confused into who she was supposed to be for Rovan.
Ivrilos...there’s something about him that just sparks✨ I really enjoyed is character!
The enemies to lovers between Ivrilos and Rovan was a lot more subtle and less toxic then other enemies to lovers, which was refreshing!
All and all a really good book :)
I really loved the story but near the end it seemed rushed. I was also confused about a few aspects of the ending.
I loved the 4 main characters sooo much, they were all so unique and beautiful!!
Rovan (the main main character) was such a badass and i really loved that she didn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t and she was unapologetically herself.
Japah IS excellent! i loved them so much, I’ve never read about a character like them before. They were so powerfully themselves.
Lydea confused me. I did really like her but i was confused into who she was supposed to be for Rovan.
Ivrilos...there’s something about him that just sparks✨ I really enjoyed is character!
The enemies to lovers between Ivrilos and Rovan was a lot more subtle and less toxic then other enemies to lovers, which was refreshing!
All and all a really good book :)
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