Book Review: Terror at the Gates

I have been a fan of Scarlett St. Clair for a while now. i’ve read all her books and loved them all. I just read her latest, Terror at the Gates, the first book in her new series Blood of Lilith, and I have to tell you I think this might be my favorite book of hers!

It’s hard to describe what this book is about. The best way I can describe it is that it’s an urban fantasy, slow burn romance that is rooted in religious/Biblical mythology. The fmc is Lilith Leviathan and the mmc is Zahariev Zareth. In this world – a patriarchal world set in Eden, there are 5 houses/powerful families in 5 cities and they all more or less answer to the church. Lilith is the only child and heir to the Leviathans. They are supposed to be the most religious of the houses. However, Lilith hated it there and her experience growing up under the watchful eye of the archbishop made her hate the church. She leaves, with the permission of her father, to go to Nineveh, a city full of sin and run by the Zareth family with Zahariev being the head.

When the novel begins, Lilith has already been living in Nineveh for a while, but she never knows when her father is going to demand she come home to marry etc. If Lilith had her way, she’d never leave. She may not be living in the lap of luxury anymore and is scrambling for money all the time, but she’s happier. That is until she finds herself wrapped up in something she doesn’t understand. Some women in Eden possess magic, but in this patriarchal society, they are only supposed to use magic to help their fathers or husbands. Lilith, can sense men’s desire, and use it to her advantage. When she is speaking to a man from out of town one night, she notices a knife he has with gemstones. Thinking she could make a lot of money off it, she uses her magic to take it from him. But when her buyer and the man she took the knife from, both die suddenly after handling the knife, she has no idea what is going on. She turns to Zahariev for help, but he doesn’t know what is going on either. All they know is that neither Lilith nor Zahariev have been effected by handling the knife.

When more mysterious things and deaths occur and they see blob-like jelly creatures slinking in the darkness, and a man in town that people usually think is crazy has been yelling in the streets that the gods behind the gates are knocking and trying to get out – Lilith and Zahariev know they need to find out what is going on.

The two have known each other for years because of their families. Zahariev and Lilith’s father are not exactly friends, but Zahariev did tell her father he’d look out for her in Nineveh. There has always been an attraction between the two, but nothing has ever happened. But now they are working together to solve this mystery and to survive the crazy things that are happening – killer knife that somehow only doesn’t kill them? Demon blobs? – And they are closer than ever. Will this supposed terror at the gates bring them even closer together?

I loved this book! I could not put it down and this is the first book in a long time that I did not want to finish reading. I was dreading the end simply because I didn’t want to be done with it. Especially because I know it will be a while before the 2nd book comes out since Scarlett St. Clair is just writing it now. The book just really hooked me in and I became very invested in all of the characters. Well, the good ones at least! This is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the month and of the year. I really need someone like The Bookish Box to come out with a gorgeous special edition of this book because I will buy it so fast!

Read this if you want a spicy, dark, urban fantasy romance with the forbidden romance and found family tropes.

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