Scan barcode
A review by booksalacarte
The Last Raven by Helen Glynn Jones
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The Last Raven
1⭐️3🌶️
New Adult Romantasy
17 yo FMC
Coming of age
Paranormal
Vampires
Self discovery
Bodyguard romance
Distopian
Forced proximity
Rebellion
TW: 18+content with underage characters
It’s important to mention upfront that I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. That said, I’m honestly not sure who the intended audience is. The themes, language, sexual content, and the age of the main character all seem to suggest different age groups, which made it hard for me to feel comfortable while reading.
The central premise is that humans are essentially livestock for vampires. The main character, Amelia, is a 17-year-old recluse and the human heir to a vampire empire. What’s strange, though, is how her existence is viewed. Usually, a human born to vampires is seen as something weird and even a little “broken” by the vampire community. But in this world, humans are just livestock, so I found it odd that Amelia’s parents didn’t turn her into a vampire. It’s one of those things that just doesn’t make sense.
Then there’s the issue of Amelia taking over the empire at 18. You’d expect someone in line to rule half the world to have serious political training, but she has none. The fact that someone so young and unprepared would take over from rulers who’ve been in power for centuries feels like a big stretch. It made me wonder if the book is trying to appeal to a younger audience, but then it includes so much adult content and language that I was left confused about who this book is really meant for.
Even within the first 10% of the book, there are so many things that just don’t add up. For instance, Amelia’s bodyguard doesn’t seem to treat her like the heir to a massive empire. Instead of being her protector, he acts more like a babysitter. There’s no respect for her position, or even an attempt to pretend like it matters.
The dystopian setting also feels weird. On one hand, you’ve got humans being farmed for food for vampires, but on the other hand, characters are still wearing skinny jeans, using phones and laptops. It doesn’t add up, especially when the ruling vampires are over 500 years old. You’d think the world would have moved on from those outdated cultural markers by now.
Overall, the world-building is weak, there’s barely any context for the plot, and the execution just didn’t land. The book follows a lot of popular tropes and should have worked, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
1⭐️3🌶️
New Adult Romantasy
17 yo FMC
Coming of age
Paranormal
Vampires
Self discovery
Bodyguard romance
Distopian
Forced proximity
Rebellion
TW: 18+content with underage characters
It’s important to mention upfront that I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. That said, I’m honestly not sure who the intended audience is. The themes, language, sexual content, and the age of the main character all seem to suggest different age groups, which made it hard for me to feel comfortable while reading.
The central premise is that humans are essentially livestock for vampires. The main character, Amelia, is a 17-year-old recluse and the human heir to a vampire empire. What’s strange, though, is how her existence is viewed. Usually, a human born to vampires is seen as something weird and even a little “broken” by the vampire community. But in this world, humans are just livestock, so I found it odd that Amelia’s parents didn’t turn her into a vampire. It’s one of those things that just doesn’t make sense.
Then there’s the issue of Amelia taking over the empire at 18. You’d expect someone in line to rule half the world to have serious political training, but she has none. The fact that someone so young and unprepared would take over from rulers who’ve been in power for centuries feels like a big stretch. It made me wonder if the book is trying to appeal to a younger audience, but then it includes so much adult content and language that I was left confused about who this book is really meant for.
Even within the first 10% of the book, there are so many things that just don’t add up. For instance, Amelia’s bodyguard doesn’t seem to treat her like the heir to a massive empire. Instead of being her protector, he acts more like a babysitter. There’s no respect for her position, or even an attempt to pretend like it matters.
The dystopian setting also feels weird. On one hand, you’ve got humans being farmed for food for vampires, but on the other hand, characters are still wearing skinny jeans, using phones and laptops. It doesn’t add up, especially when the ruling vampires are over 500 years old. You’d think the world would have moved on from those outdated cultural markers by now.
Overall, the world-building is weak, there’s barely any context for the plot, and the execution just didn’t land. The book follows a lot of popular tropes and should have worked, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for the eARC. All opinions are my own.