Book Review: Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) by Scarlett St. Clair

Book cover for *Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1)* by Scarlett St. Clair

***Note: I received a free digital review copy of this book from NetGalley and Bloom Books in exchange for an honest review. I have not received compensation for the inclusion of any links for purchase found in this review or on any other page of The Voracious Bibliophile which mentions Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1), its author, or its publisher.***

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) is coming out at a time in America where the rights of women and other marginalized groups are constantly under threat. In many places, they have fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers enjoyed. Weak men, wielding whatever shallow power is afforded them by the state and other weak men, are hell-bent on ensuring women serve not their own dreams and desires. No, it is their will that women remain curtailed, simply incubators to house and grow future servants (girls) and leaders (boys).

Weak men, wielding whatever shallow power is afforded them by the state and other weak men, are hell-bent on ensuring women serve not their own dreams and desires.

I know there’s something to the fact that Scarlett St. Clair is releasing a story like this in a post-Roe world, because in our own world almost every woman is a Lilith Leviathan. Indoctrinated by religious zealot parents, repressed by a controlling church community that dictates how women should live and serve the church, and desperately in love with a man from a rival family who can’t love her the way she wants to be loved, Lilith is the female main character the world needs right now.

I loved Lilith so much. Like many of us moving through the world with religious trauma, Lilith is forced to unlearn the doctrines wielded to deprive her of her humanity and to siphon away her power. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I loved watching the development of the relationship between Lilith and Zahariev Zareth. Oh Zahariev, you dark and brooding hottie, how lucky we are to read of you on the page. If only all men were like you, there’d be no MAGA, no world without Roe, and no need for any woman to ever have to say #MeToo.

Oh Zahariev, you dark and brooding hottie, how lucky we are to read of you on the page.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT, LOOK AWAY IF YOU MUST!:

You do eventually get spice, even though you have to wait about 400 pages for it. When you get there, though, Lord have mercy! You’ll sweat through your clothes about eight different times 😉. Needless to say, I don’t think anyone involved (carnally, that is) with Zahariev would ever need a gym membership, at least not for cardio. Probably not for strength training, either, because your core would also get quite the workout. But enough of my innuendo.

I can’t wait to recommend this book to my customers, friends, and followers on this blog and elsewhere on social media. It’s the story all of us need right now, of women reclaiming their power and forging their own paths in spite of what others might choose for them, and we’re lucky to have Scarlett St. Clair to be the one to give it to us.

By the way, that ending was one of the best I’ve ever read. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in the series.

Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) is now available at your local bookstore or library. I am obligated to make a plug for Books-a-Million, since I work there and it’s my favorite bookstore. You can order the signed edition of Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) from BAM! for 40% off right now, either shipped to your house or through a buy-online, pick-up-in-store order.

Fun Bonus Content

I had a little bit of fun creating content for my social media pages ahead of this book’s release. I hope you like it.

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please like, comment, follow, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at fred.slusher@thevoraciousbibliophile.com or catch me on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

Book Review

The Games Gods Play (The Crucible #1) by Abigail Owen

First of all, I will say that this book was entertaining. I don’t usually gravitate towards mythology-centered books that bring pantheons of any culture into the modern world, but if anything is well-written enough I’ll give it a go. My book club chose this book and we just finished it a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been holding off of writing an official review for it because I have very mixed feelings.

First of all, can we dispense with the FMCs who are written as baddies but who have the internal monologue of a damsel in distress? The dissonance is just too much. That’s one reason I’m having a hard time getting through Fourth Wing right now, because the FMC (Violet Sorrengail) is supposed to be this fierce dragon rider but her internal thought process is all about how she doesn’t think she can do it and wah wah wah. It gets really old. I think the next romantasy I pick up where there’s a dissonance between the FMC’s inner thoughts and her entire personality (as observed by other characters), I’m just going to put it down. I already went through high school and I’m not interested in it again.

I don’t think I would have finished this book if I hadn’t have been reading it with my book club. The first hundred pages were a slog. Like pulling teeth. Thank God Owen takes her chapter lengths from the James Patterson playbook of writing and they were short.

Once the action started in earnest, I started to enjoy it more. The Labors were fun to read and I think the book would have been better served if they’d been elaborated on in more detail. Think Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games, although the writing is not on par with either of those series by a long shot. The banter between Lyra and Hades was interesting, and the spice that spices was spicy. Catch my drift?

The most interesting characters in the entire book are Lyra’s thief friend Boone and the goddess Aphrodite. Boone is the friend you’d always want with you in a tight spot. He’s selfless, resourceful, and brave enough to risk pissing off the Lord of the Underworld in order to help out a friend.

Owen’s Aphrodite is gorgeous, horny, and a total gossip. She’s the friend who begs you to confide in her all so she can go tell your secrets to the other mean girls at her lunch table. You hate her for it when you find out, but you still crave her approval desperately. She’s Regina George by way of Olympus, and honestly, if Owen wanted to do a spinoff all about her, I’d say the heck with Lyra and Hades.

I know it sounds like I’m bagging a lot on this book, and I don’t want it to seem like that. At the end of the day, the book was a lot of fun. I ended up buying two different copies of it, the Deluxe Limited Edition with sprayed and stenciled edges and the audiobook too. I’ve been doing a lot of tandem reading, listening to the audiobook while following along in a physical copy or ebook. With my ADHD, it really helps me to stay focused. If I had to rate it, I’d still give the book four stars. It entertained me, and that’s enough. That alone was worth my money.

Caveat emptor, though…the book ends on a total cliffhanger which made me mad and now I have to wait until September to read the next book in the series. Oh well…

The Games Gods Play (The Crucible #1) is available wherever you get your books, but as a proud Books-a-Million! employee, I am linking to the BAM! website.

Quote for the Day: July 17th, 2022

There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.
Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

Film Review: The Lost City (2022); Directed by Adam Nee and Aaron Nee

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review

Warning: Please note that the following review may contain plot spoilers for The Lost City. If you’ve not yet seen the film and don’t want any aspects of the plot to be spoiled for you, stop reading now. Actually, bookmark the page, go watch the movie, and then come back and read my review. Enjoy!

I think I really needed something as purely fun, entertaining, and heartwarming as The Lost City. It was like a bag of Skittles in movie form: full of color, variety, and sweet but with just enough of a bite to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Movies like this give you a guaranteed HEA (Happily Ever After for the uninitiated among you) so you don’t have to worry about having your heart ripped out of your chest while it’s still beating. To be honest, that’s usually my schtick—sad mumblecore indie movies with little-to-no plot, lots of philosophical rumination on the human condition, and confusing endings that may or may not be happy. Sometimes they don’t even really end at all, they just sort of fizzle out until the credits roll.

It [The Lost City] was like a bag of Skittles in movie form: full of color, variety, and sweet but with just enough of a bite to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

The Lost City starts off with Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), romance author extraordinaire, receiving a call from her publisher (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) about her upcoming book tour for the latest book in her wildly successful series starring Dr. Angela Lovemore and Dash McMahon, Dr. Lovemore’s hunky, dyed-in-the-wool-of-Fabio love interest. As part of the book tour, Loretta has to appear with the cover model who has portrayed Dash on all of Loretta’s book covers in the series, Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum).

Production still of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in *The Lost City*. © Kimberley French / Paramount Pictures

Loretta is not up for a book tour and hasn’t wanted anything to do with the limelight since her husband passed away. She’s much happier sinking into a bubble bath and sipping an iced Chardonnay, away from the rest of the world. Her publisher is insistent, however, and her reader-fans themselves are insatiable. During the first Q&A promoting the latest Lovemore adventure, it’s apparent that the fans are much more enamored with the cover model fantasy of Dash than they are with anything Loretta has to say about the book. Even Alan/Dash himself seems to have a hard time separating his actual self from the fictional representation made popular by Loretta’s books. He answers to Dash and poses for pictures with fans as Dash. Loretta sees him as nothing more than another obstacle keeping her from going back into seclusion and sinking into her tub.

Loretta sees him as nothing more than another obstacle keeping her from going back into seclusion and sinking into her tub.

When Loretta makes it out of the venue and has a car summoned to take her home, she’s instead picked up by the henchmen of Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a madcap billionaire who’s discovered that a lot of the lore and events that take place in Loretta’s novels are based on research she conducted with her deceased archaeologist husband. He believes that a priceless treasure, the “Crown of Fire” mentioned in Loretta’s novels, is located in a lost city on an island in the Atlantic. He kindly asks Loretta to help him (by “help” of course he means he needs her to do all of the work) in deciphering the meaning of some words on a piece of old parchment. Fairfax believes that the message on the parchment will lead him to the treasure and bring him fame and accolades to surpass that of his favored brother. A tale as old as time really, with some minor adjustments. When she declines his request, he knocks her out with chloroform and takes her to the island against her will.

Fairfax believes that the message on the parchment will lead him to the treasure and bring him fame and accolades to surpass that of his favored brother.

Meanwhile, Alan/Dash (hereinafter referred to solely as Alan) witnessed Loretta being kidnapped. It is apparent to the viewer that he has somewhat of a crush on her and so intends to do anything and everything in his power to bring her back. After talking to Loretta’s publisher Beth and her social media manager Allison (Patti Harrison), Alan contacts Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), a former Navy SEAL, for help. Jack is able to help them locate her whereabouts by using the “Find My” feature for Loretta’s smart watch on her phone, which Beth luckily has. Jack agrees to go to the island to rescue Loretta. In Alan’s mind, he believes this will be a cooperative venture in which Jack assists him in rescuing Loretta but he still gets to be the fabled knight in shining armor.

In Alan’s mind, he believes this will be a cooperative venture in which Jack assists him in rescuing Loretta but he still gets to be the fabled knight in shining armor.

When they meet up at the island, it becomes clear that Alan is more of an obstacle to retrieving Loretta than an assistant, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Jack is able to breech the place Loretta is being held but is shot in the head before the trio can make it back to the airport and hightail it out of Dodge. Loretta escapes (still tied to a chair, I might add) with Alan and the parchment Fairfax wanted her to translate, and then off into the jungle they go.

Loretta escapes (still tied to a chair, I might add) with Alan and the parchment Fairfax wanted her to translate, and then off into the jungle they go.

You can only imagine the hijinks that ensue as Loretta and Alan are chased and tracked by Fairfax and his goons. The Lost City is both tenderhearted and hilarious in equal measure, and that of course can be chalked up in no small part to the incredible chemistry between Bullock and Tatum. My favorite part of the film has to be the scene where the pair wades through a river while trying to outrun Fairfax and Co. and once they’re out of it, Loretta notices that Alan is covered in leeches that she has to pick off from him, including several on his voluptuous buttocks. Yes, I said voluptuous. If you can look at Channing Tatum’s rear end and come up with a better descriptor, be my guest.

The Lost City is both tenderhearted and hilarious in equal measure, and that of course can be chalked up in no small part to the incredible chemistry between Bullock and Tatum.

As you know, I don’t really like to spoil endings here on The Voracious Bibliophile, but I do promise that this movie has a happy one. Loretta and Alan both learn that sometimes miracles (and love) come from unexpected places and that we don’t always know people as well as we think we do. People (and books, for that matter) are almost always more than they appear to be on the surface.

Loretta and Alan both learn that sometimes miracles (and love) come from unexpected places and that we don’t always know people as well as we think we do.

Before I leave you, I’d also like to note that I love the age-gap at play in this movie. Channing Tatum is Sandra Bullocks’ love interest in this movie and in real life he is fifteen years her junior. Way to go for making a big-budget Hollywood picture where the woman is significantly older than the man and it’s never even mentioned. How’s that for progress?

The Lost City was released theatrically in the United States on March 25th, 2022 and is available to stream on several different video on-demand platforms.

Quote for the Day: November 23rd, 2021

*Enemies With Benefits: A Loveless Brothers Novel* by Roxie Noir

You’re walking barefoot along main street at midnight with no shoes on like some redneck hooker because your night’s going well?
Enemies With Benefits: A Loveless Brothers Novel by Roxie Noir

Everyone who reads has a book they keep with them for long waits in the grocery store line or to flip through while sitting in the doctor’s office. I’m talking ratty paperbacks and ebooks read on smartphones, those books some call “guilty pleasures”. I don’t really like that term because anything that brings someone joy, as long as it’s not harming them or anyone else, should not have even a modicum of guilt assigned to it.

Enemies With Benefits is that book for me right now. I don’t ever read it for long stretches of time, just when I have a minute here or there. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in my brain but it does bring me a lot of joy when I get to read three or four pages at a time every few days.

Are you reading anything at the moment that’s bringing you a lot of joy? Let me know in the comments.

Haiku IV

Haiku IV by Fred Slusher

Sweat and tears taste the 
same if you know what to do
with another tongue

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please like, comment, follow, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at fred.slusher@thevoraciousbibliophile.com or catch me on Twitter and Instagram @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

All Aboard the ARC: Glass Syndrome by Eiko Ariki

***Note: I received a free digital review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Expected publication date: August 10th, 2021 by LOVE x LOVE

Review: Nijou is a Type A guy. He’s smart, popular, and athletic. As with a lot of Type A people, though, Nijou is a people-pleaser. He can’t say no in any context, especially when saying yes provides him with the kind of social capital he craves.

Toomi is the stereotypical boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s been missing a lot of school. His father has left him completely alone in the world, ostensibly due to some heavy gambling debts he’d rather avoid paying. To make ends meet, Toomi engages in survival sex work via his computer. He conceals his identity by presenting as female to paying clients.

A teacher concerned about Toomi’s welfare asks Nijou to check in on Toomi. Nijou does so because as we already know, he is incapable of saying no. We find out, however, that Nijou needs Toomi as much as Toomi needs him.

I won’t spoil the ending, but BL manga fans are sure to love Glass Syndrome. Even though the narrative was a bit muddled at times, overall it was an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend to my customers.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Glass Syndrome is now available to order.

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please follow, like, comment, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com or catch me on Twitter @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.