I purchased a signed copy of Scarlett St. Clair‘s Terror at the Gates at a local bookstore.

She is the beginning and the end.
She is peace and chaos.
She is terror knocking at the gates.

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

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

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

I thought this was ok. It kept me interested. But ultimately, I didn’t think there was anything particularly special about it. I liked Lilith well enough. She’s got a backbone and seems to be a good person. But she also would have been significantly less able and dynamic without her connection to Zahariev. It’s her connection to his social power that enables her to do the things that make her interesting in the book. And I’m a little like, ‘meh’ on that fact. For his part, Zahariev is interesting on the surface. I enjoyed his quiet longing. But he’s a cardboard cutout. The reader barely gets to know him and never learns when, why, or how he fell so in love with Lilith. The villains are villainous. But it’s basically just a fantasy version of the Catholic church, and I’m always a little like, ‘unless this turns out to actually be some post-apocalyptic earth, either bite the bullet and use (and name) the Catholic church or make your vile religion different enough from the church to not feel so very much like a lazy copy.’ All in all, I’d be willing to read the next in the series. But I’m not running out to buy it.

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Amphibian Authors: Book Review: Terror at the Gates