Black + Sapphic + Vampires? Yes, Please!

From NetGalley

The bestselling dark and thrilling Black sapphic vampire romantasy that questions what it truly means to sacrifice for love.

"This is a lush, intoxicating read, packing tender romance alongside vicious twists. My new obsession!" - Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anger is a Gift and Into the Light

You have no idea what I’ve done for love. Just as you have no idea what you may one day do.

Once long ago, a girl named Favre sacrificed her wings for love. Thana, the young goddess she so willingly gave them up for, sacrificed that same love for power. But everything has a cost.

Favre never got over the loss of her wings. And Thana’s choices led to a life of eternal night, and later, their destruction. Favre has bided her time ever since, waiting for the chance to resurrect the girl she loves who turned her into the creature she hates.

Now, a thousand years later, Leyla, the crown princess of a vampire nation, must travel to Nekros, the island of the dead, when her best friend is captured during an attack on her nation’s capital. But nothing is as it seems. The closer she gets to her goal, the more her body seems to work against her, and the more she risks awakening an ancient evil and destroying everything she holds dear.

Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?

“A feast for the senses. Love, friendship, loss, and the fantastic… it’s all here in exquisite, vivid detail. A brilliant addition to the dark fantasy genre.” - Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead and Sleep Like Death

In a vivid world, full of rich lore and history, Patrice Caldwell's debut brings a unique take on the creatures so many of us have come to love: vampires. With all the dark opulence of Dracula's court in Van Helsing, a pantheon of gods much like the Greeks, and a sapphic romance that crosses centuries, Where Shadows Meet has something for everyone!

Caldwell spins this story like a fable through Favre's point-of-view from the origin of vampires and would-be queen who created them all, her love Thana. Favre's sheltered life sequestered in a lonely forest lends to her vulnerable voice as she's exposed to harsh realities of court intrigue; jealousy, judgement, and the scrutiny of living amongst gods.

She is unprepared emotionally, but suffers through it all for love. Favre and Thana cling to their feelings for each other like a lifeline pulling them through the darkness that follows them as they try to survive Thana's aspiration to be crowned Queen. Tensions rise, allegiances are forged, and blood is spilled across heavenly and mortal realms.

With the passing of a millennium we see the aftermath of everything Thana and Favre endured. Through the eyes of Leyla, a vampire princess who is set to inherit the throne from her mother, we learn that even after decades of victory, power is all but impossible to maintain. Leyla carries the constant burden of her mother's expectations, grief from a great loss, and chronic pain as she tries to wrap her mind around her duty as a future ruler. While seeking to understand her fate and get some much needed direction she meets Najja, a young woman with a long lost ability to see ghosts, who received a vision about the two of them--her and Leyla--working together.

In the midst of their predestined meeting a monstrous attack is launched on Leyla's city, and her best friend Danai is snatched away. With the help of Naija, Leyla ventures on a journey through her kingdom in the throngs of growing dissent and treacherous woods that host nightmarish dangers. She is forced to decide how much she is willing to sacrifice in order to save everyone she loves.

Caldwell expertly illustrate how love and loss are forever tangled with Leyla and Naija rapidly growing feelings despite heated tension between the two species. She shows how complex and devastating generational trauma can affect the world around you through Thana and Favre's. Most of all, she gives her readers an example of how enduring love, though beautiful, can be detrimental. Sometimes...love isn't enough.

With heart-pounding romance and a heart-stopping ending, this book will leave readers anxiously awaiting the sequel.

Where Shadows Meet is a SLOW BURN and much closer to an epic fantasy than many modern YA fantasy books. Please take than into consideration when picking up a copy.

I recommend this book to anyone desperate for a twist on the classic vampire, lovers of Dracula and Carmilla, and all the sapphic romance lovers!