Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone (review)

Reviewed by: Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone April Spisak Clipstone, Lyndall Unholy Terrors. Holt, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250887733 $20.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250887726 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 9-12 Everline lives in the shadow of her deceased mother's betrayal of her warrior peers, and her aloof father has no interest in answering any of Everline's questions about her mother—she was evil, end of story. Everline is well aware of the stark lines between the wardens, warriors who use magic and battle skills to keep away monsters, and the vespertines, monstrous creatures who are kept at bay only through the diligence of fighters like Everline. However, the concepts of good and evil, monsters and saviors, crumble quickly when Everline meets Ravel, a vespertine who looks an awful lot like a human boy and who is mourning the recent death of his sister at the hands of the wardens. Mutual hatred battles with mutual lust, ultimately turning into genuine connection that challenges everything they've been trained to believe. Everline, impetuous and headstrong, is so driven to get to the place where her mother died (and where a ferocious, cruel monster still lives) that she risks her friends, her place among the wardens, and her own life along the way; thankfully, her vulnerability and raw desperation to understand her own past keep her a sympathetic narrator. The inevitable romance between Ravel and Everline is passionate and swoony, and the blood magic that the two share adds to the heat. Gothic fantasy fans will appreciate the intricate worldbuilding and deliberate pacing that allows for rich descriptions of both arcane magic and the desolate wilds that separate the vespertines from the wardens. There is also potential for some genre-crossing at the hands of romance buffs who don't mind some bloodsucking and claws with their true love. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois