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In the Ravenous Dark
by
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead.
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit ...more
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit ...more
Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication:
May 18th 2021
by Imprint
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HI. Author, here! Now that the (AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS) cover has been revealed, let’s talk content + content warnings ...
Content:
This book involves blood magic, death magic, a spooky underworld, and ghostly guardians. It stars a young woman (19), Rovan, who falls for her hated guardian, gets entranced by a beguiling princess at the same time, and starts a revolution in both the living world and the underworld.
This book is queer. It has a pansexual main character (though that word isn’t used on pag ...more
Content:
This book involves blood magic, death magic, a spooky underworld, and ghostly guardians. It stars a young woman (19), Rovan, who falls for her hated guardian, gets entranced by a beguiling princess at the same time, and starts a revolution in both the living world and the underworld.
This book is queer. It has a pansexual main character (though that word isn’t used on pag ...more

September 08, 2020: LOOK AT THE COVER! I can already see a book as outfit possibility,,,
June 8, 2020: I see a dark fantasy and I'm all set, but the author says it's going to have a pansexual MC, a lesbian love interest, a non-binary/asexual best friend, and a polygamous relationship...WHATTTT AHHH EXCITED! ...more
June 8, 2020: I see a dark fantasy and I'm all set, but the author says it's going to have a pansexual MC, a lesbian love interest, a non-binary/asexual best friend, and a polygamous relationship...WHATTTT AHHH EXCITED! ...more

Edit 30 November 2020: According to the author, the MC is pansexual and there's a major supporting character who is ace and enby! We love to see it!
--
A fantasy with ace rep? We love to see it ...more
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A fantasy with ace rep? We love to see it ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

IN THE RAVENOUS DARK is a superb standalone fantasy brimming with wit, romance, and plenty of blood. If you made it through 2020 by playing HADES, this queer, polyamorous tale of a determined girl trying to escape a city ruled by death and dark magic needs to be the first thing on your 2021 wishlist.

from the author's twitter: 'an upcoming YA dark fantasy with a blood mage who's pan, a lesbian love interest (also a mage), an enby/ace best friend (also a mage), and a m/f/f poly relationship'
basically this is hella gay and i am here for it
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter ...more
basically this is hella gay and i am here for it
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter ...more

I started reading this the same day I got it because I've been so excited for this and it DELIVERED. There are so many things I want to talk about, but they're spoilers, so instead I'll say that this is one of the gayest books I've ever read - a pansexual lead! An f/f couple! An asexual, non-binary character! There's some polyamory! This book is NOT HERE TO PLAY when it comes to The Gay Agenda.
But it's also so dark. Rovan starts out as this alcoholic, slutty, queer weaver who's trying to grapple ...more
But it's also so dark. Rovan starts out as this alcoholic, slutty, queer weaver who's trying to grapple ...more

I liked this book more than I expected! When I started it, I was put off by the first person perspective, but the flow of the story got me used to it and by the end, I barely even noticed anymore.
There is a L.O.T. to this story, and all of it is delightfully unique. While blood magic is not a new concept in fantasy, it is portrayed differently here than in other stories (I'm mostly thinking of Dragon Age, tbh). Based on Rovan's power, it feels like blood barely plays a role in her magic, but for ...more
There is a L.O.T. to this story, and all of it is delightfully unique. While blood magic is not a new concept in fantasy, it is portrayed differently here than in other stories (I'm mostly thinking of Dragon Age, tbh). Based on Rovan's power, it feels like blood barely plays a role in her magic, but for ...more

I thank my lucky stars that NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton approved me for In the Ravenous Dark eARC. All views and opinions are my own
Off-Screen TW: suicide, parental death, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, rape, assault
On-Screen TW: alcohol use, implied alcohol addiction, blood - so many mentions of blood (injuries, blood magic, (view spoiler) , vomiting, menstruation mention, violence, injuries, gore, death, filicide ((view spoiler) ...more
Off-Screen TW: suicide, parental death, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, rape, assault
On-Screen TW: alcohol use, implied alcohol addiction, blood - so many mentions of blood (injuries, blood magic, (view spoiler) , vomiting, menstruation mention, violence, injuries, gore, death, filicide ((view spoiler) ...more

I’ll hold off on a more detailed review until closer to publication, but let me just tell you this book is SO DAMN GOOD. It’s dark, it’s brutal, it’s weird, it’s queer AF, and it’s just an absolute joyride from start to finish. I’ve truly never read anything like it! Do yourself a favor and go preorder this book now.

Honestly, I do not know how to rate this book. It has me in an inner conflict.
I liked the protagonist Rovan, she was a badass, strong and fierce, and a selfish person too, she was complex and I liked it. I also adored the sex positivity and female friendships and LGBTI representation and the fact that Rovan is actually in love with both a man and a woman, Lydea and Ivrilos, was really something fresh to read in the genre.
However, this might be a case of "it's me, not you". The author created a ...more
I liked the protagonist Rovan, she was a badass, strong and fierce, and a selfish person too, she was complex and I liked it. I also adored the sex positivity and female friendships and LGBTI representation and the fact that Rovan is actually in love with both a man and a woman, Lydea and Ivrilos, was really something fresh to read in the genre.
However, this might be a case of "it's me, not you". The author created a ...more

I'm curious and excited <3
...more

...more

A. M. Strickland is an auto-buy author for me from here on out. Hands down one of the best books I've read in ages. I tried to draw out reading this novel, but it was just too good. Great plot, incredible worldbuilding, and characters I could follow for an entire series. Strickland builds these lavish, dark worlds with such detail and depth that they take on a life of their own, right alongside the characters. This is the second time I've been stunned by how clever and masterful Strickland's wor
...more

I tell myself I don't love fantasy and yet I tumbled into this fantastical world and was enraptured for several consecutive hours to finish "In the Ravenous Dark" in one sitting. My focus was unwavering and I was desperate to read and find out who lives, who dies, and how my favorite characters fates end. It did not feel like a four hundred page book, the pacing was fast but not overwhelming. It did feel more emerging adult than true YA, with the ages of the supporting characters and the number
...more

Just when you think the plot couldn't take yet another twist, this book surprises you again and again. Prepare to dive into a world full of courtly intrigue, dark sexy romance, blood and death magic, and heart-touching friendship. This book is a buffet of action, beautiful scenery, and characters you quickly come to love. Bon appetit!
...more

~I received a copy from netgalley~
I loved this! I really enjoyed A.M. Strickland's last book, "Beyond the black door" so I was really excited to read this. I really enjoyed the fantasy vibe with all the representation without making it about the character's representation. It just felt natural throughout the whole book. I also really liked Ivrilos as a character. ...more
I loved this! I really enjoyed A.M. Strickland's last book, "Beyond the black door" so I was really excited to read this. I really enjoyed the fantasy vibe with all the representation without making it about the character's representation. It just felt natural throughout the whole book. I also really liked Ivrilos as a character. ...more

Jan 12, 2021
Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon)
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
_added-in-2021
A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead...
You had me at pansexual, the rest is just cherries on top ✨

This book has literally everything you want. Breathtaking world building with flushed out characters, even the ones you hate. The story arc is all consuming and the concept is not something you see in YA books often. Not to mention the amazing representation of lifestyles.
In The Ravenous Dark is beautifully written and you need it on your TBR
In The Ravenous Dark is beautifully written and you need it on your TBR

Feb 08, 2021
Vee
marked it as not-yet-released
"A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead."
i am so READY for this
...more
i am so READY for this
...more

Mar 13, 2020
Kristīne Vītola
marked it as listed
Asexual character
https://twitter.com/AdriAnneMS/status... ...more
https://twitter.com/AdriAnneMS/status... ...more

Dec 05, 2020
thea ♡
marked it as to-read
“a pansexual bloodmage”
[SMASHES THAT “WANT TO READ” BUTTON]
[SMASHES THAT “WANT TO READ” BUTTON]

Reading other reviews, In The Ravenous Dark seems to be quite the favourite, so I had high hopes for this one and the cover is gorgeous! Unfortunately though, I really struggled on this one. The themes in this book are pretty dark, we’re talking torture, gore etc, suggesting a more adult audience, and yet the writing itself just isn’t advanced for that. Key points or scenes have a habit of ending with Rovan simply blacking out and you then find out what happened without the first person experien
...more

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Wish List | YouTube
This is a review of an ARC
I am sitting here, staring at my screen, a little unsure of where to begin. This book left me with conflicting feelings and I’m waffling on whether I did or whether I didn’t actually enjoy this story. If I say, “Yes, I did!” now, in five minutes I’m likely to change my mind. Let’s work these feelings out together, shall we?
I enjoyed reading a fantasy novel that had polyamory that wasn’t frowned upon. Our main character, Ro ...more
This is a review of an ARC
I am sitting here, staring at my screen, a little unsure of where to begin. This book left me with conflicting feelings and I’m waffling on whether I did or whether I didn’t actually enjoy this story. If I say, “Yes, I did!” now, in five minutes I’m likely to change my mind. Let’s work these feelings out together, shall we?
I enjoyed reading a fantasy novel that had polyamory that wasn’t frowned upon. Our main character, Ro ...more

3.5 stars
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a pansexual blood mage who ends up being bethrothed against her will to the despicable prince of the kindgom and being bound to a magical ghost guardian.
Rovan was a fairly solid main character, of course I loved the pansexual aspect (as I am pan myself!) and one line she said when talking about her prefences really stuck with me - "I'm attracted to beauty not to parts". I did think she was a little easily lead astray and was like a little lost puppy ...more
In the Ravenous Dark follows Rovan, a pansexual blood mage who ends up being bethrothed against her will to the despicable prince of the kindgom and being bound to a magical ghost guardian.
Rovan was a fairly solid main character, of course I loved the pansexual aspect (as I am pan myself!) and one line she said when talking about her prefences really stuck with me - "I'm attracted to beauty not to parts". I did think she was a little easily lead astray and was like a little lost puppy ...more

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publishers for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
This had come across my radar on Twitter and Edelweiss, but I had brushed it off for reasons unknown. I liked the author's previous book for the asexuality rep but nothing else about it stuck with me. I'm liking Young Adult books less and less these days. So that might be it.
But when Illumicrate announced their April box, I figured I would download the arc and to see if I would want that box or not. (H ...more
This had come across my radar on Twitter and Edelweiss, but I had brushed it off for reasons unknown. I liked the author's previous book for the asexuality rep but nothing else about it stuck with me. I'm liking Young Adult books less and less these days. So that might be it.
But when Illumicrate announced their April box, I figured I would download the arc and to see if I would want that box or not. (H ...more

Feb 27, 2021
Laura
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
nonbinary-char,
young-adult,
queer-lit,
fantasy,
netgalley,
polyam,
m-f-rom,
queer-secondary-characters,
favorite,
preordered
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own
Content notes:(view spoiler)
Yeah, AM Strickland has just ...more
Content notes:(view spoiler)
Yeah, AM Strickland has just ...more
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A.M. Strickland was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She shares a home base in Alaska with her spouse, her pugs, and her piles and piles of books. She loves traveling, dancing, tattoos, and every shade of teal in existence, but especially the darker ones. She is the author of In the Ravenous Dark and Beyond the Black Door.
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