Title: The Revenant GamesAuthor: Margie Fuston
Series: The Revenant Games #1
Pages: 404
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Synopsis:
All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this action-packed fantasy following a teen determined to win the competition held by warring vampire and witch kingdoms, only to develop complicated feelings for the vampire she’s supposed to hand over.
Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games.
Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson.
Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.
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I first saw The Revenant Games on Instagram, and when I read the premise, I knew I needed to read it. I love YA dystopian romances, and I was so intrigued by the paranormal elements. The story follows Bly as she enters a deadly game with other humans, vampires, and witches, determined to win at any cost so she can bring back her deceased sister and save her best friend.
Set in a society divided between humans, witches, and vampires, the world is a dark place to live, and it sets the tone for the story. Each group lives separate from the others, and fear rules, especially among the more vulnerable. I was fascinated by the dystopian elements, especially in the world-building, and the author highlights a society where people are dehumanized, freedoms are restricted, and some have definitive power over others. It is a world on the brink of unrest, and the tension permeates the pages and adds to the already intense plot.
The majority of the story unfolds as Bly, Emerson, and others enter and compete in the games. It’s a brutal competition, one Bly would not ordinarily enter. However, she proves that she will do anything for those she loves. The story has strong messages about love and relationships, and many different connections are developed over the course of their journey. I particularly liked how the author focused on siblings, and we see two very different sibling relationships, both bound by love and loyalty.
There are other relationships of note, too. For example, there is a bit of a love triangle, which isn’t my favorite, but Bly has major chemistry with one (Kerrigan) while she has a friendship with the other (Emerson). There’s a lot of angst and tension between her and Kerrigan – much more so than she has with Emerson, in my opinion, but I’m a sucker for a moody, broody hero. There are several scenes and swoony declarations that made my heart melt. And it also feels like there might be another love triangle, which I have a feeling will be more significant in the next book.
Overall, I thought this was an immersive and entertaining start to the story with a few surprising twists that I didn’t expect. And with that surprising cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait to pick up the next book!
People always choose the fear they knew over the one they had yet to face.
Cruel memories clung harder than good ones.
Love drives people to wild acts of bravery. But guilt drives people to their death.
- enemies to lovers
- he falls first
- love triangle
Gah! The dreaded love triangle… I do love the sound of this one though so might still give it a go. Great review, Julie 😊
I know, right. It’s one of my least favorite tropes and I try to avoid them. lol Thanks, Becky!
Great review! I have a friend who loves this genre, so I am going to have to tell her about this book.
Thanks so much! I hope your friend likes it if she gets a chance to read it. Definitely gave me The Hunger Games vibes with the added supernatural bonus!