It was a little underwhelming to be honest, but I’m still glad it was acknowledged and that it happened.
Since I have little experience reading it, I didn’t know what exactly to expect. I love that In The Ravenous Dark features a polyamorous m/f/f relationship – I don’t see that often enough in books, especially YA, and that’s one of the main things that drew me to this story. She doesn’t trust him, despite being bound together. Lastly we have Ivrilos, Rovan’s spririt guardian only she can see and speak with, and he’s bound to protect her and stop her from doing anything rash, such as, trying to burn down the palace. She’s also very much into Rovan – in *that* way. Lydea is the princess who fights her role as a princess only needed to produce an heir and pass on her bloodline – the literal lines on her body with contain magic passed on from parent to child. Japha is the best friend everyone should hope to have – or aspire to be. They/them pronouns are used throughout the story, including by their father. Japha is one of my favorites and I wish we saw them more – they are non-binary and they are accepted as such in this world. She identifies as pansexual, although the term is never officially used on page – she loves who she loves. She’s bold and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her – she is her own person and I love her boldness. Rovan is a powerful bloodmage who is illiterate, but can still work the handful of sigils she learned as a child. What unfolds is a dark fantasy full of blood magic, death, queer romance in a world nobody minds if you’re queer (as long as you don’t mess with the bloodlines, aka you have an heir and continue your line), a non-binary major supporting character, and queer found family. She is taken to the palace and assigned a spirit guardian to protect her – but she’s a rebel and doesn’t want any part of this world. That goes well for her until she’s nineteen and uses her power to save the girl she has slept with from falling to her death and reveals her power for all to see. When Rovan’s father is killed in front of her eyes as a child, she vows to never let anyone know she too is a bloodmage, and to never use her power in front of anyone. There are a lot of characters and bloodlines to keep straight, but it all comes together.
There is a lot of information, places, and names given early on in this story, and it was a little confusing at first but I quickly caught on after a few chapters. I’ll admit I was weary of this “undead” guardian thing, as I cannot stand anything to do with zombies – I’m pleased to report this is nothing like zombies and it didn’t bother me! To keep them in check, bloodmages are assigned an undead guardian. In this Greco-Roman inspired world, there are those who posses magic which is wielded using blood.
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