by: Sharina Harris
Series: The American Slayer Society
Genre: Upper YA Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries in this fun and clever dark academia series…
High school is supposed to be about studying, socializing, and marching-band practice. Not fighting vampires. Then one night flipped my world inside out―now, my life sucks. But it isn’t all bad. I’m at a slayer academy, learning things like the real origin of vamps and how to make serious weapons out of thin air.
Every last one of them will pay for what they did. I’m doing great.
Until I come face-to-face with the actual vampire prince…and I’m not sure of anything anymore. Vampires are supposed to be soul-sucking demons. But Khamari is…something else. He’s intelligent and reasonable―and he seems to know things about me that could change everything.
He’s also hiding something big, even from his own kind. And when a threat from an ancient evil is so extreme that a vampire will team up with a slayer to take it down, it isn’t just my need for revenge that’s at stake anymore.
It’s the whole damn world.
Eighteen-year-old small-town Texas girl, Raven is simply trying to survive high school and overcome her past. The bright side is she’s currently the section leader of her high school band’s saxophone section. The downside, her life as she knows it will be changed forever when the band bus gets into an accident and she gets thrust into a world she didn’t know existed. Good thing her Grandma Lou taught her how to fight.
The bus accident was no simple accident, thanks to the vampires who attacked it. When Raven sees a man fighting off the vampires, she’s compelled to help him. When she survives the attack, he tells her that she’s now a slayer and takes her to a rundown motel. Leaving her there, he says someone will come to help her. That someone turns out to be Charlotte, co-leader of the Slayer Society, and her boyfriend Richmond who happens to be the Maximus, the strongest of vampire slayers. Raven is then taken to Atlanta, Georgia, and the Tria Prima Academy where she will live and be trained. Unfortunately, this means that she isn’t able to have any sort of communication with anyone from her past. That includes her Grandma Lou.
At slayer academy, Raven excels and quickly becomes an unofficial trusted leader. So much so that she gets welcomed into the inner sanctum. She soon learns that her mystery stranger is none other than Khamari St. John who isn’t just a vampire, but a prince and the future king of the Ankh clan. While Khamari is an ally of the slayers, there are others in the clan who frown upon this. Especially when there is something big in the works.
Sign of the Slayer is an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance. I thought I was going to get a Buffy/Angel type story. Nope. This story was so much better than I ever could have imagined. Raven is smart, determined, fierce, and snarky. There’s so much more to her and her story than she even knows. Khamari hides a lot of secrets, but his feelings for Raven aren’t one of them. Their banter is oftentimes fun. Sharina had me glued to the pages of this upper young adult fantasy that’s full of betrayal and mystery. There are so many twists, turns, and surprises in this story. Intense is a very good word to describe this book. You will be left with so many questions and theories. I can not wait for the next book. Because “The war has yet to come.”
It should be noted that this story contains death and violence. Check the publisher’s website for more warnings.
~ Favorite Quotes ~
“Your mind and imagination are your greatest weapons.”
“The more you learn, the better your odds of survival.”
“There are no victors in war.”
“You are something else. Something special.”
“I think you can achieve anything you direct your energy toward.”
“I’m stronger than you think.”
“A mother’s love is too strong.”
“You’ve got to have faith.”
“It’s never too late. Don’t give up.”
“Don’t be afraid of who you are. Trust the voice inside of you.”
“You’re everything.”
**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a hardcover copy.**
Rating: 5
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Sharina’s contemporary romance series under the pen name, Rina Gray, was named Book Riot’s 100 Must Read Romantic Comedies. When not writing, she can be found with her head stuck in a book, rooting for her favorite NBA teams, and spending time with friends and family. Sharina resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and son. Sharina is represented by Tara Gelsomino at One Track Literary Agency.
Places to find Sharina Harris:
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