Immortal Dark

Immortal Dark - Tigest Girma

To save her home, she has to go into the heart of the beast and learn all she can... It's the only way she can find out what happened to her sister.

Dark academia at its finest!! Kidan is the last survivor of her family line but her family has left their ancestral home to a vampire. The same vampire she is sure killed her sister.

I enjoyed the vampires but Kidan was annoying at times. I loved the forced proximity but I could really feel much sympathy for Kidan for most of the book and I am also a massive hater of made up names in fantasy books. It is so off putting! Call them Bob and Jane and call it a day.

The story had a lot going on and it was pretty well paced for a fantasy. I need more vampire lore, the story was fascinating but the characters that weren't vampires... UGH... I would eat all those people just so they wouldn't talk anymore. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose or I'm too old to appreciate young adults but UGH UGH UGH. So whiney. I have a lot of questions though and I will see what book 2 brings.

4 stars

“The world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. I plan to worship them.” 

Where the hell do I even start? I LOVED this book! I barely have words for a coherent review. 
But what I can tell you is that I was very entranced by this writing and level of storytelling. I'm reading and the whole world around me is quiet... and the only thing I see if the vividness of the story being told. I loved it. I haven't read a story like this in a while. 
I loved the way Susenyos and Kidan's relationship transformed throughout the story, but on the baseline was still... symbiotic? They needed each other at every point regardless of the hatred they harbored towards each other. There were definitely moments of peace but I enjoyed when they were at each others necks 😭
The premise of Immortal Dark and Uxlay University were a unique concept (to me atleast) I enjoyed the shifted dynamic of power where Dranaics (vampire) were companions to the Acti (humans) and their life's were constrained to their companionships to the humans in the houses they pledge to. 
I can't wait for book two. I'm really looking forward to how everything plays out especially with that ending!

Thank you TheNovl and Colored Pages Book Tour for the finished copy! 

Immortal Dark is a good and unique vampiric fantasy, but it does suffer from some debut novel scaries, which likely contributes to the mixed reviews. Girma is a new author, and her ability to weave complex interpersonal relationships between the characters feels underdeveloped. The story draws on both West and East African mythology, which is a refreshing and ambitious choice. However, it might have been more effective if she had approached it like a typical fantasy novel set in a fictional universe, allowing more time to unravel the rich lore surrounding the story.

One of the major issues is that the risqué scenes are a little too obscene to then not have smut, leaving the reader wanting more. If the author intended this to feel more YA, less detail and vivid lewdness leading up to ultimately nothing would have been a better approach. The novel's reliance on lesser-known African cultures, especially Ethiopian myths, presents a challenge. A glossary of terms and more definitions for the Amharic used would have greatly enhanced the reading experience. Despite these challenges, Immortal Dark offers a fresh take on vampires and stands out for its unique cultural backdrop. It's a solid debut with room for growth, but readers unfamiliar with Ethiopian mythology may find it hard to fully appreciate. Still, it's worth exploring for its originality and potential.