This ravenous fate

Two Black girls' destinies are intertwined in this bewitching novel in which once-human vampires called reapers are taking over 1926 Harlem. After spending five years studying music in Paris, Elise Saint, the 18-year-old daughter of a reaper hunter who specializes in manufacturing enchanted steel, has returned to Harlem. Though she's set to inherit her father's steel manufacturing empire, Elise can't help but want to escape the ominous atmosphere that permeates her neighborhood, exacerbated by the conflict between gangsters and reapers. As she reacclimates, she's forced to confront the reason she left in the first place: her former best friend Layla Quinn, who is now a reaper. Layla's plans for revenge go awry, however, when someone starts hunting down Saint family members and their associates, jeopardizing Layla and her reaper clan. Teaming up with Elise, Layla attempts to clear her name, but the longer the girls work together, the more their feelings--a mixture of fear, hate, and all-consuming love--interfere. The importance and power of music, particularly jazz and R&B, features heavily throughout this well-researched Jazz Age mystery. High stakes and bitter romantic tension culminate in a delicious historical fiction fantasy that uses the Harlem Renaissance as a rhythmic soundtrack. Ages 14--up. Agent: Emily Forney, BookEnds Literary. (Aug.)

In an alternate Harlem in 1926 that's soaked in blood and secrets, former best friends Elise Saint and Layla Quinn grapple with the murders plaguing their city--and the feelings they have for each other. Vampires, or reapers, abound in Jazz Era Harlem. For 18-year-old Black girls Elise and Layla, the outlook is bleak. Five years ago, Layla lost her parents, became a reaper, and tried to kill her best friend. The attack caused Elise to leave for Paris, but now she's back for the 10-year anniversary party of the founding of the Saint empire, one built to kill reapers. Layla, armed with a knife, breaks into the Saint mansion, frightens Elise's younger sister, and confronts Elise. Soon after, Layla is blamed for a vicious attack on Saint associates. The girls find themselves teaming up to investigate, working toward the goal of finding a cure for reaperhood. Elise and Layla's simmering friction drives the book, making their interactions a highlight. Scenes with other characters sparkle--such as those featuring gangster Jamie (whose loyalties are unclear) and Elise's confidant, Sterling (a reaper hunter whose white mother fled the Deep South after his Black father was lynched)--while others fall flat, leading to uneven pacing. The worldbuilding is also inconsistent and confusing at times. But this duology opener, packed with themes of racial, emotional, and generational trauma, features gorgeously written prose that will leave readers wanting more. An atmospheric, tension-filled fantasy debut. (content warning)(Fantasy. 15-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.