by Tigest Girma
First published 2025
Kidan Adane has crossed every line at Uxlay University. She has murdered without hesitation and broken the institution's most fundamental rule by bringing the Nefrasi, dangerous rogue vampires, onto campus. Now she shares space with an unstable vampire while processing her sister's unexpected return. Kidan channels her rage into determination. She will dominate her house and safeguard the precious relic it contains, even if that requires partnering with Samson Sagad, the corrupt Nefrasi leader, and turning against Susenyos. A mysterious philosophical manuscript appears to offer the control Kidan craves, though its dark contents threaten to devour her. Trust has become impossible at Uxlay, particularly when it comes to Susenyos. The relationship between Kidan and Susenyos oscillates between hatred and desire, but both remain consumed by their hunger for dominance. Neither will yield to the other. When buried secrets emerge, Kidan and her sister June must face each other directly and claim their positions in the approaching conflict.
Genres: mystery, fantasy, horror, thriller, dark-fantasy, academic
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Uxlay University
Period: contemporary
544 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: violence