Terror at the Gates: Characters, spicy chapters, triggers & review

Written By Esta Pinto

Here’s what you need to know before picking up Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair. 

I’ll cover a quick synopsis, my Terror at the Gates review, highlight the main Terror at the Gates characters and list the supporting characters, families, names, and more. 

And if you need to know the Terror at the Gates spice level, including where to find the spicy chapters, plus how spicy are they, I’ve mapped them out. I know some people like to avoid them and some people like to run straight to them.

I’ll also go over key trigger warnings and give my take on the appropriate Terror at the Gates age rating, since this one is very dark in both content, tone and themes, especially around power, control and violence. This is a fantasy world built on a brutal, patriarchal system, where the fantasy relics and creatures are dangerous, the men in charge are worse and survival often depends on how well a woman can weaponise her silence or her defiance. 

Happy reading that will make you want to shake a fist at the patriarchy, probably.

 

Terror at the Gates synopsis.

The first in an all-new fantasy series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair. In this biting, feminist retelling of Lilith's story, Lilith will rise from the ashes of her former life to destroy the ancient power that stole everything she loves.

She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he's always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn't sure he can protect her from what's to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

Get Terror at the Gates here.

 

Terror at the Gates book characters.

Terror at the Gates is narrated from a dual first person point of view, from both Lilith Leviathan and Zahariev Zareth’s perspective. 

Here is a breakdown of our two main characters, Lilith, known as Lily to her friends, and Zahariev, the main male character, followed by a list of all Terror at the Gates characters we meet both major and minor.

Main characters.

Lilith Leviathan.

Photo shared by @authorscarlettstclair & artist @lalalaurenboyle via Instagram

Terror at the Gates sets the scene with Lilith in the city of Ninevah, giving us a glimpse into the way this fantasy patriarchal world operates, including the way she can use her magic. 

Zahariev Zareth.

Zahariev Zareth, now head of Ninevah after his father’s death, is the city’s quiet authority and the central male figure in Terror at the Gates. Bound by a promise to Lilith’s father, he’s agreed to keep an eye on her and ensure she stays out of trouble, though Lilith has no intention of making that easy.

Review: Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair.

View my review and follow me on GoodReads here.

My rating: ★★★★★

  • Spice level: 🌶 🌶🌶🌶

  • 4/5, slow-burn, steamy, explicit spice, that builds up to a crescendo

Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards books steeped in female rage. Maybe because real life keeps handing us fresh reasons to be furious. But I digress.

As you may be able to tell, this isn’t your average romantasy. It’s a gritty Lilith re-imagining dipped in neo noir, laced with mafia politics, religious trauma, Romeo & Juliet-esque frenemies-to-lovers grimdark urban romantasy set in a fantasy patriarchal world. Yep, that sounds like a lot but for me, the vibes were immaculate.

But beneath the aesthetic, Scarlett St. Clair gives us a mirror that reflects double standards, institutional gaslighting and hypocrisy and the habit of branding women as “too difficult” when they dare to defy. The world of Terror at the Gates is fictional but if it starts feeling a bit too real life/Gilead for comfort, that’s probably the point.

I must admit, I went into this knowing very little about Lilith beyond the vague “Adam’s first wife who got demonized for being difficult” lore. A quick rabbit hole later, I learned there are multiple origin stories, but the most enduring is that Lilith was created from the same earth as Adam, refused to be beneath him, literally and symbolically, and for that, she was exiled and rewritten as a monster. Misogyny, ancient edition.

(Or maybe she simply walked out of Eden and never looked back.)

St. Clair leans hard into this. Her Lilith isn’t here to be subservient, she’s here to be difficult, to desire, to resist. It's not an empowerment arc with rainbows and butterflies. It’s dark, raw, occasionally nihilistic.

In this fantastical patriarchal world, women inherit magic through bloodlines, but men gatekeep it and get to wield it. Marriage is strategic and transactional. You may notice some characters have internalized misogyny. This is a book that is heavy on fantasy theology and religious trauma, but before you get your knickers in a knot, this isn’t anti-faith or religion.

I interpreted it as a critique of how religion gets twisted and how power-hungry institutions and figures of authority have weaponized doctrine to climb to power and enforce control. If that makes you uncomfortable, or if you’re not ready to see religion, religious books/texts and teachings examined as a tool of oppression, this one probably isn’t for you.

Now, if you're here for the romantasy part, good news. Possibly one of my favorite pairings of the year so far. The slow-burn frenemies to lovers tension between Lilith and Zahariev is toe-curling and when the spice finally kicks in, you may need a bucket of ice. Prepare thyself.

There’s also a sweet found family subplot, a sapphic bestie and an adorable animal companion who adds just enough softness and cuteness.

That said, this isn’t a light read. There are pretty graphic content warnings to be mindful of so please be aware and read with care. (*Trigger warnings included further down).

If I have one quibble, it’s that I wanted more from the magic system. The concept of power being siphoned from women by the men they’re forced to marry could have been richer but it felt underexplored. Hopefully we see that dynamic bleed deeper into the story’s tension and conflict in the sequel.

If you like extremely dark grimdark romantasy where the yearning yearns, the patriarchy gets called out and the heroine refuses to be palatable, this one’s for you.

P.S. Read it before someone tries to ban it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Sourcebooks UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

 View my review and follow me on GoodReads here. I chat about books a lot.

 

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair FAQs.

SPOILER ALERT:

Some answers may spoil the book if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution.

What series does Terror at the Gates belongs to?

Terror at the Gates is book one in the Blood of Lilith series, by author, Scarlett St. Clair.

What are the content and trigger warnings?

  • Religious trauma

  • Sexual assault specifically by an authority figure in the church

  • Child abuse and emotional abuse by a parent and authority figure in the church

  • Coercion

  • Pregnancy and birth body horror

  • Death of a loved one

  • Misogyny

  • Internalized misogyny

  • Explicit sexual content

  • Toxic family relationships

  • Violence

  • Blood

  • Death

  • Death of parent

  • Injury and injury details

  • Murder

  • Gore

  • Alcohol use

  • Grief

  • Cursing

  • Off-page child sexual assault

What is the age rating for Terror at the Gates?

Terror at the Gates’ age rating is classified as adult, so ages 18+, due to adult themes and sexual content. Please also see the trigger and content warnings listed above.

How many chapters are in Terror at the Gates?

There are 22 chapters in Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair.

What is the Terror at the Gates spice level?

Is Terror at the Gates spicy? Yep it sure is! Even though it’s a relatively slow-burn, it builds up plenty of steam and tension along the way and then gets extremely scorching hot.

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

4/5, moderate to hot spice, with a slow build up of steamy tension, a romantic undercurrent and when the flood gates open, it’s very hot and and described explicitly.

Where to find the Terror at the Gates spicy chapters.

Whether you’re spice-averse, spice-curious, or reading with a fire extinguisher, here’s your Terror at the Gates spicy chapters map. Capsicum rating is more about steamy tension or flirting. Chillis mean kissing and more.

  • Chapter 4: 🫑🫑

  • Chapter 10: 🫑🫑🫑

  • Chapter 13: 🫑🫑🫑(dream)

  • Chapter 14: 🌶️

  • Chapter 19: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

  • Chapter 21: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Esta Pinto
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