Vampires, Baristas, and Oracle Decks, Oh My!
A tattooed vampire king, a mortal barista with unresolved trauma, and a Pacific Northwest on the brink of a second apocalypse—The Reveal by Megan Crane is serving up some bold paranormal energy. I had the chance to read it early (thanks, NetGalley!) and while I had my issues with insta-love and a battle sequence that fizzled when it should’ve flared, there’s still plenty for monster romance readers to sink their teeth into. Especially if you love found family, magical decks, or books that make you say “What did I just read… and do I want more?”
Hype Report
This book isn’t yet published. I had the honor of reading it as an advance review copy (ARC) through NetGalley. So there isn’t a lot of hype yet. Get-Hyped!
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Aesthetic
The Cover
The cover illustration on this book immediately caught my attention. The vibrant colors and intricate details of the cards kept me engaged. Clearly, denoting the paranormal content through imagery, I knew what to expect from the blurb. The typeface of the title feels relevant while not being formulaic. There is something a little bit weird about using all caps with the swashing and the inconsistent sizes of the letters. The more I look at it, the more it bothers me.
Interior
Considering this was an Advance Review Copy (ARC) and is likely to be refined before publication, the interior was in really good shape. I did notice a couple of gaps in the text that made me think a word was missing until I noticed that the text was justified and a long word was forced to jump to the next line. Overall, it was as expected for an ebook.
Did the design affect whether I bought the book?
Yes, the cover kept calling out to me. I couldn’t say no.
Summary
In Short
25 year old barista, Winter, is surviving the paranormal apocalypse known as “the reveal” while trying to pay off her Grans mortgage and help her addict twin brother when she gets pulled into a sequence of events that might be the second end of the world – but also falls in love.
From the Publisher
In the wake of a monstrous world war, a mortal woman’s submission to an enigmatic vampire is the only way to live in this enthralling paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane.
It’s a different world now, Winter Bishop. Get used to it. Or die.
For the three years since the Reveal, when monsters rose from the shadows, I’ve been just another human trying to maintain normalcy in a world where life is short and brutal. Coexisting with werewolves, zombies, and vampires—each alarmingly true to their myths—isn’t easy.
Now I’ve been summoned by Ariel Skinner, the charismatic king of the vampires, who holds my missing brother’s life in his hands. To save him, I must do everything Ariel says. His quicksilver gaze and the way he makes my body hum should scare me, but the wildfire chemistry is just too hot.
I should have known that Ariel would want more.
Because there’s a greater cataclysm to come, and it will make everything worse. To help stop it, Ariel needs me. And whatever fresh hell arises, with every beat of my disastrously mortal heart, I need *him*.
After all, I’m only human.
I leave her to her intense shuffling, trying not to look directly at the dark cards with all the golden figures and symbols that always seem sticky, like they’re trying to pull me in.
Character Analysis
The characters in The Reveal are a mixed bag. Some characters are instantly likable or hatable depending on their role, but others I still can’t quite figure out how I feel about them. Winter, the female main character, is relatable to a degree, but sometimes lapses into being annoying or overly dramatic. She has a rather matter-of-fact, realist point of view, sprinkled with snark. Ariel, the male main character, has no personality. Winter seems to fall for him because he is a vampire – no other reason that I can discern. However, many of the side characters are endearing and their interaction with the FMC and each other is much more interesting.
I can’t decide if the embarrassment is actually life-threatening or not.
Writing Style
The writing is well paced, and written in a way that keeps the reader engaged with the story. The tone is very consistent throughout. Setting descriptions are spot on. Having lived much of my life in the Pacific Northwest, and visited the area the book is set in, the vibes are well captured.
Crane keeps her characters’ experiences in mind when writing descriptions from their point of view. In one instance, they are describing something as silk, but following up with the fact that the character is just guessing because they aren’t a fabric expert. On one hand, I appreciate this, because it’s off-putting when first-person POV describes things that they would have no way of knowing about. On the other hand, this probably accounts for the overuse of certain descriptors (how many times can you describe a person or part of a person as “marble” before it’s just too much?)
The issue is, I want him to see me as a whole person first. And only then as his mate.
Themes
Addiction is a major theme in this story. How addictions affect families specifically. The toll of elder care and dementia is explored. Winter also gets a look at the perspective of the other side of “The Reveal” and learns that “monsters” may not be all bad. She experiences a bit of found family, or at least the beginnings of it.
I’m a goddamn barista, for fuck’s sake.
Critical Evaluation
The premise of The Reveal by Megan Crane is enticing. The plot follows an arc that makes sense for the characters. Various themes are explored in meaningful ways. Some of the characters experience personal growth – Augie, Winter’s twin brother, most notably. Hurdles were overcome. The main events in the story conclude in a satisfying way, while leaving the door open for the next book in the Bloodlore series.
No one asks a sacrificial lamb what she might have liked to do with her life.
Personal Opinion
While I am a fan of spice, this novel relies on sexual encounters and matching tattoos to be the building blocks of an epic love story. More time and care needed to be spent in developing the emotional bond between the main characters to make this a swoon-worthy vampire romance story that readers gush over.
Furthermore, the climactic battle sequence at the end of the story is, well, anti-climactic. The setup is there, side characters play their roles beautifully, but then the FMC just suddenly has abilities heretofore untold and just nips the baddie in the bud. Uh, okay. The struggle was not real.
However, the semi-sentient oracle cards were a cool plot device and I really enjoyed how they played a role throughout the story. As a fan of Tarot cards, I would have liked more description of the oracle card and the symbols and meanings. This was glanced over at best – a missed opportunity in my opinion.
This makes me so unhappy with myself that all I can think to do is make myself an overly big breakfast. My feelings on toast.
Recommendation
If you are a vampire romance reader, The Reveal is a fun little romp to add to your collection. Paranormal, monster, and occult romance readers, jump in, because I think this series is going to have plenty of monster smut to please you all. If you are looking for dark romance or a more serious fare, this is not for you.
Notes
This is giving a little True Blood but without the love triangle.
Available for Pre-order
Release Date: October 07, 2025
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May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
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