Death’s Daughter

I often like my books to come with a side of darkness. This led me to Death’s Daughter by S.A. Barnes, the first in her Children of the Old Ones series. This dark academia romantasy is set in a college town in Massachusetts, where Jocasta is trying to live a normal life, despite secretly being the spawn of Death himself. But when a mysterious new guy shows up and Jo’s friend ends up dead the next morning, she knows something is very wrong. A magical presence is suddenly all over her sleepy town, and Jo may be the only person who can stop it. Worse, she may have step into her role as Death’s successor in a way she’s never wanted.

What I Liked:

• The “Old Ones” and their spawn. I enjoyed how Death’s Daughter dives into mythology and lore, creating literal figures out of concepts like Death, Lust, and War. In this world, much of what humans have imagined, like vampires, can be traced to these secret Old Ones. Then there are their spawn, people like Jocasta who must feed on whatever their sire is named for. Jo feeds on death, but feels bad about it and tries to limit herself to little sips.
• Dark academia vibes. This is more about the college town setting and the early-20s characters who make up much of the main cast. Jo is a psychology major, studying and living a regular life when all the drama starts. I do think I would have felt more of the dark academia style with a slightly slower pace and more lore being researched, but still, the setting was right.
• Why choose romance. Jo has been in a secret, forbidden romance with Carter, a TA for a class she previously took. But then Devon, the spawn of Lust, is on the scene, and they have a strong connection, too. A love triangle or a why choose romance? I’m not sure yet, but it seems this trio will continue on into the next book of the series.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Relentless pace. A lot happens over the span of only a few days. This book is action-packed and puts our characters in a rather stressful and confusing situation. I wasn’t the one running all over town, trying to stop more people from getting killed while navigating being Death’s successor… but I felt nearly as exhausted as Jo must have by the end of it all. If you like high-energy books, this will be a fun read. As for me, I prefer more breathing room.

Audiobook:

Ava Lucas narrates Death’s Daughter really well. She captures Jo’s character perfectly, and I especially like how she infuses personality into Jo’s exclamations and asides. It makes her feel more vivid. This was an engaging listen.

Final Thoughts

Death’s Daughter was a fun read, and I enjoyed it overall. Though for me, it didn’t stand out compared to other books in the genre, and I’m not sure whether I’ll continue the Children of the Old Ones series. (This story resolves well, but there’s a hint of new adventures to come in the next book.) If you like urban fantasy, slight dark academia vibes, and a side of romance involving three characters, this will be an entertaining read.

Special thanks to Bramble, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Death’s Daughter here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Death’s Daughter by S.A. Barnes
Series	The Children of the Old Ones
Audiobook Narrator	Ava Lucas
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romantasy; Urban Fantasy
Setting	Massachusetts
Number of Pages	400
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	May 5, 2026
Publisher	Bramble

Official Summary

The steamy mythology of Neon Gods meets the dark academia of Ninth Housein this contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author S.A. Barnes.

After a lifetime of chaos, Jocasta has finally found her home with good friends, great classes, even a messy situationship with her former TA—a normal life.

Well, as normal a life as the only child of Death can have.

She’s always refused to embrace her father’s legacy. Instead of taking lives, she feeds on her classmates’ disappointments, failures, and rejections. Finals week has her feasting, and all is good.

Until Death ruins her life. Again.

Without warning, Death names Jocasta as his sole successor, making her a powerful ally… and a massive target. Devon, a descendant of Lust, claims to want to help her—for a price.

Jo will do anything to protect the people she loves and the life she’s worked so hard for.

Even if it means becoming a monster.