Review: Kiss of the Black Flame by Helen Scheuerer

Kiss of the Black Flame

Helen Scheuerer

(The Bookbinder's Bargain #1)

Publication Date: September 22, 2026

Hardcover, 464 pages, Atria Books

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads
 

Some bargains are sealed with blood...Others with fire...The deadliest are sealed with a kiss...

 

Saige Grayson has always believed stories could heal—even when her own body refuses to. As the most promising bookbinder in the capital, she’s learned to work through chronic pain and crushing debt, restoring other people’s treasures while trying not to fall apart herself. But when the man she owes decides her rare talent is worth more than her payments, Saige is traded to the Azkari—an immortal race forged by the gods for war—and imprisoned in their ancient stronghold.

 

Her only chance of survival lies with Archer, a fallen Azkari general imprisoned beside her —cursed, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. He offers her a way out, and in return, Saige must help him retrieve and restore an ancient book. But the book is made of living magic, powerful enough to stop a great evil—or unleash it. And as Saige works with Archer, the tome begins to awaken something dark and dangerous—both in the realm and within her.

 

As their enemies close in and buried memories resurface, Saige and Archer must decide what they’re willing to their freedom, their fragile trust…or the spark that could ignite the world.

My Review

Kiss of the Black Flame felt like a mix of today's romantasy stories combined with old-school paranormal romance books like Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark and Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld. It has a female main character with chronic pain, a mysterious sexy, warrior with a chip on his shoulder, and elemental powers that have unique, devastating features. 

Saige Grayson is a bookbinder who can't figure out why her body betrays her with debilitating pain, so she goes looking for answers that get her into trouble. That's where Archer, the ancient Azkari general comes in. He is imprisoned in the same stronghold Saige is dumped into, and he hasn't had access to his powers for years. Until Saige comes along, that is. Then, his black flames return and he's able to escape after making a bargain with Saige. The two characters had pretty good chemistry, but I was wary at first. Archer is very cranky. I mean, he sort of has a reason for it, but still, he's angry. The two did grow on me though. Saige is very sweet to Archer, which manages to break down his walls. It was all very adorable.

The plot was also fun. It felt like a love letter to book re-binders and book lovers overall, since the entire story revolves around finding and repairing a book. It also had a few twists I wasn't expecting. At first, I wasn't thrilled by one of them, but after a while, I was 100% on board. It made me very excited for book two. Unfortunately, one of the other plot twists had me cringing. It felt a bit wrong and uncomfortable. No spoilers here, but I truly don't know how Saige and Archer will navigate that situation. Good luck to them! 

As for worldbuilding, Helen Scheuerer created a world with a light-hearted atmosphere (Hello, slutty glasses, comfy socks, and loyal dog), yet the story still has the foreboding tone of a potential big bad being on the loose. Honestly, the worldbuilding kind of gave me small Sauron/LOTR bad guy vibes combined with the aforementioned IAD and LOTU character and romance dynamics. It also feels like T. Kingfisher's Swordheart series. After all, there's a trapped warrior, a woman who frees him, and a journey with unexpected obstacles.

All in all, I really enjoyed Kiss of the Black Flame, minus some hiccups along the way. It definitely felt like I'd time traveled back 15 years and was reading the most recent Kresley Cole release. I loved it. The brooding hero with wicked powers, the female main character with a soft nature and witty comebacks, and the conglomeration of all my favorite fantasy elements made for a book that was hard to put down. I can't wait to pick up the sequel, and I'm looking forward to reading Helen Scheuerer's backlist too.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Upcoming Release: A Crown of Ruin Novella (Deluxe Paperback) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Blue Box Press is thrilled to announce that A Crown of Ruin: A Blood and Ash Special Edition Novella Paperback from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout is coming November 10th, and it is available for preorder now!

 

A Crown of Ruin

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: November 10, 2026

Paperback (limited edition with deluxe edges), 224 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Amazon | B&N | Indigo | Target | Walmart

 

When everything falls apart, the truth of who they are is revealed.

 

Poppy has fallen into stasis, her body broken and power spent, carried beyond the mortal realm. While she lies suspended in dreams, Casteel faces a world without her-raw, wrathful, and altered in ways he doesn't yet understand.

 

Left to steady a kingdom trembling under the weight of loss, Kieran shoulders what he cannot say aloud, even as the fractures between gods, mortals, and fate widen around him.

 

In the days that follow, grief becomes a guide, loyalty a burden, and love the only thing holding the realms together.

 

 These are the pieces that fill the silence. The moments of wrath, ruin, resolve, and the spark of what must come next. A Crown of Ruin reveals the unseen moments of love, loss, and change between The Primal of Blood and Bone and The Throne of Bone and Ash-now available in a beautiful print edition featuring designed edges and special bonus content, including excerpts from other books in the universe, original artwork, and a candid Q&A with Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My Thoughts

I read this novella as a free ebook download in January. It's still available for free, if you're interested, but it's coming out in a deluxe paperback edition with sprayed edges. It looks so pretty! And the bonus content has me very intrigued! I can't wait to add this to my Blood & Ash collection! I may even do a reread with a full review. I've thought a lot about this novella over the past nine months. It's really stuck with me, along with that TPOBAB ending. That was brutal!

Review: The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody

The Shadows That Listen

Louisa Carmody

(Angel Ruin #1)

Publication Date: August 18, 2026

Paperback, 400 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Romantasy/Paranormal/Dystopian

Goodreads

WHO WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

 

The Shadows that Listen is an unputdownable dystopian romantasy with a delicious slow burn romance, from debut author Louisa Carmody. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and Silver Elite.

 

It's been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

 

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don't make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

 

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn't have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

 

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realize they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

 

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

My Review

The Shadows that Listen brought me back to a much simpler time when the angel craze was alive and well in the early 2010s. I loved every second of it then, and I loved diving back into the angel vs. demon world today. This book proved the simple fact that I don't think I'll ever tire of those stories.

The plot of this one really reminded me of Angelfall by Susan Ee. There's a girl trying to find a loved one and she allies with an angel to get that person back and help her navigate the apocalyptic chaos of the world around her. Only, in the case of The Shadows that Listen, the female main character is 27 with a missing boyfriend and skills that come with being a trained soldier. Amara Jones, the FMC, is fierce, witty, and has a remarkable ability to not die. I was impressed and a bit shocked that she kept getting out of some of the situations the author put her in.

As for the archangel and Amara's reluctant ally, Nathaniel, he's the broody and mysterious type. He has the vibes of Angelfall's Raffe, along with other popular male characters, angel or otherwise, like Hunt from Crescent City and Xaden from Fourth Wing. He also has a tendency to seemingly begrudgingly save Amara, which is quite entertaining to an enemies-to-lovers reader like myself.

As for the worldbuilding, I very much enjoyed it. The idea of an apocalyptic world overrun by angels and demons isn't entirely new, but it's still very entertaining. I liked that Amara was part of an intelligence agency, that the angels had their own city, and that the demons (or daemons as they're called in the book) are familiar but unique. Like the hellhounds. Those aren't new to paranormal stories, but the author put a spin on them that I found interesting.

 While I did thoroughly enjoy The Shadows that Listen and I devoured it in only a few days, I will say, there was some repetition, mostly revolving around the number of battle scenes and how those tended to play out. There were a lot of them, and I found myself thinking "Again?" once or twice when we went from a fun tension-filled conversation between the main characters straight into another fight. I also found the ending, while super interesting, to be a bit confusing. Not because things weren't foreshadowed or explained properly, but because I didn't understand why the two characters needed to trek around and make the journey for that ending to happen. It seemed like somewhat of a plot hole, but maybe that'll be touched on more in the second book, which I'll 100% be reading.

All in all, I definitely think this story is for the millennial readers who grew up with Angelfall, Unearthly, Angelfire, Fallen, City of Bones, Hush, Hush, and all the other young adult paranormal angel books. And, for newer readers, Crescent City and Silver Elite fans will very much appreciate this one. It's also for the Supernatural fans. If you miss Sam and Dean battling Lucifer and Michael on your TV screen, then you need to pick up The Shadows that Listen. You'll have so much fun!

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Dhampira by Amy Pennza

Dhampira

Amy Pennza

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

Paperback, 496 pages, Ace

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+/Poly

Goodreads

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

 

Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.

 

Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.

 

Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.

My Review

Dhampira is dark, almost gothic tale of a young half vampire getting stuck in a world of magic and terror. If you're a fan of Netflix's Castlevania or stories like Rin Chupeco's Silver Under Nightfall, then you'll love this dark, twisted tale. Even fans of more popular stories like Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash, Liv Zander's Court of Ravens duet, or any of Melissa K. Roehrich's books will enjoy Dhampira. It has the same vibes with great worldbuilding.

The book is all about Corinthe, the daughter of a small town's healer and a secret vampire, who finds out her father is a crazy vampire king she'll either need to escape from or end. And of course, during this journey, there are a couple of love interests to help her out. Lorcan is the mysterious royal vampire who's always at her father's side, and Vander is the captain of the guard. Each of the three main characters display unique powers, and seeing their relationship form felt fairly realistic in their fictional world. They're all trying to survive the maniacal king they serve. It is a personal peeve of mine, however, when the MM part of an MMF relationship has already been formed prior to the book's starting timeline. I feel like it makes a third of the poly relationship seem less important to the story. Or maybe I'm just greedy and want flashback scenes of all the characters forming romantic relationships.

I honestly flew through this book. That's rare for me with review copies. Not because I don't like them, but because I'm a huge mood reader, so a review book has to hit me hard to keep me obsessively turning pages over a two-day span, and Dhampira accomplished that feat. While the villain was a bit one-dimensional, which was kind of understandable given his madness, the worldbuilding overall was super interesting. There were a lot of mythical creatures, strange powers, and warring beings. The idea of a three-way war between witches, werewolves, and vampires with elves sitting in the background makes my Underworld/Charmed/Buffy/LOTR fangirl heart happy. It was pretty cool. I think a series or an even longer book could've made this an epic tale similar to Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire trilogy.

 The story was still a very fun time. I do think the ending was a bit chaotic and rushed, though. I'm hoping there's a sequel to settle the world back down, but I'm also not sure the story, especially the romance element, needs a sequel. Even though there were a few unanswered questions, those don't seem urgent enough to require another book. But I still want one, and I guess that's all that matters as long as the author writes it.

All in all, I am so happy with Dhampira. It made reading fun again when sometimes it just doesn't feel easy. I appreciate every book I read, but Dhampira helped me fall in love with that process again. It's such a good time with a digestible plot and fantasy world, but, at the same time, it has darker horror tones and intriguing romances to keep readers on their toes. I can't wait to add my preordered physical copy to my shelf of treasured vampire tales. It definitely deserves a place with my Jex Lane Beautiful Monsters set and my Reaper duology.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Our Rogue Fates by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Our Rogue Fates

Sarah Glenn Marsh

(Rogue Devotions #1)

Publication Date: April 28, 2026

Hardcover, 352 pages, Alcove Press

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+

Goodreads

On the hunt for hidden treasure, two former best friends turned adversaries must put the past behind them if they hope to make it home.

 

This childhood-friends-to-lovers male/male romantic fantasy in the tradition of Tusk Love and Sara Raasch crackles with tension and heat.

 

When he isn’t training as a Warden to become half the hero his father was, Griff Sayer is in the business of breaking hearts all across the town of Mayfair, although that slows down after settling in with his current boyfriend. Griff's ex-best-friend, Mal Pryce, meanwhile, is in business with whatever or whoever puts good money in his hands. Now in their mid-20s, Griff and Mal have only exchanged scathing looks and carefully barbed jabs since the fight that sent them their separate ways years ago. But all that begins to change when an attack Mal plotted for his shady boss leaves Griff near death and their childhood friend Alys is his savior, forcing them back into each other’s orbit.

 

Livid at his boss, Mal makes a deal to earn his freedom and Griff’s safety. He has just four weeks to retrieve an ancient treasure from Rotrose Mire, a remote swamp known for its ghostly and beastly dangers, the same treasure Alys’s beloved father Rhun had been searching for when he disappeared for good. Armed with a map and a broken blade of Rhun’s, Mal sets off—with Alys and a reluctant and newly single Griff in tow.

 

Yet the explosive tension between the two men—along with the dangers of the mire pressing in around them—make for a more difficult journey than any of them could have anticipated. As Griff and Mal peel back their tough facades, and shared feelings heat up in unexpected ways as they learn to trust again, they also realize that someone—or something—seems to be following their path. Someone who doesn’t want them to succeed, no friend to their parents’ old enemies, but also no friend to would-be heroes…

 

Our Rogue Fates is a second-chance spicy Achillean romance with the questing spirit of Dungeons & Dragons, perfect for fans of Critical Role.

My Review

Our Rogue Fates isn't quite a cozy fantasy story, but I think it gives those vibes. It's not a sprawling epic and there aren't paranormal love interests. It's just an adventure between three people who grew up together and have a tense history. The entire story definitely has a Dungeons & Dragons feel to it, as the three main characters are searching for treasure and random mythical creatures and obstacles get in their way. There are spirits, elves, orc heads, and a persistent knack for the main characters to get into trouble. Oh, and it's blurbed by Sean Astin. How the heck did that happen?! That's so cool!

I will say, however, that Our Rogue Fates isn't quite what I wanted it to be. I was hoping for something with a bit more umph to the world and the love story. Instead, the story was just a bit... messy. The beginning honestly threw me off a lot. I almost DNF'ed even though I try really hard not to leave my review copies unfinished. But this one, it just started out really slow and tossed the reader into a world that wasn't well described and wasn't all that interesting with characters who also weren't super interesting or even good people. They end up committing a terrible crime in the first few pages of their treasure-hunting journey that made it difficult to ever really like them at all.

Griff and Mal, the two male main characters, aren't introduced to the book particularly well. Griff is obsessed with Mal enough to where he leads his current boyfriend on and leaves him at a moment's notice when Mal comes calling. And Mal is a criminal who managed to arrange Griff getting stabbed, which is the inciting incident of the story. And Alys, well, I don't understand her at all. I think she has kids, though I don't remember anything about them or who her partner was/is. Also, Alys can randomly talk down trolls. Not sure how she did that. Honestly, I didn't care enough to question it too much.

 While I didn't particularly like any of the characters or the initial world building, I will say the story did pick up around the halfway mark. I think it's because of the romance. It actually made things interesting when Griff and Mal started talking to each other because, before that point, I had no idea why they had even liked each other when they were kids and how the fight between them lead to them going their separate ways. Halfway through, Mal and Griff were kind of cute together. Especially when one of them was injured and the other was playing doctor. And I was having some fun with the story through the last half of the book up until the very end. Now, I'm going to share some SPOILERS here, so look away if you don't want to be SPOILED. We didn't even get to see the trio obtain the treasure. The author completely skipped over that part after writing a book that was dedicated to a treasure hunt. I was flabbergasted when that happened. I couldn't believe an author would do that to a reader. And the actual ending was kind of nonsensical with flying dogs added for no reason whatsoever. There's also a book two coming out, which I'm surprised by. I think the story ended in a way that it doesn't seem necessary for more.

All in all, I am sad to label this book as simply "messy." It starts off with unlikeable characters, fixes it a little mid-way through, and then throws the plot into disarray at the very end. But maybe, if you're a fan of adventure/cozy-type stories where characters make stupid, deadly mistakes, Our Rogue Fates might be for you. I just warn against expecting a satisfying ending. Oh, I do love that cover art, though. It's very pretty.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Upcoming Release: The Summer King by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Summer King, a steamy romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout & Blue Box Press is coming April 7th!

 

The Summer King

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Paperback (limited edition with deluxe edges), 496 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy, Romance

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Paperback

 

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the complete Summer King saga—three parts, one epic romance.

 

Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. Caden, the Prince, is the most dangerous being in the mortal world—haunted by a past he couldn’t control and driven by a singular desire: revenge. And there’s only one person who can help him.

 

Brighton Jussier knows better than to trust him. Raised in the Order, she’s seen the atrocities Caden is capable of. Reformed or not, she wants nothing to do with him…until he leaves her no choice. Forced into an uneasy alliance, she discovers the man beneath the ice—a man whose touch burns with forbidden heat and whose gaze holds a wicked promise.

 

But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare hell-bent on destroying the world—and everyone close to him. The more Brighton and Caden work together, the harder it is to deny the hunger between them. And when Brighton is bestowed with the forbidden Summer’s Kiss, becoming something no longer human, Caden refuses to let her go—even at the cost of his Court.

 

Now, as the doorway to the Otherworld is breached, Brighton and Caden must do the unthinkable—not just to survive, but to save mankind from the evil that threatens to consume the world.

 

Previously published as the novellas The Prince, The King, and The Queen.

My Thoughts

I recently received an ARC of this one from the publisher, Blue Box Press, so you'll be seeing my review soon. I can't wait to share my thoughts. It's been a while since I read the Wicked trilogy but those books and JLA's Harbinger series got me out of a major reading slump back in 2020. It's been great to dive back into her urban fantasy/paranormal world. I feel like all I read is fantasy or contemporary these days and not anything with both elements. I'm about a third of the way through The Summer King right now, and it's taking me back to much simpler times. But, I'll share my full review next week!

Review: The Lies that Summon the Night by Tessonja Odette

The Lies that Summon the Night

Tessonja Odette

(Songs for the Sinless #1)

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

Hardcover, 320 pages, Delacorte Press

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads

Lies, beauty, and seduction mingle in the first book of an enthralling romantasy series where making art is considered a sin, and the shadows born from it aren't the only danger to the creators—from the bestselling author of Curse of the Wolf King.

 

From the art of liars, the monsters came… Ever since art gave life to bloodthirsty shadows, creative works have been forbidden and the talented creators sacrificed to the Sinless—the immortal royals who feast on human blood in return for their protection.

 

Inana’s secret storytelling nearly got her killed once, and she’ll be damned if she’s ever caught again. With a bounty on her head, she keeps to the city’s dark underbelly where she earns a meager living from thrill-seeking patrons desperate to hear her illicit fiction. Until Dominic, a Shadowbane, catches one of her performances. . .

 

Dominic is a half-Sinless monster hunter as fearsome as his prey. But to complete his hunt, he needs an artist to summon the shadows . . . he needs Inana. Dominic delivers an ultimatum: serve him or he’ll claim her bounty. When survival is all Inana has left, the choice is clear. At least until she can betray him and leave him for dead.

 

 As their tense alliance leads them into the heart of danger, dark secrets unravel—about each other, their world, and the threats they face. But the greatest risk of all is the desire growing between them. There’s something more sinful than lust at play, and it could bring the world to its knees.

My Review

The Witcher with a "shadow daddy" vampire. That's how I think The Lies that Summon the Night should be advertised. So, if you prefer your fictional men to have auras like Desmond Flynn from Laura Thalassa's The Bargainer series, the bat boys from ACOTAR, or even Nyktos from the Flesh and Fire series, then this one might just be for you.

Dominic, the male love interest and second POV character, really has Henry Cavill as Geralt energy, though his hair isn't silver, sadly. He does have dark hair, though, for those of you who prefer brunettes. Dominic is sort of gruff and rough-around-the-edges with a nice chip on his shoulder and plans to burn it all to the ground while he hunts shadow monsters for a living and drinks vials of blood. The female main character, Inana, is a storyteller in a world where storytelling and art are forbidden, since art attracts the shadow creatures called Shades. Her character is the average romantasy main character, but she has a secret that keeps you intrigued throughout. She also has some intriguing interactions with the Shades and some unique circumstances that kept me curiously flipping pages.

The Lies that Summon the Night is a fairly short book. It's just over 300 pages, which is rare for a romantasy these days. And, although it's on the shorter side, I think it told a complete story ARC, leaving a decent bit of potential chaos for what's going to happen in book two. There's no major cliffhanger, however, so readers don't have to worry about a crazy cutoff. But the entire plot of Lies is based around going village to village to fight these shadow monsters. Dominic and his sidekick, Calvin (cough, non-musical Jaskier, cough), and the three Summoners Dominic needs to draw Shades out are all on this road trip. Inana joins him to get away from a Sinless, which is basically a royal vampire. It's all quite complicated when you try to explain it, but once I stopped trying to connect the dots and just went with the flow, it was easier to understand the world-building.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this to my fellow romantasy readers. It's quick, fun, and has some decent tension between the two main characters. And while I'm still adamant The Witcher is the main vibe comparison for the story, the atmosphere and concepts do feel similar to books like The Knight and the Moth, From Blood and Ash, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and Shield of Sparrows. It's a good amalgamation of the more hyped romantasy titles with popular tropes like shadow magic, sexy vampires, monster fighting, and secret powers. 

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

We Who Will Die

Stacia Stark

(Empire of Blood #1)

Publication Date: December 30, 2025

Hardcover, 423 pages, Avon

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.

 

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

 

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

 

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

 

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

 

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

My Review

Vampires in a gladiator/Ancient Rome-inspired magical fantasy setting? Sounds amazing! Written by Stacia Stark, author of the Kingdom of Lies series? Even more amazing! We Who Will Die is a fun time, and its comparison to The Vampire Diaries universe is definitely adequate. It has prime CW-level qualities. Honestly, it gives True Blood vibes too with all of the creatures. But the romance. That's TVD all the way.

I will say that I was hoping for a bit more vamp lore and gritty times. That's my own fault because this book is not dark and gritty. Even though there are sad moments, it's a really high-vibes type of book. Like, people are dying and we're kind of just breezing past it. I did really enjoy Arvelle's relationships with her brothers and her friends, though. As the female main character, Arvelle herself isn't very unique as a protagonist and she makes some dumb decisions. Those dumb decisions are explained later on, but still... I guess she makes the story interesting. For the other two main characters, those are the male love interests. One more so than the other at this time. Now, their dynamic kept me reading. I loved the vamp and spoilery relationship between the two that was revealed towards the end. It was a good bit of drama. And I think towards the end is really when everything comes together for these characters. They're seemingly working together versus keeping secrets constantly, so things started clicking.

My main criticism towards this book was honestly the middle. It was a bit underwhelming compared to the beginning and the ending. The middle just seemed like events were happening one right after another with no pause for the reader to care why they were happening. It was like BAM! Arena fight scene. BAM! Party to celebrate! BAM! Dramatic murder! It all needed to slow down for some character reflection or scenery description. For example, during the party scene, Arvelle has a conversation with like four characters back-to-back in less than five pages. That whole party scene should have taken up one long chapter with descriptions of the scenery, Arvelle's dress, the food, other characters' outfits, etc. But it was all glossed over. But again, that's simply what I would have preferred. And, like I said, the beginning had a lot of fun introducing readers to the world and characters and the ending was fun because everything kind of blew up and secrets were revealed. I definitely still enjoyed the story, even though the middle was a bit underwhelming.

All in all, if you're looking for a fun, angsty romantasy, then We Who Will Die is 100% for you. It has vampires for the paranormal lovers, griffons and gorgons for the mythology lovers, and strange deaths for the murder-mystery readers. It's a good time with the promise of an even better time when book two comes out. I am pretty excited to see how all that drama unfolds.
 

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

Our Vicious Oaths

N.E. Davenport

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Paperback, 528 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Fantasy/Romantasy

Goodreads

Enter a new world of romantic fantasy from award-winning author N.E. Davenport—a journey of powerful magic, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue—as a warrior-princess and a vengeful king from rival fae courts form a fierce alliance to take down a merciless despot.

 

Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.

 

Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before…but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King

 

 For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.

 

 On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.

 

 But she is no true hostage. The two form a pact: she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable…and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.

My Review

If you're looking for a romantasy book with a tension-filled relationship similar to Amber V. Nicole's Gods & Monsters series only set in an all-out fantasy fae world, I think Our Vicious Oaths could definitely be for you. It has characters with magical powers, kongamatos (giant serpent dragons), and two main characters who loathe each other.

The two main characters are fairly antagonistic to each other. At times, I got a bit uncomfortable thinking "Oh, we're doing that? Okay." It's a very unconventional relationship in a fantasy romance story simply because of their thoughts and actions towards each other. The female main character, Kadeesha, is an aether fire-wielding, kongamato-riding princess who reeeeally wants to kill Malachi, the king of the Apollyon Court. She even plans to kill him when things seem to be going well in their alliance. And Malachi, the shadow-wielding king, has a tendency to play the bad guy to everyone except his close companions. So yeah, reluctant allies to lovers with enemies to lovers thrown in too. Like I said, she wants to kill him, and he is extremely... intense.

Now, I was worried their tension wouldn't work because of how their original meeting played out in the early chapters of the story. It was a bit underwhelming when the characters first got together. However, their tension gets better as time goes on, and the intimate scenes are much more impactful. So, keep reading, even if those first few chapters throw you off.

 The two main characters having to work together to defeat a tyrannical bad guy is a good plot. Very solid. And it works well for a standalone like this. I will say, the book did have a weakness, though. Its clunky sentence structure was difficult to read at times. For example, the sentence, "His other hand moved to cup her hip, his fingers splayed along its length, a possessive brand that was searing." The sentence could have ended with "a possessive searing brand" to be more impactful. This is just one of many examples. And although these sentences did hinder my enjoyment a little, I was still able to read the book without any major issues.

That being said, I do think the plot and characters carried this story. The two main characters were feisty and powerful with unique personalities in an interesting fantasy world. I do wish the side characters in Malachi's Cadre and the kongamato flyers had more time to shine, but maybe that means spinoffs in the future? Seeing the side characters romances could be fun...

All in all, Our Vicious Oaths was a good time. It has cool shadow and fire powers, characters seeking vengeance from evil rulers, and battles with dragons. I think romantasy readers will enjoy this one just like I did.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.