Review: Turncloak by L.K. Steven

Turncloak

L.K. Steven

(Silvercloak Saga #2)

Publication Date: September 15, 2026

Hardcover, 544 pages, Del Rey

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ/Queer

Goodreads

Three rival mages race for power, vengeance, and the fate of Atherin in the epic second installment of the Silvercloak Saga, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates.

 

Revenge drove Saffron Killoran to go undercover in the Bloodmoon gang. But now, with any chance of retribution gone, she sees only one path forward: harnessing a long-dormant power to fix her ruinous mistakes.

 

Meanwhile, the new kingpin of the Bloodmoons has discovered Saffron’s true identity as a Silvercloak—and her ultimate goal of bringing his empire down. As old wounds resurface and fresh enemies close in, he finds himself torn between the cause to which he has devoted his life and the fate of the traitorous mage he loves.

 

Hot on their heels is an ambitious rookie detective sent to stake out the Bloodmoons’ growing rivals. She will stop at nothing to destroy both gangs—and anything or anyone who dares to stand in her way.

 

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of trust and betrayal spanning continents, Saffron must choose where her loyalties lie—and determine if her quest to unmake time itself is worth becoming a villain to the whole world.

My Review

I said book one, Silvercloak, was for adults who are missing the magic of the Wizarding World but also want a darker fantasy story reminiscent of Six of Crows and A Darker Shade of Magic, and I stand by that description for the second book in the Silvercloak Saga. The series has a wand-based magic system that the wizards fuel with pain and pleasure, but there's also time travel, mafia, detectives, queer-normative relationships, and a good-boy wolf to contribute to the worldbuilding. And in the sequel, you also get plot twists, betrayals, and secrets.

Now, I have to confess, this book took me a long time to get through. I think I read it over the course of an entire month. The same thing happened with the first book, especially for the first 75% of the book. It was just very slow-paced. Seemingly intentionally, so, with the criminal enterprise happening and laying out all the threads for the ending. It takes time and energy to pull off the setup for where L.K. Steven decided to take the story. Unlike book one, however, when my issue was the narration style, this time, it was the addition of a few new POVs. It seemed like every time I was getting into the groove of this story, there'd be a POV change that slowed the pacing down. So, I'd put the book to the side. This kept happening until the very end of Turncloak, when those elements finally paid off. However, I'm still not sure Auria's POV was necessary. Auria is a fellow detective from Saffron's cohort. I think Saffron's, Levan's, and the one mystery character's POV would have been sufficient to smooth the pacing and maintain the events of the story.

Saffron Killoran, the main character, is still undercover in the Bloodmoon organization, though no one from the Silvercloaks really knows that's the case. She's also still in a complicated romantic relationship with Levan Celadon, the new Bloodmoon kingpin. Saffron and Levan's relationship was the strongest part of Silvercloak, so I was glad they were still working together in this book, whether they truly wanted to or not. I am a little confused about how two grown adults are still obsessed with their parents' deaths, though. Like yes, it's extremely traumatic and awful, but they spent more time alive without their parents than with them. Plus, two adults should realize the repercussions of the paths they're on. So, I guess I just find that plotline a little head-scratching. I mean, humans do stupid things, but I had to suspend disbelief a bit to really follow their motivations.

As for the plot, like I said, it was slow going. The first half of the book is primarily about the characters' responses to the end of book one, but then the latter half of Turncloak starts to focus on the new plotline. I guess, technically, it isn't new, but it felt different from book one. This time, the characters' traveled outside the city, and other countries suddenly became relevant to the story. As someone who only remembered the major plot points from book one and not the minor details, it was a bit confusing to have these countries name dropped on me without much backstory. I think having a physical copy with the full map will definitely help readers keep those things straight. But, like I mentioned, L.K. Steven did manage to bring the world expansion and the POV elements together to craft a decent cliffhanger ending that has me intrigued for book three. I just know now that I'll have to dedicate a month to reading the final book in the series. I might also have to do a re-read or find a summary of the prior books as well, as I doubt I can remember all of the craziness from prior installments.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about this one due to how long it took to get through. I think the Silvercloak Saga is for readers who love the payoff of intricate detective shows and hardcore fantasy worlds, and it's not for the easy-breezy fantasy reader, which, depending on the day, I could put myself into either category. At the point in time I read Turncloak, I was more of an easy-breezy reader that found it difficult to keep going. It's just not a book you pick up if you don't have the headspace for heavy worldbuilding and a plot-centric story. I do think there are a lot of readers who will love how unique the story is, though, especially when it seems like dragons, fae, and vampires are taking over bookstores. Not that there's anything wrong with dragons, fae, and vampires. This is just something different to entertain the masses.

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

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.

Recap: Victoria Aveyard's St. Louis Tour Stop

I've been pretty picky about which author events to attend lately. Mostly because a two-hour drive, on top of the $40 for the book and ticket price, are all just too much to commit to more than once or twice a year, especially with me attending ApollyCon annually as well. Not to mention my terrible habit of buying too many books in general. So, I only go to author events that I'm really, really interested in. Victoria Aveyard is one of those authors who made the cut. She visited my area for her St. Louis Tempest tour stop, and I decided to go.

 

I got to the St. Louis County Library space around 6:15 p.m., where I chilled until the event started at 7 p.m. I thought I'd been to the event space before for another Victoria Aveyard signing (along with many other signings) back in the day, but the space was a lot bigger and more modern than what I remembered, so maybe it wasn't the same space...? Or they did some major upgrades since. It had probably been 10 years since I'd attended an author event in that area. (Edit to add: I found out it's not the same space. The name was just similar.) But anyway, when I got there, I picked up my pre-signed copy of Tempest, and I got a card with my signing group number on it. I was in Group 4. I'm a little confused about how that happened, as I was fairly early. I should have been 2 or 3, so maybe I went to the wrong side of the table and the lady I got my book from had the higher signing numbers. But, it didn't matter in the end. The signing line went pretty fast. Oh, and before the panel began, I got to see Jessica from A Great Read! That was cool to see her face-to-face after talking online so much.

 

Victoria's podcast co-host and fellow author friend Soman Chainani was the host for the conversation at the St. Louis tour stop. They were both pretty funny together. Unfortunately, my camera did not like the lighting, so my pics are the lovely quality you can see here. The yellow tone just doesn't mix with my phone. I did get a good pic before they dimmed the lights, though, but no one was sitting in the chairs then. XD 

  

 

Soman and Victoria apparently recorded the entire conversation so it could later be posted on their podcast, Plot Twist, which is kind of cool. Now, I'll always be able to go back and listen to it and remember the time I saw them in person. They talked about Victoria hitting the NYT bestseller list, since it was the second Wednesday after her book released. They also discussed how Tempest was originally supposed to be a standalone but was too big, so it had to be revised into a duology. It was also supposed to originally be a sub-plot of another project Victoria was working on, but she thought it would work better as its own story.

After the panel, I waited about 30 minutes to get my books signed. I'd brought eight total since the last time I'd since Victoria was when Glass Sword had been released and she was signing with Sophie Jordan. That was when I was still in college! I had two tote bags full of books, as Victoria's are all 300+ pages. Some are more like 500+. I took the collector's editions of the first two Red Queen books, the last three books in the Red Queen series, and all three Realm Breaker series hardcovers. We were only allowed to get one book personalized, so I chose King's Cage. Victoria even mentioned that I'd have to come back next year to get War Storm signed to complete the whole set. I think I gave her a weird look when she said that. My brain wasn't working, so it took me a minute to process what she said. Also, this sounds stupid, but she used hand sanitizer right before signing my second stack of books, so it made me a bit self-conscious about if my books (or just me in general) appeared dirty or something. I think she likely was just being proactive after signing so many things, but it caught me off guard to have it happen during the middle of my signing experience. I still smiled and said thank you, though. She was very nice. I'll just have to stop overanalyzing the sanitizer experience. Lol. 

 

 

 

They didn't do posed photos, just the signing line pics, so I have many photos of the back of my head. The one I have that's from the side has me looking a tad doofus-like, so I'll keep the one I share here to the back of my head. But overall, it was a good experience. I got to leave work two hours early, I ended up stopping at Barnes & Noble before the event started, and I got books signed. What more could I bookish girl ask for?

Review: Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher

Daggerbound

T. Kingfisher

(Swordheart #2)

Publication Date: August 25, 2026

Hardcover, 448 pages, Bramble

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+

Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher returns to the charming fantasy world of Swordheart in this delightful and unexpected new romantic adventure.

 

Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…

 

But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.

 

This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.

 

But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.

My Review

If you miss the whimsy and fun of fantasy but still want adult romances, adventures, and themes like overcoming trauma and finding your place in the world, then the interconnected Swordheart series is for you. It has cute badger-like creatures called gnoles, cursed swords with trapped warriors, and relatably awkward protagonists. Both the first book and Daggerbound had me flying through chapters to see what crazy shenanigans the characters were going to get into next.

Daggerbound starts out similarly to book one, Swordheart, with an awkward human in danger drawing a magical warrior-possessed sword. Edmund is a scholar who's leaving his order and has a ton of random knowledge about ants, trees, gnoles, and all kinds of odd things. He also loves books. (Very relatable.) The Dervish, our second protagonist, comes out of the sword and is forced to protect Edmund because of his curse. The Dervish is suave and handsome, despite his past trauma, and boy, does he know it. Edmund, on the other hand, is adorable but seemingly oblivious to the obvious. They make a great pair. 

Edmund and The Dervish (yes, that's his actual name, and yes, that's my biggest pet peeve of the book) stumble along two companions on their journey to the city of Archon's Glory. Those two, without giving away spoilers, do make the story very entertaining. If you were a fan of Brindle in Swordheart, I think you'll be happy with these new characters.

The worldbuilding in this series is interesting. Swordheart and Daggerbound take place in a world that seems to be based on the orders of different religions and their respective devotees, yet the book doesn't focus on those dynamics. It focuses on random groups of people/beings traveling for fairly low-stake reasons when compared to high fantasy's usual "save the world" storyline. Essentially, it's just a long adventure walking from one city to another with strange fantastical happenings along the way. The series reads like a cozy romantasy. It's light-hearted and fun, despite its darker moments.

All in all, I thought Daggerbound was a great sequel to a laugh-out-loud first book. I don't think there's even a slight chance book one readers won't enjoy this installment. It has the same amount of heart and atmosphere, just with a new romance to root for. I'm excited to see what chaos is in store for book three.

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

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: Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer

Nemesis Mine

Amy Archer

Publication Date: June 23, 2026

Paperback, 432 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+

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.

 

A not-so-evil villain strikes a deal with a not-quite-perfect hero to fake a feud, boost their reputations . . . and try not to fall in love in the process—in this hilarious, tender, sexy, and outrageously fun romp that blends the humor of Assistant to the Villain with the unforgettable romance of Red, White, & Royal Blue and the cozy fantasy vibes of Legends & Lattes.

 

Fake nemeses. It’s a dastardly plan that can’t go wrong… until love crashes the act.

 

Nobody is more surprised than Cyrus to learn that he’s no longer considered the greatest villain in the land of Athaca. Sure, he’s lying about the fact that his magical power is making flowers grow. And maybe lately he’s spent more time embroidering pillowcases than tormenting the locals. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be yesterday’s evil news.

 

Enter the hero Maximillian: the realm’s golden boy, complete with a blinding smile, chiseled abs, and an infuriating habit of spreading hope and joy. (Gross.) If Cyrus wants to be taken seriously, he’ll have to take this guy down.

 

But Maximillian isn’t quite as perfect as he seems. When he proposes a scheme to fake an epic rivalry and increase their fame, Cyrus can’t resist. Stage the battles, soak up the spotlight, share the spoils—it’s a villainously good marketing plan.

 

There’s just one hitch. Pretending to hate your nemesis becomes a lot harder when you start falling for them instead.

My Review

Nemesis Mine is a very cute, easy, fun read. It reminded me a lot of Nimona the graphic novel mixed with Vicious by V.E. Schwab, but with more kissing. Thank goodness. Honestly, this book is kind of a perfect beach read for romantasy readers who don't pick up contemporary romances. You could easily zip through Nemesis Mine in a few hours while lounging near the ocean.

The main character, Cyrus, is an evil wrongdoer. As the villain of the story, it's his job to essentially inconvenience everyone as they go about their everyday lives. I honestly laughed out loud at some of Cyrus's crazy antics. Like stealing a horse and naming her Soulripper. And his sprite "friends" were adorable. Cyrus tries so hard to be bad, but his pink pajamas and sprite companions would beg to differ.

Like Cyrus and his villainy, Maximillian, the hero of the story, is not quite as heroic as he seems, since he decides to come up with a fake plan for his own benefit. Together, Cyrus and Maximillian become enemies to reluctant allies to maybe lovers all in the span of one quick read.

While there have been a handful of superhero/villain stories lately, I don't recall any that have taken place in a fantasy world that have revolved around fake schemes crafted by the two main characters, so Nemesis Mine does seem fairly unique. My only criticism of the overall story the author created is that things were a bit too predictable towards the end. I wanted a touch more drama and danger. The same could be said for a couple of the arguments as well. I expected Cyrus to cause some major chaos when certain events came to light, but he kept things pretty mellow. Seeing him truly angry could have been hilarious, though. (Says the reader who doesn't have to be around his crazy retaliatory schemes.)

All in all, I had a fun time with this one. It's a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and could be a great palette cleanser between larger epic fantasy/romantasy series. You can digest this book in a single sitting. I think I ended up reading the entire thing in 48 hours, which is rare for me these days. If you're a fan of the more campy fantasy tales, you should totally pick up Nemesis Mine.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. 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: Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

Blood Bound

Ellis Hunter

(Cursed Covenant #1)

Publication Date: April 28, 2026

Hardcover, 485 pages, Atria Books

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads

A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

 

You duel or you die.

 

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

 

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

 

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

My Review

Blood Bound has most definitely been advertised correctly. It is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing due to the dragon companions and deadly competitions, but I also think fans of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series would like this one. Blood Bound has powers, squabbling royal families, and attractive princes. It's basically like if Red Queen and Fourth Wing threw some witches and familiars in the mix. So of course I had a good time reading it!

The story starts out a bit slow, as it's introducing the two main POV characters: Astrid, the witch heir, and Skylar, a knife thrower in a traveling troupe. It took a bit for things to pick up speed enough for me to start caring for these two characters. I think it was due to the shorter chapters and the two separate POVs. However, events happened about a quarter of the way through the book that blew my mind. I totally wasn't expecting that twist. And the twists just kept coming. Some of them, I guessed, but there were a few that I didn't expect at all.

As for the worldbuilding, it was pretty good. There's a blight happening across the world with a hidden power source, corrupt rulers, and secret rebellions. Then of course, you have the fuzzy familiars, like Quincy the giant fox and Bastet the cat. And the beaver! Oh, so cute! I do think the ending was a bit rushed, which does have to do with the worldbuilding. I wish there had been a bit more foreshadowing for the finale, as the big reveal seemed to come out of nowhere. (Or maybe I'm just not as observant as I thought I was.) The ending still hooked me, though, so I'm ready for book two!

 Honestly, I enjoyed almost every aspect of the book despite some flaws. I think the only major weakness I saw was the relationships. Things just seemed to move so fast between various characters. It was a tad insta-lovey in a few parts, unfortunately. So, I think this is definitely a story more for the plot readers than the character/romance readers. While Zryan reads like a sexy male love interest, I felt somewhat disconnected from him. Again, I think that comes back to the shorter chapters each being from two different POVs. If the book had been a bit longer, it may have established his character a bit more. I think just one extra chapter of a tension-filled scene between Zryan and Astrid could have helped. Same for other relationships I won't mention due to spoilers. This includes non-romantic ones as well.

All in all, I liked Blood Bound a lot. It was a good time, and, once I got about 10 chapters in, it started reading fairly quickly. I often told myself to put the book down, but the next thing I know, I've read five more chapters. There's action, high stakes, and magic galore! I'm excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

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