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Slaying the Shifter Prince
She was willing to sacrifice anything for revenge. But she thought she was only gambling with her life... not her heart.
Aerial performer Zita has dedicated ten years of her life to one thing and one thing vengeance. Armed with an iron blade, she must take to the silks and give the performance of a lifetime to kill the notorious Prince of Monsters - the fae prince responsible for her sister's death.
But when Zita's plan fails, she finds herself imprisoned, sentenced to be the prince's "pet" as punishment for her crime. With cruelty as sharp as his claws, Sepher is everything Zita expected from her enemy. Yet he's also patient and obsessive, particularly when it comes to his "pet's" punishment.
Nevertheless, Zita refuses to surrender - not even to a fae prince. Sepher may have collared her, but nothing can stop her from getting her revenge... not even at the cost of her heart.
Full of claws, curses, and a deadly game of cat and mouse, this twisted reimagining of Beauty and the Beast is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince.
Aerial performer Zita has dedicated ten years of her life to one thing and one thing vengeance. Armed with an iron blade, she must take to the silks and give the performance of a lifetime to kill the notorious Prince of Monsters - the fae prince responsible for her sister's death.
But when Zita's plan fails, she finds herself imprisoned, sentenced to be the prince's "pet" as punishment for her crime. With cruelty as sharp as his claws, Sepher is everything Zita expected from her enemy. Yet he's also patient and obsessive, particularly when it comes to his "pet's" punishment.
Nevertheless, Zita refuses to surrender - not even to a fae prince. Sepher may have collared her, but nothing can stop her from getting her revenge... not even at the cost of her heart.
Full of claws, curses, and a deadly game of cat and mouse, this twisted reimagining of Beauty and the Beast is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2023
812 people are currently reading
11145 people want to read
About the author
Clare Sager
22 books1,873 followersClare Sager writes darkly addictive romantasy full of slow-burn steam, gut-wrenching conflict, and morally grey *everybody*. Dubbed the Queen of Edging by readers, she takes no responsibility for lost sleep or therapy bills.
When she’s not breaking hearts with her Shadows of the Tenebris Court series, Clare can usually be found drinking coffee, lifting weights, or impulse-buying stationery.
She lives in Nottingham, Robin Hood country, so it’s no surprise she writes about characters who don’t always play by the rules.
When she’s not breaking hearts with her Shadows of the Tenebris Court series, Clare can usually be found drinking coffee, lifting weights, or impulse-buying stationery.
She lives in Nottingham, Robin Hood country, so it’s no surprise she writes about characters who don’t always play by the rules.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 926 reviews
October 23, 2024
This is the wildest book I have ever read (clarifying in a good way)
Trigger warning: he has a TAIL.
Read this after A Kiss of Iron and before going into A Touch of Poison. They’re all connected. I flew through this, a fun short read. My goodness it is darker though, a human kidnapped by a fae (and not in a cute giggly way) so if darker romantasy isn’t your thing, maybe don’t pick this one up!!
Trigger warning: he has a TAIL.
Read this after A Kiss of Iron and before going into A Touch of Poison. They’re all connected. I flew through this, a fun short read. My goodness it is darker though, a human kidnapped by a fae (and not in a cute giggly way) so if darker romantasy isn’t your thing, maybe don’t pick this one up!!
December 18, 2024
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Plot twist near the end
✅ First half of the book
✅ Faes, witches, and magic
✅(🆗) Smut (some parts were cringey)
🆗 Plot
🆗 Pace
❌ Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warning: mild torture, humiliation, and “bully romance”, some BDSM (consensual)
That was disappointing... The proof that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover...
I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book more because I really liked Clare Sager’s other series (Beneath Black Sails).
After the death of her sister, 10 years ago, Zita dedicated her whole life to avenging her and killing the fae responsible. Her chance finally comes when Prince Sepher comes to one of her circus’ representations. Zita has it all planned: catch the prince’s attention, get him to request a private session with her, and kill him. But things don’t go as planned when her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Zita ends up becoming the prince’s captive.
The first part of this book deserves 4 stars, but the second half was only worth 2 stars, and I didn't enjoy the romance at all, which is a problem since it's a romance-driven book. It was tough to remain engaged in the story, and by the end, it was mostly smut and too-sudden romance and love declarations, with a weak plot weaved into it.
On a more positive note, while the plot is not the most elaborate or complex, I was happy that the story of Zinnia’s death was more complex than it first appears, and that Zita slowly found clues and information that helped her figure out exactly what happened that night 10 years ago. There is a plot twist near the end, but the way it was developed felt jumpy. We were told facts, without any foreshadowing or even tiny clues that hinted at what was about to happen. It just felt so out of the blue that sadly, while I enjoy plot twists, this one lost its shock value because of the writing.
Zita started as a strong female lead, driven by her desire to avenge her sister’s death, to the point where it was toxic because every single thing she did was angled toward that revenge, but she felt strong and very determined nonetheless. Then, most of the book was about her being mildly tortured, humiliated, and threatened by Sepher, and suddenly she was in love with him because he was so sexy and the sex was too good to resist… Where did the strong independent women from the beginning go? I didn’t like this change in her character, and the fact that she fell in love so easily with Sepher does not make her look very bright, to be honest.
I like that Zita’s talent as an acrobat was relevant. It wasn’t just a way for the author to create a backstory and push the two love interest together at the beginning of the book. She uses this talent on more than one occasion, and it really is a big part of who she is, and we can see that she thrives when she performs.
Sepher was just unlikable and cruel until he completely changed his tune and started to care for Zita and tell her he loved her. He is a bland and unoriginal bully and lacked depth and development. I honestly don’t have anything else to say about him. The only thing I enjoyed about him is the fact that he has long red hair because I am a sucker for gorgeous fictional men with long red hair.
The romance between Zita and Sepher, if we can call it that, is lust-driven and there is not much more to it than a desire to have sex with the other. Sepher is attracted to Zita and he can do whatever he pleases with her, and Zita might say how much she hates Sepher, but she still finds him attractive enough to be unable to resist him and even crave his touch after their first time together. Their story didn’t read as a hate-to-love, but more as an “I hate you but I’m horny and you’re hot so let’s have sex and eventually we might even tolerate each other” story. The first half was good, but then Sepher learned new things about Zita and became even more cruel, yet Zita was feeling annoyed when he was looking at other women, and she was pleased to see that he desired her. That part is where I stop caring about the romance. If the alpha jerk that you hated is becoming even more of a cruel asshole, you should not crave his touch and attention, you should hate him even more than before, or at the very least not be ready to jump in bed with him as soon as he wants it. Sadly, it means the banter between Sepher and Zita also fell short, because of the way the romance felt rushed and forced.
There is explicit and good smut in this book, but there are also cringier moments. Not because of what they did together, but because it felt out of character for Zita and Sepher to behave this way, and I didn’t feel passion or intensity between them during those scenes, so it ended up being weird to read about…
Honestly, I almost didn’t finish the book because of the romance. I just wasn’t invested in the story anymore, and I couldn’t care less about Sepher and Zita’s passionate sex. I pushed through because I only had 20% left, but it took me a very long time to finish this book, even if it’s not even 400 pages long.
There is potential with this book, truly, but the execution was lacking, and the romance was sorely underdeveloped and rushed.
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✅ Plot twist near the end
✅ First half of the book
✅ Faes, witches, and magic
✅(🆗) Smut (some parts were cringey)
🆗 Plot
🆗 Pace
❌ Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warning: mild torture, humiliation, and “bully romance”, some BDSM (consensual)
That was disappointing... The proof that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover...
I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this book more because I really liked Clare Sager’s other series (Beneath Black Sails).
After the death of her sister, 10 years ago, Zita dedicated her whole life to avenging her and killing the fae responsible. Her chance finally comes when Prince Sepher comes to one of her circus’ representations. Zita has it all planned: catch the prince’s attention, get him to request a private session with her, and kill him. But things don’t go as planned when her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Zita ends up becoming the prince’s captive.
The first part of this book deserves 4 stars, but the second half was only worth 2 stars, and I didn't enjoy the romance at all, which is a problem since it's a romance-driven book. It was tough to remain engaged in the story, and by the end, it was mostly smut and too-sudden romance and love declarations, with a weak plot weaved into it.
On a more positive note, while the plot is not the most elaborate or complex, I was happy that the story of Zinnia’s death was more complex than it first appears, and that Zita slowly found clues and information that helped her figure out exactly what happened that night 10 years ago. There is a plot twist near the end, but the way it was developed felt jumpy. We were told facts, without any foreshadowing or even tiny clues that hinted at what was about to happen. It just felt so out of the blue that sadly, while I enjoy plot twists, this one lost its shock value because of the writing.
Zita started as a strong female lead, driven by her desire to avenge her sister’s death, to the point where it was toxic because every single thing she did was angled toward that revenge, but she felt strong and very determined nonetheless. Then, most of the book was about her being mildly tortured, humiliated, and threatened by Sepher, and suddenly she was in love with him because he was so sexy and the sex was too good to resist… Where did the strong independent women from the beginning go? I didn’t like this change in her character, and the fact that she fell in love so easily with Sepher does not make her look very bright, to be honest.
I like that Zita’s talent as an acrobat was relevant. It wasn’t just a way for the author to create a backstory and push the two love interest together at the beginning of the book. She uses this talent on more than one occasion, and it really is a big part of who she is, and we can see that she thrives when she performs.
Sepher was just unlikable and cruel until he completely changed his tune and started to care for Zita and tell her he loved her. He is a bland and unoriginal bully and lacked depth and development. I honestly don’t have anything else to say about him. The only thing I enjoyed about him is the fact that he has long red hair because I am a sucker for gorgeous fictional men with long red hair.
The romance between Zita and Sepher, if we can call it that, is lust-driven and there is not much more to it than a desire to have sex with the other. Sepher is attracted to Zita and he can do whatever he pleases with her, and Zita might say how much she hates Sepher, but she still finds him attractive enough to be unable to resist him and even crave his touch after their first time together. Their story didn’t read as a hate-to-love, but more as an “I hate you but I’m horny and you’re hot so let’s have sex and eventually we might even tolerate each other” story. The first half was good, but then Sepher learned new things about Zita and became even more cruel, yet Zita was feeling annoyed when he was looking at other women, and she was pleased to see that he desired her. That part is where I stop caring about the romance. If the alpha jerk that you hated is becoming even more of a cruel asshole, you should not crave his touch and attention, you should hate him even more than before, or at the very least not be ready to jump in bed with him as soon as he wants it. Sadly, it means the banter between Sepher and Zita also fell short, because of the way the romance felt rushed and forced.
There is explicit and good smut in this book, but there are also cringier moments. Not because of what they did together, but because it felt out of character for Zita and Sepher to behave this way, and I didn’t feel passion or intensity between them during those scenes, so it ended up being weird to read about…
Honestly, I almost didn’t finish the book because of the romance. I just wasn’t invested in the story anymore, and I couldn’t care less about Sepher and Zita’s passionate sex. I pushed through because I only had 20% left, but it took me a very long time to finish this book, even if it’s not even 400 pages long.
There is potential with this book, truly, but the execution was lacking, and the romance was sorely underdeveloped and rushed.
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October 20, 2023
Sepher is Tamlin but if he was kinky and even more of a walking red flag
May 24, 2023
I was given a free copy of the book by the author, and this is my honest review.
“Don’t you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch.”
Slaying the Shifter Prince is a dark, spicy retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series. An ariel performer, Zita has been fueling her fury for over a decade. But finally, the Shifter Prince that murdered her sister has come to her show. And she has the iron dagger to kill him. Yet, when things don’t go as plan, Zita finds herself as the prince’s pet, forced to endure his humiliating, but infuriatingly seductive challenges. Zita knows she just needs to bide her time, though. She knows her malicious compliance will lure him closer and closer to his destruction. She just wasn’t gambling on it destroying her as well.
Wow. So, when I first picked this up, I thought I was going to read maybe one or two chapters before bed. That transformed into me getting 20% through the book, then finishing the rest in one sitting the next day. What can I say about this read? It’s gripping, consuming, it’s a dark kind of spicy that has a tail that DOES THINGS.
STSP puts the enemies in enemies to lovers. Our love interest is genuinely cruel, villainous, and takes pleasure in tormenting Zita. For some, maybe even many, this could be a deterrent. Yet, I think Clare did an excelant job of handling his, shall I say evolution. Consequently, STSP also puts the lovers in enemies to lovers because my god, the spicy scenes? Clare does not hold back. And the fact that she waited until Sepher had grown on me to pull it out made it all the better. But let’s actually create a semblance of organization and discuss the characters.
Zita, our protagonist. You may think she is Belle in this retelling, but there's actually a really interesting, refreshing twist to her character. Her life has been consumed by getting revenge for her sister’s death, doing whatever it takes to get her justice. She learned how to master the silks and hoop, turning her body into a part of the show and a weapon at her disposal. She is confident in her body and seduction, she has a spine of freaking iron and the guts to purposefully piss off a beastly prince—which usually resulted in me cackling with glee. But she also has a hollowness inside, left by the loss of the only person she had in her life. Getting to see Zita and Sepher’s love story unfold was fantastic, but so was Zita’s arc in not just facing the loss of her sister, but who she has become in the aftermath. Clare just excels at creating strong, defiant, but quietly bleeding female characters. You know what she’s also amazing at? Sexy love interests.
When I first met Sepher, I had no idea how he was going to become a likeable love interest. He was mean, he was cruel, he was a faerie trapped halfway between his beast-shifter form, and I didn’t know how I felt about the tail and stripes. This wasn't like your typical enemies to lovers love interest where he's a jerk, maybe even an asshole, but you can debate it to an extent. Sepher is undeniably wicked. He takes pleasure in tormenting Zita. I feel like an absolute freak for saying this, just to write my next sentence, because having finished? I’m team Sepher. No doubt. Can’t change my mind.
I think things would be completely different if he had broken Zita and relished it. Instead, everything was a game to not just him, but Zita, too. Zita wasn't just some poor maiden Sepher was trying to destroy. She fought back, sometimes even initiated, creating the ultimate clash of wills. Who would give in first? Even outside of Sepher's challenges, and sometimes during them as well, we get to see that Sepher isn’t actually rotten to the core. I know, you're probably raising an eyebrow at that, but I promise! There is a tenderness and deep-rooted caring beneath his pride and stubbornness, and honestly? I think he is the only one that could ever match Zita.
When looking at the plot of the story, it definitely kept me engaged. Sepher and Zita's feud is balanced with not just Zita trying to find the best moment to get justice for her sister, but also solving a mystery that unfolds from her efforts. It's definitely a twisty story, but not one that's hard to follow or bogs down the plot. Clare just has a writing style that is so readable, at least to me, that makes it easy to stay engaged, understand what's happening, and want to keep reading.
Ultimately, Slaying the Shifter Prince might be one of the darkest, spiciest, kinkiest books I’ve read, and I loved it. I thought I solved the mystery early on, I really did, but I only got half of the twist. This book is definitely not going to be for some, and I encourage you to read all of the trigger warnings Clare has listed on her website before diving in. But if you like morally gray characters, themes of betrayal, justice and revenge, combative enemies to lovers with super spicy scenes, you will enjoy this book. Get it. Read and understand my obsession.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror review - 4.5
“Don’t you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch.”
Slaying the Shifter Prince is a dark, spicy retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series. An ariel performer, Zita has been fueling her fury for over a decade. But finally, the Shifter Prince that murdered her sister has come to her show. And she has the iron dagger to kill him. Yet, when things don’t go as plan, Zita finds herself as the prince’s pet, forced to endure his humiliating, but infuriatingly seductive challenges. Zita knows she just needs to bide her time, though. She knows her malicious compliance will lure him closer and closer to his destruction. She just wasn’t gambling on it destroying her as well.
Wow. So, when I first picked this up, I thought I was going to read maybe one or two chapters before bed. That transformed into me getting 20% through the book, then finishing the rest in one sitting the next day. What can I say about this read? It’s gripping, consuming, it’s a dark kind of spicy that has a tail that DOES THINGS.
STSP puts the enemies in enemies to lovers. Our love interest is genuinely cruel, villainous, and takes pleasure in tormenting Zita. For some, maybe even many, this could be a deterrent. Yet, I think Clare did an excelant job of handling his, shall I say evolution. Consequently, STSP also puts the lovers in enemies to lovers because my god, the spicy scenes? Clare does not hold back. And the fact that she waited until Sepher had grown on me to pull it out made it all the better. But let’s actually create a semblance of organization and discuss the characters.
Zita, our protagonist. You may think she is Belle in this retelling, but there's actually a really interesting, refreshing twist to her character. Her life has been consumed by getting revenge for her sister’s death, doing whatever it takes to get her justice. She learned how to master the silks and hoop, turning her body into a part of the show and a weapon at her disposal. She is confident in her body and seduction, she has a spine of freaking iron and the guts to purposefully piss off a beastly prince—which usually resulted in me cackling with glee. But she also has a hollowness inside, left by the loss of the only person she had in her life. Getting to see Zita and Sepher’s love story unfold was fantastic, but so was Zita’s arc in not just facing the loss of her sister, but who she has become in the aftermath. Clare just excels at creating strong, defiant, but quietly bleeding female characters. You know what she’s also amazing at? Sexy love interests.
When I first met Sepher, I had no idea how he was going to become a likeable love interest. He was mean, he was cruel, he was a faerie trapped halfway between his beast-shifter form, and I didn’t know how I felt about the tail and stripes. This wasn't like your typical enemies to lovers love interest where he's a jerk, maybe even an asshole, but you can debate it to an extent. Sepher is undeniably wicked. He takes pleasure in tormenting Zita. I feel like an absolute freak for saying this, just to write my next sentence, because having finished? I’m team Sepher. No doubt. Can’t change my mind.
I think things would be completely different if he had broken Zita and relished it. Instead, everything was a game to not just him, but Zita, too. Zita wasn't just some poor maiden Sepher was trying to destroy. She fought back, sometimes even initiated, creating the ultimate clash of wills. Who would give in first? Even outside of Sepher's challenges, and sometimes during them as well, we get to see that Sepher isn’t actually rotten to the core. I know, you're probably raising an eyebrow at that, but I promise! There is a tenderness and deep-rooted caring beneath his pride and stubbornness, and honestly? I think he is the only one that could ever match Zita.
When looking at the plot of the story, it definitely kept me engaged. Sepher and Zita's feud is balanced with not just Zita trying to find the best moment to get justice for her sister, but also solving a mystery that unfolds from her efforts. It's definitely a twisty story, but not one that's hard to follow or bogs down the plot. Clare just has a writing style that is so readable, at least to me, that makes it easy to stay engaged, understand what's happening, and want to keep reading.
Ultimately, Slaying the Shifter Prince might be one of the darkest, spiciest, kinkiest books I’ve read, and I loved it. I thought I solved the mystery early on, I really did, but I only got half of the twist. This book is definitely not going to be for some, and I encourage you to read all of the trigger warnings Clare has listed on her website before diving in. But if you like morally gray characters, themes of betrayal, justice and revenge, combative enemies to lovers with super spicy scenes, you will enjoy this book. Get it. Read and understand my obsession.
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror review - 4.5
January 31, 2025
3.75 ⭐
this was SO MUCH FUN!!! the tail, i - NO ok i had so so much fun!! was it the best book i have ever read? ... no. was i giggling and kicking my feet? ... absolutely. look, i did cringe a few times, i did guess the plot twist two pages in but this was a short, bingeable enjoyable story with a healthy sprinkle of spicy spice and a sexy feline shapeshifter MMC.
this was SO MUCH FUN!!! the tail, i - NO ok i had so so much fun!! was it the best book i have ever read? ... no. was i giggling and kicking my feet? ... absolutely. look, i did cringe a few times, i did guess the plot twist two pages in but this was a short, bingeable enjoyable story with a healthy sprinkle of spicy spice and a sexy feline shapeshifter MMC.
May 3, 2023
This was a delicious Beauty & The Beast vibe book with morally grey main characters, degradation, so-hot-my-kindle-nearly-caught-fire level steam, and it was a standalone!
Have you ever read a book about tails that did things? 😏 naughty things? Do you wanna read about beastly fae alphaholes who have said tails? Of course you do. Who wouldn’t? CHECK THIS BOOK OUT! 📖 🏃🏻♀️
🐅 TROPES & THEMES 🐅
✔️ enemies 🔥 to loversss 💥
✔️ he falls first 😏
✔️ feral fae, shifting powers and magic!!
✔️ one bed
✔️ takes place in the Sagerverse 😍
✔️ he has a tail. It does things. 🌶️ things. 😎
✔️ “touch her and 💀”
✔️ sub/d0m vibes going on. Collars included.
✔️ “good girl”
✔️ REVENGEEEE plot! 😈😈
✔️ hot af, just read it
Firstly, I am honored to have been added to Clare’s arc hype team. Best news ever. 💃🏻 so even though I knew it was coming, I squealed and dropped everything when this book hit my kindle.
Firstly, this book is dark homie. Dark, and twisted. Check the CW/TW before proceeding.
It’s a part of the Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers series, standalones written by various talented af authors for those of us wanting some hate-love reads. With monsters. Or monster parts. 🤣
This book had EXCELLENT pacing!! Zita our FMC is hell bent on getting revenge for the unaliving of her sister a decade ago, and the Fae Prince is on her radar to 🗡️. Plans go awfully awry, and suddenly she finds herself as this alpha prince’s pet. She has to crawl, can’t sit on furniture, must wear a collar. Does she break? Does she give up hope?
Absolutely the feck not, sis. She changes her strategy for taking this ginger cat fae DOWN. And I LOVED her.
Our MMC, bless his soul, he was something else. I loved his character, I loved his feral side. Watching them both fight for dominance was *chef kiss*
The tension in this book was 5 stars alone, and the spice was hotttttt.
I had a feeling about the twisty at the end, but Clare still got me going 😰😱😱😱 during the climatic ending. The book DOES have an HEA, thank goodness. 🤣
An absolute treasure added to your Clare Sager collection, 10/10. You’ll wish all males irl had tails after reading this. Bet. 😎
August 28, 2023
I miss who I was before I read this book.
February 27, 2024
I'm shocked by how much I enjoyed this. I was very scared by the bully romance part. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love thé way they really pushed eachother and played with each others emotions. I do wish there had been a lil more plot. The ending felt very rushed. But overall I had a fun time with this one.
Currently reading
May 18, 2023Happy launch day to me! You can join me and the wonderful Carissa Broadbent on our traditional Instagram Live Launch party tonight at 9pm BST/4pm EST.
Also – another reminder to check the content warnings on this one, lovely folk, as it's darker than my usual books. Not every book is for every reader, even if you usually like that author. It's all good!
Warnings are here: https://claresager.com/a-kiss-of-iron...
Also – another reminder to check the content warnings on this one, lovely folk, as it's darker than my usual books. Not every book is for every reader, even if you usually like that author. It's all good!
Warnings are here: https://claresager.com/a-kiss-of-iron...
August 19, 2023
I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to not read this book.
July 6, 2023
brb while i examine everything i thought i knew about myself before reading this book.
this is …. SO, SO HOT? in a way that blew my mind, considering clare’s books have historically not been my cup of tea.
if you’re looking for a GENUINE, filled-with-hatred, want-to-murder-each-other enemies to lovers, filthy standalone — here you go. this is it.
this is RIFE with kinks — temperature play, spanking, collaring, degradation and humiliation, physical pain, master/pet, tail play, THINGS I DON’T EVEN HAVE NAMES FOR. this borders on dark with its sheer level of toxicity, and with some questionable levels of consent considering how much the FMC despises the MMC.
and i loved every second of it.
the concept: our main character is an acrobat hellbent on exacting revenge for the murder of her sister by a notorious fae prince. her plans go awry, and she ends up in servitude to him as his pet. thus commences the sexiest game of chicken ever played. these two hate one another and spend the entire book trying to break the other in various, fun ways.
my only issue is one common in standalones — the jump from enemies to lovers into i love you is just a little too sudden for my tastes, but it’s so sweet and hot that i barely even minded.
this was fun, can’t-read-in-public levels of hot, and forced some exciting introspection. i need more zita and sepher in my life and am now doubly motivated to return to a kiss of iron before the sequel comes out in hopes of a cameo or three or their own book again pls i beg.
this is …. SO, SO HOT? in a way that blew my mind, considering clare’s books have historically not been my cup of tea.
if you’re looking for a GENUINE, filled-with-hatred, want-to-murder-each-other enemies to lovers, filthy standalone — here you go. this is it.
this is RIFE with kinks — temperature play, spanking, collaring, degradation and humiliation, physical pain, master/pet, tail play, THINGS I DON’T EVEN HAVE NAMES FOR. this borders on dark with its sheer level of toxicity, and with some questionable levels of consent considering how much the FMC despises the MMC.
and i loved every second of it.
the concept: our main character is an acrobat hellbent on exacting revenge for the murder of her sister by a notorious fae prince. her plans go awry, and she ends up in servitude to him as his pet. thus commences the sexiest game of chicken ever played. these two hate one another and spend the entire book trying to break the other in various, fun ways.
my only issue is one common in standalones — the jump from enemies to lovers into i love you is just a little too sudden for my tastes, but it’s so sweet and hot that i barely even minded.
this was fun, can’t-read-in-public levels of hot, and forced some exciting introspection. i need more zita and sepher in my life and am now doubly motivated to return to a kiss of iron before the sequel comes out in hopes of a cameo or three or their own book again pls i beg.
August 14, 2023
FRIENDS I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK!!!
I loved EVERY minute of reading this… & I mean every god damn minute.
There was never a moment of doubt, the subject matter is heavy at times but I always felt like I was in really safe hands with the author.
I can not get over the genius that is Clare Sager…
This was a villain mmc — captor / captive relationship, but she was able to give the FMC so much power!
I loved her portrayal of a vengeful FMC who doesn’t back down, isn’t ashamed of her body or what she has had to do with it to survive. It was so refreshing & I ate it up.
Even when The Prince of Monsters was degrading her, I was still obsessed with him (honestly Clare how you did this I will never know!) I loved him from the front cover to the last page & I know he will never leave my mind
But the really amazing thing was the growth between their relationship dynamic & how it ended (the grovelling 🧎🏻♀️)
How he sees all her sharp edges & covets them,
How her revenge for her sister never falters,
How they heal each other—but not by being bought back into submission, but by being sharp & cut throat & ruthless… together
ugh SO GOOD!
I couldn’t get enough!
This has some kinky spice in it (all consensual) & damn 👀 wow 🥵
There are MULTIPLE scenes that are seared into my memory 🤌🏽
Clare never disappoints to write relatable women with nuanced trauma, who are strong & capable, with MMC’s who 100% swoonworthy
& a plot that is engaging & not predictable
Onto the next Clare book 💃🏻
I loved EVERY minute of reading this… & I mean every god damn minute.
There was never a moment of doubt, the subject matter is heavy at times but I always felt like I was in really safe hands with the author.
I can not get over the genius that is Clare Sager…
This was a villain mmc — captor / captive relationship, but she was able to give the FMC so much power!
I loved her portrayal of a vengeful FMC who doesn’t back down, isn’t ashamed of her body or what she has had to do with it to survive. It was so refreshing & I ate it up.
Even when The Prince of Monsters was degrading her, I was still obsessed with him (honestly Clare how you did this I will never know!) I loved him from the front cover to the last page & I know he will never leave my mind
But the really amazing thing was the growth between their relationship dynamic & how it ended (the grovelling 🧎🏻♀️)
How he sees all her sharp edges & covets them,
How her revenge for her sister never falters,
How they heal each other—but not by being bought back into submission, but by being sharp & cut throat & ruthless… together
ugh SO GOOD!
I couldn’t get enough!
This has some kinky spice in it (all consensual) & damn 👀 wow 🥵
There are MULTIPLE scenes that are seared into my memory 🤌🏽
Clare never disappoints to write relatable women with nuanced trauma, who are strong & capable, with MMC’s who 100% swoonworthy
& a plot that is engaging & not predictable
Onto the next Clare book 💃🏻
August 26, 2023
SHES A A SPOICY MEATBALL 🌶️🌶️🌶️
an ENEMIES to lovers stand-alone shifter Romantasy has never been so good.
Let’s talk about the HOT stuff:
- he crosses his ankle over his knee
- he has long red hair
- he turns into a Sabre cat
- he has a tail and USES IT 😮💨
- he calls her his “pet” and refers to her as “it” in the beginning. Also calls her ‘little bird’ and ‘love’
- LOTS OF HATE SHMEX
- degradation
- dom/sub with switch dynamic 🥵
- she is ANGRY
- good girls galore
Onto the plot:
So well rounded and intentional. Zita is out for vengeance for her sisters death and she’s spent 10 years planning to bring her justice. But her character arc in finding that justice is SO beautifully done. We have feminine rage, f the patriarchy vibes, sex + themes, learning to love yourself for all the ways society tells you you’re not worthy. Just gorgeous.
This is a stand-alone but still in the Sagerverse.
an ENEMIES to lovers stand-alone shifter Romantasy has never been so good.
Let’s talk about the HOT stuff:
- he crosses his ankle over his knee
- he has long red hair
- he turns into a Sabre cat
- he has a tail and USES IT 😮💨
- he calls her his “pet” and refers to her as “it” in the beginning. Also calls her ‘little bird’ and ‘love’
- LOTS OF HATE SHMEX
- degradation
- dom/sub with switch dynamic 🥵
- she is ANGRY
- good girls galore
Onto the plot:
So well rounded and intentional. Zita is out for vengeance for her sisters death and she’s spent 10 years planning to bring her justice. But her character arc in finding that justice is SO beautifully done. We have feminine rage, f the patriarchy vibes, sex + themes, learning to love yourself for all the ways society tells you you’re not worthy. Just gorgeous.
This is a stand-alone but still in the Sagerverse.
June 16, 2023
I picked this up because I heard great things about the spice, but I found it so cringeeeeeee. It had potential but it just didn't hit for me at all
September 5, 2023
The best part of the book is this quote: “I swear to the gods, if you die, I’m going to march into the Underworld and drag you out by your collar. Do you understand?” And now that you've read that quote, you don't need to read this book, because it was otherwise terrible.
This book was not for me, but if you're into the following, then it could be for you!
• Abusive relationships labeled as "bully romance"
• Dom/sub pet play dynamics written in a poor manner
• Cat shifters
• Hula hoops and ribbon dancing
• Not a single brain cell capable of clear communication or critical thinking shared between the two main characters
This book was not for me, but if you're into the following, then it could be for you!
• Abusive relationships labeled as "bully romance"
• Dom/sub pet play dynamics written in a poor manner
• Cat shifters
• Hula hoops and ribbon dancing
• Not a single brain cell capable of clear communication or critical thinking shared between the two main characters
December 7, 2023
Peak enemies to lovers. He gets ✨creative✨ with his tail. There is a scene where she slaps him and he says “thank you, love.” This book was so hot omg. Idgaf what anyone says, this book is a great time
June 1, 2023
I got to 60% and that was enough for me. Wow that was a wildly painful book to read. Like the reasoning and logic for why characters were the way they were and why they did things was somewhere in the story, I just couldn’t find it. By just over half way, it was just repeating the same situations over and over and over again. Bless the author, I’m sure some Ppl will love this story … and I know the rest of us will think back and say why on earth did I continue to read that for as long as I did?
May 29, 2023
IT WAS SO TOXIC. BUT SO MUCH FUN.
This book was fast paced and entertaining as hell. I feared i might struggle with the entire „his pet“-thing. But it was actually hilarious to me.
…and then became really spicy. 4.5 stars for the smut, i had to take 0.5 off of the rating, because the missed opportunity for some PROPER tail actions actually pains me. WHY GIVE HIM A TAIL AND THEN NOT USE IT? All we got was one small back-door moment. Disappointing, to say the least.
But to be fair: it’s hot. Add it to the list of one-handed reads.
Besides the smut and some peak entertainment, it felt a bit mid tho. The basis was there, 10/10 idea, but the execution was more a 5/10.
The pacing felt off, especially on the mmcs side regarding character development. We jumped from one base to the next, in ways that didn’t feel natural or reasonable. Slower pace and make it smoother transitions between hate, pet, love, whatever other levels we had, would have made this book so much better and more captivating.
And the ending plot-twist just peaked that entire feeling. It felt rushed and inconsequential. It began, ended and Happy End all within a few pages.
But don’t get me wrong: only listing why this was not five stars but rather three. I still had a fun time reading. You get some really great banter and the the characters are super enjoyable to read about.
It’s a toxic dark-ish fantasy romance with AMAZING smut and just a fun time reading it. Will i read it again? Maybe for certain chapters, that involved less clothing.
Do I recommend it? Yes, just don’t expect a masterpiece but rather a fun time.
3.25🌟
This book was fast paced and entertaining as hell. I feared i might struggle with the entire „his pet“-thing. But it was actually hilarious to me.
…and then became really spicy. 4.5 stars for the smut, i had to take 0.5 off of the rating, because the missed opportunity for some PROPER tail actions actually pains me. WHY GIVE HIM A TAIL AND THEN NOT USE IT? All we got was one small back-door moment. Disappointing, to say the least.
But to be fair: it’s hot. Add it to the list of one-handed reads.
Besides the smut and some peak entertainment, it felt a bit mid tho. The basis was there, 10/10 idea, but the execution was more a 5/10.
The pacing felt off, especially on the mmcs side regarding character development. We jumped from one base to the next, in ways that didn’t feel natural or reasonable. Slower pace and make it smoother transitions between hate, pet, love, whatever other levels we had, would have made this book so much better and more captivating.
And the ending plot-twist just peaked that entire feeling. It felt rushed and inconsequential. It began, ended and Happy End all within a few pages.
But don’t get me wrong: only listing why this was not five stars but rather three. I still had a fun time reading. You get some really great banter and the the characters are super enjoyable to read about.
It’s a toxic dark-ish fantasy romance with AMAZING smut and just a fun time reading it. Will i read it again? Maybe for certain chapters, that involved less clothing.
Do I recommend it? Yes, just don’t expect a masterpiece but rather a fun time.
3.25🌟
September 2, 2023
He dressed himself in extreme v-necks - if that wasn't my first sign that he was just there for ornament and very little critical thinking idk what was.
September 12, 2023
4.5 stars. SMASH. Zita. Step on me. Please and thank you.
The dynamic between our Prince of Monsters and his wicked little witch, was delicious! It was fun and refreshing and enthralling and it explored some beautiful themes. She spicy, too. Would recommend. Clare Sager knows how to show you a great time!
“Don’t you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch.”
“I will be the curse you cannot shake, Sepher."
The dynamic between our Prince of Monsters and his wicked little witch, was delicious! It was fun and refreshing and enthralling and it explored some beautiful themes. She spicy, too. Would recommend. Clare Sager knows how to show you a great time!
“Don’t you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch.”
“I will be the curse you cannot shake, Sepher."
July 26, 2023
This is enemies to lovers DONE RIGHT.
True enemies, with assassination attempts, degradation, shaming... Done so deliciously right!
The slow burn is so organic, their romance evolves naturally, and its not at all forced.
Perfect romantasy standalone, highly recommended 👌
True enemies, with assassination attempts, degradation, shaming... Done so deliciously right!
The slow burn is so organic, their romance evolves naturally, and its not at all forced.
Perfect romantasy standalone, highly recommended 👌
June 14, 2023
I know it looks like it took me a week to read, but actuality I couldn't read it for four of those days lol.
Obsessed. Crying. Throwing up. Depressed that there isn't more of them.
All my negative reviews get massive amounts of detail but when I love a book, I can't seem to find the words. I just loved it. There wasn't anything I'd change.
Plot - pacing and story and 'twists' etc were all excellent and I loved every bit.
Characters - I need two separate novella's on two side characters please. Please. They both start with C (hopefully not a spoiler haha...). Please?? But honestly, I'd read a whole series including prequels about Zita and Sepher. Obsessed.
Smut - delicious. It was sprinkled throughout. I didn't feel like there were endless pages that I had to skip through or it was smut for smut's sake or anything repetitive. There was plenty and it was all exactly what the book needed and fit with the characters Clare created.
Writing - I love Clare's writing. It's easy and beautiful and also I didn't spot a single spelling mistake so that's always nice haha.
I need more art too. Sepher is daaaaamn sexy and that cover is just not enough haha. GIMME MORE.
Anyway. Five stars. Will read the other books that are apparently in this world and also cannot wait to read the pirate books Clare has written because YAS I love me some pirates.
Obsessed. Crying. Throwing up. Depressed that there isn't more of them.
All my negative reviews get massive amounts of detail but when I love a book, I can't seem to find the words. I just loved it. There wasn't anything I'd change.
Plot - pacing and story and 'twists' etc were all excellent and I loved every bit.
Characters - I need two separate novella's on two side characters please. Please. They both start with C (hopefully not a spoiler haha...). Please?? But honestly, I'd read a whole series including prequels about Zita and Sepher. Obsessed.
Smut - delicious. It was sprinkled throughout. I didn't feel like there were endless pages that I had to skip through or it was smut for smut's sake or anything repetitive. There was plenty and it was all exactly what the book needed and fit with the characters Clare created.
Writing - I love Clare's writing. It's easy and beautiful and also I didn't spot a single spelling mistake so that's always nice haha.
I need more art too. Sepher is daaaaamn sexy and that cover is just not enough haha. GIMME MORE.
Anyway. Five stars. Will read the other books that are apparently in this world and also cannot wait to read the pirate books Clare has written because YAS I love me some pirates.
May 22, 2024
3.75 stars
Not as good as the main series and it’s very much so a side story, but it was still really well done. This author has a way of making me like characters that I typically would not (her writing is that good).
Highly recommend reading the books in this series in the following order:
Kiss of Iron (Book 1 of the Shadows of the Tenebris Court: Kat and Bastian)
Slaying the Shifter Prince (Book 1.5 Zita and Sepher)
A Touch of Poison (Book 2 of the Shadows of the Tenebris Court: Kat and Bastian)
Not as good as the main series and it’s very much so a side story, but it was still really well done. This author has a way of making me like characters that I typically would not (her writing is that good).
Highly recommend reading the books in this series in the following order:
Kiss of Iron (Book 1 of the Shadows of the Tenebris Court: Kat and Bastian)
Slaying the Shifter Prince (Book 1.5 Zita and Sepher)
A Touch of Poison (Book 2 of the Shadows of the Tenebris Court: Kat and Bastian)
December 24, 2024
OKAYYYYY definitely a true bully romance set in a fantasy setting. The dynamic between Zita and the Sepher is sooooo fun and hot 🥵
May 25, 2025
3.5⭐️
✨𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦✨
✨𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭✨
✨𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥✨
Spicy, unhinged, daring, seductive, and the MMC has a tail 🐅🔥 Not a forever fave, but definitely a ride I won’t forget. Would I pet him? …Maybe
⚠️Check your trigger warnings on this one ⚠️
✨𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦✨
✨𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭✨
✨𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥✨
Spicy, unhinged, daring, seductive, and the MMC has a tail 🐅🔥 Not a forever fave, but definitely a ride I won’t forget. Would I pet him? …Maybe
⚠️Check your trigger warnings on this one ⚠️
May 28, 2023
This was so filthy 😳 oh my. Will be rereading for the *ahem* plot.
Good story, easy to follow, good twist and my oh my the spice was top tier. Definitely on the darker side but really leaned into enemies to lover but I wouldn’t say it’s true enemies to lovers. Really hot, really well written and it was packed for being under 400 pages.
Good story, easy to follow, good twist and my oh my the spice was top tier. Definitely on the darker side but really leaned into enemies to lover but I wouldn’t say it’s true enemies to lovers. Really hot, really well written and it was packed for being under 400 pages.
Read
May 28, 2023This was very addictive and very steamy. Note this is for 18+ and features some BDSM
July 4, 2023
3/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
This was okay. It’s so hard to come after a banger author like CB in this series.
While the story was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast - it was okay(ish) executed.
Sepher and Zita were two characters I had a hard time understanding the love within each other. While, a dark romantic fantasy, it was just kinda unbelievable. Maybe it was the pacing and the timing of each “milestone” that took place.
While I thought the killer of the sister was Cadan, I was kinda (50/50) shocked to know it was who it was - but made sense really when it was revealed. So I give the author credit for building that suspension of Cardan & put a little twist.
If I could change one thing & leave the rest - it’s the amount of times the author wrote Zita referring to the fucking decade it took for her to get her chance at revenge, how hard she trained and changed herself into a version of her sister, etc. It was so repetitive which made it downright fucking annoying.
Sepher was the best one out of the 2 in my own opinion, I actually really enjoyed his character & loved his growth more than Zita’s.
"And why should I? Why should I file my edges for their consumption? I'm not here for them to eat; I'm here to live my life."
While I don’t think I’d read another in this universe, if the author was to write another about Sepher and Zita - I would give her writing maybe another chance.
"Don't you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch."
3/5 🌶️
This was okay. It’s so hard to come after a banger author like CB in this series.
While the story was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast - it was okay(ish) executed.
Sepher and Zita were two characters I had a hard time understanding the love within each other. While, a dark romantic fantasy, it was just kinda unbelievable. Maybe it was the pacing and the timing of each “milestone” that took place.
While I thought the killer of the sister was Cadan, I was kinda (50/50) shocked to know it was who it was - but made sense really when it was revealed. So I give the author credit for building that suspension of Cardan & put a little twist.
If I could change one thing & leave the rest - it’s the amount of times the author wrote Zita referring to the fucking decade it took for her to get her chance at revenge, how hard she trained and changed herself into a version of her sister, etc. It was so repetitive which made it downright fucking annoying.
Sepher was the best one out of the 2 in my own opinion, I actually really enjoyed his character & loved his growth more than Zita’s.
"And why should I? Why should I file my edges for their consumption? I'm not here for them to eat; I'm here to live my life."
While I don’t think I’d read another in this universe, if the author was to write another about Sepher and Zita - I would give her writing maybe another chance.
"Don't you know, little bird? Cats like to play with the little creatures they catch."
June 11, 2023
4 / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is a great standalone fantasy romance. It’s a perfect example of what enemies to lovers should be. Rita, the main character, is out for revenge and Sepher is on the receiving end of her wrath and has murderous motivations of his own.
Needless to say that the tension was strong, the hate was stronger, and the spice….
The spice was spicing. 🥵
I rated this book four stars, mainly for the vibes, because there is definitely more spice than plot. However, what little pot was there was entertaining, fast-paced, and the relationship between the two main characters kept me eagerly turning the page.
The main complaint I have with this book, although minor, was how many times the main character mentioned she’s been out for revenge for 10 years. If I had a dollar for every time Rita said “I’ve spent a decade of my life plotting revenge” or “this has been 10 years in the making” I would be in a different tax bracket. We get it. She’s been plotting for a hot minute.
Overall, this is a super fun read that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the enemies to lovers trope. 😈
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