Court of Bone and Amethyst

Dark Fae Guardian #2

by Aurora Grey

The Court of Nightmares has been taken by the enemy and Sarielle and Zyren are on the run, in search of an army that can help them win the war ahead. They're the only ones who can save Valaron, but Sarielle's magic is out of control, Zyren is fighting inner demons, and neither of them can trust the other.

In order to make things right, they must work together, but that may prove to be the one thing neither can do.

COURT OF BONE AND AMETHYST is the second book in the Dark Fae Guardian series, a Crowns of Aureon novel.

Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Romance, Magic, Fae, Enemies To Lovers

Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2024

About the author

Aurora Grey lives in Florida with her dog, too many cats, and a very mischievous horse. She writes stories about magic, swoonworthy dudes, and the strong, sexy women they fall for. When not enjoying books, she can be found traveling, a glass of champagne in hand.

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Reviews

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. It genuinely improved as it went on. The romance is aching and bittersweet, the magic and worldbuilding feel vast, and the story constantly balances between devastation and hope 🖤✨🗡️

📖 Book: Court of Bone and Amethyst
🖋️ Author: Aurora Grey
🌟 Rating: 4.25 ✧
💜 Genre: Romantasy
📚 Series: Dark Fae Guardian (Crowns of Aureon universe)
🗡️ Summary: Sarielle and Zyren continue their journey in this sequel, now on the run and desperately searching for an army that could help them reclaim Valaron. What seems straightforward quickly proves anything but: Sarielle is struggling to control the pull of her dark magic, Zyren is battling his fractured sense of morality, and both are fighting feelings that have become impossible to ignore. Surrounded by secrets, shifting loyalties, and looming danger, their path forward is steeped in longing, sacrifice, and choices that come at a devastating cost 🖤✨

♡ What I loved most:
• Layers upon layers of secrets: this book is packed with reveals. It felt like walking down a dark corridor with no clear end — discovering hidden doors, stolen truths, and quiet moments full of longing and fragile hope 🗝️
• The double POV: getting Zyren’s perspective was everything I didn’t know I needed. His actions so rarely align with his emotions, and being inside his head made every choice feel more painful, more tender, and heartbreakingly bittersweet 🥹
• House Otreyas: Sarielle’s Court fascinated me. From its matriarchal structure to the way fate and lineage intertwine, everything about it felt tragic, emotional, and heavy with yearning 💔
• The female rage: there is nothing I love more in books than a woman’s righteous anger in the face of injustice. Sarielle’s rage felt earned, raw, and incredibly powerful 🔥
• The evolution of the romance: the romance in this book is quietly devastating. I loved how their connection deepened, how much was conveyed through restraint, and how their interactions carried so much weight and longing 💜

“Time slows and then freezes as I stare at Zyren. My lips finally form the words my brain is screaming over and over again. ‘You love me?’
Anger and disbelief flash over his face. ‘Are you blind? I’m madly in love with you. Why do you think I’ve made such terrible choices? Why I couldn’t stop myself with you that first night in the meadow, betraying my king and my brother? Why I keep coming back to you even when we both know we shouldn’t?’”

• The tension and suspense: so many moments go wrong in unexpected ways. Secrets are buried, withheld, and revealed later, and that constant uncertainty kept me completely hooked 🕯️
• The worldbuilding: many of the locations were stunningly described. This book painted vivid tableaus that were easy to imagine and lingered in my mind ✨

“It depicts a battle of light and dark. On the left side are the nightmares, painted in purples and grays and midnight hues. On the right side are the people of Valaron, the people who once lived in Aureon before the nightmare realm consumed their lands. A kaleidoscope of vibrant colors illuminates them, reds and golds and greens.
And then there is the clash in the middle.
It's here that my fascination is drawn, the maelstrom of the two sides colliding together. Silver spears and shadow magic, golden bows and black flames, swords cutting through wings and impaling scaled hearts, the red of both blood and fire. It is horrible and yet somehow beautiful, all the colors mixing, a rainbow of chaos.”

• The connection to City of Night: seeing Zara and Asher again genuinely made me giddy. I loved how this book ties into the wider universe and expands it in such a satisfying way 🖤
• The ending: while not a huge cliffhanger, it leaves you with a glimmer of hope when everything feels lost — just enough to make you desperate for what comes next ✨

✘ What I didn’t love:
• Some scenes felt like overkill: at times, the dramatics were a bit much — black eyes, levitating, unnaturally powerful voices, near-death moments stacked one after another. I don’t mind overdramatic scenes, but they need the emotional buildup to truly land. For example, we believe Zyren is dead and then, two pages later, they’re walking and talking as if nothing happened — that moment deserved far more emotional weight
• The outdated map: the map appears unchanged from book one and only shows part of the land. Since sections of the story take place across the sea, I wish it had been updated

───♡─────────────

୨ৎ Overall:
I loved this. It genuinely improved as it went on. The romance is aching and bittersweet, the magic and worldbuilding feel vast, and the story constantly balances between devastation and hope.
This book feels like a maze full of secrets, rage, and wonder — a journey I truly loved reading about. I cannot wait to pick up the conclusion… the only reason I haven’t already is because I have an exam tonight 🥹📚✨

xoxo, until the next book 💜🗡️✨

「Dark Fae Guardian trilogy」
#1 House of Gilded Nightmares — 4 ✧
#2 Court of Bone and Amethyst — 4.25 ✧
#3 Queen of Stars and Shadows — 3 ✧

Also set in the Crowns of Aureon universe:
「City of Night duology」
#1 City of Night — 5 ✧
#2 Song of Night — 5 ✧

「Ash and Midnight series」
#1 A Court of Ash and Midnight — TBR
#2 A Fate of Flame and Onyx — TBA

[𖤓𝔐𝔦𝔰𝔞☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like 3 ⭐️ is too good but a 2.5 or even a 2.75 isn’t right either. I enjoyed the book at first but by 60% I was annoyed with sari and zyren…while I’m happy the slow burn was still a thing in book 2 and not made them get together right away, I don’t like how long it took and zyren constantly pushing her away and being cold to her but then they would fuck….also her letting herself basically be hurt by him whenever they did it. I’m sick of FEMALE authors always making the fmcs in their books so fucking weak. Not as in power wise either I mean when it comes to men. Why is it so hard to make a girl say no and NOT wanna fuck the guy for once, especially when she feels he don’t love her or want her, like not all girls are weak for dick like come on be serious. got annoying quick whenever they fucked and they would say it can’t happen again just for it to happen again 🙄 I liked zyren in book 1 but his character got ruined for me in this book. Tells her them being husband and wife means nothing and they can’t be together and he cares more for duty. Super controlling and acting like she can’t handle herself or fuck even BATHE alone!! I get he’s her guardian but he took that role too seriously for him to just say he loves her in the end and she easily accepts it or even believes it..kept her alive yea but treated her like shit. I thought she would have backbone and make him grovel or tell him off for how he’s been acting towards her but no she folded immediately like the weak ass character she is. Then he just randomly calls her darling? Never has he used pet names on her like that but as soon as he says I love you he’s all sweet and nice. No that’s not real or believable. Don’t be switching up his character now. It’s like he only admitted his feelings because she had to get married to someone else but yet didn’t do anything when she had to marry his asshole brother? Huh?!

there’s no romance in this book…there’s some smut but that’s it. I skimmed them because when they did it it was always after she got annoyed with him and he was being so unreasonable, who is so horny for a man they are mad at?? No woman ever. I guess maybe I didn’t feel he actually loved her bc he kept complaining to himself about duty and honor and betraying his piece of shit brother who literally told him he was gonna basically rape sari everyday….that’s the brother you feel guilty about? Tf

Then to give him amnesia at the end are you fucking kidding me man omg 😩 is he gonna treat her like some stranger and not show her affection again for the entirety of the next book too bc that is getting really old.

I cared more for the plot than the romance because again there wasn’t any. Like I said in my review for book 1, I like the concept of the powers and the world building it’s very interesting and I do want her to get her throne and kingdom back plus Im excited for her to save her best friend. So while I do enjoy the series and will read the last book, I just don’t like the development between the couple and fear there was hardly any development really.

[sairs_readsandreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this continuation of Zyren and Sarielle’s story! Full of twist and turns we return to Valaron after the nightmare wedding from the last book.

I loved the journey and visits to the various Courts and the developing relationship between Zyren and Sarielle.
I had multiple moments where the decisions faced by both of them had my jaw dropping!

Quite a quick read and then ended with a bang that’s got me wanting book 3 right now!

Great read, a brilliant book 2 and looking forward to finding out what happens next.

I received an arc copy of this book via booksprout and this is my honest review.

[Melanie Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introducing Owyn and Merla may have been the best piece of this book. They were a perfect addition to break up the monotony of Zyren and Sarielle. While I found the book mildly entertaining, there were a few hang ups for me.

If you love:
⭐️ the denial trope
⭐️ the I have a secret that could affect you but am not telling trope
⭐️ the I’m going to let ancestors that lived thousands of years ago dictate my life trope
⭐️ the I’m going to pretend to hate you trope

This book is for you. The constant back and forth between our main characters was a bit tiring, and once we finally get what we all want at the end Zyren wakes up and can’t remember crap. Go figure.

[Katherine McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep character development

Suspicion, seeking allies and finding foes, internal conflict, forbidden love, a possessive ‘kill her or die’ morally grey MMC. Brief sex scenes used to describe passion more than smut.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Zyren POV: “The roar of wind and magic and the screams of the flying monsters fill the air. My blood boils with the rage of the darkness within, fully unleashed. I don’t try to control it. There will be no returning to myself because I will die in this form, which is perhaps the truest form I have.”

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 in the series. A bit of a come down from the 5 stars I gave Book 1. Unlike last book, which had the whole story told from the perspective of our heroine, this switches between her and her lover. I usually like a multi-character POV but I really struggled with this one. A lot of the scenes had both characters in it and the style of writing was so similar that I'd find myself getting confused and needing to check which perspective it was written from. I'd expect there to be some vital understanding we couldn't get from our heroine alone but this was rarely the case.

[stephanie cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Court of Bone and Amethyst is a book that is easy to settle down and all into. Grey is given us a peak into this world with characters that demand attention. I love the heart bounding suspense we are given when we seep back into Valaron after all that has happened. With this being the second book in the series I am excited to see what will happen next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Magdelina Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice cliffhanger

The story reads like YA novel in its simplistic writing. It’s a good introduction book into fantasy but hardcore readers will find the story reads like a young adults novel. Not to say that is bad per say,

An interesting take on the whole nightmare concept. That was very unique and I liked it. the author would should have added more depth to the chapters, and more world building. Still I did enjoy the story line.

[Nattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed the story. I like the characters, mostly. She started to get a little whiney, but it was tolerable. For being such a short book, I still felt like I was dragging towards the end. It did pick back up in the last 15 minutes. I'm hopeful for the final book. I'm invested enough that I want to know how it ends.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the second book. I enjoyed reading more about the character development and how Sarielle and Zyren's relationship develops after the end of the first book. I'm excited to see how the story continues in the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but repeats itself a lot

I liked this book, but I got annoyed quickly with the back and fourth of the main characters of loving and fighting. It was the same situation every time instead of different ones so it started to get on my nerves.

Overall the book was good and I read the 1st and 2nd quickly.

[Jakaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 only because i hate when main characters keep secrets from the audience… like sarielle who am i going to tell? i don’t need to be surprised by both the secret and the response of the other characters at the same time. i want to know in real time. don’t tell me you made a discovery, talk all about the discovery, but refuse to share what it is!!! come on

[Sara Mcfadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 coming in HOT! I fully enjoyed this sequel. It scratched certain itches and pulled me in thoroughly. I enjoyed the banter. The romance was good. The plot was seamless and easy to follow.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this sequel as the first book was awesome! A great continuation of the story, great character development, and sweet fantasy elements.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Taylor Capps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh!!!

Cliff hanger!!!! How dare you!
It’s ohkay though the next book comes out soon!
And I will be demolishing it as well!
It’s just enough fast pace to keep you sucked into the book and hooked for more!

[Alecia Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am mixed on this one

I didn’t hate it but I feel that all we are being given is more questions and less answers, it’s starting to feel as if the conclusion is being skirted with fillings, but I am happy to read the next part and see still was a good read

[Martha Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frustratingly Wonderful

I love books with trope where bodyguard falls in love with FMC. Forbidden love trope. Great story plot and plot twist towards the end. Definitely ends on a cliffhanger, so be ready for book 3 immediately.

[cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was draw into this book at the beginning and then I did lose a little interest towards the ending but overall it was a good read. I would recommend it to readers who love some steaminess and fantasy adventure mixed together.

[K Chandwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book knows what is it, and it’s not here for a real plot. Does it serve its purpose as a smut book? Yes. But that’s all it is. This trilogy could be 1 good book with editing and a reduction of spice.

[Caprice Moses-Cann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot is good, romance is shit. The fuck do you mean you loath her then say I love you darling??????
Not to mention the ending. I hate what happens at the end. Worst trope in my opinion.
The plot, the story tho? Ate.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great continuation to Sarielle and Zyren's story. It shows solid development in storyline and relationship. I loved the banter between Sarielle and Zyren. I'm excited to read the next book

[Sophia Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️🖤🖤❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥loved!!!!

Omg!!! Loved!!!! Book 📖 two incredible smocking scenes and 🙊what the cliffhanger what!!!book three here I come ❤️‍🔥🖤❤️! I really loved 🥰 these books 📚

[Barbara Leimuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeps your interest.

[megomyeggo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Ms Eclectic]

DNF - don’t know what it was but I couldn’t get into this one. Maybe if I’d read it right after the first one.

[Julia Adriano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger warning

Loved this book, despite a slower beginning. Lots of twists and turns throughout. The ending was complex made it all worthwhile!

[Hilary Locke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always feel compelled to finish a series. This 2nd book almost was a DNF.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

I skim a lot of this series, I’ll finish it but it’s definitely not one I love or would recommend, just kind of a filler.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything feels just... Rushed... Too rushed, even for me that I hate slow paced stories...

[frances sing · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

Excellent characters and fast paced read. I can’t wait to read the next book to see what happens to my favourite characters.