Kingdom of Masks and Mourning

The Once Seven Kingdoms #1

by Abigail Ehrhardt

What if to avenge her uncle, she must marry his killer?

The only Royal in history without magic, Analia has clawed for what little respect she has. But when her uncle—her one protection against her people’s disdain—is found dead after a meeting with a neighboring kingdom, Analia has nothing left.

Desperate for justice, Analia infiltrates the rival kingdom under the guise of a truce marriage. Surrounded by deception and powerful magic, she knows she can’t afford to trust. But trusting an infuriatingly charming guard might be her only hope of solving the case.

Her suspects, however, aren’t what she anticipates. Despite their deadly suspicions, they offer her a home, and a betrothed whose honey gaze is as sweet as his words.

But all good poisons are designed to go down easy.

With every day, motives become dead ends, mounting deaths threaten war across kingdoms, and Analia’s struggle to face her grief ensnares her in a far more treacherous web. For while Analia knows her uncle’s killer lurks in the shadows, her heart might remember too late—in a kingdom where love always has a price.

Kingdom of Masks and Mourning is the first book in a new series filled with heart-wrenching romance, deadly magic, and world-shattering secrets, perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Magic, New Adult

503 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2024

About the author

Abigail Ehrhardt has been writing absurdly elaborate stories since she was nine years old, to the point her teachers had to confine her plots to forty-five minute time frames. It still didn’t help. Now, her stories are just as fantastical, just as intricate, but (hopefully) a lot easier to follow.
As a baby, Abigail was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the retinas. After having one eye removed and the other severely damaged, she quickly realized books were her key to unlocking a world that was no longer designed for her. Now, she writes stories of her own, featuring a healthy dose of magic, romance, and wounded dreamers.
You can find her in Connecticut, where she’s probably hoarding nail polish, adopting far too many plants, and becoming more emotionally attached to the side characters than protagonists of whatever book she’s reading.

Reviews

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am freaking floored! Mind blown - every emotion wrung out of me. When I tell you to be on the look out for this author - trust. I can't believe this is her debut novel.

4.5 Stars

This book goes on the shelf of books that own me, not me owning it. I'm screaming and dying inside because book two is nowhere in sight at the moment and I'm going to want to claw the walls down until there's a glimmer in sight, until I see her working on it, until there's a coverless edition on Goodreads.

╰┈➤ Abigail Ehrhardt- you have taken my breath away!

Alright besties, for those that know me well enough - or see my updates and reviews in their feed often enough. You know I'm picky AF. Just in general with books. But with fantasy, I mean, I'm super picky. This story enveloped and consumed me from the inside out. I'm honestly sitting here looking at my dog, like she doesn't even know what I just went through! Whew.

✨ Kingdom of Masks and Mourning is devastatingly beautiful story about grief, loss, and the epic power of a found family. ✨

Analia, our FMC, princess and heir to the Ash Kingdom finds herself tasked with discovering the truth of her uncle's sudden and untimely death. An uncle who is more like a father to her in a kingdom where she has not been treated too kindly.

Joining a marriage treaty with the neighboring Kingdom of Sun in order to gain access to the answers she needs to put the puzzle of her uncle's death together. A timid and deemed unworthy heir from her own Kingdom, Analia finds herself surrounded by Royals that she doesn't know and not sure who she can trust.

With the help from her new found friends - Aaron a guard who is tasked with her protection and Dimitri, a servant, bastard son of the Sun King. They start to piece together the mystery.

Besties - I really can't give too much away about the plot, but let me tell you. I was scrolling through one of my book groups last week and someone had recommended this book . I read the synopsis, thought it sounded interesting and just took a leap. I'm so freaking glad I did!

From the first page, I knew this was going to be a banger! And Abigail did not disappoint!

╰┈➤ THIS BOOK IS PURE MAGIC! It's enchanting, mesmerizing, heart-pounding, exhilarating, sanguine, harrowing and addictive. Pure freaking magic!

˚₊ · »-♡→ I'm in love with the characters - omg Dimitri is the best! Grumpy, sarcastic, hilarious best friend.

˚₊ · »-♡→ And Aaron- whew, chef's kiss. I love him.

˚₊ · »-♡→ I adore Analia - I wanted her to have this spine of steel almost immediately, I was enraged for her, hurt for her. I wanted her to root her enemies out and destroy them!

The magic system is so mf fantastic! I love love love it!

As far as the romance goes, don't expect too much of that in this first installment. No spice to offer in this one either, the author is going to torture us with an epically slow burn. But I'm telling you, I was bursting with anticipation...I'm still freaking bursting - it's so worth it.

I highly recommend for all my fantasy and romantasy besties... come join me on the dark side so we can scream in absolute wicked delight over how freaking fantastic this book is.

Edit to add - There are 5 more books coming in this series! 😭😭


➴ ⚔️🔥 Fantasy romance
➴ ⚔️🔥 Arranged marriage
➴ ⚔️🔥 Mystery/Thriller
➴ ⚔️🔥 Enemies to friends
➴ ⚔️🔥 Love triangle Not really - trust me.
➴ ⚔️🔥 Hidden agendas
➴ ⚔️🔥 Political intrigue

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 4 out of 5]

☀️ Unique magic system
☀️ Politics
☀️ Dragons (but they don’t play a huge part though)
☀️ Found family
☀️ Amazing friendships
☀️ Murder mysteries
☀️ Amazing world building
☀️ Grief, abuse, traumas
« Just because you don’t feel the wound doesn’t mean you’re not bleeding out »

« The beauties of what we take for granted always seem to shine brightest when they’re gone »

This was pretty amazing!
Analia is the only royal without magic - and she’s treated horribly by the people of her kingdom (her father being the worst of them).
Her uncle gets murdered and she then sets herself on an arranged marriage to the prince of the kingdom she suspects is responsible for his murder.

The grief the FMC goes through was well portrayed. She had very highs and very very lows. I did want to scream at her to do something through a good 3/4 of the book. But it didn’t jeopardize my reading experience.

« This is your choice… what I can tell you - is to think about what answer you’re hoping to hear. And ask yourself why »

This was a pretty amazing rec from my girl Heather⚔️ !!!

——•
Preread ; Heather ⚔️ hyped this up SO MUCH for me that I just had to start this 🤭
Hope this cures the fantasy slump! Off to a great start already

[line ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

31st january:
- spoiler-free review -

thank you so much Abigail Ehrhardt for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book as an ARC. it was wonderful.

as some you already know, this was my first time reading an arc, so I was excited about this book from the very start. this excitement only increased the more I read and the more I learned about the world and the characters.
honestly, this book feels like I’m back in 2021, discovering the acotar world – not because the books are super similar, but because they give me the same feeling of comfort, joy and thrill!
as someone who isn’t really into rereading, this might become one of the few books I’ll make an exception for, just to relive the just named feelings and read a story I know I’ll enjoy again.


➥ plot

in a nutshell, this book is about analia, a princess of the ash kingdom who at twenty-two unnaturally doesn’t have any magic yet. because of some mysterious killings of royals, one of them being her beloved uncle who’s also the ash-king, she agrees to a marriage of convenience to pryanth, son of the sun queen and heir to the throne, thereby aligning the two countries (which hasn’t happened in a veeery long time) and hoping for peace. she moves to the sun kingdom and has to try to fit in and get to know her fiancé and his family, while also searching the cause of the killings. thereby, she meets aaron, a guard, and Dimitri, a servant, and they slowly become allies and friends. obviously, there’s MUCH more happening, but I don’t want to spoil it for y’all.
the book doesn’t start off with an immediate plot twist, but introduced me to analia first and showed me her family and a small part of the world she lives in. it gave me the chance to kind of adjust to the new world and it also build up suspense for the incoming twist, which was great and captured my interest!
as the story continued, I got to discover many new things and uncover secrets, always just enough to satisfy me but also not too much, so that it left me with new questions, thus making me want to read all the time to find the missing answers.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but be prepared to have the plot twists twisting, especially at the almost-end!! I couldn’t keep my jaw from dropping and, even though I’d had my a few suspicions and they mostly became true, I was still extremely shocked. obviously, there were also revelations that I hadn’t seen coming at all, which heightened my excitement about the story even more.


➥ world and writing

this is such an amazing fantasy world! it’s got kingdoms and queendoms with many secrets and inhabitants with various magical powers, fantasy animals such as dragons and monsters, magical plants with unknow effects, magical artefacts, an interesting history of how everything became the way it is now, and so much more – doesn’t that sounds so good?!!
it gets better: there’s no info-dumping! all the information about everything is elegantly included into the story and the characters’ thoughts, almost giving me the information “under cover” and fitting to the moment. this is supported by the point of views from different characters, each providing new information when necessary and giving me the chance to see this world from multiple angles.


➥ characters

despite this being the first book about these characters, I already love so many of them as if I have known them for a much longer time. while I really, really enjoyed the complete book, these people were my favourite part to read about

analia is the main character and I got to see most of the story though her eyes. this, I enjoyed very much, especially because she undergoes a great character development and changes into a much stronger, more determined woman who is learning how to deal with what she went through. and oh my god, did she go through it. she lost her uncle whom she loved extremely and who was the only person she had ever felt save with. the reason for this is, since she hasn’t found her magic yet, she is frowned upon by the society and even by some of her own family members, specifically her father. I get so mad only thinking about the horrible things he said to her and how he openly mistreated her and how, for a very long time, nobody ever really helped her. she deserves so much better than that and I am proud of her for standing up to him in the end.
but she’s also so much more than that. she’s funny, treats servants in a very nice way (I love when characters who are born into a higher position respect those “below” them), is quite selfless, always wants the best for the people she loves, and fights for what is right. I really like her!

aaron is amazing and i fell for him the moment I analia met him. already his first sentences were sarcastic and kinda cocky, showing me what would be waiting for me in the rest of the book. he’s extremely funny with his sometimes a bit out-of-pocket comments and was always able to put a smile on both mine and analia’s lips. he’s also very sweet, which he actually hides underneath that sarcasm, making his quite rare showings of his true feelings very precious. moreover, he’s extremely brave and selfless as well, always finding a way to protect those he cares for.
sadly, he too has a tragic past involving a traumatic family history, which to this day still haunts him – understandably so. there were many, many moments where I wanted nothing more than be able to jump into the boom and give him a hug and tell him he deserves all the best.

Dimitri might be the funniest character of the book. he was the best comedic relief in many otherwise rather dire situations. but it wouldn’t be a fantasy book without almost every character having experienced some traumatic thing in their past, so dimitri too hasn’t had an easy life. he never really had any family and therefore doesn’t let people touch him in any ways, not even his friends. therefore, I was so happy when he allowed aaron and analia to give him a hug, it showed how much he trusts them.
additionally, I feel like his actions are a bit overlooked. he played an important role in what was happening and kinda didn’t get as much praise as for example aaron and analia – but maybe that’s just me “overanalysing” everything haha.

ember is analia’s healer friend in the ash kingdom and also had her own point of view and, while she wasn’t super important and only had short chapters, I still like her. she’s very smart and supports analia and I think she may play a bigger role soon.

the side characters were nice! I disliked who I was supposed to dislike and also changed my opinions about some characters as the story continued. I actually feel a bit conflicted over some of them and am excited to see how they’ll turn out to be in the next book.


➥ relationships and friendships

there’s only one romantic relationship, which consists of pryanth and analia. since they’re strangers in the beginning I had the opportunity to get to know pryanth the same way analia did: without knowing him at all. this was nice because I was able to understand her feelings regarding him and also relate to them since I saw exactly what she was seeing.
this leads to me saying that pryanth is “tamlin-ing”, if you know what I mean. he was sweet in the beginning, cared about analia and was excited to meet her. he also hasn’t had a super easy life, but compared to other characters’ lifes, it’s nothing. however, he always puts himself in the victim position and became annoying the more I go to know him. I won’t say too much, but be prepared to enter a rollercoaster when meeting him and their relationship.

the total opposite to that is the friendship between aaron and analia. already now, they mean the world to me. they didn’t really get along from the first time they met, but became allies and then slowly formed the wonderful bond they now have.
they are and have everything analia and pryath aren’t and haven’t, including nicknames and compliments, very entertaining bickering resulting in sexual tension, long and kinda forbidden glances. they support and comfort each other by being each other’s person they can talk to about anything, they let each other see sides of themselves that no one else has ever seen, which is just beautiful. they push each other to become better versions of their current selves and are always,and I mean always, ready to help each other. they communicate when there’s a problem and don’t shy away from that confrontation.
also, aaron literally counted every single one of analia’s smiles throughout the whole book – EVERY SINGLE ONE.
to be honest, I thought they’d get together by the end of the book – but they haven’t and I’m surprisingly not mad about it at all because it opens the possibility of a lovely slow burn friends-to-lovers hihi.

dimitri and analia’s bond is so precious. they found each other when they needed a person to trust and help each other with their struggles.

the found family trope is represented by the friendship between analia, aaron and dimitri. they are adorable together and are able to truly be themselves around each other. they can both joke and talk about serious topics, which is important in a friendship group. I love them so much.


➥ conclusion

as you can see, I loved this book very much and had such a great time reading it. you all have to read it when it gets published, especially if you love fantasy books like acotar!
I’m super excited for the next book (even though it’s probably going to take some time until it gets published lmao) because, while it did end in a satisfying way, there are still some questions left unanswered and the main villain is still free.


---------------------------
31st january:
wow - this was AMAZING and i'm so excited to write this review later and tell you all about this masterpiece 🤭
---------------------------
23rd january:
omg I got my first arc ever!! I'm so excited for this 🤭

[Huda · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐

Tropes
- Fantasy
- found family trope
- enemies to lovers
- great character development
- Beautiful magical world.
- A bodyguard trope…? maybe👀

First of all, thank you, Abigail, for providing me with this ARC 😭 I am overwhelmed by how good this book made me feel.

Plot
Analia is a princess of the Ash Kingdom of Elpifhein. Every royal in the once-seven now six kingdoms is meant to get their royal magic at the age of 5 or 6, but Analia, at the ripe age of 21, hasn’t yet gotten any hope of her magic arriving. Then suddenly the deaths of royals begin to happen, first her cousin, then her uncle (who's the only person she loves), and then many other royals after them.
Who is killing them? What did every royal do to make someone that angry? And why are the murderers leaving a black, circular-looking mark on their necks?
As she continued to mourn her uncle's untimely death (or was it murder?) and search for the answers to all those and many more questions, Analia agrees for a marriage pact with the son of the Sun Kingdom, Pryanth.

It was a kingdom forged from smoke and ember, heat and flame. And Analia couldn’t even produce a spark.

World Building and Writing
The wording was flawless, not too difficult to read, and very... ✨fantasy✨. It was very magical! It brought me back to my reading of Thorne of Glass. This is basically a child of SJM TOG series. The inner monologue and the dialogue had the ideal balance, and the writing was excellent. I would not change a thing.
The writing was beautiful and full of fantastical elements overall.

The world-building went smoothly, and I actually remember everything.
The world was unique and had its own powers—the magic, the people. AHH, I loved it.
It wasn't an info dump, which I've seen in SO many YA fantasy books, as in this we first get to know what world they live in, and then in the middle we get to know more details about the once seven now six Kingdom so it was exciting to read. It kept me going and wanting for more, which is all i want from a fantasy book.

Romance
This was a kind of triangle...?
Hmm, huh, what? THIS IS THAT BOOK in which I couldn't guess who the main love interest will be.... Like, first I was like, Oh, he's cute Aw, yes, I like him, but then... that guard came and WHAO EVERYTHING out of the door. 🥲
But I don't know if the author is going to pull Rowan type relationship or just the guard is going to end up with her. Let's see.
I am willing to read more about the romance cz this was not enough.😔🤌🏻

Characters
SO GOOD CMON I loved every single main character. It's the way Abigail wrote them that made me fall in love with them. The way each of them had their own flaws and their own unique personalities and different pasts.
Even after finishing the book, I already miss them all so much 😭. Even the side characters were so cool.
Analia had such great character development, so much happened to her. She'd never been an ordinary girl. Because she didn't get her powers yet. All she had was her uncle and some books. God, her dad—if I were to meet him, I WILL MAKE HIM PAY so hard.

“You and I, Analia. In our pasts, we’ve both been shaped by the people around us. It would be unwise to completely forget the lessons they’ve taught us, but it would be a fallacy to believe we must remain in those shapes.”

We see the raw emotions and the hardships she faces as a result of placing her confidence in people she shouldn't have. Getting betrayed by people, literally leaving her homeland to live with a family she knows nothing about.

AARON AARON AARON MF AARON 😭🤌🏻
I can't say enough about him; he was SO PERFECT. What a snarky boy Abigail has created... I WANT MORE OF HIM.

“You’re staring at me,” she complained.
“Oh, Analia,” he said, his eyes following the curve of her collarbones before wandering up to her eyes.
“I’m aware.”
EEEKK
Marcos twisted as something whizzed through the air. The tiny object thunked against the wall, Marcos’s hand flashing out to catch it.
For a moment, he stared at the object in his palm. Then he glared up at Aaron, “You flicked a button at me?”
“It felt disrespectful to my daggers to throw one of them,” Aaron said.

I can't even describe how funny and light his character was. He got his own issues going on... Ehem 👀 and the way this book ended... on him. Yeah well, he is definitely more than what he is.
The tension between Analia and Aaron ✋🏻 I was giggling and shit. The sneaking glances and full of banter talks they shared 😔 I need that.
HE COUNTED THE AMOUNT OF TIMES SHE SMILED 503 TIMES JAHDKSHDKSJKD.

Dimitri was SUCH A COOL GUARD. Lord istg the found family trope between the three of them was SPECTACULAR😭
There is so much depth to his story and character that at one point I wanted to hop in and hug him😭
Pryanth, go read this book, because ya'll gotta read and go on a roller coaster of emotions for him and his relationship with Analia.

Overall, this was a great start to a fantasy series. With loveable characters and beautiful writing. If you're looking for a book that'd give you similar vibes to Throne of glass series, then this one's for you 💞

✨Highlights ✨

Instead, Analia said, “But you said I was the flame to your life.”
“How desperate were you to believe that?” he asked.
-- I died.

“You killed him?” Deardryn whispered.
“How’s that for a trade?”
-- I SCREAMED BAHHAHAHAH

____

I am overwhelmed; I have too much to say and yet I don't think my words would do justice to how beautiful and magical this book was. 😭😭
RTC
I miss the characters already

------
Got the arc; hope this delivers!!

[aksh ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✦. ── Pre review ── .✦

⤷ o.m.g. i need the second book rn. why was this the perfect fantasy book ever?

[Sarah Book Dragon]

yay!! i got an arc :))

[Kyra (library_of_fairy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What was the point of caring about anything, when her everything had been ripped away with a brutal nonchalance?”

Owhshwjdkkdjs okay I have a lot to say so buckle up.

From the very first page I got sucked right into the story. I have cursed my exams which held me from reading while I just wanted to finish it in a day… This is one of these rare reads where you just fall in love with the characters and the world and you wish you could be there on that journey to help them.

Plot
Analia is the only royal without magic. She’s mocked and despised because of it, except by her uncle, the Ash King, who tries to make up for the cruelty of her father and her people by giving her all the love he can. When they find a murdered royal on the border of the Sun Kingdom, they invite the ruling family to discuss what happened, only to find the Ash King dead in his chambers the first morning after their arrival. Analia agrees to an arranged marriage with Pryanth, prince of the Sun Kingdom and heir to the throne, in the hopes of finding the killer. Under the veil of peace she infiltrates the Sun castle, trying to find information on who the killer is while also trying to get to know her new family. And she has no idea who she can trust…

There’s a big focus on mourning (as the title may suggest) and the author handles this theme very well. It’s probably one of the most realistic representations of loss and working through that pain I’ve ever seen in a book. There is also some very well written, but graphic on page domestic violence and manipulation so be aware of that.

Characters
The book has 4 POV’s that flow smoothly and all have a very different but interesting voice.

Analia has a lot of trauma to work through while some people only add to that pile. Her development was beautiful to read. She grows from a silent girl who lets herself get walked over, to a strong woman who stands up for herself and her friends. I really loved her and got so mad reading about everything she was going through. She deserves so much better.

Aaron is a guard in the Sun Kingdom and one of the most sarcastic people I’ve ever seen. He finds particular joy in frustrating Analia. We soon find out this sarcasm is a way of dealing with his own trauma, though. He’s also very sweet, caring, and protective, always trying his best to make his loved ones feel better. He is probably one of the most mysterious characters in the books. We get small pieces of his past throughout the book, but you can never really figure out what’s going on with him until the ending. He’s also my newest addition to the book boyfriend collection.

Ember is the only friend Analia has in the Ash Kingdom and a talented healer in training. Although we don’t see that much of her, it’s obvious she cares a lot about Analia and tries to help her friend as much as possible. She’s smart and straightforward, not holding back, even for the royals.

Dimitri is a servant in the Sun castle and although he tries to keep his distance from people, used to being alone, he becomes fast friends with Analia. Also he has his own struggles to work through. I just wanted to give I’m the biggest hug even though he didn’t like being touched because he wasn’t used used to any affection. I did think his actions at the end of the book were a little overlooked so I hope that gets addressed in the next book.

World
Once, there were 7 kingdoms. Now only 6 remain. Once, they were peaceful, but now there are… tensions. The magic system was very interesting and I love what the author did with it. Despite the complexity of the world and characters, there was no info dumping at all!! The author incorporates this info into the plot so the story keeps flowing well. I hope to see more of the other kingdoms in the upcoming books.

You will feel every single emotion while reading this book. There are characters you’ll love, there are characters you’ll hate, and everything in between. There’s pain, sadness, doubt and betrayal. But there’s also joy, healing, gratitude and love.
I probably forgot to mention a lot of things but I guess you’ll just have to read the book and figure them out yourself 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Ayeley 𐙚 ·˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
3 generous stars

♰ next book when?

₰random thoughts

➼ Found family is one of the best things to ever happen to books and this book had it. Aaron, Dimitri, Analia and Ember are dear to me 🙂‍↔️

➼ I love how this book didn’t really focus on the romance and focused more on the friendship stage of their romance. It was perfect.

➼ honestly the two culprits were so painfully obvious it made me mad after the reveal.

➼ I still don’t get De’andres motives?🧍🏾‍♀️

➼ Pry*nth’s death was the best part of this book

₰ I actually loved the journey even though it seemed pointless 98% of the time. I like to think of this book as character driven and not plot driven. I would definitely be reading the next book👁️👄👁️

[Althea ☾]

DNF @50% — i tried. i rlly tried but it wasn’t investing for me. i read this for the knight x princess dynamics and although it very much is that… it was hard to internalize because of the characterization. i usually like stories that lean into political intrigue but i’m not sure if this balanced it’s world-building and characters.

i was curious to see how the magic system plays out but the constant cursing was distracting. the characters are all very headstrong and although that’s not necessarily bad and it makes for funny moments, i don’t think it added to my curiosity. it also didn’t build an intriguing foundation for its magic system unless it’s your first time encountering this kind of story.

Ultimately, i think the mystery plot and political intrigue was too slow while the development of character relationships was disjointed. It does have a strong exploration of grief it’s easy to follow.

however, the character relationships didn’t feel developed, there’s a lot of telling rather than showing, and the characterization is too straightforward for my taste. it felt like they were arguing a whole lot of the time but it wasn’t being balanced with toned down moments… so it felt like one long argument, if that makes sense.

it was hard to feel the depth of the conflict because it relied a lot on dialogue between characters rather than the context you pick up during non verbal interactions. it also tried to build on the mystery and character dynamics at the same time. it felt like the story wanted to do too much but it was odd because it also felt like nothing was happening?

i do think if you can like this if you want a more direct and slower narrative that explores themes on grief written in a simpler style.

Not my preference but that is okay because i’m happy that other ppl have found joy in it~

[grace]

EEKKK first ever arc copy for me so i’m so incredibly excited to start reading this gorgeous beautyyy 💕💕

[tianna ⋆⭒˚.⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don’t really write reviews often but this one does deserve it. i’m not huge on the modern fantasy genre, but my girlfriend had suggested me this one. it took me about 48% through for me to really get into it, but after that midway turning point, i became hooked and finished the other half of it in a span of hours. the plot line is unique and the world building was an interesting taken on usage of elemental magic. i was particularly fond of how the antagonist is portrayed and well written, one genuinely will not see it coming until towards the end. i appreciate the world building and character development, there was a great deal of attention paid to character back stories and concepts that made them interwoven quite well with one another. i am very much looking forward to reading the sequel. overall, a unhesitatingly deserved 4/5 ✰’s.

[Martina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book a chance, but I read the whole Part 1, that's around 100 pages, and nothing really happened? Yes, few people died including heroine's uncle, the king of Ash kingdom. But honestly, I don't care. It was very slow paced for my liking. Maybe the younger demographics (tweens or young teenagers) will find this book interesting.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to Abigail for sending me this Arc copy! I really enjoyed reading this story and I will be following along for future books.
KOMAM is book one of the Once Seven Kingdoms series. It focuses on Analia, the only Royal in history without magic.
She is treated abhorrently by almost everyone in her kingdom, except by her beloved Uncle, the King. When her Uncle is murdered, Analia infiltrates a rival kingdom to try and find his killer.
Analia is a quiet character, she has been worn down by her kingdom's hatred and cruelty. She has to work through a lot of trauma and it's good to find a book that doesn't gloss over the damage done by abuse and grief. Despite everything she has been through, Analia is kind to people around her, she doesn't give up and she is incredibly brave. Her friendships with Aaron, Dimitri and Ember are heartwarming.
Aaron is a guard in the sun kingdom. He is endlessly sarcastic and loves to frustrate Analia. He is a mysterious character and we find out small amounts about his past throughout the book.
The book gave me ACOTAR and From Blood and Ash vibes, but without the spice. I loved that the book focuses on Analia's journey through her trauma without it being fixed by a man.
At times, I did find Analia's self deprecation a bit irritating, Pryanth is a walking |
- from early on and she keeps giving
him the benefit of the doubt. However, considering the effect that gaslighting and love bombing can have on people, her reactions are only human.

Favourite points:
🔥 Unique magic system
🔥Found family & friendships
🔥Found inner strength
🔥Charming & sarcastic MMC
🔥Murder mystery
🔥Beautiful descriptions of a new world
🔥Sun dragons

[Tempest Reign · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 🌶

Kingdom of Masks and Mourning is one of those books you expect to enjoy, but instead, it grabs you by the heartstrings and refuses to let go.

I love, love, love this book, and have about 260 passages highlighted and annotated in the ebook to prove it 😅.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly trying to figure everything out, tucking away little pieces of the puzzle, and wondering how it all fit together.

I love how much I felt towards Analia, the outcast princess FMC, and how easily I could relate to her. I hate how she was treated, and some of the situations she was put in, but literally jumped for joy when she started to stand up for herself.

Aaron, the very secretive gaurd MMC, was something else! I love how he's morally grey, but also has this beautiful soft side, especially for Analia.

Dimitri. He grew on me, and I ended up loving him too. Mostly, I loved the friendship they all formed.

While there isn't any steam in this book, there is so much banter and tension, I didn't miss it.

This story gave me all the feels! Book 2 now please 😆

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕: slow burn romance, found family, healing after trauma, intrigue, mystery, magic, deadly secrets, he's morally grey but a simp for her, she's learning to find her voice, Dimitri.


💢 𝙏𝙒𝙨: death of a loved one, grief, violence, child abuse (emotional and physical (non-sexual)), gaslighting, sexual threat (one scene), brief mention of stillbirth, murder

☆I received an ARC of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.☆

[Catie M | SmuttyCocktails · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a devastatingly accurate portrayal of grief and loss. Abigale really goes for jugular with how perfectly she describes trying to live up to expectations and the disappointment of being reminded of your short comings. But much like life this book also has moments of happiness and banter that will have you smiling as you delve into this world. Okay but don’t let the first part of my review scare you, this book is so much more than just sad moments. You will fall in love with the characters in the periphery and find yourself laughing at the witty sarcasm much more than expected. (Did I mention I loved the banter and sarcasm?)
The magical system is very intriguing and will draw you in to find out more. The FMC struggles in a relatable way and the support of her friends will warm your heart. There is little to no spice in this book but I honestly didn't mind (and that’s coming from a smut lover) How the story developed kept me so engaged and I found the little twists and turns so good!!
I can’t wait for more from this world because trust me once you meet Aaron you wont be able to get enough!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this as an ARC and what can I say... Abigail please, take a bow.
This was pure art, perfect I couldn't fault the book at all.

The FMC Anna she was so wonderfully written. She starts out in this book as a quiet girl that everybody ignores. She goes through the pain of being rejected by family, abuse, loss (I won't forgive you for this one), self discovery. She starts out as magic less but as she navigates each of the pains she is put through finds her spark.

The original love interest was also so well written. There are moments where you love the man and moments where you wish you could reach into the pages and punch his face.

The Morally gray character was swoonworthy... enough said. I loved his character and everything about him, granted there were moments I wanted to shake him... there were also moments I just wanted to hug the man.

The plot and world building I can't fault, the magical politics were also very unique. The biggest plot twist ever was certainly unexpected. I honestly can't wait for the rest of the series.

Abigail girl, you are a mastermind. Thank you.

[Gwen Brophy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this. Aaron is not the typical MMC of this genre, because he's not really dark and broody, but more of the Han Solo charming scoundrel type. I laughed repeatedly at the things he said, and I'm excited to see more of his backstory in the second book, which I will be jumping IMMEDIATELY into.

The FMC was sadly more realistic than a lot of FMCs. After a lifetime of abuse from her family, she falls into another abusive situation and makes excuses for her experiences. As the reader, it's frustrating and I was yelling at her to not be so blind, but as a person who lives in the real world, that's what people do. They stay in bad situations for complex reasons that to an outsider make no sense.

The world-building is incredible and unique. I really enjoyed this a lot!

[Samantha K.O. Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little adventure to go on. While it was fairly predictable, it was still very enjoyable. The magic system was interesting and I can’t wait to dive into more of it in the coming book(s.) I love the FMC, Analia, and was constantly rooting for her. And I absolutely adored the relationships and banter she has with her inner circle. There are few moments in the story where the reveal of information should have been apparent but wasn’t or maybe was too subtle and therefore was a bit confusing, but still an exciting read. There are still so many questions waiting for answers and I want them now! Waiting for the next book will be eating away at my thoughts.

Steamyish at parts but no spice.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure why this book isn’t more well read?! I don’t usually write reviews but I think this young author deserves some love.

There are so many fantasy books with so many reads on kindle unlimited that just aren’t it, but I really liked this one. I can’t say it’s ACOTAR, but very good for its class in kindle unlimited. The murder mystery addition really makes it stand out. The plot was domewhat predictable, but that didn’t stop me from staying up late to read it. The world building and character building is good. The relationship development is awesome. The slow burn romance is great, so much so that I wouldn’t really call this a romance. Dimitri is a fantastic character, too.

Curious to see where the author goes next! Keep doing your thing girl :)

[Sage Nikitin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first ARC 🥹 Abigail, take a bow! You did this! Congratulations on your first book release and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first to read your masterpiece! I had so much fun reading this and have fallen in love with a few of your characters and this magical world! Absolutely can not wait to see what the rest of the series will have in store for us!
Instagram post will come soon- but for those seeing this now Kingdom of Masks and Mourning will be released tomorrow (2/13/24) and will be available on Amazon and kindle unlimited! ❤️

[Jac_reads_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute fantasy story, it would be a good fantasy book for those who may not typically read fantasy but wanted to get into the genre! I enjoyed the characters, there was good tension and a good villain. I was able to see through the twists of this book but that didn't bother me so much because Aaron kept me reading!

This book has: murder mystery, court politics, tension, love triangle, a snarky male who can't keep thoughts and compliments to himself.

Aaron absolutely stole my heart in this story! Looking forward to seeing where the rest of this series goes!

[Jenell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was lovingly given an ARC but sadly decided to DNF for now. I loved what I read. The scenery is beautiful. The magic system is intriguing. I LOVE that it's not based on the normal elements. The characters were interesting. My main issue that's making me finally DNF is that there are SO many characters to keep track of. If it put this book down for more than 3 days I forgot who half of the people were. This is a soft DNF and I'll will more than likely pick it back up eventually but I just can't keep track of all of these characters at the moment.

[ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was written really really well. the plot and the vibes were immaculate. HOWEVER, the lack of romance killed it for me. i had hardly any emotional connection to these characters and honestly, anna made me wanna bash my head into a wall. homegirl making excuses for the man HAD ME SO IRRITATED (iykyk). i don’t think im gonna finish this series. there wasn’t a strong enough connection for me.


i would recommend this to anyone that loves fantasy and a shit ton of world building ! past that i don’t think it’s worth it.

[Kylee Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this was in its first draft form, and, even then, the plot drew me in so much that I secretly read it during my classes (not that Abigail or I encourage you to read outside material in-class). As someone who quickly read and loved the Harry Potter series, Divergent Series, and all of Sarah J. Mass's work, I know that those with similar taste will love this book. I can't wait to read where this story goes next!

[Sophy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting from the start, it had some great characters that you just ability fall in love with. Some characters that you grow to dislike. The world that was created was vast and unique and the writing keeps you engrossed into the story. This is definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads this year. I can't wait to read the next book!

If you are just getting into fantasy this would be a great read for you!

[✨Rissa✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! It’s More of a Romantacy mystery that ensnares you and keeps you seeking more. With self discovery, love, loss, betrayal, hidden truths, haunting pasts, hidden identity, kingdom of Masks and Mourning has everything you want from a fantasy book and will leave you with a reading hangover. I am dying to know what happens next and impatiently waiting for the second book!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is going places and I feel honored to be among her first 50 reviews on Goodreads.

I've read a lot of books in my time. With each new book, I always hope for an unpredictable plot, characters with depth, and breathtaking world-building. So many fall short, but this doesn't. If you want to read an excellent book, look no further.

[Dana Bye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! A must read!

I absolutely loved this book! The magical system is so interesting and the characters brought it to life! It’s certainly a very slow burn (no pun intended, IYKYK)! But I do love how Analia and Aaron play off each other. I am off to start the second book and see where they lead us! I highly recommend this.

[Serenity C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good!! The plot was well written and sublime! I loved the slow burn romance and can’t wait for more! The fmc slowly growing stronger and into her powers was so good!! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Val Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love this book. Side characters were *chef’s kiss. The love - meh. Spicy - 0 the story/plot/fantasy/magic - good, enjoyable. Will I read the next one? Probably note.