"You might be torture and temptation incarnate. But you are strength and power. You are damnation and salvation trapped in curves that should be forbidden."
Deep inside the walled fortress that is Hunter's Hamlet, Floriane lives as the forge maiden with her whole life planned ahead for her: she must work in the forge and arm the hunters against the deadly vampires until she's married off to a stranger.
But on the night of the Blood Moon, when she goes on a reckless mission to save her brother and protect her home, Floriane finds herself face to face with the vampire lord... and instead of killing her, he whisks her away to his kingdom. There, they become bloodsworm and Florane promises him to find the cure to end the curse that's been plaguing his people for millenia. She must play this game of oaths and seduction carefully, or she might lose not only her life... but her heart.
"I might be the forge maiden, but I am no delicate flower. I am as cold as silver. As strong as iron. I will bend for destiny, but not for any man."
What a wild ride this have been! I loved absolutely EVERYTHING about this book:
● The vibe: this book has a MUCH darker aura than the its other Married to Magic counterparts, and I adored it. It's really well executed and performed. It reminded me a lot to Beauty and the Beast—the maiden forced to live with a beast, who is a fallen, cursed lord, and eventually falling in love with him. That was my favorite Disney movie growing up, so you can imagine how much I enjoyed this!
● VAMPIRES!! I thought I would never see my favorite author writing about vampires, but fortune has blessed me so here I am! Elise tackles the vampire lore and gives it a twist to transform it into a unique, captivating story.
● The world-building: this novel shows us another part of Midscape, a darker, forgotten one, full of sleeping menaces, monsters waiting in the dark, and abandoned castles.
● The characters: as always with all of Elise's protagonists, I adored the ones from this book. Floriane is her own woman, without much of the foolishness that (sadly) is always present in YA leads. She is skillfull and strong-willed, and she goes through her coming-of-age journey graceful and wonderfully. Ruvan was also great. His moodiness and power and determination to save his people was enchanting—not to speak of his looks. I enjoyed the chemistry between them! It wasn't too slow-burn. It was more like a fire building up until the flames are so bright you can't see anything else—and you won't want to. The rest of the characters were the perfect accompanying cast, making the plot more complex and entertaining.
● The research beyond it: last but not least, I think it's hugely important to highlight all the research Elise did to write this masterpiece. She went to a blacksmith and forged her own dagger (how badass is that???? i love her) to help her write Floriane, and as a reader I can say it was really worth it. The craft is described not only beautifully, but also in a way you can really understand and visualize how it works. It's a fascinating art and one VERY vital to all these medieval-inspired fantasy books, so it was wonderful to finally see it get some spotlight.
"I said you were perfect," he says firmly. "The sorrow of other men will be my blessing and delight."
To sum up, Elise Kova does it again. This is a book that every fan of romance fantasy books will adore, because it has the very best of the genre—deadly plots, enemies-to-lovers, a badass female lead and a handsome, powerful lord, ancient rivalries, secrets, amazing world-building and intriguing lore, and a steamy romance— PLUS VAMPIRES!!! It really can't get any better than this.
"Everyone has power, if they claim it."
Thank you so much to Elise Kova and BOMM Tours for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.